Thatcher's War

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Bag Enclosed is a copy of the International Workers League (Fourth International) statement on the conflict between Argentina and Great Britain.

The statement, written a few days after Argentina recovered the Malvinas Islands expresses the principle that constitutes the basis of our position. We join up with Argentina against British imperialism in spite of the character of the Argentine government. We do not in the least support that government politically but we do give our full military support against England.

Since that document was written, the situation has evolved and war is rapidly approaching. This requires an even more categorical position on our part. The IwL ano the rol or Argentina has decided to launch Recently in Socialist Organiiser we have carried an article and an interview from Carlos - a comrade of the Argentine Socialist Workers' Party (PST) living in Britain. The IWL, an international grouping which unites the PST with other socialist organisations mainly in Latin America, has asked us to publish this letter. an internation:! campaign of support to i, yentina's just struggle against British imperialism. The joint mobilisation of working class, democratic and anti-imperialist forces around the world is needed to halt the imperialist offensive and force Britain to withdraw her forces from the South Atlantic.

We were very much surprised by the statements of comrare Carine Garria nuhlished in Socialist Organiser numbers 80 and 81. We do not doubt that the confusion is due to the illegal situation of our party, which gives rise to certain difficulties in communicating with our comrades in foreign countries.

We must state however that ammande Parla nari- inal comraut varius pusitions are not those of the PST(A) and the IWL.

We are not against the war. We cannot oppose it because it is the struggle of a semi-colonial country to regain a part of its territory from the hands of an imperialist power.

All the imperialist powers and their governments whether liberal, conservative or social democratic, have formed a united front to back up imperialist Britain.

We are not pacifists. Our attitude towards a given war depends on the character of 14 LE 55T that war. In this case we must state categorically, no matter what the aims of the Argentine military junta are, Argentina's war against England is anti-imperialist.

We align ourselves with the oppressed nation against the oppressor. We are for the victory of Argentina against Britain.

In 1938, in a discussion with the Argentine militant Mateo Fossa Trotsky said:

"In Brazil there now reigns a semi-fascist regime that every revolutionary can only view with hatred. Let us assume however, that on the morrow, England enters into a military conflict with Brazil. I ask you on whose side of the conflict will the working class be?

I will answer for myself personally. In this case l would be on the side of fascist Brazil against democratic Great Britain. Why? Because in the conflict between them it will not be a case of democracy or fascism.

If England should be victorious she will put another fascist in Rio De Janeiro and will place double chains on Brazil. If Brazil on the contrary should be victorious, it will give a mighty impulse to national and democratic consciousness of the country and will lead to the overthrow of the Vargas dictatorship.

The defeat of England will at the same time deliver a blow to British imperialism and will give an impulse to the revolutionary movement of the British proletariat.

Surely one must have an empty head to reduce world antagonisms and military conflict to the struggie between fascism and democracy and under all masks one must know how to distinguish exploiters, slave-owners and robbers.

Writings 1938/9, p.34.

Savage We know very well what the government of Argentina is. It is a savage military dictatorship that has killed thousands of workers and revolutionaries, that condemns thousands of workers to hunger and unemployment and miserable wages. It has outlawed the unions of the working class and left wing parties. It' helps the Yankee imperialists crush the masses Killed More than 100 of our comrades have been killed in the struggle against it. But like Trotsky said we must learn to distinguish the robbers under their masks.

Comrade Carlos is wrong when he calls for a General Strike against the war because this is not a war between imperialist powers. That is why we aim our weapons against British imperialism, from the military camp of the Argentine government.

Comrade Carlos allows himself to be misled by the imperialists when he says that we respect the right of self-determination of the Malvinas islanders. The islanders are not natives of the Malvinas, but inhabitants of the colonial enclave, a group of people transplanted from England to the islands to help. maintain colonial domination.

Therefore what is in question here is not the historic right of the people over their own territory, a right we fully defend. To defend the right •of self determination of the islanders is to defend the rights of Israeli settlers in Arab lands, or the rights of Englishmen in Ireland. The only rights of the Malvinas islanders is to choose whether theyewill return to Britain or remain on the islands under Argentine government.

Trotsky teaches that it is impossible to fight against fascism without fighting against imperialism. Colonial and semi-colonial countries must struggle in the first place against the imperialist power that opresses them.

It is necessary to organise a militant solidarity of working •class, democratic and anti-imperialist forces around the world. In imperialist countries they must raise the demand for the immediate withdrawal of the British Fleet from the South Atlantic and recognition of Argentine sovereignty over the islands, the lifting of the EEC's • economic boycott of Argentina, calling on the trade unions to lead this struggle.

In Latin American countries our slogans are:

Full military and economic support to Argentina. Suspend payment of the foreign debts.

In reply to the EEC boycott expropriate all British and other imperialist concerns.

It is our duty as Trotskyists to lead this anti-imperialist struggle. We invite you to join forces with us in this campaign for the victory of Argentina • in the struggle against British imperialism.

Finally we request that you publish the statement of the IWL in your paper, Socialist Organiser, so as to state our positions clearly for the British working class.

With fraternal Trotskyist greetings, Zeze, IWL Secretariat