Militant by Michael Crick (Faber £3.95).
ANYBODY who retains a lurking suspicion that the failure of left-wing politics in Britain is due to our deep-seated tendency to compromise, and that the solution might lie in more open
alignment with such organisations as Militant (and it is certainly an understandable attitude) is due for a rude shock if they read this workmanlike little book by an ITN journalist.
The Militant Tendency movement is certainly dedicated. More than 100 people work full 'time for it, which does not mean that they are paid — many of course exist on the dole and other members give their time to the extent that they find that soon they have no other interests left and no other friends. in addition, all members tithe as a minimum. It can deploy quite a lot of money, all of which comes from members or commercial ventures such as printing.
Talk of Moscow gold is widely out of place since if there is one thing they hate worse than capitalist states, it is failed workers states. Militant is Trotskyist and proud of it. As to the nature of the Socialist state which will be achieved, that is mostly swathed in mystery, but it will not be very pleasant to judge by the nature of the
organisation which is fixing to bring it in which is ruthless, dictatorial, puritan and male orientated. (Homosexuality will "disappear" under Socialism).
Perhaps we less dedicated dogooders are better off, although the thought of all that ardent idealism going to waste is heartrending. They too hate injustice and long for equity. How sad that we have fashioned a society against which they must rebel.
Tim Beaumont