From: "Neil (practical history)" <practicalhistory-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: AUT: Theory in search of practice?
Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 09:44:59 +0000


Scott

In London a 'No War but the Class War' group has been set up which is 
critical of both 'anti-imperialism' and liberal pro-United Nations 
mainstream peace politics. Similar groups existed during the Gulf War 
1990/91 (and again during the Kosovo conflict). Activities were mostly of 
the propagandist kind (leaflets, banners etc.) although during the Gulf War 
there was a NWBTCW picket of an oil company. The most useful thing to come 
out of this activity was links with revolutionaries from the Middle East 
with a similar perspective, and the circulation of information about the 
class struggle in Iraq and elsewhere.

I am critical of some aspects of NWBTCW - as a slogan I don't think we 
should be defining our activity as a form of war - but the basic principle 
that the proletariat has no interest in fighting in wars seems fairly basic 
and reflects the actual practice of working class people asked to fight by 
their bosses in anti-imperialist wars. While you call for a victory to the 
Taliban's national liberation struggle, thousands of people are leaving 
Kabul to avoid being conscripted, an action that can only undermine the war 
effort. Do you think they should stay and fight? During the Iran-Iraq war, 
the english Socialist Workers Party called on workers in Iran not to strike 
because Iran were fighting the imperialist client state of Iraq. A few years 
later trotskyists were calling for 'Victory to Iraq'. Meanwhile in both Iran 
and Iraq the working class was responding with mass desertion, strikes, 
riots and uprisings.

You seem to equate a 'No War but the Class War' position with 'ultra 
leftism', a notion you 'blackbox' in precisely the way you accuse others of 
treating 'anti-imperialism'. For me it is simply a matter of recognising and 
responding to actual autonomous struggles in all parts of the world.

Neil

Practical History

www.geocities.com/pract_history



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