'Disinvestment' no way to tight apartheid

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Anti Apartheid demonstrators the most reliable imperialist German leaflet dropped on British troops in 1945 AHOLON FREED SAL OL AHO ETA FIGHTERS BOLI nnos PHOTO: Mark Rusher (IFL)

danos REED L cole This is another paper published by the Anti Apartheid Movement as a contribution, they fondly imagine, to the overthrow, or at least the liberalisation of the repressive apartheid system of the South African state.

The means of international solidaritv with the onnrescert UNHICSSON masses in South Africa which Simon Clarke envisages is the growth and partial redirection of the "disinvestment" campaign.

'Disinvestment' means in reality action by the imperialist states to force change upon a country which is, in fact, one of agents the source of much profit to capitalists.

Clarke declares that the disinvestment campaign must not remain a "moral crusade" , but must be a fighting "political campaign"

However, he shows little awareness of the realities of imperialism, of class relations, or of the means whereby the South African state can be overthrown.

Empiricist

The pamphlet is packed with the statistics, tables and empiricist analysis that are the realities of the world to such left-wing voyeurs.

Backed up with this informa"Your mother is asking newcomers from the front: Where is my boy?-Don't know, somewhere in the Steppes of war' Later, however, the leaflet takes a sharply political turn.

'They have been telling you that this was a war against German • autocracy, against German imperialism, against Kaiserism. But now there is no more Kaiserism, no more autocracy.

"The German workers have arisen in revolt-and they have themselves destroyed Kaiserism. Themselves! Without the help of British and American troops.

"There is no more imperialism in Germany. The Kaiser and the German warlords have fled.

"Germany, like Russia, is now the tand of Revolution. Germany, like Russia, will be governed, not by a block of cruel masters, but by the people, revolutionary workers..

"Do you realise that in this great battle of Labour against Capital, of freedom against exploitation, of real democracy against fake democracy of Rockefeller and Morgan, you are to fight on the side of your tion, Clarke can correctly point out that the imperialist banks are increasingly important in the running of South African capitalism.

He goes on to argue from.

this that the disinvestment' campaign should concentrate on them even more than on the multi-nationals which participate directly in the oppression of the South African working masses.

Because he is necessarily aware that the banks and multinationals are right behind the increasingly repressive measures of the apartheid state, Çlarke is rather vague about how they are to be persuaded to 'disinvest' So he falls back on the hope of legislative action on the part cruel masters against your brethren and your fellow workers? Are you not working against yourselves? ...

"Demand to go home. Hold meetings in your regiments, form soldiers' councils, and force your demands on your governments and your officers.

"If you are convinced in the justice of the cause of Labour then come over to our side and we will give you a hearty welcome into the ranks of those who are fighting for the emancipation of Labour."

That single example of a genuine proletarian appeal has to suffice for this exhibition.

Of anti-communism there is plenty.

The exhibition notes are frustrating since they do not translate fully many of the leaflets and they are also highly biased.

Effective Japanese propaganda against British imperialism is 'balanced' by a long passage 'explaining' the problems of the British in India.

The exhibition itself, however, should not be missed.

Investment in South Africa and the Disinvestment Campaign by Simon Clarke.

Price 50p of the imperialist governments!

It would seem that he is convinced of the fundamental decency of imperialism. He certainly fosters the illusion that imperialism's denunciations of apartheid are more than mere cynical: cover-ups for the imperialists' only interest in South Africa-the pursuit of profit.

"Embargo"

A clear example of what is to be expected from the Labour 'lefts' and their ilk is the arms "embargo" on Southern Africa -an attempt to replace the independent mobilisation and actions of the working class by action from the capitalist state, which, having been subjected to "pressure" was then expected to reform itself and take action in support of the interests of the South African working class!

But of course the imperialists had first ensured that the South African state was sufficiently strong, through arms stockpiling and through its own productive capabilities.

Only then did they announce support for an embargo. They of course made sure at the same time that arms continued to be supplied through secret deals, phony third agents, etc.

Open the books

For this reason the Workers Socialist League calls for the opening of the books and action to force the nationalisation South Africa-not only to ensure effective embargoes in the interests of black workers, out also to ensure supplies of goods essential to the struggle of those workers.

It is not surprising that such action is not part of the blueprint drawn up by the Anti Apartheid Movement.

Nor, of course, does it stress the vital necessity of the building of an independent working class party in South Africa which could take full advantage of the independent action of the proletariat in the imperialist states.

Left talkers

Such prospects are outside the vision of left talkers who cannot see beyond their statistics and blueprints, who foster the illusion that capital can assist the struggling proletariat.

Revolutionaries though, fight in the real world of the class struggle; they do not provide schemas for the self-reform of imperialism or for the geographical redistribution of capital.

Our struggle is for the development of a programme and an organisation capable of expropriating and smashing imperialism.

Impracticable

• The 'disinvestment' campaign as pursued by the AAM is merely an impracticable petty-bourgeois blueprint, in the face of imperialism's large stake in South Africa-one which it will not willingly surrender, however much it squeals hypocritically against apartheid.

Simon Clarke's pamphlet is prefixed by AAM's announcement that its views are not necessarily their own.

This is an unnecessary precaution-nothing .in the pamphlet is likely to cause any offence to the lords, ladies, churchmen etc., to the cultiva tion of whose support the AAM devotes so much of its effort.

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