Articles
Sunday, February 11, 2024
The West's response to its growing problems in the world is to threaten others and wage war. There is now a concerted build up towards more armed conflict including war with China. The question is, can the US and its allies be constrained? What are the forces driving the West to war and what might hold it back? The West now is less able to build coalitions as potential allies do not want to have their vital interests sacrificed in support of Western objectives. In addition, there is some increase in anti-war sentiment within Western countries.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
The problems of advanced capitalist countries run even deeper than their desperate fight to cling onto global dominance. There are serious problems within the system itself. Throughout the G7 productivity is in decline - this is not a new phenomenon, nor is it a specifically British problem. As economic gurus have struggled to find an explanation for this, one thing has become clear, that the unleashing of neo-liberalism under Thatcher and Reagan did nothing to halt this tendency. So far capitalism is not providing the answer to its economic malaise, but can the left? If the problem is the system itself then it may not be fixable. If so then this is yet another reason to question the usefulness of capitalism to humanity, alongside the threat of global war and environmental catastrophe.
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
The international system is in transition from a neo-liberal world order dominated by the USA to a neo-mercantilist world disorder in which major states compete for economic and political power. The transition is not yet complete so there is evidence of neo-liberal forces within and between countries as at the same time neo-mercantilist forces increasingly show themselves at work between and within states and now begin to shape the international agenda. There is also growing opposition to western dominance coming from alliances like the expanding BRICS plus.
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Recent coups across west Africa have underlined the growing resistance in the global South to western domination. Each of these coups was led by military officers angered by the presence of French and US troops and by the permanent economic crises inflicted on their countries. Niger is a case in point with high levels of poverty in the country alongside the exploitation of its natural resources, especially uranium, vital to the French nuclear power industry. France is the historic colonial power and has used its control of the currency in west Africa, the CFA franc, and all the usual tactics of imperialism, to maintain its dominance in the region. However, France is being challenged by the US. Both have an extensive military presence in Niger.
Unsurprisingly sanctions have been imposed and, with the encouragement of France, the Economic Community of West Africa is threatening military intervention. The infamous Victoria Nuland, Acting US Deputy Secretary of State has been deployed in the region to promote US interests and gather forces to try to intervene.
Monday, September 25, 2023
As we remember the 50th anniversary of the coup in Chile it stands as a concrete example which exposes the myth that Britain and the US stand for democracy. Both actively subverted the democratically elected Popular Unity government and sponsored the brutal coup which lead to the torture, disappearance, imprisonment and murder of so many Chileans. Popular Unity instituted many reforms and had many great achievements, despite facing huge odds with the United States imposing sanctions and supporting the fascist right within the country. Eventually the US decided that it would sponsor the overthrow of the government to crush social progress as an example to others.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
BAE systems manufactures armaments, warships, tanks and war planes. It is raking in huge profits from the war in Ukraine – in 2022 it made £2.5 billion, up 12.5%. The company is critical to the projection of British power. As such it has strong links to politicians, universities and think tanks. These links help it promote its interests and paints a picture of the British military-industrial complex at work.
Saturday, September 23, 2023
During the Ukraine conflict Poland has taken a confrontational stance and has been at the forefront of pushing for more weapons for Ukraine. This has included pressurising Germany to fall into line. It has also become the centre of NATO operations in Europe and has 10,000 US soldiers based there. It is an essential ally for the United States in its proxy war.
Friday, September 22, 2023
It is 40 years since the united States invaded Grenada with overwhelming force to overthrow the socialist New Jewel movement government. The progressive policies of the NJM and the independent course being pursued by the Grenadian government made it a target as the US sought to extinguish another socialist threat in the Caribbean. It would not tolerate another Cuba.