Daniel Lazare updates his recent article (Approaching train wreck) on the revival of Trump’s fortunes in Joe Bidens’ USA. Right populism is making a return mightily helped by the anti-democratic US constitution. This was first posted by Weekly Worker. SLOW MOTION CIVIL WAR As every car-owner knows, mechanical problems do not fix themselves. Until you…
Data-driven platform workers plan big move
This article about organisation by data-driven platform workers in Edinburgh is written by Cailean Gallagher and was first posted by bella caledonia. PLATFORM WORKERS PLAN BIG MOVE Ask folk in Scotland’s capital if they can describe any of the Edinburgh’s ‘big moves’ and they might mention the reopening of the St James Centre last year,…
Mary MacGregor reviews ‘Ghosts of the Early Morning Shift’
Culture Matters have published the second volume, Ghosts of the Early Shift – An anthology of radical prose from contemporary Scotland, following A Kist of Thistle – An anthology of radical poetry from contemporary Scotland. These have both been edited by Jim Aitken. Here Mary MacGregor, following her review of the first volume, writes a review…
Back to the past – again
James Harvey wrote the following article for Weekly Worker. It looks at the political significance of Tory government’s attempts to unravel the post-Brexit Protocol they signed up for over relationships with the EU and Ireland. BACK TO THE PAST – AGAIN Last week saw just the latest twist in the continuing stand-off between the British government…
What does the union flag tell us about the UK?
Allan Armstrong has rewritten the introduction to the first part of his book, From Pre-Brit to Ex-Brit. In this he takes a closer look at the history of the UK’s Union Flag. WHAT DOES THE UNION FLAG TELL US ABOUT THE UK? Today, even the United Kingdom’s most diehard defenders realise their state may not…
Approaching train wreck
The following article by David Lazare posted by Weekly Worker argues that far from being defeated, Trump’s Right Populists are making new ground, as Joe Biden flounders. It make the case that the US’s anti-democratic constitution is enabling this takeover. APPROACHING TRAIN WRECK Last April, Joe Biden was “the calm after the four-year Trump storm”,…
Manufacturing ignorance: keeping the public away from power
The following article was first posted by Media Lens. MANUFACTURING IGNORANCE: KEEPING THE PUBLIC AWAY FROM POWER In their classic book on the news media, ‘Manufacturing Consent’, Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky presented a ‘propaganda model’ of how the major broadcasters and newspapers operate. Whereas the ‘mainstream’ media declare that their aim is to educate,…
On police violence
The following article written by Mike Small on police violence in Great Britain, including Scotland, first appeared in bella caledonia ON POLICE VIOLENCE The state holds the monopoly on violence in our society. We can talk about male violence but the murder of Sarah Everard is also state violence and needs to be seen in both contexts. A…
Support farmers and farm labourers’ bharat bandh (shutdown) across India
The following posting is from the Samyukta Kisa Morcha coalition of farmers unions, calling for a complete shutdown across India. SUPPORT FARMERS AND FARM LABOURERS’ BHARAT BANDH (SHUTDOWN) ACROSS INDIA Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) coalition of farmers unions has called for a complete shutdown across India (except emergency services)…
Dublin bus workers reject union backed deal on pay and conditions
This article first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) outlines the growing tensions between rank and file workers and union bureaucrats in the Dublin bus workers dispute accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. DUBLIN BUS WORKERS REJECT UNION BACKED DEAL ON PAY AND CONDITIONS Union leaders’ plan puts all workers inside the privatisation rules It barely more…