Marxism Today January 1980

Focus
New Immigration Rules; Turkey — Which Direction ?; Northern Ireland


Equality for Women: have the laws worked ?
Jean Coussins
The last decade has seen a welter of legislation concerning the position of women.
Why did it happen and what effect has it had? Jean Coussins, until recently
Women's Rights Officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties, examines
these questions and suggests where we should go from here.


The Labour Party-why the decline?
Pat Devine
It is now widely accepted that the Labour Party has suffered a serious decline over recent years. Pat Devine, a lecturer in Economics at Manchester University, and a member of the North West District Committee of the Communist Party, argues that this is a long run process and explains some of the main reasons for it.


NALGO - The New Unionism of Contemporary Britain
Richard Maybin
The rise of public sector unionism is one of the most striking features of trade unionism. Richard Maybin, Chairman of Havering NALGO branch, looks at one of the key unions in this context, and the particular problems and possibilities involved in its transformation.


Revolutionary Christianity
Tony Benn
Tony Benn looks at the revolutionary aspects of Christianity and how they relate to progressive aspirations today.


The State in Northern Ireland
Paddy Hillyard
Serious theoretical work on Northern Ireland has been in relatively short supply.
Paddy Hillyard, a writer on Northern Ireland, discusses an important new book which is already provoking considerable interest on the Left.

Reviews
Duncan Campbell— Review of Security and the State 1979
Ronald Frankenberg — Health in Danger — The Political Economy of Health
Alan Hunt — The Future of Intellectuals — Marxism and Class Theory

Notes

covers

Marxism Today February 1980
Focus
The Portuguese Elections . The EEC and Recession . Scotland 1979, a Catalogue of Disasters


Education and the Right Offensive
Brian Simon
Education has emerged as a central political issue over the last few years. Brian Simon, Professor of Education at Leicester University and a member of the Communist Party's Theory and Ideology Committee, examines the nature of the Right's offensive, the weaknesses of the Left and what the present Tory Government is attempting to do. He concludes by outlining an educational perspective for the Left.


Campaigning Against the Cuts
Dave Priscott
The campaign against cuts in public expenditure has become one of the central areas of anti-Tory struggle. South Yorkshire has played a key role in the cuts movement and initiated the big November 28 Lobby. Dave Priscott, Secretary of the Yorks District Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party, examines the character, history and perspectives of the cuts movement.


The Iranian Revolution: What's Happening?
Joanna de Groot
Iran remains at the centre of world attention. Joanna de Groot, a lecturer at York University, assesses where the Iranian Revolution has got to — and where it is going.

The Gramsci Debate
Bob Jessop
Gramsci is now established as one of the key Marxist thinkers of the left in Britain. Bob Jessop, author of many articles on politics and political theory, discusses three significant new books on Gramsci, including Christine Buci- Glucksmann's important Gramsci and the State.

Discussion
Thatcherism - a new stage?
Stuart Hall
Stuart Hall, co-author of Policing the Crisis, discusses the nature of Thatcherism, how we got here and where we go now.

Reviews
Chris Pond — Poverty in the United Kingdom
Brian Bunting — Three books on Africa

Notes

covers
Marxism Today March 1980
 
Focus
Direct Labour — The Tory BillThe Indian General ElectionBack to Front?

Interview with Derek Robinson
British Leyland has moved to the centre of the political stage. It is a microcosm of Britain's industrial decline and the failure of government and management policies alike. Now the offensive by Edwardes and the Tories threatens its very existence. Derek Robinson, convenor at Longbridge, discusses the reasons for decline, why the stewards alternative is the way forward for BL and the
development of a more powerful trade union presence. The interview was conducted by John Bloomfield.


March 8th; International Women's Day Kathy Porter
International Women's Day has a long history. Kathy Porter, author of a biography of Alexander Kollontai just published by Virago, looks at its development.


Afghanistan: National Sovereignty and Detente
Tony Chater
The Soviet action in Afghanistan raises vital questions for the left. Here, Tony Chater, Editor of the M orning Star, discusses some of the broader issues involved.


Post-Impressionism
John Walker
The exhibition currently running at the Royal Academy has focused attention on what happened in art after the Impressionists. John Walker, who teaches art history at Middlesex Polytechnic, looks at the exhibition and what this phase in art meant.

Discussion
Thatcherism - a new stage?
Bernard Dix
Asst General Secretary of NUPE, Bernard Dix, continues this important discussion.
Stalin - a centenary view
Brian Pollitt
The author looks at Soviet developments in the twenties.

Reviews
John Saville — Culture and Crisis in the Thirties
Jim Tomlinson — A History of Economic
Thought, Essays on Marx's Theory of Value

Notes

covers

Marxism Today April 1980
Focus
Unemployment
The American Political Carousel
BL


World Capitalism in Recession
Dave Currie
The long boom is over. The capitalist world is in the throes of its biggest economic crisis since the thirties. And, as Dave Currie, a lecturer in economics at Queen Mary College, London and member of the Communist Party's Economic Committee, argues, no end is in sight.


Eurocommunism - can it regain the initiative?
Goran Therborn
Eurocommunism was a response to the social crisis of advanced capitalism in the late sixties. In the mid-70s, it promised much: indeed it looked as if the Left
might enter the government in more than one West European country. But these hopes were not realised. The Right regained the initiative. Goran Therborn, well-known Swedish marxist and author of What the Ruling Class Does When it Rules explains why.


Women and Children First
Miriam David and Jenny Shaw
The present Tory offensive, the authors argue, bears most heavily against women and children.

Discussion
Julian Cooper
Stalin - a centenary view
The author examines the 'realities' of Soviet development.

Eoin O'Murchu
The State in Northern Ireland
The author takes issue with Paddy Hillyard's article in the January Marxism Today.

Reviews
Roy den Harrison — Bevanism, Hugh Gaitskell, Final Term.

Monty Johnstone — Revolutionary Marxism Today.

Notes

covers
Marxism Today May 1980

Focus
Local Government Finance Nuclear ThreatFiat Conference


Zimbabwe: The Process of Liberation
John Ngara
The recent elections marked a major defeat for western interests. John Ngara, a Zimbabwean journalist, looks at how white domination was finally ended.


The Tories: Bringing the House Down Michael Jones
In the General Election, housing emerged as one of the key issues. The Tories are now on the attack. Mike Jones, who works in housing policy and is a member of the Communist Party's Social Services Committee, examines the new situation
and how the Left should respond.


Fighting the Cuts - the Lambeth Experience
Jeff Rodrigues
The struggle in Lambeth has been a focal point of the national movement against the cuts. Here Jeff Rodrigues, who is Secretary of the Lambeth Borough Communist Party and works in local government, examines the experience of that struggle — and looks at more general problems associated with the cuts and community politics.

Discussion

Paul Olive
Thatcherism - a new stage?

The author questions whether the Tory Party has declined.

Jack Cohen
Culture and Crisis in the Thirties

The author takes issue with the review.

Reviews
Tamara Deutscher— Alexandra Kollontai.
Roger Hallam — The Young Lukacs.
Gordon Robinson — Togliatti on Gramsci.

Notes

covers and adverts


Marxism Today June 1980

Focus
Egypt Talbot


De-industrialisation and the Tories
John Grahl
The deindustrialisation of Britain is an established economic fact. It shows no sign of abating under the Tories: indeed, John Grahl, a lecturer in economics at Queen Mary College London and a member of the Communist Party Economic Committee, argues that the process is being drastically accelerated.


Politics, Sport and the Olympics
David Triesman
Sport has been big politics in 1980. The Olympics in July are under serious threat.
David Triesman, a writer on sport, looks at the relationship between politics and
sport, national achievement in sport and the Moscow Olympics.

Interview with Alvaro Cunhal
Since the days of the revolution in 1974, Portugal has experienced a major shift to the right. In an exclusive interview with Paul Fauvet during his recent visit to London, Alvaro Cunhal, the general secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party, considers the nature of this threat and how it can be resisted.

The Writer: Commitment and Alignment
Raymond Williams looks at the idea of 'commitment' to the writer, its historical
evolution and what it should mean.

Sartre
Willy Thompson
The author evaluates Sartre's significance as a writer and left-wing figure.

Discussion
Cynthia Bower and Paul Sutton
The Cuts How should the cuts be fought?

Reviews
Andrew Glynn — Capitalism, Conflict and Inflation.
Robert Reiner — Policing the Police

Notes

covers

 

 

Marxism Today July 1980

cover
contents

ads & classified

Focus

Brazil The Tories and Higher EducationLocal Elections

Ian Gough Thatcherism and the Welfare State The welfare state has moved to the centre of the political stage. In many capitalist
countries it is now under attack — above all in Britain. Ian Gough, author of The Political Economy of the Welfare State and senior lecturer in social administration at Manchester University, looks at the reasons for this onslaught.

Steve Iliffe Dismantling the Health Service
The National Health Service was the
great achievement of the 1945 Labour
government. It now faces its biggest
threat: but what can the Tories do? Steve Iliffe, a doctor, an editor of Medicine and Society and member of the Communist Party Social Services Committee, explores the issues.

Sam Russell Tito
Sam Russell, the Morning Star Foreign Editor, assesses the achievements of one of the giants of post-war history.

Discussion
Ian Mackay, Sue Slipman Thatcherism - a new stage?
Ian Mackay, head of the Communist Party's Press and Publicity Department and Sue Slipman continue the discussion.

Reviews
Steve Gooch — The Political Theatre

Notes










Marxism Today August 1980

cover
contents

ads & classified

Focus
West German Election - Import Controls

John Ericson Who Will Control North Sea Oil?
Britain is now self-sufficient in oil. The North Sea reserves have had a profound impact on Britain's economic position. The state — through BNOC — exercises a powerful control over these reserves. But will that continue: will the Tories undermine it? John Ericson, a writer specialising in the politics of international oil production, looks at Britain and its oil.

Jack Woddis Political Strategy in the Third World
Political developments in the Third World have assumed an increasingly complex and diverse character. Iran, Egypt and Nicaragua are obvious examples. Jack Woddis, Head of the Communist Party's International Department, examines some of the key problems confronting progressive advances in the Third World.

Pete Carter May 14: an assessment
The TUC's Day of Action was a historic event, the first such political call in its history. The response was impressive and wide-ranging. But, also, big problems were revealed. Pete Carter, until recently convenor of Sandwell
Direct Works and now a full-time official in UCATT and member of the Communist Party's Executive Committee, discusses its significance.

Alan McKinnon Communist Party Election Tactics - a historical review
Communist Party election strategy has been through various phases. Alan McKinnon, a lecturer in Glasgow, examines two periods in particular — the late twenties/early thirties and the early post-war period and tries to draw some conclusions.

Discussion

Martin Ashworth and Percy Riley The Cuts
The discussion continues

David Griffiths Housing
The author works in housing policy for the Labour Party, but writes here in a
personal capacity.

Reviews
Ian Connell — More Bad News

Notes

 

 

 

Marxism Today September 1980

cover
contents

ads & classified

Focus
Another Old Flame DiesThe Tories High Exchange Rate Policy

John Cox Goodbye to Detente?
The world is again faced with the threat of a nuclear holocaust. New devastating weapon systems are being deployed. Detente threatens to give way to a new cold war. But why? And who is to blame? And what can we do about it? John Cox, a leading member of CND since 1961 and currently its vice-chairperson, tries to answer some
of these questions.

Gordon McLennan What Kind of Fightback? The slump and the Tories have produced a new set of problems and issues for the labour movement. Gordon McLennan, the general secretary of the Communist Party, looks at what they are and what kind of fightback is required.

A Roundtable Discussion Where are we now ? Five activists discuss what is new about Thatcherism, what challenge it poses for the Left, and the fightback. The participants are Jacky Atkin, Jack Adams, Alan Baker, Bill Innes and Jeff Rodrigues.

Sheila Smith A New International Economic
Order - or Disorder?
The rise in oil prices in the early seventies stimulated a demand from the Third World for a New International Economic Order with the advanced capitalist countries. Since then little progress has been made — and the present international recession is fraught with numerous possibilities. Sheila Smith, a lecturer at Cambridge University and member of the Communist Party Economic Committee looks at the issues.

Reviews
Colin Mercer — Gramsci's Politics.

Notes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Marxism Today October 1980


cover and contents

ads and classified

Focus

Monetarism gone madItaly after BolognaILEA

Eric Hobsbawm Interviews Tony Benn
Tony Benn has emerged over the last decade as one of the most significant and original figures within the Labour Party and, indeed, on the British political scene. In this interview, Eric Hobsbawm, well-known historian and member of our Editorial Board, engages Tony Benn in an important discussion focused on Britain's crisis and the problems of the labour movement.

Tricia Davis and Catherine Hall The Forward Face of Feminism
The women's movement is far from homogeneous. Here the authors examine the various trends within the women's movement, including Beyond the Fragments, and outline some perspectives both for feminism and its relations with the labour movement. Tricia Davis and Catherine Hall are socialist feminists active in the women's liberation movement in
Birmingham. Tricia Davis is a member of the Communist Party Birmingham City Committee.

Martin Kettle The Drift to Law and Order
Law and Order emerged as one of the major questions in the last elections — the Tories have consistently championed the issue. Martin Kettle, Home Affairs Correspondent of New Society and a member of the Labour Party and of the State Research editorial group, looks at what it is all about.

David Edgar American Culture - a cop out
David Edgar, author of the widely acclaimed anti-National Front play Destiny, reviews the
state of American culture at the beginning of the eighties.

Discussion

Manuel Azcarate Eurocommunism - can it regain the initiative?
The author, head of the International Department of the Spanish Communist Party and editor of the theoretical journal Nuesta Bandera, responds to Goran Therborn's article which appeared in our April issue.

Greg Philo, John Hewitt and Pete Beharrell More Bad News
The authors reply to the review in the August issue.

Reviews
Jack Cohen — Britain's First Socialists, British Socialists.
Stanley Harrison — Special Operations Executive.

Notes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marxism Today November 1980
Focus
Heseltine's lungeSoviet oil prospects
The coup in Turkey British Rail

Lessons of the Polish Summer -
an interview with Wlodzimierz Brus

This summer saw a mighty demonstration of working class action in Poland. Its objectives were wide ranging - its main achievement is independent trade unionism. In this interview, Wlodzimierz Brus, the well-known Polish economist, examines the nature of the Polish crisis, the causes of the working class action and the possibilities for a wider democratisation of Polish society. The interview was conducted by Jon Bloomfield and Monty Johnstone.

Thatcher - make or break
Andrew Gamble
The Thatcher government marks the most radical break in British politics since 1945. Its objectives are far reaching and fraught with risks for the Right. Andrew Gamble, author of The Conservative Nation, looks at the nature of Thatcherism, its record in office and its prospects of success.


Architecture: the past fights back
Richard Hill
From high-rise to crowded estates. From ultra-modernism to nostalgic recreations of the past. An architect, Richard Hill, looks at the forces behind the changing shapes of buildings and argues that these are questions too important to be left to the expert: they must be public property.

Discussion
Mark Rage
Housing
The author, a housing officer in London, continues the discussion.

Kevin Halpin
May 14: an assessment
The author, the chairman of the Liaison Committee, writing in his personal capacity, looks at the implications of May 14.

Reviews
Michele Barrett — The Politics of Housework — Gender and Class Consciousness.

Robbie Gray — The Challenge of Labour — The General Strike of 1842.

Notes

covers & adverts

Marxism Today December 1980

Focus
The French Left Square LegOn the wages front

Labour's Long Haul
Jon Bloomfield
The Blackpool Conference ushered in the most important constitutional changes in the Labour Party since 1918. The election of Michael Foot as leader of the PLP has broken the continuity of right-wing leadership. Jon Bloomfield, author of Passive Revolution and until recently Birmingham City Secretary of the Communist Party assesses the nature of the changes taking place in the Labour Party — and argues that there is a long way to go.


Import Controls - on the Left's terms
Paul Levine
Suddenly import controls are on the political agenda. Long part of the Left's perspective, others have now joined the fray including sections of Labour's Right and some parts of industry particularly threatened by imports. Paul Levine, a lecturer in economics at South Bank Polytechnic, shows why they are necessary and why they constitute an essential component of the Left's strategy.


West German Social Democracy:
the erosion of the socialist vision

Rob Burns and Wilfried van der Will
The West German SPD rebuffed the challenge from Strauss. It is indisputably the most successful social democratic party in West Europe. But it has steadily distanced itself from a socialist perspective. Rob Burns and Wilfred van der Will, lecturers at the Universities of Warwick and Birmingham respectively, analyse the character of the SPD.

Interview with Edward Bond
Edward Bond is one of Britain's leading playwrights whose works include Saved and The Fool.
In this interview he discusses his own development as a socialist playwright and the role of the artist in contemporary society. The interview was conducted by Colin Chambers, the theatre critic of the Morning Star and author of Other Spaces: New Theatre and the RSC.

Discussion
The Forward Face of Feminism

Hilary Wainwright
One of the authors of Beyond the Fragments discusses the article published in October.

Reviews
Michelene Wandor — Other Spaces: New Theatre and the RSC.
John Westergaard — Labour and Equality.

covers

Marxism Today January 1981

Focus
Football in Crisis
Guinea-Bissau Coup

Bob Rowthorn
The Politics of the Alternative Economic Strategy
For the first time in its history, the Left is now regarded as a serious political alternative. At the centre of this credibility is the alternative economic strategy. Bob Rowthorn, member of our editorial board recently awarded the Isaac Deutscher Memorial Prize for his book Capitalism, Conflict and Inflation, examines its strengths and weaknesses and argues that the Left must see it as part of an overall political approach.

Interview with Ted Knight
Cuts in public expenditure are a central feature of the Right's policy to deal with Britain's economic crisis. The struggle against those cuts is a key element of the fightback. The stand taken by the London Borough of Lambeth has been notable in this respect. In this interview, Ted Knight, Leader of Lambeth Council, assesses the success and problems of its stand. Jeff Rodrigues, Secretary of Lambeth Borough Communist Party, conducted the interview.

Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe
Socialist Strategy - Where Next?
The seventies saw major innovations in revolutionary strategy. By and large, though, these advances were political rather than theoretical. In this article, Ernesto Laclau, author of Politics and Ideology in Marxist Theory and Chantal Mouffe, who edited Gramsci and Marxist Theory, look at the theoretical evolution of revolutionary strategy and consider the next stage.

Simon Frith
John Lennon
The tragic death of John Lennon has robbed us of one of the truly great figures of postwar British culture. John Lennon, of all the Beatles, symbolised and helped to shape the great progressive changes of the sixties. Simon Frith, author of The Sociology of Rock and writer for the Melody Maker, considers John Lennon's achievement.

Discussion
Jill Brown, Pamela Trevithick, Carol Metters
The Forward Face of Feminism
The authors continue the discussion

Lynn Garafola
American Culture - a cop out
The author looks at David Edgar's article which appeared in our October issue.

Reviews
Tom Litterick — The Shattered Peace.
Pat Seyd — Labour in Power? British Social Democracy, A Short History of the Labour Party.

Notes

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Marxism Today February 1981
Focus
TV Franchising Local Government FinanceSexual Violence

David Plotke
Reagan: is it as bad as it sounds?
A right-wing Republican is now US President. American politics has shifted to the right. David Plotke, an editor of the American journal Socialist Review, examines the extent of this shift and the prospects for the US and the world with Reagan in the White House.

Fred Steward
The Politics of Technology
Technological issues are now big politics. A few examples —microprocessing, nuclear power, Concorde, juggernauts — suffice to make the point. Fred Steward, a lecturer in technology policy at Aston University and member of the Communist Party's Science and Technology Committee, looks at why technology has become such a hot political and social question — and argues that the Left must develop a coherent view on the direction and control of technology.

Tony Lane
Merseyside under the hammer
Jarrow and the South Wales mining villages both evoke memories of the thirties depression. Merseyside threatens to become a symbol of unemployment in the eighties. Tony Lane, at present a research officer for the TGWU based in Liverpool and author of The Unions Make us Strong, looks at Merseyside's plight and the growth of resistance.

Discussion
Dan Smith
Goodbye to Detente?
The co-editor of Protest and Survive and former vice-chairperson of CND looks at the decline of detente.

Jane Darke
Architecture: the past fights back
A response to Richard Hill's article in our November issue.

Johanna Wilson
Import Controls - on the Left's terms
The author argues that Import Controls can play only a limited role.

Reviews
Paul Levine — The Alternative Economic Strategy. There is an Alternative. The British
Economic Disaster.


Victor Kiernan — Scottish Capitalism.

Alan Hunt — Pashukanis: Selected Writings on Marxism and Law.

Notes

covers

Marxism Today March 1981
FOCUS
Labour's BattlesTrade Union ImmunitiesEl Salvador

Jean Gardiner
Women, Recession and the Tories
Women made important advances in the seventies. Now Thatcherism and recession have changed all that: women are under attack. Jean Gardiner, a member of our editorial board andco-author of The Political Economy of British Capitalism, looks at what is happening.

Dave Triesman
Football in Decline
Football is Britain's great national winter sport. Yet it faces growing difficulties. Dave Triesman, a writer on sport, argues that football is in decline and only radical solutions can tackle the problem.

Piero Borghini
Italy: the intractable crisis
Italy faces the most serious political crisis in Western Europe. Piero Borghini, a member of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist Party, looks at the nature of that crisis and the PCI's strategy.

Interview with Alan Fisher
Cuts in public expenditure have put the public sector unions at the centre of attention. NUPE is one of the largest. In this interview, Alan Fisher, General Secretary of NUPE and Chairman of the TUC, discusses the problems facing NUPE and the trade union movement generally.

Francis Mulhern
The Cambridge Affair
Suddenly, the English Faculty atCambridge University has hit the national headlines. Francis Mulhern, author of The Moment of 'Scrutiny', discusses the issues involved.

Discussion
Bill Laughlan
Labour's Long Haul
The author discusses the implications of developments in the Labour Party for the Communist Party.

Reviews
Dave Cook — Politics and Power 2
David Parker — Ideology and Popular Protest

Notes

covers
Marxism Today April 1981

Focus
The BudgetEducation Cuts

Interview with Arthur Scargill
Since Thatcher took office the trade union movement has been on the defensive. The recent victory by the miners marked the first real break. It raised the spectre of 1970-74. In this interview, Arthur Scargill, the President of the Yorkshire Miners, looks at the significance of the Tory retreat, the problems now facing the labour movement, and longer term strategy.
The interview was conducted by Dave Priscott, a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party and our Editorial Board.

Stuart Hall
The'Little Caesars' of Social Democracy
The Council for Social Democracy represents the most important 'breakaway' from the Labour Party since 1931. Its avowed objective is a realignment of British politics and the emergence of the 'centre' as the dominant political force. In this article, Stuart Hall, co-author of Policing The Crisis, looks at its nature and significance.

Japan: the Right on the Offensive
The seventies saw major advances by the Japanese Left. Now the Right is on the offensive. But the Liberal Democrats underlying position is much weaker. In this special interview for Marxism Today, Koichiro Ueda, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party, examines political developments in the world's second most powerful capitalist country.

Stephen Sedley
The Growing Police Challenge
The Police force has adopted an increasingly independent and strident position on law and order. The latest example is the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure. Stephen Sedley, a barrister, looks at what is involved.

Discussion

Adam Sharpies
The Politics of the Alternative Economic Strategy

The author, who works for the Labour Party's Research Department, discusses Bob Rowthorn's article in the January issue.

Paul Nicholls
Goodbye to Detente?
The discussion continues.

Reviews
Tamara Deutscher — Chinese Revolutionary
Vic Allen — Challenge to Power

Notes

covers

Marxism Today May 1981
 

cover
contents

ads & classified

Focus
Poland The 364 EconomistsPeople's March for JobsBondage Judge Shakes Giscard

Sam Aaronovitch
Unemployment - halting the slide There are now some 2.5 million officially unemployed. The prospect is for a further big
increase. Unemployment has become a central issue in British politics. It will dominate the eighties. Sam Aaronovitch, author of The Road From Thatcherism and a member of the
Communist Party Economic Committee, looks at the causes of unemployment, how it can be
fought and what kind of policies are needed to tackle it.

Paul Olive Realignment - the case of the Liberals The Liberal Party, although only a small parliamentary force, has consistently retained a significant electoral base. That base, moreover, has over the years been expanding. Now, with the emergence of the SDP, the Liberals are in a new position. Paul Olive, a Morning Star reporter, looks at the Liberal Party and its likely prospects.

John Mathews The Politics of Cancer
Cancer is one of the big killers. But can anything be done about it? John Mathews, untilrecently a trade union health and safety researcher, argues that environmental factors are the key problem.

Jamaica in Turmoil
The recent election saw the defeat of Manley and a victory for the Right. In this interview,
Trevor Munro, general secretary of the Jamaican Workers Party, discusses the gravity of the setback, the reasons for it and what is likely to happen now. The interview was conducted by Ken Fuller.

Discussion

John Harrison The Politics of the Alternative Economic Strategy
The co-author of The British Economic Disaster argues that the alternative economic strategy is too mild.

Tom Durkin Goodbye to Detente?
The author takes issue with previous contributions.

Reviews
Richard Johnson - Arguments Within English Marxism: One Dimensional Marxism -
Althusser and the Politics of Culture
Bernard Dix - The Road From Thatcherism

Notes

 

 

 

 

Marxism Today June 1981
Focus
FranceLocal Elections

Tony Bunyan
The Growing Power of the Military
Traditionally, the armed forces have largely been excluded from civil life in Britain. That is
beginning to change. Tony Bunyan, author of The Political Police in Britain and a member of the editorial group of State Research, looks at the way the military is steadily encroaching on domestic politics and what this means.

John Kelly
Steel - an irreversible decline?
The decline of British Steel has been one of the most dramatic examples of deindustrialisation. John Kelly, a lecturer in industrial relations and researcher on the steel industry, looks at the causes of its decline, the trade union response and what kind of alternative is needed.

Rodney Hilton
The English Rising of 1381
In 1381 there was an extraordinary uprising against the established authorities. It was broad, it was far reaching and its consequences were profound. On the 600th Anniversary of the 'Peasant's Revolt', Rodney Hilton, Professor of History at Birmingham University, looks at what it was and what forces lay behind it.

US Policy Toward Latin America
Reagan's foreign policy is aimed at restoring American power and influence. Latin America
occupies a central position in this design. The objective is to roll back the progressive
advances. In this interview, Saul Landau, co-author of Assassination on Embassy Row, looks at some of the issues. The interview was conducted by Mike Gatehouse.

Discussion
Sam Russell, Ian Davison
Goodbye to Detente?
In these contributions to the discussion, the Foreign Editor of the Morning Star and the
secretary of the Scottish CND respectively, look at some new questions.

Brian Nichols
The Politics of the Alternative Economic Strategy
The author looks at the relationship between the alternative economic strategy and the fight against the cuts.

Reviews
Raymond Williams — George Orwell, A Life
Andrew Chester — Memoirs of a Socialist Business Man
Eileen Phillips — Microelectronics: Capitalist Technology and the Working Class

Notes

covers & adverts

Marxism Today July r1981

Focus
The pound SNP Civil Service Dispute

Brenda Kirsch
Brixton and After
Within the space of a year there have been two serious clashes between the police and a local community. Brenda Kirsch, who is active in Lambeth politics and was a member of the Lambeth Inquiry into Police-Community Relations, examines the underlying causes of the Brixton disturbances and some of its longer term implications.

Interview with Wynne Godley
The Cambridge Economic Policy Group has an unrivalled reputation for medium term
economic forecasting. It has been a strong critic of the Tory government's deflationary policies and, for some time, a proponent of import controls. In this interview, Wynne Godley, the Director of the Group, discusses the impact of Tory policies, the prospects for the British economy and possible alternative policies, including those of the Left. The interview was conducted by Bob Rowthorn, a member of our Editorial Board, and Dave Currie.

Dave Laing
The Music Industry in Crisis
The self confidence of the large record companies in the sixties has given way to gloom and pessimism in the eighties. Dave Laing, a writer on popular music, looks at the reasons for the decline and what the Left's response should be.

Graham Trickey
Reproducing Royalty
In the month of the Royal Wedding, Graham Trickey, aMoming Star journalist, asks what its all about.

Discussion

Bert Ramelson
Poland
The author argues that the Polish Communist Party is going through a process of renewal.

Judith Bloomfield
Italy
The author discusses the strategy of the Italian Communist Party.

Reviews

Caroline Rowan — Women Workers in the First World War. The Politics of Motherhood.

Mark Harrison — Stalin's Successors: Leadership, Stability and Change in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union Since Stalin.

Ouanie Bain — Silver Linings.

Notes

covers


Marxism Today August1981  

Focus
Time OutClaret and BlueUniversity Cuts Riots and the Police

Keith Cowling
Can the British Car Industry Survive?
The decline of the British car industry is without parallel in Western Europe. The one surviving British manufacturer, BL, is literally fighting for its life. Keith Cowling, Professor of Economics at Warwick University, examines the causes of the decline and how the industry might be saved.

Vicky Seddon
Violence Against Women: male power in action
The Yorkshire Ripper case suddenly made violence against women a national issue. Yet it is not a new phenomenon: it is an everyday threat. Vicky Seddon looks at its roots and what needs to be done.

Interview with Georges Seguy
The French elections marked the most important election victory for the Left in Western Europe since the immediate postwar period. In this interview, Georges Seguy, general secretary of the CGT, France's largest trade union centre, discusses the problems and
possibilities.

Monty Johnstone
Is the Marxist Tradition Democratic?
The question of democracy is central to political advance in Western Europe. But is the Marxist tradition adequate to the task?

Discussion
Dave Forman

The Politics of Cancer
The author argues that cancer has many causes — and therefore a many-sided strategy is called for.

Reviews

Peter Higgins — What Unemployment Means. The Workless State.
Mike Potter — Towards Socialist Welfare Work.

Notes

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Marxism Today September 1981

Focus
The Tory Attack on Training
The TUC
West German Peace Movement
The PLO

Keith Dixon and Daniel Perraud
France Moves Left
The Left has finally ended over two decades of uninterrupted government by the FrenchRight. The recent elections could prove to be the most important for the European Left since 1945. The authors, both members of the French Communist Party, analyse the reasons for the
Left victory, why the Communist Party fared badly, and likely prospects.

Mark Harrison
Defence: the Tory dilemma
The Thatcher government promised major improvements in Britain's defence capacity. In the event, they have presided over a series of not insignificant cuts. The author, a lecturer in
economics at Warwick University, looks at the Tory dilemma.

Simon Watney
Picasso
The present exhibition at the Hayward Gallery is a reminder of Picasso's unchallenged position as the greatest artist of the twentieth century. Simon Watney, author of English Post-Impressionism, looks at Picasso's achievement.

David Winchester

Trade Unions and the Recession
The new climate of mass unemployment and Thatcherism has put the trade unions on the defensive. David Winchester, lecturer in industrial relations at Warwick University, looks at the present state of the trade union movement and how it is responding.

Discussion

Ray Chatwin Brixton and After
An examination of police-black relations.

PE Demetriou
The Music Industry in Crisis
The author looks at independent labels.

Reviews 28
John Allen Britain's Black Population — Labour and Racism.
Jeremy HawthornEssays on Realism

Notes


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Marxism Today October1981

Focus
Rise of US Dollar

Fermanagh-South Tyrone
SDP
Tabloid War

POLAND: COOPERATION OR CONFRONTATION?
Interview with Mieczyslaw Rakowski
Over the last year Poland has captured the world's headlines. The formation of Solidarity
created a situation unique in Eastern Europe. The country continues to lurch from one crisis to the next. Mieczyslaw Rakowski is Deputy Premier and the government's chief negotiator with Solidarity. In this interview he discusses relations with Solidarity and Poland's prospects for the future.

Interview with Lech Walesa
The leader of Solidarity discusses its role and relationship to the state. Both interviews were conducted exclusively for Marxism Today in September by Monty Johnstone.

Jeff Rodrigues
The Riots of '81
This summer's riots have had a traumatic impact on the whole country. And their longer term consequences remain very unclear. The article examines some of the issues involved.

George Rude

The Riots in History
The author of The Crowd in History looks at some historical precedents for the recent riots.

Jean Gardiner and Sheila Smith
Feminism and the Alternative Economic Strategy
The alternative economic strategy has not only won the support of much of the labour
movement but also gained wider recognition. It remains, however, at a rather general level.
Here Jean Gardiner, co-author of The Political Economy of British Capitalism, and SheilaSmith, discuss what it should offer women.

Dave Priscott
Can Labour Succeed?
The Labour Left has, over the past two years, made impressive advances. Yet the Right
remains a powerful force, and there are signs of a major electoral crisis facing Labour. Dave Priscott, a member of the Editorial Board, looks at some of the questions.

Channel Five
The BBC Under PressureJonathan Coe
Sports CentresChris Lightbown
The Odeon ClosuresJohn Ellis

Reviews
Cynthia CockburnSlump City
J FosterKarl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence

Notes

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Marxism Today November1981

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Focus
Labour After BrightonUS Defence ProposalsTUC ReformsSoviet Prices

Andrew Gamble Mrs Thatcher's Bunker:
the reshuffle and its consequences

The recent Cabinet reshuffle belied all expectations: it reinforced the position of the radical Right within the Government. Andrew Gamble, author of Britain in Decline, looks at where the Tories are going.

Simon Frith Youth in the Eighties
The experiences of youth in the eighties is quite different from previous postwar generations. Simon Frith, author of The Sociology of Rock, examines its implications .

Interview with Ken Livingstone
The GLC has embarked on a bold course of reform. In this interview, Ken Livingstone,
Leader of the GLC, explains what they are trying to do.

Goran Therborn Prospects for the European Left
The French elections have given new heart to the Left in Europe. But the picture remains very mixed. Goran Therborn, the well-known Swedish Marxist and author of What the Ruling Class Does When it Rules, argues that the Left's immediate prospects remain very uncertain.

John Grahl Reagan in Trouble
Wall Street has the jitters. Western Europe is worried. Is this a sign of things to come?

Channel Five
Sponsorship in Sport — Ron McKay
Post Punk Rock — Julie Burchill
Twilight in the Gods — Clive Barker
Television and the SDP — Justin Wren-Lewis

Discussion Alan Hunt Is the Marxist Tradition Democratic?
The author argues that the limitations of Lenin's contribution must be recognised.

Reviews
Aidan Foster-Carter —
Marxist Theories of Imperialism.

Imperialism: Pioneer of Capitalism.

Patrick Seyd -
The Future of Socialism. Face the Future. Politics is for People.
The Socialist Agenda

Notes

Marxism Today December1981

Focus
European Peace MovementPrivate Rented HousingPolish Economic CrisisCancun —Third World Last?

Coming in from the Cold
A roundtable discussion with Tony Benn, Pete Carter and Jack Dromey
The People's March for Jobs was an extraordinary success. Here Tony Benn discusses with two of its national coordinators why it was so successful and what lessons the labour movement should draw from it.

Gwyn Williams
Mother Wales, get off me back ?
The image of Wales as a militant socialist country lives on. Gwyn Williams, Professor of History at University College Cardiff, argues this is now quite false: Wales is very different from what it was.

Roger Woddis
Santa in Crisis
Even Santa Claus has hit hard times.

George Catephores
Greece in the hour of change
Greece has shifted dramatically to the left. But George Catephores, a Greek economist living in Britain, argues that its most likely consequence will be to transform Greece into a modern European country.

Ireland's Intractable Crisis
Interviews with the UDA and the Provisional IRA
Northern Ireland remains in a state of permanent crisis. Andy Tyrie and John McMichael from the UDA and Danny Morrison from the Provisional IRA, in exclusive interviews with Bob Rowthorn, discuss relations between the two communities and the prospects for a settlement.

Channel Five

Musicals Bruce Cole
Imperial Architecture RevisitedRodney Mace
The Indian TourMihir Bose

Reviews
Michael BleaneyThe Political Economy of British Capitalism
Theo NicholsArchitect or Bee? Living Thinkwork

Notes

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Marxism Today January 1982

Focus
CBILord DenningFitzgerald's Crusade

Bob Rowthorn
The Past Strikes Back
Britain's postwar decline is, by any standards, remarkable. The result has been growing political volatility. Bob Rowthorn, a member of our Editorial Board, discusses the causes o the process and what the SDP/Liberal Alliance might mean.

Monty Johnstone and Andreas Westphal
The Polish Crisis: is there a way out ?
For 18 months, Poland has been in a state of deep crisis. The authors examine its causes and possible scenarios. See also p5 for latest developments.

Interview with Jack Adams
The BL workforce has suffered one defeat after another. Jack Adams, convenor at BL Longbridge, argues that now, with the latest wage dispute, there has been a big change in the atmosphere.

Henry Patterson
Paisley and Protestant Politics
Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party is on the offensive. Henry Patterson, author of Class Conflict and Sectarianism looks at the changes in Protestant politics.

Channel Five
Black actors — Anton Phillips
Channel 4 — Stuart Hood
Karpov v. Korchnoi — Graham Taylor

Discussion
Robin Blackburn
Can Labour Succeed?
The author argues that Labour must be transformed into a socialist party.

Reviews
Marian Sling — Socialism and Democracy in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1948

Notes

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Marxism Today February 1982

Focus
Going PrivateNicaraguaCrisis in the Prisons

Chris Husbands
The Politics of Confusion
The two-party system is under greater threat than at anytime since 1945. Chris Husbands, a lecturer in sociology at the London School of Economics, traces the growth in political
volatility culminating in the present challenge from the SDP/Liberal Alliance

Monty Johnstone
Poland's Military Crackdown
On December 13 a 'state of war' was declared in Poland. Monty Johnstone assesses the significance of the military takeover and its implications.

Vic Allen
The Miners on the Move
The miners have been the scourge of British governments for over a decade. Now, in Arthur Scargill, they have a militant president. Vic Allen, author of The Militancy of British Miners, examines the radicalisation of the miners.

Outlook for the Socialist Economies
A roundtable discussion with Wlodzimierz Brus, Julian Cooper, Michael Ellman and Mario Nuti.
The prospects for the capitalist world in the eighties look bleak. But the economic outlook for the socialist countries is not much better.

John Griffith
The Law Lords and the GLC
The Law Lords have stunned the Left. Here John Griffith, author of The Politics of the Judiciary, examines the reasoning of the Law Lords and some of its implications.

Channel Five
Interview with David Puttnam
St Valentines Day — Cath Jackson
What Chance Popular Theatre ? — John McGrath

Reviews
Tamara Deutscher — Solidarity: Poland's Independent Trade Union -- Poland: The State of the Republic
Vicky Seddon — Subject Women

Notes

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Marxism Today March1982

cover
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ads & classified

Focus
RapeSSRCPCF Congress

Features
Andrew Gamble - The Rise and Rise of the SDP The SDP/Liberal Alliance has already changed the shape of British politics. What is not so clear is what the SDP actually is and where it is going. Andrew Gamble, author of Britain in Decline, examines the possibilities.

Mick Kelly and Jean Palutikof - Facing up to the Weather We have just experienced one of Britain's worst ever winters. But, more seriously, fundamental changes may be taking place in our climate.

Beatrix Campbell - Women: not what they bargained for The equal pay movement has ground to a halt. The differentials between men and women won't budge. Beatrix Campbell, co-author of Sweet Freedom, argues that the only way forward now is by tackling the basic roots of women's inequality.

Ron Smith - Defence After Trident
Whatever the government, the prospects for Trident look rather unlikely. But, can the Left turn any future cancellation to wider advantage, asks Ron Smith, co-author of The Political Economy of British Capitalism.

Mario Nuti - Poland's Economic Mess
Poland's economic crisis is, arguably, the worst in Europe. Mario Nuti, Director of the
Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham, looks at the problems facing the military government.

Channel Five
Bertolucci and Italian Cinema — Margaret Tarratt
Dr Hoggart's Farewell — Peter Smith
Rioting on the Media — Justin Wren-Lewis and Alan Clarke

Discussion
Dafydd Elis Thomas - Mother Wales get off me Back?
The author, a Plaid Cymru MP, looks at the prospects for the Left in Wales

Reviews
Alan Walker — Labour Party Pamphlets.
Stephen Sedley — Striking a Balance.
Gaby Charing — Women in Society.

Women's Oppression Today.
Notes


Marxism Today April 1982

Focus
NamibiaThe Bristol City EightYamal Gas Pipeline Change on the Ultra-Right
Features


Interview with John Alderson
Policing in the Eighties
Last summer's riots have made policing a major political issue. Here John Alderson, the radically minded Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall, discusses the role of the police.

Sam Aaronovitch
Recipe for Defeat
The Labour Left have made extraordinary advances in the Labour Party. But is that
progress now threatened by the Left's political weaknesses?

Robert M Young
The Darwin Debate
The recent Arkansas case renewed the century-old debate on Darwin's theory of evolution. The creationists lost, but the left should not be drawn into blanket support for the scientific establishment.

Christian Tyler
Tebbit's Law: A Tory Dream Come True?
The Tories have taken another lunge at the unions. If successful, the consequences for trade
unionism wouldbe drastic. The stakes are, indeed, high.

Paul Bew
The Irish Election
The result of the recent Irish election was another cliff-hanger. The author looks at the background to the present stalemate in Irish politics.

Channel Five 32
Urban Cowboys — Mary Harron
Reclaiming Fashion — Caroline Holder
The Stuff that Dreams are made of— Kevin Gough-Yates
Snooker — Sheila Capstick

Discussion
Geoff Bell Paisley and Protestant Politics
The author looks at the position of the Protestants

Reviews
Ralph Miliband — The Forward March of Labour Halted?
John Fantham — Triumph of the People. Nicaragua: the Sandinista Revolution
Tess Woodcraft — Girls, Wives, Factory Lives. Women, where are your jobs going?

Notes

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Marxism Today May 1982

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Focus
The TimesSouth African National PartyWhen is a Trespass not a Trespass

Features
Tony Benn - Democracy and Marxism: A Mutual Challenge Marxism has changed the world. Here Tony Benn, in the full text of the Marx Memorial Lecture, printed exclusively in Marxism Today, argues that British democracy needs Marxism and Marxism needs democracy.

Keith Dixon and Daniel Perraud - The French Experiment The Mitterand government is one year old. It is already the boldest Left experiment in Western
Europe since the war. But what is it - and will it last?

Michael Pentz - Opportunity or Opportunism? Both Reagan and Brezhnev have recently come up with new disarmament initiatives. But do they offer the peace movement anything?

Bob Rowthorn - Britain and Western Europe The Left has been strongly anti-EEC. Yet Britain's integration with Western Europe is an irreversible and growing reality. How should the Left respond to this process?

Frankie Rickford - The Hidden Victims
Public transport has become a major political issue. But the plight of those most dependent on it remains neglected.

Channel Five
Interview with Sheila Hancock
Sound Barriers -
Sue Steward
Shakespeare's Sisters - Cathy Itzin
Movie Roles - Mandy Rose

Discussion
Charles Clarke and David Griffiths Recipe for Defeat Labour needs to become a popular, campaigning party.

Reviews
David Edgar - Every Sweet Thing
Elizabeth Wilson - Sex, Politics and Society
Chantal Mouffe - The Long March of the French Left

Letters
Notes

Marxism Today June 1982

Focus
OPEC US Peace Movement Information Technology

Features

Brian Pollitt
From El Salvador to the Falklands:

A strategy in disarray
From the moment of taking office, Reagan was determined to roll back progressive change in Latin America. The events of 1982, from El Salvador to the Falklands, suggest that strategy is now in disarray.

Raymond Williams
Democracy and Parliament
'Parliamentary democracy' has moved to the centre of political debate. But parliamentary democracy has many meanings — and it is not what it seems. Yet this is no reason for the Left
to be complacent.

Interview with Herbert McCabe OP
The Polish Pope and the Catholic Church
John Paul II has introduced a very new style of papacy. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Britain has been going through some big changes.

Jon Bloomfield
Between The Blocs: Europe's third road to peace
The new cold war has given rise to a European-wide peace movement. Unlike previously, it has a distinctively European perspective.

Lee Bridges and Paul Gilroy