Articles
Friday, March 18, 2022
Dopesick is a TV miniseries based on the book by the same name. It exposes the aggressive marketing of Oxycontin a prescription pain relief drug and the subsequent epidemic of addiction, ill-health and early death that it fueled in America. It shows up the failings of a health care system where profit is a central motive rather than people. Whilst Dopesick throws the spotlight on the company and individuals involved, the system that gave rise to them should also be in the dock.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Although the United States has managed to pull other Western countries into line, prior to the war the developing crisis in Ukraine exposed the differences between them. Differences which have not gone away but which have been submerged for the time being. Western tensions have an economic as well as a geopolitical dimension. Of central importance was the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would have brought natural gas from Russia to Germany. The US did not want to see this level of collaboration between the two countries and sought markets for its own gas. Part of the US strategy was to to provoke Russia into armed conflict, forcing European countries into line and killing off Nord Stream 2.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
The background to the war in Ukraine should not be forgotten. There was the relentless expansion of NATO and towards the borders of Russia, the failure by the West and Ukraine to implement the Minsk agreement and continued attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk. the willingness of the US to create this instability is making the world a dangerous place.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
The United States’ world role under Biden has been different from Donald Trump only in that has been more effective in asserting US dominance, and bullying other countries. However, it is also causing consternation among US allies which are increasingly unhappy about its actions.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a shock. Previously Trump and Obama had talked about “ending the forever wars” and “pivoting to Asia”, but they had never taken the final step of pulling out of Afghanistan. However, it was not just that Biden did it, but the manner of the departure – hurried and without consultation – that bothered allies.
There were huge ramifications arising from this, not only making allies wary, but also changing the power relationships in the region and beyond, involving China, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, India and others. Although the United States remains the world’s preeminent power it has damaged its reputation and emboldened voices among US allies who want their nations to be less dependent on an unreliable partner. This is particularly evident in the European Union with strengthened calls from many leading politicians, like Emmanuel Macron, for EU “strategic autonomy”.
Monday, November 29, 2021
When the United States, Britain and Australia formed the AUKUS pact tensions were ramped up further with allies. The move enraged France as it meant Australia cancelling its order for new French submarines in favour of buying US nuclear powered ones instead. It is not just this further snub which has implications, AUKUS is a new alliance among several which are being orientated towards confrontation with China. This is a significant escalation of the threat to peace in the Asia/Pacific region and it is particularly concerning that the US is transferring nuclear technology to Australia as part of the submarine deal.
The United States’ strategic priority is now pushing back China. To that end it is building up its military alliances and power in the Asia/Pacific. It is also reorienting the alliances it leads, like NATO, towards China and corralling its allies into following its hostile approach. It has had success at this but relations are increasingly strained with countries which take a different view of how to deal with China (and it should be said Russia), like Germany. This has been exacerbated by the US’ contemptuous treatment of them over Afghanistan and AUKUS.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
There is an urgent need for socialist policies and working class campaigning, yet some on the left seem to want to dilute our power by introducing proportional representation in UK parliamentary elections. Though seemingly more democratic, this self-defeating move would drive politics to the right through enforced coalitions with the Liberal Democrats. And this is only one of the problems with PR, which has failed to produce any positive change where it has already been implemented in elections in Britain. In fact through permanent coalitions will deliver less of what people voted for rather than more.
Saturday, November 27, 2021
COP 26 happened in Glasgow at the beginning of November and demonstrated the difficulties that free-market capitalism has in addressing major global challenges which require collaboration and planning. However, faced with its own extinction it is not impossible for capitalism to set aside some of its rivalries to try to save itself. Whether it will succeed is another matter and it will be worrying if the future of humanity is left in its hands.
However, as capitalism tries to save itself it will have scant regard for the impact of its climate change policies on working people and the developing world. Workers are rightly skeptical of vague promises about new green jobs. The North Sea oil industry is a specific example of this. Workers are interested in transferring from an industry in decline to green jobs, but they themselves identify a lack of planning by the UK, the Scottish and local governments to make this possible. Market forces mean that contracts for wind turbines, for example, go abroad and there is a lack of validation of their skills and qualifications if they want to move jobs. Like other workers across all industries in recent decades they have faced casualisation through bogus self-employment, cuts in wages and conditions and health and safety concerns.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Well into our second year since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the world capitalist economy is now also suffering from a new malaise, a global economic pandemic involving some symptoms which seem entirely new and others which have not been seen for many years. These symptoms can only be understood in terms of capitalism, and of the actions taken by the capitalist states and central banks to shore the system up. It involves price inflation. This is not caused by workers demanding higher pay, but by the use of monetary policy to protect big business and the ultra-rich.