THE historical crisis of mankind is reduced to the crisis of revolutionary leadership. Without being solved, threatens our whole culture. stated the Transitional Programme in 1938. How much more so does that catastrophe face us nearly 50 years later with the invention of the Atom Bomb and the insanity of the nuclear arms race, which in itself feeds on the continuous oppression of the workers and peasants of the world.
Those who argue for nuciear disarmament can see this month in Geneva the Non-Prolileration Treaty signed by 126 countries in 1970 now in fatters at its review, with the USA, USSR and others just ignoring the agreements. The run-up to the 19-20 November powers" summit meeting sees both nides flexing their muscies and consolidating their positions rather than showing signs of any peace agreement
In this context, the END Annual Convention has become very important as the International Peace Conference. The same description applies to it as Trotsky applied to the pre-1940 Anti-War Movement - only more so:
*It bears witness to the fact that the class struggle has overflowed the limits of the traditional organisations of prolefariat."
The fact is that the mass parties of the working class and the Trade Unions, despite occasionally paying lip service to unilaterial nuclear disarment, have stood by and allowed the arms race to continue at tremendous cost 10 the resources. In general, Peace activists in Amsterdam listened politely but with some bewilderment and silence to speakers irom
The politics of the
MINERS STRIKE
By BILL PETERS
TU C GENERA
Report from 4th
END Convention
By DAVE SPENCER the Official Peace Movements of Rumanie,
Yugoslavia and China
Democrats from the FRG and Holland.
this catastrophe sincere note.
So distinct from conventional
Social Democratic politics. For example:
• Solidarity with national liberation struggles.
Darlene Keju-Johnson from the Marshall
Islands and Roland multilateral
Imperialism and racism hand in hand.
to get tid of the other. Spokespersons irom
Nicaragua and South Africa were also enthusiastically welcomed by the Convensupertion, where Peace and the fight against op pression were linked.
• Support for human rights struggles in Eastern Europe.
with the Independent Peace Movements in
Eastern Europe, all of whom insist forceful-
Norid Peace and democratic rights in Eestern Europe,
Most of the members were the prevented from attending the Convention
Jan Faber (Secretary of the Dutch IKV)
world's was given to all delegates, teresting booklet
Reticenue" by the Czech playwright and
Charter 77 spokesperson Vaciav Havel.
New!
Perhaps the first attempt at an objective and coherent political analysis of the miners' strike and its lessons for the workers' movement.
44 pages, 80p. including postage, from Socialist
Viewpoint. BCM Box
3956, London WIN 3XX.
sion by from the USSR.
movement.
and
Social to
They did not seem to hit a relevant or voice.
At the same time there is a developing consensus at END Conventions on certain basic political principles which are quite
Stalinist
It was clear irom the contributions of for Peace.
Simbulan from the
Philippines that nuclear weapons and US
Movement.
went very much
The
Lo get rid of one evil meant
Movements the Movement.
enough
There has been a tremendous increase which
In contact and dialogue over the last year y upon the link between the struggle for the for struggle paysically away but sent messges by one route or another.
A letter of greeting to the Convention from
Lech Walesa was read out; a copy of the discussion between Jacek Kuron and Uient as was an in
The Anatomy of a support policies.
only to each country their own areas.
Socialiet Viewpaint, No. 7, September 1985 Page 36
Smuggled videos were shown of discus-
Charter 77 spokespersons, in cluding Jiri Hajek, Foreign Minister under the Dubcek regime, deposed by the Russians in 1968, and of members of the Moscow Trust group who still hold weekly seminars and monthly demonstrations, in spite of constant harassment and imprisonment. The Convention Itself gave lengthy ovations to Ferencz Misziwetz, a young researcher from Budapest University who spoke on behalf of the Hungarian Dialog group and Vitaly Barbash of the Moscow Trust Group who was recently expeiled • Learning from the women's
At the first END Convention in Brussels. Greenham Common women and their supporters stormed the stage demanding a
This year women had their autonomous meetings and workshops but also led mixed workshops and participated very fully in the whole Convention on the platform and in discussion. There was almost an equal number of women and men delegates. The male organisers and most male participants seem to have taken the point that there is a link between the fight against male dominance and the fight Broadening the Peace mass West European Peace developed to oppose the depioyment of Cruise missiles. In those countries, like West Germany, Britain and Italy, where Cruise has already arrived, there has been a certain demoralisation in
Thin pessimism was expressed strangely in the opening speech by the Dutch IKV Secretary Uient Jan Faber — if nothing else was at least refreshingly honest.
In Holland, the government has costponed its decision on Cruise until November 1 this year. In a way this shows the success of the Peace Movement, on the other hand the postponement has taken the protest momentum since everybody belleves the government will live in to NATO In the end. The Dutch KV are concentrating on a national door to door petition before November 1.
The Spanish movement has grown enormously, pulting over 1 million people on the streets of Madrid to protest against Reagan's visit to Spain. They believe they will win the national referendum against Spain jolning NATO
The French Movement CODENE at one time was very small because both the Communist Party and the Socialist Party
French Independent nuclear However it hasgrown con siderably over the last year campaigning against EUREKA and against nuclear testing in the Pacific.
The West German movement is clearly In a state of confusion after the deployment. of Cruise and the entry of the Greens into Tocal and national government.
These national fluctuations are of course be expected without any authoritative political leadership. Nevertheless the discussion and dialogue help group fo benell! from the experiences of others, be they defeats or suc cesses. From these Conventions as I said eariler, an encouraging broad consensus it developing. A mass mobilisation in one would an Immediate response all over Europe, For example, numerous delegates expressed their ad. miration, for the British miners' strike and had spontaneously started collections in
New!
New!
Radical Face of Stalinism.
context.
ox 3956, London
Want to know more?
Socialist Viewpoint has supporters and sellers many towns in England and in Scotland. If you wish to find out more about our politics and our work in the labour movement in your area, contact Socialist
Viewpoint at BCM Box 3956, London WCIN 3XX, and we will put you in touch with your nearest contact.
Please send me further details of Socialist Viewpoint
Name
Address
Trade Union
Labour Party
Telephone
CUBA
Radical face of Stalinism
New!
Carou thought theonly chan on you should read Cuba:
Dissecting the politics and evolution of the Cuban leadership this book reasserts the need for a Trotskyist party and programme in Cuba, and presents the events firmly in their global
Box 290, London WIN 3 luding postage) from Left View books
SOCIALIST
VIEWPOINT monthly
SOCIALIST in coverage, reviews and comment.
58.00 (UK) or £10.00 (overseas!
Please send me
In enclose f
Name
Address
Subscribe to the
VIEWPOINT!
Encouraged by the reception of the first two issues of Socialist Viewpoint, we have decided to regularise publication and to "go monthly" as of February 1985 In this way we hope that our analysis and background coverage can be linked to more up-to-date news
We hear that some readers have been arriving at bookshops to buy their copies - only to find stocks sold out. There is now an easy answer: SUBSCRIBE to Socialist Viewpoint, at the bargain rate of 12 issues for issues of Socialist Viewpoint. plus a donation of £
SOCIALIST
VIEWPOINT
70p