As Marxists we see no fundamental difference between the two capitalist parties, which in the final analysis defend private property, the market, and the rule of capital. But George Bush Jr.'s "election" indicates a definite shift in policy on behalf of the American ruling class. So even though their basic interests were guaranteed regardless of who won the election, the capitalists had a decision to make - who would be better suited to face the inevitable crisis facing the US and global economies, and the increasingly unstable and convulsive political situation on a world scale? Although they were bitterly split between the more openly reactionary Republican George W. Bush, and the

"When the peacemakers aim their guns, of course they shoot to pacify, and sometimes they pacify two birds in one shot." (Mario Benedeti, Ode to pacification)

I worked with the 300 workers who worked on top of the World Trade center. This is dedicated to any who may have perished.

There is no event in modern history to compare the terror of the morning of September 11th, 2001 to. Make no mistake, the misguided individuals who performed these acts have nothing to do with the Left, their actions are totally alien to anything genuinely Socialist, Communist, Marxist, Leninist or Trotskyist. These acts of terror ended the lives of thousands of working class men and women, and in effect, have emotionally crushed their extended families. Terrorism is in direct opposition to the methods of the masses. Terrorism is a reactionary petty bourgeois method which accomplishes nothing but the further pain and suffering of the working class.

It appears we finally have a president. More than 5 weeks since election day, weeks of uncertainty and confusion, George Bush has won the presidency. What lies behind all the legislative and judicial maneuvering? What does this all mean from a Marxist perspective?

Nearly a week has passed since the US Presidential election, and still there is no declared winner. What does all of this mean? How is it possible that the vote is split almost identically between the two major candidates? The simple answer is that the two candidates are virtually identical! As we have explained many times, both the Democrats and the Republicans are essentially two sides of the same coin. Both parties are firmly in the pockets of the capitalist class - no matter who wins, the ruling class has covered all its bases by contributing $540 million in campaign "contributions" to the coffers of both parties. Both parties defend the interests of private property and the market,

A new government of national unity and a new President, Eduardo Duhalde, have nominated in Argentina. This is clearly an attempt to derail the revolution through parliamentary manoeuvres. Roberto Sarti of the Italian Marxist journal, Falcemartello, looks at the latest situation in Argentina.

In scenes reminiscent of the fall of Saigon, the leaders of the government hastily packed their bags and fled by helicopter from the roof of the Presidential palace. Only these were not foreign invaders fleeing from an army of national liberation, but an elected President fleeing from his own people. While the eyes of the world were diverted to the other war in Afghanistan, another war was raging. In the week before Christmas, Argentina was at war. Not a war between nations, but a war between rich and poor, between haves and haves not - a war between the classes.

The lock-out staged by the Venezuelan capitalists on 10th December 2001 against the laws introduced by President Hugo Chavez has raised the level of class conflict within this Latin American country to heights not seen in the three years since the latter won elections with 56% of the popular vote, in the teeth of opposition from the imperialists and key sectors of the Venezuelan ruling class.

Alan Woods and Ted Grant look at how the "War on Terrorism" is unfolding, the repurcussions it is having around the world, especially in the Middle East, and the lies and distortions of the bourgeois media.

With violent anti- American demonstrations spreading from Pakistan to Indonesia and from the West Bank to Malaysia, Bush’s anti-terrorist rhetoric is becoming increasingly hollow. Rob Sewell exposes the hypocrisy of US/British imperialism and their coalition partners and reviews the deepening economic crisis worldwide.

Alan Woods and Ted Grant analyse in detail the perspectives for the so-called 'war against terrorism', the effects this will have in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East, and strongly denounce the hypocrisy and double standards of Bush and US imperialism in general. September 21, 2001.