Burnage Report Murder in the ing into racism and racial Reviewed by Debbie Manchester schools Longsight Press £9.95 Macdonald inquiry The report of the Epstein violence in REVIEWS the groups are the same but com- ingly young, and genuinely there Lo express solidarity as well as to crowds of radical youth in an al- enjoy themselves. Comparisons The crowd was overwhelm- "battles' can be made, not that most mystical responded generously and en- mentators seem to respond to to the March 31 Poll Tax Anti-Apartheid? thusiastically Where was The music was slick and well- and we were away down to Lon- Last minule confusion and a car, was determined to enjoy myself. Pete Bloomer reviews the Mandela concert papers, forgot the Poll Tax and don to see Mandela, I left my organised, ranging from the great to the inap. propriate. Over-
tion to previous knowledge. What is new and important about the Burnage Report is the documentation of the failure of a particular kind of anti-racism, labelled by the Committee moral anti racism' in which black stu- dents are seen as the victims of the immoral behaviour of white This kind of anti-racism, says the Report, places racism in a moral vacuum, with no reference to class, sex. age, sexuality or "In practice it has been an un- mitigated disaster. It has rein-
students'. size difference; Two years have passod since the Macdonald Inquiry completed its work. Almost twice that length of time has passed since Ahmed Ullah, a 13 ycar old Bangladeshi student arrived at school half an hour before the session began in he morning and was dead before In response to the demnads of particularly Manchester City Council set up: the Inquiry: yet when the Cam- mittee submitted its full report. Manchester refused in publish it on the grounds that it was libel-
school started. Bangladeshi way - treating our expression of vitality as a surprise, as if they wete new- I did enjoy myself, everyone did. But it always seemed unclear what it was all about. The Anti Apartheid Move- ment was absent from Wembley. With no speaker, and no mention
Top of the bill: Mandela all the solcotion was safe und pre dictabic. In con-s trast to the Mandela *88 Concert, the ar- tists socm to have been told not to make statements. It was as if the songs were to say it all by themselves. So what do Keep on Rocking In The Free
meaning whites and paralysed them when any issue of race arises. They have become the taught others to bury their racism without in any way changing cheir attitude. It has created and Far from being a wholesale condemnation of anti-racism, this is part of a passionate and com- pelling call for effective anti- racism: "We do not believo that an effective anti-racist policy can exist unless the other issues (of equality) are also addressed and forced the guilt of many well- wimps of race relations, It has anger stopped free discussion". arid resentment lee have always denied the media that the Report con- demned anti-racist education, and have pushed for its publication. evidence for all the allegations City Council would not relent, so now the members of the Commit- ce have published the report in their own names, laking any risk However this was not the first information we have had from the report - its final conclusions The members of the Commit- firm made in the book. Manchester had they on their own heads. that claims saying Ious. as if they were determined not to many new layers are made aware of the struggle, while other more must be addressed. All socialists must take note - don't denounce movement - which is more than that maybe their active involve- no one leafletted the gig. It was use the apportunity to build the conscious layers are persuaded on the tickets: ment is not required. Yet such So what is the effect of an miss audience and goodwill events level consciousness.- event like this? Such media 'Blowing In The Wind' mean, in with words charged which ended to apartheid, 'stick a fork in their Worid", or "Wild Women Do' or Read's "Great American Whale" the only rap group; Tracy Chap- crowd. Highlights included Lou done'; the oration for Stetsonic, people's heroes, Simple Minds, in cheers after his line referring music was not at all bad. Many ass and turn them over, they're Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel and others performed for the Lou Read, Jackson Browne, in a night of heroes, the this particular context?
Page 31 dealt with, in particular class and The Report calls for more within schools and LEAs; for the parents, both white and black, in the development of anti-racist policies and practices; for the recognition that oppressions can- not be put in a hierarchy, and that to deal with one we need to deal with the others. We ignore these and accountability involvement of students conclusions at our peril. were leaked to the Manchester So was the publication of the full Report worth it? The answer must be an emphatic yes. The Burmage Report may well tun out to be the most important and practice of anti-racist education and the effects of racism in It documents in detail the way in which racism can and does af Evening News, and the Council schools to come out of the 1980s. published a selection of chapters: authoritative document on Whilst respectable resistance will he strengthened, Tor myself solidarity. I like Peter Gabriel a 70,000 clenched fists aloft, and to "Biko" in memory of the fal- the deafening sound of singing popular support - politicise it no amount of commemoration let: and I'll always remember len and the victory to come. can change the meaning of SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 24, May 1990 man coming on after Mandela to Much has heen written in the lion people. All 1 can say is that Nelson Mandela', which made before a platform of over a bil- Revolution' and an emotional Jerry Dammers singing Free memorable; yet the audience it was remarkable only in its brevity and for being so un- press on Mandela's speech. sing "Talkin" about a the crowd move.
Luxemburg's ironic formula: "Proletarians of insurrection consistent with the writings of Engels* 1895 Preface to Marx's The Class Democratic Leadership, who cut the proface to all countries, unite in times of peace but cut each other's throats in time of war'. Further- more, the bankruptcy of Social Democracy's reform policy has been demonstrated time and In addition to his claims for reform, Jac- ques tries to make a rejoction of revolutionary Marx, In order to demonstrate this he distorts This shabby trick originated with the publi- cation of ihis Preface by the German Social ry and justify the abandonment of insurrec- Struggles in France: again this century In a recent article in the Financial Times ques presents us with his most ludicrous Tal- The article takes the form of a fictional in- effectively rebutted in previous issues of (Weekend FT, 10/11 March 1990) Martin Jac- terview with the 'ghost" of Marx. Apart from sesses no originality whatsoover. Instead Jac- tunist falsifications of Marx's work - and puts Jacques repeats all the usual Marxism ing class and the end of communism in East- em Europe. These views have, of course, heen this whimsical novelty, Jacques aticle pos ques re-hashes all the old reformist and oppor Today fallacies about the demise of the work Now who's not a Marxist? hem into the mouth of Marx himself! LETTERS silication of Marxism yet. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK Alan Thornett, in his obituary to Gerry Healy in Socialist Outlook No 21, rightly points out the serious damage done by Haly revolutionary Marxist tradition in But in order, as Alan Thomett concludes, Gerry Healy: a victim of 1953 split
Germany in the 1890s, bur that for most Finally Jacques refers, unsurprisingly out of context, to Marx's comment that he was not (with reservation) of peaceful revolution for a Marxist. One thing is certain; Marx would Now for nearly a year the LTTE has been in negotiations with the Sri Lankan govern- lion. The full Preface suggests some possiblity David Emm and Richard Pearson countries insurrection was still necessary. not have regarded Jacques as a Marxist!! High Wycombe Tamil provinces." Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers He next claims that the Russian Revolution (No 22) Sunil Femando draws the attention to Failed completely. In reality, of course, Stalin undoubtedly hotrayed the revolution, but he did not destroy all its social gains, as Trotsky According to Jacques's article, Marx would have favoured the reformist policies of the parties of the second International like the German Social Democrais" In Icality these were the people whose undermining of cless struggle 1s most strikingly expressed by Rosa In the March issue of Socialist Omiook the killing helds in Sri Lanka. But his judge- Socialist Outlook: essentially a product nf thc split in the Fourth Two ycars aller the 1974 expulsion of *to ensure that there Is never room left for his ilk to do such damage again", it is necessary to Although Healy came from third-period Stalinism, and later apod its methods, he was International that started in 1953. Although Thomell and what became the Workers" Socialist League from Healy's organisation, he International Marxist Group published the famous/infamous scries of articles Faction and Party* written by Alan Jones, taking the form ofa polemic against the comrades of the Herly did not cause the 1953 split, he was cer winiv one of iis most obvious victims. understand the causes of Healyism. famous/infamous
The Tamil population undoubtedly wants with the Sri Lankan government with FMLN's negotiations and peace initiatives toward the not the FMLN have handed over their arms while negotiating. Both usc megotiations as The Tamil Tigers" negotiations with the Sri Lankan government did increase the pressure on the government to get rid of the Indian ment. Thesc negotiations seems to Fernando to be a proof of the Tamil Tigers "opportunist" peace: After years of fighting with the Sri One can compare the Tigers" negotiations government of El Salvador. Neither the LTTE during the 32 months of Indian occupation. Lankan army, 4,000 civilians part of the political struggie. Towards the end of the article Fernando made common cause with the Tamil Tigers Fernando's article does not explain what Lankan army, the Indian troops in Sn Lanka The Sri Lankan government invited in the Indian troops to delcal the Tamil Tigers ment of the Tamil Tigers seems scciarian to says: For the moment things aro relatively quiet in Sri Lanka because the governmenı has and refers to the opportunist policies of the relationship between the Sti and the Tamil Tigers in the North and Eastern (LTTE), one of the Tamil nationalist groups, against the more progressive Tamil groups. provinces of the island. Tamil Tigers. and a party. This idealistic and schematic non- sense (and these words are not used lightmin- The positions in those articles were broadly adopted by the IMG. Jones considered Healy's degeneration to have been inevilable because of his inahlity to distinguish betwoon a faction dedly) has not been criticised. It has helped to lade the real causes of the 1953 split and in particular has helped to obscure any broad un- derstanding of how the degeneration of Healy Marxists have a much greater history of defeats than of successes, and it is from these defeats that lessons really have to be drawn. The programmatic and tacti and his organisation could have heen avoided. cal issues involved in the 1953 split are par ticularly topical given the present develop Revolutionary
troops. That is a step toward independence and self-determination for the Tamil provin- with the Tamil people will have to recognise that the Tigers are the leading force in a na- tional liberation movement. Socialists, and in Femando did not offer much political guidance in his article; but solidarity work therefore take care to avoid sectarianism SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 24, May 1990 particular revolutionary Finn Jensen, towards the LTTE. Manchester 32 months, 50,000 Indian troops tried to The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) fought the fourth biggest anny in the world - and the Indians rilla army would be able to do that without The LTTE's popular support is widely writes from New Delhi that the Tamil Tigers "have emerged as the de facto power in the militarily - something the Sri Lankar army had been unable to do in years of fighting. For lost the lives of more than 1,100 soldiers, with more than 2,000 scriously wounded. No guer- recognised. In the Guardian Derek Brown defcat the Tamil Tigers - unsuccessfully. massive popular support. International Committee of the Fourth Intema- International's ability to correct Healy's dev- loping national isolationaism: and how revolu- ments in Eastern Europe and the Sovict But it is essennal to study ail the questions that were raised (especially the organisational questions raised by the comrades of the carly bonal) in order to understand the causes of the split; how these causes destroyed the cionary Marxism in Britain can recover from the tremendous setback of the 1953 split Union, and are well worth studying. NW London Page 32
ARTH deputise: appropriately. well ask. He couldn't Newsweek magazine make it, but has sent Kurt Waldheim to Square Second time around
Page 33 trying to attract votes by dressing promising to change almost noth to win votes through extravagant ing. and promising no bencfits to even secking - votes, the Labour But for Lahour Icaders toady- traditional reformist fancies, and gets elected goes down a treat at politician vying with the others washed down with a little Moet new slim line menu works very Labour leaders still believed in socialists, but his promise to be pre-election promises - few of Let that he a comfort to you up their programme to look at- nok in an orgy of masochism. adopt a more sophisticated ap- defies workers to support Kin- "New times" mean all this anyone. Far from buying - or programme so unappealing it ing round business chiefs, the frugal on our behalf if he ever must stop, says Ms Hubbard: bacon; and pie in the sky, the even crumbs of comfort have dustrialists - especially when lunches with bankers and in- John Smith's policy may sound like a dog's dinner to Labour under Kinnock will which were carried out. As strategy is to put forward a been crossed off the menu. as you struggle to pay your recently as Harold Wilson proach - offering nothing, No longer does Labour promise to bring home the By Harry Sloan Sainsbury's bill! & Chandon. well. caused havoc in his country's un- The dog died of neglect years ago, but Old Mother ('Sister") Hubbard, one of the first-ever new realists, is now heading Labour's Icam formulating policy decring the entire stock of elastic various phases of British politics, and deduced that the "now times" new facelift under Thatcher who goodies has been stripped to the scandals over 'rollen boroughs', has perfected the idea of bribing voters usmg our assets and cash democracy, there were rampant bribery and the buying of votes. bone and beyond, leaving front call for a Iresh approach. In the vote, there came the heyday of derwear industry by comman- Meanwhile, not to be out- men like John Smith flogging the most unappetising load of It is on her orders that the Hubbard has analysed the Party's stall of vote-winning And so the poor doggy got These techniques have had a After the masses won the to build the world's biggest Bare bones done. Libya's Gaddafi has The cupboard was bare, *But when she got there of a policy party promises, with cach early yoars of bourgeois FARTH seized from the poor. for the next cicelion. Hussein's darts. THIER = leftovers. catapult. none? AY Fed up with Sky TV's lack of Derek Jumeson, Saddam Hussei Brits. He looked to Healy, whose Bull, but of wacko ex Trotskyist ing in Equity, to play the anchor reveal the truth: the key death in Ba'athist propaganda back at the been one of its few readers), and full of hard cash, and the scheme live executions and its excess of nalists to write and pages to fill. the whole riddle was not that of crushed to death under suitcases versed into a huge target set: any the three gigantic rubber suction who still boasted a loyal follow. As this magazine goes to press pressed him with its servility in the 1970s (the Iraqi regime had man" role as Baghdad's answer scrapped, and the pipeline con there are still as many theories driver will be caught driving in barmy ballistics expert Gerald decided to launch his own TV Roll out the day now another hapless lorry daily Newsline paper had im- Hussein's agents screwed up. "supergun" as there are jour- Only Socialist Outlook can mysteriously and suddenly. sattelite channcl, beaming The saltelite plan was for the old Austro Hun- Healy was keen, but who said 'the first time leaving the Cat sectarian reports a new surge of about the alleged Iragi Now who was that tips to go on the end of enthusiasm in Austria as tragedy, the second began to unravel. barrel! to Frank Bough. time as farce? ganan empire. Gerry Healy. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 24, May 1990 oppressive religious superstitions Long-forgotten territorial dis- Best-forgotten and hopelessly what were almost uniformly reac- cra, along came the upheavals in putes and national questions that Vaguely-remembered monar- country retreats of Europe, while Just as the more adventurous as a reaction to ycars of 'official the words 'new! and 'Democrat' progress had culminated trium- phantly in the Thaichcr/Reagan apparently secularised societies, forts to persuade us that history and traditions are crupting from ageing veterans of pre and post- pect to roll once more through a tracks, are bubbling hack up to chies are resurrected, and long- war bourgcois and peasant par- most often in their new labeis - course: some damn things just oblivion in the lounge bars and ties squabble over who can use some of the sclected low-lights of the past. If the capitalists get Fukayama had begun their ef- yourself for an ironic replay of 'History", said Henry Ford, is their way and install new bour- "Where's Hitler?, you may Now is the time to dust off bourgeois ideologists such as seemed buried for ever under marxism', just like zits on the goois governments, we can ex stalinist domination and tank your history books, and brace process of crisis and decay of is at an end, and that human lost royals hauled hack from another. He was wrong, of Bonary and increasingly dic- decades of invasions, wars, rivalling the Monty Python Just one damn thing after face after a fatty diet. never go away. Eastern Europe. tatorial regimes. "spam" menu.
----- pull-quotes on this page ----- COMMENTARY ISLA Sloan' s
This year sees the seventh International Youth summer camp of the Fourth International. It will be The cost for the whole week inclusive of food and travel will be £120 and there will be a possibility a week of sun, fun and political discussion. There will be a women only space and a Lesbian and Speakers include; Ernest Mandel, a Young Sandinista, and an Fl supporter from South Africa. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH SUMMER CAMP Gay only space. The theme of this year's camp will be Europe - East and West. of the cost dropping even further! If you are interested, please write to: De Kluis, Belgium July 21st-29th International youth summer camp PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU There will also be a delegation from Eastern Europe.
Small hall, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1 (Holborn tube) SOCIALIST OUTLOOK FORUMS EVERY SUNDAY, 7.30pm 27 May - Yugoslavia with Branka Magas on EASTERN EUROPE 20 May - Poland with Dave Holland 13 May - Hungary with Gus Fagan
1 years subscription (ten issues) for E10 inland, £12,50 Europe, £17.50 outside Europe (surface), READ SOCIALIST OUTLOOK EVERY MONTH. £20 outside Europe (airmail) Multi-reader institutions £20 inland, £35 overseas. 3 June - Romania with Patrick Camiller 10 June - GDR with Gunter Minnerup Return to Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU Address Subscription to start from Number Name.