THE following is the text of a resolution on Eastern Europe which is being circulated in the PCF by the journal Luttes et debats.
struggles democratic rights are presently developing In the countries which call themselves socialist. The 23rd congress decides to give tem active support. m consequence, it declares itself for:
*1. The withdrawal Warsaw Pact troops from Czechoslovakia, as demanded at the time of their intervention in August 1968 by communique of our political bureau.
relations with the Czechoslovak CP.
*3. Active solidarity and the establishment of fraternal Charter Czechoslovakia], and the free trade unions of Europe. for *4. The political prisoners countries calling socialist. *5. The rehabilitation of all the victims of Stalinism and, among others, of Bukharin and Trotsky of *6. The rehabilitation Marty, of Tillon, numerous comrades woo nave been victims of Stalinism the We call on all militants who think that our 23rd congress should adopt such a text to sign it. We call on all the cells, all the section and federation ferences to adopt it and submit it to the congress."
immediate actions to be taken by the party (see box).
Luttes published a further text signed by 15 worker militants which challenges the overall orientation of the party, calling for a plan achon Eastern workers' perspective of a general strike jeading to the establishment of of all the a PCF/PS government.
The leadership has equally themselves refused to publish this claiming that it is manifestly factional' because it is signed by sections and federations!
This only of of necessary it openly against the divide-andin rule tactics of the leadership, with the right of tendencies so that the differences can find a clear political expression before the whole membership.
Such a struggle may in the long run be unable to change con- the bureaucratised PCF in any significant way, but it can play an important part in transforming the left as a whole.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS RAR bows to sectarianism?
IT is with bitter disappointment that many in Belfast read the adverts for the *RAR Militant tour'. The tour is not coming to Belfast because Rock Against Racism has given in to the sectarianism of one of its groups, Stiff Little Fingers.
KAk supporters attempted to get a city centre venue for the tour in spite of the fact that RAR bringing the Stiffs, refuse to endorse RAR's "troops out' policy. When no city centre venue was available, RAR booked a centre in a West Belfast working class area. In this entertainment starved area (particularly for punk and rock), the hall would have been packed out in spite of the Stiffs' sut the seif said olo, st wasn't "mixed enough'. venue was found, on the edge of East Belfast, next to the central station. But it's also next to Catholic Short Strand, and once again the Stiffs said no, 'it's not safe enough'! And RAR cancelled the whole tour.
We can only wonder how RAR can claim to be fighting racism when it gave Into scclananis within its own group. And we must question those socialists who support RAR, but won't do much to fight racialism and repression when it comes to Northern JOAN KELLY (Belfast)
Socialist Unity suggestions AS A regular reader of Socialist Challenge 1i fully sundin Sat the Unity candidates standing at peeral clection. But in view of the small numbers that are likely to stand among the 635 seats in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, may I make the following suggestions?
(a) Avoid the situation where several candidates putting socialist alternatives (SU, CP, SPGB, WRP) contest the same seat does nothing to further socialism.
(b) Launch an SU Election Appeal as soon as possible and publish those seats where a candidate has already been selected:
(c) Fight seats where the present MP is a Tory with a large majority -in this type of area (such as Sussex, the South Coast, etc.) there must be many Labour voters who are looking for an alternative and in no way would they COlUmn NORTH WEST WARRINGTON Socialist Challena Socialist Challenge offices for UNCRICH MANCHESICR SOCialISI students suppon te paper and would like to get rolved in anti-fascist activity, pleas lanchester SC Centre, 14 Piccadilly. SALFORD Socialist Challenge sup porters can ontacted Centre c/o 14 Piccadilly, Manchester with a view to forming a Salford SC ULDHAM Socialist Challenge grou second MOSS Socialist Socialist Challenge 29 March 1979 page 14 Entertainment insisted on publicly leisure times!
D W EVANS (Eastbourne)
the area So another Women in Iran tokenism. You WONCE Pahlavi regime' such particularly with their fellow England, Northern streets? forward - IS the dvnamic Tran is an be handing the seat to the Tory - a | You obviously fail to understand NORTH EAST NEWCASTLE Socialist local supporters are active! If you want 2905in them, phone Pete on (0632) DURHAM Socialist Challenge Su •or details contad Dave Brown, Pittincton. Durham MIDDLESBROUGH Linthorpe Road STOCKTON-ON-TEES readers can buy oucidist chanenge rom areen books upstairs in the spencer nail shopping SCOTLAND For intormation about ine paper or its acuivities please contact wilanenee alasgow. open wea. nurs. rn and oal diernoons EDINBURGH Socialist details.
DUNDee intormation about socialist Challence activites tom o4 queen st charge that is likely to be heard many YOUR editorial on Solidarity with Iranian women' (15 March) smacks of support Iranian demonstrating for their democratic rights; yet you argue that 'in retrospect they made a mistake when they donned veils to join the mass mobilisations which toppled the You have failed to grasp both the dynamic and contradictory aspects in revolutionary situanon, respect to any oppressed section involved in such struggles. You also seem unaware that many women at that time donned the veil specifically to demonstrate their opposition to the Shah's regime.
They clearly understood that the existence of the Pahlavi regime was an obstacle to their freedom. You were full of praise when they were in the front line of fire; would you also have had them fired on from the rear by demonstrators? Or perhaps you would Talmer lney nad spent their energies arguing why they should go unveiled instead of on the Your reply to the obscurantists should not be that they are right, 'all those women on those marches wore veils', but that through the struggle they have waged they have obviously come to see the necessity of fighting their oppression on all fronts. That is revolutionary situation: those involved begin to see the possibilities for society as a whole and for themselves in particular.
Finally, the position of women in acid test for the development of the struggle in Iran.
output.
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MIDLANDS COvENiRY socialist chanenge aroul LABOUR, that, hence your call for women in this country to solidarise with their sisters in Iran on the ICAR demonstration. Do you call only for gays or blacks to solidarise with other gays or blacks fighting their oppression?
Perhaps the women in this country could solidarise with their sisters the world over better fighting overcome the sexism and paternalism that still exists in the left press. TESSA VAN GELDEREN (London NW10)
Media racism MALE feminists, if they are clearheaded, recognise that to be opposed to sexism is not the same thing as to rid themselves of sexism.
Mike comments CARM (8 March) are valuable for spelling out the analogous message for white anti-racists. To be an antiracist does not free one from racism. Because racism is not primarily a set of attitudes. It is an objective network or social re atons wiien we canno escape until we destroy it in the real world, and not merely in our wishes or So no amount of reading the right books, joining the right organisation, going to powerful socialist plays, or insightful discussion meetings, wash whites free of their objective involvement in racism this side of socialism.
However I don't think Phillips proved all his criticisms of CARM The question surely is whether or not CARM, in addition to tackling attitudes in EneT programme, are also fighting against Whether or not they are dealing with discrimination in objective racist relations within media organisations, as well subjective racist contents in media NOTINGHAM SocialiSt lusnroom books. heatncote. the LEAMINGTON -ontact 311772 Gralence I election e rosulation control and ine General electior 7.30pm SOUTH WEST details.
salve bary Sat otice. Saturda above ba ISLE 44 Union St, Ryde.
Saturday:
Commercial Road Precinc WINDON supporters sel Datur the South-West Bristol 6 BRISTOL And at Elland Road SOUTH EAST MOVEMENT Neither Phillips nor John Thackara gave any information as to whether or not CARM has been active in this field. I wait to hear more.
RIP BULKELEY
(Chairperson, Oxford ANL)
to Exiles in their own land UPON what evidence does Colin Smith base his biased view that 'no British poet could write like this when referring to Erich Fried's work (22 February)?
Furthermore, to suggest that it almost seems that it needs repressio or one of its results produce good imaginative writing' is like seeing through rotten fish eye: floating in a sewer and believing that on you're seeing straight.
There is enough repression here to make a nation of geniuses and also a British working class are exiles in their own land. All their creative talents are suppressed, bullied and beaten out of them at an early age What chance do socialist writers ever have of getting work published in this countrv when we all know it? dominated by the capitalist press and publishing houses? many, many poets and writers in this can country whose work is strong and talent growing and efforts unceasing, and they need encouragement from comrades.
D. HOWE (Chester-le-Street)
Almost all imperialist Door media.
LIVIO Maitan (15 March) follows the tortuous route dictated by Trotskyist ideology to arrive at the obvious point that behind the current conflicts of in the Wedge cafe/bookshop, High St readers -car regularly Socialist Challenge fordelais COVENTRY Socialist Challenge group Next meetIng! snobie socialists LONDON uppon Laboure tue u mon op BATH Socialist Challenge sales every from 10am-1pr Socialist Challenge from the Oz Shor WIGHT readers Challenge Socialist 1am-10r Saturdays.
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I KNOW/T KNOW! i KNOW: spade.
SanTeresT imperialisms, West.
Of Challenge single, • to istic ot exiles. in tact the rival powers).
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competing houses event of RIGHTON SC forums fortnight Contact Micky on 60505 -CULCHESICH SOCIalIST Challeng supponers meet reculany. ror ceran none oieve on vivennoe 2343 OWCH HAMLES Socialist Cnal lence supporters sell every weekend paturdays meet tu.suam, wniecnap luve, oundays meet oam, onck Lan Corner or Duen ou WAL nAM rUnEs! Daper sales ever oaturday, Tam-noon outside ine pos unice, not or waitiamstow, Londo HAMLETS Socialist Chalnone 247 2717 for detai fortnight otreet.
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LA BOLVOTE 'Communist' powers in Asia lies *the logic of competing interests... the defence or extension of spheres of interest, the maintenance of control by one country over another... etc But still he fails to call a spade a The imposition by military means of one competing "national' - i.e. interest of a ruling national bureaucracy - on another is a most naked form of imperialism. Among the 'Communist' powers we find a hierarchy of greater and lesser increasingly interconnected with that which exists in the writers in Socialis naditually referto as though it were a unified enemy. This theoretically false (the very existence of imperialism presupposes antagon318HO12 capitalisms and competition of states) and historically ludicrous (every phase of capitalist has involved sharp, eventually armed conflicts between Today we no longer see a small number of great imperialisms dominating the rest of the world. Instead every state but the weakest seeks to become a mini- or midi-imperialism, lesser states In immediate or wider region, while itself under the domination of larger The Warsaw Pact states, China Vietnam, etc., in fighting for thei interests, are utterly involved in this system. It is therefore pious nonsense to call, as the Fourth does. unem to 'return to the principles of proletarian internationalism'. But it is not good enough to call a plague on all their What we need is a sliding scale' of anti-imperialist demands - Vietnam out of Kampuchea, China out of Vietnam, and, in the not improbable Russian action against China, Russia out of China! MARTIN SHAW (Hull)
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