want On January 18th, Trotskyist militant Joseph Hansen social died. He was 68. Joe's death will be a serious loss both to his comrades in the SWP(US) and the Fourth International dedicated his life to building over many decades.
His loss will be particularly felt by those who, over the years, had the chance to personally experience his dedication, maturity of judgement.
Joe Hansen joined the Trotskyist movement in the USA over 40 years ago during the Depression. His early The result years were influenced by close association with both Leon Trotsky - to whom he served as secretary between Jim Cannon, founder of American Trotskyism. Throughout his life, as a leading member of the SWP and the Fourth International, Hansen tried to apply the and organisational principles learned from these great revolut### Hansen of the Cuban revolution.
generation.
In the leading which he ary journalism. political insight and the late '60s.
very 1937-40 - and Joe politics Street sect, he played an important theoretical role, contributing to the major new questions facing the Fourth International at that time, own such as the nature of the Eastern European states and the unfolding His writings on these issues - particularly on Cuba - became authoratitive works which influenced an entire early 1960s, he played a month, very important part in trying to restore the unity of the Fourth International which had suffered from a harmful ten year split. His editorship of Intercontinental Press 'set up soon after the re-unificati on in 1963) was a model of revolutionProbably Joe Hansen's most important contribution was made during the last decade of hislife, when he led a successful fight within the Fourth International to reverse the erroneous 'guerrillarist' line adopted by the majority in Considering this to be his greatest achievement, Joe's writings on this issue are a model to young revolutionaries on how to Broue. conduct a debate with scrupulous accuracy, non-factionalism and in a precise and lucid manner.
In the last few years of his life, ers, Joe was forced to suffer a vicious frame-up campaign conducted by the denizens of the Clapham High the WRP, which accused him of being a 'CIA agent' or 'accomplice of the GPU'. JOE S. E. 11 had no need to defend himself which were prompted no doubt, by the growth of the Fourth International and the disintegration of his sectarian forces. His record is spotless. It is one which, through his loyalty to the banner of revolutionary socialism for over years, and his maturity of judgement and personal sincerity, is an example to us all.
At a meeting in New York last La fund of $20, 000 was set up to help publish all of Joe's more important political writings. Such writings will stand as an object lesson to thousands on how to approach and analyis the great events of the class struggle from a revolutionary viewpoint.
The way to honour joe Hansen is not just to mourn him. It is to continue the task to which he dedicated his life: building the Fourth International. Publishing Fund Sponsers of the Joseph Hansen Publishing Fund include: Robert Alexander, Tarig Ali, Robin Blackburn, Hugo Blanco, Pierre Ken Coates, lama ra Deutcher, Bernadette McAliskey, Louis Sinclair, Mary-Alice WatErnie Tate, Evelyn Reed, Nahuel Moreno.
All contributions to the fund -which should be in by March 31 -should be sent to: Joseph Hansen Publishing Fund, 32 Lambeth Towers, Kennington Rd, London,
March 79 The ANL was launched just over a year ago. It was launched at a time of almost unparalleled hysteria against the Black community.
For months, the Tory press had indulged in 'scare stories' against illegal immigrants. Leading Tories, following Powell, had called for tightening up immigration quotas. Margeret Thatcher herself, in her 'hawkish' role, was soon talking of the dangers of white people being swamped by Black immigrant s, calling for 'pass laws' and encouraging voluntary repatriation.
Sheltering behind this racist upsurge, the NF stepped up its activities. No doubt flushed by earlier electoral successes, it intensified its anti-immigration campaign and launched deliberately provocative marches through high immigrant areas.
Step Forward The launching of the ANL was a major step towards stemming this racist tide. Within a few months, it was able to draw tens of thousands around its meetings, carnivals and mobilisations to defend Black people (as at Brick Lane).
It was no doubt the very success of the ANL - combined with later criticism of Thatcher's sharp shift to the right on immigration - which begar to worry sections of the rulire ciass. Papers which had orig -inally been sympatherio io che ANL anti-nazi image (like the Times) began to denounce it as an left plot'.
W'hat the mass actions of the ANL showred was the tremendous potential for drawing thousands of young people into the fight against racism. Such actions vividly exposed the cowardice of the Labour leaders who, instead of organising a real opposition to the racist backlash, were spinelessly bending betore it.
Limited While the mass actions of the ANL have undoubtedly helped to stem this racist tide, however, the potential they held within them has not yet been realised.
Since its inception, the ANL (dominated by the SWP) has focused almost all its propaganda, activity and mobilisations around the NF.
As ANL press secretary Peter Haines put it (no doubt speaking for most of the steering cttee):"I see it (the ANL) as an emergency operation. The Front has been making ground electorally, in the schools, in the working class generally. It is an emergency job of propaganda EDITOR: Michael Hawley BUSINESS MANAGER: Dave The Anti-Nazi League & The Struggle Against Racism :
and activity to stop just that"
Undoubtedly, combatting the NF influence is an integral part of any anti-racist campaign. equally no doubt, however, confine the campaign against the NF - a relatively small ultra-right group - is to seriously misjudge what is the real menace facing Black people today.
Not only does it exagerate the importance of the NF at this stage su: :: leares masses of people disarmed in the face 'ultra - thrust of the ruling class momer che legalisec racism the State as enshrined in a succession of racist immigration acts.
Racist Climate The relative growth of the NF (which should not be exagerated ) has not, after all, fallen from the skies. It is rooted in the racist climate whipped up over the years by increasingly racist laws placed on the statute books by Tory and Labour governments.
The present Immigration Act is merely the climax of a whole series of such acts which can be traced back through Callaghan's 1968 Immigration Act, Wilson's 1965 White Paper to the Tories' original Commonwealth Immigration Act of 1962 which, for the first time, made entry into Britain dependent on a colour bar.
Such acts do not merely discriminate against Blacks coming into the country on the basis of colour. They permeate all aspects of the lives of those Blacks already here, rendering them, in effect, second class citizens.
SOCIALIST ACTION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Anne Williams Macleod Published by SOCIALIST ACTION, 58 Auckland Rd., SE 19 Printed by Spider Web Offset (TU), 9 Rosemont Road, NW 3. (phone: 01-794 6575)
pected illegal There is a warrent and to that to to a struggle Such powers ice, to Bradford.
Logical Conclusion The pelled.
of the Tories or the laws themselves.
of the real Diversion at this serious error.
today.
the ANL.
Splits?
that to raise Under their provisions, the poiice are empowered to arrest susimmigrants without deport "troublemakers' without right of appeal.
are used by the polas Blacks are only too aware, to intimidate & terrorise the immigrant communities from Southall importance of these Acts cannot be overstressed. Once it is accepted that Blacks can be denied entry on the grounds of colour, and denied democratic rights in Britain on the same grounds, then racism has received official approval. All the Race Relations Acts in the world cannot change that.
It is the climate of racism created by such acts - which suggest that Blacks are somehow to blame for high unemployment or poor housing - which the NF feeds off. All the NF has done, after all, to push the 'logic" implicit in such acts to a conclusion by suggesting that Blacks should not only be denied entry but should be forcibly exIt is no wonder that Labour leaders find it quite impossible to argue against the immigration policies NF. How can they when, by implementing racist they implicitly accept thai Blacks are a 'probler':
The concentratior by che ANL or the NF 'threat' is, in this sense, a Concentrating exclusively on a small, ultra - right group has meant downplaying the issue of legalised racism which is the main thrust of the ruling class not have This is the reason why certain forces, who hold racist views, were able in the initial stages to support The Federation of Conservative students for example (which split from the ANL in September) was only too happy to join in the anti-Nazi "rhetoric'. It was only too happy to do so because it allowed them to hide their racist position on immigration behind a smokescreen of liberal demagogy.
Some of the very forces who hook). have stood on ANL platforms denouncing the NF for racism (i.e. Sid Bidwell) have been those who have called for tighter immigration curbs against Black people, who have called for cutting back on dependents and for introducing pass laws for Blacks in this country.
It has been argued, of course, the issue of racist immigration laws in the ANL would only lead to quarrels & inter nal dissension. This is partially true. It has already led to the split action. off of the Federation of Conservative Students when the Thatcher pro posals on immigration came in for criticism earlier this year.
Raising the issue of immigration may have alienated these forces The recent publicity given in the media to Asian women subjected to 'virginity tests at Heathrow airport has once more high - lighted the racist nature of the 1971 Immigration Act.
Such violation of human rights has been passed off as 'isolated incidents'.
In fact, they are only one aspect of an Actwhich reduces Blacks trying to enter Britain to second-class citizens. Discriminated against on entry on the basis of colour, those few who do manage to get through immigration controls can be arrested without a warrent & deported without right of appeal.
Recognising the importance of building opposition to an Act which legalises racism in Britain, the formation of CAIL* is a welcome step forward, It has the potential, though small, of winning wide layers into a real struggle for Black rights. If it moves out boldly, it could provide a concrete political perspective for the thousands of radical youth and Blacks who have been attracted to the anti- racist activity of the ANL.
A campaign drawing on such forces could see its focal point as fighting, within the labour movement, for the Labour government to implement the 1976 Labour Party decision to repeal the Act.
* All those interested in supporting CAIL (Campaign Against Immigration Laws) or finding oit more about it should contact: box 135. c/o Rising Free, 182, Upper Street, London N. 1 but would it have alienated those thousands of young people who supported the ANL, the young 'punk' youth and Blacks who responded so magnificently to its appeals?
Moreover, such a stance would alienated it from the Labour movement where it should have sought support. In 1976, the Labour Party conference passed a resolution against the government calling for the repeal of the 1971 Immigration Act. Taking up this issue would have allowed the ANL to gain the support of Labour activists in a joint campaign to implement the democratic decision of the Labour Party and to challenge the policies of the Labour leaders (instead of letting them off the Such an orientation would have meant a fight to win the Labour movement to a clear anti - racist stance by challenging head-on the right of its 'leaders' to implement racist laws. It is, after all, utopian to think that a fascist menace can be stopped if we cannot e ven get the labour movement to put its own house in order.
Perspective Despite the confused orientation of the ANL, it has won thousands of young people into anti - racist What now remains to be done is to give that enthusiasm a sharp focus by increasingly centering the campaign around the need to repeal racist immigration laws.
by: Bob Swart
Socialist Action
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Campaign Against the Immigration Laws