left in the issue of devolution and Scottish independence seems to it had become a contentious issue Westminster, and had received Ter this wasn't simply a Endish left, but of the impor- on of the insularity of the Be of Westminster in deciding lation is extended to Scotland, nd the weakness of any extrating the inue.
we have to face now is of Britih polities, either a Tory/ ossable, due to the structure one ananco may prevent a Labour/Liberal aldefeat time Godenment over introducing it, or a Tory government committed to traditional Unionist news on the stare. The real choice could become not devalution or se status quo, The impact of thi ould finally swing the Scottis ndependence, a possibility made nore likely by the abandonmen devolution by the Scottis National Party: If this he issues involved One of the points made in the carlier debates was that a strict line had to be drawn Scotland and countries like Ireland, which Are oppressed nations, subjected to imperialis domination; Scotland, by con trast, having shared in the spoils of British imperialism. It is true hat those who try to apply th raditionally understood Leninis theory of imperialism to Scot and will come unstuck. But, on e other band, part or or ablem about Scotland is that defles our traditional manding of nationalism and self-determination, and we ue having hack our way through an undergrowth of irrelevancy OPPRESSED NATION of an op ressed nation as being which is economically and polit estent that thi notional bleependence neve ational independen tbe question has been con ceived of with the exception of Ireland) as being a problem of the Third World. This reflects The first Murist Symposium organised by Socialist Challenge BELT BOOD OLE YEE jous sessions. There were heated and lively exchanges throughout 10C 300г Q0s 38 T0E waSH first venture, we con regerd it as i molest success.
The agenda for Ibe Sympusium mus packed with debates on far-ranging subjects the family in capitalist society, a SNP leader Wolle the fact that in the second half of the twentieth century the struggle nial world has been of funda mental importance to the strat dvanced capitali We therefore forger that for the earlier Marxist movencat the national question was primarily a roblem of europ ne of the formative int cratic revolution. For example he wa in which, at the ver oint of its greatest ach German bourgeoisie inse the national aspiratio the stial national question only concerne the non European world. He wa cutely aware that the failure o the bourgeoisie to resolve the national question in could contribute to a war, the malin burden of which wolld be borne by the workers and peas justified, The importance of the rational question in Europe was. Geoll Roberta (CPI speaking at Symposiam round-table discession on stratLET TOT TEAKINHIM BITCHER Europe, and the Leninist party and socialist democracy. Thai Indisputahle there few seminars which would bure and some sessions tended to be dominated by what one partici pant called "gladitoria combats'.
Most participants muld agree have drawn a dividing line between Scatland and Ireland. On reflection, I would want to One of the probJems incine Marxists in anaissin. Irish history is the fact that Trist marionalist historians have ented a distorted picture of Prish development, which has depiciod Ireland as covered with stamina tenan • FRENCES penury by English landlords, Nothing can eliminate the crimes of the Enelish land lords in Ireland, but the reality was more complex, and a more adequate view of this question is to the problems of TWO SECTORS There were in faer tan distioc economic sectors within Ireland the mercantile mainly market with agricultural produc manufactured foodstuff's (and including an industrial sec in the North) and the Sector of small, sub-divided tenancies i which the overcrowde inbabithats were relian mainly polatoes for food. The nineeenth century Iriah nationalist novensent developed on the basi of the "mercancile" sector, but i created a mass base by taking u the grievances of the subsist.
Westminster, interests of the English landiord class, who feared the erosion of their own position through Irish Drccedents. When Mart sasd tha che freedom of Ireland was n condition for the frecing of th in part, that the trish question was the battle ground against this entrenched reacrionary influence gradually ot before vas on created in Ireland and d leadership of the nationalist movement forced into a radical position rhan their nomic interests would have deter ninod. It was their nat, jusr when the problem e Englisb landlords bad be oped within the British ruling lass, and the New Imperialists allied with Orangeison to destrey Group (reprtsented by Ernest Peter CP has formally sanctioned a debate with a for-elt organis ation in Brizain. The theme of the debate cenred around the different was of achieving sociairsm.
Bob Furdle In other wards. the emergence La radical. republican and Ireland in the first quarter of this century was not determined b Ireland to Bricain, but by the explosive clash of political interment. wonder the Irish sought, first through Home Rule ann, to create thele own Parlia ment which would he free of the differences between Scotlam and Ireland become Not degree rather tban kind. Scotland's economic and social problems are radical as those of Ireland at the turn of the century, but they are becoming more radical than the EAVE TOLE and Wescminster is proving incapabl of dealing with them.
which has tipped the balamce it SHODE SEE UP 81 Assembly the balance ma urther tipped towards indepe elf mat happens there will no he the slighrest use lecturing the scottish people about their no being an oppressed nation anc theres tie in to there therefore S a case for devolutions Scarine be ar Westminster cannot oppressed nation, albeit in a starse the problems w supermarket. canno Scans with wine it contronts us. We have to come consider whether or not the COOL DED ASSEUIS LOIE remain open, and if it is closed -what then * Views expressed in this coins are those of the individual coi uniss and do not necessurit refleur thase of the paper.
The debate was recorded prete to Socialist Challenge which will soon 7 supporters both in this connie and goroad, For details write te Education Depariment, TMO P.O. Box S0, London N.I Monly Johnstone (CP! at the rostrum
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