The latest news, analysis, and Marxist theory from The Communist, alongside reports of RCP activity.
Around 350 Labour Party members, trade unionists and socialists
attended the 2011 LRC (Labour Representation Committee) “Resist the
Cuts, Rebuild the Party” conference at Conway Hall in London on January
15th. LRC Conference tends to major on the big events of the day. Two
years ago it was the economic crash and last year the general election.
This year the conference was not surprisingly dominated by the threat of
cuts and the need to defeat them.
The marvellous revolutionary movement of the Tunisian workers and youth is an inspiration and an example to the whole world. For more than one week Tunisia has been living through a revolution of epic dimensions. The mass uprising in Tunisia has ended in the overthrow of the hated dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.
Events in Tunisia are unfolding by the hour. The news services are carrying reports of the Tunisian president’s hurried departure from power.
The result of the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election will come as a bitter blow to both the Tories and the Li Dems. It will not be the last.
On Tuesday 11th
January, Edward Woollard, an 18-year-old A-level student from Hampshire, was
sentenced to 2 years and 8 months imprisonment for dropping a fire-extinguisher
from the Millbank Tower during the student protest on the 10th
November 2010. Whilst we cannot and should not condone the actions of Woollard,
it is clear that the courts – along with the government – are clearly trying to
make an example of this individual student as a threat to any future
protestors.
The bankers have sent out a message – it’s not their fault and people should stop blaming them for the crisis. Is this just bare-faced cheek or a deeper reflection of the arrogance of the ruling class? Both, we suggest.
As the twenty-first century progresses, there has been an increasing
interest and not a small amount of debate on the role of religion in
society and particularly on advances in secularisation. Richard Dawkins’
book , ‘The God Delusion,’ was a best-seller in the UK and novels like
‘The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ’ by Richard Pullman have
touched raw nerves in Church hierarchies. Against what they see as a
growing tide of secularism, spokespersons for the Church have denounced
the ‘intolerance’ of atheism and have fought a vigorous rearguard action
to defend the special position of faith, woven as it is into the fabric
of everyday life.
Does private healthcare work? According to the Tories it does. However, we only have to look at the state of play in the USA to see the grim reality as this article from the US edition of Socialist Appeal shows.
In response to the 10th November demonstration, students across the
country decided to go into occupation. Before Christmas there were 30 of
such occupations. Coupled with the increasingly militant demonstrations
against the Government’s attacks on education, these university
occupations are hugely significant in so far as they have radicalised
not only students at the occupied universities but also school students
and even people outside of education.
The events of the past two months represent an important shift in the
consciousness of British students. Having grown up knowing only
economic boom, previously labelled as “apathetic” by the media, stood up
and made their voices heard. Their message is simple and has found an
echo across many layers of society: “We will not be forced to pay for a
crisis we did not cause!” This wave of protests and occupations has
swept even the most deeply entrenched prejudices of the last period from
the political landscape, leaving many (both on the right and the left)
trailing in its wake.
Millions of workers made the grim trek back to work today after the long
Xmas break. Millions more will be making the even grimmer trek to the
dole office over the next few months as the Coalition cuts start to
become a reality. Two things are with us already – the increase in VAT
and the increase in public transport fares.
The deepest crisis since the Great Depression, with its accompanying
financial, banking and sovereign debt crises, has opened up splits and
arguments not seen for generations. Where do they go from here? Savage
austerity, which threatens the weak recovery, or possibly pump-prime the
economy and risk market turmoil? That is their choice as the crisis
moves into its next dangerous phase. Under the topsy-turvy logic of
capitalism they are both right and both wrong. Whatever they do they
will not be able to cure this unsolvable and protracted crisis of the
system.