Catch 22: Permanent Revolution – CD album review
The band Catch 22 have produced an album based on the life struggles and ideas of Leon Trotsky. Here Matt Wells gives a brief outline of what the album is about.
News and analysis
The latest news and analysis from The Communist, alongside reports of our activity. For Marxist theory and history, click here.
Police brutality at the picket of the Mexican Embassy in London
Police in London
brutally break up a protest picket outside the Mexican embassy. The picket had
been called to protest at the army clampdown in Oaxaca over the weekend. Read the report here
Imperialism is Rebuilding Iraq as a Graveyard
The Editorial of November's Socialist Appeal examines the
staggering death toll in Iraq and the various 'exit strategies' being
considered by the imperialists desperate to extricate themselves from
the quagmire they have created.
Venezuelan Revolution at UEA
Ronny Pante continued his speaking tour of UK universities at the University of East Anglia in Norwich on 26th October, continuing to prove that youth in Britain feel solidarity and excitement towards the revolutionary movement in Venezuela. The mood at the meeting was eager, with a great deal of questions on how we can make our own desire for a transition from capitalism to socialism concrete.
Venezuelan student leader kicks off speaking tour in Britain
Last night was the first of many events organised by Hands
Off Venezuela featuring Ronny Pante, general
coordinator of the Integrated Students' Movement in Bolivar,
Venezuela, who is touring
British universities to explain why students and activists in this country
should care about what is happening in Venezuela. Read a report of the meeting here.
Off Venezuela featuring Ronny Pante, general
coordinator of the Integrated Students' Movement in Bolivar,
Venezuela, who is touring
British universities to explain why students and activists in this country
should care about what is happening in Venezuela. Read a report of the meeting here.
Council Tenants Reject Privatisation Plans for Housing
Council
tenants in Stirling voted by a resounding 68%
against privatising the housing stock in a magnificent victory to keep council
housing out of the hands of profiteers. As this report is compiled,
Renfrewshire tenants have also voted "NO". Council tenants across the country are
sending a strong message to local authorities and the Scottish Executive – NO
TO THE PRIVATISATION OF COUNCIL HOUSING!
Blair Is History, Socialism Must Be The Future
The Editorial of October's Socialist Appeal calls for meetings
to be organised to support John McDonnells' bid for the leadership of
the Labour Party as an important opportunity to raise socialist ideas
throughout the labour movement. In preparing for a struggle in the
Labour Party we must learn from the past. The most vital lesson is that
it is not sufficient to tinker with the
capitalist system. We will fight for any reform in the interests of the
working class. The central lesson of the whole of Labour history,
however, must be that not one of those reforms can endure if the
capitalist system remains intact.
Socialists and “Green” politics – Letter and Reply
Earlier this year we received a letter from a reader of Socialist Appeal who says we put too much importance on one factor that contributes to climate change, human-induced emissions of "greenhouse" gases. In his answer Phil Mitchinson looks at the broader aspects of pollution, climate change and so on and stresses the need for a radical, socialist transformation of society if we are even to begin to tackle these vital problems.
John McDonnell MP, Left Candidate for the Labour Leadership, Speaks to Socialist Appeal
John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, has announced
his intention to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party. He is
Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, the Labour Representation Committee,
and the 'Public Services Not Private Profit' anti-privatisation
campaign. He is also the national chair of Hands Off Venezuela and has
been at the forefront of the campaign to defend the Venezuelan
revolution. Socialist Appeal supports John's campaign as a real
opportunity to raise socialist ideas throughout the labour movement. We
asked John to tell us about his campaign and about the need to fight
for socialist policies inside the Labour Party.
John McDonnell speaks in Balham
On Thursday, September 14, around 80 people attended a meeting called
by Wandsworth Stop the War Coalition at the Baptist Church in Balham to
which Hands off Venezuela was invited to have a stall. The main
speaker of the evening was John McDonnell MP, who is standing for the
leadership of the Labour
Party once Blair quits. Next week we will be publishing an interview
with John McDonnnell, which features in the October edition of Socialist Appeal.
Blair’s Departure Date: Yesterday Is Not Soon Enough!
The Blair era is drawing to close not with a bang but with a great deal
of whimpering. The socialist candidate for the Labour leadership, John
McDonnell MP, compared the intrigues and back-stabbing campaigns of the
past week
to an episode of The Sopranos. Launching his leadership campaign the left-wing MP for Hayes and
Harlington is concentrating on politics, and on policies in the
interests of working class people. What is needed, he argues, is “a
national campaign for a radical break with the failed policies of new
Labour", adding that changing leaders would "not be enough to save
Labour at the next election".
Action against electoral fraud in Mexico – Picket the Mexican Embassy
The July 2nd elections in Mexico witnessed massive electoral fraud against PRD candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Since then millions of Mexicans have taken to the streets to protest. Come and show your solidarity with the Mexican people in the struggle against fraud and against repression. Download the PDF flyer here.