SYL to join 'SUS' law

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Assemble Camberwell Grove, London SE5 The article in Socialist Press (14.2.79) reporting the Liberation Conference on iran remarked that an RCG member linked the struggle of the Iranian people to the anti-imperialist war waged by the Irish people against British rule in Ireland 'in a somewhat diversionary manner"

Is it diversionary to point out that there was a large Iranian student contingent on January's Bloody Sunday march, called by Provisional Sinn Fein? .

They showed their clear understanding of the link between fighting British imperialism in Ireland and the revolutionary struggle in Iran.

Is it divetsionary to state that, at the moment when British imperialism finds itself under grave threat fröm the revolutionary struggles in Iran, Southern Africa and Ireland, the most urgent task of the working class is to build a movement resolutely opposed to the role of British imperialism in those countries?

Such a basis is the only one capable of consistently aiding the struggles of SWAPO, the DEMONSTRATE AGAINST SUS Saturday April 7 at 1.00 p.m. Patriotic Front, the ANC and the Iranian people.

The 'horror' of Stan Newens appears when his most sensitive nerve is exposed-he claims to oppose the interests of British imperialism in lran whilst denouncing the Irish liberation movement as fascist and continuing to give full support to the Labour government • in its attempt to suppress the Republican working class.

Newens and Kerr are typical of the Labour and trade union leaders who would proclaim 'support' for distant struggles whilst steadfastly supporting British imperialism at its weakest point-a war in Ireland which is shaking its very foundations, under the nose of the British working class.

Your fraternally, Tony Sheridan (RCG)

WE REPLY: Point taken! The remark in question was unfortunate and slipped through our sub-editing. We would also subscribe to the RCG's characterisation of Newens' selective approach to international questions. [Ed).

The National Committee of the Socialist Youth League meeting last weekend decided to support the demonstration against the SUS law called by the Labour Party Young Socialists for April 7.

SUS, which enables police to arrest people suspected of being about to commit an offence under a law of 1824, has recently been extensively used by the Special Patrol Group against black youth in London.

Not the least of the crimes of the Callaghan-Healey Labour government has been the attack on workers' basic rights carried out over the last few years.

The use of the SPG as a vicious strikebreaking force and against demonstrators and black youth; the use of conspiracy laws against trade unionists and black youth; the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act against Irish workers and the use of the Criminal Trespass Law against occupations clearly reveal the way in which the Labour leaders have overseen the equipping of the capitalist state for the class confrontations which lie ahead.

Not single issue The fight to defend democratic rights must not just be limited to the question of the SUS law.

The SYL will be marching with the following slogans:

*Repeal the SUS law-end police harrassment of youth!

*Disband …the •SPG-the bosses' i strikebreaking terror squad!

*Repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act! Britain out of Ireland now!

*Defend workers' democratic rights-repeal the conspiracy and Criminal Trespass laws.

*Kick out the Callaghan-Healey right wing!

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billion dustbin European heads of state at the recent summit meeting EE •Nearly 80% of last year's Common Market agricultural budget of £6,500 million was squandered on storing, dumping and destroying "surplus" food, while preserving ludicrously high market prices.

This is simply the latest of a string of disclosures in relation to EEC agricultural industrial ,.ana economic policies that point unmistakeably to the . total anarchy of capitalism-even where, as in the EEC, governments exert every muscle to 'plan' and 'control' its. development.

Market prices for food are kept high because this is the only way in which capitalism can placate sections of small farmers crucial to the electoral support of governments on the continent.

Yet such inflated prices not only require, but also help to create huge surpluses of unsold foodstuffs.

Guaranteed prices are therefore paid out each year by the EEC Commission for agricultural produce destined only for waste and destruction-while workers throughout Europe find wage packets insufficient to meet the soaring cost of living:

Meanwhile a . new tax designed • to drain the Common Market's milk lake is being dreamed up by EEC leaders which will benefit the least efficient peasant farmers owning less than 1. ten cows-and fall with greatest severity on large, efficient herds of over 51 cows, affecting nearly every milk producing farm in Britain.

Such crazy attempts set the clock back point once again to the complete inability of capitalism in crisis to develop the means of production in the interests of the vast majority of the population. A Socialist United States of Europe, besides improving workers' living We reprint below an c letter also sent to Soc Worker and Socialist Challenge. standards. food consumpand thus tion, would of couse need to adopt policies designed to assist in the special problems of the peasant -farmers.

This means providing cheap credit, transport and ease the burder of labour and draw them into the development of a fully planned, socialist economy, under workers' manageAny "surpluses" accruing under such planned economy would be stored against possible future shortages, or exported in exchange deals elections. to the toothless European Assembly are designed to mask this capitalist alliance under a facade of "democracy" - since there is, in any event, no way at all in which the EEC can be peacefully "reformed" into any kind of progressive body.