F MY old friend Martin Shaw 1s going to ge inywoere as toe scul appointed Patron Saint o Regroupment (Letters: SC 12th Jan 78) be ought to moderate his spleen against SWP Last week's installment of his running commentary on the state of the Left with its sotted history of the debates on Socialis Worker was stunningly inaccurate and out o dAlthough a lot of other things were on, the argument about the direction of SWi 974 was not about jettisoning politics t attract a wider audience insulting conception. It was rather about how to find new ways to present the ful range o ocialist politics in a genuinely popular idiom Cliff's conception was for a more political particular, and here the Russian revolutionary journalists excelled, we wanted SW to present the ideas of working class people, in their own words, rather than processed by professiona journalists.
We also wanted to overcome the London centredness, to inroouce more merary material and non-industrial features. On the first week of the change paper, far from "imposing" an 'abysmally low, 'brash' "sensational' etc paper, round the office suggesting we publish a racher poignant short story by Maxim Gorki.
As for Socialist Challenge, I've enjoyed some and think it stimulating effect on Left journalism. God improvement on Red Weekly. two fundamental abjections... which apply to the Socialist Unity project too and do much to explain SWPers lack of enthusiasm for Socialist Unity (ts genuine disinterest not top-down sectarianism, honest). committment to working class politics, to the battles and BELG DINERO RICELS passions and the creations that make working class life and from which socialism draws its meaning. Sure there are strike reports SIdE SERGES Martin Shaw thinks of as "politics' — reviews by Marxist ineblectuals. other Marxist intellectunis recent books.
But the paper reeks of a kind of Upper Street chic, with very little interest or appeal to the sort of people who revolution you are programmes for. the point; at a critical week in a critical strike you produce an anthology of not very funny Marxist in-jokes and re-prints.
The second problem is that, strenuous efforts to appeal to the general left, Socialist Challenge controlled by subject to the discipline The IMG sheep's clothing before. over The Black Dwarf, there was Red Mole, NW •Manchester Socialis Third Tuesday 5-8pm, Thura room avallable for meetings.
uplicating tacities vitable SURY Socialial Challange Lavery Wednes at the whetleid Inear Whitefield LIVERPOOL Socialist Chall• offices for dotalls.
MANS TONE 14 January on Aims se WIth E The Boclalls *trade irregular Cliff was has had would have been an But there are up lescers and preferably him, of will make the busy LOWELS The Xmas issue illustrates despite all the still completely IMG who are themscives Scargill's, of a Trotskyist wolf has worn its After failing to take Challenge sales on outside Boats in Centre 11-1pm MUUUCHOTICLE Challenge is on sala Balundays socialist chalonge on Thursan:
Januar at the White Lion pub.
Cross Church Stream, Epm anc fortnightly theresiter.
Socialist/Socialist Challenge bookshop, 84 Queen Street, Шіняномн-UHI-са3408 VICA MOCKODE 104. L318 Wide range of Fl publications.
Sociallat Challenge activities Queen 11am-2om.
EDINBURGH Socielist Chall go meange. every meanesosy.
Kerevan, 12 Merchision Grove Edinburgh. Tel: 031-346 0456 SOUTH WEST PUNTAHOUTH SOCIABET GRAN enge readers group ever 7.30pm Tupstaire) Hampshira MIDLANDS COVENTRY Challenge Finday, 3 Fetruar 573pm Elastic Inn. ubity, non-sectarianism, Scarle cartoons and It even had independents on the editorial hoard. Then the IMG changed its mind again. al the carry groomca mopperous not Iropped and ir was Red Weekly Line. Now, i he IMG and Big Flame want to go out with each other, swap a few members, 1scle tot a mont every general canon, we. hat's great. But don't dress it up as some gren event in labour history. It's what's called in th trade a 'unity offensive"
We in SWP de believe in revolutionary now, not next clection and berween people actually involved.
exist, the IG and Big Flame Grunwicks, Hounslow, in the unions. as well doing as doing things in our own right. And we Mandel to give us permission.
Finally. Martin sneers at the rather Socialism Journal. 15J is in fact the longest established revolutionary journal in Britain and we sectarian hacks and unpolitical buffoons of the SWP still, in my produce a more interesting.
egular publication than the tyros of Big Fiam nd theoretical sophisticates of the TMC ly guess, based on the experience of it ational Convention of the Left and VSC, Socialist Unity is no-hoper and independents involved will come COUL completely wrong. But either way, it won't get anywhere on the inaccurate jibes at the SWP which are such a central feature of the present even to not self-apporter - MCALL the firemen, the cuts.
don't need Ernest of the International pinios reliahle an think, force has to destroy But that doesn't mean, as many male socialists that the largely male industrial workcapitalism, underestimate, and ultimately short the working class by the class struggle.
possibility of a constituency of committed militants But this little"
getber to decide accent to deepen its effect. brown shoes doen't make it JIM MASTERS, London and then rale is the main question oo the agenda.
However, this does not entail collapsing into the mawkish populiam of Socialist Worker The short term gains of the SWP and its puper change, confronting COD sciousness at the level dictated by the bour Bootie, SC should have the perspective of becoming the paper that provides these answers in a form suitable for mass propaganda work io Yet the problem remains: is the left ready for sudit so euervention rue there 1s wiways the horched, hurried, empty espousal of struggle-for-struggle's sake. Again, it is true that SC is little more tian a review, a contemplative reflection of politics for a fixed is quite a lot. it is the one, the et for alone trationality to be heard on Unless/until the lett pets its idens/arse to Its scrategy of interscotentine working Class go to De, LUCE there is no point in putting on a proletarian.
leave school don't fake it' (Frank Zappa)
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