Articles
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
The West has, over decades, used its technological capabilities to spy on a host of other countries and organisations. Spy hardware was built into communications systems by Crypto AG. Crypto was a Swiss firm founded in 1952 and secretly bought by the CIA and the West German spy service. In all, 120 countries were sold apparatus which enabled their communications to be decrypted by the US National Security Agency (NSA). The information gathered was actively used by the West to intervene for example, in the Egyptian/Israeli negotiations at Camp David in 1978, and to aid the British during the Falklands war. Crypto continued in use until 2018 its capabilities having been superseded by the use of software. We are now all spied on through our use of search engines and social media and the NSA has a huge capacity to process all that data fed in from Google, Facebook etc.
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Why has the United States has reacted with such ferocity in ramping up sanctions and bans on Chinese companies? Whilst China’s economy has grown and it has developed its political, economic and military power globally, it is still nowhere near being able to challenge the US’s superpower status. But what it is doing very effectively is developing world-leading digital companies like Huawei and Ant. As well as China’s cutting-edge companies, its success with state intervention in the economy is a direct challenge to free market neo-liberalism.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic continues to demonstrate the inability of capitalism to deliver for people. The more neo-liberal and parasitic countries are then the worse they have done. Trump's handling of the crisis has been catastrophic for Americans, but whatever damage it does, the United States remains the world's hegemonic superpower. It is now, however, facing conflicts with other capitalist powers over their different strategic interests. Above all the US has decided to ramp up tensions with China as it seeks to prevent it challenging its global dominance.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
The Democratic Party establishment closed ranks behind Joe Biden to ensure that Bernie Sanders would not become its candidate to challenge Donald Trump for the Presidency, leaving voters and the left with an unappetising choice. Despite this establishment show of strength, however, the left is continuing to make advances within the Democratic Party.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
You are invited to join the Socialist Correspondent analysis and discussion meeting:
USA vs China, and the New Cold War
Amid escalating rhetoric about ‘human rights’ and ‘national security’,
China is now being cast, alongside Russia, as an enemy of the West.
• What are the real factors underlying this fracture?
• Is this the end of the current model of globalisation?
• Are the attacks on Huawei and TikTok steps on a path towards
military conflict?
Friday, April 17, 2020
Cuba and china have offered support to other countries hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Their actions have been dismissed by the EU and worse the US has warned other countries not to accept Cuban help.
Monday, September 30, 2019
US companies dominate the internet and social media, gathering huge amounts of information about their users. But is it possible to stop using Google, Facebook etc? What alternatives are there?
Friday, September 27, 2019
At the height of the Cold War the US government through the CIA established the Congress for Cultural Freedom which promoted anti-communist propaganda. It funded magazines, conferences and artistic festivals. The CCF was the front for this secret programme designed ultimately to support capitalist values and the US way of life. In pursuit of this it sponsored many well-known artists, writers and musicians.