from Dave Windsor
Vol. 2 No. 1 of The Week contained two items on the Young Socialists - Chris Arthur's piece rapping the mods and rockers outside Transport House and the statement of the Young Guard editorial board. Neither of two items was, in my opinion, as positive as the general run of articles in this journal. What a contrast with the short note sent in by Alan Rooney about the Manchester AEU apprentices, That is not to say that I am condeming the authors of these items for writing what they did but surely the valuable space of The Week can be utilised more positively?
What is needed in the c>lums of -.The Week is not an abstract discussion of the principles of the issues facing the Young Socialists but reports of practical activity (on the correct political basis) carried out by young socialists. Only by turning outwards can the Young Socialists! movement break the present deadlock. The task of Bhe Week should be to assist this by distilling out the experience of those sections of the Y.S. which have had some success in this direction. After all, all that can be said about the organisational wrangles has been said already.
The present Young Socialist set up is an empty shell - the working class don't care two hoots about it. It would be wrong to equate the attitude of the young workers to the Y.S. with that of the -dult workers to the trade unions and Labour Party. That is not to say we should give up the fight for democracy within it - but let us have a sense of proportion and not see this as an end in itself. Only when the Y.S. becomes an instrument of strug=gle for the workers will it be worthwhileces.