I greatly enjoyed reading your paper, although I have a few criticisms and questions about your analyses and positions: The Headline "Three Wheels on his Wagon" juxtaposed with a photo of Blair playing the bongos could be perceived by some as having racist overtones: I know that this was definitely not intended. I've found that socialists have to be extremely careful about humour - it is easily taken the wrong way! A simple agitational headline would make your paper easier to sell on demos etc. (I know that coming up with your headlines week after week is easier said than done!) Attitude to former workers' parties Articles in your paper seemed to be pulling in different directions -OUTLOOK IN THE NINETIES, millions of women and men have taken part in I mobilisations against the evils of capitalism and the bureaucratic diettorships This reflects the fact that humanity face widening dangers. I Ecological, military, social and economic devastation faces millions of I people.
Many more people recognise the barbaric nature of capitalism. In a situation where the inability of the social democratic an communist parties to provide socialist solutions is becoming clearer, the task of creating new leaderships remains ahead.
Socialist Outlook is written and sold by socialists committed to this struggle, We are the British supporters of the world-wide marxist organisation, the Fourth International. We stand for the revolutionary transformation of society and a pluralist, socialist democracy world wide, The overall goal which we pursue is the emancipation of all human I beings from every form of exploitation, oppression, allenation and vio lance, Socialism must be under the control of ordinary people, democratic, I pluralist, multi-party, feminist, ecologist, anti-militarist and internationalIst. It must abolish wage slavery and national oppression.
The working class is the backbone of unity among all the exploited and oppressed. The working class and its allies must uncompromisingly fight against capitalism and for a clear programme of action in order to gradually acquire the experience and consciousness needed to defeat 1 capitalism at the decisive moment of crisis.
The movements of woren, lesbians and gay men, and black people to fight their particular forms of oppression make an essential contribution to the struggle for a different society. They are organised around the principle "None so fit to break the chains as those who wear them", The whole working class needs to fully commit itself to these strug gles. Furthermore we fight for a strategic alliance between workers and these organisations - an alliance which respects their legitimate autonomy, and a revolutionary International, we aim to guide and encompass the global interests of the workers and oppressed. By building a united struggle against exploitation and oppression we aim to ensure the survival of the human race, If you think this is worth fighung for, and you like what you read in Sockdist Outlook, why not ion ust Dron a Ine to us at PO Box 1109 London N4 2UU, and we'll be in touch. praise for the Scottish Socialist Party and for the LO/LCR victories in the Euro election, as well as acclaim for the left success in Labour NEC elections.
Which way do you see socialists going forward in the next decade -building inside the Labour Party or building an alternative to it? Surely at some point soon you will need to choose. France What do you think of the CWI suggestion that LO/LCR should unite to form a new Workers Party. (with full rights of faction) now that they have demonstrated the existence of a political and electoral base for the marxist left? Full congratulations are due, by the way, to Alain Krivine and the other Trotskyists elected as MEPS - I hope that their success will be built on and not dissipated. By building simultaneously revolutionary organisations in each country National Question/Balkan War Socialist Action correctly identified NATO's aims in this war as Socialist Outlook correctly defended the right of Kosovar Albanians to self-determination.
With one grouping calling for critical support for ' "Yugoslavia" and another calling for the arming of the KLA, a very serious problem emerges for the 4th Interna11912. Had there been sections of these groups in Kosova and Serbia then socialists loyal to the same International could literally have been at war with one another! How has this situation come about, and is it sustainable?
What do you think about the CWI call for non-sectarian workers and peasants' militias to defend all communities from attack by NATO/INA/KLA etc? Has the recent massacre of 14 Serb farmers by the KLA made your organisation reconsider its position on this bourgeois nationalist grouping? I think that is enough questions for one letter!
As you may have guessed, I support the CWI/Socialist Party's positions on the issues I have mentioned - but I think it is a lesson of Trotsky's life and death that socialists should always be willing to give and accept criticism and to think independently at times when there is time to do so.
In this spirit, I look forward to reading your answers to my questions, and no doubt, to your criticisms of the CWI! Max Neill • WE REPLY: Max has packed a large number of questions into a short letter - more than we have room to answer here. Some will be answered by articles elsewhere in this issue. However two can be answered very briefly.
• We can see no serious way in which the use of a picture of Tony Blair looking ridiculous can be legitimately construed as having. any racist overtones: we are clearly Write to us on any topic at PO Bax 1109 London N4 20U attacking Blair and his political project - not bongos, bongo-playing, or bongo-players of any colour Or race.
• We assume Max's reference to "Socialist Action" is to the rump right wing organisation of that name in Britain. They long ago severed their former links with the Fourth International.
For more answers to the remaining questions, keep reading Socialist Outlook!