Argentina: after the resounding success of the Federal March, what next? On 12 May, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) reported that inflation in April was 6%, pushing annualised inflation up to 58%, its highest level in thirty years. On the same day, hundreds of thousands of protesters arrived in Buenos Aires from all over the country, filling the Plaza de Mayo to participate in the Federal March organised by the unemployed workers’ organisation, Unidad Piquetera. The protest denounced hunger and poverty, and demanded work and wages.
The Greek Revolution of 1821: heroism, betrayal and the birth of modern Greece The French Revolution initiated a decades-long phase of bourgeois revolutions across Europe and beyond that raised the flags of democracy, national liberation, and civil rights against the injustices of the feudal system. These political convulsions prepared the ground for the international ascendancy of the capitalist system in the nineteenth century. Yet in most countries, the democratic promises of the bourgeois revolution remained largely unfulfilled. The Greek war of independence that began over 200 years ago was no exception.
Crisis, protectionism and inflation: war prepares the way for revolution The crisis in Ukraine has created a perfect inflationary storm. The war, the western sanctions on Russia, the pandemic, protectionism and climate change are unravelling decades of low commodity prices in a crisis that is only getting deeper.
Swedish Marxists say: fight NATO – fight imperialism! US imperialism is the strongest force on the planet behind continued capitalist exploitation, poverty and misery. Now, the Swedish government has decided that it is in the interests of Swedish imperialism to join the US-led war alliance, NATO. We say: Fight NATO, fight imperialism – long live international working-class solidarity!
International Marxist University 2022: TIMETABLE FINALISED – BOOK NOW! We are now just nine weeks away from the biggest international Marxist event of the year: the International Marxist University 2022 (#IMU22) from 23 to 26 July. Wherever you are, you too can attend, either online or at one of numerous watch parties being planned on every continent. Already, 1,000 people from 91 countries have registered to attend. We are now proud to announce the finalised timetable and list of speakers. Book now and join us in the fight for revolution!
Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral attacked by police: Israel's sadism and imperialist hypocrisy After assassinating popular Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last week, the Israeli state would not even allow her body to reach its final resting place in peace. In a shocking act of sadism, Israeli police attacked Abu Akleh’s funeral procession on Friday, using batons and stun grenades against mourners escorting her coffin from a hospital in East Jerusalem to a cemetery in the nearby Old City.
US imperialism's proxy war: fighting Russia to the last drop of Ukrainian blood “We’re not just at war to support the Ukrainians. We’re fundamentally at war, although somewhat through a proxy, with Russia, and it’s important that we win,” said US representative Seth Moulton during a Fox News appearance. He was perhaps being more frank than others, but the message has been coming loud and clear from official representatives of Biden’s administration. Asked what the US would consider success in the war, Biden’s Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said “we want to see Russia weakened”.
Sri Lanka: counter-revolution provokes a social explosion On Monday 9 May, dramatic events rocked Sri Lanka. After months of economic turmoil, and weeks of mass mobilisations on the streets, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa made a desperate gamble to establish order and save his own political skin. But his brutal crackdown backfired in dramatic style. By nightfall, Mahinda was hiding in a naval base, whilst dozens of MPs’ residences were in flames. By the end of the day, eight people were dead including one MP and two police officers, and the hospitals were flooded with the injured.
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover: nationalize social media! On April 25, Twitter announced that its board of directors would accept a $44 billion bid by Elon Musk to purchase the social media company. Pending shareholder approval, the deal is set to be finalized over the next three to six months. Musk, currently the richest person on Earth, with a net worth of $259 billion, would thus own one of the most influential social media sites in the world, used daily by over 200 million people.
Palestinian journalist murdered by Israel: this is a war crime! Palestinian Al Jazeerareporter Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead by the Israeli military early this morning, while covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. This cold-blooded murder of a journalist – a war crime under the Geneva Convention – further exposes the brutality of the Israeli state, and lays bare the repulsive hypocrisy of its imperialist allies.
Stagflation looms for UK economy: capitalism is crisis The latest forecasts from the Bank of England for the year ahead are for inflation to surge and the economy to contract: a dangerous double-whammy of ‘stagflation’. Workers must organise and fight back with militant action and socialist policies.
Philippines: ‘Bongbong’ elected – is this the return of the dictatorship? On 25 February 1986, the infamously corrupt and brutal dictator of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, fled the country with his family from a revolutionary mass revolt. Yet on 9 May 2022, another Ferdinand Marcos was voted in as president: the son of the senior Marcos also known as “Bongbong.”
Local elections in Britain: No enthusiasm for main parties as crisis deepens On May 5, local elections in Britain provided a snapshot of the mood in society: one of anger and distrust towards the entire political establishment. Belief in bourgeois democracy is rapidly being eroded, paving the way for revolutionary explosions.
North of Ireland: Sinn Féin victory a historic blow to the union! Sinn Féin has emerged as the first party in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections. With a remarkable 29% of the first preference votes to the DUP’s 21.3%, the gap was even wider than predicted. Within hours of the polls closing, #UnitedIreland was trending on Twitter. This is another devastating blow to the prestige of British imperialism and another tear in the fraying fabric of the so-called ‘United Kingdom’.
Cuba: protests over the dismissal of Alma Mater’s editor reveal deep rejection of bureaucratic censorship The following pair of articles, written at the end of April, discuss the dismissal of the editor of Cuban magazine Alma Mater. What were the reasons for it? And what have been the consequences?