Socialism

The election victory of Donald Trump opens a new era internationally, and domestically in the United States. This election win is not merely a changing of the guard at the White House. Although the US has had right-wing presidents in the past, for example, Ronald Reagan, who presided over a neo-liberal onslaught, including brutal attacks on the trade unions, which he tried to cripple, Trump’s new regime will be of a different order in an entirely different world situation. Trump’s win will have a decisive impact on the domestic situation and on the geo-political struggle unfolding between rival imperialist and capitalist powers. The working class and socialists must be prepared for the storm that is already crashing down on society to intensify in the coming months and years. In this episode of the podcast, socialist party general secretary hannah sell draws a balance sheet of what the election of Trump represents, and the prospects for working class struggle under his presidency. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Further reading: Trumpism and its limits - the editorial of Socialism Today Capitalist opponents of Trump are frightened that he could damage, or even destroy, the current international order – and the US state institutions – through which the US capitalist class rules. In opposing Trump, Marxists do not give one iota of support for the existing ‘world order’, or the Democratic Party government which maintained it on behalf of US imperialism over the last four years. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/133317/27-11-2024/socialism-today-editorial-trumpism-and-its-limits/ Trump’s election victory and the new world order - Analysis by the CWI Like the COVID pandemic, the new Trump regime will act as a great accelerator on all of the existing trends, contradictions and conflicts currently unfolding under capitalism in its protracted death agony. World events will now be marked by ‘pre-Trump’ and ‘post-Trump’ benchmarks. Trump’s victory represents the coming to power of a particularly right-wing nationalist, protectionist regime – one that will include aspects of Bonapartism, of repression, rule by presidential decree, and a further weakening of democratic rights for the American people. https://www.socialistworld.net/2024/11/26/trumps-election-victory-and-the-new-world-order/

In this episode of the podcast, Tony Saunois, General secretary of the Committee for a Workers International, analyses the general trends in the leadup to the US elections and why the outcome will have a major effect on the global capitalist system. Tony will be speaking on Sunday 10th November from 11am-1pm at Socialism 2024, the weekend of socialist discussion hosted by the Socialist Party. Here's the full details of the weekend: •⁠ ⁠SOCIALISM 2024 Sat 9 Nov - Sun 10 Nov •⁠ ⁠Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL A weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world, with a main rally at Saturday 5.30pm on the theme of 'Building the socialist opposition to Starmer's war & austerity agenda' Even if you are free for just one of the days, there are day and rally-only tickets available as well, and also the option to get a 'golden ticket' that includes hostel accommodation. If you can't come at all a donation to the fighting fund appeal is appreciated so that members with low incomes can come along. Here is the website where you can see the brochure and book your tickets: www.socialism.org.uk Further Reading: Neither Republicans nor Democrats offer a pro-working class agenda https://www.socialistworld.net/2024/10/28/neither-republicans-nor-democrats-offer-a-pro-working-class-agenda/

In this episode of the podcast Josh Asker the editor of 'The Socialist,' explains the tactics and strategies needed to build a mass movement against the far right. Socialism 2024 Get your tickets for socialism here: www.socialism.org.uk Do you want to be part of building the socialist opposition that we need to end austerity, poverty, climate crisis, racism and discrimination, and war? Taking place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November, the Socialism 2024 weekend will arm you with the ideas to fight back under the Starmer government against the capitalist system it defends. Socialism 2024 will be taking place only days after Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget which will show Labour’s plans to make the working class pay for the crisis of the capitalist system while the rich get richer. Join hundreds of trade unionists, students, community campaigners, and those who just want to find out about socialist ideas to discuss and debate ideas to change the world. The centrepiece of the event will be the main rally on the Saturday evening where you will hear from leading socialists. There will be over 40 workshops running throughout Saturday and Sunday on all sorts of topics. And there will be closing rallies on the Sunday afternoon. Smash racism The large counter-protests on 7 August pointed to the potential to build an anti-racist movement. We must challenge attempts by racists and the populist and far right to take advantage of the anger at Starmer’s attacks on living standards. The workshops in this theme at Socialism 2024 are an opportunity to look at the ideas needed to do that and include: You can’t have capitalism without racism: The origins of racism and the struggle to end it today Capitalism and Islamophobia After the riots: the role of the trade unions in a Community Defence Stewards organisation Further Reading: Lessons from the Fight against the Far Right: The working class has a long history of mobilising to resist attempts by far-right forces to attack and intimidate our communities. The Socialist Party and its predecessor Militant has a long history of taking part in those struggles, including at times playing a leading role. In all these struggles, the fight to stop the far right is completely bound with the fight for a socialist alternative, and mobilising the working class to fight for decent jobs and homes, fully funded services, and all our communities need. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/130801/02-10-2024/lessons-from-the-fight-against-the-far-right/ The first lightning flashes – and what to do One month after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party was ‘swept to power’ by a paltry 20% of the electorate – the lowest support base of any government since the introduction of universal male suffrage in 1918 – violent protests and riots, instigated by far-right groups, broke out across the country. For those trapped in asylum-seekers’ hostels or mosques under brutal attack from gangs of rioters, the experience was terrifying. More generally, many Black, Asian and Muslim people feel that their safety is increasingly under threat. Tell Mama, a monitoring group tracking Islamophobic hate crimes, reported a five-fold increase in threats to Muslims compared to the same time last year. https://socialismtoday.org/the-first-lightning-flashes-and-what-to-do

In August protestors took to the streets in towns and cities across Nigeria in anger at the deepening social and economic crises gripping the country, felt by ordinary Nigerians as a worsening cost of living crisis. But the state, led by the government of President Bola Tinubu, cracked down hard. Hundreds of activists have been detained without charge, such as Daniel Akande in Abuja. Others, including CWI member Adaramoye Michael Lenin, and Mosiu Sodiq, also in Abuja, have been charged with treason, which carries the death penalty. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and its president Joe Ajaero, have also been subject to a state campaign of harassment. In response socialists and trade unionists worldwide are mounting an international solidarity campaign. In this podcast, a radio interview carried on the South African channel PowerFM - www.power987.co.za - Weizmann Hamilton, general secretary of the Marxist Workers Party and a member of the Committee for a Workers International’s International Executive Committee, discusses the situation in Nigeria and the Nigerian Solidarity Campaign. - Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at www.socialistworld.net - Download Nigeria Solidarity Campaign material here: https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk - Donate to the Nigeria Solidarity Campaign via CrowdFunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cdwr?exp=exp-pledge&expv=B - Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

133. Trade Union Congress 2024 If the trade unions were to take the first steps towards building a political alternative it could rapidly build into a mass force to challenge Labour, the populist and far right, and to fight for the socialist change we need. So far, the union leaders have stubbornly resisted such an initiative. But in this changed political landscape, more and more workers will inevitably come into direct conflict with Starmer’s pro-capitalist government as it is compelled to attack them under the impact of economic crisis. Even those union leaders who are today buying into and sowing the illusions of Labour being the workers’ friend will find it difficult to resist the impact of the stormy events to come. In this Episode of the podcast, Rob Williams, the socialist party’s industrial organiser, discusses the upcoming Trade Union Congress which is taking place on the 8th-11th September in Brighton and what industrial and political strategy the Socialist Party is putting forward within the workers movement. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the Committee for a workers International, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Further reading Trade unions must fight New Labour austerity As things stand, Reeves is planning a ‘blood and tears’ budget on 30 October. No extra money for local councils facing ‘bankruptcy’ – sacking more workers and decimating more libraries, children’s centres and other services. Nothing to resolve the crisis in the universities. Forcing more children into poverty by refusing to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The horror list goes on. But the message that union leaders should be taking from the first few weeks of this Labour government is that when working-class people organise and fight back through strike action they can win. If given a determined lead, workers in the public sector will be confident that they can fight to win increases that go much further towards restoring what they lost under austerity, while defending public services for everyone. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/129342/28-08-2024/trade-unions-must-fight-new-labour-austerity/ The first lightning flashes – and what to do The summer riots have brought a new immediacy to the task facing the workers’ movement of building a new, mass vehicle for its political representation, and the debate on the way to achieve this must be urgently stepped up. But to put things in proportion, just weeks into the new situation of a Starmer premiership, they are but the first lightning flashes of the wild and stormy weather to come which will further enormously develop the conditions needed to realise the goal. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/129342/28-08-2024/trade-unions-must-fight-new-labour-austerity/

Not just booted out. The Tories have been crushed. The electorate has punished them for 14 years of austerity, attacks on the working class, lies and corruption. The result, in terms of the number of seats, is a Labour landslide, but enthusiasm for Keir Starmer’s Labour was absent from this general election. The absolute vote for Labour was 9.6 million, lower than the 10.2 million vote Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour got in 2019, never mind the 12.8 million he won in 2017. Labour’s vote share, at around 34%, is the lowest ever for a general election victor, whereas in 2017 Corbyn got 40% of the vote, the biggest jump for a national party in one election since 1945. The turnout was less than 60%, reflecting massive disenfranchisement from the mainstream political parties. In this Episode of the podcast, Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell breaks down the main trends we can see emerging from the general election results, and what the tasks are for the workers’ movement under a Starmer government To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the Committee for a workers International, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Further reading Tories smashed – build the socialist opposition The crisis of British capitalism is increasingly being reflected in the volatility of politics. Labour has been swept to power in a ‘landslide’, but so was Boris Johnson at the head of the Tories five years ago. At the time we said it would be a pyrrhic victory, but the same will also be true for Starmer’s Labour. Any capitalist government will face mass opposition – because capitalism is offering only endless austerity for the working-class majority. Therefore, discussions on how the working class can build its own party, armed with a socialist programme, are being posed increasingly urgently. The Socialist Party will argue for such a party to fight for the socialist transformation of society: for the nationalisation, under democratic workers’ control, of the major monopolies and banks that dominate the economy, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need. This is a vital step to breaking the stranglehold of the capitalist class, and laying the basis for the development of a socialist plan of production, where all the science and technique created by capitalism could be harnessed and developed to meet the needs of all. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/127135/05-07-2024/tories-smashed-build-the-socialist-opposition-2/ TUSC general election report - Everything you wanted to know about the GE 2024 but were afraid to ask This report is a statistical review of the 2024 UK general election. Its purpose is to set the context for a discussion on both the TUSC general election campaign –including the work before the election to prepare for a working class challenge at the polls – and what the tasks are now for the battle to build a new, mass vehicle to politically represent the interests of the working class. Because the one thing that is absolutely clear from the outcome of July 4th – as it was before – is that they won’t find representation in the new government now occupying Downing Street. That the July 4th general election was an historic moment is now a commonplace in media commentary. But what exactly is ‘historic’ about it is being consciously blurred. That is why this report is structured in the way that it is. It includes statistics detailing: alienation from establishment politics, the long-term changes in electoral support for Labour, the electoral history of the Greens and Reform, and the effects of the Muslim vote on 4th July. https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-GE-The-Fact-File.pdf

131. Prepare a workers’ general election stand In the local elections on 2nd May, the Socialist Party stood as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). TUSC is an electoral coalition which was co-founded by the late Bob Crow, then general secretary of the RMT transport workers’ union. Its primary goal is to enable trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists who are fighting for a new mass workers’ party to stand candidates against pro-austerity establishment politicians under a clear banner. In the 10% of council seats where TUSC stood, voters had the opportunity to support a clear anti-austerity, anti-war candidate. It is no coincidence that these were the best results for TUSC since it was relaunched in 2020 after Corbyn’s defeat inside Labour. In total, TUSC was able to achieve over 40,000 votes on 2 May. In the local elections it had a post-relaunch record 46 candidates who got 5% or more, with ten getting over 10% and two scoring over 30%. While TUSC’s results were still modest, they point towards the growing search for a socialist alternative to Starmer’s New Labour, even before the advent of a Starmer-led government. They are also a positive demonstration of the benefits of democratic collaboration between different forces, around a minimum anti-austerity programme, with trade unionists playing a central role. Check out the TUSC website at www.tusc.org.uk In this Episode of the podcast, Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell breaks down the main trends we can see emerging from the local election results, and what lessons we can draw from this to prepare a Workers’ General election stand To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net

Over the last two years of strikes the working class in Britain has begun to feel its collective power. It is about to face a Starmer-led government that will defend the interests of the capitalist class. Further development of trade union militancy is going to be vital, but our class will also desperately need its own party. Any steps that can be taken in that direction in the pre-election period will put the workers’ movement in a much stronger position for the battles ahead. That’s why the Socialist party is standing in the local elections on 2 May as part of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which aims to bring together the strongest possible workers electoral challenge possible. Check out the TUSC website at www.tusc.org.uk This Special Episode of the Podcast, recorded on the 20th March 2024, is a recording of Hannah Sell, the general secretary of the Socialist Party, speaking at a Socialist Party public meeting in South London. To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member visit: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Further reading The fight for workers’ politics now There is not so far any sign of a national political expression of the anti-war movement, never mind one based on the workers’ movement. However, a workers’ list – including suspended, expelled and deselected Labour MPs – could get a bloc of MPs elected. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), in which the Socialist Party participates, is campaigning to bring together the strongest possible working-class challenge at both the local and general elections. https://socialismtoday.org/the-fight-for-workers-politics-now Building on Rochdale – the fight for a new workers’ party “Beyond alarming” is how Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak declared George Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale by-election, at a specially convened press conference on the steps of Downing Street. Labour leader Keir Starmer appeared equally alarmed as he apologised for having to withdraw support for the Labour candidate in the by-election, giving Galloway an easier path to victory. Rochdale “raised the confidence of all those looking for a working-class socialist alternative to Labour”. Even in the limited time left before the general election there is the potential to take important steps towards creating such an alternative. https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/122735/25-03-2024/editorial-building-on-rochdale-the-fight-for-a-new-workers-party/

Sascha Staničić, national spokesperson of the Socialist Organisation Solidarity, Sol, the CWI in Germany, discusses the CWI’s analysis of the crisis and class struggle in Germany, with Sean Figg, from the CWI’s International Secretariat. For a whole period German capitalism has been a bulwark of stability for capitalism on the European continent. Now it has entered a period of turmoil, unprecedented since reunification more than thirty years ago. In this podcast we cover the political crisis of the German ‘traffic light’ coalition, the rise of the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the mass movement against it, the Sara Wagenknecht-led split from DIE LINKE (the Left Party), the protests of the small farmers and the important strike-wave involving workers from multiple sectors. - Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at socialistworld.net. - Support the work of the CWI by donating via PayPal here. - Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

The crisis of world capitalism means war and conflicts, economic stagnation and crises, and political instability on every continent. The working class, young people, and the poor masses around the world are responding with uprisings, mass movements, strike waves and an increased searching for the forms of organisation and the political ideas necessary to challenge capitalism. Tony Saunois, secretary of the CWI, and Sean Figg, from the CWI’s International Secretariat, discuss the CWI’s analysis of the world situation, developed at a five-day meeting of the CWI’s International Executive Committee in January, which brought together comrades from each of the 14 countries in which the CWI is organised. The brutal war of state-terror being waged by the Israeli state against the Palestinians took centre-stage… Visit the CWI website for more Marxist analysis at www.socialistworld.net Support the work of the CWI by donating via PayPal here. Contact us by emailing cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

Marion will build an industrial plan capable of winning, including national and selective action and overtime bans. Marion will ensure that PCS takes the lead to coordinate with other unions on pay, jobs and against Tory anti-union laws. Marion will give your reps and branches the tools they need to do the job you elected them to do. Get involved: https://bln.org.uk/ Leaflet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Puuc3ZZ5L4cSGjyIqlxeqLGhgO9wbMYc/view?usp=sharing To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk Check out the CWI, for analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Marion will be a speaker at the main Saturday night rally at Socialism 2023. At the event there will be around 40 workshops where you can ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, raise your own points, argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of people who want to change the world. The topics covered will include a discussion on ‘Building Marxism in the trade unions and workplaces’ and ‘How can the anti-union Minimum Services legislation be defeated?’ You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there’s a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today October 2023 No.273 Drawing lessons from the strike wave The current strike wave, which erupted more than a year ago with national strike action by railworkers in the RMT union, marks the beginning of a new era in the class struggle in Britain. Rob Williams gives an overview of the strike action so far and draws vital lessons for the workers’ movement for the battles to come, especially under, as looks likely, a future Starmer government. https://socialismtoday.org/drawing-lessons-from-the-strike-wave PCS: the real issues at stake The dispute within the left of Britain’s largest civil service union raises key issues for the whole labour movement. Above all, the need for democratic, lay-member control of fighting trade unions. Hannah Sell and Rob Williams explain the background to the current situation. https://socialismtoday.org/archive/221/pcs.html

Capitalism and its political representatives are totally incapable of meeting any of the needs of working-class and poor people anywhere on the globe. All that is on offer is a never-ending diet of war, poverty, oppression and repression. Now the Israeli regime is on the verge of launching a brutal land offensive in Gaza, raising the possibility of war spilling over into a wider confrontation that could inflame the whole region, and adding to the multiple crises the capitalist system is already creating internationally. The Israeli regime’s indiscriminate bombing and starving of 2.3 million people in Gaza, including 1 million children, of food, water, medicines and fuel – “a death sentence” according to the United Nations - has provoked mass protests around the world. This podcast, recorded on 23 October, goes behind the headlines to examine the processes that have brought us to this point – and to offer socialist ideas to build the anti-war movement to end the conflict and deliver peace, security and a decent future for the masses of the region. In this podcast we speak to Judy Beishon who is a member of the Socialist Party’s executive committee and of the International Secretariat of the Committee for a Workers’ International, which is the world socialist organisation to which the Socialist Party is affiliated. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. The many workshops will include a discussion on ‘Gaza under siege: how can a Palestinian state be achieved?’ Judy will be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of people who want to change the world. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there’s a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.272 Is a Palestinian state possible? This article was written in September on the 30th anniversary of the first Oslo accord – and before the eruption of the war. Judy Beishon discusses what conditions would be necessary for achieving an independent state The article will be posted here shortly, where you can find previous articles on the issue: https://socialismtoday.org And can be read here: https://www.socialistworld.net/2023/10/07/israel-palestine-30-years-since-the-oslo-accord-will-there-ever-be-a-palestinian-state/ Website of the Socialist Party for up-to-date articles: www.socialistparty.org.uk

In this podcast with Hannah Sell, Socialist Party general secretary, we look at the world economy, how the capitalist system works – or doesn’t work - and draw conclusions for socialists. It is the first time that, across much of the world, a surge in inflation has coexisted with widespread financial vulnerabilities. The longer the inflation persists, the stronger and longer the required policy tightening, and hence the bigger the financial stability risks”. The central banks are walking a tightrope, with little room for manoeuvre. Hannah draws out how, whatever the immediate perspectives are for the world economy, there is no prospect of any new golden era of capitalist progress. That does not mean, however, that the Great Recession is going to be precisely replicated. On the contrary, the capitalists will face crises in the next period that are likely to be even more devastating for their system, both economically and politically. None of the factors which led to the 2007-08 recession have been overcome, while the ‘solutions’ that were adopted to ameliorate its effects will not be possible in the same way next time. Hannah explains how the capitalist classes of the world have no way out of the intractable problems facing their system – economic, political, environmental. Halting climate change would clearly only be possible on a global basis, and yet under twenty-first century capitalism it is a tool for protectionism. Only planning, under the democratic control of the working class, will make it possible to develop production to a higher stage, organising it on a global basis to satisfy social needs and halt and reverse climate change, rather than being driven by the greed for profit. Replacing this rotten capitalist system with democratic socialist planning is the urgent task facing the working class worldwide. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Hannah will be a key note speaker at the Saturday night rally and will also be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of socialist fighters at this weekend event – so it will be brilliant. Socialism 2023 takes place on 25 and 26 November in London. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there’s a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.270 The end of Golden Eras The new lease of life that world capitalism experienced after the collapse of the Stalinist states of Russia and Eastern Europe from the late 1980s has definitively run its course. Whatever the immediate perspectives are for the world economy, argues HANNAH SELL, there is no prospect of any new golden era of capitalist progress. https://socialismtoday.org/the-end-of-golden-eras Socialism Today July/August 2023 No.269 China, Mao and the markets At a time of intensifying economic and geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, HANNAH SELL reviews a book that stresses the role of the Communist Party-controlled state in China’s economy. https://socialismtoday.org/china-mao-and-the-markets

Fifty years since it was crushed, the Chilean revolution of 1970-73 remains a reference point, not only in Chile, but internationally, for both the working class and its organisations - and the capitalist classes. In Chile, in the wake of the 2019 mass movement, the legacy of the coup is again hotly contested. The defenders of capitalism feel compelled to go further than ever before in justifying the bloody repression of the workers’ movement, insisting that, brutal as it was, it was necessary to “save” Chile from a “Marxist dictatorship”. In the English-speaking world too, many capitalist newspapers and magazines have devoted coverage to the anniversary, also repeating this line. This reflects the ruling classes’ fear that in the crisis-ridden capitalism of the 2020s many Chiles potentially lie ahead. Therefore the burying of the real history of the Chilean revolution, and the justification of the horrors perpetrated against the heroic Chilean working class in the years after the coup, is an ideological front in today’s class struggle. From the other side of the class barricades, the working class and radical youth, need to be armed with an understanding of the Chilean revolution, so that in the future, when the working class is again within reaching distance of a successful socialist revolution, it succeeds in conquering power and transforming society. Get in touch To contact the Socialist Party about this podcast or to find out about becoming a member: www.socialistparty.org.uk We also recommend checking out the CWI, with analysis of world events, and for those listening in other parts of the world, get in touch to join the fight for socialism in your country, that’s www.socialistworld.net Further reading Socialism Today September 2023 No.270 Chile 1973: Heroism was not enough. This article was first published in the September 1998 edition of Socialism Today, issue No.31, TONY SAUNOIS, secretary of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI), explains how this tragedy unfolded and the lessons that persist today. https://socialismtoday.org/ NEW BOOK: Chile: The revolution - how and why it was crushed (pre-order) The CWI is publishing a new book to bring the lessons of the Chilean revolution, and its crushing, to the new generation of working class and young activists. Written by Tony Saunois, CWI secretary, from 1984 Tony spent a number of years working in the underground opposition to the Pinochet dictatorship within Chile. http://leftbooks.co.uk/Chile-The-revolution-how-and-why-it-was-crushed-pre-order Also available at Socialism 2023 Socialism 2023 Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AL It will be an in-person weekend of discussion and debate on ideas to change the world hosted by the Socialist Party. Tony will be among the many speakers introducing workshops where you will also have a chance to ask those questions forming in your head as you listen to this, to raise your own points, to argue if you wish. You will be among hundreds of socialist fighters – so it will be brilliant. You will also be able to get your hands on copies of Tony’s book. Socialism 2023 takes place on 25 and 26 November in London. You can buy a ticket that includes hostel accommodation, there’s a free creche throughout, and it will be brilliant. For tickets and info: www.socialism.org.uk

We sat down with Socialist Party member Dave Nellist to discuss the latest Tory sleaze scandal, how he went about only taking a average worker's wage and how as a supporter of the Militant (now the Socialist Party) he used his position as a Labour MP to give a voice for working class people everywhere and fight for socialist change. Dave was a ‘Militant’ Labour MP for Coventry South East 1983-92 before being explleed from the Labout Party in 1991 for refusing to pay the Poll Tax and was a Socialist Party Councillor in Coventry between 1998-2012. Currently Dave is the chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which the Socialist Party is a part of alongside the RMT trade union and others. TUSC is preparing to stand candidates in the council elections in May against councillors - Labour, Tory or others - who continue to carry out austerity attacks on working-class communities. We invite trade unionists and community campaigners, who are prepared to pledge to oppose the council cuts, to stand with us as part of TUSC. We hope this can be a step towards building a new, mass working-class party to fight in our interests, not those of the bosses. Interested in finding out more or Joining the Socialists? Don't hesitate to get in touch. Its easy to get involved! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join/ Tory sleaze scandal continues, an ex-workers' MP responds https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33346/17-11-2021/tory-sleaze-scandal-continues-an-ex-workers-mp-responds A political voice for the working class https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/16844/05-06-2013/1983-a-political-voice-for-the-working-class Terry Fields MP, Prisoner DV 3695 - The jailing of 'poll tax' rebel and Militant https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32785/07-07-2021/terry-fields-mp-prisoner-dv-3695-the-jailing-of-poll-tax-rebel-and-militant Terry Fields: A socialist voice that rocked Whitehall https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/6254/09-07-2008/terry-fields-a-socialist-voice-that-rocked-whitehall Join the Socialists! www.socialistparty.org.uk

November 5/6 in Glasgow saw some of the largest political mobilisations since the onslaught of the Covid pandemic. The catalyst was the bosses’ summit, COP26, a forum to find ‘solutions’ to limit global warming, but more importantly, to save the capitalist system. The first protest on the Friday saw a march of up to 20,000 strong – which was an overwhelmingly youthful demonstration organised by Fridays for Future, with a huge openness to the ideas that a systemic change to the profit-driven rottenness of capitalism is necessary. The Saturday demo, organised by the COP Coalition, was a larger demonstration of around 70,000 and not so youthful, but nevertheless the widespread lack of faith in COP to deliver a workable solution for the vast majority of humanity was clear to see. This episode is a recording of the post demo meeting organised by the Socialist Party's sister organisation - Socialist Party Scotland and the CWI. We hear from Matt Dobson from Socialist Party Scotland and Mark Best from the Socialist Party. After tens of thousands marched and walked out in Glasgow and across the world in response to the failure of the UN COP26 summit, many are discussing what next for the climate strike movement. The situation is critical. Major capitalist powers, despite all their rhetoric around the Glasgow Climate pact, are stepping up oil production and using reserves to combat an energy price hike. How is mass pressure going to be built to fight for the aspirations of the climate movement when the capitalists meet again in Egypt for COP27? The environmental crisis wrought by unchecked capitalist greed is just one of the clearest examples of how the that system offers no future for the vast majority of humanity. Workers and youth are increasingly drawing that conclusion. We would appeal to them to discuss with us, join us and fight for the socialist transformation of society. Growing support for socialist ideas at COP26 protests https://socialistpartyscotland.org.uk/2021/11/08/growing-support-for-socialist-ideas-at-cop26-protests/ After COP26: where next for the climate movement? https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33401/01-12-2021/after-cop26-where-next-for-the-climate-movement COP26: Zero trust in capitalist class: Fight for socialism to end climate destruction https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33265/03-11-2021/fight-for-socialism-to-end-climate-destruction COP26 begins - workers strike for pay https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/33276/03-11-2021/cop26-begins-workers-strike-for-pay

Cuban protests – what do they represent? On 11 July, Cuba was rocked by the largest protests to have taken place since the “Maleconazo” protests that erupted in 1994. The 1994 protests followed the collapse of the former USSR and the abrupt cutting off of aid to Cuba. It resulted in a staggering 30% decline in Cuban GDP and the introduction of what Fidel Castro dubbed at the time the “special period”. The protests in July 2021 undoubtedly have been trumpeted by imperialism yet they may represent a decisive change in the situation in Cuba. They may have shocked some on the left who have looked towards Cuba as an alternative to capitalism and standing up against the might of US imperialism. Many have looked to the impressive gains made in Cuba following the revolution in 1959/60 in health, education, literacy and other areas. The Socialist Party and CWI has consistently defended the conquests made by the revolution. At the same time, we have criticized the bureaucratic top-down methods of rule, and the absence of genuine workers’ democracy and democratic workers’ control and management of the nationalised economy. Unfortunately, most of the gains of the revolution have been eroded over the last thirty years. It is, therefore, necessary for socialists to accurately assess what is unfolding in Cuba and draw crucial lessons from it. What has sparked this latest crisis in the country? What's the nature of the forces involved in the protests and counter protests? Is there a threat of counter revolution? What would that mean for the Cuban working class and poor? What is the nature of the Cuban state that emerged for the 1959 revolution? What is the international relevance of developments in Cuba and the future of the Cuban revolution? What programme should socialists be fighting for in Cuba ? All articles we have produced on Cuba https://www.socialistworld.net/category/international/americas/cuba/ Cuban protests – what do they represent? https://www.socialistworld.net/2021/07/22/cuban-protests-what-do-they-represent/ Cuba: Covid-19 and the 60-year-old embargo https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/08/13/cuba-covid-19-and-the-60-year-old-embargo/ 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution https://www.socialistworld.net/2019/01/02/60th-anniversary-of-the-cuban-revolution/ Che Guevara 50 years on – revolutionary socialist and fighter https://www.socialistworld.net/2017/10/09/che-guevara-50-years-on-revolutionary-socialist-and-fighter/ Cuba: At a crossroads https://www.socialistworld.net/2015/09/12/cuba-at-a-crossroads/

Afghanistan in crisis: A colossal failure of western capitalism. After two decades of military occupation and trillions of dollars spent by western governments, millions of Afghans are now back to where they were in 2001 - under the brutal rule of the Taliban. Yet the capitalist politicians responsible for this tragic debacle - Messrs Tony Blair, George Bush, and others - continue to defend this colossal failure. And today's crop of establishment politicians, including Johnson and Starmer, also defend the western invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001. It's clear from the experience of working-class and poor people in Afghanistan, and indeed in many other countries, past and present, that capitalism cannot guarantee democratic rights or decent living standards. That requires ordinary working-class people uniting behind a socialist banner and fighting for fundamental change. We talk with Niall Mulholland from the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) about the situation in Afghanistan. What does it represent in terms of US and British influence internationally and in the region? After 20 years of bloodshed, how did the Taliban take back control so quickly? What and who are the Taliban and what does this mean now for the working class and poor in the region? What position do socialists take and what did socialists argue at the time of the invasion? What is the way forward for the working class and poor of the region? Further reading Afghanistan: The Taliban takeover - what are the lessons for the workers' movement internationally https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32926/25-08-2021/afghanistan-the-taliban-takeover-what-are-the-lessons-for-the-workers-movement-internationally Afghanistan in crisis: A colossal failure of western capitalism Fight for a socialist alternative https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32951/25-08-2021/afghanistan-in-crisis Editorial of the Socialist Afghanistan disaster - Unite to fight for funding for refugees and local communities https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32927/25-08-2021/afghanistan-disaster-unite-to-fight-for-funding-for-refugees-and-local-communities Historical reprint: The Russian defeat in Afghanistan http://socialismtoday.org/archive/61/repreint.html The Afghanistan disaster The limits of US power http://socialismtoday.org/archive/205/afghanistan.html The consequences of 9/11 A world turned upside down http://socialismtoday.org/archive/151/911.html Afghanistan aftermath http://socialismtoday.org/archive/65/Afghanistan.html Taliban, Islam and Oil http://socialismtoday.org/archive/59/taliban.html Check out all our articles on Afghanistan going back to 2001 here https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Afghanistan,all,180

The future of the NHS hangs in the balance. Nearly five million people are waiting for treatment. Covid has pushed our health services to the limit, but years of underfunding meant it was already in crisis before the pandemic. Waiting lists were already rising, as were the huge staff shortages. But rather than addressing these problems as a priority, the government is proposing more drastic reorganisation of the NHS. Thousands of NHS workers, in dozens of towns and cities, protested on Saturday 3 July against the Tories' insulting 1% pay offer. Just days later, on 5 July, it was announced that workers in the NHS will be awarded the George Cross medal. Not something that will pay the bills for the thousands of nurses who are forced to visit food banks. And then, the next day, the government presented its health and care bill in parliament, spelling out plans for further privatisation and even less democratic oversight of our NHS. Socialist Party members have been helping to organise numerous protests since. In this podcast we speak to a number of our members both before and after the 3rd of July about the struggle for a 15% pay rise and what the health and social are bill is trying to do to our NHS. Further reading here; Unite to fight Tory pay insults Build for strike action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32850/28-07-2021/unite-to-fight-tory-pay-insults Public sector pay: NHS, teachers -Prepare for action! https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32845/22-07-2021/public-sector-pay-prepare-for-action NHS: Kick out the privatisers - Fight for a 15% Pay rise https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32804/14-07-2021/kick-out-the-privatisers-fight-for-a-15-pay-rise Fight the health and care bill https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32732/30-06-2021/fight-the-health-and-care-bill Fight is on to save our NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs NHS after 3 July protests Trade unions must organise serious action https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32731/30-06-2021/nhs-after-3-july-protests-trade-unions-must-organise-serious-action Tories threaten to axe free prescriptions for older workers https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32808/14-07-2021/tories-threaten-to-axe-free-prescriptions-for-older-workers Scrap the privatising health and care bill For a publicly funded, democratically run, NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/NHS/article/32807/14-07-2021/scrap-the-privatising-health-and-care-bill

Tories in crisis - Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain Far from an era of sustained economic upswing, social peace and a Tory ascendency opening up for post-Covid Britain, the prospects ahead are for heightened class conflict and turbulent political times. The last fifteen months have been unprecedented in the history of capitalism. In Britain a total failure to deal effectively with Covid in its early stages left the government struggling to cope with a developing health catastrophe, via belated and inadequate lockdowns, leading to the deepest economic recession in 300 years. As in other major economies, only levels of state aid unprecedented outside of wartime prevented worse disaster. The population has been through a deeply traumatic experience. Almost 130,000 have died of Covid, with many more suffering long term health problems. Over six million were claiming Universal Credit in May 2021. Eleven and a half million have been furloughed at some point, usually resulting in a 20% pay cut. Despite a formal ban on evictions, 130,000 families have lost their homes so far. Now, albeit with delays and reverses, Britain appears to be edging towards its post-pandemic future. What will that hold? We speak to Hannah Sell - General Secretary of the Socialist Party and Rob Williams - Industrial organiser for the Socialist Party Further reading here; Preparing for struggle in post-Covid Britain http://socialismtoday.org/preparing-for-struggle-in-post-covid-britain#more-628 For a fighting programme and a new left in Unite http://socialismtoday.org/for-a-fighting-programme-and-a-new-left-in-unite Batley & Spen by-election Another condemnation of Starmer's New Labour https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32764/05-07-2021/batley-amp-spen-byelection-another-condemnation-of-starmers-new-labour Chesham and Amersham by-election Urgent need to build alternative to pro-capitalist politicians https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32691/23-06-2021/chesham-and-amersham-by-election Fight is on to save our NHS https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32767/07-07-2021/fight-is-on-to-save-our-nhs Hopeless Hancock replaced https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32730/30-06-2021/hopeless-hancock-replaced Unite general secretary contest: Vote for Sharon Graham https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/32690/23-06-2021/unite-general-secretary-contest-vote-for-sharon-graham