alanjjohnstone
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Nationalist birds of a feather flock together?
“…Politicians from a far-right party in Germany who are on a visit to Russia, and plan to travel to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, have been accused of supporting Vladimir Putin’s war and of undertaking a “propaganda trip”.,,”
Germany’s Die Linke could split into two parties over the Ukraine war.
Die Linke has broadly opposed the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, it voted in favour of economic sanctions against Russia in May, and a party congress in June condemned Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine as “imperialist”.
Wagenknecht said. “… how dumb is the idea that we can punish Putin by pushing millions of German families into poverty and destroy our economy while Gazprom makes record profits?” The speech was greeted with applause not only by the Linke leadership but also by delegates of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
“The thesis that the federal republic of Germany is leading an economic war against Russia reverses cause and effect”, said Bodo Ramelow, the Left party state premier for Thuringia.
“The phrase ‘the USA’s economic war against Russia’ is Kremlin propaganda”, said Martina Renner, a former deputy leader of the leftwing outfit.
I’ve told this story before.
At my work, there was an ex-regimental sergeant major and during one of our many conversations he reminded me that if the Russians invaded and occupied Britain, the only difference it would make for him and I, would be that instead of a crown on our caps, it would be a red star.
He was echoing your teacher. Unless you want to be a martyr very little actually changes in day-to-day life. Ask the occupied countries.
Another analysis from a former President of Veterans of Peace.
“We want urgent, good faith diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine, not more US weapons, advisors, and endless war… For the sake of Ukraine. For the sake of Russia, Europe and the United States. For the sake of the all the people of the world. Negotiate, Don’t Escalate!”
An anti-war analysis originally published in WSWS.org, a Trotskyist website.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/09/19/pers-s19.html
“…A movement of the working class against war must reject all the lies of the imperialist powers, above all the United States, which have instigated the war in pursuit of geopolitical ambitions and world domination. At the same time, no support can be given to the reactionary response of the Russian oligarchy…workers all over the world must raise the demand for an end to the war. To the ruling class’s policy of world war, workers must counterpose the strategy of class war and the struggle for the socialist transformation of society.”
Another article on degrowth (and referring in passing to Saito subject of another topic on the forum.)
“Degrowth is also not a recession: recessions are unintentional, while degrowth is planned and intentional. Recessions make inequality worse, degrowth is about making sure everyone has their needs met.”
“This policy is a great example of what we call in our book, The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to A World Beyond Capitalism, politics of “public abundance”: an economy where everyone has enough to meet their needs, and more, based on public services and community-run commons.”
Getting closer to our vision but still trapped in the prison of prices and money – the exchange economy
Another call for a four-day week
A four-day week with no loss of pay would save parents thousands of pounds a year in childcare and commuting costs, according to a thinktank that suggests the policy could help to alleviate the cost of living crisis.
Someone with a child under two would save £1,440 in childcare and £340 from commuting on average across a year if they did not have to travel to work one day a week, the leftwing thinktank Autonomy calculated.
Unite members at the Port of Liverpool will begin the industrial action hours after the Queen’s funeral, having turned down a pay offer from the Peel Ports Group, which owns the site.
The company said workers had rejected a 8.3% pay rise, enhanced with a one-off payment of £750. However the union described the offer as a real-terms pay cut because of the soaring rate of inflation during the cost of living crisis, arguing that the port’s owners could afford a higher increase.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Workers across the country are sick to death of being told to take a hit on their wages and living standards while employer after employer is guilty of rampant profiteering.”
Sanctity of private property before Ukraine
UK and European sanctions legislation allows states to freeze assets of the Russian central bank and some oligarchs, but does not provide for the permanent seizure, let alone their unilateral transfer to a fund to rebuild Ukraine. US treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, has said reparations would be unlawful under current US law.
State property is protected abroad under the doctrine of state immunity, a principle endorsed in UN articles in 2011, which provides a foreign state with immunity from the jurisdiction of domestic courts, at least in respect of non-commercial activities. It is argued that if Russian central bank assets are appropriated, as opposed simply to being frozen as at present, any western assets held overseas could also become prey to seizure.
100 employees at Shaoxing Chuangdong Tour Articles Co. set aside other work and put in 14-hour days starting at 7:30 a.m. making nothing but British-themed flags.
They turned out at least 500,000 the first week
“I really do believe that, going forward, it’s not just going to be MAGA rallies. It’s not just going to be political violence at Proud Boys rallies or leftist rallies or B.L.M. events. It’s going to be political violence at any civic event..”
Worth a read, Craig Murray and worth a watch, a spoof video
Not just a trade war but a space race to the Moon, too.
“…Strategic rivalry with China’s ambitious space program is helping drive NASA’s effort to get back into space in a bigger way, as both nations push to put people back on the moon and establish the first lunar bases. American intelligence, military and political leaders make clear they see a host of strategic challenges to the U.S. in China’s space program…”
