its view threatened even incipiently to louch off the process of permanent revolution.
Caught between the masses secking a clear revolutionary socialist solution and imperialism, which strove to crush such tendencies in embryo, the Sukarnos, the Nkrumahs, the Nassers, and the Nehrus, who had dominated the seene in the semicolonial countries for fifteen years, reached the end of their era.
Since the formation of new revolutionary vanguards, even of the Fidelista type, lagged behind this process, the Initiative passed for a wholestageto American Imperialism with Its CIA-financed plots, its counterrevolutionary interventions, and its ever-widening wars of aggression An acceleration of economic growth in the United States In escalating its aggression against the Vietnamese revo lution, American imperialism almed not only at blocking the revolution's advance in a regions of obvious economic and strategic importance (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia); It sought not only to create a "deterrent against a vic torious revolution in Asla, which would represent a cutastrophe of global scope lor the international Imperialist system. It wanted niso to intimidate the exploited masses in all colonial and semicolonial countries, if not the entire It wanted lo put them on notice by a terrifying 67 recession. Instead of a polley of concessions, the bourgeoisle, under the pressure of all these connie lactors. has been forced in almost al. the imperiolist countries lo attack the standard of living and certain improvements considered by the workers to be established tighte (particularly full employment and fringe benefisy. This In turn impelled a revival of the class struggle in those sec tors freest from control of the trade-union bureaucracy and shook the relative social stability that existed in most of the Imperialist countries in the preceding period It is in the last analysis this exacerbation of the sociel contradictions within imperialist society — stimulated by the objective and subjective effects of the failure of the imper talist counteroffensive agains. lite colonial revolationLoyalists to organise forces to deal with the Catholic minority itself. Now the Labour Government is reaping the whirlwind.
The Luyalists have been consolidating their power ever since the Ulster Workers Council general strike smashed the Sunningdale power sharing Assembly a year ago. The parliamentarians-West, Craig and Paisley-have been able to draw the paramilitary sectarian gangs under their wing through the creation of the Ulster Loyalist Co-ordinating Committee. What the Loyalists can't get through the Convention alone. they will force through with mass Loyalist pressure on the streets and in attacks against the Catholics.
An indication of how events have moved in the Six Counties is that Faulkner, the so-called moderate, was completely annihilated. But Fauikner's "moderation" was the repression and brutality of the British Army over the past six years. It was the "solution' of internnient. It was the policy of torture against the minority. In rejecting this, the Loyalists are clearly calling for blood, Northern Ireland Secretary Merlyn Rees has been manoeuvring over the past period to ward off this The press have pretended to be surprised at the size of the Loyalist victory in the Constitutional Convention elections in the North of Ireland. But these results should surprise only the blind. The Labour Government has made retreat after retreat in the face of the Loyalists. They have encouraged the Loyalists at every step to believe that they can restore the old political set-up in the North of Ireland. It has been made clear that the Army will be kept there to give time for the Despite the massive vote for the Loyalists, however, their plan to achieve once again an open Protestant ascendancy will not be easily achieved. The Republicans still have wide support in the Catholic areas, and the very large abstention in the election reflects some of this even in voting terms. What the clection victory for the Loyalists will do, however, is to spur on mass Protestant action to take the "law" into their own hands if the British Government shows any tardiness in handing things over. i by Brian Grogan The last tew weeks have given us another foretaste of what this means.
For axample, the Orange procession a fortnight apo for the opening of the World Orange Headquarters (sic) saw Protestant Tartan Gangs running amok amongst Catbolic bystanders.
The response of the RUC and the British Army to the attempts by the Catholics to defend themselves against this was to attack the Cathocrisis of British imperialism to the time and warding off the need to now translate itsolf into action.
to give in to all the most extreme Loyalists demands. Thi position of the forces inside the Tory Party ment also share this view.
land, that the British creation of a be held together by sectarian Pro tostant bonds. We must raise loud and clear the demand that the British Government make "No. Compromise With The Loyalists" rou nechly, o may 19/D The Loyalist victory brings the surface once again. The Convention was originally seen as u way of buying take any decisive measures. But the Loyalists will now ensure that the Convention cannot be ignored. All the talk about the Convention being the 'authentie voice of Ulster will Without doubt, sections of the British political parties are prepared probabiy now commands a majority and sections of the Labour GovernIt is now more possible than ever to show that British imperialisin can bring no progressive solution in IreSix County secrarian state can unly Stephanie Cronin of the IMG was among the speakers at last Saturday's
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