Johnnie Gallacher of the Republican Socialist Platform has written an article updating some of the postings made earlier in our blog. We are posting this article along with a a list of other articles on the E&L blog addressing the issue of republicanism. This article is a synthesis and summary of several articles originally published…
The trade union bureaucracy and unionism In Northern Ireland
This article, originally posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland), highlights the ineffectiveness of the ICTU Northern Committee and trade union bureaucracy working within the parameters of the existing unionist state when it when it comes to protecting workers’ jobs, pay and condition. If the Irish Congress of Trade Unions through its partnership with the state is the…
US Crisis And Repocratic Politics
In the following two articles, Daniel Lazare looks at the legacy of ‘Repocratic’ politics. in the USA. In the first he emphasises the role of the US constitution in creating the stalemate in US politics. In the second he shows how Trump has boxed Biden in over US Middle East policy. This follows the Democrats’…
Cancel The Rent: A Rising National Rent Strike Movement In Oakland USA Gains Momentum
Tenants and supporters demonstrate in Oakland, calling for cancelling rents during the pandemic. The demonstration was organized by the Association of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), tenants unions and other activists. Tenants and supporters demonstrate in Oakland, calling for cancelling rents during the pandemic. The demonstration was organized by the Associateion of Californians for Community…
Popular Culture, Brexit And One Nation Toryism
The following article by Jim Aitken, first appeared on the Culture Matters blog. There was a palpable sense of euphoria on the BBC during the morning after the night before of the General Election of December 12, 2019. It had a feeling of glee about it; a childish excitement that the un-English dragon of socialism –…
Colombia: Drugs, War And The ELN
E&L is posting this article by Gearoid O’ Loingsigh on the political situation in Colombia and the hypocrisy of its government in its handling of drugs trafficking (often quite literally!) Furthermore, the article also shows how the City and the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies helps with the laundering of drug money. The issue…
Mary McGregor Reviews ‘A Kist Of Thistles’
Mary McGregor (RCN) reviews a new collection of radical poetry from Scotland ‘A KIST OF THISTLES ‘- AN ANTHOLOGY OF RADICAL POETRY FROM CONTEMPORARY SCOTLAND, EDITED AND INTRODUCED BY JIM AITKEN Too many people on the left still regard art and culture as peripheral to the class struggle. They fail to recognise that for millennia…
Neoliberalism’s Last Stand
This article from Left Voice in the USA examines the prospects for neoliberalism under a Joe Biden presidency. NEO-LIBERALISM’S LAST STAND Biden’s election is an attempt to revive the neoliberal order — one that is doomed to fail. Hillary Clinton’s ignominious defeat in the 2016 elections has been widely viewed as a referendum on the…
Herd Immunity – Myth And Reality
Following our continuing series of articles on Covid-19 We are posting this piece form Socialist Democracy (Ireland) in the myth of herd immunity. While many scientific myths have emerged during the course of the global pandemic the most prominent and persistence of these has undoubtedly been that of “herd immunity”. Its basic proposition is that…
Newry, Mourne And Down Council Workers’ Strike
With employers using Covid-18 to attack workers’ jobs, pay and conditions, there has been the beginnings of a fightback. This article first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) looks at the strike action taken by council workers in Newry, Mourne and Down council. Workers in Newry, Mourne and Down (NMD) took strike action on Thursday December…