We are republishing this article as it should be of interest to anyone on the student left. In it, Mike Macnair argues that student unions are not like trade unions, and unity must be built primarily around politics, not 'student issues'. Across England and Wales university students are starting their courses with ‘freshers weeks’ and existing ...
Manchester CS public meeting 6pm, Thursday 22nd Sept Cameron Committee Room on 3rd floor of MMU An introduction will be given by a CS member heavily involved in the student movement of last year and we are hoping a good debate and discussion will follow the initial talk. Contact us for more info: manchestercommuniststudents@googlemail.com
Around 40 people attended last Sunday’s third annual solidarity cricket match between Hands Off the People of Iran and the Labour Representation Committee - and raised well over £500 for Workers Fund Iran in the process. Bathed in sunshine, the picturesque corner of leafy Islington that was Wray Crescent pitch made for a wonderful cricketing environment. ...
In 2003, Baha Mousa was arrested with nine other Iraqis by British troops in Basra. Two days later, he was dead; in the intervening time, according to the coroner, he had suffered 93 distinct physical injuries. Nine years later, an inquiry into his death - and the treatment he and the others suffered at the hands ...
Here we republish an excellent article by Bertell Ollman, a professor of politics at New York University. His book, 'Exams and changing the rules' is reviewed here. I. The psychologist, Bill Livant, has remarked, "When a liberal sees a beggar, he says the system isn't working. When a Marxist does, he says it is". The same insight ...
The anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks coincides with a resurgence in 'liberal interventionism'. James Turley evaluates the bloody harvest of both (first published here) On September 11 2001, a motley crew of Islamist militants hijacked four planes in US airspace. Hours later, the tallest buildings in the country had been demolished, and thousands of ...
Claire Fisher and Maciej Zurowski report on the English Defence League demonstration in east London and the response of anti-fascists As readers will know, home secretary Theresa May responded to the English Defence League’s intention to hold an anti-Muslim demonstration in Tower Hamlets and the proposed counter-demonstration of the left by banning all marches in five ...
The 1920 Halle congress of the Independent Social Democrats of Germany (USPD) was a turning point for our movement. It was also a moment of triumph for Grigory Zinoviev. This is an excerpt from Ben Lewis's introduction to a new book, 'Zinoviev and Martov: head to head in Halle' Between October 12 and 17 1920, the ...
Anti-imperialism does not equal pro-Gaddafi, argues James Turley As it threatened, briefly, to do this spring, the regime of Muammar al-Gaddafi has collapsed. The forces previously known as the Libyan rebels have seized power in most of the country, including the capital, Tripoli - assisted, of course, by months of aerial bombardment by Britain, France and ...
In the first of a series for Red Mist Reviews on the troubled relationship between the left and culture, CS'er Maciej Zurowski investigates reactionary musical counterculture and looks at the anti-fascist response Warning! Attention, everybody! It looks like for the first time since the 80s, London's ethnic communities must fear for their safety when certain rock ...
Last week's riots revealed anger but also the weakness of our class. We must inspire disaffected youth with a vision of a different society, says Callum Williamson Urban riots, such as those we witnessed over four nights last week, rarely result in a positive outcome for our class and at worst can lead to tragedy. The ...
Chris Strafford and James Turley, members of CS and the CPGB, return to the question of the Labour Party in the Weekly Worker. For older articles in this continuing debate, see our Labour party category. Labour debate: diversionary and doomed to fail Labour is not moving to the left or opening up, says Chris Strafford. We need ...
There is no ahistorical code of 'press ethics' which can come out of this farrago, writes James Turley (first published here) Talk about a hostage to fortune - as soon as this writer detects a “momentary let-up” in the phone-hacking saga,[1] we get a new crop of developments. Another senior News International figure, former News of the ...