The latest news and analysis from The Communist, alongside reports of our activity. For Marxist theory and history, click here.
Hands off Venezuela recently interviewed CMR (Revolutionary
Marxist Current) activist Yonie Moreno about the current situation in
Venezuela. Yonie discusses a range of issues, from the question of the PSUV to
the question of workers' control and the struggle at Sanitarios Maracay.
The East London tube Line is to be extended overground south to West Croydon and North to Dalston Junction, both main line rail connections. This is a good idea. The Mayor's office tells us that the only way to finance this is by privatisation. If we look at the real picture a different story emerges.
On Monday May 10th David Keogh and Leo O'Connor were sent to prison for six and three months respectively for offences against the Official Secrets Act. Since the main news story that day was the resignation of Tony Blair, was this ‘a good day to bury bad news'?
London
Underground has announced plans to close 40 main ticket offices, various
secondary offices and restrict opening times on many others.
The non-renewal of the broadcasting licence to private TV
station RCTV in Venezuela
has been used by the oligarchy and imperialism to unleash the coup-plotting
campaign they were unable to launch at the time of the December 3rd elections.
Despite all the hue and cry over "freedom of expression" the real aim of the
oligarchy in Venezuela
is to create a situation of chaos, violence and confusion.
In
the advanced capitalist countries people take water almost for granted, or at
least they did until recently. Now more and more of us have to pay huge bills
for our water. In the underdeveloped countries, however it is much worse, with
over one billion having no access to safe water. Water will become a source of
class conflict, as the experience of Bolivia has confirmed.
Here we publish an article sent to us by a sixth form student and Labour Party member. It details the hypocrisy of the New Labour agenda, obvious to all ordinary working people, yet ignored by the mainstream media. Expressed is an instinctive distaste for the shallowness of bourgeois democracy, and a desire to fight for socialist policies far removed from the Blairite government a generation of young people have grown up under.
We publish a revealing letter describing how ordinary workers are beginning, themselves, to draw conclusions about the nature of capitalism, in total contrast to the propaganda put out by reformist politicians and big business.
John Pilgers first outing as a documentary film-maker covers the revolution which is taking place in Latin America, despite US imperialisms attempts to wreck a process that is bringing hope to countless ordinary peoples everyday lives.
Chavez has announced sweeping measures of nationalisation. This represents a big step forward for the Venezuelan revolution and would be a serious blow against capitalism and imperialism. Big enemies are lining up to stop this process, the most dangerous being inside the Bolivarian movement itself. It is now time to go all the way and put an end to capitalism in Venezuela and spread the revolution to the rest of Latin America.
Throughout the history of the labour movement we have witnessed the development of sectarianism within a section of the left. It reflects the inability to understand that the mass of the working class moves through its traditional mass organisations. The sectarian ignores this and believes that all you have to do is declare the "new party" and then the masses will come flocking.
We are reproducing here a letter sent by John McDonnell to all his supporters in which he stresses the need to now build the Left of the Labour. The campaigning work of the recent period is not wasted. It can be the basis for strengthening the left.