In the recent period, the so-called
Tea Party movement has laid claim to the legacy of the American
Revolution. With their tri-corner hats and abstract appeals to
patriotism and freedom, they have seized headlines, aided by generous
coverage by the corporate media. This has led to tremendous confusion
when it comes to the real class roots of this world-shaking event.
Unfortunately, for many Americans, the Revolution has been reduced to a
summer barbecue on the 4th of July, flag-waving, fireworks, and images
of George Washington heroically crossing the Delaware River.

For
the NZ Labour Party the 2011 general election defeat was the worst since
1928. The main factor for this was the historic low turnout as many
workers stayed at home and were not enthused enough by the right-wing
leadership of the Labour Party to go out and vote. The turn out was down
from (what was considered then a low turnout) 79.46% at the 2008
general election to 73.83%. This was the lowest turnout since 1878!

The parliamentary elections in Russia
on Sunday, December 4, were seen as a popularity test of Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin, who is running for the presidency in March. The result
was a blow to Putin, registering a sharp fall in support for his United
Russia party. According to the official results, which are undoubtedly
rigged, United Russia obtained just under half of valid votes cast,
which gives it a very small majority in the State Duma.