Another month like September and there soon won’t be much left of British industry. First the European Aeronautics Defence and Space Company, EADS, swallows British Aerospace, never mind that it’s called a merger (see feature p9). Then the European Commission orders the break-up of EMI (see news p4).
Industry created modern Britain, so it’s no surprise that the autumn offensive against Britain and its working class coming from Europe is aimed at industry. To say the driving force for this assault is coming from Germany is not to be anti-German: it’s simply a fact.
Witness the report from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his mates (see news p3) calling for even more powers for the EU. Having spent the first half of the 20th century seeking to dominate Europe by force of arms, German capitalists have turned to another strategy – European integration, open markets, free movement of labour...war by other means.
For the working class, the only answer is to take control. We must start with our own organisations, the trade unions, for too long abandoned to unrepresentative egos (see feature p6). And then, our country, our future. ■