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is now locked in battle with its own working class. The National Question in Ireland * plays a major part in this. Firstly, Northern Ireland is now being used by British business interests for the revival of Fascism and right wing movements — look at how the fascist National Front have attached themselves on to the Ulster Loyalist$ to get support for some of their bigger demonstrations. And secondly, the anti-Unionist opposition to British military and political might has weakened Britain’s confidence in its ability to crush either the Irish people or even their own working class. They are weakened and divided at a time when the struggle is reaching a climax.

Looking at this situation we can learn a lot from the events in Portugal and her African colonies. A freedom struggle has been going on in these colonies for many years. The people in them were much poorer and weaker than we have been in Last week ‘Unfree Citizen’ carried an article on the sericusness of overproduction by the world’s capitalist states. For us here in Ireland this should be an encouraging sign — for one of the countries going to be hit hardest by it is Britain. British capitalism, after centuries of exploitation and murder all over the world, has carried oppression and went so far ih its own homeland that it Ireland. They had no chance of defeating a well-equipped Portuguese army backed by a Fascist government in Portugal in an open battle (an army and government which used mass murder to maintain their rule).

But in a mass war.of attrition the people of the Colonies not only defeated the Portugese army, but also brought down the fascist state that had ruled Portugal without allowing any opposition for fifty years.

The Press has been quick to try and hide this. General Spinola was put forward as a ‘hero and lover of freedom’ who had ‘saved’ Portugal.

But Spinola is an extreme right winger. He was responsible for the operation of the policy of mass murder in the colonies in Africa!

His pleasant face has only been shown since he has been defeated. However his admission of defeat has set free forces in Portugal that he has not been able to control. Tanks in the streets a as eSpitola ¢ Stages the coup in Portugal earlier this year Class struggle is intensifying socialism. The working class the underpaid wage slaves of the army seized control.

working class. the will to win. Like the sides of the border.

CH Members of the armed forces support demonstrated in the streets and British, German and American factory owners are howling in protest as yesterday demand a living wage today. In an attempt to end this Spinola last week tried a Coup. His appeals for support from the ‘silent majority’ failed, and instead the Left wing in The way in Portugal is now open for greater democracy and for even greater freedom of the Portugese This is a lesson worth learning. We have never been able to beat the military might of the British in open battle, but in both the military struggle and in the mass street demonstrations the British have lost Portugese government they are now beginning to get the backlash from their own misdeeds. It is up to =socialists to use this advantage to press forward in the struggle — on both

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~ PORTUGESE STRUGGLE HAS A LESSON FOR IRELAND