IMGpapers 1976–79

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1976–79

Dwelling in the of Katherina rotten underbelly

Socialist Challenge No. 2, 16 June 1977 · pp. 15-16 of the scan · 820 words

The scan: sc-n02-jun-16-1977.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-7 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 15 of the scan

Asue oi Socialis! Chesionno Co voted a whole page to aultural coverage. I hope thai the paper will continue in that vain.

But 1 hope that the The Lost Honour of Kalherina blum by ban uaroner brg dene Clarke is an experience that will not be rapeated in a hurry. I don'l lices. wish to comment on tha morils of the wim think if was considorabiy better e allowed to pas:

-lma like this discrecit 1h Icm Invaly nay Clarke lelf us, 'it is the worat film radical prolersnrls rather sweeping statement for nathared to look af, tor axample the Stalinist school of filmoAnd then we are toid that the directors should never be aliowreally mean that or is if just a state means тогаріс порапові wo moy If it is the former perhaps the comrades would be better eriting for Prawda. They will tind 8 101 Dr пко-minde Malaise critics tharn.

Contrary to what your reviewars seem to think i1 is no joke TaIK BoGU CErsSHD ecos GUrMHNM. TARS SHTE IAE 0E toia of the film, bilaslully un veae tathn opte le o the West German spiracy. I don't know how much anyth ina to po by. comrades have never heard of the Berutavarbot: TH BOB D5 aO0I0H2 1E0HE review of SATR AMDO ment CEnuOk HIey don Y know aboul the collaboraLion of the trade union bureaucracies in repressive state pracDid thay hoar Chancellor HA SCAmOLE TaHANSUH srylns he tegin he fae certain of their remarks cannot Mainhof defendants and thair DUE lewyars?

They certainly seem 1o ba ig Cor ine xenL Oro armed activily by the State and the perlidious role of the Springe HIHI The and of the ardad Teate rurnHau, funeral Stata a massive polifical display by the right wing.

No, It is not the grestest [ilm ever made but ihe tact that it ed near a camers again'. What begins to pinpaint these very real aapecta of the West German more sericus attention.

When protestors occupied the off West GErINAA WITTINSEY Swedan in solidarity with victims of state repression, ann af demands жав Katherine Blum be networked on ta Swedien television, one shares your reviowers' opinion that the film represente "no status que'.

Swedish authoritles refused to SADT IE they know about West Germany SARAH HART [South London] Socinlist writers bare often tarmed their hand to describing the herrifie conditions of the masses usder capitalism — Eugels "CondiBons of the English Working Class' is a formative work in his genre. Journegman have DOW republished The Beader such 'clussic' of socialist literature, Jack The People of the Abyss, und ir would appear that little had changed for the mass of liritain's poor, in the 60 years which separate Engel's work from London's day-TOSECULET Adrifi in London in 1902, the author immersed himself in the cesspit which was tbe East End TwBHC malntalning a sale, coa fortable "base' from which to aragely tragic indictment of life TRE ILST- From there be produced under capitalismo ar the turn of the century - a world of thausands of wandering poor, doss houses, death. inon empioymcn It is brilliant, unrestrained wrilNOL EVERY ing, which the left has produced only accasionally, But despite its brilliane descriptions and sympathelic standpoint, seaknesses lend to obtrude.

Firsdy, unlike Engels, London has not even the beginnings of a hawaiest ndarsandinu of th sreuman wide of the mark.

For example, squalor he describes.

London's of the empire!

Hast Fod like a toda ngulf and Edwardian cra.

Moss

YICA poor, tionary TICHCE LELAL disease and tial impotence London's their impoverishment.

Jones' excelleot book CU LOSLORO TOE E DOSE ment of these). What theorerica) atabe London does have at thia qUeson Icoe toue порсену The maimtained TANE CUE CO UL HASC CHHER tion of the "filtest" away from the nationa dock was bound to be wenkened, with the resull thar productivity would decline. A novel if rather bizarre interpretation of the eod prescribed to the contemporary fear that one day the poar would swoep our of the devour TICEE areas of Londoo. This did much to fiel the inadequate and pater nalistie retorti programmes of the ruling-class in the later years 19th century and in the disturbing is London's mass of Enst Enc WIH aL C00S I5C in its implications. He with disgust; more of a tear of the masses socialise anger ar their plight. For London their conditions seem to stetn more from theit own essea than the system which created A grea book then. deservins our attention for its evocation o despair Le ratling uDwcrocs or Bous But a book marted by London's oun. confused policies, which eventually Led mim swas trom socialism ioto a Jingoistic and alcohol-sodden CARI GARDNEK "The People of the Abysr", bi Jack London, is published by Jourmeyman ar EI.20

page 16 of the scan

Socialist Challenge aa.THEY WON'T Socialist Challenge

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The abyss of East London: houses, death, disease....

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