USA: Profits for the Few – War, Racism & Unemployment for the Rest of Us Most working people would agree that quality jobs, health care, education, housing and infrastructure aren't too much to ask for. Instead, capitalism gives us war, racism, economic turmoil, and unemployment. It’s not as though the money isn’t there – over $2 billion is spent each week just on the occupation of Iraq – it’s a matter of priorities. Just imagine how many badly-needed schools, bridges and hospitals could be built, providing quality jobs for millions of people in the process.
Is John Edwards an Alternative for U.S. Workers? Millionaire trial lawyer, one time Senator, and former VP hopeful John Edwards, is now seeking the U.S. Presidency. Like the rest of the candidates, he seeks to differentiate himself from Bush and even from many in his own Party, as there is a much-deserved disgust with the political rulers in Washington. But is Edwards fundamentally any different from the rest of the bosses’ candidates?
“Che” - an icon? The life and ideas of Ernesto Guevara Ernesto (“Che”) Guevara was executed by Bolivian troops near the town of La Higuera on 9 October 1967, following an ambush. The operation was planned by the CIA and organized by US Special Forces. On the anniversary of his death it is appropriate that we make a balance sheet of this outstanding revolutionary and martyr. In this article, originally written on the 40th anniversary of Che's death, Alan Woods looks at the evolution of Che Guevara from his early days to the day he was killed.
100 Years since Vancouver’s Anti-Asian Race Riots - Racism and its role in Class Society Last month marked the 100 year anniversary of one of the B.C. labour movement’s darkest moments – the anti-Asian riots of 1907. This mobilization of organized workers against other workers along racial lines highlights the need for a clear understanding of why racism exists and is allowed to exist, the pernicious role it plays under capitalism, and the real road to its abolition.
USA: The Anti-War Movement, the Troops & Some Lessons from Vietnam The Iraq War is taking place in a different historical period than the Vietnam War. The U.S. is by far the largest imperialist power, but its economic and political foundation are more unstable then was the case during the Vietnam War. Furthermore, it is now clearer to tens of millions of Americans that the Iraq War is being accompanied by a war on workers’ historic gains, living standards, and democratic rights here at home. The situation today is potentially far more combustible then it was even at the height of the Vietnam War.
USA: The Iraq War Comes Home to Roost Like the Katrina disaster two years ago, the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, MN is yet another reminder of the real effects of the capitalist policy of “guns before butter”. A recent opinion poll showed that Americans are as concerned about corruption in government and the economy as they are about the war in Iraq. This is an indication of things to come, as opposition to the war begins to shift to domestic issues.
Pickets of Mexican Embassies worldwide for the release of all political prisoners Yesterday pickets were organised outside Mexican embassies around the world, calling for the release of Adan Mejia (an APPO activist and supporter of the Marxist Tendency Militante) and of all the other political prisoners presently being held in Mexican jails. The campaign will continue until everyone is released and all charges are dropped.
September 11 and the total failure of Bush’s adventures Today the death of nearly 3000 people during the September 11 attacks will be officially commemorated once again. But will anyone at those commemorations mention how those deaths were cynically exploited by the Bush administration to carry out a plan hatched by the US oil lobby for its own greedy interests?
The challenges facing the Venezuelan Revolution The overwhelming victory of Chávez in the presidential elections last December marked a new shift to the left in the Venezuelan revolution, followed by the setting up of the PSUV, nationalisations, workers' control, enabling power. In a speech at the summer school of the International Marxist Tendency, Jorge Martin analysed the stage the revolution is at, the dangers it faces and outlined the way forward.
Francisco Jay Aguilar: Free at last! Francisco Jay Alguilar is free at last! After enduring an extremely difficult situation in prison, comrade Alguilar has been freed and returned to his family. The struggle of all our comrades in prison was exemplary. Now our task is to continue the fight and build the revolutionary organisation.
HOV: Workers control under attack - The struggle for justice at Sanitarios Maracay continues Megan Hise reports from Maracay on the latest attempt to destroy the struggle of the workers at Sanitarios Maracay for expropriation under workers' control.
Coverage of the Jamaican Elections 2007 We received the following contribution which provides useful background information to the upcoming Jamaican elections.
Mexican political prisoners legal defence fund and international day of action The campaign to free Adán Mejía is calling for an International Day of Action on September 13th, when pickets should be organised outside Mexican consulates and embassies around the world. We are also calling on all labour movement and youth activists to pass resolutions supporting the demands of the campaign and to make donations towards the legal defence fund, which will cover the costs of the campaign.
7 of the 8 political prisoners of MENA, CLEP-CEDEP and Miltante have been released The pressure against the detention and incarceration of the comrades from the CLEP-CEDEP, Militante and the Movement of Non-Accepted Students (MENA) has begun to bear fruit. However, the release of the comrades does not mean a full victory yet.
Light shines again at Flasko! After 40 days of suffering and struggle, the workers of Flasko (the worker-occupied factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil) managed to re-establish electricity supply to the factory from the CPFL electricity company.
