Trotsky's "The time.
Bahro, is in jail since August 1977.
Bahro, printed below.
Thank you for your initiative and vour encouragement. the more so since you are certainly aware that our political colours are apparently rather different and I would hardly support the activities which if assumption is correct - have brought you here.
I was and I am decidedly for the non-capitalist foundations German Democratic Republic, which I do not view solely or mainly viewpoint or my present situation.
NO HOSTILITY Nor do I, for instance, think in terms of hostility towards the Soviet Union.
What I want to bring about is debate on the basis of that foundation, which needs fundamentally renovated political and, above all, ideological superstructure.
It needs it also because such a renovation (as intended Prague 68) would facilitate the THE British Argentina Campaign is nearly a year old, and to mark the occasion it is holding its first national conference at Liverpool University on December.
The conference will be open other than structured on a delegate basis, and organisers hope it will be able to set up firmer national framework for the campaien.
Registration fee is £1 and details are available from the Acre Lane, London SW2. will be carrying fuller information on the conference in the coming weeks.
Socialist Challenge 16 November 1978 Page 10 'THE ALTERNATIVE', which has been called the most important theoretical work to come out of the countries that have abolished capitalism since Leon Revolution Betrayed'", will be published in English by New Left Books in three weeks But its author, East German economist Rudolf - sentenced to eight years in June on trumped-up charges of 'espionage" after being held however, has not given up the fight for socialist democracy. Two weeks ago the West German magazine 'Der Spiegel' published a letter sent by Bahro to a fellow prisoner in Bautzen prison. Extracts are anti-capitalist on comersce.
I write this in order to avoid ms meers amounes Derwcer us.
You are right about condition my physically and mentally, as one cal oc unuct tHe Curcumstances.
MONKISH In Berlin I had to share with an economist, and was lucky with him. Only during the last the month before the trial was I alone and then again grateful for that, too.
My lifestyle had already been, at least to tne outside, somewnal monkish before all this. After all I had been writing my book, and also a dissertation, the past five years (1972-77) entirely in my spare parallel tomy verv normal work in industry...
Thad already in Berlin caught in up with or re-read about 160 books, mainly world literature. well, Foreight weeks now i have beer learning French. At the moment 1 am, at last, reading the Bible from beginning to end.
My material requirements are habitually so modest that, principle, I can make do with what lam given.
What I really miss is music (instead of loudspeaker), 1.e. music of the 17th to mid-18th century. In the case of zeen music, even a bit later. Well, and who would not miss females being here (1 really am , during no ascetic).
All in all: I can survive the time, 'outstanding halfway productively here, if it doesrouge worshe whole German trade union federa tion)).
Nobody on the outside had any intluence on the slightest comma. When I was ready for publicity, about one and a half months publication. EVA organised contact for me with the accredited correspon dents in the GDR of Spiegel.
and ARD EWO West German TV channels].
These are all the facts of the matter. Everything else entirely my own work, which of course touches them at their most vulnerable points where discussion is impossible (no crecave arguments.).
*A Symposium to introduce Bahro's ideas and discuss their implications for revolutionary politics is being organised by New Left Books for Saturday 2 December from 2pm to 5pm at the New Ambassadors Hotel, Upper Woburn Place, London WC1 [near Euston Station].
Speakers are: David FernAlternativel. Monty John. stone Gunther Minnerup [Bahro Defence Campaign]. Edward Thompson, and Kav mond Williams. Admission El.
An international congress to defend Bahro also opens in West Berlin on 16 November, and Socialist Challenge will be devoting regular coverage to this and other solidarity events over the next few weeks.
General Ramalho Eanes