Singing: "Harry Roberts is a king, Is a king, is a king, Harry Roberts is a king, He kills coppers."
Traditional institutions like the monarchy leave them cold. They may occasionally mouth patriotic platitudes about the country going down hill, and about spongers living off the tax-payer, but their loyalty to their country is far less important to them than their loyalty to their football team.
They in fact almost completely negative in their outlook. They reject just about everything, and are systematic about nothing. It would be more appropriate to call them Reactionary Anarchists than Fascists.
The danger is that the attitudes they do have are largely unconscious and unformulated. This makes them easily manipulated by any group that seems to think along most of the same lines as they do. This has not been lost on the National Front, for whom the skinheads now frequently profess at least verbal support, and who are rumoured to active among them.
More serious still, the skinheads' combination of racism and brutality means that in any racial explosion they would almost certainly play an important and viscious part.
The skinheads may well restrict their activities to spoiling football matches, and provide more trouble for the police than for anyone else. But they could also become a strong enough influence on working-class youths to have political as well as social significance. It might not be a bad idea for us to prepare for this possibility.
There are two things we can do about the skinheads. The first is to mobilise the working-class kids that have not been taken in by the skinheads mystique. There are many thousands of working class boys and girls in this country who were deeply impressed by the May Events In France, for whom the word "revolution" is an exciting word, who are anti-authoritarian in a positive and constructive way. These young people - some of them still at school, at Further Education Colleges, some at training centres and factories see the skinheads as the nasty, thick little louts they really are.
It should become a major priority of all left-wing organisations to reach these young people and organise them. In fact it is a fantastic error that this work has not been going on for months already • an error that confirms a lot of what the skinheads say about the left and its priorities.
The other thing that may have to be done is that the left itself may have to defend itself against these charming little thugs. Free Concerts of Hippies have already been attacked. It seems quite likely that well-publicised left demonstrations will be the next in line particularly demonstrations about race. The Date 2nd August Place Royal School of Military Engineering, Brompton Barracks, Gillingham Kent Personnel Barry Hayhurst, Ken Hyland (Sec Gillingham LPYS), Pete Hyland, Mike Kennard (Vice-chairman Southern Region LPYS); all members of Medway Valley Left Forum (or Liberation Front). Time 2.30 pm.
Barry and Mike, after standing around for ½ hour trying to sell B.D./badges/NATO Rest in Peace pamphlet, decide to go in to look round First thing we came to was recruiting caravan. Young Negro private comes up to us; we ask him for literature all dressed in our revolutionary gear); he tries to persuade us to join the army, obviously not knowing how to deal with situation: take their propaganda, and. hand him NATO pamphlet; then leave caravan, as pig enters, cunningly disguised as officer in civvies. We wander round, thinking of the cost of this massive P.R. exercise, then decide to have a drink. We go into a mess which has a large banner outside saying TO ALL OLD COMRADES" (which obviously meant us!) Alas, we are wrong, for along comes a very meek-looking sergeant, who asks us if we have ever been in the army. Barry mutters something about the Boy Scouts, and sergeant points out plebs bar. Having obtained our drinks (after normal closing hours, we are sitting outside when along strolls a Big Pig, chatting to what looks like an ex-Pig. His eye lights on our literature, a whole range interesting expressions exer-so-casually strolls off. Seconds later, the across his face, adjutant hurries up, snatches up literature and asks us to leave the camp. We start talking to him about his medal ribbons, and gently remove literature from his hands. While we are chatting, along comes another Big Pig, probably a Lieut.-Col., and screams at us to leave the camp "this instant". We slowly sip our beer, while he jumps up and down yelling about us disseminating subversive literature in his camp We stroll out, followed by the Quartermaster. Outside the gate, "Q" talks to civilian fuzz, while M.P. shouts at us that if we were to try and enter the camp again "carrying those things" we would be thrown into the guardhouse and we wouldn't get out for days! While he is wildly gesticulating, a freelance reporter took a photo. Immediately two other M.P.s rush up and warn him about taking pictures on army land this was the pavement outside the camp). Meanwhile Ken and Pete tried to enter, but were recognized by their badges, and "asked" to leave. This is not the first time that comrades have upset the authorities over actions concerning the R.S.M.E. When H.M.E. Windsor opened the place in March 68, four of us were busted fo anding out leatlets, and in the ensuing enquir into the police conduct, the head of West Ker CID resigned. There will be an open day at Chatham Naval Dockyard, and it is hoped to organize something for the occasion. comrades should contact the Dwarf if they are interested and have nothing to do at the end of August.
Still Life with Raspberry
of trying to construct a democratic centralist of Communists, Anarchists, Socialists, and so I will let the I.S. speak for itself though I fee the experience of the workers' movement over not completely in agreement, that is not any mark in their direction (and not only in th DWARF It is unfortunate that Martin Shaw's letter in the July issue of BLACK DWARF was written in the way it was. He raised important issues which need discussing in a very serious way. However, instead of putting forward a clear political line he preferred to rely on sneers, self-righteousness and a very factional approach towards IMG.
Whilst BLACK DWARF can play valuable role in discussing general problems of socialist strategy and theory the last thing it should become is an arena for squabbling • between left-wing groups. This would repel the thousands of young people who are coming into left-wing politics (and BLACK DWARF is - intended for just those very people). Martin Shaw's own organisation understands this very well; that is why it has a policy of not attacking SOCIALIST WO groups in the columns of other left-wing Martin Shaw's letter postures as an attack on sectarianism and an appeal for unity.
Sectarianism in its most general form is the putting of the interests of one's own grouping above those of the working class as a whole.
The sectarian is one who looks at all activities purely from the point of view of how these activities will enable his organisation to sell papers, make contacts and recruits. A typical sectarian (and his organisation) will abandon activities, regardless of their class importance, because they are not fruitful in building his organisation. A recent example of this typical sectarian behaviour was when some groups pulled out of Vietnam activity because this activity no longer, in their view, politicalised large numbers of people thus cutting down the numbers expected sales, contacts and recruits. The fact that the Vietnam war continued and that the people of Vietnan needed solidarity action all the more in thi period because of illusions in the Paris talks was immaterial.
It is, unfortunately, typical of sections of the British left replace sneers and generalisations for the examination of ideas.
Cracks about "which Fourth International" can be funny and they have the added advantage that they save the "wit" from saying where he stands on basic questions. Where does Martin Shaw stand on building an themational revolutionary party (the declared aim of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Luxemburg, etc.)?
Does he think it possible to be a "revolutionary in one country? or does he confine internationalism to having informal links with such organisations as the ISC of the * United States, which has anti-communism and the overthrow of the NLF in its statement of aims? Or does he think that internationalism consists of publishing articles in support of the LSSP of Ceylon, which participated in a bourgeois government with an "Enoch Powell policy" towards Ceylon's stateless Indians?
What are the facts on "which Fourth International? There are, in Britain, three organisations which might go on - demonstrations with the words "British section of the Fourth International" on their banner. The largest, the Socialist Labour League declares its aim to be the "reconstruction of the Fourth International." The smallest, the Revolutionary Workers Party, belongs to a tendency which broke away from the Fourth International because the latter would not support the idea of the Russians launching a Pearl Harbour-like attack on the United States.
The International Marxist Group affiliated to the United Secretariat of the Fourth International, which was formed when overwhelming majority World Trotskyist Movement united in 1963, thus ending a 10-year-old split. The SLL, together with a group in France, refused to go into this unification because sEne "Pabloite revisionism" of the supporters of the United Secretariat.
Those wishing to find out which of these - three really part of world-wide movement have only to study their respective journals.
The main difference between Martin Shaw's organisation and the IMG is over the class nature of the "communist" countries. Sneers about "The Fourth International" cannot hide the fact that proponents of the state capitalist theory who are consistent arrive at very different conclusions from those who hold the workers" statist view. In most countries this means entirely different attitudes towards the Vietnam war. In the past it meant an entirely different attitude towards the -Korean war, so much so that a separate "state capitalist" organisation came into existence in Britain.
An attempt to build an organisation without firm political principles leads either to splits in the future or the creation of an party or not?
Most revolutionary marxists believe that the last 60-odd years demonstrates that such a party is absolutely necessary if one is to overthrow capitalism.
One can agree with much of what Martin Shaw says about unity in struggle but he again for confuses things by not drawing a distinction between unity in struggle and unity of organisation. It is possible, here and now, to further unity in action and struggle, without making this conditional upon being linked with organisational unity of the various groups. The success of VSC, PSC, etc., which Martin Shaw notes, rest precisely upon the fact that groups and individuals are brought together on a common minimum platform without having to lose their identities. Again we must ask: where does Martin Shaw stand? Does he think, as could be construed from his letter, that unity in struggle must be linked with an immediate or short-term perspective of organisational unity?
is no USC whatsoever creating semi-hysterical attitude on the question of the above-mentioned subject.
unity which glosses over these questions. To do so brings the danger of the swamp or further splits - both of which would be a step backwards. It also creates bad faith suspicions that those shouting most about unity see this as a tactic as does the practice of attempting to recruit members of ine organisations one is supposed to be trying to unite with) designed to embarrass other organisations.
If Martin Shaw wants to discuss these Iam, Yours in solidarity, things fruitfully he should elevate the discussion to a political one, dispense with sneers and misrepresentations (such as claiming Work as perspective is thief labour Parst argue intelligently.
prerequisite to all this would be for him to state where he stands in clear political terms.
PAT JORDAN INTERNATIONAL MARXIST GROUP (British Section of the Fourth International) 8 Toynbee Street, London E1.
I am editing, for Panther Books, an anthology of revolutionary and radical poetry by young British poets. The intention of the book will be to demonstrate the political aspirations of young people today. And to justify them. I would welcome contributions from your readers. Poems should be sent, with s.a.e., directly to me.
Alan Bold, 19 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh 1 Dear Comrades, am a member of the Australian Young Communist League and on a twelve months permit in the U.K.
After spending three months, to date, surveying the Left scene here, I find that I have finished up feeling very depressed indeed. Quite apart from the fragmented state, there appear to me to be other weaknesses even more cause for concern. It is my considered opinion, that, in fact, the British Left is in a complete state of impotency, in London at this particular time. I will here describe a very recent experience. You are probably well You are acquainted with the the current circumstances of Mr Letlaka the South African lawyer who has, up to date, been refused permission to remain in this country and, even worse, threatened with deportation, which will mean certain very tragic consequence for him. At the same time we have the circumstance of one Soviet defector, who is useful to the Establishment as raw material for the Imperialist propaganda machine. In direct contrast to the treatment they have meted out Mr. Letlaka the HOME OFFICE have without hesitation granted Kuznetsov permanent residence in this country. There is no doubt whatsoever, in my mind, that here we have a very good case for holding a protest demonstration outside the HOME-OFFICE. I approached A.N.C. and the Y.C.L. and proposed that we stage a protest one evening this week outside the HOME OFFICE been demonstrators would have sufficient, or even less!)
HAD this happened in Australia, a group of protesters would have been assembled promptly within twenty four hours!!
We would certainly have regarded such an on this issue I merely met with a completely negative response. However, in all fairness I feel that in the case of A.N.C. they have genuine reasons for not taking action and therefore exclude them from this criticism.
I have merely cited the above as a rather classic case in point. I wish to say is that the ENTIRE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT in the U.K. must be seriously reviewed.
The History of Revolution has proved to us, beyond doubt, that nothing was ever gained, by, for instance one Revolutionary (except perhaps to convert them to our own on and so on.
real cause for concern.
But if many or most of these groups are semi-impotent through serious Haws leadership and organisation, then this is a matter the COLLECTIVE concern of ALL REVOLUTIONARY BODIES!!
We could, perhaps consider the idea of setting up a Liaison Office comprised of only the most dedicated and hard working Revolutionaries.
calling ourselves the REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE. This COMMITTEE to be made up from members of each faction. The main task to be investigation of weaknesses in respective groups and serious attempts to would welcome any other suggestion from interested persons. This way someone is bound to come up with better ideas. In this era, there is too much at stake for us to pass up this very serious issue! a I intend to get in touch with other groups on •But my main reason for making Black Dwarf my first choice is that fellow members of our Australian Y.C.L., while visiting the U.K. last year gave it as their opinion that Black Dwarf seemed to them to be the most militant and most active of the Revolutionary groups here.
Anyway, comrades, at least think about it!
It is my own opinion that something must be done and fairly soon.
With all best wishes, Laurette Decrez 109 Winchester Street, SW1.
Dear Black Dwarf, Enclosed f2 for a year's subscription. I like most of the Dwarf very much but won't be able to help sell it as I devote my political life to the CPGB, whom I consider to be the only serious working class based revolutionary party Britain. Our programme - The British Road to Socialism. is I believe a great Marxist (often ridiculed the 'parliamentary road". It's NOTHING OF THE SORT! The main strategy is Unity of Workers and allies eg, students IN MASS STRUGGLES, ie, Strikes, Tenants, Anti-Racialism, etc. But as Parliament exists and the worker has won a vote on it, we must not ignore it) and I invite Wou alerto contribute to which discussion I glady contribute. A friend at medical college (Ron Gordon Charing X Hospital Med. School) occasionally sells the Dwarf and we together with other progressives are trying to whip up socialist and revolutionary ideas amongst our by and large establishment colleagues.
One comment on your report on Venezuela in this issue (Black Dwarf 20): You say the CP there is "soft line' - which I suppose infers that it does not support guerrilla movements -THIS IS A LIE. The Venezuelan CP works on two fronts - one in the towns and trade unions (75% population in towns), the other in guerrilla ands. Only last month, comrade tunnelled INTO a prison in Caracas to free two leading CP guerrilla fighters so that they could continue the struggle more effectively. I think the legalising of the CP in the towns is partly an attempt by the establishment to split the CP IT WILL NOT SUCCEED.
Avanti populc David Kessel, 48 Platts Lane, NW.
PS Read the 'Morning Star" -only daily of the left (until and if they bring out the Daily Newsletter').
Dear Comrades, I thought Dwarf readers might be interested in the case of two local grammar school students, who attend Harold Malley Grammar School for boys.
Stephen Hill, and David Livingstone were about to start their A-Level maths exam, when their headmaster Mr. Collins stopped them. He then handed them shaving equipment, and ordered them to shave off their sideboards and moustaches or else They refused, and were not let into the exam room. Immediately the sixth form was against the Head, plus many sympathisers.
The story found its way to the pages of the local press, plus The Daily Mirror and Guardian It even made the Midland TV News. Finally, Solihull Education Board stated that although Mr. Collins acted within his powers, he did not take the most appropriate action Although David and Stephen are pretty certain now to sit their A Level exam, the incident has aroused other issues at local schools. A Schools' Action Union is now underway in the area, alongside a Birmingham one.
We are determined to be treated fairly, and not hounded by stupid rules in OUR schools. Yours fraternally, Derek Cattell, 107 Victor Road, Solihull Dear Comrade Dwarf, The Black Dwarf August 30th 1969 Page that your warning against raising "theoretic: If the popular front is made up of small groups, differences to the level of dogma' will find it case of the squatters).
As a member of the C.P. & Y.C.L. I will spea as such. I have been an active Communist in th Redbridge borough for about four years now and I have never heard it referred to as the C.P strongest base in the country and nor does (unfortunately for all of us) have anywher near 2000 members We have been involved in the fight against th Ilford Town Centre Re-development plar (which you might guess, although unmentione in John Weals article, is just a propert speculators charter) since its inception. A C.P demonstration a year ago in Ilford pin-pointe rectify them. This is only one suggestion and I the empty office blocks already standing and further token-occupation of an empty offic block in Ilford High Road on December 21s last year was also organised by the C.P.
Y.C.L. A petition launched on this day durit the same day got 1200 signatures and received £27 in donations from the public (we are not believers in petitions for their own sake, O.K.?)
Shortly afterwards the squatters took over their first house in Ilford. Although we had not been forewarned we had ten comrades on the spot within an hour of a phone call to King St., from the squatters asking for support.
Since that day we have given constant politica and material support to the squatters with public meetings, leaflets and letters in the loca press. A substantial amount from the collectior on our petition was also contributed to the squatters along with an electric cooker and offers of furniture from Party members. Every meeting of the Redbridge Council since ther has been halted by joint forces of squatters I.S., C.P. & Y.C.L. On the Wednesday morning at least two of our members took part in the defence of the houses against Quartermains thugs and by the same evening we had a further five staying overnight. Since then a handful of our members have regularly stayed overnight In June Ron Bailey spoke at a C.P. rally in Barking and was enthusiastically received by the mainly Communist audience.
The Morning Star has given wide coverage (see today's copy, for instance) to the squatters with both articles and news items in support, so too has the C.P. weekly "Comment" the A.P.P. did mo the Fords Shop Stewards and . did not occur spontaneously, either.
o you see (or should be able to) that the C.
* Y.C.L. have given support to the squatte from the beginning and will continue to do so. Our support is not conditional on the correct political shading of the campaign; instead we inject out revolutionary Marxist perspective into the struggle without forcing it to the point of disruption. This is (or should be) the role of all revolutionaries - to raise the political understanding of the participants and onlookers in any struggle based in the class struggle and to bring this understanding to the point of them joining a revolutionary organisation which in turn participates in and more and more becomes the leading force in the struggles. It is when this process becomes a recognisable feature of revolutionary work and not just isolated occurrences) that we will be on our way and much of the play-acting which passes for revolutionary work these days will assume s proper signiticance, even in the pages ( Black Dwarf Anyway that's another story, just a passing shot for John Weal - If the contribution of the Communist Party to the squatters struggle mounts to 'not a murmer', I hope he is wearing his hearing aid when the revolution starts! Till two and two and fifty make a million. Yours fraternally.
Harry Perry, 1 Percy Road, Goodmayes, Essex.
Dear Dwarf; John Weal says in his article on the London Squatters (Dwarf 20) that the Squatters have received no tangible help from the vast majority of left-wing groups. We would like to inform you that the information you have been given is completely false.
Before and in anticipation of the London Squatters coming to Redbridge, half the members of our branch were constituted as a cell to devote their whole attention squatting. Further, branch duplicating facilities and other aids were generously open to the Squatters.
Shortly after, a difference in views on the political significance of squatting split the cell in half, one part joining the London Squatters, the other half staying in I.S. The peculiar way in which strategical and political decisions are made in the London Squatters dampens down democratic discussion and alienates revolutionary socialist involvement. We cannot speak for the other left-wing groups in Ilford, but we consider the article's treatment of the S.W. Essex Y.C.L. and C.P. grossly unfair.
Indeed, it seems strange that John Weal and the Squatters are so despondent, since they
After 22 years of "Independence'
----- pull-quotes -----
excuse to harrass the Establishment, too good to miss! We like them to feel our presence. But
sitting smugly back and saying "Oh, well! OUR group is well organised so it is not our business to concern ourselves with the other groups