Worst “recovery” since 1830 – official
Workers have been feeling the pinch for
some time, even before the slump of 2008-09. Now they are in for an even worse
time, the most prolonged squeeze on living standards in recent memory.
“From Scotland to Spain, the Problem is the Same!”
“From Scotland to Spain, the problem is the same!” was one of many slogans being shouted from the streets of Edinburgh today (29th May) as around 200 – 300 people (most from Edinburgh’s sizeable Spanish
community) organised to demonstrate in solidarity with revolutionary
movements in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
Greece: anger on the streets – Prepare the political general strike!
The situation in Greece is growing day
by day, and is moving in the direction of a revolutionary situation.
Starting on Wednesday, 120-150,000 people thronged Syntagma Square and
other central squares in all the main Greek towns. The masses protested
the austerity policies of the government and the brutal aggression of
the European Union against the people of Greece.
Greece: they are afraid of us! Action committees everywhere!
This leaflet was issued as part of the intervention of the Greek
Marxists of Marxistiki Foni in the demonstrations over the weekend. We
publish it here in English for the benefit of our readers.
Greece: Usurers worry, Lackeys order and clowns consent
The tactless
intervention of the EU officials in Greek politics has put the cat
among the pigeons here. Until now the pretence was maintained of
“political consensus” as a condition for any funding from the IMF and EU
loan. There was even talk of a possible "soft restructuring” of
subsequent instalments of the € 110 billion loan or a new loan of € 50 –
€60 billion. It was hinted that they might lengthen the repayment of
the older debt.
Rabbitte and Bruton: Surely no room for confusion
IRELAND: News that Labour Ministers and TD’s have
been involved in a concerted campaign to attack Richard Bruton’s attacks
on low paid workers through changing the mechanisms of the Joint Labour
Committee has been denied by Pat Rabbitte who has claimed that the
suggestion is “utter nonsense”.
Europe in crisis: Domino effect continues
The Euro zone is in a mess. After a
year of huge financial bail outs intended to calm the markets, the
latter are very unstable, with a marked downward tendency. Signs of
slowing global growth, and the continuing euro zone debt crisis, have
caused the markets to slump. The nervousness of the markets is an
accurate reflection of the growing anxiety of the bourgeois about the
economic prospects for Europe.
Interview with a health worker
To get the perspective of the NHS reforms from a
healthcare worker, Socialist.net talked to Martin Booth, Chair of the Unison health branch
at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and Secretary of the Cambridgeshire
Against the Cuts campaign.
NHS: resist Coalition attacks!
The creation of the National Health Service is considered
by many people to be the greatest achievement of any British government. The
NHS was established in 1948 on the back of a landslide victory by the Labour
Party in 1945, who came to power on a programme that included the creation of
the cradle-to-grave welfare state, the mass construction of council housing,
and the nationalisation of transport and key industries. Aneurin Bevan, the
Labour Minister of Health who pushed for the creation of the NHS, famously said
that, “The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight
for it.” Now these words are being put to the test as the coalition government
seeks to introduce the most regressive changes to the NHS in its history.
US sanctions on PDVSA – latest imperialist provocation
On Tuesday
May 25, the US imposed penalties against Venezuelan state-owned company
PDVSA, and another 6 companies from other countries, for conducting
business with Iran. The sanctions are part of an attempt by Washington
to step up the pressure against Iran in relation to its nuclear program.
They are also an act of blatant bullying directed against Venezuela.
Iran: crisis at the top of the regime – workers start to move
The last few
weeks have seen an unprecedented public dispute between the president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The dispute
officially erupted over Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of Heydar Moslehi, the
minister of intelligence who was fired by Ahmadinejad (officially he
resigned himself) on April 17, but was then reinstated later the same
day by a direct decree from Khamenei.
Back to normal… Ireland’s crisis continues
Options
are starting to run out for the Irish ruling class, already this week
they have deployed Jedward, Jack Charlton and the British Queen, while
Obama is waiting in the wings. Sooner
or later Bono and Geldof will appear and then it’ll be back to normal,
maybe they’ll even take the seals off the post boxes. Normal of course
is the IMF/EU, the Croke Park agreement and trying to reduce the
interest rates on the bailout.