Maine sitions de la tO Coir Co.
The ICR called for a general strike • Raoul, Rouen important things about the recent struggles In France against the government and the Juppe plan was the solldarity between students and workers. Workers recognise that it is hardly possible to study in current conditons, ana inal more and more students are coming from working-class background.
At the same time, students are feeling more sympathy towards ers' struggles as they realise that their jobs, are at stake in these struggles. And that a degree is no guarantee of a job and a good income.
These attacks are part of the same political project. In refusing to take money from business and the non, or from military expenditure or private education, the government refuses to finance public service and socia protecLon. In refusing to upset the capitalists, they refuse to adopt the only measures which can reduce unemployment and misery. work- All the victims of such policies must unite: from sold lo da common ful movement of youth and "A government against workers can ever colow us all, all of us against the to stop the movement to government!" the right and win our de- * Translation from RevoAt last! Ernest Mandel's booklet now back in print! INCLUDES Ernest l by the French lution, Democratie, Egalité (the paper of Liberation's sister organisation in France). del's 1971 speech — made illegal "The Con une Lives" For your copy send {1.50 cheue or postal order (Includes postage| to Socialist Outlook Fund', PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU,
• Women • Evita • sex in magazines • Argentina's 'Evita' - Saint or Sinner? • Adele McGowan Wing strong pas sions in Argentina by daring to star as the leg endary Eva Peron In the fllm version of the must cal, Evita.
The Peronist President Carlos Menem. has de scribed the film plannes as "a libellous interoretation of Evita's life" and Madonna as "porno. graphic and unsuitable" to play the role.
Certainly Webber's musical is tongue in cheek, centring on a fictitious relationship between Evita and the revolutionary Che nuevate.
Nevertheless, Madonna as Evita is better casting than David Essex as Che in arsion She has a striking resemblance to Evita and like A C ACAU to riches story, a background in music and film, and is •all assertive woman.
However Madonna's sexual assertiveness will not be welcomed by many Argentinian's in her portrayal of their heroine.
Webber plays on the tiring old theme Evita slept her way to the top. As Evita is regarded by many file. as a Saint this is unthinkable. Her promiscuity may be true, but a film that dwells solely on it doesn't capture the essence what made her a heroine latter tried to prevent him of the masses - the politi- taking Presidential office cal role she played. in 1945. Luckily Evita was She married General on hand to call Juan Peron in 1944, demonstration whilst he was still Minister trate a coup. of Labour. Although Evita After the war, Argentina described their relation- had a boom created by ship as 'he the figure, I the supplying the imperialist shadow'. she soon deve - powers materials to put oped her own political pro- them back on their feet again. Industry grew, The General's reform Welfare State was develprogramme won mi sup oped, there was a redistriport in the trades unions bution of wealth to the and frightened the landed poor and the trade unions oligarchy. As a result the became stronger. This alFlows people to remember Evita's time of influence as a golden era. a huge Peron introduced as to frus- Minister of Labour protective legislation for women and an Equal Pay Act. In 1947 there was women's suffrage. Evita formed a Women's Party to push forward the such reforms. Her view ity was "just as only the workers can wage their own struggle for liberation, so too can only women be the salvation of women".
Evita is largely based on the way they saw her at the time. Their view she was too close to the communists has been translated by him into her bedding Che Guevara. Many on the far left did have ism. Government did introduce social reforms and rhetorically attacked US imperialism. Although General was willing to do the bourgeoisie's bidding to repair a faltering economy in the 1950's, he never had much time to show it, before he overthrown in 1955. was still common to see portraits of Juan and Eva Peron held alongside portraits of Guevara and Castro on demos in Latin America 1970's. Juan Peron was always careful to keep rigid control of the workers move. ment, through appointment of Yet she was a contradiccrats to police trade un•tory feminist, always ions. He won support from stressing her total devo- the workers at a time of tion and subordination to prosperity, but he still arner patriarchal, popullst gued "defence of the inhusband. terests of businessmen, Evita set up a Founda- industrialists and tradestion to build schools and men is the very defence of hospitals and personally the state" dished out funds to deEvita's death at 33 serving causes. Her affinyears old from cancer alWith Ine snirtiess lowed her image to remain ones' and the early reuntarnished by Juan's forms of Juan Peron made later deeds. her despised by the bourHe alienated his radical geoisie. left supporters by preachWebber's depiction of Wing conciliation between the military and the workers during his time out of office. The Montoneros which took up arms against successive juntas and the Peronist youth idolised Evita instead. The military stole her corpse musions in reron- and kept it in hiding until The first Peronist 1971, because they feared it providing a rallying point for the opposition. the The legend of Evita was used to inspire workers to take on the military and bosses. Yet her husband was returned to power in the 70's with their support to stabilise capitalist rule, at a time of massive social unrest. The "Dirty War" really began under Juan's supervision. The gangsters and gorillas surrounding the early Isabel, his second wife helped form the death squads of the Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance. These goons and the his military would murder bureu- thousands of Socialists under the General, Isabel and the juntas that followed. Peron accused the Fourth International as the main threat to his Government. He said "You can't stop it in any way, because it is organised on a worldwide basis". Before her death Evita never broke with the politics of her husband. Many ordinary Argentinians did later and paid for it with their lives. If Evita had been a Saint, she would have been on their side.