Good news

Critics of the Labour Party’s predilection for spin were given plenty of ammunition this week. On September 11, the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Jo Moore, special adviser to transport secretary Stephen Byers, circulated an e-mail to Byers and another civil servant, Alun Evans. She observed: “It’s now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury.”

The Weekly Worker has no need to “bury” anything. Good news or bad, we tell it like it is. So, when we fail to reach our monthly target, as we have far too often recently, we are not slow to remind comrades of their responsibilities. However, we are just as quick to highlight our readers’ generosity too.

After last month’s shortfall of over £150 you can imagine my relief when I totalled up the donations this week to find a highly impressive £185. Thanks go out to comrade CM (£30), HJ, PF and SR (£20 each), IC (£15), DC (£10) and - last but by no means least - comrade AN for a magnificent £70 gift. Though there is still along way to go to reach our monthly target of £450, we have made an excellent start. Keep it up, comrades!

Robert Rix

Number 403

Thursday October 11 2001

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Pacifism disarms
The working class must be armed in order to defeat, expropriate and disarm the capitalist class. This perspective, and only this perspective, offers a viable way forward, writes Eddie Ford

Statements on the war

• War no answer: Statement by Dave Nellist, national chair of the Socialist Alliance
• Socialist Alliance press statement on bombings

Letters
Abolish authority; Buffers; Pro-party; Inability; Rightwing; Blunkett's law

Getting organised
A rank and file ‘Unions Fightback’ conference against privatisation, for solidarity and union democracy has been called for Saturday November 3 in London. This statement has been agreed as its basis

Green socialists to join SA
The Green Socialist Network’s decision to join the Socialist Alliance marks a step forward, argues Terry Liddle

Taliban apologetics
On the Socialist Alliance Press Group, Socialist Workers Party member Tim Nicholls of Lewisham attempted to justify his organisation’s refusal to condemn the September 11 terrorist outrages in the USA. This provoked a lively and enlightening exchange, including a rebuttal from Dave Osler

• Press group
  Peter Manson explains the origins of the socialistalliance_press e-group

Liaison Committee: SA debates the war
Marcus Larsen reports on the latest meeting of the Socialist Alliance's leading committee

Introducing politics
Cameron Richards reports on the launch of Newport Coalition Against the War

Afghanistan: Revolution and counterrevolution
Mark Fischer introduces extracts from Emine Engin's 1982 book, The revolution in Afghanistan

Pakistan in turmoil
Farooq Tariq, general secretary of the Labour Party Pakistan, describes the situation in his country following the onslaught on Afghanistan. As the comrade makes clear, the working class faces two great dangers. On the one hand, Musharaf’s military government and its US backers. On the other, islamic fundamentalism and black reaction. There must be a fightback on two fronts. Farooq Tariq’s text has been slightly edited

My enemy’s enemy
Robert Grace points to the pitfalls of failing to take a class line on war

Consigned to the shadows
Iain Duncan Smith has declared war on the racist right of the Conservative Party. But it was Blair and New Labour who were the winners in Blackpool, writes Michael Malkin

Our history: Beyond sectarianism
The tragedy of Sylvia Pankhurst