By Jane West
As the imperialist intervention in Libya moves into its endgame with the NATO pounding of Sirte, the West’s attention is moving more decisively towards the situation in Syria.
So far the imperialists have drawn back from openly threatening military intervention. This is not because it is not on their agenda, but because a number of factors have temporarily stayed their hand.
By Tom O’Donnell
The foolish vanity that the current crisis in the European economy and financial markets was confined to the so-called ‘peripheral’ economies of the Euro Zone has been exposed as complacent self-delusion. Among the recent development the large Belgian-French-Luxembourg bank Dexia is threatened with bankruptcy despite already having been bailed out by the governments. Crucially, yields on French and Belgian government debt have climbed to reflect the increased risk of taxpayer funds being used for further bank bailouts. Their yield premia over Germany is now equivalent to the premium paid by Irish and Greek governments as the crisis began to unfold. The crisis has migrated from the ‘periphery’ to the ‘core’.
By Jane West
Following the mass protest on the weekend of 1st/2nd October, hundreds of primarily young people remain camped out in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park under the slogan of ‘Occupy Wall Street’, and calling for action against the banks to alleviate poverty and unemployment.
While the precise demands of the protests are vague and varied, there is no doubt about the overall character of the mobilisations – they reject that the American people should be forced to pay for an economic crisis made on Wall Street.
By Nicky Dempsey
The outcome of the recent general election in Denmark produced a victory for the left where the decisive issue was pro- or anti-cuts. The outcome holds wider lessons for the left across Europe.
Speakers include:
Jack Dromey MP • Helen Goodman MP • Peter Hain MP • Claude Moraes MEP • Jean Lambert MEP • Farooq Murad, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain • Edie Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality • Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary • Hugh Lanning, Dep Gen Secretary, PCS • Steve Hart, Political Director, Unite the Union • Megan Dobney, Regional Secretary SERTUC • Zita Holbourne, PCS NEC • Bob Lambert, co-Director, European Muslim Research Centre • Jody McIntyre, Journalist • Peter Oborne, Journalist • Dilowar Khan, Director, London Muslim Centre • Alaa’ Samarrai, VP Student Affairs, Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) • Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students’ Officer • Nitin Sawney, Musician • Sabby Dhalu, Secretary, One Society Many Cultures • Denis Fernando, Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism • Weyman Bennett, Joint National Secretary, Unite Against Fascism • Martin Smith, National Co-ordinator, Love Music Hate Racism
By Frances Davis
Sinn Féin held its Ard Fheis (Annual conference) over 9-10 September. Described as ‘a conference of firsts’, it was indeed the first time the event had taken place in Belfast at the prestigious Waterfront Hall. The rising confidence and strength of the party was evident, reflected in the breadth of speakers and policies over the two days, and laid out in both keynote speeches of party president Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Vice President Mary Lou McDonald gave the perspective for ‘reuniting Ireland’.
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