"I hear your English summers are a riot" RED RAG READING'S ONLY NEWSPAPER DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 10 NEWS: 861841 66202 666681 MAY 30 1982 EVENTS: 473205 Vol 4 No 12 GOING OUT: 663083 FREE DISTRIBUTION: 666681 61257 FORTNIGHTLY COPY TO RR c/o ACORN BOOKSHOP, 17 CHATHAM ST; 181 SHINFIELD RD; 31a HAMILTON RD; 24 NORWOORD RD MONEY TO RR c/o SUE CLARKE (TREASURER), 181 SHINFIELD RD - CHEQUES TO 'RED RAG' In this issue:- EVENTS DIARY BURGHFIELD NEWS READING RAPE CRISIS LINE RED RAG'S FAMOUS GOING OUT GUIDE REVIEW: Reagan speaks Wargame remake C.L.D. NEWS DIGEST Outlets; get your Rag from;- Acorn Bookshop, Chatham Street Central Library and branch libraries Pop Records, King's Road Our Price Records, Butts Centre Quicksilver Records, Butts Centre Or ring Distribution & get it to your door! - - - EVENTS DIARY three weeks from Sunday 30th May Weekly meetings: Mondays: Anarchists. 8pm, Ring James on 473205 for venue. Usually about 10 people these days. Talk, talk about action, and sometimes action too. Wednesdays: S.W.P. 8pm in the Red Lion, Southampton Street. Thursdays: L.P.Y.S. 8pm at AUEW Hall, 121 Oxford Road. I go on printing this but don't know if it's true! Sun 30 Youth CND march. To ROF Burghfield and the Peace Camp, and HMS Dauntless. Meet 9.30 outside AUEW Hall, 121 Oxford Road. Pagans Against Nukes meeting for "meditative workings". Contact them first at 69 Cranbury Road if you want to come. Mon 31 West Reading Carnival. Procession starts 12.30 from Cattle Market, Gt Knolly's St, up and down Oxford Road to Richfield Avenue by 3.30. Music, sideshows, stalls etc. Organised by RCRE (583773) Tue 1 Women's Centre, regular 1st of the Month meeting of local groups, and policy meeting for the Centre, 7.30pm, Old Shire Hall basement, Abbey Street (near Forbury Gardens). All women welcome. Reading CND (sic) Trades Union and Labour Sub-committee (sic - none of yer BANC working groups) meeting, 3pm at 56 Hamilton Road. Planning meeting for the S.Region CND Labour Movement Conf on Disarmament to be held in Reading on Sat June 26th. Contact Andrew Harrison 665532. Wed 2 B.A.N.C. East Reading neighbourhood group, meeting. 8pm at 65 Hamilton Road. To discuss fund-raising and a leaflet for their stall. Stewards' Meeting for June 6 CND demo, c20 wanted to take people's money and tell them where to go etc. Still don't know where. Sorry. Reading Internat. Year of the Disabled (cont) Committee public meeting. Kennet Rooms, Civic Centre. Talk on education in Berks + discussion. 'The Police Service in Reading' talk. 7.30 Battle Library, Oxford Road. Tickets free from the library but space limited. The truth at last? Thu 3 RED RAG social. 7.30 to midnight, back room of the Crown, Crown Street. Bar. Bring your own tapes! And money. And have a good time. Legalise Cannabis Campaign meeting at 8pm. Contact via Box 23, Acorn Bookshop to find out where. Fri 4 Berkshire anti-Nuclear Campaign jazz night with the Jazz Party Swing Band at the Griffin, Church St, Caversham from 8pm. Bar. £1 (60p). Useful talk: "Healing balancing the ethergic energies" by M.Cowlin of the Nat Fed of Spiritual Healers, and A.Dixon. 8pm St Mary's Church House, St Mary's Butts. Cost you 50p. Sat 5 BANC East Rg: stall on Wokingham Rd outside Barclays 11-3pm. Contact Hardy Haase on 662507 if you'd like to help. Also stalls in town centre (Broad St) (Pauline Blackwell 27351) and Woodley (Pauline Rance 697866). Women's Right to Work march in London. Women-organised but mixed. 10.30 from County Hall (I think - I have seen Hyde Pk Corner given) to free festival at Battersea Park. Bus for kids so they needn't walk. Big name speakers. Bands, theatre etc. Workshops from c2pm on unemployment education, violence against women etc. Creche. Sounds, good! No doubt thanks to lack of Lab party enthusiasm. Transport: try ringing Toni (Bracknell 55867) to see what can be done. Sun 6 National CND demonstration in London. Largish probably. Buses leave Alder Valley bus station (nb not as usual) 9.45. £2.50 return (£2 unwaged) Assemble Ladbroke Grove c11.00, march to Hyde Park for rally 1.30pm. Speakers incl (surprise!) E.P.Thompson and Tony Benn. Buses return from opposite Albert Hall at approx 6.00pm. Tickets from Acorn Bookshop 17 Chatham St. Please buy early. Contact Neal on 594855 if you want to help leafletting beforehand. Mon 7 'Women's Work': contemporary videos by women at South Hill Park, Bracknell. 7.30. Free, + discussion, mixed. Last of the series. Tonight: 'Changing Time' (Lindy Summers) and 'Clapping Song' (Tina Keane). Mass picket of US Embassy, Grosvenor Square. 5.30pm. Just like the 60s. To celebrate the arrival of His Holiness R. Reagan. Tue 8 B.A.N.C. General Meeting: 6pm at the Friends Meeting House, Church St (off London St), Sue Downing will speak on the Medical Campaign against Nuclear Weapons. Slide show, Discussion, Non members welcome. Festival for Peace and Freedom in Central Hall, W'minster, London. 11am to 10pm. Speakers, workshops, films, exhibitions, stalls. While R.Reagan addresses P'ment. Concert 7pm with Salvadorean band etc. Wed 9 Anti-militarism (see June 5): Campaign Against the Arms Trade tape, slide show and speaker. 7.30 at the Students' Union, Whiteknights. Rape Crisis Collective meeting - I've no details and may have got the month wrong. Thu 10 Amnesty monthly meeting 8pm at St Mary's Centre behind St Mary's Ch, in the Butts. Film on Yugoslavia: 'The trials of Popovich'. Anti-militarism: leafletting at Brock Barracks (T.A.), Oxford Road, 6.45pm. 'Nutrition and Weaning': La Leche League mtg, 10.30am Contact 381805. Unemployment Centre: trip to Bracknell Sports Centre. Leave the Centre (East St) 1.15pm. (Swimming table tennis squash snooker etc) 50p Fri 11 Bracknell CND meets alternate Fris, 8pm, Cooper's Hill Community Centre. Berkshire Humanists: last meeting of the 'season'. 8pm Friend's Mtg House, Church St. (off London St). Sat 12 Anti-militarism: picket of the Army Recruitment Office in the Butts. 10.30am onwards. Come and help! (see June 5) Sun 13 Youth CND meets 3pm at AUEW Hall, 121 Oxford Rd. Contacts Dave 416536. Reading & Dist Vegans meet at 8pm. Where? Contact. Liz 581805. Women's Centre: clean up, 11.30am! Wed 16 Pagans against Nukes meet. Contact them at 69 Cranbury Road for details. Civic Society meeting on the Central Reading District Plan. 8pm at the Old Town Hall. Thu 17 Reading Cycle Group meeting on the Central Reading District Plan. 8pm at the Crown, Crown St. To decide the cyclists' response. Fri 18 Rape Crisis benefit gig. Details elsewhere I hope. - RUSH 8-1 £2- Amazulu et al CND Festival: (Glastonbury), 18th - 20th, at Shepton Mallet. Music, stalls theatre etc. Details, tickets: CND, 11 Goodwin St, London N4. Sat 19 Women's Centre: 19-20th. Assertiveness Training, with feminist therapist from the Pellin Centre. Cost £10! Looks dubious to me but none of my business. Contact Penny 83469 to register - she can prob give details. Sun 20 RED RAG Collective meeting, 4.30, AUEW Hall, 121 Oxford Road. EVENTS SUPPLEMENT The Centre for the Unemployed is at 4-6 East St, and open 9.30 - 4.30 Mon-Fri. Weekly classes there currently: Mon & Thu: literacy 10.00 - 1.00pm Mon: sewing and dressmaking 2 - 4pm Tue: silkscreen printing 10.00 - 1pm Tue: keep fit 1.30 - 3.30pm Wed: numeracy 10.00 - 1.00pm Wed: batik 1.30 - 3.30pm Thurs: guitar 1.30 - 3.30pm Fri: gardening 1.30 - 3.30pm The Women's Centre is at the basement of Old Shire Hall, Abbey St, Open Tues 10.30 - 3.30 and Sat 10.30 - 2.30. - - - NEWS FROM BURGHFIELD PEACE CAMP dated 27th May Our first arrests! On Tuesday 18th May two of us were arrested under Section 1, Official Secrets Act. They were searched and a film taken from one of their cameras, then released, after taking photographs of the Final Assembly complex on the eastern side of the factory. The following day those prints which the MoD did not consider 'sensitive' were returned - the others have been sent to Whitehall. We are eagerly waiting for the DPP to proceed with prosecution. But we doubt if the authorities will play into our hands so readily, so on Sunday 30th May we are having a "photo-picnic". We shall picnic on MoD land; and snap away cheerfully in the sunshine. Everybody is welcome - those who do not wish to enjoy the hospitality of the MoD police can still bring empty cameras. We have no legal right to take photos from private or MoD land, but the public highway is another matter - and you can see a great deal from the road. For an interesting afternoon, meet at the Burghfield Boad entrance 2pm. On Monday 24th May we decided a 24hr a day vigil was absorbing too much of our time and energy, preventing us from-doing a lot of other things, so at 6pm on 25th we left the site of the vigil. Until we have a public camp site, we shall however maintain a presence there at least between 7am and 9am when the workforce go in, and right through until 6pm for the time being. We greet the workers in the morning with placards, saying something different each day. We have the card and the felt pens, but it is getting difficult thinking of new things to write. Any ideas? View it as a competition - winner can come and hold their placards one morning (and no losers.') And don't forget: visitors, letters-, food and money are always very welcome. Burghfield Peace Camp, outside R0F Burghfield Write: c/o Acorn Bookshop, 17 Chatham St, Reading. Phone: Burghfield Common 3732 (daytime). Cliff - - - MAYDAY: two paras that seem to have got lost last issue? MAY DAY 1982. A lot of Red Rag readers were involved, in one way or another, as were the collective. Without you we simply wouldn't have had anything to mark May Day 1982. Perhaps many many people getting together to all put in a little to achieve something worthwhile is what May Day is all about anyway. I think that, together, we did achieve- something worth doing. I hope you agree. MAY DAY 1983. Should we bother? RSVP, preferably with reasons and an indication of what effort you could put in; some of us want to reduce our commitment on organising May Day. Chris - - - A useful publication for anyone interested in co-operatives is called 'In the Making' no 8, an annual national directory of small radical co-ops arranged by region, plus misc info and articles. Available from 44 Albion Rd, Sutton, Surrey for £1.50 or from Acorn Bookshop for £1. - - - READING RAPE CRISIS LINE - the story so far It is time to give some publicity to the activities of the Reading Rape Crisis Collective, and to inform interested people of its progress. Temporary premises have been found for the rape crisis line, which will be ready to start as soon as the relevant members of the collective have finished their preparations in a few weeks' time. An open meeting to launch the rape crisis/support line has been planned for July 9th. Much time has been given to deciding what the group should call itself; some women felt that 'crisis' might put off some women who didn't think the word applied to them. However, as no-one has yet thoght of another name, I will continue to mention the 'crisis line'. At the moment, the collective comprises two groups, one of which will actually take on the running of the rape crisis line, the second of which is a back-up group to give support to the first. The 'line' group wishes to avoid using the terra 'counsellor' - the members of this group do not see themselves as 'experts' but merely as a group of people who have 'trained'/prepared themselves over several weeks for a specific project. The number of women in this group is pretty small, which is a pity because it limits the hours and days the line will be open. It is hoped that more women will come forward and volunteer for 'training'/self-preparation by the time the present group has started operating the line. (Perhaps at the open meeting?) When it starts, the line will be open one day a week for three hours only. The backup group (originally divided into 3 subgroups) looks after housing, fundraising and publicity/literature, and meets regularly on alternate Weds (next meeting at Women's Centre on (gap in MS but I think June 9 - typist)). Attendances at these meetings have been irregular and dwindling, and more women, and a higher level of commitment, are needed to give the 'line' group the proper support it needs, The backup group must continue to search for permanent premises and work towards charitable status and other means of fund-raising for the crisis line. The other kind of help which is, of course, always appreciated instead of your time, is money - if you have any, or any ideas on where to get some for the line, please let the collective know - leave a message at the women's centre, or ring Red Rag (Laura) on 666681, or talk to someone involved. Rape Crisis Line Benefit Friday 18th June at the Reading University Students' Union, Whiteknights. 8pm - 1am. Disco + AMAZULU, ABACUSH, BEAT BEAT FLIP £2.00 (£1.75 unwaged) Mixed. Tickets from: RUSU, Bulmershe, Acorn Bookshop, Pop Records. - - - Red Rag Social Thursday 3rd June in the back room of the Crown, Crown St. 7.30 -- midnight Your chance to meet your favourite collective members! On-Going Financial Situation We believe contrary to rumours spread by defeatist elements that there is going to be around £40 left after this issue, which is about enough for the next. We would remind you of the demoralisation and harassed looks of collective members which results from continual financial strain. So for our sake and for a happy Rag make your cheque out to 'Red Rag' and send it to our treasurer Sue Clarke at 181, Shinfield Road, now! - - - GOING OUT GUIDE Sun 30 Hex-The Provoked Wife 7.30 £2.25 + £3 Restoration comedy i.e bawdy Fives-St.Vitus Dance 12.30 free Central Club-African Liberation Day all day event films,talks,poetry reading etc. during day,sounds at night. Free Eagle Baker Street-Jazz 8pm free Angie's Wokingham-Juvessence 9pm £1+£1.50 membership South Hill Park Bracknell-'One Wish Too Many'(U) +'Rangi's Catch' Episode Five (U) SHP-Rhubarb the Clown(childrens' entertainment) 12.30 free Richfield Avenue Site-Free festival Access A1 Vegetables Shrinking Men plus lots more 12-8 free Mon 31 Hex-2.30pm The Family goes to Mime £1.50 £1 kids " 7.30pm In the Footsteps of Frankenstein £2.50 alternative mime good The Plough Winnersh-Kennet Jazz Band 8.30 free Rank-Altered Images,Vic Godard + the Subway Sect 7.30 £3.50 Central-Philip Fraser,the Duncans + Marcus Sound.Bank Holiday Carnival Dance.£4,£5 on door 7-2 Scamps Oxford-True Life Confessions 10ish £2.50? Oxford Playhouse-George and Margaret 8pm £3.90 Sat £4.90 + conc to 5th. SHP-2.30pm Chariots of Fire £1.90 + conc. " 12.30pm Berks Youth Jazz Orch.free " 7.30pm Chariots of Fire + Gregory's Girl £1.90 + conc. Tue 1 Hex-Kola Rae (mime artist) 7.30 £2.25 + £3 University-Faculty of Letters Theatre 'Lulu' (play) 7.30 80p members 60p Tudor Arms Greyfriars Road-gay disco The Pheasant Winnersh-High Society Jazz Band 8.3O free Newbury Arts Workshop Northcroft Lane-The Alchemist(Jonson) 7.30 £2.50 + conc. Silks,Bath Road Thatcham -Pressure + Between Pictures +Electric Monkeys 8 till late £1 £1.50 on door Wed 2 Hex-Berlin Berlin 7.30 £2.25 £3 Rank-'So What' tour Anti-Nowhere League,Chron Gen,Chelsea + The Defects 7.30 £2.50 £3 on door. No boots,studs etc. Beat your brains out Tudor Tavern-Jazz 8pm free Reading Film Theatre,University-Excalibur (AA) 8pm £1.40 90p members Thu 3 Hex-As Sun 30 Prince of Wales Caversham-High Society Jazz Band 8pm free RFT-Richard Pryor Live in Concert (X) 8pm £1.40 90p members Bulmershe College-The Cherry Orchard 7.30ish price unknown The Crown,Crown Street-Red Rag Social (back room) 40p 7.30ish till 12. Bar till 12,fab sounds-what more could you want? SHP-The Elephant Man (play) 7.45 £1.90,£2.20 Fri 4 Hex-The Tempest 7.30 £2.25 £3 " 10.30pm Sheila Steafel Solo £2.50 " Harvey and the Wallbangers free entertainment before during and after performances,in the foyer Tudor Arms-gay disco SHP-8pm Roger Ruskin Spears Kinetic Wardrobe (family ent) free " 11pm Lolita(X) £1.90 + conc. Haymarket Theatre Basingstoke-Bournemouth Symphony Orch 7.30 3 + conc. Sat 5 Hex-7.30 see Wed 2 " 12.45-1*.5 Pookiesnackenburger free (fun) " Harvey and The Wallbangers as Fri 4 Centra1-Fundraising dance for football team sounds by King Solomon + Sir Masai male and female fashion show,presentation of medals etc. 8 till late Price ? SHP-Janet and Tony Green (folk) 8pm £1,£1.20 " Pookiesnackenburger 7.30 free " 11pm Film as Fri 4 The Dove-Pam's Birthday (sorry Pam) Sun 6 Hex-As Fri 4 Fives-Fleximuscle 12.3O free Eagle,Baker Street-Jazz 8pm free SHP-Blinkers,Spy Spotter (U) + Rangi's Catch episode 6 (U) 12.15 " Windsor and Maidenhead Schools Band 7.30 free Mon 7 Hex-Hoyt Axton (country) 7.30 £4-£6 " Exhib.Paintings and drawings by Valerie Jones to 19th The Plough Winnersh-Kennet Jazz Band 8pm free SHP-Changing Time + Clapping Songs (womens videos) 7.30 free " Nighthawks (X) 7.30 £1.90 + conc. Playhouse Oxford-Quartermaine's Terms 8pm £3.90 Sat 4.90 + conc.To 12th Newbury Arts Workshop-Festival of Photography all week.Free exhib in day. Various lectures at night. Tue 8 Hex-Nolans.Two shows.6.15 £2-£4.50,9pm £2.50-£5 Tudor Arms-Gay disco The Pheasant Winnersh-Jazz 8pm free SHP-Body Heat (X) 7.30 £1.90 + conc. To 13th Watermill Theatre Newbury-Stagestruck 7.30 £2.50-£6 Redgrave Theatre Farnham-Rebecca.To 3rd July Wed 9 Hex-Borodin Trio (classical) 7.30 £2.50-£3.50 Gay Soc Picnic-behind Union building 1.30 onwards bring food and drink. Central-Temba Theatre Group in 'City Jungle' 8pm start £1.50 Tudor Tavern-Jazz 8pm free Rank-Yesterday and Today +After Dark + Spider 7.30 £2.50 Heavy metal Jack of Both Sides,Cemetery Junction-The Brothers of Beat 8.30 RFT-Rude Boy (X) 8pm £1.40 90p members Thu 10 Hex-Wrestling 7.30 £2-£2.50 Central-as Wed 9 Prince of Wales C'sham-High Society Jazz Band 8pm free RFT-Union City(X) 8pm £1.40 90p members Fri 11 Hex-Ken Dodd's Laughter Show 7.30 £2-£5 + minor conc.Maggie's favourite funnyman. Central -Fundraising dance Ital Survivors + guest sounds 8 till late Price? Tudor Arms-Gay disco SHP-Chertsey Tijuana 7.30 free " The Postman Always Rings Twice (X) 11pm £1.90 + conc. Sat 12 Hex- 12.15 Martin Lukens Accordion Band free " An Evening of Harmony (barbershop) 7.30 £2-£3 + minor conc. Central-Steel Band,sounds by King Dick 8 till late Price? SHP-The Big Fish (U) + Rangi's Catch Episode 7 12.15 (sorry this entry should be for Sunday 13th). Haymarket Wote Street Basingstoke -Basingstoke Symphony Orch, 8pm £l-£3 Sun 13 Reading Festival starts here... Hex-Gala Variety Performance 7.15 £10-£20 dress informal (sounds awful, second rate performers + royalty + pay through the nose for the honour, but one has to be seen giving money to charity hasn't one?) Hex-Exhib. Focus on Sheep (must be photos of above) To 20th.Baa Eagle Baker Street-Jazz 8pm free Mon 14 Hex-Nick Lowe's Noise to Go 7.30 £3.25-£4 St. Mary's Church,Butts-Organ recital 8pm £1.50 Forbury Gardens-Scottish music and dancing 7pm till dusk free. The Plough Winnersh-Kennet Jazz Band 8pm free SHP-Cutter's Way (X) 7.30 £1,90 + conc. To 20th Playhouse Oxford- She Stoops To Conquer 8pm £3.90 Sat 4.90 + conc. To June 19 Tue 15 Hex-Operetta Excerpts 7.30 £2.50-£3.50 + minor conc. St. Mary's Church,The Butts-Trio Zafaran (recital) 1.05pm £1 Art Dept.London Road-Finals Exhib.Free To 25th Tudor Arms-Gay disco The Pheasant Winnersh-Jazz 8pm free. - - - REVIEW VISITING EUROPE BEFORE HE BLOWS IT UP On 7 June this sceptred isle will be honoured by the presence of that great international statesman Ronald Reagan. He's coming over to avoid having to put up with all those nasty people at the UN whining on and on about disarmament. They do insist on doing it every couple of years. So Ronald is coming to have a much more enjoyable chat, about bigger and better ways of killing people, with our esteemed leader. In honour of this auspicious occasion we present a selection of quotations from the gentleman himself. Here we reveal his solutions to everything from rising crime to nuclear waste disposal. All quotes are guaranteed genuine. $"I am speaking here today neither as an academician nor as a politician. I do not have the training to be the first nor the aspiration to be the second." $ NUCLEAR BOMBS: "No-one of course wants to use these weapons but the enemy should never be told we won't. He should go to bed every night fearful that we might." $ ON VIETNAM: "We should declare war on North Vietnam. We could pave the whole place over by noon and be home for dinner." $"There's no question that the self-sufficiency and material well-being of Americans are being diminished by government, we're following England down the road to intellectual and financial destruction." $ DEVELOPING AFRICAN NATIONS: "When they have a man for lunch they really have him for lunch. $"The system has never failed us once. But we have failed the system every time we lose faith in the magic of the market place." $ ON STUDENT PROTEST: "If there's to be a bloodbath, let it be now." $"A tree is a tree - how many more do you need to look at?" $"California is proud to be the home of the freeway." $ ON GUN CONTROL: "I once played a sheriff who thought he could do the job without a gun. I was dead in the twenty-seventh minute of a thirty minute show." $"There is no law saying the Negro has to live in Harlem." $"I just am incapable of prejudice; I believe this." $"All the wastes from a nuclear power plant could be stored under a desk." $"I favour the Civil Rights Act 1964 and it should be enforced at the point of a bayonet if necessary." $"I would have voted against the civil rights act of 1964." $"The elimination of poverty was a worthy goal in itself but during the depression we had an all time low in crime." $"Everything is a game except football, it is the last thing in our civilised life where a man can physically throw himself, his full body, into combat with another man." $"Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born." $ ABOUT A POLITICAL RIVAL: "He's good to his family. He's put a lot of relatives on the payroll." $"I'm for equal rights for women, but I'm against the Equal Rights Amendment. When I first read the ERA, I supported it. On first reading, it appeared to be a clear and simple statement of equal rights. But the results of the last couple of years of legal research have convinced me that ERA is not as simple as it appears; the ERA could be interpreted by some judges in ways that would degrade and defeminize women by forcing them to mingle with men in close intimate quarters. I don't want to see restrooms, barracks and shower rooms integrated sexually. Human beings are not animals and I do not want to see sexual differences treated as casually and immorally as dogs and other beasts treat them. I believe this could happen under ERA." - - - LETTER At the risk of turning a short article into a boring saga, I'd like to reply to Mark Barratt's letter about BANC/CND in the last issue. I nave two main complaints to make about it, both of which are related to the fact that he was not actually involved in the production of the issue in which the original article about BANC/CND was printed. The article stated several ways in which BANC seemed to be changing its position on nuclear power to align more closely with the Labour Party line. The only one of these which has been contested is the minor point of whether the ex-Chair of BANC was 'anti' CND or merely 'critical' of it. This would seem to be a matter of opinion. No-one has seen fit to distance BANC/CND from the Labour party, a fact which must raise doubts in the minds of those who remember the cynical way in which the Labour Party behaved towards CND in the early 60s. I would suggest that then as now many Labour Party members saw the nuclear issue as a recruiting ground for young party activists but one which could be safely ignored once Labour achieved power. What has been said about BANC activities against nuclear power shows how pitifully little has been achieved by the few individuals within BANC who have undoubtedly worked hard on this issue. Mr Barratt portrays the original article as an attack on an individual. It was not meant as such. It was meant to raise questions about the direction of anti-nuclear activity in Reading. That BANC have chosen to devote a considerable portion of their latest internal newsletter to nuclear power (and well worth reading it is too) is an encouraging sign. The second error Mr Barratt makes is to imply that there was something sinister or slipshod about the presentation of the original piece. It appeared as an unsigned item because it was considered by those producing that issue to be a news item. It was written, like most news items in Red Rag, by one member of the collective but modified in consultation with others: thus it was in a sense the collective responsibility of all these involved in the editing of that issue. In choosing to deal with Mr Revell personally rather than pass him on to the production group for that issue I had assumed that Mr Barratt was including himself in that responsibility, as opposed to taking on an executive role in Red Rag. It would seem from his letter that this is not the case. . A shoddy journalist - - - PRINCIPLES Principle of fighting colonialism Principle of self-determination Principle of sovereignty Principle of aggression not being seen to pay Principle of solidarity of the third world Principle of smashing tin-pot dictators (in a quiet British way) Principle of God being on our side Principle of finders-keepers Principle of democracy Principle of Law and Order Principle of Freedom Principle of Right What about the Principle of life? - - - WARGAME REMAKE NEEDS 200 READING EXTRAS Every peace campaigner must have seen the now famous anti-war film 'The War Game' by Peter Watkins. Although the BBC banned the film, which deals with the effects of a nuclear attack on Britain, it became, via the peace movement, the most well-known anti-war film in the country. The director of this horrifying film is now going to make another 'Wargame' style film, which probes more deeply the role of regional seats of government, the police and the military after the nuclear holocaust. In search of volunteer actors, Peter Watkins gave an introductory talk on his plans for making the film on May 20th at Reading Univ. London Rd Site. He said the film would partly be funded by Central TV, who were willing to pay technical costs (film, camera crew etc), but that he had no doubts that the film will cause a storm of controversy as it will heavily criticise the Home Office and its plans for the people of Britain after a nuclear attack. Mr Watkins expressed his anger and disgust at the Home Office's present attitude towards a potential nuclear war and civil defence, saying not only do the authorities withhold information from the public, but when they do inform the public, data is falsified and statistics distorted to the extent of their having a deliberate policy of misinformation. The film will portray the situation in different parts of Britain before and after a nuclear attack, and will focus in on one family's experiences. Peter Watkins pointed out that non-elected persons (men?) will rule Britain from each Regional Seat of Govt (RSG). Everyone in Britain will have to stay in the county they were living in at the time of the attack - no movement will be allowed, however bad things are in your area. If you do move from your area, you give up your right to 'protection' from the authorities, who will refuse to feed you. All M-ways will be blocked. All private telephones will be cut off - with no mail, no electricity except govt controlled generators, people will find it difficult to communicate. Only govt bunkers may receive phone calls, which will be filled with non-elected govt bureaucrats and military police anyway. These are some of the facts that the Home Office would rather we didn't know, and it is precisely these facts that P Watkins is aiming to expose in his new film. It is hoped that people from outside the peace movement will take part alongside people within it, so that the experience of living as a refugee will have some kind of politicising effect! People are needed to be soldiers, policemen, and refugees. About 200 people are needed from Reading to film the raiding of a supermarket in High Wycombe, chaos at a railway junction at Watford, a refugee camp in Exeter, and something else in Hemel Hempstead. Filming will take place on specific days at the end of July and beginning of Aug. There will be buses to transport actors on each day. People going to Exeter will be expected to cultivate beards/unkempt hair and stay at the refugee camp for a while. Even if you can only make it for one day, find out which one it is at the meeting on June 22nd, probably at the Old Town Hall, 7.30. Watch this space. Eisbaer + F - - - NEWS DIGEST +++ GREEHAM PEACE CAMP UNMOVED-(well only a little bit) The Peace Camp was to be evicted from Greenham last Thursday,(May 27th) but when bailiffs arrived they found the camp had moved on to land on the edge of the common (still close to the entrance of the base). The land now being occupied is owned by the Department of Transport, who will have to go through the same procedure as Newbury District Council to have the women evicted. Peace campaigner Helen John said 'Our protest will go on. We are staying here!' Five women who had blockaded the gate on Thursday were forcibly removed by police and a bulldozer. (The women were lying down in front of the machine.) One woman was hurt when debris from the shelter fell on her. 50 police were involved in the operation, which lasted 7 hours. The five women arrested have since appeared in Newbury magistrates' court. Four women were charged- with 'disturbing the peace!' (Hang on - who was it doing the disturbing?) and sent to Holloway prison for 7 days and told that they could secure their release from jail by agreeing to comply with the court order and be bound over to keep the peace. One woman agreed and was released. Ioma Ax said 'It seems ironical that I am charged with a breach of the peace when I am at Greenham Common to preserve peace'. +++ THE POOP'S WORLD TOUR 82 Now, someone who really should be charged with disturbing the peace- why should we be subjected to this horrendous circus? 'Poopmania' has hit Britain's mass media with a vengeance. Who is this guy, anyway? What makes him so different? No, I don't want to know..... +++ ALDERMASTON'S NUCLEAR SECRETS.... ...predictably remain so. Basingstoke Borough Council's demand for information about the transportation of nuclear materials to and from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston was rejected by the Atomic Energy Authority 'in the interests of national security'. The Labour group of councillors had expressed fears that a road accident would lead to radiation dangers in the area, and believe that as much nuclear material as possible should be transported by rail to avoid the possibility of accidents in built-up areas. British Rail has told the council that it carries an average of '25 loads of nuclear material a year' through the borough. The AEA however ,did agree to tell the council about all the precautions they take when moving nuclear material. Thank you so much. +++ CONCRETE CITY, THE FUTURE, AND YOU You may have heard that the council has a blueprint for Reading Town - it is a development plan for the town for the next decade and includes some worrying proposals for a new road in East Reading which would ruin the Kennetmouth. The council begins its own consultation in July, but Reading Civic Society is holding a public meeting in the Old Town Hall on June 16. If you like the Kennetmouth, or worry at all about What Reading Will Be Like In The Future, make sure you are well informed and be at this meeting! - - - RED RAG REVIEW TAKING ON PUBLIC ENEMY NO.l (The Campaign for Linguistic Disarmament) Meet the Enemy Here it is; a weapon more dangerous and deadly than Trident. The overt/covert deterrent. It's under your nose....literally! Language - the word. WE ARE ALL VICTIMS OF LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING. Language through its nature imposes on us socially determined limits and constraints. According to our programmers (I will introduce them to you later) these are limits for our 'benefit'; they stop us, 'saying what we don't mean'. Something has gone very wrong over the last few thousand years. The Programming As children we are taught simple connections between words and what they refer to, e.g -'Table' -'Communist' -'Fascist' The word is associated with an image rather than with a neutral definition. At this early stage of our programming the word and its referent are irresistibly unified in our memory. We must associate fascists and communists with undesirable unreasonable people. The ideological evidence for this in taken for granted by our programmers. These programmers include parents, teachers and the church acting under the weight of history and the ignorance of linguistic programming. The Re-Programming The enquiring mind will often break out of this simple connecting process between a word and its referent and open her/his eyes to the awesome power of language. The progressive left for example, wary of the force of this original programming, shift the 'fascist' referent, making it a label for almost any right wing doctrine. This alienates a much broader sweep of right wing ideology in the mind of the programmed person (right wing=fascist=Hitler=undesirable). Clearly the other effect of this shift is to dilute the original aggression toward the 'communist' referent. Of course these aren't the only forces acting on words; the manipulation of meaning becomes a tug-of-war between various competing factions. Words undergo considerable re-programming under these forces but, because original conceptions linger, there is hardly any deprogramming proper, Consider: Sexism Capitalism Marxism Anarchism Thought Aesthetics Linguistic Programming These are all linguistically programmed and reprogrammed. The De-Programming Is deprogramming possible? Well firstly is it desirable? I think it is. For example sexist programming is something every clear thinking individual should want to resist. Sexism lies at the very heart of political and social problems. Unfortunately our language is very severely programmed in this direction. 'He' is a success, 'She' is a red sports car. This sort of programming has met with token resistance recently. Consider: 'Chairman'-'Chairperson' 'Mrs' -'Ms.' Even these small but worthwhile elements of deprogramming have been resisted by our male-orientated language and by the male himself. Ridicule is the most common weapon of resistance here. The male recognises the threat to his masculine language and adopts a patronising approach in his attempt to defuse it. Political, religious and moral programming needs resisting; they need dismantling. We need to start language from scratch again. We have seen that small elements of deprogramming are possible but what about dismantling the whole status quo that masks as neutral language? Difficult. Consider this analogy for a while (analogies are firm favourites with programmers, but I make no apologies. I'm just another slave.) It has a lot of faults as an analogy but then the only complete model of something is the thing itself. Maybe it will help to make a point: Reality is a steam-roller. Status quo is in the driving seat. An individual or group of individuals can do one of several things: They can l) Take over the driving seat-military dictators etc. 2) Stand in the path of the roller-revolutionaries (you need a lot of people not to get crushed). 3) Jump in the passenger seat and go with the driver-Edward Heath / Dennis Healey-that type (very popular) 4) Stay ahead of the roller-capitalist entrepreneurs + artists who don't get fingers burnt by status quo. 5) Move off the road or behind-society calls these people 'mad'. 6) Try to deflect its direction by a series of nudges. This doesn't require a lot of force but it can shift a large mass away from its course - people who don't accept society's status quo but are pessimistic about either the possibility or the outcome of a revolution fit into this category. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE LANGUAGE STEAM-ROLLER? The Summary Language is waging a slow war of attrition against society. In this war truth (true meaning) is the first casualty. If, as many people now seem to think, meaning is use, we had better be careful how we use words in future. Linguistic programming starts when connections between words and their referents are made on our behalf. Children are not permitted to make these connections through their own experience and intuition. This situation deteriorates as through repeated programming language becomes the manipulator and we the tools. Language initiates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Any political or social change can only be successfully realised by recognising the importance of language and the problem of dismantling it. I am very pessimistic. Possibly the way forward is through small consolidated elements of deprogramming forming the basis of a gradual total deprogramming and leaving us with a neutral de-biased language. But how does one prevent a recorruption of this language? I think that the aftermath of such a revolution (or any revolution) provides a very vulnerable environment. Users with power in their eyes will swoop down for the kill; the deprogrammed environment must be protected to let the cubs of the new pure language flourish. As I said I am pessimistic about all this, very pessimistic. The Homework l) Why in Latin for example are some nouns masculine and others feminine? 2) To what extent is this article its own worst enemy? 3) Consider the linguistic history of 'gay' and its referent. 4) Can language be phonetically dangerous? (Not many people really understood exactly what Hitler was going on about - it was not what he said but how he said it that inspired millions.) The Moral Language is indeed a strait-jacket but remember what happened to Houdini! NINETEEN EIGHTY WHAT? John Delahunty - - - $Id: //info.ravenbrook.com/user/ndl/readings-only-newspaper/issue/1982/1982-05-30.txt#3 $