Issue 43 Winter 2021 The Socialist Correspondent

Articles featured in Issue 43

US withdrawal from Afghanistan - the fallout
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”.
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AUKUS - the pivot to China
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.
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The campaign for Proportional Representation undermines the fight for Socialism
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.
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North Sea oil in decline - the impact on Scotland and workers
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.
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Quantitative easing, post-lockdown crisis and the super-rich
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.
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Afghanistan - Soviet support and United States destruction
Thursday, November 25, 2021

Soviet military assistance was sent to Afghanistan in 1979 to help defend the progressive and democratic government against Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. This is well known, as is its outcome - the withdrawal of the Soviets, final defeat of the government and the take over by the Taliban. What is less well known are the historic links between the young Soviet Union and the newly formed Afghan state, which involved aid and cooperation over decades. Neither are the achievements of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, overthrown by the Taliban, which promoted the rights of women and girls, workers and farmers. By contrast the West and the USA supported the terrorists facilitating the seizure of power by the Taliban. They wreaked further destruction and massive loss of life through their invasion. And now the US has withdrawn and the Taliban are back in power again.
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It is going to be a grim winter under the Tories
Thursday, November 25, 2021

There is a long and grim list of statistics about the poverty, inequality and discrimination being inflicted on British people by the Tories. Whilst prime minister Johnson talks about "leveling up", a "high-wage high-skill workforce" and "building back better", these are largely myths - if they have a practical purpose then that is to put public money into the hands of private businesses. But the establishment are not convinced by Johnson's leadership and there are public divisions over a range of issues. Meanwhile Keir Starmer is still foundering as leader of the Labour Party, worrying his allies who depend on a more convincing performance for their jobs at the next election. Despite his sustained attack on the left it showed no signs of being cowed at the recent Labour conference where there were significant policies victories, particularly on Palestine.
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Foreign intervention causes misery in Haiti
Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Haiti is once again in the news. It only features when there is a disaster or crisis of which there have been many in its troubled and complex history. These have usually been caused by a combination of a small but bitterly-divided dominant political elite allied to dominant foreign powers, once European but since the late nineteenth century the United States and now including the United Nations. The current situation is essentially no different, but in its combination of natural disaster and several inter-linked political crises it is different in its intensity, imposing even greater misery on the ninety per cent plus of Haitians who get absolutely nothing from the present system.
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Some will Choose to Fight - Review of: If you don't run they can't chase you
Wednesday, November 24, 2021

If you don't run they can't chase you, is a new collection of stories from those in the frontline in the fight for social justice as told to Neil Findlay. Some hard-fought battles ended in defeats, like the Miner’s Strike, some are partial wins with the fight for proper justice still in progress, like the Hillsborough campaign, but others, were victories like the anti-Apartheid struggle. We can take inspiration from these accounts and the courage, tenacity and humour of all those in Britain and beyond who chose to fight.
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