Socialist correspondent

Even with determined trade union action and winning pay increases, wages are still not keeping pace with inflation. However, given the determination of strikers over the recent past the government is taking steps to curb strike action. Defending the right to strike will now be an essential part of working class struggle. As will campaigns which gain the broader support of the general public.

This year will see a general election in the UK. At present it looks like a safe bet that the Tories will lose and Labour will win. Is there any more to say? With media pundits taking up airtime and webpages with their endless, repetitious prognostications it will certainly feel like there is not. However, there are real questions about the direction of Labour and the future of the Tories.

We should not doubt that the UK government sees the threats posed by protest against war and unrest against the decimation of living standards and services. In the last couple of years Parliament has passed three pieces of legislation which restrict freedom of speech, the right to protest and the right to strike. A fourth which would outlaw public bodies from boycotting Israel is currently making its way through Parliament. Anti-democratic repression goes hand in hand with the militarist, anti-working class agendas of our rulers.

What shape is German imperialism in today? An imperialism that twice dared to reach for world power and thus triggered two world wars. Yet now its economy has been hard hit by US demands over Ukraine. It is suffering from increased fuel prices a result of the closure and sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia and rocketing arms spending. Discontent is fueling the far right, while the left remains relatively weak. There have been bans on pro-Palestinian protests. To achieve change common struggles based on class and for peace are essential.

The West's response to its growing problems in the world is to threaten others and wage war. There is now a concerted build up towards more armed conflict including war with China. The question is, can the US and its allies be constrained? What are the forces driving the West to war and what might hold it back? The West now is less able to build coalitions as potential allies do not want to have their vital interests sacrificed in support of Western objectives. In addition, there is some increase in anti-war sentiment within Western countries.

The emergence of a multi-polar world is not welcomed by the US as it sees its interests and its world hegemony threatened. More oil sales are being transacted in non-dollar currencies and organisations such as BRICS are attracting new members, pulling away from the US orbit. The US will us its considerable military and economic power to remain dominant in this new world.

NATO's conventional war-fighting capabilities are very visible in the wars it has fought and its military build-up across the globe. Less visible but very important to NATO are activities such as its ideological efforts to win hearts and minds and it's development of cyber warfare capabilities.

More cash is being earmarked for weapons, including for the war in Ukraine, but are the people’s interests best served by sacrificing their living standards to the military build-up or would they be better served by Britain taking a different path? The world is shifting, with new alliances emerging in the global South, resisting western diktats. So shouldn’t we consider abandoning the NATO alliance which only promotes imperialism and war, very different from the people’s interests, and join developments, such as BRICS, which emphasise collaboration and which challenge US dominance.

During the Ukraine conflict Poland has taken a confrontational stance and has been at the forefront of pushing for more weapons for Ukraine. This has included pressurising Germany to fall into line. It has also become the centre of NATO operations in Europe and has 10,000 US soldiers based there. It is an essential ally for the United States in its proxy war.

Recent coups across west Africa have underlined the growing resistance in the global South to western domination. Each of these coups was led by military officers angered by the presence of French and US troops and by the permanent economic crises inflicted on their countries. Niger is a case in point with high levels of poverty in the country alongside the exploitation of its natural resources, especially uranium, vital to the French nuclear power industry. France is the historic colonial power and has used its control of the currency in west Africa, the CFA franc, and all the usual tactics of imperialism, to maintain its dominance in the region. However, France is being challenged by the US. Both have an extensive military presence in Niger. Unsurprisingly sanctions have been imposed and, with the encouragement of France, the Economic Community of West Africa is threatening military intervention. The infamous Victoria Nuland, Acting US Deputy Secretary of State has been deployed in the region to promote US interests and gather forces to try to intervene.

As we remember the 50th anniversary of the coup in Chile it stands as a concrete example which exposes the myth that Britain and the US stand for democracy. Both actively subverted the democratically elected Popular Unity government and sponsored the brutal coup which lead to the torture, disappearance, imprisonment and murder of so many Chileans. Popular Unity instituted many reforms and had many great achievements, despite facing huge odds with the United States imposing sanctions and supporting the fascist right within the country. Eventually the US decided that it would sponsor the overthrow of the government to crush social progress as an example to others.

In October 1983 the US president Ronald Reagan ordered the invasion of the small Caribbean island of Grenada. The island was being governed by the socialist New Jewel Movement who had taken control away from the brutal dictator Eric Gairy in a bloodless coup four and a half years earlier. The invasion, illegal under international law, was condemned by the United Nations Assembly with a vote of 109 to 9. This article looks back on the events surrounding the invasion which took place 40 years ago.

BAE, as Britain's biggest arms manufacturer, enjoys immense financial privileges from both the British government and the USA. This relationship ensures the company receives massive state subsidies, providing high returns to its major investors Black Rock and Capital Group. BAE pushes to escalate the war in Ukraine to drive profits higher with its role a major inflence on foreign policy.

The first so-called Pink Tide of progressive governments was rolled back by external pressure from the United States and reactionary forces on the continent. That is with the exception of Venezuela which continued to survived. Now here is a second wave of leftist governments, but what has been learned from the experiences of the recent past about control of natural resources, the power of the media and the armed forces?

The Windsor Framework, agreed between the UK government and the EU, is supposed to deal with problems caused by Boris Johnson's hastily agreed Protocol which was part of his Brexit deal, but it still leaves many unsatisfactory provision in place. Furthermore it is unlikely to address the concerns of Unionists who opposed the original arrangement. Though violence has subsided Northern Ireland's politics remain deeply divided along sectarian lines. The power-sharing arrangements put in place by the Good Friday agreement have enabled sectional interests to block legislation and currently prevent the Assembly in Stormont from meeting. Although its successes should not be denied, 25 years on it needs to be reviewed

The wave of strikes currently still sweeping Britain has exposed not only the declining living standards of workers, especially in the public sector, but has also shone a light on the dire state of the NHS and other services. Just as cash wages have been decreasing so the social wage has also been under attack. One aspect is the housing crisis, which has grown since the sell-off of council housing under the so-called right-to-buy and the failure to build more social housing. Housing stock has gone to the private sector and been removed from local authority control - hived off to housing associations. The result has too often been poor quality and expensive accommodation, which is affecting the health and wellbeing of children and adults.

Yemen has been at war for eight years since the previous government was overthrown and Saudi Arabia intervened militarily to try to re-impose the former President. This received the backing of the West, which has provided arms. The United Arab Emirates is also fighting for control of the south of the country. Despite a partial truce the war is likely to go on, increasing the terrible suffering of the Yemeni people. A peaceful, decolonised Yemen could look very different and we can help bring that about by campaigning for an end to Britain providing arms to the aggressors in the conflict.

Voices advocating for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine have a big task and confront a substantial state-sponsored media machine. There are persistent untruths peddled by the mainstream media which, by their constant repetition, have a powerful effect on the public consciousness. These myths, for example, say that Russia was unprovoked, launched a "full-scale" invasion and that democracy is being defended in Ukraine. In addition there is the illogical argument the Russia blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. This reporting is certainly not the result of unbiased journalism and there are links between the state, military/security personnel and funding for this propaganda.

The implosion of the Scottish National Party provides an unparalleled opportunity to challenge the divisive constitutional wrangling which dominates Scottish politics and for the left to place unambiguous working-class demands at the centre of Scottish life.

The largest bank failure in the US since the 2008 crisis triggered a drop in share prices across the world and prompted central bank action to limit the spreading turmoil. Once more the fragility of the banking system has been exposed and reignited debates as to whether the world’s capitalist economies can continue riding successive financial storms.

While China advances a plan for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine and a possible path to peace, the West plans to prolong the war in order to effect a regime change in Russia.

Though they managed to wriggle out of the crisis caused by Liz Truss’ disastrous premiership, the Tories still face multiple problems. The party remains riven by divisions. Simply allowing public services to fall apart and taking a confrontational stance towards strikers doesn’t seem to be going down well. Many more people support the strikes than oppose them, with striking nurses achieving over 60% approval ratings. There is an opportunity for the working class and the trade unions to take advantage of the Tories difficulties, to build greater unity of strike actions and campaigns and make gains.

In other parts of the world the United States’ attempts to bully countries into line over Ukraine have not had the same success as in Europe and the West. Countries representing nearly half of the world’s population have failed to support the US position on Ukraine at the United Nations. In return the United States is seeking to sanction African states who do business with Russia through its “Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act”. The US also has a widespread military presence on the continent with 29 military bases under the United States Africa Command - AFRICOM. While African countries have shown signs of defiance over Ukraine, America has no intention of giving up the fight for control of its rich natural resources.

Whilst the fall out from the war in Ukraine has increased opposition to US policies in many parts of the world, the biggest, long-standing imperial powers have fallen into line behind its war aims. The UK has gone further than others in stoking up the war. After the United States it supplies the most resources to Ukraine, including vast amounts of military equipment. The UK’s active involvement not only extends to arms supplies, there are British troops deployed in the country and British intelligence is being provided to Ukraine. There are reports that Britain has been involved in major incidents such as the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines.

Israeli elections are usually a distraction from Palestinian self-determination. However, to the alarm of Israel’s mainstream and liberal apologists, the hard-right government emerging from the November 2022 election puts Palestine centre-stage. The extreme anti-Palestinian racism of parties in Netanyahu's coalition and their anti-liberal views are causing concern among supporters of Israel abroad and buliding Palestinian resistance and solidarity.

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries are also among those taking issue with the US trying to impose its will on the world. Their alliance is one of a growing number of bi and multi-lateral agreements between countries of the global south which seek to develop trade and cooperation on a more equitable basis and now also circumventing the restrictions which the United States is imposing through sanctions. Though it remains at present massively dominant, the United States unipolar world is increasingly being challenged. The benefit of a multipolar world would be to break US power and open up the possibility of progressive change. Such a world, and the fight to achieve it, will not be without complications and challenges. It is, therefore, vital to support those opposing US imperialism, to defend the sovereignty of nations and to oppose US sanctions and its drive to war.

The war in Ukraine has intensified rivalries between major imperialist powers. The US has forced its allies to impose anti-Russian sanctions which result in weakening Europe and strengthening itself. This is also raising tensions between Germany and France, the two major powers in the EU.

The UK government is prepared to pour billions into propping up private capital, billions that will materialise as shareholder dividends, but is not prepared to pay public sector workers a decent wage.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) exist across the world, where national laws and rights are suspended and companies operating in them are more or less free to do as they please. SEZs – sometimes referred to as ‘open zones’ – take different forms; freeports and charter cities are both forms of SEZ. All this means bigger profits for the companies operating in these zones and worse conditions for workers.

Western media and politicians continue to assert that Russia intendeds to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but there is no real evidence to support these claims. On the other hand the United States continues to plan to use of nuclear weapons in conflicts and remains the only country ever to have deployed them.

The sanctions imposed at the behest of the United States have hit European economies hard, particularly the German economy. It is not only gas supplies that are affected, sanctions on Russia will also impact heavily on its key automotive industry. The severe blow to Germany’s economy will weaken its dominance of the EU and strengthen the influence and control of the US in Europe. Ironically China’s car industry may well be the beneficiary of these sanctions on Russia. The war in Ukraine is reshaping the world in more ways than one.

The Tories are at risk of turning economic struggles by workers to stave off destitution into a political fight which could have unwanted consequences for the ruling class.

The Solomon Islands in the Pacific are being threatened with military intervention by the USA and Australia to prevent the enactment of a security pact agreed between China and the Solomon Islands nation. This makes these islands a flashpoint where a US war with China could begin.

The island of Taiwan is part of China. It is a principle agreed upon by the UN and 181 countries including the US, the UK, Europe, Japan and Australia. While the US and UK officially support the One China principle, they are doing all they can to destroy it in practice.

While people at home face a horrendous cost of living crisis the UK government is pouring arms into Ukraine as well providing training to its armed forces. This includes British military personnel being present in Ukraine itself. This is not entirely new, however, and is an extension of long term collaboration between the two countries.

For propaganda effect NATO is routinely described in the mainstream media as a defensive alliance, but the reverse is the case. It was founded to confront the Soviet Union militarily and since then it has engaged in wars of aggression and military interventions across the world. This included breaking the post World War 2 peace in Europe by bombing Yugoslavia in 1999. Its hostile expansion eastwards was the most important factor leading to the present war in Ukraine.

The Covid pandemic brought to light problems with South African health care which is plagued by weaknesses in the system and corruption. Despite this frontline workers showed their care and dedication to their jobs and there have been some positives. Wider lessons, however, can be learned from this experience about the need to combat corruption and building a developmental state, much closer to the needs of the grassroots population.

There is extraordinary bias in the reporting of the war in Ukraine. Nothing which deviates in the slightest from the UK/US official positions is being reported and there is widespread censorship of information from the war zone. Dubious Ukrainian sources being uncritically reported. Sites are being closed down and users are prevented from accessing others, but there is alternative information out there.

For propaganda effect NATO is routinely described in the mainstream media as a defensive alliance, but the reverse is the case. It was founded to confront the Soviet Union militarily and since then it has engaged in wars of aggression and military interventions across the world. This included breaking the post World War 2 peace in Europe by bombing Yugoslavia in 1999. Its hostile expansion eastwards was the most important factor leading to the present war in Ukraine.

The news about Ukraine is selective, biased, emotive and rigorously censored. No alternative views are permitted not even the slightest criticism or questioning can be heard on the airwaves. The combination of the media onslaught, the lack of alternative views and being placed on the defensive by the unexpected Russian intervention has disarmed the left and the peace movement. There is a danger that, unchallenged, the West’s narrative on the Ukraine crisis becomes the template by which future such conflicts are understood, at least in the West. We need to keep our eye on the ball of what the US is up to as it tries to ensure its hegemony. The line it is pursuing, with China now explicitly in its sights, is highly destabilising and contains the seeds of future wars.

The sanctions regime against Russia being imposed at the behest of the United States demonstrates its role in determining the direction of the war in Ukraine. It has expressed no interest in negotiations and wants to prolong the war to debilitate Russia as far as possible. The major loser, however, is unlikely to be Russia, which has alternative financial systems and markets to get round the effects of sanctions and is self-sufficient in food and energy. It will, rather, be US allies particularly in Europe who are dependent on Russian gas and oil supplies as well as essential metals used in high tech products and nuclear technology. The effects on the developing world will be even worse with a looming food crisis. The United States itself is relatively isolated from the impact of the sanctions it is imposing on the rest of the world. As it stokes war with Russia and threatens the same with China, it is also undermining European economies and further impoverishing the developing countries.

One view of the Ukraine war is that it is a struggle between two imperialist poles. But that suggests the US and Russia are evenly matched adversaries as Germany and Britain were in 1914 whereas America is clearly the world's military hegemony, with all of NATO's power under its sole command, while Russia is a regional capitalist power, challenging the US, but with nothing like the same reach or influence.

British farming is in dramatic decline and many hoped that leaving the EU and its Common Agricultural Police would signal a change of fortunes for the industry. however, the transition plans put in place by the Tories have failed to address the many problems faced by British agriculture.

Blackrock is the biggest finance company in the world yet few will have heard of it and its trillions of dollars of assets. The immense power of this ‘shadow bank’ is based on its control over a vast network of interests, giving it a hold over almost every sector of the economy. In the US, BlackRock is the controlling shareholder of all the major banks, big pharma, oil and tech giants, agribusiness, airlines, automotive companies, arms manufacturers and the media. It represents a dangerous new stage in the monopolisation of finance capital, the high degree of which makes for tremendous instability.

Venezuela has a robust and accountable voting system yet the results of its elections are constantly declared illegitimate by the enemies of of the Bolivarian revolution at home and abroad. With the fake president Juan Guaido now totally discredited the West is having to deal with the political realities in Venezuela, including the recent electoral victories of the United Socialist Party.

While people in Britain face numerous assaults on their living standards - inflation, soaring energy prices and cuts to benefits to name a few, workers in the garment industry face particularly bad conditions. Servicing the cut-throat fast fashion industry, they are virtually hidden from view in unsafe sweatshops or homeworking and earning much less than the minimum wage. Legislation is ineffective in improving workers conditions and trade unions find it hard to organise due to the vulnerability of workers who fear for their livelihoods. Such is the real world for a section of the working class in Britain today.

Angela Merkel is no longer German Chancellor. Germany has the biggest economy in the EU, nothing happening without its approval. Merkel was the dominant figure in the EU for 16 years. Her departure will increase strains within the Union.

This year has seen a significant rise in tensions over Taiwan. It is now a flashpoint as dangerous as Ukraine, and it is the USthat is deliberately escalating the aggression as it faces China's continued advance. China's GDP is set to lead the world by 2035.

Well into our second year since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the world capitalist economy is now also suffering from a new malaise, a global economic pandemic involving some symptoms which seem entirely new and others which have not been seen for many years. These symptoms can only be understood in terms of capitalism, and of the actions taken by the capitalist states and central banks to shore the system up. It involves price inflation. This is not caused by workers demanding higher pay, but by the use of monetary policy to protect big business and the ultra-rich.

There is an urgent need for socialist policies and working class campaigning, yet some on the left seem to want to dilute our power by introducing proportional representation in UK parliamentary elections. Though seemingly more democratic, this self-defeating move would drive politics to the right through enforced coalitions with the Liberal Democrats. And this is only one of the problems with PR, which has failed to produce any positive change where it has already been implemented in elections in Britain. In fact through permanent coalitions will deliver less of what people voted for rather than more.

COP 26 happened in Glasgow at the beginning of November and demonstrated the difficulties that free-market capitalism has in addressing major global challenges which require collaboration and planning. However, faced with its own extinction it is not impossible for capitalism to set aside some of its rivalries to try to save itself. Whether it will succeed is another matter and it will be worrying if the future of humanity is left in its hands. However, as capitalism tries to save itself it will have scant regard for the impact of its climate change policies on working people and the developing world. Workers are rightly skeptical of vague promises about new green jobs. The North Sea oil industry is a specific example of this. Workers are interested in transferring from an industry in decline to green jobs, but they themselves identify a lack of planning by the UK, the Scottish and local governments to make this possible. Market forces mean that contracts for wind turbines, for example, go abroad and there is a lack of validation of their skills and qualifications if they want to move jobs. Like other workers across all industries in recent decades they have faced casualisation through bogus self-employment, cuts in wages and conditions and health and safety concerns.

When the United States, Britain and Australia formed the AUKUS pact tensions were ramped up further with allies. The move enraged France as it meant Australia cancelling its order for new French submarines in favour of buying US nuclear powered ones instead. It is not just this further snub which has implications, AUKUS is a new alliance among several which are being orientated towards confrontation with China. This is a significant escalation of the threat to peace in the Asia/Pacific region and it is particularly concerning that the US is transferring nuclear technology to Australia as part of the submarine deal. The United States’ strategic priority is now pushing back China. To that end it is building up its military alliances and power in the Asia/Pacific. It is also reorienting the alliances it leads, like NATO, towards China and corralling its allies into following its hostile approach. It has had success at this but relations are increasingly strained with countries which take a different view of how to deal with China (and it should be said Russia), like Germany. This has been exacerbated by the US’ contemptuous treatment of them over Afghanistan and AUKUS.

Soviet military assistance was sent to Afghanistan in 1979 to help defend the progressive and democratic government against Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. This is well known, as is its outcome - the withdrawal of the Soviets, final defeat of the government and the take over by the Taliban. What is less well known are the historic links between the young Soviet Union and the newly formed Afghan state, which involved aid and cooperation over decades. Neither are the achievements of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, overthrown by the Taliban, which promoted the rights of women and girls, workers and farmers. By contrast the West and the USA supported the terrorists facilitating the seizure of power by the Taliban. They wreaked further destruction and massive loss of life through their invasion. And now the US has withdrawn and the Taliban are back in power again.

The United States’ world role under Biden has been different from Donald Trump only in that has been more effective in asserting US dominance, and bullying other countries. However, it is also causing consternation among US allies which are increasingly unhappy about its actions. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a shock. Previously Trump and Obama had talked about “ending the forever wars” and “pivoting to Asia”, but they had never taken the final step of pulling out of Afghanistan. However, it was not just that Biden did it, but the manner of the departure – hurried and without consultation – that bothered allies. There were huge ramifications arising from this, not only making allies wary, but also changing the power relationships in the region and beyond, involving China, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, India and others. Although the United States remains the world’s preeminent power it has damaged its reputation and emboldened voices among US allies who want their nations to be less dependent on an unreliable partner. This is particularly evident in the European Union with strengthened calls from many leading politicians, like Emmanuel Macron, for EU “strategic autonomy”.

The Working Class and 21st Century Capitalism. The growth in homeworking during the pandemic has highlighted that workers are being watched and monitored to an ever greater degree. This is all about speeding up work and extending the working day to increase exploitation. It has major implications for the health, well-being and privacy of employees and their families and for how Trade Unions respond.

Capitalism has major issues to address about the failures of its neoliberal model. Greater state intervention in the economy is being pursued in the United States and Britain. Although this may seem a radical departure from neoliberal orthodoxy, nevertheless it is nothing like the levels of nationalisation and state intervention which once prevailed. Facing global challenges, especially from China, will these modest departures from free market dogma be enough to save capitalism?

It is ten years on from NATO’s 2011 seven-month long bombardment of Libya, and this once secular, peaceful and prosperous country is still in turmoil. The destruction of Libya was part of a bigger plan by the US to oust Middle Eastern leaders who they believed threatened their interests. Colonel Gaddafi the Libyan leader, brutally murdered during the war, was for a time, at the forefront of efforts to develop his country and build anti-imperialist alliances. Libyan people once benefited from its oil wealth but now the face chaos, danger and hardship in a civil war brought about by the United States.

For centuries enormous struggles have taken place a across Latin America against Spanish, British and US imperialism and their domestic allies. In the course of that time there have been tremendous victories, like the Cuban revolution, and huge defeats like the overthrow of the Popular Unity government in Chile. But people across the continent have kept resisting and fighting for change. Even a few months ago few would have predicted that a self-declared Marxist would be elected president of Peru. In Bolivia, after a bitter defeat for the left and Evo Morales and a campaign of right wing terrorist violence, nevertheless, Luis Arce from Morales’s party, the Movement Towards Socialism, won the presidential election. In Chile the left has a majority on the convention writing the new constitution for the country. None of this was achieved by purely electoral politics – these successes arose from the struggles of the working class, social movements and indigenous peoples.

Despite Tory failures there is a woeful lack of opposition from the official opposition in the shape of Keir Starmer. Labour’s poor electoral performances of late have underlined Starmer’s lack of credibility with the voters. He and those around him have drawn the wrong conclusions from electoral defeats in the so-called Red Wall constituencies. The real causes of alienation in working class communities and the radical changes needed to address them are ignored in favour of superficial responses, like making Labour look “patriotic” by appearing with Union Jacks. This is a poor imitation of the Tories and goes down particularly badly in Scotland. There is too much concentration on parliament and not enough on class struggle.

Despite the continued mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and the botched exit deal from the EU, Boris Johnson still seems Teflon coated. Johnson has been able to survive so far because of his popularity in the Tory Party and his huge majority in parliament. Also because the establishment want an orderly transition to a new leader which doesn’t expose the Tories failures too much nor their anti-democratic practices, contempt for the electorate and corruption. Divisions are beginning to emerge among the Tories on multiple issues meaning Johnson, far from being invincible, is looking increasingly insecure.

The Scottish National Party has again been returned to power in the Scottish Parliament, though failing to achieve an overall majority. Yet its record in government has been one of failure in delivering services to the people of Scotland. The Party itself, once highly disciplined, is now fraught with divisions. But independence is what dominates Scottish politics and it suits the SNP to divert attention onto the constitution and way from the many issues facing the Scottish people and the party's own problems. But there are divisions in the independence camp about how to proceed and the many difficult questions about borders, currency, debt and so on will not be easy for the SNP to answer.

British Gas engineers put themselves on the line during the pandemic, helping households maintain their power supplies through the winter. But Centrica which owns British Gas, has sought to use fire and rehire tactics to force engineers to accept worse conditions of employment. Centrica pleads poverty but is actually making healthy profits.

Amazon employees endure oppressive working conditions but there are now struggles taking place to improve these and to gain union recognition across the globe. These are hard fought battles as the company uses any dirty tricks: lying to staff, spying on union organisers and sacking activists, to fight their own workers.

Capitalism and greed, as Boris Johnson is proud to say, go together. However, they are not the success he likes to pretend. In fact markets have failed abysmally to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. It is actually the public sector and state intervention that has had the greatest success in combating the virus. Capitalist greed benefits no one but the capitalists. The rich world - the EU and countries like Britain and the United States - are battling it out to secure shares of vaccines while poorer countries are being left far behind. The EU has struggled with it's procurement programme which is a further blow to those who wish to centralise power even more within the bloc.

Joe Biden’s political appointments and domestic policies are the backdrop to the United States strategy to maintain its world dominance. These policies are being forged by veteran Washington insiders - key figures who were also prominent in the Obama era. Domestically policies are aimed at stabilising the US economy post-pandemic and preventing social dislocation and potential further unrest. This includes a big stimulus package for the economy and progressive measures on trade union rights and policing in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. But the Republicans will block much of this and the left will need to push Biden and Harris to fight for these policies. Though Biden’s rhetoric is different from Trump’s, he has appointed foreign policy hawks to his cabinet and will continue with the policies of Obama and Trump aimed at confronting the rise of China and Russia on the world stage. To be able to focus on that more effectively, however, the US is seeking to get out of major military commitments in the Middle East, which have proved a quagmire and instead to use proxies as a more effective way of achieving its ends.

Podcast 40 - The Middle East, United States proxies, rivals, & danger of war by Socialist Correspondent

W. E. B. Du Bois was an outstanding intellectual and activist. Born in 1868, the year that black people in the South were enfranchised he put his science, learning and life in the service of the struggle for equality for black people in America. He was an internationalist and fighter for peace which meant that like so many he became the subject of the US state witch hunts against progressives.

One of the most notorious aspects of the development of neo-liberalism has been the huge growth in the gig economy. With venture capital having a big stake in it, Deliveroo was one of the pioneers in slashing workers’ rights and their terms and conditions of work. The use of workers with bogus self employed status has become a significant feature of how capitalism exploits workers in the 21st century.

One of the hallmarks of this increasingly dangerous world has been the growing hostility of the US towards China as it becomes more powerful and assertive. To understand this conflict it is necessary to also understand China's development since its revolution and the aspiration that the United States had to bring it into its orbit as a capitalist economy serving US economic interests. When it became clear that China would not follow the path prescribed for it by the US and was seeking to develop its own direction, including nurturing hi-tech industries, the US responded quickly to try to halt this. These moves began in earnest under President Obama and were continued by Donald Trump. President Biden will not depart from this path but will seek to collaborate more with US allies, alienated by Trump’s approach, to put pressure on China. The question is whether or not China can overcome attempts to isolate it and the barriers created by sanctions designed to strangle the development of its hi-tech industries.

Britain has left the European Union and exited from the year-long transition period on 31st December 2020. This is four and a half years after the vote to Leave and it is not over yet. The agreement between the UK and the EU leaves many issues unresolved and constructs a web of committees which will keep them in permanent negotiating mode. Although the UK has gained some formal autonomy from the EU in this agreement, nevertheless it is founded on neo-liberal assumptions and keeping both parties in alignment, precluding progressive intervention in the economy.

The Brexit deal has exposed Boris Johnson’s false claim that Britain would gain total control of its fishing after Brexit. In fact, the deal has only given Britain an increased 25% share of the fish within its waters. It’s a far lower figure than the Tory promise of 80%. Over decades the UK government and the EU conspired to develop a market in fishing quotas which benefited big business at the expense of small fishermen. The Brexit agreement has done nothing to change that.

Brexit will leave British capital weaker and marks another significant step in Britain’s decline relative to other imperial powers over the last 100 years. Britain always had an uneasy relationship with the EU, with different allegiances and ambitions from France and Germany. Having said that the dominant sectors of British capital, whose interests were tied up with the EU, were not in favour of Brexit. However it did happen due to the continued tensions within the British ruling-class about its world role, the incompetence of its political representatives and alienation in communities which had suffered neglect over decades. The full impact of Brexit remains to be seen, but there is bound to be a hit on the financial sector which dominates the economy. There is also the prospect of the break-up of the UK with majority support currently for Scottish independence and the reshaping of Northern Ireland’s relationship to the UK and Ireland by the Brexit process. All this is happening against the backdrop of a long term decline in British capital’s share of the world economy, an increasingly parasitic domestic economy and the disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic by the UK government and the devolved administrations.

Though defeated in a referendum in 2011, proportional representation (PR) is again being mooted as a way of engaging voters and making the electoral system more democratic. In fact PR would actually produce less of what the electorate wants with more horse-trading of policies. Most importantly it would dilute a clear class divide making radical change harder.

The second part of this obituary of Denis Goldberg deals with the period of his life following his release from prison when he was in exile and then his return to South Africa where he continued to fight for the ideals of freedom and equality for all. The personal and political challenges remained huge but Denis continued the struggle, inspiring many others with his message. In his words, “Understanding the world is not enough. As human beings in society, we are called upon by our humanity to change the world, to make it a place of greater equality…”

Podcast 31 - How The West Spied On The World And Still Does by Socialist Correspondent

The right wing and liberal media are united in their attacks on so-called Russian interference in western elections. This has been so hyped that it is almost taken for granted, yet the evidence does not stack up. The Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report failed to substantiate allegations of Russian interference. It blamed the lack of evidence on spooks not having looked hard enough. Yet the ISC used this non-evidence as a basis for arguing that Britain should boost its offensive cyber warfare capabilities, calling for more resources for the National Offensive Cyber Programme set up by GCHQ and the Ministry of Defence. This year a National Cyber Force was also established and Britain hosts the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre at RAF Molesworth.

Why has the United States has reacted with such ferocity in ramping up sanctions and bans on Chinese companies? Whilst China’s economy has grown and it has developed its political, economic and military power globally, it is still nowhere near being able to challenge the US’s superpower status. But what it is doing very effectively is developing world-leading digital companies like Huawei and Ant. As well as China’s cutting-edge companies, its success with state intervention in the economy is a direct challenge to free market neo-liberalism.

In the negotiations with the EU the Tories have come under fire for their confrontational approach on state aid rules, taking back powers from devolved governments and the threat of breaking international law. However the left needs to be principled in its critique of the Tories and not allow them to seize the ideological ground as defenders of sovereignty. Meanwhile their disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic continues as they aim to implement a herd immunity strategy which they wanted from the start.

Its advocates idealistically hope that Universal Basic Income (UBI) will change the world, undermining the logic of capitalism. But there are flaws in how possible schemes would operate. Most do not propose to pay an amount of money that people could actually live on with inevitable negative consequences. Some groups would lose out, it would tend to subsidise low-wage employers as people would still have to work and there would be tax increases on low and medium earners along with cuts to welfare spending to finance it. Nor is UBI only an idea of the left. Neo-liberals have proposed it as a way of further cutting and privatising services. To fulfill its utopian ideals UBI would need to be set at the level of a decent wage. To pay this to everyone would be mindbogglingly expensive especially when a progressive government would have many other priorities.

Slavery was essential to the development of capitalism and as such the continued power of big companies and financial institutions rest on that legacy. Even if they agree to reparations or token responses to the demands of Black Lives Matter and others, they continue to remain in power, still reaping the benefits of their brutal past.

This is the first of a two-part tribute to Denis Goldberg, hero of the struggle for the liberation of South Africa. It deals with his early life, how he became active in the fight against apartheid and the important contribution he made. It also covers the Rivonia trial, where Denis was sentenced with Mandela and others to life imprisonment, and with the twenty-two years he spent in prison. The article reflects on Denis approach to politics and life: his sacrifice, dedication and sense of comradeship also his thoughtfulness, sense of humour and boundless optimism. Denis contributed to The Socialist Correspondent and was a speaker at our conferences – he was an inspiration to us all and will be greatly missed.

The extradition hearing for Julian Assange continues as he battles against the US and British states' determination to make an example of anyone who brings their misdeeds to light - particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the process he has suffered many injustices and his treatment has been condemn by the UN rapporteur on torture and the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute.

The coronavirus pandemic has once again demonstrated the clash between capitalism's priority of safeguarding profits over peoples lives. But it has also revealed the deeper problem that working class people's lives were already precarious before the virus struck. We are not in this together.

Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party always faced huge problems some of which were almost insurmountable, but others could have been tackled more effectively. Whilst the election of Sir Keir Starmer is a huge setback nevertheless a lot has been achieved. The political landscape has shifted to the left and there there is a new generation of serious socialists beginning to emerge.

Since the height of the so-called pink tide in Latin America, reactionary forces, backed by the united States have been rolling back progress. there have been coups, constitutional/legal manoeuvres and coups. the challenges remain massive, but despite setbacks there is an upsurge in strikes and protests by working people, most notably in Chile.

In France the Gilets Jaunes protests have been going on for over a year and now there are massive strikes and demonstrations against Macron's pension "reforms". Virtually unreported by the mainstream media in Britain these movements are beginning to collaborate and represent wider demands.

It was the Brexit election and Labour could not escape this. though there were other factors, the main reason for its defeat was the loss of Leave voting constituencies in Wales and the North and Midlands of England. This was due to the failure to up-hold its promise to respect the outcome of the of the EU referendum in 2016.

The United States failure to achieve regime change in Syria has led to a shifting power dynamic in the Middle East. Russia, Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have become more assertive and alliances between them have changed in ways which do not serve US interests. The US sees Iran's emergence as regional power as a particular threat to its own position as well as to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Brexit crisis has come to a head with Prime Minister Johnson's confrontational tactics, which have served to unite the Remainer majority in Parliament. It is now intent on stopping a No Deal Brexit. Johnson has turned on his own MPs who dare to dissent, expelling recent former ministers and Tory grandees. A general election is now inevitable, but Labour would find one fought soly on Brexit difficult as it has shifted further in the direction of Remain, but still needs the support of Leave voters. It will need once again to focus on policies beyond Brexit, unifying people round an anti-austerity platform and its positive vision for Britain.

Socialism has the interests of humanity at its core and can plan economic activity to serve those interests. However, we are in a world dominated by capitalist self-interest. In these circumstances, how can we campaign to prevent climate catastrophe? Labour's Green New Deal is a good start.

NATO was founded in the Cold War to advance the West's interests. 70 years on, despite the end of the Soviet Union it continues that purpose, expanding further and threatening "foes". It and its members have been implicated in recent wars which have brought misery to peoples and made our planet a dangerous place.

The major powers are once again competing over Africa. Like the earlier Scramble for Africa between 1881 and 1914 – when the European imperialists divided up 90% of the continent between them – this is about gaining valuable resources and controlling them against rivals.

May has been forced out at last, unable to sell her unpopular Brexit deal to parliament. The two leadership contenders to replace her both promise to carry through on Brexit, yet that is not what the ruling class wants. While this saga drags on in Britain, the EU continues to get on with other business, mainly jockeying for the top jobs post the EU elections and dealing with its own internal conflicts.

Hopes of ousting Donald Trump were buoyed by last November's mid-term elections in the US. The Democrats won sweeping gains and had their biggest margin of victory over the Republicans since Watergate. Encouragingly a number of new progressive Democrats associated with the Bernie Sanders campaign and the Democratic Socialists of America were elected. the fight is on to secure a progressive Democrat candidate for the presidential race in 2020.

There are many myths about the EU, among them that it is an internationalist body of equal partners committed to human rights. In fact it is the reverse of this. It serves big capital and the economic interests of its dominant nations at the expense of smaller ones and of the peoples of Europe. Furthermore its structures are undemocratic meaning that it cannot be reformed in a progressive direction.

The Tories and the media are consumed with the unfolding Brexit crisis. However, beyond that they are still the party of the wealthy, wreaking destruction in every area of our public services, in peoples' lives and in the economy.

As well as the current proposal agreed by Teresa May and the EU several other options have been proposed for a "soft Brexit", however the EU will only accept an agreement which does not undermine the integrity of its single-market. This means that in any soft Brexit option Britain would be required to remain bound by its rules, effectively part of the EU without any say in it.

There have already been press smears and campaigns by the establishment against Jeremy Corbyn, so how would capitalism and the British state react to a Corbyn lead Labour government? We need to be prepared to take on attempts at destabilisation with popular support being critical.

The current intractable problems of negotiating a Brexit which will satisfy the EU, both wings of the Tory Party, its allies in the Democratic Unionist Party and the divided electorate are rooted in the history of the EU and British imperialism. The impossibility of negotiating as equals with the EU was experienced by the Greek government and it comes as no surprise that it is playing hard-ball with Britain. The future of Brexit remains highly uncertain.