In this video from the recent World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency in July 2016, Alan Woods – editor of In Defence of Marxism – discusses the main processes taking place in terms of global political and economic developments; above all, the extreme turbulence and instability of the world situation.
In the final week of July, nearly 300 delegates and visitors from around 30 different countries attended the 2016 World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency. Meeting in the midst of huge mass movements, class struggles, and revolutionary developments across the world, this year’s congress was undoubtedly the most exciting and successful yet.
One year ago 60% of the Greek population said OXI [No] to the Troika’s austerity. One year later we see austerity continuing and getting much worse! The decline in living standards in the recent period has been palpable. Fred Weston continues his series examining the ongoing crisis in Greece.
The frontiers of the Arab world today are the product of a secret plan drawn in pencil on a map of the Levant in May 1916 in a deal struck between British and French imperialism at the height of the First World War. Worked out one hundred years ago, the Sykes-Picot agreement is now synonymous with imperial deceit, cynicism and treachery.
With the crowning of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate, the 2016 US election cycle appears to have come full circle. But, what we have passed through is not a circle, but a contradictory spiral of development. While Sanders’ surrender to Clinton will inevitably lead to a temporary ebb, the course of US politics has been changed forever.
In his latest contribution from a series of hand-wringing articles lamenting the “existential crisis” within the Labour Party, Owen Jones has launched into a completely mistimed critique of Corbyn and the movement around him, full of “despair” about the “terrible plight” Labour faces under Corbyn. Now is not the time to weep, but to offer direction and leadership.
With the new Labour leadership contest well underway, Corbyn is already surging ahead of his only rival – the Blairite-backed Owen Smith. The current Labour leader’s support is most clearly expressed by the huge historic numbers that have already turned out to his campaign rallies in cities across the north of England.
A new TUC report on pay has confirmed that Britain has suffered the biggest fall in real wages over the last decade of any major European country bar Greece. British bosses, with the help of their Tory representatives, have been at the forefront of the attacks on pay, terms and conditions.
The High Court yesterday rejected the legal challenge from a Labour Party “donor” to keep Jeremy Corbyn off the ballot in the upcoming leadership election. With Corbyn riding high in the polls amongst Labour members and supporters, it seems that the Blairites have run out of options in their strenuous efforts to oust the anti-austerity Labour leader.
Events are now moving at a lightning speed. Britain has become the focal point of the European crisis and even the world crisis. We publish here a statement from the Socialist Appeal Editorial Board analysing the turbulent political situation that has developed in Britain and explaining the direction this volatile process is moving in.
John Peterson, editor of Socialist Appeal USA, discusses the polarised and radicalised political situation in America. With the demagogic Donald Trump growing in popularity on one side, and Bernie Sanders now officially backing Hillary Clinton for president on the other, what is the way forward for workers and youth in the USA in the fight for socialism?
Across the world, centre-left governments and the traditional parties of the working class are in crisis. Reformism has hit up against the rocks of reality, unable to offer anything to workers and youth in this age of austerity. Daniel Morley examines the historic decline of social democracy and points the way forward for leaders, such as Corbyn, in the fight to defend the gains of the past.