The world economy is gradually emerging from the biggest economic crisis
since the 1930s. In Britain last year we saw the biggest fall in
economic
output in any single year since 1921. Now there are signs of a slow
painful
recovery. However, there will be no return to “normality”. The crisis
marks the
end of an epoch economically and politically. We are now entering the
age of
austerity.
With the general election campaign almost at the official
half way spot and all the polls pointing to a tight campaign, something
odd has
happened. A sense of boredom has crept in to what should have been an
exciting
four weeks of political cut and thrust. Only the recent jump in the Lib
Dems
position in the opinion polls has provided any points of interest.
The House of
Lords has just approved the Digital Economy Bill. It has caused ripples
across
the technology world, most notably because of its proposals regarding
the
suspension of repeat file sharers’ internet connections, and gives the
courts
power to issue injunctions against websites accused of hosting
copyright-infringing material. Internet freedom campaigners have reacted
with
dismay.
The recession has hit the working class hard as big business seeks to make ordinary people pay the price for the greed of the banksters and the City of London. For working class women, things are looking very grim already – here Rachel Gibbs reveals some of the facts and what they mean.
After eight years of war in
Afghanistan, the inability of Western imperialism to quell the
insurgency has entered into a period of crisis. Cracks and divisions
within the central government are becoming more and more critical as
the military and political situation becomes ever more unstable. Major
conflicts within Afghanistan’s Western-backed ruling clique were first
brought to a head in August during the presidential elections. The
accusations of fraud have left Karzai’s grip on power extremely
strained and have left Karzai wondering whether the NATO mission is more
hindrance than help.
The Venezuelan revolution is at a
crossroads – either it proceeds to expropriate the bourgeoisie and do
away with the bourgeois state or the right-wing reactionary oligarchy
will start to gain ground and threaten all that has been achieved so
far. In this context the PSUV is the key. It must adopt a Marxist
programme. That is why the Marxists have launched Lucha de Clases
(Class Struggle) as a tool for the transformation of the PSUV into a
Marxist revolutionary party capable of leading the socialist revolution.
It is clear as daylight that the Fianna Fail/Green Coalition in the 26
counties is a business Government dancing to the tune of the bankers and
moneymen worldwide.
The Marxists in Ireland take a close look at the British general election of 2010.
Some academics may sniff their noses at historical accounts written by
participants in those events, claiming that ‘objectivity’ is
questionable in such works. Marxists, of course would argue that there
is no such thing as objectivity, since every story is told from a point
of view, a perspective. Indeed, most works of history are written by
bourgeois academics reflecting the point of view of bourgeois society
at the time of writing. Those which run counter to that view are rare
indeed. This is such a book.
It had to happen sooner or later. The ruling class has long used race
and gender to divide the working class and to divert attention from the
real causes of the ills of society. Now it is a whole generation who is
to blame. They are the ‘baby-boomers’
It is unusual
for the captains of industry to blatantly come out and formally back the
Tories in public. It is more likely that these creatures of the night
stay in the dark
pulling the political strings, manipulating the news media and ruining
the
lives of millions of workers. However,
a well-planned media storm has been created just before the election
over
National Insurance increases but, as Edward Heath might have described
them,
these ‘Ugly Faces of Capitalism’ have a lot to hide.
Over the past year, members of the CYWU section of Unite
have been fighting and campaigning to defend Youth Services provision in
Coventry. The Tory-controlled City Council had employed Price Waterhouse
Cooper
(PWC) as its partner consultants and the Youth Service is the first in
line to
feel the axe at a cost of £67,000. PWC will examine
all areas of the Council’s operations and advise on “savings”, that is
cuts…