shows conclusively that it provided an opportunity For the left wing of the suffragettes to put forward and organise around a whole series of issues related to women's oppression under capitalism, The mass involvement of women in production in the First mond war and ine crampic of the Hussian Hevolution are also shown to have contributed to the upsurge of women's confidence at this time.
The weakness of the book it Rowbotham's lack of an adequate theoretical foundation, so that history appears as a collage of events. Secondly she sends to lonore crucial ditterences between workers' polinical organisations. Lastiy, although her research is invaluable for an understanding of the oppression of women under capitalism, it falls short of conbehind this oppression, with the aim of bringing down the present bourgeois patriarchal order. MICHELE LEE THE LEFT AGAINST EUROPE?
Tom Naim (Penguin 40 p)
The issue of Britain's entry into the Common Market was an isue which for long was largely ignored by the taft as being irrelevant. When a heated debate did break but in the Labour movement around the question, There was a belated rush to take a position with all me accompanying taming wwich lack of discussion and blatant opportunism tend to produce. Tom Nair in this book, originally published as a whole issue of em Left Review No. 75, hat traced and analysed this whole unfortunate prooms from its beginnings.
Nairn covers the ground comprehensivelv, starting with the situation of British capitalism which created the necessity to enter Europe in the first place, the debetes within the ruling-class on this question, and Then Heath's re-orientation of British capitalism in The early 70's.
The core of the book is his analysis of the attitude of the Labour Party and the trade unions. He examines I detail the total confusion and contradictions caused by the curious traditions of British labourism, fed on harrow chuvinism as a result of Britain's imperialist nast, He tears viciously and wittily into the outdated mationalism of British social democracy and Wilson's twists and turns.
in the atter sections ne ocan, in equatty devastating shion, with the positions of the Communist Party and the orgenisations to the left of the CP, pointing but their inconsistencies and inadequacies.
His unorthodox condusion that support for entry can only increase the tempo of revolutionary politic and further diminish the role of social democracy is debatable (and has been hotly debated) but the book 1s a sustained polemic which should be read cor re-read especially in the light of the 'one-year itch' and the esurrection of anti-Market hysteris.
CARL GARDNER came to i standstill merited only half an inch in the London Evening Standard, We have seen the same ritual in the present crisis. Anyone calling for stronger action is portrayed as a raving madman, while figures such as Tinsley of ASLEF, who claims to have organised the calling off of non-cooperation, are given endless column inches and banner headlines like "Ted, the man who talked them back".
The two men who have undoubtedly emer red as the newspapers greatest "villain and greatest "hero! In the present crisis are Tony Benn and Frank Smith.
As a model of how the press operates it is instructive To examine the coverage afforded to these two protagonists.
Tony Benn has taken a completely ambiguous position on all the crucial questions of the day, In particular, he has refused to come out for industrial action to smash Phase Three. However, he has not capitulated openly like Wilson, and there is no douht that his moves in exposing the facts on the coal stocks did considerably embarrass the Government, lE therefore became an important political objective for the ruling class to discredit Bean, and in order to take on this task the press has dutifully come up with two themes, BENN THE 'HERETIC The first is to suggest that Benn is completely irrational or even insane. The second is fo attempt to drag up any sost of dirt on his motives. Classic cases of the first tactic are continual references such as 'Harold Wilson and his wild man Bean" (London Evening News, 4 ary), and "Mr. Benn. delivered a fiery speech which was clever but at times demented' (Daily Mail, 11 Juary).
Anti-Common Market demonstration in London last Saturday included a large National Front bontingent..... Tom Nain's book The Left Against Europe? brilliantly exposes how much ef the left's anti-Market rhetoric played right into the hands of organisations like the NF. RUSSIAN workers have given generous cash gifte to Britiah strikers - Including the miners.
Tani ShE Example so much is kept quiet.
Januincomes policy can be achieved".
SMITH THE 'SAVIOUR' of some sort of Corporate State: UNION LEADER TELLS HOW THE SUPPORT FLOWS IN ery worker in the coun try.
The Expres declared: "Moderate miners" leader Frank Smith was yesterday counting a wave of support for his outspoken plea, made at