Announcing the 2023 Declaration of Calton Hill

The following article, written by Allan Armstrong for the Radical Independence Campaign, was first posted by bella caledonia  ANNOUNCING THE 2023 DECLARATION OF CALTON HILL On September 18th, November 2014, something truly remarkable in politics happened.  By the time of the Scottish independence referendum, held on that day, 97% of Scotland’s potential electorate had registered…

The growing political crisis in France

We are posting this article by David Kellaway of anti-capitalist resistance. It describes well the growing working class resistance to  Macron’s proposed pension counter-reforms.  It is followed by a statement from the Fourth International affiliated New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA). In a comment at the end, EL&SD EB member, Allan Armstrong makes some additional points about…

The Windsor Framework

The following article by Jon Morris was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland). It examines the nature of the Windsor Framework, the proposed changes in  the Northern Ireland  Protocol  and the reactions of the DUP and Sinn Fein. THE WINDSOR FRAMEWORK – NI PROTOCOL REFORMED BUT NOT ABOLISHED   At the end of February, the…

Olof Palme: the last Social Democrat

Today, following the economic crisis beginning in the 1960s and the rise of neo-liberalism in the UK (1979) and USA(1980) and its triumph in  1989 with collapse of the USSR in 1989, Social democracy has largely degenerated into social neo-liberalism, or even further into Left populism which sometimes allies with and sometimes morphs into Right…

RIC reconstituted and the 2023 Declaration of Calton Hill

This is the conclusion of Completing Scotland’s Democratic Revolution, in which Allan Armstrong examines the legacy of  of Scotland’s 2014 Democratic Revolution and the 2023 Declaration of of Calton Hill, designed to complete that unfinished democratic revolution. RIC RECONSTITUTED AND THE 2003 DECLARATION OF CALTON HILL After the attempted shutdown on 17.1.21[1] the Radical Independence Campaign (RIC)…

Kate Forbes’ economic agenda is just as dangerous as her conservative views

Adam Ramsay first posted this article on openDemocracy. He argues that Scotland’s poorest would likely be worse off under the leadership of the SNP finance minister. KATE FORBES’ ECONOMIC AGENDA IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS HER CONSERVATIVE VIEWS There has so far been little focus on Kate Forbes’ economic policies.  There has, rightly, been a lot…

International Womens Day 2 – Zan Zendigi Azadi and Art Monsters

As our second contribution to  International Women’s Day, we are posting Zan, Zendigi, Azad (Women, Life and Liberty), written by Pauline Bradley, and a review of the film Tar, by Meaghan Delahunt, which was first posted by bella caledonia.   1. ZAN ZENDIGI, AZAD (WOMEN, LIFE AND LIBERTY) Zan, Zendigi, Azad by Pauline Bradley  …

It’s time to reclaim International Working Women’s Day

We are posting this article as a contribution to International Women’s Day. It was written by Grace Blakeley and was first posted by The Tribune. IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY International Women’s Day has radical roots, but its contemporary incarnation has been co-opted by corporate elites – it’s time to put the women…

Natural and unnatural disasters in Rojava, north east Syria and south west Turkey

  The following article, written by Giacomo Sini and Alessia Manzi, was first posted by bella caledonia. It examines the role of Turkish president, Tayyip Erdoğan, in using the earthquake disaster to further undermine the persecuted Kurds, in both Turkey and Syria, and his bolstering of ISIS forces to achieve this.  NATURAL AND UNNATURAL DISASTERS…