1976: Italian Communists back austerity for workers

I wrote this article in early 1977, (it was published in the Militant, issue 349, 1 April 1977) when the leaders of the PCI, the Italian Communist Party, were supporting a minority Christian Democrat government, which was carrying out austerity measures. In October 1976, that government announced its programme, immediately unleashing a wave of spontaneous strikes across Italy. The PCI leaders used their huge authority among workers to pull them back and accept the “sacrifices” as necessary measures to “get the economy back on its feet”. This moment represented a major betrayal of the Italian working class, which was to mark the beginning of the end of the wave of class struggle that started with the famous Hot Autumn of 1969.

Inspired by the Palestine solidarity encampments in the US, students across Britain have begun to take action. The newly-founded Revolutionary Communist Party has thrown itself into the struggle, fighting to escalate the movement and to bring down the imperialists.

2023 saw the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, and the man at the heart of the state today. The anniversary was marked by a torrent of remembrances of the figure once described by Henry Kissinger as “one of the asymmetries of history.” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Lee Kuan Yew’s son) is stepping down on 15 May and passing the baton to a new generation of leadership unrelated to the Lee family. The continuation of Lee’s People’s Action Party and the entire edifice of the Singaporean state hangs in the balance. Therefore, it is important for Marxists and communists to understand the nature of the Singaporean state today.

El fin de semana pasado, del 3 al 6 de mayo, 600 trabajadores y jóvenes se reunieron en Londres para el lanzamiento del Partido Comunista Revolucionario en Gran Bretaña. Este congreso representa un hito histórico. Únete a nosotros hoy, organízate y ayuda a construir el PCR.

O ataque a Rafah, há muito planejado, começou. Na segunda-feira, 6 de maio, as Forças de Defesa de Israel (FDI) lançaram ataques aéreos contra a cidade e emitiram alertas de evacuação de cerca de 100 mil palestinos dos seus bairros a leste para as chamadas “zonas humanitárias” de al-Mawasi, em direção à costa, e a uma área a oeste de Khan Younis.

في حلقة هذا الأسبوع من سلسلة لينين خلال عام، نلقي نظرة على إحدى مقالات لينين الأقل شهرة، وهي عبارة عن جدال ضد التيار الذي يطلق عليه الماركسيون عادة اسم النزعة “اليسارية المتطرفة”. كتب لينين مقال: “فصيل أنصار الأوتزوفية وبناء الله” في عام 1909، وتطرق فيه لمسائل رئيسية حول التكتيكات والفلسفة الماركسية التي كانت مجموعة يسارية متطرفة غير مبدئية داخل الفصيل البلشفي تسعى إلى مراجعتها.

Til juni stifter den Internationale Marxistiske Tendens en ny Revolutionær Kommunistisk Internationale (RCI), som vil kæmpe under kommunismens banner på tværs af alle kontinenter. I denne artikel forklarer Alan Woods den historiske betydning af dette skridt, idet han sporer tidligere internationalers opståen og fald og illustrerer RCI's betydning i kampen for kommunismen i dag.

L’attaque prévue de longue date contre Rafah a débuté. Lundi 6 mai, l’armée israélienne a commencé à bombarder la ville et a ordonné l’évacuation d’environ 100 000 Palestiniens vers les soi-disant « zones humanitaires » d’al-Mawasi sur la côte, et vers une région à l’ouest de Khan Younis.

O ataque há muito planeado contra Rafah já começou. Na segunda-feira, 6 de maio, as Forças de Defesa Israelita lançaram ataques aéreos contra a cidade e emitiram apelos à evacuação de cerca de 100.000 palestinianos dos seus bairros orientais para as chamadas “zonas humanitárias” de al-Mawasi em direção à costa, e uma área a oeste de Khan Younis. 

L’atac planejat des de fa temps a Rafah ha començat. El dilluns 6 de maig, les FDI van llançar atacs aeris a la ciutat i van emetre crides per a l’evacuació d’uns 100.000 palestins dels seus barris orientals a les anomenades “zones humanitàries” d’al-Mawasi cap a la costa, i una zona a l’oest de Kan Younis.

Во јуни, Меѓународната Mарксистичка Tенденција ќе ja лансира новата Револуционерна Комунистичка Интернационала, за смело да го вее здравото знаме на комунизмот на секој континент. Во оваа статија, Алан Вудс ја објаснува историската важност на овој чекор, следејќи го развојот и падот на претходните Интернационали и покажувајќи го значењето на РКИ во борбата за комунизам денес.