of the Why? demands are going to get on the political map is through building mass struggles and campaigns. That means that the Alliance's politics have to be different from 'old Labor' politics to even stand a chance of winning 'old Labor' demands.
But our approach here implies another task - to provide a popular explanation of what socialism is and how it can be achieved, of how immediate struggles to make the rich pay anticipate a society of equity, solidarity, democracy and sustainability that is socialism. The Alliance has to think about how, in building campaigns of
bookshops for Alliance affiliates - places where any interested person could find out what the Alliance and its affiliates think and activist organising centres where everyone can feel at home. To any Socialist Alliance member who is doubtful and suspicious we say: "Hold each and every proposal that comes from the DSP up to the light. Scrutinise it as carefully as you can. Raise your doubts. We are totally confident that you will discover that the DSP's proposed turn is simply what we say it is, a move to strengthen the Alliance as the face and reality of socialist unity in this country. And remember, such a result can only come about by making our tendency a proportionately smaller current in a bigger, more active Socialist Alliance." • This is an edited version of an article from Green Left Weekly, October 16, 2002.
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