-The CPGP (who work with the AWL in the debate) have made a number of wild proposals (even by their standards) - such as "mobilising the workers to burn the ballot boxes", and calling for strike action in the work places in favour of - yes - an abstention in the referendum! We can look forward to seeing in which workplaces the CPGB even make a serious proposal along these lines. How would socialists vote in a referendum which proposed the suspension of liberal democracy and the imposition of some form of military rule? We would vote against it, not abstain or have an "active boycott". The same applies to a reorganisation within an individual capitalist enterprise. If a capitalist enterprise decides to impose new and harsher working conditions, we don't just say it's all capitalism anyway -which it is. are in favour of opposing the new conditions. When workers in the post office are faced with a new management plan to cut jobs we don't just say "its all capitalism" - which it is. We campaign to get it defeated.
However the AWL go on from H this contorted logic to that to oppose a new on capitalist rule is to endorse the existing form of capitalist rule. To oppose the EU, they say, is to support the individual nation state, to oppose the Euro is, they say, is to support the pound.
Again, this makes no sense. to a new, worse form of rule does NOT that we support or endorse the old form of If workers reject new more harsh working conditions, it does not mean they support what previously existed - which they might have been fighting to means they are opposed to something worse. If we are opposed to military rule, it does not mean that we endorse liberal democracy, only that we are opposed to military rule as an alternative.
The referendum when it comes will not be a choice between the Euro and the pound, bur for or against the Euro.
would still have the pound if the Euro were rejected - but that would be the case if every.
one abstained, since the Euro would only come in if Blair gets a positive mandate for it.
So if a vote against the Euro is a vote for the pound - so is an abstention!
The AWL. position also implies that socialists should only support socialist options. A bit like someone said in the e-mail debate) the ultra sectarian Socialist Party of Great Britain, who refuse to campaign over wages and will only campaign system, "Don't work for wages!"
It would be very nice to have a socialist choice more often, but most choices the working class are faced with are capitalise options, decide which one is in their best interests. In any case revolutionary not opposed to reforms: far from it, in fact Marxists should the be most effective fighters for reforms, seeing them within the context of a revolutionary programme.
The pamphlet also advocates the strange "active boycott" argument. The AWL. claim that they are not in fact calling for an abstention, but an "active boycott": something of a contradiction in terms, in such a referendum.
It is hard to be credible saying that the singie currency is such a big threat to jobs and welfare that we are going to abstain! But to accept logic of this, says Matgamna, would be defeatist.
The problem the AWL face is that if the issue is worth campaigning for it must be Whatever spin you put on it, an abstention remains an abstention in real terms. It means you have decided not to vote yes and not to vote no but, yes, to abstain: "actively" or otherwise.
They also face the problem that the Euro is a huge issue in European politics, but they have nothing to say about it in a referendum - because they are neutral betweea capitalist policies.
So they have decided to make a fuss abut it even if they are calling for an abstention.
Protests like this in Seville show. That's how they wind up with the idea of an "active boscott" argue campaign implies mobilising people cround something you are saying is important and To be opposed makes a difference. mean If voting one way or the other makes no difference -what is there to campaign about? You can picket the polling knock on doors, anyway. It give out leaflets, but in the end you are saying: this is such an important issuc that we are here militantly campaigning - to ask you to, er abstain! Or join our picket and urse the voters, not 9016 You may as well go home and leave the those who that there an important choice to be made. Trying to square this particular circle against the has led the CPGP (who work with the AWL in the debate) to a number of wild pro. posals (even by their standards) - such as mobilising the workers to burn the ballot boxes", and calling for strike action in the work places in favour of - yes - an abstention and they nave to in the reiercadum! We can look forward to seeing in which socialists are proposal along these lines. Not many, we can work places the CPGB even make a serious confidently predict. wacky campaigning vein should have their OWN ballot papers, and different ballot - calling for votes in favour of workers' rights. Wow, that will get the bosses on the run -particularly if they manage to find out that it is happening. abstention in the actual ballot which is taking place, and on which such antics it will There are several other arguments which the AWL advance: 1) We will have cuts anyway - with or without the Euro. This is a passive and complacent position to take. Yes we would still have cuts with or without the Euro. offensive going on that does not rely on the existence of the Euro. And new Labour have their own attacks to carry out on the welfare state. But with the Euro we will get extra cuts, organised and co-ordinated through the BU called. Why would we want that? he difficulty the AWL. face in this s to define what the "active" part European of such a campaien can be. It i hard to be militantly in support of - well, doing nothing. An active which have just been you at the national level anyway. What kind of position is that? -which is what an abstention means anti-nationalistic, into the hands of the Matgamna's own proposal in this I NEW!
is that socialists and run their own completely But this is still essentially an There is a neo-liberal On top of the cuts organised at the national level we will have more cuts organised at the as problems arise SOUIL with the Stability Pact. It is like saying to workers: don't bother to oppose the job cuts announced at the European level, because they will still attack nationalism. 2) Soclalists can't vote the same way as the Tory right the Why not? Why should Britain. we allow the Tory right to decide how we vote? That is completely unac- would do it. ceptable. They will be voting 'no' from a position which has nothing do with Their nationalists. motivation British nationalism, , ours is the defence of the interests of the working class. There is a constituency of people who oppose the Euro anti-nationalistic point of view, workers public sector unions for example. Who is going to represent them if there is no socialist non-nationalistic camnaign? In fact the existence of what will undoubtedly he a strong rant wik campaign for a no vote makes a socialist, important - since without it the right-wing will dominate the debate unchallenged.
This is where the abstention position plays Tory right. It would leave us wringing our hands on the sidelines with nothing to say, whilst the Tories held abstention.
I the euro Hot off the press1109 London N4 200. Outlook the whole stage. There would be no socialist voice in the debate - other than on the sideunes, calling tot an aostcasen This would be a disaster in a referendum. 3) A no vote would boost nationalism' They argue that a win for the no position rould be a disaster because it would boos What is the evidence for this? Is is true that a referendum campaign in Britain would boost nationalism, at least to some extent. That is because of the nature of Tory right tabloid press But this could be the case whatever It is not the result, but the campaign that The thing which would the biggest boost for nationalism is not to have a non-nationalist campaign for a no vote. That would hand the whole thing over to the 4) A no vote would result in a Tory government This looks even more unlikely given the state of the Tory party and the depth of their split over the Buro.
But what is certain is that a 'no' vote would throw new Labour into crisis, whilst a 'yes' rote would give it a new lease of life. Is that what the AWL want?
At the same time a 'yes' vote would be a major boost to the European project, with an historical obstacle to its future development being removed - i.c. British capitalism's lack of commitment to its central project.
Each of the AWL's arguments lead the left towards a cul de sac, would isolate socialists from a major debate, and strengtben rather than weaken the nationalists and the right.
That's why we say what is needed is a campaign against the Euro, based on the interests of the working class, and with the socialists at the centre of it.
This would be impossible on the basis of a new, up to date analysis by Alan
Bombed-out house in Noblus (abore): Internationaliss help clear the coay for long-amaited water tanker in Irag Boreen (centre); kite-foying and curfeco breaking (right)
each have a buddy, who specil cally watches the other, in On arriving at Tel Aviv airport, demonstrations or other acththe security cannot understand ties. One thing i learned, whist wiry anybody would want to There is that there are large come to Israel for a holiday.
number of Christian Palestinians, something you For the first two days I stayed never hear in the media - oct ously because this goes against ing. So I walk around the old the idea of some kind of culcity looking at the various relitural war. mous sites. ino is extremery difficult because the traders are desperate for customers, and I We make a visit to Debeishe camp. Here we visit the home appear to be the only tourist.
of a suicide bomber: the Israeli So l elicit a Palestinian cour army is threatening to kck It диюс We reach a position over- down. It is a large house with looking the Wailing Wall, and as the mother ling on one floor, we bok at the Al Aasa mosour and three brothers each having La foor with their families. In an Israel man, seeing that I was accompanied by a young these refugee camps the Palestinian, said "That is where houses are built together, with we are going to build our Third between. If the house is knocked down, at least six mean knocking down the third most important Muslim reliaffected. Even the neighbours gious site, this was quite a have moved some of their furstatement.
Apart from all the soldiers niture away, because when the Israeli army comes it only ever gives 20 minutes' notice to get part of the city, there are also with their out. so the resicens nave no time to take their possessions. hands on their Uzis.
When we talked to one of Later on. as i walk past the brothers, he said that if he Damascus Gate, I notice some soldiers have lined up a group going to do what he did, he of Palestinians, and occasionally kick them, whenever they would have stopped him, as seem to protest. Apparently would their mother. bus ne this is because they have the also explained the mental state wrong colour identity cards. that his brother had been in: it was at the time of the lenin Palestinians from the West attacks by the israeli army. He Bank are not allowed into Jerusalem. Never mind the himself said that he was in favour of discussing with the importance to them of this city.
Israelis to achieve a peaceful I then head for Beit Sahour, settlement. as he would still be even if they knocked down his for training. The International Solidarity Movement training Bivores aer cement on our As we looked from the roof activities being non-violent, on avoiding cultural offence, and of this house at the surround Ing hils we could see two large marie it dear that were nere jewish segglements. But he also to support the Palestinians, and not tell them what to do. It also panted out allaya parkoo on the hill facing us: he explained this was the start of a our own safety. We are all ascioned to affinity sroups, who Palestinian land. There was look after each other, and we nothing they could do about it. Our guide explained that he had a piece of land, that he had been trying to get building permission for seven years. The settlements dominate everything. In the area of used 87 per cent of the water, and during summer the Palestinian areas have varying periods of water shutdown. This of course never soples to the settlements, which continue to use their sprinklers. swimming poos etc. spoodl roads, which only the settlers are allowed to use, are built to the settlements. Whist I was there, there was pers, in which some Palestinian families had gone to court to try to stop the Israck army knocking down their houses for a row to a settlement. The judge argued that the fact the settlement was illegal was irrel. evant, that the army had a duty to provide security for Israel citizens, and therefore could All the settlements are illegal. them on the grounds that they were gained in a war of legiti. mate self-defence, from Jordan and Syria, and they are kept on & the "historic lands". UN res alutions have been passed, demanding the return of the land that was taken in the 1967 invasions. Not only does Israel continue to ignore these resolutions, but it lays claim to the land. What a difference here from the way the us and ofner countries treat Iraq's attitude On the Saturday. 10th August, we attended a demonstration of 700, in Bethlehem, next to the Church of the Nativity. This was meant to be a joint demonstration, for peace, with a jewish group. Ta'ayush. The 300 Jewish demonstrators were stopped and fire hoses used to stop them getting through. The Israeli state regularly tries to stop joint demonstrations. We then left for Nablus. We as well as many Palestinians. nauding a woman with ar obviousty sick baby, were held for about an hour at the checkpoint outside Beit Sahour. NABLUS:
Tough the checkpoint at Nablus without too much problem. The town had under a 24 hour curfew for 55 days at that point. The curfew was only lifted for a couple of hours every few it has wide streets, and looked Ike one of those movies after a nuclear holocaust, deserted. Then the chilgreet us, asking the question hat was nearly to drive us mad "wrats your name Then came a deafening noise, and as it came closer the street carco again. I Mis was tanks, which ignored us, and thundered past. We met up with the ISM organisers, and were allocated day I nd two young, Americans were to go to a vilage. and New Nablus, which contains the University, is on the way to the village. Here we encountered a road block, by a mill ary vehicle. This was mounter 4 hours a day, and was desioned to stop villwers from several surrounding villages entering Nablus. The soldiers stopped us, took our passports, and kept us for one ToUl Two sonians were stopped for a similar length of the elder of them was only 100 yards from his mother's home. The sokliers were only 18 or 19 years old, with the man in charge not much cider. He arsued he was just doing his job, didn't want to be there, and didn't believe with the military. It was strange to hear this argued by a man with a machine-gun pointed at Palestinians ... a situation which is at the centre of world To reach the village, we have to go over an earth barricade. The village is called Iraq Boreen. Iraq means big rock which is what it is built on. A dramaticaly beautiful pace. Wel met our contacts, and were fed and accommodated for the next two days.
The problems of the village wire rotect same Nablus. The people could walk in the streets, but not realy leave the village. The Israels had blown up their well, and so they mad to get their wate from another village. But the Israelis had built two earth bar. ricades between the two villages, and so they were des. perate Tor Water The people with work in Nablus couk not go to work. Most of the workers are farm workers and so relying on the they took the cactus fruit and figs by donkey. But they are not allowed to take the donkeys past the checkpoint, and had for two hours that morning. This fruit was being ruined.
If people are sick, they can't get mediines, the village has no doctor. Ambulances cannot get to the village, and on one occacion we saw a sick man who had to walk miles to meet an ambulance. Children have to walk through checkpoints to get to school, and they are the villages who go to universify have to get rooms in town. WE 3000000. TO OC sure of getting to their courses. Freedom of movement is denied to Palestinians. This is the starkest of the problems. and cannot be understood unless you see it. We saw its people unable to visit their fiancé, or their mother in hospital, or go to a wedding. Such chings as eating out, going to the cinema, theatre or music are out of the question. One is imprisoned in one's home, or homes have satellite TV. and what a surprise see Mr Bean so popular.
Another problem is the difficulty of having any kind of famly life. One woman described now her soare sos away for 4 wooks at a time, to work. then comes back for one day. another man tok now i wis had a jordanian identity card. and went to visit her parents in Jordan 2 years ago, but was not lowed back, he has not seen people only having to claim Jewish grandparents, to come from anywhere in the world to Israel.)
Threat to houses. At the end of june two villagers from Iraq Tell, were shot dead by IDF forces. They had been working away, and were returning to cheir families: one was 21 and another 20. As they were returning the IDF forces were carrying out an operation, and shot them dead.
They then did the usual cover-up, putting guns alongside them, and claiming the dead men were fighters, But everybody i spoke to in the village assured me that they were proud of fighters. The Israelis are now threatening to knock It should be explained that the raesonians consider any body killed by the Israelis as a martyr. while the IDF threater to knock down the houses of anybody known to resist. though the media presens it→ though they are only threatenin the houses of suicide bombers.
That evenin we sat and drank tea on the roof of a house from which, on a dear ory, you could see tre
Tony in Nablus: "if they'll do this to an ambulance, will this tourist hat really protect me? Metemon e wande the sun go down, and realised how beautiful this would be if the Palestinians were free.
On the Juesday mornine we wene, with the donkeys, down to the checkpoine. The soldiers fire engine arrived, to pick up a worker from nearby. The army ers all get out, and open up the sides. The driver sald he had permission from the area comto wait for 20 minutes. mander. Th were still made Community workers like these, ambulances, refuse workers, are supposedly allowed to function, but the previous day a power worker ad been stopped in Nablus. vehicle was shot in the head. This was one of the few times the IDF said they had made a At the checkpoint the soldiers about our plans, and the army decided not to return. I stayed the remaining three nights in that house.
In the morning about a dozen of us returned. with picks and shovels, to Irag Boreen. With the help of villagers we knocked down the two earth and Tell. It was great to sit in the village and watch the water Jorries. It cook two lorries 5 days to resupply the village. Car crushed by Israeli tank on the narrow steets of Nablus draing out the kids to throw stones. But a group of internaonals chased them away. For the rest of the so a bige crowd of children, and their amilies came out, with the day. The internationals stood in he way of any retuming tanks.
As a group of us left Nablus on the Friday morning, the internationals had just completed knocking down a barri. another refugee camp Asker. workers not being able to get decision that closed the checkpoints. The DWRC also train workers, and campaign for better social services The previous day a demonstration of more than a thousand workers in Gaza had demanded better Social Insurance. The trade unions they saw the demonstration as being against the Palestinian Authority, as the Israeli media tries to present it. But the problem is that the PA controls the purse strings, so who do you go to if you are desperate? Some, such as teachers, and bank workers have workers' committees that act for that workplace, and some have got Cores out to tay Obriously with the level of unemployment (figures between 55 and 804 were quoted at me) not much "normal" trade union activity can Outlook Jerusalem: shops and cafes function normally... with guards on the entrances meet, he can't go to their head state hospitals. For 25 shekels a office in Nablus, he can't go to year membership, it is no wonJerusalem, where they have 14 der that he can chim that union lawyers acting for them, dealing membership has gone from 30% to 90% in the last 2 years. can't come to Ramallsh.
The union also runs courses The unemployment is by fari on the new Palestinian Labour the biggest problem. Places are Codes (the first they have nao). closing all the time, or they are ten in Remallah chis month, and saying to workers corne back in get the people to them. They a month, with no money. want help with a project to teach staff, and legal depe The logistics of functioning a workplace, with the check- ILO conventions, and labour путь, по conce т mare. First you have to get Mohammad in beautiful art your raw materials, from a cafe. Then back to hotel. source in the West Bank, that may not be able to farm, or In the moring a guide took oroduce it. or from israel me around. Went to Arafat's which controls all borders and therefore can make you buy bombed school, then in to centre. Here there was a demonyou have to get your workers in, and back out if a curfen continued encirclement.
Consisted of several dignitaries. have to go through check- including interior minister, and points, and therefore change Moustafa Barghouti. shared taxis, thus making it too expensive, and time consuming distribute your commodity either locally with great difti- where I arranged a discussion
case against
• socialists are not alome in fighting against the strengthening poser of European capetal Stability Pact. Double trouble, as it could be
Thornett of this key political issue, as Tony Blair decides whether to chance his arm with a referendum. Available £1.20 including P&P from T1 Research, PO Box
Outlook diary Tony Richardson