Gang Muckin Out

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Trotskyist strategy to Stalinist parties is the emphasis in every onc of Trotsky's writings after 1933 on the need to destroy the counterrevolutionary cancer of Stalinism which feeds off and throttles the workers' movement.

But Blackburn mutters nothing but banalities and abstractions, avoiding every sharp political point, leaving veteran anti-Trotskyist Monty Johnstone a free hand.

In Our Policies': , Socialist Challenge astonishingly states that:

"Neither the Eurocommunist nor the pro-Moscow wings have any meaningful strategy for the overthrow of the capitalist state."

That both "wings" do have a meaningful strategy for acting as the policemen of imperialism against the working class is fundamental to Trotskyism.

Socialist Challenge however hopes to win people from the CPs not by exposing the Stalinists, by saying what is, but by covering it up.

Socialist Challenge No. 5 devotes its centre pages to passages from "Eurocommunism and the State' by Spanish CP leader, Santiago Carrillo.

The introduction tells us that "Carrillo's critique (of the Soviet Union) remains incomplete. He fails to understand the need for institutionalised organs of workers democracy in a socialist state."

Indeed

demand for was fought debate, dismissed graphs.

One would not imagine that here are Trotskyists discussing a veteran Stalinist who uses his 'theories' of Eurocommunism. and even attempts to use the name of Trotsky as part of a drive towards sharing power with fascists in his own country.

Interestingly, in the cartoon on the same page, this opportunism is given a visual impact.

This shows Brezhnev chasing sheep, which are labelled with the names of the 'Eurocommunist' CPs. But one sheep is labelled 'Polish Workers' The Polish workers who have put up a heroic resistance to the Moscow and Warsaw Stalinist bureaucracy, are put on a par (as sheep) with people like Carrillo who squable with Brezhney entirely for bureaucratic, anti-working class ends!

In every way therefore Socialist Challenge represents a political turn away from Trotskyism. The 'Our Policies' statement does not list a single demand from Trotsky's Transitional Programme.

DISMISSED

when the a sliding sca = of wages out in the GWU pay Socialist Challenge it in a scant two paraACT value under current inflation, let alone regain lost living standards. "unity" and "democracy", , Socialist But while stressino ite roll fam sevoong to Vall 10I Challenge nowhere calls for centralism.

RAG BAG

Clearly, this, the cornerstone of Leninism and the only means of ensuring disciplined unity in action, would offend the rag-bag of anarchists, syndicalists and semilayers within the IMG that think of themselves as Trotskyists.

" 1s up to liem to examine the It is un ta themem long-term consequences of this "turn" within the IMG itself.

Meanwhile the Workers Socialist League remains determined to proceed with the political tasks that now confront the working classthe building of a principled leadership cadre within the working class and the struggle for reconstruction U1 of tha ine trotskyIst rourth Interna tional.

YA Within one week number of Scotland detectives convicted of co tion or perjury rose to Reginald Maudling and other MPs were criticised business connections €49,000 from Reed Il national.

On all sides highly pol reputations lay in soiled ta Even Don Revie swapped the v of international soccer for thi international capital.

The police corruption showed that the Porn Squad, Regional Crime Squad and the squads were riddled with policemen handing out favous direct proportion to the return.

The Sunday Times said: "It emerged from the trials for almost a decade corruption only invaded the upper echelor Scotland Yard but became par the system itself-instiga encouraged and sternly prote by some of the most senior pr officers in the land."

It is not just the Porn Squad big money. Thousands of pe who for one reason or another 1 fallen foul of their local pr station suffer everything from p harassment to full scale frame blackmail and violence.

Even the Police Federati own magazine-Police-has t carrying letters from low ranl constables complaining that sel officers seem to have an unheal connection with the masonic mr ment, and that local masons st to have an immunity from arrest Not that the Press is won about this. For them the corrupt ended with the sentences.

The Daily Express boasts:

"The television interview » Sir Robert Mark reminded us al how much we owe to our po The fact that these men w tried and convicted shows there many more honest cops than b ones. It shows that Sir Robe reforming zeal at the Yard brought results.

In many countries police corr tion is taken for granted. But 1 here. We still have the capacity be shocked."

Robert Mark himself has or things on his mind. Like workers who use industrial mus to win their demands, and a according to his TV remarks, wo than murderers.

COPPERS Compared to that few bi few coppers more or less is just pe just crime.

The Express has in any = devised a sure fire answer to 1 outside chance that any mi police might get caught out.

Provide more money. "Not ji to give them a good rise soon, t to put the policeman in a higl income bracket soon." (And let not hear any nonsense about wa rises ruining the economy).

The high pay argument was us successfully not all that long a over MPs. A proper salary: it s said, would remove any possit clash between parliamentary I business interests.

Which brings us back Maudling, Cordle and Robert three MPs for whom a parliame tarv nav narket was nor annuet

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Poulson, and Lord Ryder back an "unauthorised gif