The attempted rape, murder, and burning of 20-year-old university student Özgecan Aslan on Feb. 11th touched a nerve in a society where male-on-female violence has been a chronic problem. Massive demonstrations throughout Turkey followed soon after, but what will it take to stem the surge in femicide over the last decade or so? Mattia Gallo interviewed Turkish socialist feminist Selin Cagatay about the background to the situation.
Syriza’s victory seen by a dockworker, union leader from the Port of Piraeus
21 February 2015, by ,FolÂlowÂing the colÂlapse of the Greek econÂomy, the memÂoÂranÂdum with the troika included a proÂviÂsion to sell off profÂitable state-owned comÂpaÂnies to pay back loans to forÂeign lenders, resultÂing in the parÂtial priÂvaÂtiÂzaÂtion of the Port of Piraeus, Greece’s largest port, where ChiÂnese state-owned shipÂping company COSCO now holds the conÂcesÂsion for two conÂtainer terÂmiÂnals. Since that time, dockÂworkÂers have waged a milÂiÂtant and susÂtained strugÂgle, with strong local alliances in Piraeus and interÂnaÂtional supÂport from dockÂworkÂers around Europe, to return the port to full pubÂlic ownÂerÂship and improve the poor workÂing conÂdiÂtions at the priÂvaÂtized COSCO terÂmiÂnals.
Swiss leaks / HSBC : Drug and Bank Lords
20 February 2015, byThe British bank HSBC, which recently employed 260, 000 people worldwide, is present in 75 countries, and claims to have 54 million customers is another example of the “Too Big to Jail” phenomenon. Over the last ten years, HSBC has laundered $881 million for Mexican and Columbian drug cartels that are responsible for tens of thousands of firearm related assassinations. These relations continue in spite of dozens of warnings from different US government agencies including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The profits from this business are so important that not only does HSBC continue, but it has also opened specialised services in its Mexico offices where drug dealers may simply hand in stocks of cash for cleaning.
Social and democratic rights radically challenged!
19 February 2015, byIf the governments, the ECB and the European Commission truly intended what they claimed—that is, to reduce unemployment, boost economic activity, clean up the banking sector, increase and stimulate lending to small businesses and consumers, increase investment, reduce debt, and so on—, then their policies have clearly failed. But were these ever their true intentions?
“Anticapitalistas” movement: we are neither being born nor dying; we are transforming ourselves
17 February 2015, by , Â
Izquierda Anticapitalista held its Second Congress on the weekend of 17 and 18 January. With the support of 82 per cent of the delegates who took part in the vote, we have renounced the juridical electoral form of "party" in order to transform ourselves into a movement,.
SYRIZA, socialists and the struggles ahead
17 February 2015, by ,Greece’s left-wing government is on a collision course with the rulers of Europe over the commitment of the Coalition of the Radical Left, or SYRIZA, to reverse drastic austerity measures imposed under the Memorandums negotiated with the European Union (EU).
A European agreement?
16 February 2015, by“The European Union has concluded an ambitious agreement on climate”: thus was the unanimous media verdict on the decisions taken at the EU summit in October 2014. A careful examination shows that this message is very largely propaganda.
From Pim Fortuyn to Geert Wilders & the PVV – Pro-gay and anti-Islam: rise of the Dutch far-Right
14 February 2015, byIn the Netherlands, the right-wing PVV (Freedom Party) has steadily garnered power using a hate-filled discourse directed at Muslims and elites alike.
EU follows the German example
13 February 2015, byBetween 2003 and 2005, Gerhard Schröder’s socialist government gave German employers a helping hand in imposing sacrifices on the workers.