Radical Independence Conference

The Radical Independence Conference (http://radicalindependence.org/), being held this Saturday, 24th November in Glasgow, is likely to be the biggest gathering of the Left in Scotland for many years. The RCN has been covering this event since the first open organising meeting in June. We have produced a special issue of our magazine, Emancipation & Liberation,…

Michael Marra – A Tribute

Mary McGregor, who lives in Dundee, has written the following tribute to the acclaimed singer songwriter, Michael Marra, who died on October 23rd. Every obituary and tribute to Michael Marra seems to begin with I met Michael in… or I have known Michael since … and when I sat down to write about him, I…

The Republican Communist Network (Scotland) What We Stand For – From Theory to Practice

1) Another world is possible – a joyful, creative, new world communism which emancipates us all from oppression and frees us all from exploitation, and which forms a new sustainable relationship between humanity and the environment. Socialism is not the ultimate aim. It can either be a phase on the way to communism or a…

What is happening in Greece and why

Lina Christou, who lives in Athens, explains the background to the current crisis in Greece. Greece has been chosen by the ‘graduates’ of the Chicago school as a country in which the ‘Shock Doctrine’ approach could be applied in the way this is described in Naomi Klein’s book[1]Naomi Klein (2008) The Shock Doctrine: the Rise…

Ireland and the broader consequences of the 2014 Scottish Referendum

Jim Slaven of the James Connolly Society highlights some of the publicly unacknowledged features of the 2014 referendum, how they fit into the British ruling class strategy to maintain its rule over these islands, and a new challenge to this in Ireland. The deal between Alex Salmond and David Cameron on the arrangements for the…

The Slippery Slope

Murdo Richie explains the consequences of the SNP conference decision on NATO. We are being deceived into thinking that we are safe with NATO-friendly nationalists when instead we have a disgraceful pretence,[1]The SNP and its leadership are taking us for fools claims Lord NATO alias its former General-Secretary and former UK Defence secretary, George Robertson.…

Imagining Radical Independence: Learning from the Venezuelan Experience

Ewan Robertson, who currently lives in Venezuela, writing for Venezuela Analysis, asks us to imagine what radical independence could look like. With two years to go until the SNP puts an independence referendum to the Scottish people, the likelihood appears that the form of independence on offer will look more like devolution-max; ditching any policy…

For a Socialist and Feminist Republican Scotland: Gender Equality and Beyond

Susan Dorazio places Scottish independence firmly within the struggle for global emancipation and liberation against capitalist and patriarchal exploitation and oppression. A Socialist and Feminist Republican Scotland would establish equality for women, but it wouldn’t stop there. Scots, no matter how gender-identified, would recognise that liberation and justice for one is liberation and justice for…

The Declaration of Calton Hill, 9th October 2004

The Declaration of Calton Hill, 9th October 2004   We the undersigned call for an independent Scottish republic built on the principles of liberty, equality, diversity and solidarity. These principles can never be put into practice while Scotland remains subordinate to the hierarchical and anti-democratic institutions of the British State. We believe these principles can…

Editorial

The Radical Independence Conference represents the biggest gathering organised by the Left, so far, around the issue of Scottish independence. For Socialists the political issue we confront is that of self-determination. This is a broad democratic concept. It involves our collective and individual attempts to overcome the exploitation, oppression and the alienation we feel under…