other forward positions, ready for the war that seems certain to come.
All of this hides the real issue; Bush is determined to wage a war for oil and he has to do it quickly.
But the more people demonstrate on the scale we have been seeing, the more pres sure he is under. Already polls show a majority of American people are against a war waged without UN support - even though most Americans also seem to think that lraq launched the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.
n Britain, where an even larger majority are against war, and even the cabinet is reportedly divided, our main enemy is Blair:
The Stop The War conference in early January overwhelmingly endorsed the idea that we must split Blair from Bush,
That's why all socialists will be building for what will be a massive demonstration in London on February 15, to link up with the Europe wide day of action against war. fringe member, with a far less confronta tional line, than the new so-called "awkward squad" of union General Secretaries. The hint of weakness in his approach has been ruthlessly seized upon by the employers
But the chips are down
Whether Gilchrist likes it or not, there is a confrontation, in which the FBU's aspirations to improve pay and conditions and defend the high quality and level of cover provided by the service are under threat.
Firefighters need a revival of strike action to force the employers back to the table with an improved offer. Anything less than that will give Blair and Prescott precisely what they wanted: a high-profile humiliation of a strong union taking justified action in a popular cause. This will be used to force back other sections of public sector workers.
The lessons of the past show that it is not too late for the FBU to resume the fight and win. In the last national strike, the FBU membership sustained a nine-week all out stoppage in the teeth of opposition from the TUC and their own General Secretary and National Executive.
Socialists will be seeking ways to support the firefighters in the batte to snatch victory from the jaws of another round of aimless talks and half-hearted action