SOLIDARITY is a genuine movement of the working class and through it the Polish people can take forward the struggle against capitalism and the •bureaucracy that is stifling socialist development.
But two negative points need mentioning:
irstly, there are probably many reacationaries in Solidarity and these people may conspire to undermine the socialized property relations in the East. But then there are probably no less a number of dangerous reactionaries in the British Labour Party.
Secondly, the struggles of Solidarity can be used by the capitalist media to confuse people as to the true nature of All the 'incitement' charges are based on the age of consent laws. These laws say that people under the age of 14 or 16 (or 21 for gay male.sex) cannot have sexual relanonships • Or at least what the police and courts choose to define as : 'sexual relationships.
The reason given is that people under these ages are incapable of making important decisions for themselves. In this way, the age of consent laws uphold the unlimited dictatorship of parents and the state over young people.
Socialists should
oppose the laws on the age of consent, and the hould therefore oppos class relations within Eastern Europe.
Because of these problems it is a gooc thing that the WRP's Newsline exposed Scargill's views and pur the problem of the class nature or use workers states back on the agenda. hev. performed a service for workers You are covering up for Scargill and the Stalinists by trying to pretend that the WRP have no place in the aDour movement (Socialist Action 16/9/83).
I took the conclusion to your editorial to mean that members of the WRP should be hounded out of the trade unions. Please correct me if l am wrong but this is not my Idea of socialist action The WRP are not above reproach with regard to their less than wholehearted support fo hose sacked at Cowle but it is a disgrace for you to say that they are equal to scabs and strikebreakers. There is not a shred of evidence to support this and the idea inal tney nela back publication to assist the media is ludicrous.
Scargill's letter is dated 21 July and it was published on September. I am sure the delay was a result of a careful consideration of the importance of the material they were handling and the need to guard against being 'set UD If only your publication displayed evidence of such vi cual allul. lil voul editorial you imply that being against the altering of the balance of forces in Europe is not incompatible with SOCIAISH. (Perhaps the slogan 'Carry on Yalta appeals to some. It does not appeal to me.)
You must inink agall on this issue because you are talking rubbish. The prevailing balance of imperialist moneylenders anu eserves to De overthrown. Its overthrow in Europe, East and West, is a precondition for the socialist transformation Do not spoil your campaign against the witch hunt by persecuting another • socialist organisation. SENSBURY, London