alanjjohnstone
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Now it is semi-Brexit
Jeremy Hunt has repeatedly refused to deny that the Treasury briefed a newspaper that the government was considering a closer, Swiss-style relationship with the EU
I think even if partially it shows that diplomacy and international affairs is never about principles but national interests.
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Germany’s players placed hands over their mouths and wore rainbow stripes on their warm-up tops and boots.
German interior minister, Nancy Faeser, who also wore a OneLove armband, which promotes tolerance, diversity and LGBTQ+ rights, as she sat next to Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino.
But who raised the issue of Morocco and Western Sahara independence at their game?
https://socialistbanner.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-forgotten-sahrawi-arab-democratic.html
“They will also appeal for votes on the basis of their record in office and on reforms to come.”
That will constitute part of the SNP case for independence ie “We can run things better for ourselves.”
Talking about for ourselves, would they dare also to implement the Sinn Fein policy of not taking a seat in Parliament if elected?
We do not advocate a referendum on a single question “Do you approve of the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of socialism?” (or however it is phrased)
We say (as Sturgeon said a few times in her press address about independence) socialism requires the consent of the majority and that equates to votes and an electoral majority.
What happens if a Parliamentary majority of MPs is achieved but with a minority of votes cast as is often the case in the first-past-the-post general election?
A constitutional question arises but also one of legitimacy.
Our manifestos is normally an indictment of the vices of capitalism accompanied by the virtues of socialism. Not in each and every election statement we issue do
we explain clearly, “Don’t vote for us if you don’t want socialism ” Perhaps it should be a requirement.Should Scottish SPGB members perhaps highlight this anomaly of democracy in answer to the SNP? That we do consider general elections to be considered referenda but we will also consider also the election returns.
As an aside, one point raised was the young voter. The 2014 referendum included 16 and 17-year-olds, generally who favoured separatism. A general election excludes them giving them no voice.
The 2014 reflected an exceptionally high participation rate, something in a general election that usually does not happen. Not only will it be the vote for the unionist parties but the abstentionists too that must be considered in calculating what is deemed a majority.
I recall the 40% rule devolution referendum in the 1970s, and how dead people had the vote since the electoral register included many of the departed.
Can there be a scenario where a mass socialist party engaged in the class struggle is an effective body bringing certain ameliorations, perhaps even improvements, because as we sometimes say if threatened the capitalist class will offer more and more concessions and compromises and we are not opposed to actual reforms, simply reformism, therefore, when it stands in elections, some workers may vote for such a socialist party, which has now become a class party, as a tool and weapon and not as we always insist solely to give it a mandate for socialism and nothing but socialism?
“Starmer has been accused of “marginalising” black leftwing Labour MPs after they claimed they were not invited to a crunch event aimed at regaining the confidence of BAME party members.”
“Diane Abbott described the event as a “PR exercise” and criticised the party for excluding MPs including Clive Lewis, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Dawn Butler, Florence Eshalomi and Marsha de Cordova.”
“How can you have an event about black issues and not invite black MPs?” Abbott said. She added: “This was a PR exercise rather than a genuine attempt from the party to find out the concerns of black members.”
Starmer on a loser.
“a decade of warming public attitudes to immigration, with half of the public expressing positive views on migration compared with a third in 2014.”
“Labour could attract 5% of the public and only repel 2% by signalling a more open approach to immigration.
Only 1% of the general public would be attracted to Labour if it adopted a restrictive stance on immigration, the paper said, and 11% would be repelled.
The Conservatives would attract 3% and repel 2%, using the model of voting behaviour focusing on the swing voters most likely to switch parties.
For the Tories, a restrictive stance would attract just 2% of the public and an equal number would be repelled.”
A blog on Argentina here for balance
https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-real-world-cup-shame-of-argentine.html
As ALB has said it will be inevitable that the West will weary of war when faced with their own problems.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/11/22/is-germany-changing-tack-on-ukraine
“A survey conducted in October suggests that 40 percent of Germans fully or partially believe that NATO provoked Russia into invading Ukraine. That number increases to a staggering 59 percent in provinces that were once part of communist East Germany.”
“About a third of respondents share the view that Ukraine is historically part of Russia and roughly the same number accept the conspiracy theory that the US had set up secret laboratories on Ukrainian soil to develop biological weapons.”
“In Italy, public support for sending arms to Ukraine has been hovering around 41 percent, compared with 57 percent in Germany and 62 percent in France. Scepticism prevails in Slovakia, Bulgaria – whose parliament, nevertheless, decided to send military supplies to Kyiv – and Hungary”
” In Greece, 28 percent blame NATO for the conflict, and in Bulgaria, 44 percent.”
“On October 29, a large rally was held in Prague against the policies of the pro-EU government in support of Ukraine. On November 5, tens of thousands marched in Rome, calling for peace and for halting arms deliveries to Kyiv. Germany has also seen rallies and strikes against the war and the rising cost of living.”
“This is precisely what Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy is aimed at. By prolonging the war in a variety of ways – from a mass mobilisation to relentless attacks against civilian infrastructure across Ukraine – he is banking on Western unity unravelling down the line.”
But does it mean people support Russia?
A poll from September shows that 74 percent of Germans favour supporting Ukraine despite high energy bills, which have gone down since.
In another poll from October, some 86 percent of citizens see Russia as a “global threat factor”.“With the German government setting up a 100bn-euro ($102bn) fund to modernise the military, Russia is facing a much more potent EU west of its border.”
A sign that one aim of Putin – to weaken NATO has not worked
“Putin’s best hope is to carry on with the war, wreaking havoc and causing immense human suffering in Ukraine while waiting for a change in the White House in two years.”
Another commentator who suggests a long war and does not anticipate any quick victory.
Saudi Arabia celebrates victory over Argentine but little mention by the sports pundits of its executions.
Saudi Arabia on the same day as the football executed two Saudi citizens for drug offences, taking the total number of executions in the past fortnight to 17 (10 being foreigners).
Saudi Arabia has executed 130 people this year.
The next may be Hussein Abo al-Kheir, a Jordanian, was arrested in 2014 for smuggling narcotics when crossing the Jordan border into Saudi, and says he only confessed when he was tortured, including being suspended from his feet and beaten on his stomach and legs
Brexiteer Owen Paterson wants European court to decide on his lobbying
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63714944
Hypocrisy, did someone remark?
