Lessons of U.s.1. Grants Campaign

momentum for a real campaign in the rest of the year. The excuse made by Pat Brady — President of US! — that we must give the new government a chance to right the wrong was both feeble and superficial. This implied that the pfoblem was a lack of understanding of successive Ministers for Education rather than the limitations of the capitalist system. On this point, certain reformist students have pointed to the example of Britain as a capitalist state which has overcome the problem of student grants. One cannot equate the reforms which the working class in an imperialist country is capable of winning with those of an oppressed working class WITHIN an oppressed nation, and despite demands. Students protest outside the De partment SSRN of Education, In the 2nd term USI asserted themselves enough to call a march to the Dail with its usual methods of long marches, long speeches and sit-ins it attempted to BORE away the enthusiasm of some of the more militant rank-and-file students. Yet these methods -wers not successful and both the occupation of Appolio House and that of Fitzwilton were carried out at “grass roots” level. But despite this it was apparent that the the more comfortable position of the British bourgeoisie in terms of manoeuvering space it has still failed to quell the militancey of . students as they press forward for further Marlboro St.

movement was weakened by the lack of earlier activity and was seen by many asa “flash in the pan” before getting back to work.

3. Last term a meeting to form a grants action committee was held. At this meeting the Suggestion of a community canvass, was pushed by Bureaucrat Brady. Although he was ‘forced by militant students to agree to the necessity for further actions such as occupations etc, Weaknesses of proposal The community canvass overlooks 2 very important points. 1. That the working class is not affected by ideas as such but by action, consuming energy in “explaining” our demands is in fact just an excuse for inactivity, 2. The reason why the working class has no respect for students is not just because of misrepresentation in the media, but because they do not see them asa potent social force that can change society. The way in which French students forged links with the working class was through consistent struggle for their own demands. May °68 was the culmination of a real unity THROUGH ACTION.

For real grants and NOW !

An examination of this years grants campaign, clearly shows up its weaknesses, The primary failure is that of not instigating a consistent struggle led by a grants action committee independent of USI and based on mass student support. The government knows full well that it has nothing to fear from the annual one-day “campaign” led by USI.

The other lesson is equally clear i.e. that a fighting students organisation through militant struggle will gain workers attention and create a real basis for working class/student unity,

The bourgeois press has acclaimed the recent military take-over in Portugal as the first break n. autocratic right-wing government since ex-dictator Salazar came to power in 1932. The truth of this statement waits to be proved by the actions of the junta but certainly there have been some hopeful signs in the reported political liberalization taking place.

Portugal for the last 40 years had been characterised by its police state regime dominated by a small clique headed until 1968 by Salazar. In 1968 the recently removed Dr. Caetano was appointed as Salazar’s successor with the full support of the country’s military, business and R.C. Church hierachy who saw him as the man most likely to support their interests in repressing popular dissent and maintaining the maximum exploitation for profit not only at home in Portugal but in the African Colonies of Mozambique, Angola and Guinea Bissau.

Background to the crisis Portugal now has one of the lowest standards of living in Europe and one of the highest rates of inflation. This is compounded by the huge proportion (over 50%) of Portugal’s annual budget spent-on the armed forces and the high rate of emigration of Portugal youth to EEC countries to find jobs and to avoid conscription Liberation Front (Frelimo) are particularly active in the north where international capital is financing the construction of the Cabora Bassa Hydo Electric project. Since the New Year the guerillas have spread south into the region of Beira, the economic capital and have been regularly attacking the road and rail link with Rhodesia. Numerous massacres of African civilians by Portuguese troops in Tete province were wll publicised last year.

Spinola’s solution It is against this background of success by the Liberation Movement in Africa and of near economic bankruptcy in Portugal that General Antonio de Spinola on his return from commanding the Portuguese forces in Guine wrote a book entitled ‘Portugal and the Future’, which put into words and crystallised the frustrations and divisions of the Portuguese ruling class. The debate took on a considerable importance because it effectively posed an ultimatum for the Portuuese Capitalist class integration into the EEC or continuing segregation as a result of the colonial wars.

The coup and after TRIALS | Portugal, Mozambique, Angola and Guine each with its own parliament and governor subject to a federal parliament and central government in Lisbon which would retain power in areas such as finance, defence and foreign affairs. Obviously this proposed ‘Africanisation’ of the colonial administration is completely unacceptable to the Liberation Movements who demand nothing less than independence. But the ideas expressed by Spinola led to a state of political fluidity within Portugal itself.

On March 14th Spinola and his Chief of :taff, Gomes, were dismissed at the instigation of the hardline President Thomaz for proposing the federal solution for the African colonies. Two days later there was an abortive coup by an infantry regiment north of Lisbon who proclaimed support for Spinola but they were turned back by loyal troops. Premier Caetano tried to maintain his position by steering a middle course between the two factions but on April 25th a large scale mobilization of the armed forces in support of Spinola