The news has just broken that Brian Cowen has resigned as Fianna Fáil
leader, but insists that he intends to fight the General Election as
Taoiseach. FF is split from top to bottom and those among the leadership
who aren’t intending to resign with a fat pension in a few weeks time
are maneouvering for position.
Amid scenes of confusion embattled
Taoiseach Brian Cowen finally has finally hauled up the white flag and
announced the General Election date for March 11th. His intention to get the finance bill passed through the Dáil was in serious trouble this morning after his attempt to organise
a cabinet reshuffle threatened to be the final straw for the Green
Party who despite supporting the government through thick and thin over
the past period have suddenly developed a survival instinct.
Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th saw the
continuation of mass demonstrations all over Tunisia against the “new”
national unity government and demanding an end to the RCD ruling party.
Tens of thousands marched throughout the country under the slogan “RCD
degagé” (Out with the RCD), clearly identifying the national unity
government as a continuation of the old regime.
As soon as Ben Alí was on the plane to
Saudi Arabia on Friday, January 14, ousted by the mass revolutionary
movement of the Tunisian workers and youth, the Tunisian ruling class
and its imperialist puppet masters started manoeuvring to make sure that
they remained in control of the situation.
In the past days, Tunisia has
witnessed rapid developments, the most important of which was the
announcement by Prime Minister, Mohammad Al-Ghannoushi, that he was
taking over temporarily as President due to Ben Ali’s inability to carry
out his duties, and the announcement of a state of emergency in all
areas of the country. We publish here a translation of an Arabic
language article published on marxy.com as the dramatic events in
Tunisia were unfolding.
The marvellous revolutionary movement of the Tunisian workers and youth is an inspiration and an example to the whole world. For more than one week Tunisia has been living through a revolution of epic dimensions. The mass uprising in Tunisia has ended in the overthrow of the hated dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.
Events in Tunisia are unfolding by the hour. The news services are carrying reports of the Tunisian president’s hurried departure from power.
Does private healthcare work? According to the Tories it does. However, we only have to look at the state of play in the USA to see the grim reality as this article from the US edition of Socialist Appeal shows.
Jimmy Kelly’s call for a General Strike against the cuts and austerity in the four year plan and the budget which it is to be discussed by ICTU this
week should be welcomed by all trade unionists and socialists in the
state. The scale of the measures that are being proposed and the long
term implications will have a huge effect on working people and “social
partnership” won’t stop the attacks. The cuts in the minimum wage and
the tax increases on the lowest paid workers are examples which
demonstrate that unlike the cuts directed against the public sector
workers the four year plan means that all workers are under threat.
Yesterday, December 15, Greece was
shaken by yet another powerful general strike, which saw at least 80,000
workers march through the streets of Athens, with many more
demonstrating in other cities against the latest round of austerity
measures introduced by the government. A very angry mood is developing
among workers and youth, which will inevitably lead to a major
confrontation between workers and the capitalist class.
In October we witnessed a massive
mobilisation of the French workers and youth against Sarkozy’s attacks
on pensions. All the potential was there for the government to be
defeated. The overwhelming majority of the population supported the
protests. So what was missing? We are publishing an a analysis by the
French Marxists of La Riposte to explain what happened and why it
happened
The small print at the bottom of the EU/IMF
Bailout would be an enough to make an Asset Stripper’s hair curl. If
anyone in the state was labouring under the delusion that all this snow
meant that Santa had come early then the announcement last night of the
conditions attached to the loans would have put paid to that.