("A city of life" is the slogan of the HK Tourist Authority, but "a city of struggle" has become a regular by-line in the South China Morning Post). This article we have received from a group of Marxists in Hong Kong describes the political, economical and social situation in the city. There have been a number of strikes and demonstrations by different groups of workers in the last period, particularly the immigrant workers. The article also explains the strategy of the Marxists in their intervention.

It was quite amusing to hear the reports on the radio that a column of American tanks was advancing on Kandahar. Since this glorious advance only took place after Kandahar had surrendered, this must have been the most painless "triumphal advance" in the history of warfare! This little incident is a good example of the kind of surrealism that has characterised this campaign from the beginning. Predictably, the Americans are shouting victory as loud as they can. Despite all the triumphalism, the real situation becomes clear if we ask ourselves concretely what has been achieved?

Report of the picket outside the Pakistani Embassy in Mexico City to protest against trade union repression in Pakistan.

"The Marines have landed and the situation is under control." This kind of headline was very common in the 1930s, when the USA had a habit of intervening with tedious regularity in the territory of small states in Central America. Now history seems to be repeating itself - but with a difference. The marines referred to here are, of course, American. While the US marine corps is grabbing the headlines of the world press, a couple of hundred British marines are kicking their heels on the outskirts of Bagram airstrip, while a couple of thousand of their comrades are kept hanging around on army bases in Britain, unloved and unwanted, while Tony Blair fumes in impotent humiliation.