Socialist Resistance

An archive of socialistresistance.org, 2006–2022

2008

102 articles

  1. 19 December 2008  ·  2 comments

    A reply to Alex Callinicos on Respect - Alan Thornett

    Alex Callinicos’s article in the current edition of the SWP’s International Socialism ‘Where is the Radical Left going?’ is significant in terms of the current debate in the SWP as well as t…

  2. 16 December 2008  ·  1 comment

    Decline and Fall of Neoliberal Globalisation

    image no longer in the archive image no longer in the archive image no longer in the archive Phil Hearse writes The new millennium was heralded in November 1999 by giant demonstrations outsi…

  3. 15 December 2008

    Ecology and the economy - capitalism's two crises (video)

    In this video of December's London Socialist Resistance forum the Green Left's Sean Thompson explains the extent of the ecological crisis; offers a critique of the Green New Deal; adds peak …

  4. 14 December 2008

    The Young Engels and the Birth of Marxism - public meeting

    image no longer in the archive The Young Engels and the Birth of Marxism Public meeting: Bennett's Bar Birmingham 6 January 2009 @ 7.30 Following the death of Karl Marx in 1883, Friedrich En…

  5. 14 December 2008

    Ingrid McClements - a tribute

    Ingrid McClements, also known to many friends and comrades from her time in London as Ingrid Falconer, died in Glasgow on December 5 2008. She will be deeply missed by her children Emily and…

  6. 10 December 2008  · 

    Cholera Epidemic in Zimbabwe

    Norman Traub looks at the catastrophe facing Zimbabwe. The cholera epidemic sweeping across Zimbabwe is yet another manifestation of a profound crisis which encompasses every aspect of life …

  7. 9 December 2008

    Solidarity with the protests in Greece

    On Saturday 6 December, the Greek police without being provoked, murdered in cold blood a 15-year old school boy in the centre of Athens. Immediately afterwards, spontaneous protests spread …

  8. 3 December 2008

    Capitalism's double whammy - Socialist Resistance public meeting

    image no longer in the archive image no longer in the archive Socialist Resistance's London public for December looks at the simultaneous economic and environmental crises. It's in the India…

  9. 27 November 2008  ·  2 comments

    Building Respect in the new political landscape - a document for the revolutionary regroupment discussion

    Alan Thornett has written this document as a contribution to the discussion between former members of the SWP, members of Socialist Resistance and others who are looking to combine to create…

  10. 27 November 2008  · 

    The Third Slump and its Consequences

    Phil Hearse image no longer in the archive Ernest Mandel called the market crash and global recession of 1974-5 the ‘second slump’ (1) – the first one being of course that of the 1930s, init…

  11. 24 November 2008

    America: Changing for Real?

    image no longer in the archive David Finkel is managing editor of the U.S. socialist journal Against the Current (read it at www.solidarity-us.org ). He has written this article for issue 4 …

  12. 18 November 2008

    The Credit Crunch by Graham Turner - a review

    image no longer in the archive The Credit Crunch: housing bubbles, globalisation and the worldwide economic crisis by Graham Turner (Pluto 2008) £14.99 Piers Mostyn's review will appear in i…

  13. 16 November 2008

    A third slump? A second great depression?

    Fifteen months after the credit crunch first broke, governments and stock markets around the world are finally facing up to what is likely to be the most serious economic recession since the…

  14. 13 November 2008

    Download flyer for 2009 CACCTU conference

    Download the flyer for the 2009 Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Conference by clicking on the link. CACCTU flyer

  15. 10 November 2008

    Climate change: model union resolution

    Here is the text of a model resolution if you want to get your union branch to support the December 6th climate change demonstration or the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Confer…

  16. 9 November 2008

    Respect - help win crucial Mile End election

    The council by-election in Mile End East takes place on 20th November. The by-election was caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Rupert Bawden, widely rumoured to be disillusioned w…

  17. 9 November 2008

    Support victimised teacher union activist

    Adrian Swain is a long-standing teacher at St Paul’s Way Community School in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where the majority of pupils are of Bangladeshi origin and senior managers a…

  18. 9 November 2008  · 

    Barack & us

    By Mike Tucker Obama started the election campaign with a set of distinct advantages. He was not George W Bush or a Republican. The promise of change seemed plausible. He appealed to the dis…

  19. 28 October 2008

    Greg Tucker memorial unveiling now online

    Greg Tucker, a Socialist Resistance founder and railworker who died earlier this year, was recent honoured by a memorial event in London's Kennington Park. Photographs from the event are onl…

  20. 22 October 2008

    ‘Defending our people. We won’t pay for their crisis’ - Respect’s national conference

    Respect’s national conference is taking place this Saturday 25 October, 11 – 4, at the Bishopsgate Institute, London. The main focus of Conference will be on building Respect as a campaignin…

  21. 14 October 2008

    New Labour’s plans for the Banking Crisis – How should Socialists Respond?

    Socialist Resistance statement on the banking crisis. The banking crisis which became apparent in August 2007 has got dramatically worse in the last two weeks. This is for three reasons. Fir…

  22. 6 October 2008

    Come to the Respect conference 2008

    Defending our people. We won’t pay for their crisis! Respect is holding its national conference in London on 25th October 2008, at the Bishopsgate Centre, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH. R…

  23. 3 October 2008

    Book fast for the Respect conference on Saturday 25th

    Tickets are selling fast for the Respect Conference on Saturday October 25th. This year's conference is open to all Respect supporters - but Socialist Resistance strongly recommends your boo…

  24. 28 September 2008

    Socialist Resistance 53

    image no longer in the archive Issue 3 of Socialist Resistance is out soon. We have reduced the price to £2. This issue features articles on Colombia, Italy, contrasting views on Respect fro…

  25. 18 September 2008

    Celia Hart - Memorial meeting on Wednesday 8 October

    Celia Hart Santamaría and her brother Abel Hart Santamaria have been killed in an car accident. Celia knew and worked with many comrades in Britain. A memorial meeting on Wednesday 8 October…

  26. 13 September 2008

    Cuba - time for practical and financial solidarity!

    Hurricane Gustav affected more than 60 per cent of Cuba's territory, and damage has been sustained across the housing, education, poultry and fishing, electricity, and telecommunication serv…

  27. 2 September 2008  · 

    'The 24th April teachers strike and its aftermath

    Stuart Richardson The one day strike called by the National Union of Teachers (NUT)joined by the Further Education section of University and College Union (UCU) was the first national strike…

  28. 26 August 2008

    Respect has to turn outwards - Alan Thornett

    Alan Thornett is a member of Southwark Respect and sits on the National Council. This is his reply to Andy Newman's article on building Respect. Both pieces will be published in the next iss…

  29. 26 August 2008  ·  1 comment

    Reject imperialist interference in Georgia!

    Socialist Resistance's editorial board published this statement on August 26th: Truth they say is the first casualty of war. Only a few years ago the world was subjected to the lies about Ir…

  30. 22 August 2008

    Colombian People in the Frontline of Social Resistance

    Andy Higginbottom * The struggle between the old and the new, between a reversion to extractive capitalism versus socialism of the twenty first century is felt at every level and in every co…

  31. 15 August 2008  · 

    Kingsnorth Climate Camp 2008

    Roy Wilkes reports from this year's climate camp. Over 1500 people attended this year’s climate camp on the Medway peninsula. The camp focused on resisting government plans to allow E.ON to …

  32. 13 August 2008

    Danger of U.S. attack growing - Massive Naval deployment to Persian Gulf

    Take Action Now to Stop War on Iran U.S. Naval Armada heading towards Iran Growing threat - Join us in mobilizing to Stop War on Iran! - Appeal from StopWarOnIran.org As we write, the arriva…

  33. 3 August 2008

    The Bitter Truth about the Beijing Olympics

    Workers and Peasants the main victims Phil Hearse So the Beijing games are nearly upon us. There is no public event, other than perhaps the soccer World Cup, that is so universally approved …

  34. 27 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    Stop Global Warming – Change the World by Jonathan Neale

    Reviewed by Roy Wilkes Two years ago George Monbiot published Heat, a ground-breaking book which armed a generation of activists with the technical and scientific know how to fight climate c…

  35. 15 July 2008

    Respect and the city

    Richard Hatcher sets out some ideas for how Respect could start to develop policy on the local government level. A version of this article will appear in the September edition of Socialist R…

  36. 12 July 2008

    Glasgow East by-election - Vote Frances Curran SSP

    image no longer in the archive Frances Curran, the socialist candidate in Glasgow East, has vowed to launch a crusade against greedy politicians who plunder the public purse to make themselv…

  37. 11 July 2008

    Sixty years since the Palestinian Nakhba

    Roland Rance discusses the history of the Israeli state and the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakhba. No part of this video may be used on any other site without the written permission…

  38. 9 July 2008

    Mark Steel Vive La Révolution! a stand-up history of the French Revolution

    Southwark Respect presents Mark Steel's only London gig this year! Thursday 17th July Redstar, Camberwell SE5 0HQ Tickets: £18.15 / 12.50 Doors 19.00 Show starts 20.00 Late Bar Book tickets …

  39. 8 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    Portugal - The Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerda

    The next video from the SR dayschool features Miquel Reis discussing the experience of The Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerda in Portugal. image no longer in the archive

  40. 7 July 2008

    Dispute at the BBC

    Bectu and the NUJ are in dispute with the BBC over the outsourcing of the work of the Urdu, Hindi, and Nepali services of the world service to India Pakistan and Nepal. The move, which is de…

  41. 7 July 2008

    Respect mobilises against racist Cologne conference

    Respect is aiming to send at least 100 activists to join protests against an anti-Islam conference organised by Europe’s fascists. At the recent anti-fascist march in London, it appealed for…

  42. 5 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    Respect's National Secretary on the challenges ahead

    Nick Wrack, National Secretary of Respect, spoke in a personal capacity at the Socialist Resistance dayschool on broad parties image no longer in the archive

  43. 4 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    Die Linke

    The next in the series of introductions from the Socialist Resistance dayschool is this contribution from Andrej Hunko who looks at the experience of the Left Party in Germany. image no long…

  44. 3 July 2008

    Transport for London - Clean up your act!"

    Cleaners have been on strike since Tuesday evening after Transport for London failed to grant any concessions during the cleaners' one day strike last week. London Underground cleaners - the…

  45. 3 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    Sinistra Critica

    This video is one of the most coherent accounts in English of Sinistra Critica's recent experiences in Italy. Angelo Cardone delivered this talk at the Socialist Resistance dayschool on broa…

  46. 2 July 2008

    How do we take Respect forward? Kevin Ovenden

    Kevin Ovenden is a member of Respect's leadership and works for George Galloway in Parliament. This is a video of his talk to the Socialist Resistance dayschool on the European experience of…

  47. 1 July 2008

    Green Parties in Europe

    Joseph Healey is the Green Party's International Co-ordinator and the co-convenor of the Green Left. In this talk to the Socialist Resistance seminar on broad parties he surveys the European…

  48. 1 July 2008  ·  1 comment

    The Dutch Socialist Party

    The next video from the Socialist Resistance dayschool features Willem Bos. Willem is a long-standing activist of the Dutch left and a member of the Socialist Party. He spoke in a personal c…

  49. 30 June 2008  ·  1 comment

    An invitation to participate in the creation of a new Revolutionary Socialist Organisation

    This document launched the regroupment process between Socialist Resistance, the ISG and some other Marxists inside Respect. It registered the most important areas of agreement achieved at t…

  50. 30 June 2008

    The Communist Party's assessment

    Ivan Beavis of the Communist Party of Britain speaks at the Socialist Resistance seminar on broad parties. He begins by saying: He's not seeking to take power because the role of the Communi…

  51. 25 June 2008

    Voices for the working class in the 21st century - agenda

    A fascinating day of discussion and debate on building broad left parties across Europe Saturday June 28 th 10.30 – 6.00 ULU Malet St London – nearest Tube Goodge St. Tickets10 pounds waged …

  52. 21 June 2008

    Voices for the working class in the 21st century

    A fascinating day of discussion and debate on building broad left parties across Europe Saturday June 28 th 10.30 – 6.00 - ULU Malet St . London – nearest Tubes Goodge St or Russell Sq. Acro…

  53. 20 June 2008

    British Tamils Forum explains the issues in Sri Lanka

    In June 2008 a mobilisation against Mahinda Rajapakshe, the Sri Lankan prime minister, was organised during his visit to London by the British Tamils Forum and socialist groups including Soc…

  54. 18 June 2008

    The National Health Service at sixty

    Socialist Resistance supporter John Lister was recently invited to speak in Belfast on the National Health Service. This is the video of his talk. image no longer in the archive

  55. 18 June 2008

    Sixty years since the Nakba - public meeting

    image no longer in the archive July's Socialist Resistance London forum looks at the sixty years since the state of Israel was proclaimed. You can download the flyer here . Its foundational …

  56. 15 June 2008

    Counter-revolutionary offensive in Latin America

    This article by Phil Hearse will appear in the Summer 2008 edition of Socialist Resistance which is out soon. A counter-revolutionary offensive in Latin America is gathering pace as the left…

  57. 14 June 2008

    Greg Tucker - thanks

    I would like to thank all those comrades who sent flowers, cards, emails and letters of condolence, and posted supportive blogs, in response to Greg’s untimely death. I would particularly li…

  58. 12 June 2008

    New Socialist Resistance out soon

    image no longer in the archive image no longer in the archive

  59. 8 June 2008

    Respect - what is it?

    This article by Nick Wrack will appear in the Summer edition of Socialist Resistance. The acronym for Respect – Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environment, Community and Trade Unionism…

  60. 5 June 2008

    New Respect paper out now

    image no longer in the archive

  61. 5 June 2008  ·  1 comment

    European conference of the anti-capitalist left

    Last weekend in Paris there was a meeting called by the Ligue communiste révolutionnaire of European anti capitalist parties. This is a translation of the statement that was issued from it. …

  62. 4 June 2008  ·  1 comment

    Voices for the working class in the 21st century - register now!

    You can download the flyer for the Socialist Resistance dayschool on the European experience of broad parties here . We will have speakers from the Communist Party of Britain, Respect, the G…

  63. 4 June 2008

    Convention of the Left - Debate '08

    Convention of the Left - Debate '08 Planet, Peace, People Manchester 20-24th September What is the true cost of Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan? An invite for academic, researc…

  64. 1 June 2008

    After the Heathrow demonstration - building the global movement on climate change

    image no longer in the archive The protest against the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport on 31 st May sent a powerful message to Gordon Brown’s government: we will not sit idly by an…

  65. 29 May 2008  ·  1 comment

    Speakers confirmed for Resistance day school on broad left parties

    image no longer in the archive A range of international speakers have now been confirmed for Socialist Resistance's day school on broad left parties on Saturday 28 June. Recent developments …

  66. 28 May 2008

    Birmingham Socialist Resistance site launched

    Socialist Resistance supporters in Birmingham have launched a new website. Click here to visit it Their next public meeting is on Tuesday 17th June at 7.30 in Bennett's Bar at which Alan Tho…

  67. 26 May 2008  ·  2 comments

    Resistance of the left builds in Pakistan

    New government – old faces Elections in Pakistan last February put an end to the military dictatorship of General Pervez Musharaf - but not, it seems, to its policies. The new coalition gove…

  68. 25 May 2008  ·  1 comment

    Young people – where is the danger?

    Young people murdering each other now appears to be a feature of life in modern Britain. The standard policy response is criminalisation and more powers for the police. Ryan Ferguson sets th…

  69. 24 May 2008  · 

    The Nakhba sixty years on – no cause for celebration

    Piers Mostyn looks at the bloody truth behind the creation of the Israeli State and its legacy of war, racism, ecological devestation, national oppression and poverty. This article will be i…

  70. 20 May 2008

    Ecological damage compounds Africa's poverty

    Africa has the lowest per capita fossil energy use of any major world region. Yet the continent is suffering considerably as a result of climate change caused by global warming and is the le…

  71. 20 May 2008  ·  1 comment

    1968 - Two participants look back

    image no longer in the archive Alain Krivine and Olivier Besancenot on 1968 image no longer in the archive John Mc Anulty on 1968

  72. 18 May 2008

    Abortion - a Woman’s Right to Choose!

    This is the text of the Socialist Resistance leaflet for Tuesday's demonstrations. You can download the PDF here . By taking part in these actions to defend women’s abortion rights, women an…

  73. 10 May 2008

    Women's abortion rights under attack Emergency protest— as MPs vote on women’s abortion rights

    Women's abortion rights under attack Emergency protest— as MPs vote on women’s abortion rights Tuesday 20 May, 5.30pm Old Palace Yard, outside Parliament — opposite St. Stephen’s Entrance Tu…

  74. 10 May 2008

    A View From Birmingham on the elections

    image no longer in the archive In the context of a national swing to the right and in the aftermath of a recent split which has drained time, energy and resources, the Birmingham local elect…

  75. 10 May 2008

    France: High School students mobilise massively against attacks by Sarkozy Government

    Extracted from Corriente Alterna Alex and Yoann (JCR Paris-Nanterre) French youth continue to show their potential for mobilising against education reforms. This time it is the turn of high …

  76. 6 May 2008  ·  2 comments

    Respect and the Election Results

    The New Labour project is falling apart at the seams. Its local elections results were the worst in 40 years, with only 24% of the vote and coming third behind the Liberal Democrats. This is…

  77. 3 May 2008

    'Cuba at Sea' book

    image no longer in the archive Our friends at Resistance Books have two new books, both from authors they have already published. The first is out now: Cuba at Sea, an account of Ron Ridenou…

  78. 3 May 2008

    Respect's first assessment of the election results

    The local and London elections have been bad for the left and for progressive voters everywhere. The backlash against the Brown government, which many now feel has betrayed them on the econo…

  79. 26 April 2008  ·  1 comment

    Socialist Resistance Forum with Farooq Tariq

    Socialist Resistance meeting with Farooq Tariq image no longer in the archive Pakistan after the elections Meeting with: Farooq Tariq (Labour Party Pakistan), Jane Shallice (Stop the War Coa…

  80. 26 April 2008

    The World Economy and the Credit Crisis

    The World Economy and the Credit Crisis Andy Kilmister 1. Introduction The significance of the current turmoil in global financial markets can be seen sharply in the following quote from the…

  81. 23 April 2008  ·  1 comment

    The Asda report and the 10p tax scandal

    By the Socialist Resistance Steering Committee Gordon Brown's 'U-turn' on the abolition of the 10p tax threshold still leaves millions of low-paid workers and those on benefits without any c…

  82. 23 April 2008  ·  1 comment

    Election campaign - This weekend's elections activities

    image no longer in the archive Last weekend's campaigning was a big success. The bus runs were the best yet and there were stalls, leafleting and other activities in many parts of London. We…

  83. 22 April 2008

    Act to defend Colombian miners

    The Colombia Solidarity Campaign is asking supporters and trade unionists to act in defence of Colombian miners facing death threats. We reprint Amnesty International’s Urgent Action below a…

  84. 18 April 2008

    National Demonstration against the third runway at Heathrow - get your union to support it

    Climate change is a working class issue. Try to get this resolution through your union branch. Amend it as appropriate. image no longer in the archive This Association notes: 1) The contradi…

  85. 18 April 2008

    Election Campaigning in Birmingham, London and Manchester - Everyone Out!

    This is a big weekend for election campaigning in London! Respect's campaign is going well but there are only two weekends left - this weekend the 19th and 20th and the weekend of 26th and 2…

  86. 18 April 2008

    Individual Versus Social Solutions to Global Warming

    By blaming individuals, the ruling class aims to greenwash their intrinsically environmentally destructive economic and social system. We have borrowed this article from the indispensable Cl…

  87. 17 April 2008  ·  2 comments

    Pakistan after the elections

    Pakistan after the elections Socialist Resistance public meeting with Farooq Tariq (Labour Party Pakistan) and Gilbert Achcar (author of A clash of Barbarisms) Thursday 8 May, 7.30pm ULU Mal…

  88. 13 April 2008

    Farooq Tariq speaks at Socialist Resistance meeting

    Well known leader of the Labour Party Pakistan, Farooq Tariq, is speaking at a meeting organised by Socialist Resistance on 8 May. The meeting is at ULU, Malet Street, London WC1 at 7.30pm. …

  89. 9 April 2008  ·   ·  3 comments

    Greg Tucker: towards a tribute

    by Terry Conway Our comrade Greg Tucker died on April 6 2008 at St Thomas ' hospital following an arterial bleed. He was 54. Greg had been ill for some time with throat cancer and had a firs…

  90. 29 March 2008

    Basra assualt endangers Iraqi trade unionists

    From Naftana, the UK support committee for the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions In a series of telephone calls from Basra over the past 48 hours, Iraqi trade union activists appeal for solidar…

  91. 29 March 2008  · 

    Ecosocialism, democracy and planning

    The exponential growth of attacks on the environment and the increasingthreat of the breakdown of the ecological balance point towards a catastrophic scenario that puts in danger the surviva…

  92. 23 March 2008

    Welcome to our new website!

    To coincide with the launch of our new magazine, Socialist Resistance is launching this renovated website. Here we publish the statement from the new journal about our political project, whi…

  93. 17 March 2008  · 

    Respect Renewal and Agencies for Social Change

    By Alan Thornett image no longer in the archive Respect Renewal has done remarkably well in the four months since the split and its founding conference in November. True it does not yet have…

  94. 16 March 2008  ·   ·  1 comment

    Abortion – our bodies, our lives, our right to decide

    By Veronica Fagan The fight for women’s right to control our own fertility is absolutely central to the fight for women’s liberation, and needs to be actively supported by all socialists. Wi…

  95. 11 March 2008

    What do we mean by “ecosocialist”?

    We describe Socialist Resistance as an “ecosocialist” magazine. This is a new word for many socialists and environmentalists so we should offer a definition of it. It means a lot more than u…

  96. 7 March 2008

    Coming soon - Socialist Resistance magazine

    image no longer in the archive The first issue of the new quarterly Socialist Resistance magazine will be out later this month. The picture shows the first draft of the cover. We’ll be featu…

  97. 1 March 2008

    UK recession - make the rich pay!

    Socialist Resistance Steering Committee image no longer in the archive The huge increase in nPower energy prices announced on 4 January and likely to be followed throughout the energy sector…

  98. 29 February 2008

    Second edition of Ecosocialism or Barbarism published

    A new edition of Socialist Resistance Books best-selling titles , 'Ecosocialism or Barbarism', has been published. The number of pages is up, to 176, and the price is down, from 10 to 6 poun…

  99. 29 February 2008  · 

    Socialists and Ken Livingstone

    By Alan Thornett image no longer in the archive The whole of the left should condemn the hysterical Thatcherite campaign against Ken Livingstone led by the Evening Standard and Channel 4. It…

  100. 23 February 2008

    World Situation and the tasks of revolutionaries

    image no longer in the archive François Sabado: from International Viewpoint Some elements of the international situation... The international situation confirms an extension and a deepening…

  101. 1 February 2008  · 

    Ecosocialism, democracy and planning

    Michael Lowy The exponential growth of attacks on the environment and the increasing threat of the breakdown of the ecological balance point towards a catastrophic scenario that puts in dang…

  102. 1 January 2008

    Democratic centralism & broad left parties

    image no longer in the archive By the Socialist Resistance steering comittee What kind of left for the 21st century? Since the beginning of the decade important steps have been made in rebui…