The year 2011 is coming to an end, and what a year this was! It started with the eruption of the Arab masses onto the scene through mass revolutionary action. We would like to wish all our readers and supporters a red new year 2012, full of fruitful revolutionary struggle, while at the same time we appeal for a donation towards the continuation of our work.

January saw the toppling of the hated Ben Ali in Tunisia and this was followed quickly by the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt. A revolutionary wave was unleashed which left no Arab country untouched. The initial stage of joy and enthusiasm quickly gave way to the realisation that overthrowing a dictator is not the same as overthrowing the regime and that in some countries the regimes were more resilient than what it had originally seemed. Counter-revolution in different forms also regrouped and intervened in order to derail the revolutionary movement of the masses. But the images of the revolutionary action were an inspiration. Images of the youth, the workers, and the poor, in Sidi Bouzid, in Tahrir, in Pearl roundabout and in so many other places that were broadcast live to millions around the world.

The movement of the ”indignados” in Spain and later on the #occupy movement in the United States, were the result of the impact of the crisis of capitalism, but also drew courage and inspiration from the Arab revolution. This was also the year of the mass movement of the workers in Wisconsin. The Greek workers and youth showed once and again their willingness to struggle against austerity cuts though their current leadership fell short of what is required. The revolutionary wind of the Arab spring has certainly crossed the Mediterranean. We also saw the general strike in Portugal and the massive strike of public sector workers in Britain.

All of these events, which are just the beginning of the revolutionary awakening of the workers of the world, are, in the last instance, caused by the crisis of capitalism, which is the most severe since the 1930s.

As a result of all this, the ideas of Marxism have gained an audience amongst a new generation of workers and youth who are entering into the struggle and have also reinvigorated some from the old generation who had become sceptical or passive. Even in ruling class circles it has become common to admit that "Marx was right", while at the same time denying the revolutionary character of his theories.

In Defence of Marxism and the International Marxist Tendency have been providing a clear analysis and intervened in these events. The year finishes with gloomy predictions by the IMF that the world will plunge into a new 1930s style depression. In the words of Fitch rating agency:“the probability of unfavourable outcomes is high and the risk of tail events, with severe consequences, has increased over the last months.”

We would like to wish all our readers and supporters a red new year 2012, full of fruitful revolutionary struggle, while at the same time we appeal for a donation (however big or small) towards the continuation of our work. At a time when banks are collapsing, governments are declaring bankruptcy and bonds are rated as junk, the only safe, triple-A investment you can make is in the ideas of Marxism.

There is one specific project that we want to use the money from this appeal for: to help the Bloque Popular Juvenil comrades in El Salvador acquire their own printing facilities. The comrades have already raised USD 1000 and have pledged to raise a similar amount in the next few months. We aim to at least match what they collect.

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