20.06.2002

Mobilising for September 28

The Stop the War Coalition held a successful event in London on Sunday June 16, attended by about a hundred people of mixed age and background. But it certainly lived up to its title: an activists' conference. Speakers at the main session were Jeremy Corbyn MP, Lindsey German of the Socialist Workers Party and a comrade from Iraq. Unfortunately Tariq Ali was unable to attend. The Iraqi comrade stressed that the US was interested in not only a change of regime, but also in making sure that any replacement was subservient to the USA and just as reactionary as Saddam Hussein's. He made the point that the continuing imperialist attacks and sanctions were opposed by all opposition forces save those set up by the USA. Lindsey German broke no new ground in her contribution. However, she clearly believes that support for even quite reactionary groups is acceptable on the basis of 'my enemy's enemy is my friend', since the central demarcation is the distinction between imperialism (the oppressor) and 'anti-imperialists' (the oppressed). There was a noticeable softness in her attitude to religious fundamentalism and other backward social forces - in contrast, I thought, to the Iraqi comrade's insistence on the importance of democracy for the Iraqi people. Jeremy Corbyn's message was for the creation of a culture of challenging militarism, one that presents an alternative view of the world. He felt that a "major achievement" was that of the 160 MPs who signed the early day motion against attacking Iraq - Blair was under increasing pressure, he said. He slammed the USA's increasing militarisation and arrogance in its internal and foreign polices and expressed the opinion that Somalia was next in line to be attacked. The week of July 15-22 should be used for concentrated national activities to build towards a massive demonstration on September 28, he concluded. Once again, it was not possible for all the workshops to go ahead as planned. Two of those that survived were on Palestine and the 'new imperialism'. In the Palestine session Jeremy Corbyn, who had just returned from visiting Palestine, advised: support the Palestinians; support the Israeli peace movement. While nobody dissented from this, there was the usual implication on the part of some comrades that, while Israeli progressives may play a useful role in challenging their government, the Israeli population as a whole must by its very nature be reactionary and Zionist. The workshop on 'new imperialism' was opened by John Rees of the SWP and Andrew Murray of the Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain. The approach of both speakers was less dogmatic than I have heard for many a year, given the history of the organisations from which they come. However, the description 'new imperialism' seemed wrong, as it looks pretty much like the old imperialism to me. In discussion I referred to the opening pages of The communist manifesto, where the question of globalisation is raised. Both speakers pointed out that there was now a single imperialist power totally dominating the world with its military might. Comrade Murray quoted Lenin on the possibility of a single world imperialism, but for all its military domination, the USA does not have economic hegemony. In fact the US proportion of world economic production has declined from 50% to 22% over the last 60 years. Moreover, the USA still needs imperialist, as well as local, allies in any particular military adventure. In the closing session Mike Marqusee of the Socialist Alliance detailed the programme of action planned for July as part of the preparation for the big demonstration in September. It was a fighting perspective with a class basis. John Walsh