Market and Marxism
Sir: Mr Stern's retort to my letter of October 13 on Marxism and the Common Market was as ungenerous as it was pettyfogging. No one who supports British entry into Europe believes for one second thatthe Common Market will be an , instant panacea for our economic and social ills or that it will not create difficulties and anomalies of its own, Rather it is a question of weighing a reater good against a lesser evil. Mr tern's examples of eroded sovereignty. nostalgic and of doubtful validity as they are, miss the main Roint which is that by building a united r-oroPe we are making the Freedom and Democracy that we so rightly treasure more #safe rather than less safe. This is a process that Britain with her great democratic maturity can do an enormous amount to push forward. Are we, therefore, for the sake of a largely mythological view of sOvereignty to hide our light under a bushel? Mr Stern's inverted patriotism can only result in the sort of meekness of spirit which is the seedbed of dictatorship, And what is this bizarre comparison of Edward Heath with Petain and by Llnplication Messrs Pompidou and °randt with Hitler? What has the present German Chancellor with his one record of pragmatic socialism and °PPosition to tyranny got in common pwith the Nazi dictator? The choice for • ranee in 1940 as Mr Stern states it Was between Hitler and Blum, or shOuld we not say between Hitler and Stalin? And who can say which of Lhose two was the more odious? Has mr Heath, by taking us into Europe, .reallY asked us to join up with that Sort 01 gang? The comparison is sPurious and if anything it is Mr tern's stunted form of patriotism that Is more likely to result in totalitarianism than Mr Heath's. Nowhere in my letter did I ask tiYone to vote for .Mr Heath, -but nplied that those of the moderate left Ino might otherwise vote Labour uld instead consider voting, where Possible, either for the Liberals or inr Taverne's party. linally Mr Stern states his intention Voting Labour in the hope of ..educing the pace of socialisation. This r,e,inark makes explicit the negativity of Position, If he is so convinced that e Labour party, once in office, will Push on its commitment to further lationalisation, how can he be so sure nglat it will not also wriggle out of its (foomitment to renegotiate the terms " °lir entry into Europe? C. J. Arthur The Coach House, Windlesham Court, windlesham, Surrey
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