North America

It’s China, stupid: Trump and US foreign policy

16th January 2017 Socialist Action 0
The following article by Jude Woodward, about Donald Trump and the current fight over US foreign policy, was first published on the New Cold War blog.

The furore in the US and Europe over Trump’s relations with Russia is not just a storm in a teacup but the manifestation of a serious fight at the heart of the US foreign policy establishment over how the US should orient strategically to Russia in the context of the chief question that the US confronts internationally – the rise of China.

Donald Trump and the states’ rights pendulum

23rd November 2016 Socialist Action 0

By Michael Wongsam

The election of Donald Trump as America’s 45th president has provoked many responses, from outright rage and protest in many urban centres through to resignation, acceptance and accommodation to the result on the part of the DNC establishment. Opponents have correctly characterised his campaign as a right wing populist call to arms aimed at mobilising rural and sub urban white communities against immigrants, Muslims, black and other minority groups around a reactionary conservative agenda. However, in order to understand this vote in its full significance it is necessary to take a longer, historic view of its place in the unfolding of US politics.

US election: Trump won, but only because Clinton lost

10th November 2016 shoreditchadmin2 0

The victory of Donald Trump has handed the most powerful office on earth into the hands of someone whose promises include a giant wall across the Mexican border, the expulsion of 11 million ‘illegal immigrants’ – roughly 6% of the US workforce – ‘extreme vetting’ for any Muslim seeking to enter the country, the repeal of Obamacare, keeping existing gun laws and punishing women who seek an abortion. He denies the existence of climate change, proposes to engage in a new era of protectionist trade policies, professes to ‘love war’, and is prone to casual racism, misogyny and bigotry towards Jews, LGBT people, Latinos and any other minority group.

Ignore the hype, Trump won by default

9th November 2016 Socialist Action 0

By Jude Woodward

The victory of Donald Trump has handed the most powerful office on earth into the hands of someone whose promises include a giant wall along the Mexican border, the expulsion of 11 million ‘illegal immigrants’ – roughly 6 per cent of the US workforce – ‘extreme vetting’ for any Muslim seeking to enter the country, the repeal of Obamacare, keeping existing gun laws and punishing women who seek an abortion. He denies the existence of climate change, proposes to engage in a new era of protectionist trade policies, professes to ‘love war’, and is prone to casual racism, misogyny and bigotry towards Jews, LGBT people, Latinos and any other minority group.

The dirty relation between US foreign policy and ‘jihadism’

24th November 2015 Socialist Action 0

Even before the recent horrific terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali, the purpose of the U.S. “war on terror” as stated in words was to fight “Islamic terrorism” and “jihadism.” But facts show each time the U.S. and its allies have launched a war in the Middle East it has been followed by a great strengthening and not weakening of “jihadism.” Taking events in order:

The US escalates tensions in South China Sea

9th November 2015 shoreditchadmin2 0

At the end of October the USA escalated tensions in the South China Sea by sending an American destroyer within the 12-mile coastal limit of Chinese held islets. Having been threatening to take some form of action against China in the South China Sea for several months, the US action when it came was rather limited. But nonetheless it was a provocative act and elicited a strong verbal response from China.