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Blair is having a lot of problems convincing us that he told the truth
abouth the so-called Weapons of Mass destruction (WMDs). The majority of people
in Britain no longer trust him. Mick Brooks unravels the contradictions in the
various explanations givene by Bush and Blair to justify the war.
As we were preparing for publication, the news came through of the sudden
death of Dr David Kelly. Dr Kelly had been publicly named as the source of a
report by BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan, that exposed the manoeuvres of the
Blair government to justify the war against Iraq.
As the summer break draws near, the thoughts of politicians, as those of
ordinary mortals, turn to sunny beaches where one can forget the travails of
life and relax in pleasant company. For the British and American soldiers
sweltering in temperatures of 50 degrees, dodging Iraqi bombs and bullets, this
pleasant prospect is further away than for most of us. And for Tony Blair,
besieged by an ever more hostile press and public, the holiday season cannot
come quick enough.
Why are pensions being cut or not paying out money that was promised? All over
Europe pensions are under attack. Everywhere workers are being asked to retire
later, to give up on the idea of a guaranteed state pension and to look to the
private sector for a pension. British Socialist Appeal looks at the real reasons behind the pensions crisis.
Mick Brooks looks at the question of the movement of labour (emigration and
immigration) and how the bosses have always managed to have a flexible approach
on this question depending on the needs of their system at any given moment. In
the end whether they are campaigning for it or against it, it is always used to
enhance their profits as they attempt to divide the workers on this issue.
Mick Brooks answers some of the myths and distortions about asylum seekers
and "illegal immigrants" by simply stating what the facts are.
The debate over whether Britain should join the Euro is heating up. On both
sides of the debate we find a capitalist logic being applied. One side stands
for so-called British "sovereignty", the other praises the merits of
the wider market. Neither side is defending the real interests of the workers.
As Mick Brooks points out, "The answer is surely for us to control the
movement of capital by taking over the means of production, not relying on the
goodwill of our enemy, the capitalist class."
Marxists are often accused of having a class bias, of having an irrational prejudice against the capitalist class. We must admit, that yes we don’t particularly appreciate the fact that while millions go hungry in the underdeveloped countries a handful of super-rich billionaires actually decide on the fate of the world. While workers in the advanced countries are struggling to make ends meet, to pay the rent or the mortgage, to pay the bills, to feed their children, the super rich squander huge amounts on totally unnecessary luxuries. But don’t these rich company directors also play a useful role in […]
The resignation yesterday of Clare Short, the former international development
secretary, is a shattering blow to the Blair government. It could spell the
beginning of the end for Blair, as things begin to unravel with increasing
speed.
With most of the results in from the local council, Welsh Assembly and Scottish
parliament elections the message to Blair is clear – his imperialist adventure
in Iraq was deeply unpopular, and at least as unpopular are the government's
proposed attacks on public services, the introduction of foundation hospitals,
the further privatisation of the NHS, and the introduction of top-up fees for
students.