2018: the world turned upside down
As the New Year begins, Alan Woods looks back at the major political developments of the past year – and ahead to the turbulent and revolutionary events in store in 2018.
News and analysis
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Venezuela after the municipal elections
Jorge Martin analyses the results of last month’s municipal elections in Venezuela and discusses the perspectives for the country and the Bolivarian movement in the face of economic crisis and bureaucratic state control.
Blood on the tracks: rail monopolies fleece travellers
The beginning of 2018 saw another eye-watering rise in rail prices. Private rail firms have run the network into the ground, with the public shouldering the costs. As Rob Sewell explains, the railways need to be nationalised immediately without compensation.
Our New Year’s resolution: for a revolution against the billionaire class
The Tory government is drifting from one crisis to another, divided and split. They are only being held together because they fear defeat and the election of a Corbyn-led Labour government. The Labour leaders should go on the offensive and offer an inspiring New Year’s message: to radically transform society with a bold socialist programme.
Iranian regime shaken by new mass movement
In the past week, Iran has seen the most widespread protests since the 1979 Revolution. While it is still smaller in size than the 2009 Green movement, it has spread far beyond the mainly urban areas of the big cities to which that movement was mainly confined. This is a sea-change and it has shaken the regime to its foundations.
Catalan elections: Spanish regime’s strategy defeated
The results of the 21st December Catalan elections represent a slap in the face for the strategy of the Spanish government and their efforts to introduce direct rule and smash the independence movement. Jorge Martin outlines the lessons from these elections results – and the movement seen over the past few months – in the struggle for a Catalan Republic.
Catalonia goes to the polls amidst repression
Catalonia goes to the polls tomorrow in elections imposed by the Madrid government as part of the Article 155 measures. As Jorge Martin explains, this vote takes place in exceptional conditions of repression and the curtailment of democratic rights. With one day to go, the result of the elections is hard to predict.
Future Unions? We need unions that fight for our future!
The Fabian Society and Community trade union – both well known for their “gradualism” and willingness to compromise with the bosses – recently released a report entitled Future Unions, which seeks to dilute down the role of the unions in an age of zero-hour contracts, precarious work, and the gig economy. But, as Terry McPartlan explains, the way to fight these problems is through militancy and organisation.
Catalonia: rise up against Article 155 and the 1978 regime
We publish here two articles about the latest events in Catalonia, which this week sees a regional election imposed by the Spanish state as part of their Article 155 repressive measures. The first article is a statement by the Catalan section of the IMT about the upcoming elections. The second is a summary of the struggle for a Catalan Republic by Jorge Martin.
The Grenfell disaster – six months on: 4 out of 5 families still homeless
In the immediate aftermath of the tragic Grenfell fire, Theresa May promised that all families would be housed within three weeks. But six months have now passed and 4 out of 5 families made homeless by the disaster still do not have permanent homes at all. Moses Levi looks at the chaotic and inadequate response of the Tories to a disaster that they helped to create.
Ryanair pilots score a victory as bosses open union recognition talks
In a major U-turn, Ryanair this morning declared it would agree to engage with unions after some of its Dublin-based pilots voted in favour of strike action ahead of Christmas. The low-cost airline claimed it had written to pilot unions inviting them to recognition talks. As pilot Martin Swayne writes, this marks a major victory for the flight crew.
After the defeat of Islamic State: will there be peace in the Middle East?
The Russians and Iranians have declared the successful end of the war on the Islamic State. But the war against ISIS in the Middle East has fundamentally changed the balance of forces in the Middle East. The influence of Moscow and Tehran has grown, whilst that of US imperialism and its Saudi ally has been greatly diminished. For the masses, life in the region remains a nightmare.