A Turning Point in U.S. Politics

Shortly after winning re-election last fall, President Bush declared that he had earned “political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” One year later that bank account has been significantly drained, if not depleted and mired in debt.

By Philip Locker, Socialist Alternative (US CWI)
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The article below was written in early October. As a result of the earthquake, its translation into English was delayed, as well as its posting on our website. The partial stabilisation of Musharraf?s position following the elections is now in question because of the massive failures of his administration in responding to the 8 October earthquake. Despite the article being written before the earthquake it is still of relevance and contains important information concerning the role of Socialist Movement Pakistan (CWI in Pakistan) in the elections.

By Khalid Bhatti, Socialist Movement Pakistan (more…)

Two presidential candidates have petitioned Sri Lanka?s Supreme Court to prevent voters living in the ?uncleared areas? of the country from voting. This would disenfranchise most of the population in the North and parts of the East of the island which are still controlled by the forces of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam. Under the current cease-fire agreement, the Sri Lankan Army cannot enter these areas.

By Srinath Pereira, Executive Committee member, United Socialist Party (CWI Sri Lanka) (more…)

In Britian, just like in Australia, the Labour Party has shifted to the right, lost its working class base and lacks internal democracy.
There is no longer any mass party that genuinely represents working people. Discussions are beginning to take place in many parts of the world around the issue of building new workers parties. In the first of two articles, PETER TAAFFE, General Secretary of the Socialist Party (England and Wales), says that the time for stepping up the campaign for a mass workers’ party in Britain is not just ripe - it is rotten ripe. (more…)

Thousands of anti-WTO protesters are expected in Hong Kong in December when the World Trade Organisation holds its biennial ministerial meeting to try to conclude the stalled Doha Round of trade talks. The event will draw mostly young activists from countries such as South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan, in protest at the WTO?s neo-liberal agenda which seeks to boost the market access (and profits) of the big corporations at the expense of workers, poor farmers and the environment. Laurence Coates of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI Sweden) spoke to Hong Kong activist Alan Wong about this important event: (more…)

There has been a vigorous response by working class people in Pakistan and Kashmir to help the victims and those affected by the devastating earthquake in these regions. In many areas, working class people provided relief and attempted to rescue victims long before even the military arrived.

Azad Qadri and Khalid Bhatti, Trade Union Rights Campaign, Pakistan (more…)

Our journey to the devastated city of Bagh in Kashmir in a truck loaded with aid donated by Lahore?s working class communities was one the most emotional and painful that we have ever experienced.

Eyewitness account from Bagh, Khalid Bhatti, Trade Union Rights Campaign, Lahore (more…)

Many aid agencies will be collecting funds over the next weeks for the Asian Earthquake disaster. Unfortunately the same corrupt government whose policies have helped to increase the death toll will be in charge of distributing these funds. The Socialist Party is helping to raise funds for the Trade Union Rights Campaign in Pakistan (TURCP), who are supporting workers and poor victims of the disaster. (more…)

I have been in Bagh, a city in Jammu and Kashmir for the last one day, arriving with a truck of aid from workers and trade unionists in Lahore. This is just one of five trucks of aid we collected in Lahore, three for Kashmir and another two for North West Frontier Province.

By Khalid Bhatti, Trade Union Rights Campaign, Pakistan (more…)

By SP Councillor, Stephen Jolly
The public meeting two weeks ago was a great success and we will be meeting State Government representatives next week. If this doesn’t work (ie if the State Government prefer to bankroll private road providers and the Commonwealth Games rather than this vital service), we will have to step up the pressure and organise protests. (more…)