Globalisation

The world of neo-liberalism

A background document for the 2013 annual conference of the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty (26-27 October), by Paul Hampton and Martin Thomas. See below for a critical comment from Barry Finger 1. The AWL has pioneered a distinctive assessment of the development of global capitalism over recent decades, which underpins our orientation, concrete slogans and differences with much of the left. We have argued that since 1945, global capitalism has experienced an epoch of the “imperialism of free trade”, in which it has been successively restructured into an aggregate of politically independent...

The untold scandal behind horse burgers

The horsemeat scandal is a scandal, but not for the reasons they say. It’s not some “rogue trader “ in Poland or Romania, or France who we should be taking a closer look at. The nice people from Tesco, Findus etc. are “appalled” at what has happened to them and their prey... err, sorry — I mean customers. The companies will be happy that attention is being focussed on horse meat production because it takes attention away from the problems of processed food — the legal additives in burgers such as cultured protein, ground up chicken feathers, nitrates, di-glycerides of fatty acids. Plus all the...

Leon Trotsky on the suppressed testament of Lenin (December 1932)

The postwar epoch has brought into wide currency the psychological biography, the masters of which art often pull their subject up out of society by the roots. The fundamental driving force of history is presented as the abstraction, personality. The behavior of the “political animal,” as Aristotle brilliantly defined mankind, is resolved into personal passions and instincts. The that personality is abstract may seem absurd. Are not the super-personal forces of history really the abstract things? And what can be more concrete than a living man? However, we insist upon our statement. If you...

Who are Workers’ Climate Action?

Workers Climate Action is a network of socialists, anarchists, environmentalists and trade unionists seeking to build a mass working-class response to climate change. We don’t believe that climate change can be averted by a bit of green consumerism, whether that is individuals buying organic veg or multinationals buying “carbon credits”. We respect, but see the inadequacy, of the direct action environmentalists, like Greenpeace — elitist bands of brave individuals pulling off media stunts. Climate change requires an urgent and appropriate response — we believe the working-class needs to stand...

The truth about slums

Now I recently made a resolution not to read any more depressing books. I'd read books about aid workers in Haiti, Bosnia, Cambodia, Somalia and Rwanda. And before that, I'd read Planet of Slums. Don't let that put you off. This book is a bit depressing because it speaks the truth. It does not pretend that the Western world is doing enough for slum-dwellers nor does it pretend that the problem will go away. On the contrary, it describes a terrifying picture that has haunted the minds of politicians for thousands of years. In Rome, the barbarians rebelled and ever since, governments have always...

Making UK plc a saleable commodity

"I don't want to be in the position where people are saying: 'Digby... the product isn't as good as it was'," said Digby Jones, trade and investment minister in the New Labour government and former head of the CBI. He was bemoaning the Government's plan to squeeze "non-domiciled" wealthy foreigners living in the UK ever so slightly for tax; and his comment sums up an entire philosophy of government. The "product" is Britain, as a site for the world's wealthy to operate in. The way Jones sees it is this. As trade and investment minister, he is the salesperson for this "product". Gordon Brown, I...

Workers' Liberty 3/17: free trade, fair trade, and socialism

Workers' Liberty 3/17 examines the facts about world trade, the arguments about fair trade, the lessons to be learned from the writings of Marx and Engels, and the outlines of a socialist policy. Download pdf here , or read online. Fair trade, free trade, and socialism Free trade Fair trade Localisation Socialist policy on trade Marx's major works on foreign trade Proudhon, patron saint of fair trade Independent working-class politics in the Third World South Africa: workers defeat apartheid

Haiti: Inquiétudes de la CTH face à la gestion du pays.

Port – au – Prince ; le 11 Juillet 2007 Communiqué de Presse Inquiétudes de la CTH face à la gestion du pays. Après la bataille démocratique qu’ont menée les travailleurs et le peuple haïtien avec leurs bulletins de vote aux élections du 7 février 2007 ; où ils ont accouché un gouvernement dans l’idée d’éradiquer le chômage, la misère et l’insécurité. Aujourd’hui , la CTH constate que les travailleurs et le peuple haïtien sont à bout de souffle ; au lieu que ce gouvernement prendrait des mesures concrètes pour mettre le pays sur les rails du développement en facilitant la création d’emplois...

Haiti: Labor Press Release on State Privatization

Port-Au-Prince; July 11, 2007 Press Release Concerns of the CTH, regarding the management of the Country. After the democratic battle, led by the Workers and the Haitian People through their voting ballots during the elections of February 7, 2007; where they gave birth to a government conceptually eradicating unemployment, poverty and insecurity. Today, the CTH notes that the Workers and the Haitian People are running out of breath; instead of this government taking concrete measures to put the country on the path of development, while facilitating the creation of employment, on the contrary...

Haiti: Privatization Plan Begins with Mass Firings at Téléco

Agence Haitïenne de Presse At least 500 Téléco workers received termination letters Friday as part of the government's announced plan to privatize the company. Another thousand are expected to be fired on Monday. As of last week, there were approximately 2800 workers remaining after the first wave of mass firings, as the government works to reduce the total number of employees to 800, according to several sources. These mass dismissals, which were expected in the wake of numerous statements by President René Preval and Téléco Director General Michel Présumé, come 10 days after the end of a...

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