D. Rayner O’Connor Lysaght (Socialist Democracy, Dublin) welcomes the Declaration, but also highlights some of its weaknesses. On 10-11 November 2003, the European Anti-Capitalist Left in the European Social Forum produced a Resolution challenging the various reformist parties’ hegemony over the working class and left wing forces of the ‘subcontinent’. In itself, it is a…
The Declaration of the Anti-Capitalist Left
The Republican Communist Network will be putting a motion to the SSP conference calling for the Anti-Capitalist Left to make a united challenge in the forthcoming Euro-elections. The Declaration of the Anti-Capitalist Left, printed below, was agreed in Paris, on November 10-11th, 2003. Europe: A different Europe is possible! A different European Left is necessary!…
Nothing Surprising and Nothing New
On February 14th a Convention of the Left was held in Derry City. The main sponsors of this meeting were the Socialist Workers Party, the Communist Party of Ireland and the Green Party. Under the banner of the Socialist and Environmental Alliance they had contested the election to the Northern Ireland Assembly (see article by…
Left Unity urged
One of the largest left meetings in Wales for years has heard renewed calls for left unity in Wales. Forward Wales AM, John Marek, shared a platform with ex-Labour MP, George Galloway, and antiwar campaigner, John Rees in Cardiff University on January 20. The meeting attracted 300 people, many of whom were young. The meeting,…
Forward Wales to challenge Labour
There was a mood of confidence and anticipation as a new left-wing political party was launched in Wrexham on November 8. The local RMT rail-workers’ union secretary Dave Bithell told members: We’ve beaten Labour once and we’ve got to move forward to beat Labour again and again. The combination of a radical socialist message coupled…
Northern Ireland elections lay bare the contradictions of imperialist rule
John McAnulty (Socialist Democracy, Belfast) analyses the election campaigns run by political parties for the Northern Ireland Assembly and what the results mean for the Good Friday Agreement. The results The outcome of the elections in the North of Ireland, in factual terms, is simple enough. Among nationalists Sinn Fein triumphed over the traditional leadership…
Intellectual property is theft!
Alan Graham looks at the way capitalism has appropriated intellectual property and suggests some ways to fight back. The main focus of socialist thought, including within the SSP, is about emancipating ourselves from economic exploitation such as poor pay and long hours, but before socialist thought can become the norm we must emancipate our minds…
Politics can be bad for your health
Mary Ward argues why communists must take an holistic approach to health and health care. In socialist circles, when you talk about campaigning around health issues, comrades, understandably, turn their thoughts to fighting to defend the NHS. The cuts in provision, introduction of the mysterious internal market, the quangos that run our local health services,…
Occupation is not liberation
Reflecting on recent events at home and abroad, Nick Clarke examines whether the world today is a freer, safer place. Freedom to profit In the aftermath of the atrocities of September 11 2001, Bush and his ruling junta declared the start of the War on Terror. The subtitle for this crusade was to make the…
From Theory To Practice
On page one we have printed our Slogans and Aims, but where do they come from and how are they to be put into practice? As a network we regularly review our tactics and strategy against developments as they unfold. The seven points that follow summarise where we now stand today. In this issue of…