The North of Ireland: Free Marian Price The decision of the Secretary Of State to revoke Marian Price’s release from prison has been met with widespread opposition from the Republican movement. The justification given was that the threat that she poses has “significantly increased” and that she had been encouraging support for an illegal organisation based on her involvement in an Easter comm
Denmark: New government formed but workers’ parties must break with the bourgeois Radical Left A new government was finally formed last week in Denmark. It is clear that the participation of the Radical Left (a bourgeois party) is going to prove to be catastrophic for the working class. The programme of the new government is a continuation of the right wing’s attack on early retirement, unemployment benefits, etc. All talk about a “fair solution” to the economic problems of Denmark and that “the broadest shoulders also should bear some of the burden” has now disappeared.
Impending default and the new wave of working class revolt in Greece The financial crisis in Greece is constantly in the headlines and focusing everyone’ attention on what it could lead to. As we have explained before, the reason for this is not due to the objective economic weight of the Greek economy within European and world capitalism. In absolute terms Greece only accounts for 2% of the European Union’s GDP and even its public debt is only 3% of the total public debt of the Eurozone. The point is, however, that Greece is the weakest link in European capitalism which is now at the centre of the global capitalist crisis.
Ireland: The housing crisis revealed The Nama Wine Lake Blog recently exposed the scandalous statistic that while there are some 300,000 vacant houses in the state, there are still some 100,000 households on the list for state housing. Nama Wine Lake estimates that this represents a minimum of 176,147 people. Even a very conservative estimate of the “overhang” of vacant properties – excluding holiday homes indicates that there are some 100,000 vacant homes - 23 -33,000 of which are on the so called “ghost estates”.
1936: The Battle of Cable Street The 4th October marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, a momentous event in which the working people of London united to deliver a decisive blow against the menace British fascism. In this article we commemorate the brave stand of those workers who fought the fascists while seeking to expose the real nature of fascism and drawing lessons for today's struggles against the English Defence League (EDL) and the British National Party (BNP).
Ireland: UNISON Health and Education strike: All out on the 5th The 24 hour strike by UNISON members to defend Health and Education Services in the North is an indication of the scale of the crisis in the public sector. But its also the most significant trade union struggle to hit the North since the onset of the current economic crisis.
Denmark: A New government, but still an austerity majority Finally after ten years the right-wing government consisting of Venstre (Liberals), the Conservatives and with support from outside by the populist, racist Danish Peoples Party (DF) was defeated in the elections on September 15. The result is very mixed one which will lead to a very turbulent political situation in Denmark.
Ten years struggling for Marxism in Denmark – a successful event The historic crisis of capitalism, and revolution in the Middle East and Europe was part of the background to the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Danish Marxist tendency Socialistisk Standpunkt held on the 24th September.
Belgium: street cleaners paralyse Brussels In reaction to a recent protest by street cleaners in Brussels, the bosses complained that, ‘If every reform provokes such a strong opposition, we will never be able to move forward.” In response to this one of the workers involved in the protest, speaking on TV, said, “What else are we supposed to do? Do you want us to go for a nice walk through the city or organise a little picnic? We have to show that we are angry. Those on the streets today are not kids. They are angry workers and they are damned right to be doing what they have done.”
The 1931 National Government and the lessons of the ILP Split Eighty years ago in 1931, Labour right-wingers joined with the Tories to form a National Government. This act had but one purpose. Like the Coalition government of today, its aim was to carry through ruthless cuts to save the profits of capitalism. Rob Sewell looks back at the great betrayal.
The riots in Britain: a warning to the bourgeoisie The riots in Britain are only a symptom of a general crisis of capitalism. The Marxists will not join with the bourgeoisie and its agents in their hypocritical chorus of denunciation. Our duty is to find a road to the youth, to help them to find the right road – the revolutionary road, the road to the socialist reconstruction of society.
Hungary: Draconian measures implemented at state TV channel The Hungarian presidency of the EU ended on 30th June and life is supposed to be getting back to normal all over the country. Or is it? The population of Hungary, that elected the right-wing FIDESZ/KDNP government just over a year ago with a two thirds majority, very soon discovered what such a government really meant.
Norway: Tears and candle-lights cannot stop the fascists! Time to face hard with hard! The recent brutal and outrageous attack in Norway on the Scandinavian and international workers' movement was a huge shock, not only for those members of the Norwegian Labour Party Youth (AUF) who were at the summer cap at the island of Utøya, but also for the whole population of Scandinavia.
France: Mélenchon as candidate of the Left Front – What campaign, on what programme? The designation of Jean-Luc Mélenchon as the presidential candidate of the Left Front, following the vote of the Communists, puts an end to more than two years of work by the leadership of the Communist Party to achieve this result.
France: The Media and the Strauss-Kahn Scandal Two months after it burst onto the scene, the scandal surrounding Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues to occupy a prime position in the coverage of the French capitalist media. Each day brings a bout of more or less anodyne ‘scoops’ against a background of a continuous flow of images.