Capitalism Means War

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advantage-in Ine context ot be acienatu agdist au luris or ita- preserving a balance of forces imperialist attack.

Such a principled opposition halt the barbarism of US bombced ment of the Stalinist bureau- to imperialism requires an inter- ing in Vietnam. They support hat cracies has made it more diffi- national, revolutionary perspec- the Zionist state of Israel against lies cult for the imperialists directly tive. Yet the Labour Party is a the demands of the Palestinian nial to intervene.. national, reformist party. people. Callaghan BRITAIN OUT OF NATO DETERMINATION? SELF AFGHANISTAN ICO , VEC IRELAND NO!

As part of a massive military build-up, President Carter has proposed siting 570 Cruise missiles in the NATO countries of Europe.

The decision of the Labour Party to call a march in opposition to these war moves is an undoubted step forward.

But the Party offers workers no answer to the basic questions that arise in this situation.

Why is it that a point in history when science and technology for the first time offer mankind the chance to live in peace and plenty, a majority of the world's population is starving and the threat of war hangs over the heads of us all?

Why is it that as men and women and children suffer and die from the lack of the most basic food and everyday necessities, the EEC spends billions destroying mountains "surplus" foodstuffs and the NATO powers spend tens of billions on nuclear weapons and more sophisticated means of military destruction?

The answer lies in the very essence of the capitalist system. It is an unplannable system of production for private profit which rests on the brutal exploitation of the international working class by those that own the means of production.

Hostage

To maximise such exploitation, the capitalist seeks to drive down wages in the advanced economies, and to ensure that the underdeveloped economies throughout the neo-colonial world remain the hostage of the multi-national: banks, monopolies and the IMF.

As workers and peasants throughout the world take up the struggle to liberate themselves violent means are used to crush their resistance.

Major problems

Where the power of native dictatorial regimes is insufficient to contain the struggle,_CIA intervention or open military occupation by the imperialist powers are the stock responseas in Vietnam, Chile, Angola, OI the six counties of Ireland.

Yet the imperialists face major problems in this vicious global pursuit of profits.

*The capitalist economy on a world scale is in a severe recessionary crisis.

*Defeats inflicted on imperialism in Vietnam, Angola, Iran, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe have encouraged the masses and disrupted former military outposts, weakened capitalism's ability to police its investments in the neo-colonial world.

*As imperialism has found itself weakened, so the oppressed masses in struggle have been driven to the Soviet Union and deformed workers' states for assistance. While these leaders cynically exploit certain of these struggles for their own advantage-in the context of preserving a balance of forces ive with imperialism-this involve- with imperialism-this involvement of the Stalinist bureau• cracies has made it more difficult for the imperialists directly to intervene..

This is why the foreign policy of Carter, Reagan and Thatcher while aimed at containing the struggles of the international working class is now dominated by the fostering of a Cold War hysteria against the Soviet Union and the deformed workers' states.

Historic gains

At the same time the imperialists find themselves drawn towards distant hopes possible reconquest of the lost markets and exploitable labour force of these Stalinist-led states in which the means of production remain nationalised.

These historic gains achieved as the result of the October 1917 Revolution in Russia must be defended against all forms of imperialist attack.

Such a principled opposition tive. Yet the Labour Party is a national, reformist party.

NUCLEAR ARMS-NO The Callaghan leadership has no real basis on which to oppose the Carter/Thatcher war moves.

Indeed, successive Labour governments despite the savage lessons of two world wars have shown time and again their commitment to preserving the capitalist system which spawns wars and perpetuates exploitation.

They have refused to nationalise the banks and monopolies, whose lust for profit are the main motive for police/military repression in Britain and internationally.

They have themselves sent troops to Ireland and backed imperialist wars all over the world.

Agreement

They lifted not a finger to PEACE And, far from standing for unilateral nuclear disarmament, the Callaghan leadership has itself presided over the expansion of the British nuclear arsenal.

Callaghan and Rodgers actually gave agreement. in principle to the siting of Cruise missiles in Britain!

Now-despite the Party's paper resolution declaring that the Labour Party "Tefuses to permit" the deployment of Cruise missiles in. Britain, Callaghan calling on Thatcher's Cold War cabinet to refuse to accept the new Cruise missiles only if the Soviet Union agrees to withdraw its SS20 missiles from Eastern Europe!

But it is not only Callaghan who is bankrupt. Some 'left' MPs--such as Eric Heffer -shy Callaghan PEACE MARCH away from the necessary struggle for unilateral nuclear disarmament, and immediate withdrawal from the anti-Soviet NATO alliance.

Indeed. the Labour left's nationalistic economic policy of import controls to save "British" jobs from "foreign" competition lines up entirely with the chauvinist propaganda peddled by Thatcher and the Tory press.

They fail to grasp that the working class is an international class and must unite internationally against the common enemy -the capitalist class in each country.

What is needed is not simply radical sounding phrases about "peace' from MPs and union bureaucrats and protest marches detached from practical action: the struggle against the imperialist war drive must be linked to the fight to bring down the Thatcher government and drive out Labour's pro-imperialist *Prepare a general strike to bring down the Tories!

*Kick out the Callaghan/ Healey leadership! For a workers' government!

*Britain out of NATO: for international action to break up imperialist alliances!

*No Cruise missiles: no US troops in Britain! For unilateral nuclear disarmament in all imperialist countries.

*British troops out of *Defend the USSR! For a political revolution to overthrow the Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union and deformed workers' states!

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ISA Jalall

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NUCLEAR WEAPONS- NOW POLAR

to imperialism requires an inter- national, revolutionary perspec-