governments increasing popular support.
then be is the restoration of authority?
EVENTS in Iran took United States by surprise. It has still to recover its poise Like a wounded elephant it is stumbling, unsure of direction. The fall of the Shah has left it without a political instrument. The hunt is on.
While imperialist strategists in Washington are working out a line, the former Secretary of State has published a sharp factional attack on American policy, in a lengthy two-part interview in The Economist.
Kissinger's line is simple: chancil counterrevolution.
Capital has to be maintained at all costs and through direct military interventions if neces'CRISIS, what crisis?" The Prime Minister's immortal catchphrase has than in the oil trade, where Spot the since 1973.
Secretary, played a familiar opening gambit week announcement that the world oil crisis exports was *prospectively oil price rose fourfold in as many months.
Schlesinger's remarks immediately upset the world money several points.
In comments from Schlesinger's opposite Blumenthal:
statement yesterday that the situation cutback.
in Iran is serious is clearly the kind of thing that makes people run to gold."
On the hand alarmism; on Callaghanism.
Who is right? Is there an oil crisis?
There is evidently an oil shortage, which is not quite the same thing. A shortfall.
drop in Iranian exports from something like 6 million barrels a day to nothing 1s not negligible.
Even when lost production is made Socialist Challenge 15 February 1979 page 4 'THE fundamental challenge of a revolution is this: certainly wise governments forestall revolutions by making timely concessions; indeed the very wisest do consider concessions, but rather as part of a natural process of 'However, once a revolution is in train it cannot moderated by concessions. revolution has occurred, the pre-eminent requirement Henry Kissinger, interviewed in The Economist, 10 February 1979.
By Tariq Ali the sary. Democracy is of no real concern: In pre-empting the situation human rights policy can help.
In dealing with revolutionary situations it can be inflammatory. In Iran our human rights policy has CORLTIOULCO instability. •I ne aim orEne Interview Is EC boost his own standing and embarrass the Carter regime. If General Haig 1S the Republican presidential candicare Henry will unrewarded!
SHIT Kissinger and imperialist strategists always confronted shortages. For and nowhere more appropriately customers in the first quarter of 1979.
But Crisis' has been a perennial pastime lated. Britain, for example, could have James Schlesinger, the US Energy North Sea production.
serious' than the 1973-4 crisis when the must increase exports by the same Oran.
markel turn drew a few acid drivers.
But despite local "Secretary Schlesinger's economies from the full impact of the the other placid in reserve. At the oil producers. adaptions as Once insoluble problem. History is against them representatives of an imperialsophisticated ist world order which is trying to stop the forward march o humanity.
Against an armed resistance with popular support they have OlIV CENC Vietnam showed that short of nuclear weapons they could not win the war.
What could imperialism have nexi done overthrow of go Kissinger argues that the Shah made too few other concessions in the late Sixties are and early Seventies and too many in one year. They are the have argued coup WCaDUll society Conlondon oppressed and classes.
avoid the the Shah? No government political them. Speakers invited include Fred Halliday, Hull and Liverpool He believes that in the last period the United States should coup for local reimposition of authority" - a enormous.
But Tea concess os caric would have led to the build-up of a mass opposition earlier.
The basic divisions in Iranian create permanent objectives between the oppressor sense bourgeois scait. can deal Hence the CHILLY of the Soviet policemen and firefighters in the shape of CIA agents and military advisers.
If the army had carried out a would have been resisted, as the present situation shows. So the risks would be Kissinger's belief that combination of the National Front and the army is likely to be more sympathetic to our Many other grouping makes more - but it's a bit late!
In the face of permanent counter-revolution on a global Wildl 1s needed l revolutionary foreign policy by Union and China.
But the split within Stalinism leads China to a virtual alliance with imperialism against the Soviet Union.
The latter maintains its own policies of accomodations and manoeuvres to avoid revolu tion. But there is an obiective tension Sovie Union and imperialism which revolutionaries can exploit though the price they pay in return is high (Cuba, Vietnam)
The lack of a proletarian internationalist policy in either Peking or Moscow places a heavy burden on the small band internationalists in the labour movement in the imperialist countries Our efforts in building solidarity must multiplied the coming weeks.
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CONFERENCE Saturday 31 March, dockers, Committee.
University College, London Committee Against Repression in Iran and shop stewards from the Vickers Combine