Health Fightback

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'Health Fightback 84' conference: at Community Build ings, Bradford University, Great Hordon Rd, Bradford Workshops on: • Occupations: how and why you • Law: How to get the law on your side, • Health Authorities and CHCs: how you can • Nurses: organising nurses in a campaign, • Publicity/media: how to get your views across, • Campaigns: how to set up an anti-cuts campaign, • Creeping cuts, ward closures, unfilled vacancies: how to fight them. Also: Thornton View occupation video.

Open to all health workers and to delegates from health campaigns, CLPs, and trade union bodies: For credential send £2.50 to Health Fightback 84, 12 Shiplake House, Sisterhood prevails. But the other side isn't presented. Why is the woman attacked by men of her own ethnic group? We aren't shown black women suffering as blacks - with the implication that there are circumstances in which they feel solidarity with black men overrides their solidarity with white women.

The point about sisterhood is made at the expense of denying the reality of other forms of Similarly in the scene where women picket a construction site in protest at their being laid off first, their appeal to male workers to join them on strike is cut short by the police arriving and battering the demonstrators. All very exciting stuff but a cowardly device to avoid answering the question of whether the men would have come out in support of the women.

• suppose the film-maker couldn't envisage that class solidarity and shared oppression could be a reality and a life-or-death necessity for millions of women.

Apart from the muddleheadedness over what socialism could really entail, there are two other fashionable prejudices/confusions which the film probably shares with its intended audiences on the role of the media and violence/ direct action.

The developing consciousness of the participants is signalled by their increasing willingness to engage in violent direct action and the climax of the film is the spectacular blowing up of a broadcasting transmitter.

It might seem that this equation of radicalism with violence contradicts the assumpuions or 'the peaceful revolution' which is the starting point of the film.

But they are part and parcel of the same classless, facile leftism. Without any understanding of the real forces involved in the fundimental transformation of socicty i.e. without class political principles, then the only way to distinguish those who are seriously committed as against the softs is by their rhetorical bloodthirstiness. Of course it's not real blood. The only realistic violence in the film is perpetrated by the state or Saturday February 25, 11am to 5pm.

occupy, • Privatisation: how to fight it, A creche will be available.

Calvert Avenue, London E2. NAGEME

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Socialist Organiser no. 165 February 9 1984 Page 6