the International Socialist Alliance.
Challenge supporters when they debate you think conference.
The main way a revolutionan paper's succis cumbe measured is how well it can be used by militants to intervene in the class struggle. Does it address itself to the crucia the audience they are addressing? It is this concern which holds back tootentalt altiates International Socialist Alliance Socialist Challenge.
AUDIENCE The heart of the question is who the paper's audience 1s. The main readership of the the vanguard Bur what e Bur what this wanguard or as we often say, this 'advanced layer of working Class mutants This concept contains two elements. First it gives a class identificabion We are niere, ted above all in addressing Malene weeks away, we are printing a contribution to the debate around the paper submitted by RICHARD KIRKWOOD, on behalf of the steering committee of This article is a shortened version of a paper which, along with others, will be available to Socialist apply for their conference credentials. We invite all readers to put their pen to paper to respond to the points of debate raised by the ISA comrades or to open up new areas of should be covered by the purselves to workers.
surrendering to the prejudices of groups of workers. But it calls for a writing style and language which is acossible to people of little or no formal education, many who may be "advanced in political or trade most union terms. should be raised that relate to the lives of workers: to what workers, as workers, can do about ireland for instance Complex or theoretical issues shouldn't he avoided academic jargon that often goes along with them must bo Many of our articles mus also be within the reach of slightly besitaat readers with whom this advanced layer of the paper's ideas.
On feminist THURS example, workerism al best level. Other socialists write on only to those ut least partly convinced. The task is to take feminist seas to socialist workers unconvinced of their relevance.
This class orientation does. n't ignore the problems and concerns of other Articles on student issues or on debates in the intelligentsin can be writlen so that workers can read them casily.
The definition VALEURO B COUNCE BE RYCES specific sense. it docan'T reter This workerism these activity they undertake. Con cern with programme must focus on the consequences for uctivity concrete situations.
This doesn't mean igboring marxist fundamentals. important result of the twi dominance of stalimism democracy exclusion bobbca development or man advanced workers of ideas tha nature to many aries. Our paper will need to argue for these, not take them for granted EXPANDING The for amongst new people who don't have the political experience, older" political generation, A paper must continually repeat basic politics, analytical level for these newcomers. And it must have the sensitivity to identify new audiences, strengths, its needs, and so on.
How does Socialist ChalJocasure up. 10 criteria? Alas, not very well. In itself to a vanguard defined in logical terms. arises from the tendency of the IMG 10 than with activity.
Ideas and programme are relevant, but they are not and cannot be the main stone. formalistic, intellectualised practice. In this case, it leads to Challenge.
More paperes and merfect bies paper's is its failure to get the source of right.
A concern for the issues and problems being within the class is missing. One GUITART the but l0 the specified and An and was the the revolution"vanguard" is always it both the and intervention the theory" has to he mediate politicni the working class The problem always be "industrial". equate politics with and programme carber touch- in a popular way.
This equation leads to This has implications for the secondary balance of the paper as well as its style. It means more shorter articles. It means that more of written simply. Bul ahove all it means that there must be a conscious BEIC" effort to make at least hail, An and usually more, of the paper directly related to the issues in day-to-day struggles or im 1 concerns of will They community" or national campaigning Issues. But the will be popular" and written This sort of orientation will HEHEELS questions of principic - then i lollows that many the detailed positions that the IMG adopts on this or that question are not the only revolutionary revolulionary might well therefore avoid putting bese particular positions in its peneral articles. On most major issues there is more agreement than ditagreement on the revolutionproposals The campaigns and so on, could be seperate articles.
This practice would, at first, probably blunt the political HA edge of the paper. But if, as we all hope. the development of joint work in other areas leads to greater clarity about areas of political agreement or even to some poitical convergence, then we could help to develop a areas and political debares in others In the end the aim must beto make Socialist Challenge the рарет of Socialist Unity whatever form or name tha grouping eventually lakes.
would help make the раро Leas "SOCTELLAD and would be crucial to turning Socialist CHances! wider popular paper
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