The latest news and analysis from The Communist, alongside reports of our activity. For Marxist theory and history, click here.
Earlier this year, the British labour movement marked a little-known yet
important milestone. Eighty years ago, in April 1932, hundreds of
working class ramblers defied police and landowners to trespass across
Kinder Scout, an iconic moorland plateau that marks the highest point in
the Peak District, in Derbyshire.
When all else fails, pretend it isn’t happening. This is the new
approach being adopted by pro-Tory "expert" economists according to a
report in the last issue of the Sunday Times.
As the Spanish government got its
€65bn austerity package passed in Parliament, millions of people took to
the streets in unprecedented demonstrations against cuts on July 19.
The day after, as the Valencian regional government asked for a central
government bailout (of 3.5bn euro), the risk premium on Spanish bonds
hit a new record, while 10 year bonds were yielding 7.3%. The Spanish
economy is on the verge of a full bailout.
Following the declaration of
independence by South Sudan – which is dependent on financial and
military aid from American imperialism – tensions between Khartoum and
Juba have been steadily ramped up over the past year and have brought
death and destruction both sides of the border.
Despite the prediction that the Durham Miners Gala might be rained off,
and the recent flash floods in Tyneside, the weather was more or less
dry and calm on Saturday, but it appears that despite the apparent calm
one of the pages from Ed Miliband’s speech somehow was blown away by a
freak gust of wind. (…)
The old Racecourse in Durham was quiet at 8-00am on Saturday Morning,
the stalls were setting up along the river bank, the kids rides and the
hot dog vans weren’t doing too much business, giving the amused
stallholders a chance to watch 3 Socialist Appeal supporters (4 would
have been better) trying to put up the gazebo to shelter the book stall.
Yesterday the media reported that one of the cuts introduced by the
Rajoy government in Spain was the abolition of the Christmas bonus for
civil servants. The reports give the impression that civil servants in
Spain have enjoyed privileges not available to other workers and
therefore they are an easy target for cuts.
Here is an interesting story, posted on the Ethical Consumer
website, about how the big sponsors of the London Games enjoy nice tax
benefits on top of everything else. Looks like we are giving more to
them than they are giving to the games. If nothing else this shows yet
again how big business views these events – just another way of making
money at our expense.
The prospect of a Syriza government
caused a wave of panic in the bourgeoisie of Greece and internationally.
They organized a massive campaign to drive people away from Syriza,
warning of economic catastrophe if they came to power. That was
sufficient to panic wide sections of the middle class, older people and
backward layers into voting for the New Democracy.
This weekend (14 July) is the Durham Miners Gala. A big turnout is
expected and Socialist Appeal will be there! Look for our stall and
comrades selling the current issue with the Gala wraparound.