RECENT weeks I THINK it in justified and good that you devote so much space in your texi to the parasitic customs of she princes of the German Democratic feudal socialism ... Even more than their daily problems, these are what make the workers bitter.
It could well be that the wrath provoked by that nypocnisy especially the hypocrisy of the top people, transforms itself into anger — the sort of anger that provokes action. they read this part of your text many people in the GDR will slap their thighs and think of thischorus by Heinrich Heine: 1 know they were secretly drinking wine And publicly preached that we sbould only drink water.. You describe very well the conomic chaos of the GDR.
CLODOELL planning and direction' of the late Uibricht? I don't think the Stalinist economic iness can be cured by capitalist remedies. The increased reintroduction of capitalist norms in the process of production and exchange in the GDR — even if it is hidden by a revolutionary language -makes the people intoxicated with false hopes and then gives EOCMIHTCIENHNUSLE The more the GDR becomes a nirror image of the consume ociety of West Oermany, th more people will want to get acquainted the attractive original rather than pathetic copy. neo-Stalinist bureaucracy wants to satisty the desires and Heeds of the people with the Western carrot produces counter-revolution ary dreams (...)
Eden't think, as you do, thai if Mark was alive today would drop the thesis class strugsle because it is out of contest" soday. On contrary! fundamental truth our high his identity card. They'd stamp DO A REAC The almost Chinese Soviet nature of much or voi argument has upser my Spanish Carrillo on that subjoct because his attacks on the Soviet Union are more differentiared. It is true that Carrillo does not live in a country occupied by thic Soviet Union. Bas, If you can get hold of them. Please read The chapter of my Winter Tales about tbe Red Army soldiers at the porder berween the two Germanics. Even afler 13 years shat in the GDR. I sill hold that position ere, in the Wes into hysteria about tones that the GDR, the paris. Beat the contradiction in what we love, and also in what we hate! Be unlike the high digniraries of the SED (Easi have seen an oppositional statements from East Germany. Most impact has been created by a manifesto reprinted by Der Spiegel, the West German magazine, purportedly written by a group of Communist Party members.
At a conference on Eastern Europe in Brussels on 20-21 January, WOLF BIERMANN, the exiled East German poet and singer, replied to this document. Here we print the bulk of Biermann's reply and OLIVER MacDONALD reports on the Brussels conference.
When German Communist who teil the most horrible jokes about the Soviet Union as soon as they are in private and pisse out of their heads. (..)
You write: Stalinism and fasciste are the Honecker (the East German party boss) and described as Nazis painted in red'. But isn't this a confusion of terms, caused by justifiable bitterness? The identification between fascism and Stalinism gives a good cover 1o many ex-Nazis, because their crimes appear in a softer light And this abvious also very good for disillusioned Stalinists more Yest 163,000 communists were killed under Hitler. Yes!
The Two million Soviet contrades were killed by Stalin! Out of 11 political bureau in the German Communist 1930s), six were liquidated by Stalin and five by Hitler's mien Yes! milos new ate or the And compare the Nazis with the 20 million innocent Soviet citizens (the the lowest estimate this assassinated by Stalin (without counting the dead of the Great War But what do these figures tell us? No! Fascism was and still is bourgeois defending the capitalist mode of production against the poor Stalinism and socialist revolution infected by bureaucratic syphili That's a Tacal illness certainly, but only if you treat it as you would a I cannot imagine. demand, "Tree clections. in the Liermany assembly and the progressive turnerator dran socia evels. Because even L the high GDR expropriated and deprived of their bower condition for moving direction - you'd still nave the big and pery bourgeoisie with their well-established positions.
And here would sill be this cecrible weakness working ciass mavement.
outpouring Party) How could there be free elections in these condicions? Think of the GDR. population for decades suffer ed the indoctrination of our bigh priests. Who says they will same' pronounce themselves at such freedom were thing aut elections for the Co are and not the petty freedom of HACEY HARICES Let's not put the cart before the horse! We first have to have a 'Prague Spring" in the GDR one that last and s not silenced by the tanks! There has to be a socialist party in West mistake is democracy, First an independent commu nist novement must grow in the systent which tries Thacimann's arganise democracy in West Germany!
the must reach their full develop ment. Then we will be seriously able to start a debate on the question Otherwise the door would be open to all the old Cierian antasies (...) We must not ligh know)
"Donati devil ourse insulted by the questions about the 'authenticity:
Manifesto so that you want to dictatorsiup. prove it! I heg you, let's scas anonerous!
the document is passed arounc anyway. eren Germany It will give many жое courage think Too many of us have been secrel morally crippled in our prison whale cells — und roo many here an the Westroo. Wewant to think again of the best forms organisation for she GDR. hink chat the detente polic etween East and West cumtinue. And with people like which is a pre- you arouad the tensions will in that grow in the East the saine es in the West The Fortheoming strugeles will he different and much tougher But, as our old the master said, contradictions are _ of the Europe number of the Prague Spring of 1968 La film on the invasion of 21 August 1968 The SOrl a different party present a certain direct sourselves be DE VOL Who would courage lo has leit on ball inzen leaders of the Communist enforced THE BRUSSELS conference was organised by a broadi based labour movement body August 1968 Committee which campaigns in defence of ail those in Eastern the being tepressed for attempting to exercise demo. ratic and working class rights. It hat will be taking place in a political European nodded. aware of the The proceedings opened with reminded Warsaw Pact The film was made by a Belgian TV camera crew that arrived in Czechoslovakia just before the It included an interview with Antonin Liehm, the editor of one of the most radical official nationalism papers during 1968, Liternary ZDENEK MLYNAR: top Czech Communist leader IWO CAN Soviet tanks entered Prague, Leelut prophesied that it an invasion did take place st - disterent countries and present would descoy the unic of the la unired insernational front Consmunist movement for good.
The film showed thousandsol demonstrators in the centre of Prague surrounding the Soviet immobilising thetti.
UTC. them and the • Russian soldiers to discuss the criminal inading role that they were beidered faces of hesoldiers, forced to The crying others asking questioes, yet others listening in silence eloquently expressed the mortal wound that the invasion the authorily of Stalinism throughout Eastern Europe andthe LiSSR Zdenck. Minar, one of the powerful Czechoslowat Party Dubock, the author of the Party action prograntme and the most senior afficial of'a ruling CP to go inta exile since Trotsky's exile in 1929, described a conversation he had had with Marshal Grechko, chief of the invading forces, in He hod warned Grechko that TORACE Russian soldiers bpooming demoralised, that the Russian army rank and file might disintegrate -under the impact of the fraternisation and them being carried on by the Czechoslovak misses. Grechko saying he was well situation, but Mlynar that troops could be withdrawn and replaced 10 times over before their reserves were exhausted. And this indeed was what Jin Pelikan. thebead of Czech TV under Dubock drew out the crucial importance of insterthe struggle against Soviet domination of how the invasion had taugh socialists in Eastern Europe that they must unite their efforts in -against the Russian mihtary Other East European speaker later in the conference indicated the scope of the internationl movement of opposition to the bureaucratic within East European Woll Biermann described the hundreds or a BroU auri-Stalinist opponents of the EastCiermany Krzvstol Pomian a leading Polish socialist exile, described then today of Painte nient today Poland and explained the backgrourd lo its emergence. He pointed to the solidarity herween the Workers Defence Committee in Warsan and Charter 77 in Czecho slovakia and argued that the regime in Poland had become increasingly incapable of governing the country OPPOSITION Vadim Byelorserkovsky.
Soviet described working class opposition to the Kremlin bureaucracy recently exiled Croch Chartist described the development of the Charler movement and the repressive drive of the Crechoslovak authocties against it. A Marinot Beerited there were Saint Bulgaria there opposition to the regime's suppression of desosratierights The conference ended with a discussion hetween a leader of Belgian .CP. leading Belgian socialist and PUTRES Mandel the Belgian section be the Fourth International, on the artitudes that the Western left should Take towards the struggle for democratic rights in Eastern Europe The CP leader called for flen condemnation of all vicacions of democratic rights in Eastern Евторе.
After the conference, activists from various socialist defence committees in Western Europe discussed ways of strengibenin;
international c-cedination oi efforts to strengthen working class solidarics with all those suffering reptession in Eastern Europe.
CORRECTION IT HAS been pointed out to us that the Open Letter to Wolf Biermann" reporled on in our issue of 19 January, whict defends proletarian democracy hunt allacks the Eurocomma nists, dates from November 1976 and not November 1977, The error arose as the result of If should also be noted that theself ha sought the publicutint of this text, tearing that it could be a provocation by the East German police or the work of a smull and lotally sentatise vroubt abd that Col journal Koukret. which more or less delends Eurocommanist positions. has claimed that the text is not authentie bust the work of a 'centre of falsifica lion' based in West Berlin, BETANDBRACES ROADSHOW Y 15H3 2301 0200 S0003 13 END EDINBURGH College of Ar EDINBURGN Napier College STALING UNIVERSITY
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE. 9 February, 1978 page 14