Two articles republished from Socialist Resistance giving background and an overall view of the ISIS threat and the Kurdish resistance.
9-N: obedience and disobedience
7 October 2014, byAfter a few days of uncertainty and signs of reversal on the part of President Artur Mas’s government, following the decision of the Spanish supreme court to suspend the preparations for the independence referendum (Consulta) planned for 9 November, the renewed commitment of the pro-referendum forces, along with the majority of mayors, is keeping the 9-N vote alive. The first hurdle has been crossed. It is now an uphill race and with each new difficulty, the temptation to curb and divert the democratic desire of the Catalan people toward early elections will be permanent.
Lessons of Gaza
6 October 2014, byThe recent aggression against Gaza has once again demonstrated the destructive and murderous madness that the State of Israel is capable of demonstrating when it comes to crushing the Palestinian people, their organizations and their national aspirations. Nearly 2,200 dead, over 11,000 injured, tens of thousands of partially or completely destroyed buildings, more than 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (30 per cent of the population) ... These figures make you dizzy, especially if you think about the size of this small coastal strip, once again the victim of an "offensive" that is nothing short of a massacre. A cease-fire was finally reached at the end of August. Its terms and conditions indicate that while it is inappropriate to speak of "victory" of the Palestinians, we have witnessed a political and military defeat of the State of Israel.
Massive rally “Citizens Stand Against Violence/Peaceful Resistance” called in Admiralty
5 October 2014, byAfter the attacks of yesterday and further threats by anti-Occupy groups to attack the protesters, large numbers have still turned out today undeterred. One pro-Beijing group, Caring Hong Kong Power, had earlier put out a call to its members to again go to Mong Kok. The message says that the use of violence against the protesters is necessary and that if necessary the PLA should be mobilised.
Chinese Government Sends in its Mafia
4 October 2014, byThe government is mobilizing its mafia extensively. Since noon, the government has started mobilizing gangsters to provoke the public. It is hard to imagine that the government is lining up with the mafia but it now happens during the CY Leung’s administration. This is something expected and no need to be shocked about it.
Beyond Obamacare
3 October 2014, byThe Affordable Care Act commentariat—including those confidently awaiting the day when all its promises are vindicated, those rooting for its ignominious demise, and those of us in a separate camp—have been kept occupied in recent months. Between autumn’s website drama and winter’s enrollment saga, the news cycle has been full of stories of IT dysfunctions tackled, right-wing challenges thwarted, enrollment goals met, electoral prospects threatened, and individuals newly insured (or variously dissatisfied).
Resisting nationalist polarization and Russian invasion; building a democratic left party
3 October 2014, byNina Potarskaya is one of the leading Ukrainian leftist feminists, founder of the feminist squadron at Maidan, and member of the Left Opposition, which helped organize three successive conferences of left forces in Kiev, in November 2013, March 2014, and September 2014. The most recent conference decided to build a new democratic Left party, which is the first electoral effort of its kind in Ukraine. She was interviewed in Geneva by Jean Batou, with the help of Kirill Buketov, for SolidaritéS.
Women have won!
2 October 2014, byOn September 23, the Prime Minister of the Spanish State, Mariano Rajoy, announced that he was withdrawing the proposal to amend the abortion law. The law’s main architect, Minister of Justice Alberto RuÃz Gallardón, immediately resigned.
A country on oil
2 October 2014, byOn the morning of June 18 2014 a giant cloud of black smoke drifted from Ilora Island, facing Lagos lagoon, towards Victoria Island. A widely visible flame rose into the sky. The night before, a pipeline pumping petrol from an offshore delivery point, across the island to the mainland, had exploded – not for the first time.
An analysis of the International coalition intervention led by the USA
1 October 2014In recent weeks we have seen the establishment of an USA led International coalition also composed of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan to launch a joint military operation, on Syrian territory, with the tacit support of the Assad regime as we will see, against Daech (also known as the Islamic State (IS)).