Whose Finger on the U.s. Nuclear Buttona

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We could all be much closer to a sudden nuclear war than anybody believed.

Alarming new evidence that the captains and crews of the United States' 42 nuclear submarines have the power to unleash a nuclear strike on the USSR without reference to Washington was revealed last week.

A leading US admiral blurted out this disturbing fact to a CBS news- team compiling a 5-part documentary on The Defence of the United States' . The documentary has been showing each night last week.

It will add to the gloom of those already horrified at the prospect of Ronald Reagan and Al Haig taking charge in the White Houseand shake the nerve of many who glibly dismissed the danger of a war.

The fact is that the submarines are often out of direct contact with • the Pentagon and the White House. For this reason they are not dependent upon any coded signals or security "keys" for the ability to fire their missiles at Soviet targets.

"Integrity"

The only reassurance the US war chiefs could offer was to insist that a submarine commander alone could not as an individual Nor consola cherish: adequa successfully fire lethal volley of missiles.

He would need the cooperation of the submarine erew in implementing the launching procedure and activating the warheads!

The ultimate safeguard, viewers were told, is the "integrity of the crew" . This will be small comfort to the tens of millions of workers in the USA, Europe and the deformed workers' states who could find themselves plunged into armageddon by "rogue" submarine crew armed to the teeth with Polaris and Poseidon Illusion was there much tion for nyone ng the illusio 7 that e shelters will enable Some 4,000 young O'Connor.

The size of the crowd in the Butts Stadium was ample proof of the overwhelming rejection by young people of the recent spate of racist and fascist violence in the town.

Stabbed

The previous week no less than five black youths had been stabbed by racist thugs. Rumours had been rife that the fascists had obtained tickets to the gig or were planning to stage a counter-demonstration elsewhere while it was on.

In the event a few isolated fascists were spotted hanging around on the fringes of the gig, and there were stories of two coachloads being seen on the edge of town: but the event victory for the anti-racist them survive caust.

The same CBS documentary examined the probable effect on Omaha Nebraska (next door to the US Strategic Air Command) of a 15 megaton nuclear strike.

.."'Dry-roast"

A crater three-quarters of mile across would be opened up, while the fireball would "dry-roast" even those people in deep shelters, the programme revealed.

Two million people in the vicinity would be dead within a fortnight.

So one crazed or malevolent US submarine commander and crew-acting alone-could trigger off a conflict in which lens of millions would die across campaign.

This success must be made the basis not of future complacency " but of increased vigilence and a confident campaign within the local labour movement to mobilise defence squads capable of driving the fascists off the streets of Coventry.

The sharp increase in racism and fascist violence in many areas of Typical of the problems facing those who attempt to mobilise anti-fascist forces along class lines and on a 'no platform' programme have been events in Swindon over past weeks.

A month ago a West Indian youth was stabbed to three continents.

Margaret Thatcher is insistent that British imperlalism, too, should possess the same "Dr Strangelove" capacity for instant and arbitrary slaughter.

In excess of £S billion is to _be. spent purchasing Trident submarines and missiles which, like their present day US sister ships, would be out of anyone's control.

Thatcher and Reagan must be stopped. That requires the building of a determined anti-war movement in the working class of Britain and the USA, committed to break up the anticommunist NATO alliance and forcing the unilateral disarmament of the imperialist warmongers.

The National Left Wing Youth Movement-whose forces are committed to the launching of a new, national revolutionary youth movement in the autumn-is fighting _ on a day to day basis in support of such a campaign.

Supporters of the NLWYM-in their first death in the town-the culmination of a campaign directed against the sizeable ethnic minority.

Set up to organise opposition was a body called the Swindon Community Action Committee, dominated by Bishops, Canons and vicars varying degrees reverence.

Preaching

Giving it and its staunchly moralist and pacifist perspective credibility were the Communist Party and the right wing in the unions. public activity since the decision was taken at a conference on June 6/7 to launch the new movementleafletted the gig, to explain to those attending what the new movement stands for and what it is doing to support the anti-racist struggle in Coventry.

Apart from preaching (literally) about the evils of violence, the Committee held a 'March for Racial Peace' last Saturday.

Strong points

Sensitive to the dangers of. the post-march Rally being turned into an embarrassing challenge to their strategy 13 Brixton speaker was planned) an undertaking wa; demanded that no speaker would criticise the police.

At the rally, though., some strong points wer THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich THE electoral landstich to Francois Mitterand Socialist Party this weeken gives them • dominan position in the Nationa Assembly.

SP votes together wit those of the Communis Party and Mitterand's "left bourgeois allies, the Radical of the Left (MRG) will toti some 325 out of Assembly of 479.

The representation of th old Gaullist RPR party b been nearly halved-fron 155 to 82-while the UDF.é former President Giscar tumbled from 119 seats 63.

But the electoral wit out of the right by no meat guarantees that Mitteras. will implement his pledge Only militant action by French working class force through the necesse socialist policies in Frances made, notably by an IW militant and an unemploye West Indian youth.

The only speaker to rai the role of the cops in acti ly or passively defending fascists was from Oxfo Trades Union Council.

The real hostility wh exists against the police confirmed by the enthu astic response, particula from the large numbers black youth in attendance These youth must bei basis of a genuine" an fascist movement to dri the Nazis out of Swindon.

----- pull-quotes -----

people 'from the Coventry area turned out last Saturday to a Gig Against Racism featuring The Specials and Hazel

passed off without major dis- ruption, providing a major

the country has brought varying responses locally.