In the aftermath of the Julian Assange trial we are posting this article by Lisa Longstaff of Women Agains Rape. This is followed by a link to the Amnesty International petition, ‘The USA must drop charges against Julian Assange’. We are relieved the court ruled not to extradite Julian Assange to the US. His immediate…
“This Is Not What America Stands For” – Except, Uh, In Latin America
We are posting the following article by Nathaniel Flakin of Left Voices in the USA. This is response to all the nauseating hypocrisy coming from the Democrats and other neo-liberals about the USA’s great democratic traditions. The United States has long supported right-wing protests to subvert elections. This is so common that there’s a joke…
Whither Remain Or Will Remain Wither?
The ruling class has fully fallen in behind Johnson’s Brexit deal. After the Leave vote, May, assisted by Corbyn, had already delivered them a new gastarbeiter scheme with cheap easily disposable migrant labour. Now after the December 29th vote to accept Johnson’s hard Brexit deal, Daniel Hannan,* former Tory MEP and president of the Initiative…
What Is The Crown And What Is Republicanism?
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…