Break from Capitalist Politicians

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Revolutionary militia training in El Salvador "The world political situation as a whole is chiefly characterised by a historical crisis of leadership of the proletariat."

In the more than 40 years since this opening line of the Trotskyist Transitional Programme was written, events in every country have confirmed this fundamental position over and again.

Today it is El Salvador which demands most urgently a resolution of the crisis of . In El Salvador the masses are waging a heroic struggle against Duarte's savage imperial. ist backed military dictatorship. A great feeling of solidarity with the Salvadorean oppressed has developed within the world working class.

Concern

Growing class hatred for the imperialist butchers is combined with increasing concern amongst workers over the future course of the civil war.

Every class conscious worker and every organisation that bases itself on the interests of the world's working class must fight to turn these feelings into action.

And the policies of the leadership of the struggle in Salvador must be put under revolutionary criticism, guided by the urgent need to draw lessons for the crucial struggles that lie ahead.

In 1979 a mass uprising in Nicaragua smashed General Somoza's bloody dictatorship, giving a powerful impulse to struggles throughout Central America, and dealing a heavy blow to imperialist control.

In neighbouring El Salvador, a revolutionary upsurge spearheaded by the working class gained further strength in struggles against the landowners, the bosses and their US-backed military dictator Romero.

In the face of a rising challenge to their power and profits, the US imperialists, together with their allies and agents, tried to head off the mass movement by kicking out General Romero in October 1979 and replacing him with a new bourgeois-military government which promised reformswhile escalating repression.

The chronic economic and political crisis of the ruling class and the forward drive of mass struggle opened up the possibility-and the necessity of a revolutionary solution in the interests of the masses.

The mass movement, with militant workers in its front ranks, was striving with all its spontaneous fighting strength towards the seizure of power.

Yet the leaders of the mass organisations and guerrilla armies acted to disorient the struggle and deflect its thrust from power.

The responses ranged from the open treachery of the Stalinist PCS (which entered the new military government) to the inability of the centrist and petty bourgeois nationalist forces to map. out any consistent perspective for mass mobilisation against the unstable government.

The reactions of the Stalinists and petty bourgeois leaders to a revolutionary situation flow from their class collaborationist Although masked by various shades of rhetoric, their political line in• practice always directs towards the search for allies among the "democratic" sections of the bourgeoisie, and towards limiting the struggle to one for "democratic reform ' of the existing, decayed capitalist system.

"Solution"

Yet in reality (as confirmed most recently in Nicaragua and in Zimbabwe) not even the most elementary needs of the masses can be secured while capitalist property, in whatever reorganised form, dominates the economy, and while production remains geared to profit.

The class collaborationist "solution" is not only incapable of abolishing poverty and suffering, but, by lulling and disorientating the masses, it opens the way for the strengthening capitalist reaction (Chile!).

Only the working class, armed with a revolutionary programme and party, is capable of building a fighting alliance of the masses and carrying through the struggle to smash capitalist power and reconstruct society in the interests of the oppressed.

The treachery and confusion of the leaderships (with the exception of the BPR centrists) over the October Junta in Salvador deflected the mass movement-but it did not demobilise it, since it had already developed a powerful scope and momentum.

Determination

The working masses surged forward with renewed determination and combativity, toppling the government in January 1980. But they were unable spontaneously to break the obstacle of misleadership and establish their own government.

The leaders of all the mass organisations were forced under pressure from their own supporters on the one hand and the attacks of the bourgeoisie on the other into an alliance (the CRM) committed to overthrow the new. bosses' governmentbut united around a minimum democratic programme.

Class antagonisms WeIe developing into civil war. Every serious conflict raised. the question of power, and demanded an answer.

Crushing poverty and oppression were pushing a militant and determined mass movement towards a direct challenge for power. The Salvadorean masses stood at the head of a mighty wave of struggle in Central America.

Already weakened by deepening economic crisis and worldwide sharpening of struggle, imperialism was driven towards the final desperate artempi to d indian utionary of ly stepped tion of ti aimed at c to capitalist terror.

In this way forwa masses was urgent pe generalisatio a fighting B the masses tion for tha The dete ing strength capitalist onto the masses drove Workers, had already committees i oped an un and begun; The forms

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Hands off El Salvador The Reagan-Thatcher Axis Threatens World Peace Thursday April, Government forces Chair:

Speakers:

Michael Foot M.P. Leader of the Labour Party Dr Salvador Moncada Representative of the Frente Democ Revolutionario (F.D.R.) of El Salvadi hand Rally Si Stan Newens M.P Ken Gill Gen. Sec. A.U.E.W.-T. Ted Sullivan Nat. Sec. T. & G. W. U. Eric Heffer M.P. N.E.C. Labour Party Fenner Brockwi