Who, on the left, could fail to be thrilled by the struggle of the French students, Their courage and determination set into motion a process which has sent bourgeois France reeling. It must be said in the most categorical terms THAT IF THE OUTCOME OF THE PRESENT STRUGGLE IN FRANCE IS NOT THE CREATION OF A WORKERS' STATE THEN THE ENTIRE RESPONSIBILITY WILL LIE WITH THE REFORMIST COMMUNIST PARTY,
The students have filled the void left by the absence of a revolutionary party to the best of their ability. They have done more than this: they have brought back revolution to western Europe. Those who have doubted the possibility of decisive class struggles taking place in the "affluent" west now see that their fears are ungrounded.
The example of the struggle in France is one which must both inspire us and make us think. The overthrow of capitalism in the west is not something for the far and distant future: the French students and workers have taught us that if we fight hard enough and create the necessary organisations IT IS ON THE ORDER OF THE DAY NOW!
SOME VALUABLE LESSONS
For this valuable lesson we have to thank the French students and especially those left groups who refused to be intimidated by either the regime or the bureaucratised "left" parties. We are especially proud of the role played by our collaborators - the JCR (see elsewhere in this issue) - in this struggle.
But there are deeper lessons to be drawn: the left-wing French students were able to bring into action thousands of students because they fought on STUDENT ISSUES, In this country, many groups have yet to learn this lesson; according to their mythological marxism a student can only be a revolutionary by purging his petit-bourgeois nature on the picket line. We are not opposed to students going on the picket line or taking part in tenants' struggles, etc. But first of all, they must struggle as students for student power.
Should anyone think that this is an abstract question or mere quibbling we would refer them to the terrible mistake made by the co-thinkers of the Socialist Labour League in France. This group, organised in the FER, opposed the building of barricades because this would "isolate the students from the workers", Whilst the fierce battles were taking place with the police in the Latin Quarter, they held a meeting calling for "student-worker unity". This action shows the terrible consequences of persisting in sectarian mistakes. Let no-one think that the consequences would be any less disastrous in this country.
IT CAN HAPPEN HERE
The French students have shown the way - let us follow it. All over the country, small-scale and - up to now - isolated student struggles have taken place. It is quite clear that the pre-conditions for a more generalised and coordinated fight exist. There are moves to create a revolutionary socialist student federation - we shall support this move to the best of our ability. If this organisation is to play an important role in breaking the present impasse in British politics it must have the right theories, We shall do what we can to help on that score too,
The student struggles have another important lesson for the British left: that internationalism is vital. The struggles of the SDS, the Italian, Czech and Polish students all helped to inspire their French counter-parts. It is up to the left to develop these links and try to emulate them in the field of workers' struggles. But again, we have an example to work from.
The French students have - with their cracked heads and fighting spirit - shown us the way. We owe them a debt, We can best repay this debt by developing a similar militant struggle here, Let our slogan be:
We can fight! - We can win! - LONDON, Paris and Berlin!