Exponential

Everybody is talking about the war on Afghanistan. All socialists want to stop the war. The question is how. Here’s where the Weekly Worker is once again playing an outstanding role. Yes, build a broad anti-war movement - but also build the Socialist Alliance. Yes, oppose US bombing - but do not give any political succour to the Taliban regime. On the contrary encourage Afghan workers, secularists, democrats and progressives to form their own Socialist Alliance to overthrow these counterrevolutionary scum. That message is carving out a ready audience worldwide.

Sales of the print version of the Weekly Worker are showing a healthy increase but the electronic version on the web, is growing exponentially. According to our new LiveStats system, we are averaging 600 hits per day. To sustain and build upon this success we need financing - the sinews of war. And I am pleased to report a steady trickle of donations - a testimony to our readers’ generosity. Thanks are due to comrades FD and HJ with gifts of £20 apiece, JK (£15), RF and TR (£10 each) and a whole range of people on the London CND demonstration who, from ‘keep the change’ 50p donations to a £5 note, in total gave £40.50.

With £308.50 towards our £450 monthly target and only two weeks gone we are well placed to reach our target for October and make up for last month’s shortfall.

Robert Rix

Ask for a bankers order form, or send cheques, payable to Weekly Worker, BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX

Number 404

Thursday October 18 2001

The Weekly Worker is available from bookshops across the United Kingdom or can be delivered direct to your door by completing our online subscription form.

Carnival ban
Danny Hammill reports on the banning of Oldham's anti-racist carnival

Party notes: Cleaning up

Letters
Pacifism wins; Cracking; Rehash; Conference call

Anti-terrorist legislation: Mobilise to defeat bill
Jim Gilbert assesses the implications of Blunkett's bill and sounds the alarm

CND complains
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament takes the Socialist Alliance to task over a minor omissions

Move to party
Marcus Larsen comments on leading ISGer Alan Thornett's article in October's Socialist Outlook

Socialist Alliance/anti-war reports

• Haringey: SWP ignores decisions
• Teesside: Fascists attacks SA candidate
• East London: Rally against the war

Capital and the ruination of land
Ian Donovan reviews Karl Kautsky's The agrarian question

Sectarian propagandism
Bob Pitt argues that it is perfectly principled for socialists to defend the Taliban against imperialism

Appeal from Labour Party Pakistan
Farooq Tariq asks for donations to help LPP work

Workers Power: On-off-on Taliban bloc
Eddie Ford charts ti tortuous twists and turns of this orthodox Trotskyite sect

Our biggest asset
We republish an internal SWP bulletin

Our history
Defending socialism

Anger takes to streets
Peter Manson reports on the national anti-war demonstration in London

Glasgow protest
2,000 protested in Glasgow. Sarah McDonald reports