1: A new period The result of the French referendum on 29 May 2005 was immediately greeted in France, but also internationally, as a major political turning point rather than just another election result. The full impact of the shockwave… Continue Reading
This summer saw the clear emergence of another faultline in the world system, alongside those caused by the Bush government’s inability to crush the resistance in Iraq, and the rising wave of revolt in Latin America. The new faultline is… Continue Reading
Lots of small incidents have already occurred. There were lots of little incidents [involving worker protests] last year. Whenever a dynasty is ending it is like this. You can put down 99 out of 100 disturbances, but if you don’t… Continue Reading
The resources exist worldwide easily to wipe out Third World poverty and the G8 are guilty of not providing them. That was the message motivating very large numbers of people to demonstrate as we went to press. But there was… Continue Reading
Gordon Brown has trumpeted loudest about his initiatives to reduce Africa’s debt. If we are to believe the newspaper headlines and even the hype of some NGOs, the chancellor has not only led the way in tackling the debt of… Continue Reading
In the era where there is unlimited money for the war against Iraq, there is not enough money to save millions of lives in the Third World. The richer the rulers of most powerful countries have become, the less they… Continue Reading
In 1980, median income of the richest 10 percent of countries was 77 times that of the poorest 10 percent. By 2002, this gap had increased to 122 times. The number of poor people rose between 1987 and 1998, and… Continue Reading
Two terrible threats define the 21st century. One is imperialist war and all that follows in its bloody train. The other is the accelerating threat of catastrophic climate change. Few people today doubt the scale of the climate change threat… Continue Reading
The ‘no’ vote in the French and Dutch refendums. The loss of a million votes by New Labour in Britain’s election. The defeat of Germany’s social democrats in the state election in the Ruhr. One simple fact emerges from them… Continue Reading
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former finance minister in Lionel Jospin’s ‘plural left’ government, no doubt spoke for most of the Socialist party leadership when he remarked in January 2005 that, ‘This referendum is bloody stupid. We were bloody stupid enough to ask… Continue Reading