1980

Gut It Out Kasatkin!

Letter published in Socialist Worker 9 February 1980, replying to a letter in the 26 January issue.

 

L. T. Kasatkin (SW665) quotes part of a sentence I wrote: ‘many socialists will have a gut reaction of wanting to cheer the Russian tanks into Kabul’ – and he adds: ‘Too bloody right!’ without showing any evidence that he read the rest of what I wrote.

If it were enough for socialists to follow their gut feelings, then we should have no need of political parties, newspapers …. or for that matter tanks. We’d have made it long ago.

Unfortunately the world is a bit more complicated and we have to use our brains as well as our guts.

Does Kasatkin agree that the Russians participated in a shameless and unprincipled carve-up of the world in 1945?

Does Kasatkin agree that the Russians didn’t give a toss about the well-being, progress or emancipation of the Afghan people for 25 years before 1978, when they gave money and arms to the vicious feudal rulers who are now fighting with the rebels?

Does Kasatkin agree that naïve uncritical support of Russia just makes it easier for Thatcher and Co to launch a witchhunt against the whole of the left?

Or does Kasatkin not bother to think about such things at all? Simply leaves them to his overworked gut?