International

As workers and trade unionists continue to be attacked by the Colombian state, we look at the involvement of Britain in assisting in this murderous process.

Almost 3 months
after the mistaken decision of the Irish trade union leaders to call off the March 30th
strike action, the discussions around a recovery plan are still floundering.
The trade union leaders will have to show some progress at the ICTU conference
next month, so they need something concrete to report on. But, given the severe
economic crisis that the state is experiencing it seems unlikely that anything
substantial will emerge. However there is the possibility that some sort of
deal will be done. But, as we explained recently, it’s likely to have more
holes in it than a Swiss cheese.

In the first of two articles being posted to mark the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen events in China, Heiko Khoo looks at the significance of what happened for the workers of today

Today marks 20 years since the tragic
defeat of the movement of workers and students in Tienanmen Square. The
massarce (also known in China as the June 4 incident) remains a
sensitive subject for the Chinese officialdom. In the second of two articles being posted on the anniversary,  we are republishing an analysis by Rob
Lyon, first posted on www.marxist.com in 2004.

This Thursday will see elections for the European Parliament taking place. For many of those who can be bothered to vote, the election will be seen as a chance to send a message about the UK MPs Expenses scandal.But are the MEPs immune from this scandal?

The media make out that the Taliban have genuine mass support in
Pakistan, but in this article we see how they are actually promoted by
forces within the state that see them as a useful instrument in
terrorising the local people and as a means of maintaining their own
corrupt rule. And we shouldn’t forget the role of US imperialism in
promoting them in the first place!

The mass panic which has gripped Britain and the rest of the world
arising from the ‘Swine Flu’ outbreak has occupied the media for nearly a
fortnight now. Schools have been shut and people are being urged to
wash their hands like crazy. However those who have contracted the flu
have described the symtoms as being like a ‘bad cold’ and all seem to
be recovering OK. Yet in Mexico – where the flu outbreak evidently
started – many have died. Why is this? Marxist.com ‘s Mexican correspondent has sent this report on who is really to blame.

The United States of America is the greatest capitalist economy in the world.  What does capitalism bring?  Does it bring better standards of living?  Does it bring happiness?  Does it bring justice and fairness?  Those questions have been answered elsewhere, but the short answer is ‘no’.  But one thing it definitely does not bring is equality of income and wealth.

Today is May Day – International Workers Day.  Mick Brooks looks at the origins and traditions of May Day and why it matters.

One the events board are just some of the events taking place today and over the weekend to celebrate May Day. In London workers will be assembling at 11.30 at Clerkenwell Green to march to Trafalgar Square – see you there!

The workers and poor of South Africa voted massively for an ANC that had
been purged of its right wing. Now that the ANC is once more in office,
the bourgeois – having failed to stop this – are putting enormous
pressure on its leaders to steer away from any radical pro-worker
policies. What is required is a struggle within the South African
labour movement to anchor its organisations to genuine socialist
policies. David van Wyk  in South Africa looks at the election results and what they mean for the working class.