The economic legacy of October 1917

25th October 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Mark Buckley

The Russian Revolution of October 1917 is an event of world-historic importance. It was the first time in history that the working class and its allies seized political power and held onto it for long enough to impact the entire world in a sustained way.

Japan: Abe’s landslide in seats based on no increase in votes

25th October 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Jude Woodward

Shinzo Abe and his right wing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) swept to an outright victory in Japan’s snap General Election at the weekend.

His LDP/Komeito Party ruling coalition won over two-thirds – 313 – of the seats in the lower house of the Japanese Parliament. Taken together with the coalition’s existing two-thirds majority in the upper house, the election delivered a ‘super-majority’ for Abe which potentially allows him to take such steps as changing the Japanese constitution without consulting the opposition parties.

Against the repression by the Spanish state

5th October 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Ian Richardson

The attempt of the Catalan independence movement to hold a referendum has been met with brutal state repression. The Madrid government used Guardia Civil forces from outside the region to block voters and attack them, seize ballot boxes and smash up polling stations. TV footage of unarmed protesters and voters being brutally assaulted have now been seen worldwide, despite the ludicrous denials of ministers in Madrid and their spokespersons.

German election again confirms increasing Western political turbulence

3rd October 2017 Socialist Action 0

By John Ross

The outcome of the 24 September German elections was dramatic itself. The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union’s (CDU/CSU’s) 33 per cent was its lowest per centage of the vote since the first election in West Germany in 1949. The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) result was even worse – at 20.5 per cent it was the lowest vote ever recorded by the SPD in any election in West Germany or the reunited Germany. The extreme rightest Alliance for Germany (AfD) received 13.5 per cent of the vote – the highest for an extreme rightest party in Germany since World War II. The radical left Left Party received 9.2 per cent of the vote.

Trump’s agenda on climate change must be opposed

19th September 2017 Socialist Action 0

By Fiona Edwards

The devastating hurricanes hitting the Caribbean and southern US have shown yet again that climate change has truly arrived. Without urgent action, events like this will become more common and more severe. While extreme and tragic weather events across the world are often largely ignored but the impacts on North America has put climate change high on the political agenda in the US — the country most responsible for climate change.