Fight war chauvinism

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SOCIALIST Organiser fights to act as a real campaigning paper which can organise workers in the struggle for new leadership.

To do so we need consistent support and money. Socialist Organiser Alliance groups Why not join with us? Supporters are asked to. undertake to sell a minimum of 6 papers per week and contribute at least £1.50 THE North Staffs Trades Council at its June meeting narrowly rejected a motion against the Falklands war.

The motion before the Trades Council, presented by AUEW-TASS, was clearly inspired by Militant.

It talked about initial 'blunders' by the British government, presumably referring to the fact that Thatcher had allowed Galtieri to invade the Islands in the first place, the hypocrisy of the Thatcher government in only now recognising the fascist nature of the Argentine regime, and the way which Thatcher's economic policies had created an army of 'economic conscripts' The motion went on to condemn the war and set out three demands for the TUC to campaign for:

1) An immediate General Election to return a Labour government in the interests of workers here.

2) A campaign for trade union rights for the armed forces. 3) Assist the Argenune wurkers damnadian armalansom in overthrowing the junta.

Socialist Organiser supporters informed the TASS delegates that we would put an amendment adding immediate withdrawal of the fleet, and the blacking of all war work. The Militant supporter moving the motion denounced us as wreckers, confusing a clear class line. There was no resonance for such a call in the labour move_OCARRO •• have been established in most big towns.

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Name Address ment, he fumed. • A few minutes later the President of the Trades Council stated that the West Midlands Region of the TUC had called for the withdrawal of the fleet.

To give credit to the comrade from Militant his speech moving the motion was a round condemnation of Thatcher's war well presented, as was the speech of Don Scott seconding the motion.

A Labour Party member sympathetic to Socialist organiser's position on the war moved our addendum to the motion.

After arguments from a number of delegates that they had no mandate to vote on the addendum because it had not been presented before their branches, the original motion was voted on and rejected, 24 to 32.

This reflects the weight of chauvinist sentiment that revolutionaries must combat in the labour movement, rather than renuiesce in as the Militant does.

More encouraging was a vote shortly after this to organise a broad labour movement conference in North Staffs on the Tebbit Bill. Union branches and Labour Parties will be able to submit motions on how to fight the Bill.

Yours comradely, ARTHUR BOUGH, (delegate, ASTMS 832 branch) Solidarity with El Salvador Ma _ati FOLLOWING the success of last year's Cultural Festival for Chile and El Salvador, it has been decided to make this an annual September, event, and to embark again on three days of music, theatre, poetry, painting, dance, films and discussion workshops.

Last year there were contributions from Tepeuani, Jose Armijo, Karaxu, Red Ladder, CAST, Steel and Skin Adrian Mitchell, John dugger, _ Charles Beauchamp and many, many others.

ch Well over 1,000 people attended the three days and we are hoping for a much bigger participation this year. The theme of this year's festival is "Anti-intervention in Central America, and Solidarity with Latin American peoples in their struggle for self-determination" , and it will concentrate particularly on Chile, El Salvador and Guatemala.

There will be three days of music, theatre, poetry, exhibitions, films, seminars and workshops at the Manning Hall, University of London Union, St., London WC1.

Sponsors The sponsors of the Festival so far include Chile Solidarity Campaign, Chile Anti-Fascist Committee, El Salvador Solidarity Campaign, Chile Cultural Committee, and Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign.

We should like to ask for your support for this event, either by making a donation towards the costs, or 'by offering practical nt and material help in publicity, etc., or helping in whatever way you feel appropriate.

More • details can be obtained from the above address, and we will of course keep all interested parties fully informed on the progress of the festival preparations.

Thanking you in advance for your support and solidarity.

(For the Festival Committee)

Alejandra Altamirano exploit the war for its own authority and prestige at home.

The technique of exposing and depicting imperialist policy by using individual imperialist leaders as a recognisable reference point is historically well-established and no innovation in SO. Should Thatcher be reprieved simply because she is a woman?

I find it hard to see how the cartoon would not have been seen as 'sexist' had it depicted Thatcher as a bulldog, John Bull, General Kitchener, the British Lion or any of the stock 'male" symbols of British imperialism.

It is imperialism and its political leaders who are the enemy of women's rights the world over: Thatcher is one of those leaders. It is as such that she is correctly attacked in the SO cartoon.

HAROLD PILKINGTON, Wolvercote

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