Sir: In his commentary, 'In defence of students' (7 February),
Auberon Waugh praises those Essex students who took part in the Commons Biafra sit-in. He goes on to say : 'The revolu- tionary marxists, as we all know, are char- acterised by an impenetrable stupidity and make easy targets for politicians and petulant dons alike. Needless to say, none of them is re- motely interested in Biafra, since it does not fit into any of their patterns of struggle—against authoritarian bureaucracy, racialism, capitalism or imperialism.'
How does Mr Waugh reach this conclusion? I, and most of the others who took part in the sit-in are what Mr Waugh would term as being 'revolutionary marxists.' RSSF played an active part in helping to organise the Biafra strike at this university. I must assure Mr Waugh that the issue of the Biaf ran war certainly does fit into our pattern of struggle.
.How odd that I and those other revolutionary socialists who took part in the Commons de- monstration are considered as being 'magni- ficent students from Essex' in one sentence and 'revolutionary marxists . . characterised by an impenetrable stupidity' in the next.
David S. Wilson University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester Auberon Waugh writes: 1 would refer Mr Hogg to Hansard for 27 January, columns 957 and 949, in which he is reported as having said (i) . . this drug is associated . . . with crime, violence and abnormality of one sort or another, but, most commonly of all, with a kind of degradation of the personality' (he went on to refer to pot smoking as 'a new vice'); and (ii) . . in controlling this dangerous drug "there is no alternative" as it [the Report] puts it "to the criminal law" . . . by adhering to the resolution of the United Nations body, we renewed an undertaking to increase our efforts to reduce the use of this drug in our own dominions.'
I apologise to Mr Wilson and to any other magnificent marxists from Essex. 11 is a sad fault, however, which 1 have learned from visiting nine universities, that few of his brethren are as perceptive as he is.
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