present escalation 15 only one more fluctuation in a trend for the IRA to become progressively weakened in relation to the security foroes?
One helicopter does not make a Tet Offensive, and the most important event of 17 February was not the killing of the Green Jackets C.O..
hut the La Mon bombing which was a hundred times mere demoralising for the Carholic minority than was the death of one army officer for the Bratish government. They pay soldiers to die, and are concerned only when the scale of death and injury is such as to impair the morale of their forces. and cause political problems at home. The only problems they had on 17 February were how to promote outflank the Tories reactionary statements.
If we accept the comrades view of the results of u cruse-fire we will have to conclude thut the present escalation by the Proves has menely postponed the eventual disaster.
make the same. ,error perspective us relation to the political strugale. It is true that there has been an episodic rise in Catholic militancy, but the main probleit is how to consolidate this into an ongoing campaign, as the Coalisland conference tried to do. Events like the La Mon bombing demoralise and divide the Catholic glettoes, preventing the reemergence of mass resistance. It is true that the swing back to antipartitionism in Southern politics will give legitimacy to, and strengthen the mass opposition in the North, But we should not delude ourselves into thinking that Lynch and Fitzuerald are doing more than holding the line on behalfofthe SDLP, against a lotal capitulation to the Unionists by the Brilish government. The only way to take advantage of this turn is to re unite the anti-imperialist forces in the North it a mass campaign which will prevent the SDIP from cashing the political cheque handed to them by Dublin. Again, events like the La Mon bombing run counter to such a perspective Why do I keep stressing the La Mon COLCHESTER Socimlist SCOTLAND For Information Bar Post Ortice UNDEE: Informalion aboul Sociall hallenge actisibes Iro trom MiNe, EDINSURGH Socialist Challenge 031-546 0405 ABERDEEN: Information Socialist Challenge activigi, ring dim an 43880 (eller 6pm).
WHILST problems raised by Clive Gilbert in "Jewish Fears' - 2 March - I feel the comrades makes some points which could be developed.
The Jewish masses all overthe world did not turn to Zionism, even after ibe Second World War. times after the in Israeli state (in 1948) Zionism was, for example. opposed Reform and ultra-Orthodox wings of religious Jewry. It was wisupported by the half of Jewry living in the Arab and Eastern countries.
Many individual Jews were also of opposed to any Israeli state. The specific: by organised Jewry, in the vast majority came to support Zionism, and the simultaneous post-war development of an increasing racist attitude among wide layers of British Jewry, te.g. the goou job it's the blacks kicked, not us"
Most importantly, the extremely complex relationship beiween Zionism and anti-semitism has to be taken into account. Ine main Jaccor in the Jewish equating of anti-Zionism with anti-semitism was not any fauk of the European left (except the historica fact that the revolutionary society.
free from discrimination, has yet to be established). It is due to the strident efforts of Zionism to insist on be identification.
It is Zionism which holds that even a lew who is anti-Zionist must he autihating Jew;
potential anti-semites; and above all that anti-semitism is a permanent and unalterable facet of life amongst the Gentiles, and hence must not be BRIGHTON Sociallet Challenge sales MIDLANDS DIAMINGHAM contal Belie Open wmakdays Retorn 7.30pm LONDON restings every second Wednesda Clearly dewkh Socialit this dialogue sympathising with the I WRITE AS Until various establishment of the by both the tunate impression particular which Britishenvironmentalism getting idea) needs to be whose purpose Amend that Clerkenwell Close.
selfGentles an LEICESTER Socialist Challeng supporiers meet fortnighti Highhelds Community Centre. I alls ring 0933 25854 will be those, especially from the youth, with whom we can discuss and develop socialist ideas on these Comrade Gilbert und the Group have an important contribarion to make to PAUL ROTH (Surbiten)
Ecology somcone who ha recently started reading your paper and who has been impressed with the Mandard of debate on the Windscale issue. There is, however, an unforpondence that the level of trich debate amongst environmentalists is very low, 1 would Telet you to two organisations, both of which I helong to, who have been developing a socialist perspective on Firstly, SERA, the Socialist Environment and Resources Association. This is a group with a significant base in the labour movement, including many trade union branches and MPs, to help further exacily the kind of debate contained in your pages. T enclose two of their leafleis and would particularly recon you attempt to start a dialogue with them if you wish to raise the level of civironmental debate on the left and maincain it Talso think you would he interested for many years, been antempting to rais he level of debate amongst allerni tive technologists and disenchanted scientiss. 1 hope you will find their work ofuse to Socialist Challenge. I wish you luck with your attempts to unite the radical left and broaden the scope of its discussion.
John Ingham (London W2)
TRILESHAM Socialist Condon Ni28x Forums. Lapseries meltery Ope 3g fame inalte ONDON CPSA Soclalist Ch MOHAN NES sympathetic to Sociallet Challenge arila so Lendon SC organis a PO dex 50, Landon i Sociat Diricial unity Contre, Stanley Rced, NIS. Nearest tube
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