“Poor Mexico! So far from God, so near to the United States.” The
famous words of Porfirio Díaz are truer today than at any time in the
tempestuous history of this country. The crisis of world capitalism has
hit Mexico hard. And its extreme dependence on the USA, which
previously was presented as something beneficial to the Mexican
economy, has turned out to be a colossal problem.
Ireland: Wednesday’s demonstration of the 24/7 Frontline Alliance was a lot smaller than the
big rain soaked demonstrations on Friday, but no less important in some
ways. It’s seldom a good idea to take on all of your enemies at the
same time. It’s a sign of the times when the Gards, their Sergeants,
and the Prison Officers start agitating. But this is a crisis of the
bosses making, there are savage cuts in payments and huge pressures on
the rank and file Gardai. The crisis is eroding the support for the
entire system.
Last week, a mob from the English Defence League (EDL), a rag-tag collection of football
‘service crews’ and other assorted hooligan and racist elements, mobilised in
the northern city of Leeds. Clearly hoping to capitalise on their ‘successes’
in Manchester (where they managed to mobilise several hundred people) and Luton
(where the absence of any counter-mobilisation by the labour movement allowed
the EDL’s thugs to attack Muslims in the street), several hundred of these
fascist yobs gathered in City Square. Over 1500 (see picture) came to oppose them.
Tens of thousands of people: public
sector and private sector workers and their families, unemployed
workers, pensioners and students thronged the streets of eight cities
in the South on Friday, November 6; while 10 further demonstrations
took place in the north also. 70,000 marched into Merrion Square in
Dublin, 20,000 in Cork, 10,000 in Waterford, 6,000 in Galway, 5,000 in
Sligo, 5,000 in Limerick, 4,000 in Tullamore and 1,500 in Dundalk. Not
bad for a Friday with a grim weather forecast.
Over the last few months we have posted reports on strike actions involving bus workers in Northumberland, Doncaster, Manchester and Essex. Now action has arrived in the capital city itself. Bus workers in East London are out today in a dispute over wages and conditions – and the red flags are flying in Romford!
Today we mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by publishing an article from the current edition of Socialist Appeal which analyses why the events of 1989 have not had the outcome which the West expected. You can also download an audio file on the subject by clicking here .
Each November we mark the anniversary of the Russian Revolution. For the first time the working class conquered state power and at least began the task of the socialist transfomation of society. Listen here to this special meeting of the ULU Marxist Society where Fred Weston, editor of the website ‘In Defence of Marxism’ (marxist.com), speaks on the Russian Revolution and the founding of the Comintern; and subsequently their eventual demise and abandonment at the hands of the Stalinist bureaucracy.
A lot of noise had been made about
the so-called “reinstatement of Zelaya”, but is that what is really
happening? So far a lot of wheeling and dealing has taken place, but no
concrete steps to put Zelaya back as the legitimate president. We will
see in the coming days how real this agreement is.
Cynicism is a very useful tool for
those in power. Although it inherently expresses a sense of
dissatisfaction, it offers nothing as a way out. The charade of the
two-party system has done a lot of damage to American workers’
perception of politics in general, and created a situation where
cynicism and apparent apathy is widespread. What is needed in the US is
a party that represents working people. Such a party would go far in
combatting the cynical and apathetic attitudes of many toward politics,
as there would finally be a force led by workers in the interests of
workers.
Why is New Labour hurling yet more of our
money at the banks? The London ‘Metro’
screams that the latest deal is the “World’s biggest bank bailout.” It’s
costing every household in Britain £2,000, on top of all the money wasted last
time round
This plan costs nearly £40bn, more than the
£37bn the government pumped in to the banks a year ago. £40bn would build more
than 1,500 schools, but the banks, we are told, are more important than our
kids’ future. Brown boasted last year that he had ‘saved the world.’ Not quite,
it seems. Now the banks are in further financial difficulties and back with
their begging bowls.
As postal workers prepare for a further round of strikes, Socialist Appeal supporters in Norwich have been active in raising support for the struggle. Over £200 for the strike fund has been raised by supporters in the city centre. The comrades also interviewed a worker at the Rowntree Way sorting office picket line last Friday.