The article by Ralph Schoenman in a recent issue of The Week was timely, The indications seem to be that the left, the Communist and Social-Democratic, has failed dismally in its response to a situation far more serious than that which existed in Spain before the war, Wilson intends to use the cry "Negotiations" to avoid the censure of the Party at Blackpool. He may well carry much of the left with him. It is entirely natural that people should grasp at straws in the hope that the slaughter in Vietnam might be ended, but the call for negotiations conceals many dangers ยข
We cannot call for negotiations as neutrals between the two sidos, The National Liberation Front is populist movement of a type which socialists have supported many times in the past. The South Vietnamese Government is a militarist regime, supported by U.S. imperialism, As so many of the South Vietnamese people have decided to take to arms to oppose the present regime, we must support them. It is very difficult to negotiate a military dictatorship out of existence. At the moment, however, owing to the puny reaction of the leaderships of the Communist countries, the NLF may have to negotiate - but that is entirely its own decision.
Militant U.S. imperialism, encouraged by the quiescent attitude of the USSR, has already been successful in action in the Congo and the Dominican Republic, Victory in South Vietnam will .greatly encourage the U.S, in dealing with liberation movements in Latin America and other places = politically and militarily Vietnam is a rehearsal, Neutralism in this vital war, and the others which will follow, would place us in the position of appeasers of the U.S. generals, The contempt which this would earn us in the eyes of those people fighting so desperately in the "Third World" would be richly deserved, ADVERTISEMENT North West Region C.N.D. Manchester Ken Coates iss DISCUSSION FORUM A lecturer at the extra-
mural department at
Nottingham University.