20 MARCH 1975 WEEKLY No 93 PRICE 8p
VIVAM AS FDR
ONCE AGAIN the Portuguese working class has displayed its tremendous ability to beat back the forces of reaction and smash all attempts by the capitalists to set up the sort of law and order regime that would guarantee the future of capitalist exploitation in Portugal.
For the second time since the coup which overthrew a balf-century of fascist rule on 25 April 1974 the forces of reaction have tried to impose their will on the Portuguese people, and for the second time these scheme have been blocked by the fighting unity of the Portuguese VICTORY This historic victory has given the Portuguese working class a new determination to remake Portuguese society in their own image, a new confidence in their ability to carry out this task, and a new strength with which to do it. At the same time their capitalist enemies are left Seen from the point of view of the crcativity and combativity of the working class there is little to prevent Portugal becoming the site of the first socialist revolution in Western Europe. But there are still many obstacles standing in the way Despite the involvement of rank and file soldiers in strungle alongside taken over the woekens, the arory remiins organised as an instrument of the capitalist state, subject to the capitalist military hierarchy and "chain of command that is the Train reason why rank and file soldiers could be fooled into taking part in such a desperate and reactionary coup. The Armed Forces Movement, the leading force in the Government, is still a part of this capitalist institution and while it has refused to go along with the reactionary political schemes of the capitalists it is not, in its majonity, prepared to break with the basis of control by a new state mach While the most important and On 13 March 1975 a lorry driver died from poisonous fumes at the Rodiand Purle owned chemical tip at Pitaen. Esex. The Labour Government has not closed the tip, Meamwhile it is hypocritically claiming thet the use of troops in the Glasgow use of 'health hazards', Capitalism stinksInfluential political organisation in the mass movement, the Portuguese Communist Party, T-s taken important steps to mobilise the workers against the reactionary threat, it is not prepared to lead a light for socialism. Even after such a devasta ting victory as the present one, the spokesmen of the Communist Party do not have a word to say about socialism, hut are trying to lamit the mass movement to consolidating democracy.
The decision of the Government to nationalise the banks -dee to the almost universal demand for forthright action against the big monop oles and the insistence of the bank worken themselves that the banks be bus given the state tre mendous economic sower, since the banks are at the centre of a vast mong poly empire that controls the bulk of Portuguese industry. But state control is not socialisin. The question remains whore state is in control. and in whose interests is it managing the coonomy WORKERS STATE The present state machine s a cap italist state, and can only run the co onomy according to the laws of captalism, even if' a number of individust big capitalists are rotting in its prisons Socialism can only be built on the ine hased on the organsed power of the working class —a workers stase COnT P2