Commentary
Russia surrounded
When Poland signed the agreement with the USA to allow it to be used as a military base as part of the so-called "defence shield" is it any wonder that Russia felt threatened? Parts of the former Soviet Union, eg Ukraine and Georgia, and some countries of the former socialist Eastern Europe, are members or are applying to become members of NATO. (1) The port of Sevastopol, used by the Russian navy, and before that the Soviet navy, is in the Ukraine. Russia has a 20 year lease on the port which expires in 2017. Russia is being surrounded. It is not a figment of their imagination nor paranoia.
Over production of credit is causing the crunch
The
roots of the present "credit crunch" lie in capitalism itself. Credit
is subject to the usual laws of the market, such as the "law" of supply
and demand.
LESLIE MASTERS continues our analysis of the causes of the
financial crisis sweeping the world today and argues there is more to
come.
Like any commodity, credit may be overproduced - the cause of the
real inflation that currently afflicts capitalist economies, and has
done since World War II. I say "real", because what governments
represent as inflation in "retail price indices" and the like is often
nothing more than short-term price changes resulting from the interplay
of supply and demand.
African solution is best for Zimbabwe
Cecil Rhodes Astride Africa 
Alex Davidson reflects on Zimbabwe's colonial past and argues that Britain and the West are still trying to intervene in the former British colony.
"I am tired of this mapping out of Africa at Berlin; without occupation, without development ... the gist of the South African Question lies in the extension of the Cape Colony to the Zambezi". (Cecil Rhodes in the Cape Colony House of Assembly, 1888)
The colonisation of the land between the Limpopo and the Zambezi rivers was carried out during the 'Scramble for Africa' at the end of the 19th century. Cecil Rhodes, the gold and diamond magnate and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, sent a Pioneer column beyond the Boer Republic of the Transvaal, past Matabeleland into Mashonaland in 1890. The mission had been confirmed by the royal charter from Queen Victoria for Rhodes' newly established company, the British South Africa Company.
Is 'Old' Labour the way ahead for New Labour?
New Labour's and Gordon Brown's travails continue unabated and the crisis they both face has come into sharpest relief in Scotland.
JAMES THOMSON questions whether 'New' Labour or a return to 'Old' Labour can help the party's fortunes.
Since our last issue went to print three months ago, Labour's Leader in the Scottish Parliament, Wendy Alexander was forced to resign after her long-running leadership campaign donations scandal. Alexander's 'dodgy donations' departure was a serious blow to Brown. Next to her brother, Douglas Alexander MP who is Secretary of State for International Development, Ms Alexander was Brown's closest ally north of the border. At the time of writing the party is in the midst of an election for Alexander's successor and Brown is using what influence he has left - largely with Scottish MPs - to ensure Alexander's successor will be the one who is the most compliant when he comes calling.
The Putney Debates and the English Revolution
A new permanent exhibition opened at St Mary's Church, Putney, in October 2007, marking the 350th anniversary of the famous Army Council debates which took place there from 28th October-11th November 1647.
HELEN CHRISTOPHER details The Levellers important role in the English Revolution and their contribution to democratic and radical thought. This was the highpoint of the Levellers' challenge for power in the English Civil War. With Thomas Rainbourgh's ringing words (see page 14) emblazoned across the balcony of the church, the exhibition puts the debates in the context of the Civil War and contains written and spoken extracts from the debates.
The execution of the King was emblematic of the radicalism of the revolution, with Parliament rejecting the divine right of monarchy to rule and declaring the king to be a traitor, trying and executing him. Yet it was at Putney that the revolution advanced furthest in expressing the demands of the poorest strata in English society for democratic change.
What are we to make of the 'Colour Revolutions'?
Part Two.
The 'colour revolutions' of Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon over the last few years formed part of the US government's strategy of encircling Russia, and perhaps one day China, with its allies.
Part Two of Greg Kaser's study continues his examination of the nature of the 'Colour Revolutions' around the world.
Some have termed this approach "the Cold Peace", although it is promoted in Washington and London as simply an endeavour to promote democracy and overthrow tyranny.
In Part 1,(1) I set out this international context and showed how the policy of supporting civil society organisations to catalyse an opposition movement dated back to the Cold War theories characterising the socialist countries as totalitarian.
Workers, Unions and Britain's arms industry
Massive concentration within the UK arms industry has caused closures and job losses, a process speeded up by the end of the Cold War, which led to a fall in worldwide military spending of a third between 1987 and 1997.
SIMON KORNER looks into the operations of the UK's arms manufacturers and the industry's workforce and their unions.
Budget cuts (the 'peace dividend') exacerbated the drive for British arms companies to seek cheaper sources of supplies and production, and to shift expensive research and development to lower cost providers, a process facilitated by e-commerce which makes the search for outsourcing opportunities and new suppliers far easier.
The Daily Telegraph, concerned with the issue of national security, complains that defence spending as a proportion of GDP has sunk to 1930s levels down to just over 2% of GDP. In fact, UK military expenditure in absolute terms has risen, part of the 37% global rise over the last ten years, (mostly in the USA).
Remembering Allende and Popular Unity
Around
the world, and especially in Chile and Latin America, Salvador
Allende's centenary has been commemorated. Above all, his heroic option
to choose death rather than surrender to the vile generals who
overthrew him, has been remembered.
DAN MORGAN reviews Allende's Popular Unity government in Chile before its overthrow in 1973.
Allende left a tangible legacy, above all Codelco, the state copper mining company, still the world's largest copper producer and a huge contributor to the state budget.
Its future has been weakened, however, by the fact that the dictatorship gave new deposits to transnational companies. The other huge effect was on agriculture - the agrarian reform swept away the old semi-feudal latifundios. Subsequent restructuring (small farmers left with no technical or financial support) has led to the present thriving capitalist export-based agriculture.
READER'S LETTER to The Socialist Correspondent
NUCLEAR POWER
Looking through the index to the second issue of the Correspondent I
was most curious to see what the article on nuclear power had to say.
It was a bad omen to see the name of John Hutton, most notorious
supporter of "big business" in the government, quoted as a key note
authority in favour of a new burst of nuclear power generation.
Ruth Wallis - Newcastle upon Tyne
