Trotsky on Stalinism

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The needs of German workers were subordinated ti Moscow's needs The classic Marxist of Stalinism is Leon Trotsky's Revolution Betrayed: What is the Soviet Union and Where It Going?' Available via Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8: £2.50 plus 50p postage. been extensive land reform, and the mines and sections of industry had been nationalised, 90% of enterprises remained in private hands. Significantly, this 90% covered only 33% of industrial production: it was with the lesser capitalists and petty bourgeoisie that Stalin had attempted to consolidate an alliance.

This line switched only in 1948, after the outbreak of the Cold War, revealing that the Western powers intended to integrate the Western zones economically and militarily into the imperialist alliance.

In summer 1948, the remaining bourgeois ministers were undermined . and removed, nationalisations were extended and a • centralised plan was isation of travel from West to East, the Stalinists hoped to lure bourgeois forces in West Germany into renewed discussions. Significantly, none of these concessions benefitted the East German working class: it West Berlin did not broadcast the general strike call on the evening of June 16. There was no attempt by the West to exploit the events militarily.and in Berlin Western border police intervened to restrict the irreconcilable opposition between the interests of the working class and the entrenched power and privilege of the bureaucracy might have been thought to have massively strengthened and encouraged the forces of Trotskyism on a world scale. Unfortunately, for reasons which subsequent articles will explain, this was not to be the case.

What the June events did was to underline beyond any doubt the potential for political revolution to oust the Stalinist bureaucracies in the deformed workers' states and the USSR itself, and the necessity for a revolutionary programme and Trotskyist parties to prepare that fight.

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Mndal anonlutinno Agenda EAST LONDON CND rally with Tony Benn, Arthur Scargill, Alf Lomas MEP, Tony Hart, and Jenny Edwards.

Chair: Jo Richardson MP. Wednesday June 29, 7.30, East Where to find Socialist Organiser Organiser no.137 June Page Ham Town Hall.

PALESTINE Solidarity public meeting: 'Lebanon, one year on' • Friday July 8 7.30 at County Hall, London SE1.

LABOUR CND West inaugural meeting: Sunday June 26, 2.30pm, Taunton CLP meeting rooms, 24 East Reach, Taunton. LP members only.

LABOUR Movement Conference on Ireland: July 15, from 10am at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1. Sponsors include Clive Soley, Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone. Delegates £3, observers £2, details from LMCI, Box 189, 32 Ivor Place, London NW1.

SCOTLAND Glasgow. For details of meetings contact paper sellers or Stan Crooke, 114, Dixon Avenue, Glasgow G42. SO is sold at Maryhill dole (Tuesday mornings) and Rutherglen shopping arcade (Friday lunchtime).

Edinburgh. For details of meetings ring Dave 229 4591. SO is sold at Muirhouse (Saturday 10.30-12) CONFERENCE of Socialisi Economists conference 1983: The World Economy in Crisis. Jüly 9 to 11 in Sheffield. Details from 25 Horsell Road, London N5. 'VOICE of Solidarnose': £8 for 6 months to Solidar. nose Information Office, 314-320 Grays Inn Road, London WCIX 8DP (01837 9464).

PLASTIC Bullets: a working conference to launch and plan campaign activities. Saturday June 25, 1pm to 5pm at County Hal London SE1. Organised b: Labour Committee on Ireland.

Liverpool. Contact 733 6663 for details of meetings. SO is sold at Progressive Books, Berry St., and at News from Nowhere, Whitechapel.

Hyndburn. Contact Accrington 395753. Meetings weekly - see SO sellers for details. SO is sold at Broadway, Accrington, Saturdays 11.30 to 1pm.

Stoke. Contact Paul BarnCRISIS in Zimbabwe — a Socialist Perspective. Public meeting organised by SOFSAS, the Socialist Forum for Southern African Solidarity. Saturday June 25, 2pm at Caxton House, 129 St John's Way, London N19.

SILENCED Women: an evening presented by the Writers' Guild and Index on Censorship. Friday Jul: 15, 7.30 at the Little Ship Club, Bell Wharf Lane, Upper Thames St, EC4. PREPARING for power: a labour movement conference for the '80s organised by the Revolutionary Communist Party. July 16-22, Central London Poly, New Cavendish St. Registration £10 (£6 UB40), cheques payable to RCP Association, to BM RCP, London WCIN 3XX. , Sheffield. Meets every other Wednesday, 7.30pm, at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. SO is sold outside Boots, Fargate (Saturday 12-1) and the Independent Bookshop, Glossop Rd. Contact Rob, 589307. Hull. Meets every Wednesday, 8pm: details from SO sellers. Childcare available.

Halifax. Contact 52156. SO is sold at Halifax Mout THE deadline for Labour Party conference resolutions is July 15 - so make sure you don't miss it.

As well as our own model resolution on fighting the Tories (printed last week, and already passed by Wantage & District CLP), SO is supporting the resolutions below.

Labour Campaign for Gay Rights:

Conference recognises the contribution which lesbians and gay men have made to the labour movement. It notes with concern that there are still many legal and social obstacles which prevent lesbians and gay men from participating fully and equally in society. It condemns particularly the way in which the press has attacked and smeared a number of Labour Party members who have openly supported lesbian and gay rights.

It calls for the following points to be adopted as party policy at local and national level as appropriate.

1. Legislation to protect lesbians and gay men from unjust discrimination in housing, employment and education and to ensure genunine and equal access to all tution Hill. Next meeting: Tuesday 21: Marek Garztecki (from Solidarnose Trade Union Working Group) on the present condition of Solidarnosc. Phone 471 1448 for venue. SO is sold at the Other Bookshop, Digbeth High Street. public services.

2. The legalisation of homosexual acts for adults over the age of 16 in all parts of the UK and including the personnel of the armed forces and merchant navy, along with the repeal of other parts of sexual offences legislations which discriminates against gay people.

3. Legislation to end the hostility shown towards lesbian mothers by the judicial system and the social services, and a recognition of the right of gay people to bring up children free from harassment.

Further, conference calls on the National Executive Committee to initiate a campaign in the labour movement to promote an awareness of gay oppression and the role to be played by the Labour Party and trade unions in overcoming it. Labour Against the Witch Conference recognises that the struggle for democratic socialism requires Labour to remain a broad-based party containing many different strands of socialist opinion. Conference accordingly defends the traditional right of party members to belong to pressure groups within the Coventry. Contact Keith White, 75623. SO is sold at the. Wedge Co-op, High St. Meets on first and last Thursday of the month, 7.30 at the 'Queen' Primrose Hill St., Hillfields.

Leicester. Contact Phil, 857908. S O is sold at Blackthorne Bor oks, High St. party, provided that they accept the party's objectives and do not oppose its official candidates in elections.

Conference notes that a constitutional amendment to this effect was submitted by Greenwich CLP to the 1982 conference and is, therefore, coming before the 1983 conference as part of the NEC report.

To ensure that the Greenwich amendment is properly debated, conference now instructs the chair and the Conference Arrangements Committee/Standing Orders Committee to bring it separately before the conference, with the same speaking time for mover and seconder as in the case of other conference resolutions.

Socialist Organiser Extraordinary General Meeting: Sunday June 16, 11.30 to 2.30 at County Hall, London SE!. The meeting will be discussing a date for the AGM (constitutionally there has to b a General Meeting in June, but a full meeting is not possible because of the general election), and perspectives after June 9. Please make sure that at least one SO supporter attends from each group.

Northampton. 713606.

Nottingham. Meets Thursday evenings; 7.30 at the International Community Centre. SO is sold outside the Victoria Centre (Saturday 11-1) and at the Mushroom Bookshop, Heathcote St. Contact: Pete Radcliff, 585640.

Oxford. SO Commarket and outside Rd., Friday EOA Books, Contact is sold at the (Saturday 11-1) Tesco; Cowley 5-7. Also at Cowley Rd.

next?

Socialist Organiser 'After the election, what next?' meetings have attracted sizeable audiences' in Sheffield, Hull, Northampton, Basingstoke and Coventry - including an unusual number of people new to politics.

These are some of the remaining meetings scheduled. If your group has not planned a meeting, get moving now!

Leeds. July 1, 7.30, Chapeltown Community Centre. Speakers: Cllrs . Garth Frankland (Leeds) and Barry Turner (Bradford). Rochdale. July 11, 8pm, Castle Inn, Manchester Rd. Wirral: June 26, 8pm at the Labour Club, Church Road, Seacombe.

Tower Hamlets. June 30, 7.30, Bromley Public Hall, Bow Road, E3. Speaker: Jeremy Corbyn MP.

every other Thursday, 7.30, Trade Union Centre, Brabant Rd.

Hounslow. Next . meeting Sunday June 16, 8pm at 144 Twickenham Rd, Isleworth. 'Racism: fighting back' - speakers Bob Fine and Sanj Chopra. SO is sold outside All Saints Church, Hounslow High St, SaturIslington. Contact Nik, 278 1341.

Southwark/Lambeth. Meetings every other Wednesday at Lansbury House, 41 Camberwell Grove, London SE5. Business meeting