Mecklenburg- West Pomerania is a Land (region) in the north-east of Germany, situated on the territory of the ex-GDR. There are only 1.33 million voters. Nevertheless, the result of the regional elections on September 4 in this Land is shaking up the political debate in Germany, up to federal level. It was a spectacular victory for the AfD (Alternative for Germany, similar to the National Front in France or UKIP in Britain). All the other parties lost votes to it, especially the SPD (social-democrats) the CDU (Christian democrats) and even more Die Linke (The Left).
COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco: What strategy for the social movements facing climate change?
17 September 2016, byMorocco is preparing to host the Conference of the Parties (COP22) on climate change in Marrakech between 7th and 18th November 2016. This conference is taking place in the context of a worsening ecological crisis, in itself a dimension of the crisis of civilisation that the capitalist system is going through. This year’s COP also comes at a time where previous conferences have failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to impose binding measures on industrial superpowers, which continue to abide by the needs of multinationals that make profits from the extraction of coal, gas, oil, minerals and various sources of energy as well as from industrial agriculture and natural resources present in the soil, sea and atmosphere.
The Voice for Change – On Hong Kong’s 2016 Legislative Council Election Results
16 September 2016, byThe 2016 LegCo election results show a strong call for change. Although politically and socially divided among themselves, it was the first time in Hong Kong history that five candidates ran for election advocating self-determination and were elected on this basis. If we take into consideration that a further two elected legislators proposed a weaker version of self-determination, then we must recognize that there is a sea change in Hong Kong’s political landscape. In total the candidates who ran on the platform of demanding for self-determination garnered 22.2% of the vote (including those who lost the election) – the vote here only means the regional direct election votes; it excludes the functional constituency vote and the super district board vote.
Exchange between Iranian and Syrian socialists
15 September 2016Below we print a summary of a longer article in Arabic by two Iranian socialists, Omid Ranjbar and Azadeh Shurmand, who are opposed to Iran’s military intervention in Syria. Their article is followed by a response from Frieda Afary and Joseph Daher.
Black Lives Matter movement grows stronger
13 September 2016, byWhile police tactics and accountability measures are being examined, many black people are also questioning their safety and place in society. They worry about the next time they interact with police, and about the difficult conversations they must have with their children.
The World’s Largest General Strike
12 September 2016, by150 million workers walked off the job, but the media continues to ignore it.
Why "Lesser Evilism" Is a Loser
11 September 2016, byAgainst the Current interviewed Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for president in 2016 following its convention at the end of July. The Green Party vice-presidential candidate is Ajamu Baraka.
Choppy times ahead for the Leprechaun economy
10 September 2016, byIt is beyond doubt. The Southern economy will suffer a considerable impact from Brexit and from the imminent recession, the approach of which has accelerated due to the Brexit vote.
A Giant, Flushing Sound
9 September 2016, byIn a surreal and bitterly polarized election year, there is one issue on which the majority of voters, left to right, agree: Flush the Trans Pacific Partnership. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders ran against the TPP, and Hillary Clinton says she opposes it after she used to support it.
The Struggle Against Syriza’s ?Austerity Program
8 September 2016, byThe month of May witnessed the second round of massive general strikes to hit Greece in 2016. Mobilizations on May Day were followed by four days of strikes in the lead-up to the Syriza government passing its austerity pension bill. The next day the so-called Euro-group of finance ministers met to discuss the government’s further implementation of the Third Memorandum. [1]
Footnotes
[1] The memorandums refer to contracts between the government of Greece and the Troika (the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund) that control the conditions of the Greek people’s repayments to these lenders. The First Memorandum was signed in May of 2010, the Second Memorandum was signed in February 2012, and the Third Memorandum was signed by the Tsipras government in July 2015.