Americas

Two days ago, Venezuelan President Chavez gave a speech at the Gigantinho Stadium at the closing session of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In this speech, President Chavez gave further indications of the direction in which the Bolivarian Revolution is moving.

Dramatic events are unfolding in Venezuela. Although the nationalisation of Venepal in itself it does not yet mean a qualitative change in the class nature of the Venezuelan Revolution, this bold measure certainly signifies a step in the right direction. It indicates that the working class is intervening in the Revolution with increasing determination, pressing for its independent class interests, demanding a break with capitalism and pushing the Revolution forwards.

Not content to wait until his inauguration, President George W. Bush and his administration have already launched an all-out offensive to “reform” the Social Security system. Bush, the Republican Party and their Wall Street cronies are now desperately trying to convince the American public that the nation’s old age and disability pension system is in crisis and that privatization is necessary to save it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only crisis facing Social Security is a ravenous reactionary government determined to rob millions of their right to retirement in order to swell the coffers of the world’s largest financial banks. From issue 16 of the...

After nearly four years of attacks by the Gordon Campbell Liberals, British Columbia workers are fighting back. With the NDP in a position to win May’s provincial election, a major confrontation is set to take place between rank-and-file workers and the leaders of the NDP and labour movement. The task of the Marxists is to penetrate these organizations and sow them with ideas that can win.

The smashing of the PATCO union in 1981 was the opening salvo in a decades-long assault by the bosses against the airline unions and the labor movement in general. Now the bosses and their government are trying to make an example of the flight attendants and machinists.

After 12 years of upheavals, war, carnage and betrayals, the revolution which broke open in 1791 in Saint-Domingue finally succeeded in abolishing slavery and achieved independence in Haiti. This revolution was the consequence and the prolongation of the French Revolution. Its successive stages, marked by numerous shocks and turnarounds, was largely determined by the flux and reflux of the French Revolution.

A look at what Bush’s “mandate” will mean for the workers of the U.S. and the world. From issue number 15 of the US Socialist Appeal.

The need for a mass party of labor based on the unions is more acute than ever. We must start building such a party now. From issue number 15 of the US Socialist Appeal.

The Buenos Aires underground workers are fighting for the same demands as other Argentinian workers: fair wages to allow us to live with dignity, to work in safe and hygienic conditions and respect for our rights as workers. Please send your solidarity messages.

Some American Republicans are calling for the resignation of Kofi Annan as UN general secretary. The alleged reasons are accusations of corruption. As always the real reason lies elsewhere. It is part of the onging conflict between the major powers over the war in Iraq.