After just one year of the Obama administration, the sincere hopes for real change have been dashed. For all his charm, lofty words and apparent sincerity, Obama was elected to represent the interests of Big Business and capitalism.

The nation of Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake. The governments of Cuba and Venezuela responded within hours with medical brigades, firefighters, fuel and supplies, and there has been massive sympathy, generosity and volunteerism from workers around the world. What a difference compared to the response from the the United States. The U.S. government has pledged assistance in the way of one hundred million dollars – less than is spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in just two days.

There is a manmade element to the catastrophe confronting Haitians. The country doesn’t just happen to be poor; it has been made poor and kept poor. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, with the worst infrastructure and a people most vulnerable to disaster and disease, because of the machinations of imperialism. Although the earthquake could not be avoided, the scale of death and destruction clearly could have been avoided.

Evo Morales and the Movement Towards Socialism party (MAS) got a resounding victory in the December 6th election in Bolivia. The crowds in the capital La Paz received Morales’ victory speech with shouts of “socialismo, socialismo”.

This December marks the one year anniversary of the occupation of Republic Windows and Doors, a struggle that captured the attention of working people across the country and the world, as it symbolized the hardships faced by millions due to the economic crisis and a willingness to fight back.

Even though we are still waiting for the official final data from the Plurinational Electoral Body, the victory of Evo Morales and the MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) is clear and massive, as was expected. The overwhelming support for change in society has been graphically shown by Morales winning 2/3rds of the vote.

The Marxist Left (Esquerda Marxista) stood in the internal elections of the PT winning a sizeable vote and a position on the national leadership. This represent the willingness of thousands and thousands of workers in the ranks of the party to break with the bourgeoisie and fight for the ideas of genuine socialism.

Three months ago, the main labor federation in the U.S. held its national conference, electing a new leadership slate that pledged to fight for jobs, universal single payer health care, new laws to open the road to organizing the unorganized, and for an economic recovery in the interests of working people. But since September’s convention in Pittsburgh there has been no sign yet that these words will be turned into action.

Ralph Nader, a long time figure on the American left, has written a new book which typifies his basic political outlook, but also marks a new turn in the elucidation of his views.

One in 31 adult citizens in the U.S. are in prison. The so called “land of the free” locks away more of its citizens than Russia or China - and the problem is getting worse.

The Marxist Left of the PT (Esquerda Marxista) stood in the PT’s internal elections, winning a sizeable vote, much increased on previous elections, winning a position on the national leadership and taking the ideas of revolutionary socialism to every corner of the party.

December 1, 2009 at Langara college in Vancouver Fightback, the Canadian supporters of the International Marxist Tendency organized a discussion on the workers struggle in Iraq. Akram Nadir, international representative of the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq spoke for about half an hour about the situation facing workers in Iraq and internationally.

One year ago millions of Americans, many of whom had never voted before, came out for Barack Obama, energized by his message of hope and change. Surely things would now get better! But what is the reality?

While George W. Bush’s attempt at privatizing Social Security famously failed, private industry has largely been successful at shifting their group pension plans into individual private accounts. These individual accounts are almost always invested in the volatile stock market.

The Workers International League will be holding a day-long Marxist School at Mayday Books in the West Bank in Minneapolis on December 13, 2009. It is free and open to the public. Come for the whole day or pick the sessions you are most interested in or able to attend.