For enstance he says that the PRP and MES in Portugal used the slogan "social-democracy is fascist'.
If they did, then of course they made a terrible blunder. But this is the first time I've heard anything of it, including from the IMG. It doesn't tally with anything I've ever read from the PRP or MES, even though in general it does seem that they had an ultra-left line on the Socialist Party and bourgeois democracy. Can this be Secondly, in his section on Italy there are some extremely dubious comments on Lotta Continua. tays that they failed to distinguish between the class base of the CP Democracy on the other*.
CP, failing to rule out a compromise , failing to rule out a compromise Christian perce or they delored the SULTANE goverument was irrelevant".
Comrades: Lotta Continua be lieved that the question government was extremely relevant. From the elections of Spring 1977 they wanted an overall majority for revolutionary left) precisely because they, wanted to government, exciuding the parties of The whole thrust of theit political compromise and they wanted the be able to put before the CP and SP masses a credible alternative to the compromise. You cannot understand the utter demoralisation semi-collapse of Lotla unless you see this: it is because the workers parties in general did not win the clection, and because the far left LC has since declined and so many Thirdly, a more general comment. Comrade Ross's article is fair enough in itself; but it would help if the forces basing themselves on Marxism" (i.e. the Fourth International, I assume) also made public some self-criticisms; showed whether or not they are able to learn from other organisations and traditions.
For instance, in Italy, where the forces basing themselves on Lenin Because tearing cast and because the students are bloody-mindedly anti-Trotskyist, but presumably hecause the Fi has made bad mistakes. 20D this goes for all the countries in one way or another.
STEVE SKAITH (Kirkby)
NORTH WEST or Sie 138 4 7, 0279, 0-10 or Sl0s 1228 4297.
IVERPOOL Speli Socialat Chaland Therefore that the against Allen 'totalitarian"
'censorship'
protest is more of and In context BOUTSIELS form a workers Bist Realist refusabi cultural field.
historic point of the oppressed. and if fem nists Continua Jones's work end our would oppose.
classical THE BASH class and •PETTY-BOURGEOIS No SIE wowd heart 'critics Come oro 4 Penally Manchester Manchester Socialist with & wiew to toming a Sallord catalls ring Roy on Alherson do 2890 понів азі Bocialial HIDDLESBROUGH inglen. Socialist PAUL TICKELL (24 August) makes COLLUSION the bourgeois press socks to make when he says that calling for the banning or picketing of Allen Jones's work" is lo side with perty-bourgeois radical moralism and not Marxism". That is.
feminists in making a demonstration Jones s WHEN and an exercise of Censorship is something that the state operates. A picket or political likely be an expression of indignation by tise working class or its allies — in this Paul Tickell's reaction is explicable of his entirely desire to distance himself from Mao-Stalinoid/Socia complexities and ambiguities in the But 10s relect this doesn't mean that we should ascept the inviolability of aestheticism (the from political actions or outrages the standcase, protest, SIDE call for the closing of the exhibition by the ICA, deface his work, or even tear his Minouranhis to shreds. that is acion we should be prepared to defend and This completely different from calling on the state to ban Jones's work, which would be censorship, and which we STREET KIDS moralist?
A CONSOr INO BILL woman? Yes. Bur not a woman "strong and menacing as in Allen Jones's stereotypes. A woman strong and menacing about petty liberal, You, Paul Tickell (24 August).
lenge supporters sell the papor depr • Brick Lane.
Nazrul Restaurant al 10.30am Group' s 7.30D-. Clapnam Library.
TOWER HAMLETS Chailenge forums in Tower Hamiets moralism, Such crassness can only betray the fact that you have no understanding feminism ar, indeed, of sexism.
The work of Allen Jones has been seen by many woman (many of them artists) as no more than soft morn hung on the walls of a gallery. i5, al you say, uncritical of the Imagery that insults women. His perpetuates the history of as passive sexual objects only taking oe the appearance ol power 10 encourage a male wank His work is degradation of women clevated by the excuses of so-called intellectuals like yourself to the ranks of art, That, Mr Lickell, does not make it a It is not the left which has called for the banning and picketing of Jones's work. women claims, I don't know much about art. But I do know a lot shout isn Your excuses for Jonca, Your Bine phrases, have put you firmly on the side of art" for art's sake and, in this on side of oppressive kind of sexism ANN BOND (London] benefits partner in the explostation of the "Third World by its capitalists — this through International division of manipulation of the terms of trade. etc.
Secondly, the cxistence of racism in Jone factories, schools, housing estates in this country has benefited the white working class. They have found that reserved for them are the hest jobs, the better schools, the hetter estates, workers some of when are members of the labour aristocracy) bave got from racism are ideological and A recent book, One Hand Tied Behind Cor Hacks makes clenr hon sexisin in the texcile industry henefits male textile workers programme showed how racism is to theadvantage of white workers in the textile industry It showed how, in Neison, Asian workers don't become over-lookers. The management isn't against this happening it is the over-lookers - union that operates a closed shop that dn WOLFE ACCURL DIECE WOCKerS. If racism were only ideological, it would follow LEHE propaganda to fight it. But since it la also embedded in the labour process, we need to fight it with a programme that includes (what in the US is called affirmative -And When we fisht for coatin discrimination, we must realise the with some established principles of out, union-controlled schemes. Conflict will be necessary where these schemes are operated on racist lines.
My point is thar working class racism not only has a pust material basis, it also has a present one. The same is true for working claus sexism, though it operates differently because of the doubleshift" which also affects PETER ANDERSON (Manchester Big Flame) unequal exchange, the queue labour, the bureaucracy general want.
The next bus.
person everyday life passengers, disnederis apprentice working class.
sway. increasingly apparent, in London anyway, is the collapse of the orderly Jor public transport particularly buses. The reasons for LUS ATE DOLL LIG Trobky binsell pointed out that CLUC rests ulimately in To paraphrase him general social want leads to queues queues need policemen lo keep them in order, and policemen need a burcaucracy to keep them in order.
gucue Britain was traditionally patient and ordered because it knew that uhimately everyane would get the commodity in question. Will the massive cut-hacks in particular pable transport, this is no longer so - people know that they might have to wait another 45 minutes for the So the queue disintegrales → every tor themscines. Such development isa very spocific index of the depth of the social crisis in our Now the writer of A Red on the Buses' points our the racism of whice generally blame black people in the queue for the buses and the necessity to fight for a place are taken as 'natural'.
This is a very concrete example of the way that general want and shortage crealor a situation which tal allows confused members working his sco or evapona Front, to offer false explanations for and (o) in the process heightens more generalised We can't just stop at anti-racis as that meht be Racism isn't stupidity or foolishness it's a Renuine. but_misraken antempt ro grapple with real social problems afflicting the whole of the We base to show low the cuts and racisms are intimarely connectod. We have to offer alternative explanations. Otherwise the 'explanations' and "solutions' of the rucists will hold LARE GARDNER (London NW6)
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