the former AT A dav conference on September the International Socialist Alliance decided to dissolve itself. Two CauCUSC welc continue the discussions in progress with Big Flame and the International Marxist Group, ana blans for production of an independent journal are being actively pursued.
The conference was small but enthusiastic. It was recognised that the re-groupment on the left which the ISA was set up to promote was no on lie agenda.
While the objective need for it was as great as ever, there was no longer a tide running in its favour.
The Socialist Workers remains sectarian and BF no longer sees a unity with the IMG as feasible in the short term, The IMG's open invitation to others on the left is appreciated as a valuable gesture, but one which clearly would not now have It was also clear that ISA members felt there was an identitiable political tradition which they were associated expressed by any grouping on the left.
Doubts as to the possibility of developing it within any other existing grouping were universally expressed, so no grouping of ISA whatever their personal inclinations, was ready to push for joining BF or the IMG at the present moment (let alone going into the SWP).
Equally we recognised that the •impasse we found ourselves one shared by many others on the left, including large ex-International Socialists members we were still in touch with on a formal or informal level. The network nature Apologies IN last week's issue the poem " "Pigs"
29-30 the Stephen Marks, ISA.
Party present form.
to pursue the down in of perhaps other Secondly, and the IMG with supporters, that the best Not these individual acts. in was Everyone solutions and BF and Wing in this regard.
Racine-Jaques. In the same issue we also published another poem by the same author entitled 'Jean Seberg': in the third line the word should have been dirt, not dirty. Both poems were copyrighted when presented to our editorial offices, and we agreed that the author should retain his copyright on their publication in Socialist Challenge. of the ISA was valued, but it wasn't felt it could be maintained in its What was felt possible was, first, of independent revolutionary journal. Previous initiatives had got bogged discussions between three organisations trying to reach a greater thar necessary merely the production of a discussion journal.
was resolved continue discussions with Big Flame more intormal caucuses than had hitherto existed. Individuals may have already decided by solution for them personally was to join one or another but it was accepted that these would just be rame was agreed the desirability of seeking more collective the the the IMG the conference were extremely encouragOver and Potatoes was hi SMASH Socialist Unity election campaign. than prepared activity has anti-Leninist, vanguard' cheer 0073 2 as an organisation 'Non-dogmatic' disastrous consequence of adopting a position of waiting for the "perfect' regroupment to come about rather taking steps regroup with those forces which were to engage in joint democratic centralist organisation, which could have acted as a springboard for a wider regroupment.
A section of the ISA membership Degul LOWEEN libertarian positions.
This coincided with the unprincipled of Big Flame which despite describing itself as a 'Leninist Organisalon attempting to build itself by becoming leaders for the anti-Leninst ideas in Beyond the Fragments.
Defeatism The introspection and defeatism of some members of the ISA fits in neatly with Big Flame's self-portrait and 'non-dogmatic that but on every question but regroupment with the IMG.
for 1. We do not regard this are naturally inevitable. believe that if Martin Shaw's orientation had been adopted and the ISA had fused with the IMG, a tiny step forward would have been taken towards a broader regroupment.
Shaw joins the Labour Party as an individual. We think he is wrong (and we are the ones who are accused of being 'soft entrists'). While an orientation to the Labour Party and debates with the Bennites are vital, the constituency Labour parties are not the arena where these debates are being resolved We still maintain that it is possible period build large revolutionary organisation, based on discussion and орел which could challenge the Communist Party as the major force on the left of the Labour Party. It is on these and related themes that we will be discussion prior to the next conference of the IMG scheduled for
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is, 'dreaded IMG.