perialism. Today the only way such pressure could be is maintained • on keagan through the struggles people South Africa, the Philippines and Central America.
But all the advantage of the Vietnamese victory was thrown away through the pursuit of a dead-end пОШТО О bachev and his predecessor struggle internationaly was simply used as bargaining counter WuY time for the Soviet Union to 'catch up' the United States both militarily and economically.
But with the Soviet economy less than half the size of the United States, this Is bure with no prospect of being successful.
The pursuit of this Geneva simply poncy forced Gorbachev to do all payıng, by accepting Star Wars but at a slower For Western movements this will be a deeply-felt blow, giving credence to the argument that Star Wars is 'peaceful' step, and allowing to hide his nuclear warrior stance behind a cloak of international rapprochement.
And this is all • nearal real aimed tain they Geneva talks. were a propaganda exerpure simple, though with some very hestacit consented Star Wars, Reagan is able head-off opposition governments Europe liberal politi cians at home. After should worry about Star Wars on behalf of the Soviet Union and peace, wille Soviet has said okay?
As the Economist pu t: 'Mr Reagan can tell hi anxious allies in Western Europe that Star Wars may, after all, be compatible with talking to Russia.
for Soviet bureaucracy it means that the one per cent increase in coming year can proBut it will not solve any of the fundamenta problems of the Soviet Union's economy. And i has helped peace' one bit. ton's nerve cracked' headline.
Liverpool's deal with the Zurich gnomes.
At Tuesday's council meeting, Hatton himself explained that the budget was setback' What is being proposed, ana won t be nilalsea un til a council meeting this coming Friday, is that the council maintains its proor rates this year and, instead, adopt some of the Stone-Frost options on capitalisation.
This means moving money from one council account to anomel, hon the account which is used to pay for capital building programmes to the current revenue account. The deal that Counci negotiating with SWIS will ensure that house building programaren't affected this year or next.
The sting in the tail appears to be, intelli promise by the council not to step with Liverpool on Lne list of raté-capped authorities next year, that could be a very significant promise indeed. According to current reports the council budget in the next financial year will be slashed by f20 million, from its current £256 to £245 million There should be no doubt about the reason Liverpool's council has found itself in tion, amid the glare of much publicity claiming that cil's promise to protect jobs and services. 'How Hatwas the Sunday Times Other papers followed suit, highlighting this position.
creasingly faced the situa tion where other Labour councils have dropped like illes ln me tace of that it now stands alone in its commitment to defend the interests of working people within the city The Labour council's own major tactical error in proposing to send redundancy notice letters to all its employees was an illconsidered way of confronting the Tory government's refusal to provide the citv with the resources Labore urgently needs. At Neil Kinnock seized opportunity of Liverpool's. the confusion caused by its own tactic to launch a full-scale attack on the council.
His intention was further _Livernool and to brand as illegitimate any section of the move ment prepared to figh now against the Tory at tacks. It is for that reason that his attacks on the Liverpool council son Militant porters Liverpool haven't let up peared in print again to de This weekend he nounce the council for its deal with the Swiss bankers "Liverpool city councillors, ,' he said, 'have the banks which were com pletely unicceosal y It is an act of political perversity.
The only perversity OWI deliberately judged, that. First Kinnock helper to force the council into a position where • concessions wrung them, then he attacked them for pursuing the very course which the leadership themselves have thrust upon them There can be no doubt that such a budget as that which the council is about to make is a setback for the people of Liverpool, of the most deprived ur ban areas in the whole of Europe. By scabbing on the Liverpool city coun cil's fight, Kinnock has played straight into the hands of the Tories and their friends.
The blame for Liver pool's setback should be placed squarely where i belongs: first with the Tory government who are cutting back local authorieconomic crisis onto the shoulders of the working second with the leadership have used the opportunity of Liverpool's isolation to launch an attack on the council. ® Cormac i think that in a Shural te roomy those should be room who speak a lot of crap!!
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SOciAList Photo: JOHN HARPIS
Special free book offer! Liverpool-
LAST TUESDAY Liverpool city council approved a three-page resolution on the council's budget situa-
Militant-supporter and deputy council leader Derek Hatton was being forced to back down on the coun-