The approach of Jaster is not merely an ocassion for rejoicing among toachers, students, locturers, etc. (not forgetting thosc who sell comics to chi Ténan) tut, this year especially, a great political soason, There will be gimultanoously two political events, this Jiaster, which could very woll be at thoir turning points. One, the fifth Aldermaston Tiarch, may vory well be the last of its kind. The other, the Young Svu:ialist annual conference, has two distinct perspectives before its; citheor the Young Socialists will turn outwards begin to bocome, at least, a mass force and organisation, or, continue as an essontially discussion group orgenin.tion Wwiichwill become increasingly frustrated and doomed to evontual disbandment of all,or tho loft, sections.
It is time to mako an assessment of both these movements i. to sve what lessons can be learnt from thoir exporiences. This will be attompted at the April 15th conference of marxists and is not properly the function of this Bulletin. However, certiin remarks may have the value of provoking thought and discussion in preparation for the conference.
The anti-nuclear movement has clearly roached tho conclusion of a stage of development and a mood of rothinking and rofloction is prevalent in its ranks. The Committse of 100 aftor a motvoric rise in influonce and prestige finds a docreasing response to its domonstrations and is very badly treated by the state by the savage sentences on its leaders on the one hand, and police kindness to Pearlianent Square demonstrators on the other. As a founder momber of the Vommittce of 100 romarked to me, civil disobedience has largely reachod the limits of what it can achieve under present conditions. In the ¢.N.D. itself, tho impationce with the routine of marches and other forms of propaganda activity, out of which indeed the Committce of 100 grew, and for that mattor the discussich about putting wu, C.N.D. Parliamentary candidates, iS growing.
That is not to say that we should join those cynics and sectarians who have always dismissed the anti nuclear weapons movement. What those people never craspod was the contradictory nature of such movements; on ths one hand,there is no doubt that the confused nature of ths leadership has led to spreading of many illusions, but on the other hand, the simple issuc at stake has stirred thousands of people and got them into political action 2s nothing else would, The idea of fighting for unilatoralism as a single issue on its own, of course, obscured comp lotely the nature of the fight agsinst war. Put again, the issue of unilateralism is on a much higher level than a wage demand or o prwrtisular economic or social demand, The rub is that,whoreas, a partial demand is obtainable in.‘full or part, the demand for unilateralism because it involves disarming the capitalist class cannot be achieved without raising the question of power. In that sense, as well as others, it is a transitional demand, But a campaign on a single transitional demand with mothods used to achieve partial or minimum demands (that is, demands entirely within the framework of capitalism) is doomed to failure. hat basically is the contradiction of the anti nuclear weapons campaign.
But the demand for unilateralism as part of a broader transitional series of demands is a different thing. Whats more because among wide layers of people the feeling against nuclear woapons represents; in the words of the Transitional Programme:
"...eclements which reflect on the ono hand a hatred of dustructive war and on the other a clinging to what they beliove to be their own good ~ elemonts which we must know how to sioze upon in order to draw the requisite conclusions. Using these considerations as its point of departure, the F.I. supports every, even if insufficient, demand, if it can draw the massos to a certain extent into active politics, awaken their criticism and strengthen their control over the machinations of the bourgeoisie."
we are cbliged to give the anti nuclear weapons campaign our critical but active support.
Regerding the Young Socialists, there ars many problems which should
scured by the large number of left wing resclutions appearing on the
. ‘he conforence. The very preponderance of the left wing resolutions -_ . gstion more sharply. For how long will the L.P. bureaucrats tolorate — (Bod affairs? The only guarantee against being behogded is to have deep
‘is putting the matter negatively.
P.J. 3/4/62.