MILLIONS of youth all over Europe are beginning to sec that capitalism offers them no future. But equally, Large numbers torn away from the icture of socialism they see in astern Europe.
The youth revolt is deeply anti-authoritarian. Punk and National Front stands for banning their music, deporting their friends, and militarising society.
The burcaucratic dicratorships of Fastern Europe stand for much the same when it comes to democratic rights. The bureuniracy. because working class from political power For these states, the youth revolt is a deadly threat new rising of the peoples in Eastern Europe has had the south in is front ranks: from the students of Crechoslovakia regiments Poland in 1976.
Stop and its allie each bureaucratic power and culture In East workers of cratic rule.
One of the first taken ho revolution in 1917 the reachers. = including laws on sere dismantler and revolutions.
If that realised today, demonstrate new wave mine means bands Like The Plastic People, jailed because their music rejeets the monopoly of Ciermany, Wolf Biermann was relused re-entry because his songs cone out for workers' democracy, Socialists today have a job to explain that there are no equal sigas hetween socialin and bureaumeasures the •Holshevik government after the Russian abolish corporal punishment in the schools. Along with this schools were placed under the control of the local community the youth students and the The was these laws itbuction reform, for democratic rights muguings, so on — that hy the Statinist regime. Youth have played a deciuve role in all potential is to be we have lo that socialists stand lor equal rights for democratie rihts: and Tor youth to play a full pole in building a socialist society.
That means today chan pioning the rights of youth: lor a vole at 16; for the right to organise; for adequate social facilities under youth control: against state interference in sexual relations beeween youth for the abolition of the age of consent; financial indepen dence; and for the abolition of all forens of corporal punishLaw and order target NONE of the traditional parties have anything to offer Conservative Party doess't have a specific section on the needs of youth. But the Tories pin the blame for all the delinquency. and unrest on the youth.
The youth are one of the main targets of the Torles' repressive 'law and order' campaign. Their manifesto promises in certain detention centres will experiment with a tougher regime as a short, sharp shock The fight for these rights starls now To light. youth need their own independent organisations like the National Union of Students and the National Union School Students.
In future it will be through these their own mass organisation: That YOul will he ahle to both participate in the socialist revolution and be represented in a socialist democracy for young criminals.
Labour doesn't offer much better. Their manifesio does mention youth.
It claims that the Youth Opportunities Programme guarantees every school-leaver either u job or a training place experience.
But this will have a hollow ring to the thousands of youth on the dole queues.
And plans extend education facilities wille there are no johs avuilable will not le welcomed with open arms.
Socialid Challenge Y May 1079 Poge'!?
Socialist Challenge THE LEGEND is that the Public Order Act was passed in 1936 to restrict the activities of Oswald Mosley's fascists.
In the last week of the 1974-9 Labour government, however, it was employed to defend the insisted that the activities of the pobice would be investigated by in IRE POUCE • Thatcher's response to the events. in Southall promise that she would back the re-introduction by the police for a leaflet saying the same thing.
Whoever wins the election, all the signs are that such "law was and order" will be stepped up after 3 May.
The response for black self-defence. Hlair trade movement operation in Southall once more spells out the need Peach's murder re emphasised the need for campaign in the working class demand the