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Written by Lal Khan -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 26 August 2010 |
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“The worst monsoon-related floods in
recent memory": this is how he U.N. has described the recent calamity in
Pakistan. The mighty Indus River, once the cradle of one of history’s
earliest civilizations has devastated the land to which it gave birth.
The irresistible force of the floods has washed away the ancient ruins
that had stood there for thousands of years.
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Written by Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC)
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Wednesday, 18 August 2010 |
The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign
(PTUDC) has launched the Revolutionary Flood Relief and Protest Committees across
Pakistan, especially in the intensely affected areas, to conduct an
efficient and effective rescue and relief effort. Fifty seven camps of
this campaign have been set up in various regions and is appealing for
help. For the latest news and information from the campaign, please visit the PTUDC's website at www.ptudc.org .
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 |
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez severed diplomatic relations with Colombia last week after a farcical presentation by outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe at a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS). Uribe accused the Venezuelan government of harbouring FARC guerrillas and demanded an "international commission of enquiry." This is the latest provocation by the imperialist powers, through their puppet regime in Colombia, to damage the Venezuelan revolution, especially in advance of the parliamentary elections in September.
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Written by Alan Woods
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Friday, 23 July 2010 |
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The split between the US generals and
politicians could not have come at a worse time. The sacking of
McChrystal just at the beginning of the fighting season could disrupt
the entire counter-insurgency campaign, which was already going badly.
The fact is that a military victory is out of the question. The greatest
military power in the world is now overstretched in the region.
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Written by Isa Al-Jaza'iri
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Tuesday, 20 July 2010 |
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Consumer boycotts have been raised as a
way of putting pressure on the Zionist Israeli authorities to cease
their inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people and grant them their
own state. History shows that such boycotts don’t actually achieve
anything concrete. But recently we have witnessed another type of
boycott, a workers’ boycott, carried out by dockers and transport
workers who have refused to handle Israeli goods. That is much more of a
threat to the Israeli government.
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Written by Patrick Larsen and Alan Woods
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Tuesday, 06 July 2010 |
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If it is to succeed, the Venezuelan
revolution must be taken to the very end, with the expropriation of the
capitalists and landlords who still control two thirds of the economy.
This is a powerful lever in their hands that they are using to organise
economic sabotage to undermine the government. The right-wing, reformist
fifth columnists within the Bolivarian movement are attempting to hold
back the revolution. That is where the danger lies.
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Written by Isa Al-Jaza'iri
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Tuesday, 15 June 2010 |
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Since the Israeli attack on the flotilla
that was attempting to get supplies into Gaza a couple of weeks there
have been attempts by Israeli sources to falsify what really happened,
but this is easily exposed for what it is, as this article points out.
Also worth noting is the workers’ boycott of Israeli goods organised by
Swedish and Norwegian dockers.
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Written by Alan Woods
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Thursday, 10 June 2010 |
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After talk of the so called "credit
crunch" gave way to optimistic comments about the "green shoots" in the
economy, events in Greece caught the bourgeois commentators unaware. Now
the world economy has once again been plunged into chaos and
uncertainty as the governments of Europe try to contain the fall-out
from the near-default of Greece and it is the workers who will be
presented with the bill.
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Written by Isa Al-Jaza'iri
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Wednesday, 02 June 2010 |
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In the middle of the night of the 31st of May, 64 km off the coast,
Israeli commandos rappelled down from helicopters onto the 6 ship
flotilla. Activists say they boarded the ships firing. The Israeli
government decided to use deadly force to maintain their blockade of the
Gaza strip, provoking waves of protest. These events have exposed the
policy of Israeli imperialism to the masses everywhere: Gaza is a
ghetto, kept in starvation conditions, and no one may interfere. This
will have effects across the world, even in Israel itself.
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Written by Rob Sewell and Fred Weston
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Tuesday, 11 May 2010 |
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Last week’s British elections results have posed a
dilemma before the British ruling class. They wanted a strong Tory
government to introduce draconian anti-working class measures. The
electorate denied them that pleasure. Now they are seeking to patch
together some form of government that can guarantee them the same
programme, but on a much more unstable base.
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Written by Marxistiki Foni -- www.marxismos.com
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Wednesday, 05 May 2010 |
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Since the crisis in Greece has hit the
headlines there have appeared in the bourgeois media many stories about
how Greece has too many civil servants, how the working week is very
short, how people retire early on fat pensions, and so on, as if this
were the cause of the crisis. Facts and figures, however, can be very
stubborn things and they tell a completely different story.
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Written by Julian Benson
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Tuesday, 13 April 2010 |
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After eight years of war in Afghanistan, the inability of Western
imperialism to quell the insurgency has entered into a period of crisis.
Cracks and divisions within the central government are becoming more
and more critical as the military and political situation becomes ever
more unstable.
Major conflicts within Afghanistan’s Western-backed ruling clique were
first brought to a head in August during the presidential elections. The accusations of fraud have left Karzai’s grip on power extremely
strained and have left Karzai wondering whether the NATO mission is more hindrance than help.
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Written by Isa Al-Jaza'iri
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Thursday, 08 April 2010 |
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Five years ago Kurmanbek Bakiyev came to
power in Kyrgyzstan on the back of the so-called Tulip Revolution, only
to slavishly follow the dictates of imperialism and enrich himself and
his entourage at the expense of the working people. Now the workers and
poor have had enough and have risen up once more. Here Isa Al-Jaza'iri
looks at the background to the tumultuous events taking place.
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Written by Patrick Larsen in Caracas
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Tuesday, 30 March 2010 |
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In the build up to the September
elections, the right-wing opposition is preparing on several fronts.
Economic sabotage is one of them, as are the manoeuvres on the part of
right-wing elements within the Bolivarian movement itself. Meanwhile,
all this is having a radicalising effect on the left.
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Written by Alan Woods
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Thursday, 18 March 2010 |
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The call issued by President Chavez to
set up a new revolutionary international, the Fifth International, has
provoked a passionate discussion in the ranks of the workers’ movement
in Latin America and on a world scale. It is impossible for Marxists to
remain indifferent to this question. What attitude should we take
towards it?
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Written by In Defence of Marxism -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
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Flaskô is the last surviving factory of the Occupied Factories Movement
of Brazil, after the heavy police intervention put an end to the almost
five-year occupation at Cipla and Interfibra. The workforce has been
demanding that the Lula government nationalises the plant, but with no
serious reply. We call on our readers to urgently send to the Brazilian authorities
resolutions supporting the Flaskô workers, with the following basic
content.
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Written by In Defence of Marxism (marxist.com)
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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 |
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There is a man-made element to the catastrophe confronting Haitians. The country doesn’t just happen to be poor; it has been made poor and kept poor. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, with the worst infrastructure and a people most vulnerable to disaster and disease, because of the machinations of imperialism. Although the earthquake could not be avoided, the scale of death and destruction clearly could have been avoided. |
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Written by Babak Kasrayi
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Tuesday, 29 December 2009 |
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Over the last few days, mass demonstrations have erupted again in Iran. Millions are on the streets and there are reports of the people taking control of the streets, burning down police stations and even of police refusing to fire on demonstrators. These could be the last days of the hated IRI regime. If a revolutionary leadership were present, the hours of the Islamic Republic would be counted. We publish this article with lots of eyewitness reports from the ground. |
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Written by Isa Al-Jaza'iri and Alex Grant
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Friday, 18 December 2009 |
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The authors of this article share a growing concern for the direction the Palestinian solidarity movement has been taking. Isa Al-Jaza'iri's mother was kicked out of her home in Haifa at gunpoint in 1948, along with her entire family. Alex Grant's grandfather wore his Star of David patch at Mauthausen concentration camp. However, they believe their respective backgrounds are irrelevant in as much as this is an issue for the world working class. They defend the position that only a working class perspective can end the oppression of the Palestinian people while providing a future for the Israeli population. |
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Written by El Militante Bolivia (bolivia.elmilitante.org)
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Friday, 11 December 2009 |
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Although final official results are not yet available from last Sunday's presidential election in Bolivia, it appears that President Evo Morales and the MAS have been re-elected with two-thirds of the votes, an even larger landslide than his first election in 2005. This vote is a reflection of the massive desire for change amongst the Bolivian masses. We publish here the statement of our comrades of El Militante Bolivia. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Tuesday, 17 November 2009 |
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In a previous article we pointed to the fact that the Tegucigalpa/San José Accord signed on October 30 was a farce. Events have now confirmed that we were right. To accept the agreement now would be a betrayal of the mass movement. What is required now is an active boycott, combined with mass mobilisation for the overthrow of the present illegitimate regime. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism (www.marxist.com)
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Tuesday, 03 November 2009 |
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The Mexican authorities have launched a concerted attack on labour and student activists, in particular against members of CLEP-CEDEP. Please take up this solidarity and protest campaign urgently in your school, faculty or place of work and make your voice heard. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 |
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Four months after the coup against democratically elected president Mel Zelaya in Honduras, a combination of brutal repression and stalling tactics at the negotiating table have temporarily defused the resistance movement, but not decreased the people's opposition to the Micheletti regime. The level of consciousness has experienced a giant leap. It is necessary to group the most advanced activists of the movement into an organisation based on the ideas of Marxism. |
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Written by Babak Kasrayi
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Friday, 09 October 2009 |
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On September 18 there were mass demonstrations in Iran, confirming the fact that the movement that began against electoral fraud is not dead. That movement shook Iranian society, and although there will be ups and downs, it will continue until the present hated regime is brought down. The key question is the role of the working class and the need for a revolutionary leadership. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism (www.marxist.com)
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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 |
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The attacks against the workers of Mitsubishi Motor Company (MMC) in Barcelona, Anzoategui, in Venezuela, and their union organisation, have started again. We appeal to you to take part in the protest campaign. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Wednesday, 23 September 2009 |
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Yesterday morning (Tuesday the 22nd) police and army forces violently attacked thousands of supporters of Honduran president Mel Zelaya and removed them violently from outside the Brazilian embassy in the capital Tegucigalpa. However, this brutal repression did not crush the will of the Honduran working people to resist against the coup. Following the lead given by the National Front of Resistance, there were mass demonstrations and barricades in all of the working class neighbourhoods of the capital and in the main cities throughout the country. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Tuesday, 22 September 2009 |
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Yesterday morning it was confirmed that Mel Zelaya was in the capital Tegucigalpa. He made an appeal to the people to come out to protect him. The masses responded by the tens of thousands. The next few hours will be decisive. The balance of forces is on the side of the masses. They can deal the last blow to the coup regime and start the building of a new political regime based on the organisation of the masses. |
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Written by Julian Benson
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Wednesday, 02 September 2009 |
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Afghanistan is entering a period of acute crisis that could put the final nail in the coffin of the imperialist intervention there. Afghan presidential elections were held last week, the second since the 2001 invasion. These elections have underlined massive contradictions within the government and the war effort as a whole. Despite eight years of war, Afghan government and NATO troops have been unable to stop the Taliban from being able to continually gain strength and cause mounting casualties amongst their ranks. The only way these bandits have survived (and grown) against the overwhelmingly superior military strength of NATO is that ordinary Afghans don’t see any real difference between the Taliban and the equally despicable Karzai government. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Tuesday, 18 August 2009 |
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Seven weeks after the coup against Honduran president Mel Zelaya, the national resistance continues to mobilise tens of thousands of workers, youth and peasants in a movement that repression has not been able to smash. Meanwhile diplomatic manoeuvres of all kinds are continuing in attempt to find a “negotiated solution” which saves the coup from being overthrown by a popular insurrection. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism (www.marxist.com)
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Friday, 14 August 2009 |
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We are publishing here an appeal we have received from the workers at IMPA, an occupied factory in Argentina, against their possible eviction. We ask all our readers to circulate it widely and to make sure that resolutions are sent and signed by as many trade unionists, workers and students as possible. |
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Written by Fightback -- www.marxist.ca
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Tuesday, 14 July 2009 |
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When the new Iranian Revolution began a few weeks ago, the masses were shouting "Don't be afraid! We are all in this together!" Support has come in from around the world, including Canada. Fightback and IMT activists have participated in numerous demonstrations and solidarity events in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. In Toronto, Fightback organized a very successful panel discussion the beginning of the Iranian Revolution. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Thursday, 02 July 2009 |
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The coup in Honduras highlights once again that even mild reforms within the capitalist system cannot be tolerated by the local oligarchies in Latin America and their imperialist masters. But Venezuela teaches that if the masses mobilise reaction can be stopped. Now is the time to mobilise the full force of the Honduran workers and poor. |
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Written by Alan Woods -- www.marxist.com
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Friday, 26 June 2009 |
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Some on the left are questioning whether the movement in Iran is a progressive one. They have been taken in by propaganda that states that the movement is all an “imperialist plot” to overthrow the Islamic regime. This ignores the very essence of what is happening in Iran, which is the beginning of a revolution. What is required to move everything forward now is decisive action by the working class. |
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Written by the Revolutionary Marxist Current (Venezuela)
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
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In response to recent statements by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan Revolutionary Marxist Current has issued this statement. They express their support for the movement of the masses in Iran and explain the differences between the revolutionary movement in Venezuela and the counter-revolutionary regime in Iran. |
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Written by Jorge Martín
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Saturday, 20 June 2009 |
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As reports are coming in about clashes between protesters and police in Tehran, it is clear that the movement against the fraud has reached a critical point. Khamenei’s speech yesterday threw down the gauntlet to the movement and threatened repercussions for continued protests but the organised working class are now joining the struggle against the regime. |
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Written by Alan Woods -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 |
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What we are witnessing in Iran is a full-blown popular revolution. However, in order to set its stamp on the movement, the working class must participate in the front line. The movement will stand or fall to the degree that the working class is able to lead it. |
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Written by Alan Woods -- www.marxist.com
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009 |
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Dramatic events are unfolding in Iran. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in silence through central Tehran on Monday to protest Iran’s disputed presidential election in an extraordinary show of defiance that appeared to be the largest anti-government demonstration in Iran since the 1979 revolution. Reuter says one demonstrator was shot dead. But nothing can stem the tide. The revolutionary situation is unfolding with lightening speed. |
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Written by Alan Woods -- www.marxist.com
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009 |
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Two candidates stood in the Iranian “elections”, but the regime had decided who was going to win long before any votes were cast. In spite of the mild, “loyal opposition” of Mousavi, large sections of the Iranian electorate used their vote to express opposition to the regime. Once the “result” was announced violence broke out on the streets, revealing the seething anger and discontent among the masses. This marks a new phase in the development of the Iranian revolution. |
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Written by Hermann Albrecht (CMR Venezuela)
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Wednesday, 03 June 2009 |
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At a recent gathering in the State of Guayana President Chavez announced a series of new nationalisations, but he also stressed the need for workers' control, planning and socialism. What now needs to be done is to act on these words and the only force that can do that is the working class. Otherwise all the good proposals can be buried by the myriad of reformists and bureaucrats who infest the movement. |
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Written by Camilo Cahis
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 |
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The Sri Lankan government, along with the bourgeois press, is loudly celebrating the apparent defeat of the Tamil Tigers and their leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. The government is saying that the long civil war in Sri Lanka that has killed as many as 80,000 people is finally over and that peace and prosperity can finally return to Sri Lanka’s people, including its Tamil population. Many Tamils, rightfully, feel that this is not the case – especially in the context of the present world economic crisis - and that their situation in Sri Lanka will not improve. |
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Written by Babak Kasrayi
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Thursday, 26 March 2009 |
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As part of the worldwide activities of the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network, a solidarity event was held in Toronto also commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. Resolutions of support for the Iranian workers were also passed by Vancouver postal workers and the District Labour Council. |
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Written by www.marxist.com
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 |
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From February 27 to March 2, more than 100 revolutionaries from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, El Salvador, the USA, Canada, Ecuador, Cuba, Guatemala, gathered in Mexico City for the first Pan-American Marxist School of the International Marxist Tendency. A new tri-lingual Pan-American journal of the IMT, America Socialista, was also launched at the event. |
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Written by Walter Leon
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Saturday, 03 January 2009 |
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Two years after the Israeli ‘Defence’ Forces indiscriminately slaughtered over a thousand Lebanese civilians in the quaintly-titled Operation Just Reward, Israel has turned its attention to Gaza, in the form of Operation Cast Lead. Stripped of its innocuous-sounding name, this operation becomes a lot less palatable: according to Palestinian medical sources, nearly 300 Palestinians have been killed, including numerous women and children. Israel’s targets have included police stations (which are unsurprisingly situated in densely-populated areas), the headquarters of a Hamas-owned satellite television channel, and the Islamic University, Gaza’s only higher education institution. |
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Written by International Marxist Tendency
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Wednesday, 12 November 2008 |
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We conclude our Manifesto on the crisis of capitalism by pointing out that the resources exist to guarantee decent living conditions for every man, woman and child on this planet. The private ownership of the means of production, where the profit of the few is the driving force, is at the heart of the crisis. It is capitalism that must be abolished, but this is only possible through an international struggle for socialism. |
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Written by International Marxist Tendency
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Tuesday, 11 November 2008 |
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We continue publication of the IMT Manifesto which outlines the causes of the present economic crisis and puts forward a programme of action for the international labour movement. In Part Two the IMT offers a programme to combat unemployment and defend living standards, but also specific demands to defend the organisations of the working class and the youth as they come under attack from the bosses in a moment of crisis. |
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Written by International Marxist Tendency
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Monday, 10 November 2008 |
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The crisis capitalism has entered globally is having a deep impact on the real living conditions of billions of workers all over the world. With this comes a growing consciousness among ordinary working people and youth that something is seriously wrong with this system, that this cannot be the way human beings have to live. Workers are looking for an explanation and proposals of how to get out of this mess. We have produced a Manifesto which outlines the causes and puts forward a programme of action for the international labour movement. In Part One we deal with the causes of the crisis and its effects. |
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Written by John Peterson, Socialist Appeal (U.S.)
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Wednesday, 05 November 2008 |
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The U.S. has elected a new president, Barack Hussein Obama. Along with the dramatic turn in the economic situation, this marks a definite turning point in the history of the country and of the world. Big illusions have been created that Obama will provide "change". What American workers have voted for is an end to policies that benefit the rich, but Obama does not represent real change. In the coming years workers will learn from real life experience that what is required is a genuine voice of the US working class, and that can only be a mass party of labor. |
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Written by Fightback
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Monday, 03 November 2008 |
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In the first week of October, a British commander declared that the war in Afghanistan cannot be won. At the same time it was revealed that instead of costing $8-billion, the war was going to cost the Canadian taxpayer $18-billion - money that could be spent on free education, a national childcare program, or to protect jobs. Now is time to bring the troops home. |
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Written by Jorge Martin
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Monday, 15 September 2008 |
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The situation in Bolivia remains one of confrontation between the oligarchy, backed by U.S. imperialism on the one side, and the masses who support the Evo Morales government on the other. This is no time for words or negotiations. This is the time for action, to put an end once and for all to the power of the oligarchy. |
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Written by Julian Benson
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Wednesday, 02 July 2008 |
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On June 13th, Taliban fighters launched a large-scale raid on Kandahar prison. Nearly 1,200 prisoners, including 400 Taliban insurgents, were freed. Taliban forces then captured 7 towns and villages in the Arghandab region of Kandahar province. Although NATO forces subsequently regained control, these events highlight the real situation in Afghanistan, one where the Taliban are getting stronger, not weaker. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
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Before the results had come in, President Musharraf appeared on the state-run Pakistan Television, calling the vote "the voice of the nation" and the "mother of elections" must be accepted. But in fact this was the Mother of all Frauds. |
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Written by Adam Pal
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
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We are in the final stages of the election campaign in Pakistan. The masses are clearly backing the PPP in large numbers. Reaction is also preparing. Blatant rigging cannot be ruled out, but this would only serve to enrage the masses. In this context the Marxists are standing in several constituencies, where they are running a revolutionary election campaign that is having a big impact among the workers and poor. |
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Written by Lorenzo Fiorito in Montreal
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Thursday, 14 February 2008 |
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At a recent meeting of Bloquez l'Empire/Block the Empire-Montreal (BLEM) in Montreal a resolution of support for the PTUDC was passed (in French and English). |
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Written by PTUDC - www.ptudc.org
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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
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Dear comrades and friends,
After many hesitations and delays, not least because of the brutal assassination of Benazir Bhutto and hundreds of her supporters, the Pakistani parliamentary elections are scheduled to go ahead on 18 February. These elections are different to any other ever held in Pakistan. We have received an appeal by three candidates who are sponsored by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign and are standing on a clear socialist program. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Monday, 31 December 2007 |
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The murder of Benazir Bhutto has led to an explosion of popular anger. Pakistan is convulsed by rioting and mass protests. Society has been stirred up to the depths. Raw human emotion has spilled over onto the streets of every city, town and village. The army and police are powerless to halt the tide of indignation. The government is shaken to the core. |
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Written by The Struggle (Pakistan)
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Monday, 31 December 2007 |
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The following leaflet of the Pakistani comrades of The Struggle was distributed on a grand scale in which they demand an end of the cruel capitalist system, its cruel institutions, imperialist hegemony, and religious terrorism. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Thursday, 27 December 2007 |
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Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a suicide bomb attack. The leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had just addressed a rally of PPP supporters in the town of Rawalpindi when the attack took place. First reports talked of at least 100 killed in the attack, but more recent news put the figure at 15. This murderous onslaught on the PPP came in the middle of an election campaign where, after years of military dictatorship, the masses were striving for a change. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Thursday, 29 November 2007 |
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Events in Pakistan are moving fast. Yesterday General Musharraf quit as army chief, and was hastily sworn as president on the same day. The general hopes that in this way he will win respectability in the run-up to the election promised for January 8. This sets the stage for a big shift in Pakistan. |
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Written by www.ptudc.org
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Monday, 19 November 2007 |
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Comrade Manzoor Ahmed, the Marxist MP in Pakistan, was released from the Central Jail of Gujranwala this morning. He is now leading a jubilant caravan of supporters back to his hometown of Kasur. |
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Written by Adam Pal in Lahore
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Friday, 16 November 2007 |
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Comrade Manzoor was arrested on a demonstration this morning, after leading many demonstrations throughout the Punjab. We have just received this message from Pakistan. Comrade Manzoor Ahmed, the Marxist MP is also president of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign. |
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Written by Manzoor Ahmed
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Friday, 16 November 2007 |
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Immediately upon being informed of Manzoor’s arrest, comrades of www.marxist.com rang the comrades in Lahore. Whether through the inefficiency of the police, or because they were overwhelmed by the large number of arrests, they forgot to confiscate Manzoor’s mobile phone. Comrade Alan Woods was therefore able to speak to him in his cell, from which he delivered an inspiring message for the workers of the world, which we publish here. |
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Written by Lal Khan
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Friday, 16 November 2007 |
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Musharraf's hold on power hangs by a thread. With pressure on all sides he has very few options and the crisis continues to mount. The pressure on the masses continues to grow, and they can stand no more. The only way out of the situation, the only forward, is socialist revolution. |
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Written by Sadaf Zahra in Lahore and Javed Malik in Kasur
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007 |
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We have just received this report of a rally in Kasur led by Manzoor Ahmed, the Marxist MP in Pakistan. The police baton-charged the rally and attempted to arrest Manzoor but the demonstrators protected him and helped him get away. But hundreds of PPP and PTUDC activists were arrested. We will keep our readers updated as we get the news. |
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Written by www.ptudc.org
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Thursday, 08 November 2007 |
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The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (www.ptudc.org) has issued a model resolution against the recent repression which can be used in the labour movement. |
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Written by PTUDC - Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign
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Tuesday, 06 November 2007 |
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We have just received the news that Chaudhary Munir Ahmed, a member of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign and younger brother of Manzoor Ahmed, Member of Parliament and President of the PTUDC, has been arrested together with some labour activists and leaders involved in the PTUDC together with other lawyers. We need to raise as wide a campaign as possible in their defence. |
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Written by Adam Pal in Lahore
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Monday, 05 November 2007 |
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There is much talk in the media about the various factors that have led General Musharaff to impose an Emergency in Pakistan. One very important factor that they all seem to conveniently ignore is the rising mood of trade union and working class militancy. This is taking place as the Pakistani economy plunges into the deepest crisis in its history. The scene is being prepared for an almighty workers' backlash. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Sunday, 04 November 2007 |
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On Saturday November 3 President Pervez Musharraf declared virtual martial law, imposing a state of emergency throughout Pakistan, suspending the Constitution and replacing superior courts. This amounts to his second coup d’etat after he seized power in October 12, 1999. It is a desperate move that underlines the extremely unstable nature of the regime, which is losing support by the day. |
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Written by Luis Granados Ceja
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Tuesday, 30 October 2007 |
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Latin America is in the midst of a great awakening, a revolutionary struggle. From the outside, it would seem as if Mexico has been the exception to this; the capitalist press here in Canada have painted Mexico as the bastion of stable bourgeois democracy. As a result, people have made the mistaken assumption that the right-wing government of the (illegitimate) President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, is a reflection of the will and mood of the masses of Mexico. This could not be further from the truth. The mood in Mexico is very much a revolutionary one; conditions in Mexico become more and more difficult every day for the Mexican working class and the people have said “¡Ya basta!” – enough is enough. |
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Written by Lal Khan in Pakistan
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Monday, 22 October 2007 |
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The multi-million reception for Benzir Bhutto last week, and the subsequent terrorist bomb attack, revealed more clearly in one day all the deep contradictions of Pakistani society than anything else could have. The hopes and aspirations of the masses have been aroused, and they want solutions to their problems. No matter what happens in the days, weeks, and months to come, revolutionary storms loom large on the horizon. |
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Written by Adam Pal
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Friday, 19 October 2007 |
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We have just received this report from the Pakistani Marxists who intervened massively in the welcoming rally to receive Benazir Bhutto. Their ideas connected with many people on the rally. Unfortunately all this was cut across by the suicide bombings. The comrades turned their attention to helping the wounded. On Monday we will be publishing a lengthier analysis. |
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Written by Jorge Martin
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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
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The overwhelming victory of Chávez in the presidential elections last December marked a new shift to the left in the Venezuelan revolution, followed by the setting up of the PSUV, nationalisations, workers' control, enabling power. In a speech at the summer school of the International Marxist Tendency, Jorge Martin analysed the stage the revolution is at, the dangers it faces and outlined the way forward. |
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Written by Editorial Board of Militante Mexico - www.militante.org
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Thursday, 09 August 2007 |
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The wave of repression on Mexican activists is continuing. Fifteen students holding a sit-in in the General Headship offices of the IPN headquarters were arrested by the Federal District Police. See also the Spanish original. |
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Written by Militante Mexico - www.militante.org
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Thursday, 19 July 2007 |
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After the recent resurgence of the mass movement in Oaxaca the authorities have responded by launching a wave of brutal repression. Many activists have been arrested. Among these is a comrade of the Militante Marxist Tendency and APPO activist. Workers and youth in all countries should protest strongly! |
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Written by Militante Mexico - www.militante.org
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Monday, 16 July 2007 |
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Unable to employ the tried and tested method of direct and open repression, the ruling class of El Salvador has engaged in a series of measures to criminalize the struggles of the workers and youth, which can now be classified as “acts of terrorism”. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism - www.marxist.com
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Monday, 16 July 2007 |
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The ruling class of El Salvador is gearing up for major class battles. Feeling the heat of the Latin American revolution, and finding itself in a weak position, the state has moved to intrigues to launch a dirty war against the left of the FMLN. |
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Written by Socialistisk Standpunkt Editorial Board - www.marxist.dk
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
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The expulsions of 26 Marxists from the youth organisation SUF is now known not only on the Danish left, but also internationally. This article explains the role of the USFI’s Danish section, the SAP, in the recent expulsion of the Marxists of Socialistisk Standpunkt from the SUF. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism
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Friday, 01 June 2007 |
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The workers of the occupied factory CIPLA were surprised this morning by 150 men, heavily armed, from the Federal Police, who invaded the factory in order to arrest the members of the factory committee. |
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Written by Yossi Schwartz in Israel
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Thursday, 31 May 2007 |
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In the recent period the idea of boycotting Israeli academic institutions has been raised as a way of helping the struggle to defend the rights of the Palestinians. Comparisons have been made with the boycott of the old South African Apartheid regime. In South Africa it was the mass movement that brought down that regime, not the boycott. The same is true today as it was then. |
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Written by Julian Benson
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Monday, 28 May 2007 |
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As winter comes to an end in Afghanistan, so too does the lull in the fighting that came with it. Canadian casualties begin to bring the grim reality of war into the consciousness of the working-class. Just as the war in Iraq is dominating the US political landscape, the Afghan war is becoming the central issue for Canadian politics. It becomes more and more clear that Canadian imperialism and NATO are fighting an un-winnable war. The events in this far-away country will have a massive impact on the sleepy world of Canadian politics. |
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Written by Socialistisk Standpunkt
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Friday, 25 May 2007 |
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Last week a special conference of the SUF was held where 26 Marxists were expelled. It was clear that the reformist wing of the SUF could not tolerate the growing influence of Marxist ideas within the SUF. A Left Opposition has now been launched to win the SUF back to its founding ideas of revolutionary socialism. |
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Written by Yossi Schwartz in Israel
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Tuesday, 22 May 2007 |
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The policy of imperialism is to provoke civil war among the Palestinians, hoping that Fatah can crush Hamas, but it is clear that Fatah is losing as it is seen as more and more a stooge of imperialism. That explains also why Israel is now intervening directly. These events serve to highlight once again that on the basis of capitalism there is no way out. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Friday, 18 May 2007 |
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Chavez has announced sweeping measures of nationalisation. This represents a big step forward for the Venezuelan revolution and would be a serious blow against capitalism and imperialism. Big enemies are lining up to stop this process, the most dangerous being inside the Bolivarian movement itself. It is now time to go all the way and put an end to capitalism in Venezuela and spread the revolution to the rest of Latin America. |
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Written by Yossi Schwartz -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 29 March 2007 |
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Last Friday we were told by the capitalist mass media of another so-called Iranian crime. We were "informed" that the Iranian state had kidnapped 15 British sailors and marines who were engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters. The real question to be asked is not whether the British sailors were in Iranian or Iraqi waters. The real question is who benefits from this "provocation". The incident would seem to fit in well with the plans that imperialism has to strike at Iran's nuclear development plan. |
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Written by Alan Woods -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 22 March 2007 |
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The Pentagon is continuing intensive planning for a possible bombing attack on Iran. These preparations began already last year, by order of the President. In other words, the decision has already been arrived at. All that Bush is waiting for is a suitable opportunity to put it into practice. |
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Written by Euler Calzadilla and Jose Antonio Hernandez (Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria)
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Friday, 16 February 2007 |
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President Chavez has called for the full support of the working class and the trade unions, and has called upon them to “play their rightful role in the revolution”. The workers’ movement in Venezuela must take advantage of this opportunity and drive the revolution to the end. |
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Written by Rob Sewell
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Saturday, 18 November 2006 |
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It will come as a great shock to all comrades to hear the tragic news of the premature death of comrade Phil Mitchinson, the deputy editor of the Marxist journal Socialist Appeal and leading member of the International Marxist Tendency. Regrettably Phil suffered a severe heart attack late last night, was rushed to hospital, but staff were unable to save him. He was 38 years of age. |
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Written by Patrick Larsen -- www.marxist.com
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Wednesday, 13 September 2006 |
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Recent events in Venezuela prove that the revolution is far from over. Venezuelan society is extremely unstable, and all kinds of tensions between the classes manifest themselves in peculiar ways. Inside the Bolivarian movement, different tendencies are beginning to crystallize, revealing that not everyone is fighting for the same aims and ideas. |
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Written by William Sanabria -- venezuela.elmilitante.org
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Wednesday, 13 September 2006 |
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The expropriation of two golf courses in Venezuela was met with enthusiasm by wide layers of the Bolivarian movement and a hysterical campaign on the part of the bourgeois. In order for the revolution to move forward these expropriations must continue and must be extended. |
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Written by Alan Woods
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Monday, 11 September 2006 |
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The revolutionary mass movement that has been brought into being in Mexico by the electoral fraud perpetrated in the Presidential elections has reached a point where clearly the power is there for the taking. If there were a genuine revolutionary party at the head of the masses we would be on the eve of socialist revolution. |
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Written by Militante Mexico -- www.militante.org
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Thursday, 07 September 2006 |
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In spite of the revolutionary movement of the Mexican masses, the ruling class has decided to go ahead with its manoeuvres to impose its man on the Mexican workers and peasants. The masses cannot tolerate another period of right-wing government. They must prepare for power. |
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Written by Pablo Roldan -- www.marxist.com
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Thursday, 07 September 2006 |
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Fidel Castro’s illness has posed what will come once he departs this world. The capitalist are looking at different ways of restoring capitalism. Within the state and party in Cuba there are clearly pro-capitalist elements. It is the duty of the workers and youth of the world to defend the Cuban revolution. |
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Written by International Marxist Tendency (www.marxist.com)
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Wednesday, 06 September 2006 |
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The December presidential elections are an important turning point in the development of the Venezuelan Revolution. They reflect the struggle between the Venezuelan workers and peasants and the oligarchy and imperialism. Our attitude towards these elections is therefore a key question. |
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Written by In Defence of Marxism -- www.marxist.com
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Friday, 01 September 2006 |
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The struggle in Mexico against electoral fraud is developing into a revolutionary situation and its most advanced point is in the state of Oaxaca. The Marxist Tendency "Militante", part of the International Marxist Tendency, has been involved in these struggles from the very beginning and is now one of a number of organisations being targeted for repression by the state. Urgent international solidarity is needed. |
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Written by Militante Mexico -- www.militante.org
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Friday, 01 September 2006 |
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The struggle of the Oaxacan workers is the most advanced political movement in Mexico. To put it clearly: there is a revolutionary process taking place in the City of Oaxaca, which has brought APPO (Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca) to power. And although it is true that this power must still be perfected and extended to the whole of Oaxaca, it is a fact that the bourgeois state is no longer in power in the city [of four million inhabitants], and that even within some sections of the police, the authority of APPO is much greater than that of the bourgeoisie. |
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Written by John Peterson (based on reports and articles by Militante Mexico)
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Thursday, 31 August 2006 |
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Weeks after the Mexican elections the mass movement against electoral fraud is giving no sign of receding. On the contrary, it is spreading and becoming stronger with each passing day. The situation in Oaxaca is of revolutionary proportions. The workers and peasants could actually take power. Revolution has reached the very borders of the most powerful capitalist country in the world, the USA. |
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Written by Erik Demeester -- www.marxist.com
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Wednesday, 30 August 2006 |
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Mexico is roaring like a lion. The country is in revolt like it has never been since the revolutionary peasant's war of Pancho Villa and Emiliana Zapato almost 100 years ago. The electoral fraud of July 2 to the detriment of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) is creating an unprecedented and deep social impact. This is not a mere constitutional crisis. |
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Written by Yossi Schwartz -- www.marxist.com
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Wednesday, 30 August 2006 |
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The ruling class in Israel is in deep crisis at all levels: politically, militarily and economically. The majority of the Israelis feel very confused. Their "world view", imposed on them by the ruling class, has been shattered. What is missing is a working class mass movement struggling to overthrow this rotten system. |
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Written by John Peterson -- www.socialistappeal.org
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Tuesday, 29 August 2006 |
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Exactly one year ago, the winds and waters of yet another hurricane crashed into the Gulf Coast of the United States. But this was no "routine" tropical storm. This was Hurricane Katrina - a Category 5 killer which swept away levees, homes, communities, memories, and 1,577 lives. Katrina and its aftermath also swept away the illusions of millions in the US and around the world: it was a savage reminder that all is not well in the proverbial "land of milk and honey". Katrina was an important qualitative turning point in the rapidly-changing consciousness of the American working class. |
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Written by Yossi Schwartz -- www.marxist.com
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Saturday, 05 August 2006 |
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Wednesday was the first full day of Israel's attempted land offensive into southern Lebanon. While the main powers argue over whether to impose a cease-fire, Israeli armed forces have been bombing villages and hospitals. Earlier they killed 60 people in a village, including 37 children. At first they claimed it was a mistake, but later it was revealed it was an "experiment". |
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