BBC’s flawed understanding of China’s history leads to confusion

In the first of a three-part look at ‘China’s changing role in the world’, the BBC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonnell looks at the CPC’s recent moves to tackle income disparity and intervene in social and cultural behaviour. But approaching these with the shallow misunderstandings of pre- and post-reform China typical of Western mainstream commentators, he is unable to answer the questions he sets himself.

The notion that the Cultural Revolution was a ‘disastrous quagmire’ out of which China needed to be dragged is one of these misunderstandings.

It is not hard to look at the data – none other than the Financial Times has laid out in no uncertain terms the progress that took place in Mao’s China: life expectancy nearly doubling, adult illiteracy falling from 80% to just 23%, and the achievement of gender equality in elementary education. Contrary to being a quagmire that China needed dragged from kicking and screaming, the FT states that “Without these, the rapid growth after the 1979 opening and reforms would not have been possible.” (Lessons from the first 70 years of the People’s Republic of China by David Daokui Li) Continue reading “BBC’s flawed understanding of China’s history leads to confusion”

Former leader Raul Castro with Miguel Diaz-Canel, now First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba

USA yearning to re-conquer former island casino

On 21 April, the Washington Post published an opinion: “The Castros are finally gone. The U.S. should end the Cuba embargo and open the gates.” The opinion, penned by Kathleen Parker, fairly drools at the prospect (a prospect that is only an invention of imperialism’s own misguided hopes) of getting US companies and goods into Cuba to ravage the Marxist island state and its people. Continue reading “USA yearning to re-conquer former island casino”

Know your history …Or the ruling class will teach their own version of it

This month in History Today four eminent historians have given their verdict on a counterfactual that should be familiar enough to students of modern history: ‘Could the Soviet Union have survived?’

Flimsy reasons for collapse are offered up. James Rodgers pointing to the under-pricing of records featuring the Soviet national anthem, or Gorbachev cracking down on workplace drunkenness, does little to persuade. Continue reading “Know your history …Or the ruling class will teach their own version of it”

Red Youth at Durham Miners Gala

Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019) Red Youth
Red Youth at the Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)

Red Youth and CPGB-ML members attended this years Durham Miners Gala and distributed 4,000 copies of our free sheet to trade unionists and workers. Our free sheet declared what is obvious to all but those who wear blinkers “British workers demand Brexit… TWICE!” Despite the desperate efforts of Labour party remoaners the workers at the gala were overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit, and it was great to be amongst and speak with so many comrades and friends who shared our sentiments on this question.

Brexit

Speaking from the platform, many well-meaning but misled Labour voters were dismayed to hear Jeremy Corbyn insist that a ‘Tory’ no-deal Brexit must be opposed because it threatens jobs. Has the EU protected workers’ jobs for the last forty years they asked each other. Has it stopped capitalist enterprises shedding workers in the quest to maximise their profits? Was it standing in the way of the slow destrution and privatisation of the welfare state before the 2008 financial crisis hit? Has it in any way hindered the vicious austerity that has been cutting Britain’s remaining public services and public-sector jobs to the bone? The economic crisis that is decimating jobs is an inevitable feature of capitalism, and is affecting the entire capitalist global economy; it didn’t arrive on the scene because British workers voted to leave the European Union.

Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Workers read the British Worker free sheet by the party stall
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Durham Miners Gala (Jul 2019)
Red Youth at CPGB-ML congress

Red Youth play a central role in the 8th Congress of the CPGB-ML

Over a period of five months preparations were made for the 8th Congress of the CPGB-ML. Branches, study circles and regional groups began to undertake the official preparatory work in June and delegates who were entitled to full rights were registered in accordance with the party rules. It was with pride that Red Youth had a number of voting delegates at the Congress, full party members in their own right as well as a number of qualifying candidates who were permitted to attend without vote.

Our red youth were in the forefront in many of the debates on issues directly affecting British youth; housing, education, identity politics, racism and employment rights. Young trade unionists spoke of work they were involved in to reach out to workers in the ‘gig economy’ whilst others spoke about the plight of young unemployed workers, the struggle to get affordable housing, the pernicious influences of identity politics, and the right to education. Motions which were passed will be published alongside select speeches and contributions in the party press in due course. Our red youth acquitted themselves ably in the discussions and demonstrated a high degree of willingness to master the science of Marxism-Leninism during debates on proletarian culture, identity politics, philosophy and economics.

At the close of our Congress many delegates were returning to their regions with plans for improving their local work especially amongst young workers. One delegate has left his employment voluntarily to take up an opportunity organised by the party to undertake significant solidarity work with Korean workers. Our comrade caught a flight to Seoul where he spends this month in solidarity work jointly with the PDP, struggling against imperialism and for the reunification of Korea in meaningful solidarity work, speaking at meetings of workers and taking part in demonstrations against the US military presence in south Korea. A full report of his trip will be found on this site soon.

Who Created the Refugee Crisis?

This Saturday a huge demonstration swept through the streets of London, with around 300,000 people marching from Marble Arch to Parliament Square to show solidarity with refugees, and to demand better treatment for asylum seekers in Britain and across the EU. The protesters were addressed at Parliament Square by Jeremy Corbyn, as his first official act as the newly elected Labour Party leader, proclaiming his support for the plight of the refugees.

Aylan Kurdi
The image of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi that sparked fiercer support for refugees trying to find safety in Europe

The conscience of the British people has been moved by the picture of the tragically drowned 3 year old Syrian child, Aylan Kurdi, lying on a Turkish beach, along with his mother and brother, while the family was fleeing from the horrors being inflicted in Kobane by the terrorist ISIS organisation – spawned by Anglo-American imperialism in its attempts to overthrow Syria’s legitimate elected government headed by President Assad.

As the British people came to realise that these deaths were only the tip of an iceberg of death and suffering visited upon fleeing refugees, they petitioned the government in huge numbers to welcome refugees, and the British government has responded by promising to take in some 5,000 a year, though it was soon made clear that this grudging minimalist concession is to be curtailed in every way possible, with those admitted under the age of 18 to be deported as soon as they reach that age.

Continue reading “Who Created the Refugee Crisis?”

Labour’s leadership election – #JezWeCan – Voting Corbyn without illusions? Nothing can make Labour a party of the working class.

Ballots for the Labour Party leadership election were sent out on 14 August by post and voting ends on 10 September. An estimated 120,000 people have paid £3 in order to become ‘affiliated members’, and vote in the election, substantially increasing the party’s membership figures, which had been steadily eroding over the preceding years.

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Trade unions have been running concerted campaigns to register their members as voters, and to campaign among their membership for the election of Jeremy Corbyn, who announced his leadership bid after Milliband’s electoral rout, in the run-up to the substantial anti-austerity demonstrations held in London and across the country in June 2015.

All of which begs the question: if Jeremy Corbyn is elected to the leadership of the Labour Party, can he make it a party of the working class? If he becomes Prime minister, can his Labour Party lead Britain towards socialism and a fairer, more just and equitable society for British workers and help to shape a fairer and more peaceful world?

Continue reading “Labour’s leadership election – #JezWeCan – Voting Corbyn without illusions? Nothing can make Labour a party of the working class.”

USA-ROK joint exercises

Korea: no game! Tensions escalate as USA and South Korea threaten war with the North

USA-ROK joint exercises
The USA and South Korea stage regular military exercises on the DPRK’s border

In the wake of joint military exercises (Foal Eagle and Ulchi Freedom-Guardian) staged by the United States of America and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on the border of the DPR Korea (North Korea), clearly designed to threaten and sabotage any peace talks, the South has resumed broadcasting propaganda across the demilitarised zone.

Park Geun-hye
South Korean President Park Geun-hye (daughter of Park Chung-hee, who seized power in a military coup)

Understandably this bizarre approach to “building trust” between the Koreas by President Park Geun-hye has not been taken lightly in the North.

South Korean demands that the DPRK disarm, anti-DPRK propaganda, and ‘defensive’ military drills with the USA (whose nearest border is some 7400km away) mirrors common tactics of provocation and psychological military operations that prelude the invasion of sovereign nations – and show who is really the aggressor in the current ‘stand-off’.

Continue reading “Korea: no game! Tensions escalate as USA and South Korea threaten war with the North”

Anarchism or Socialism?

What are the beliefs of the Anarchists? How are they different from the socialists and communists? In particular: is capitalism the enemy, or is the state machine the enemy?

What do the anarchists think workers should do if they are successful in getting rid of exploitative capitalism? What are the anarchists’ criticisms of communism? What are the basic ideas and beliefs of the communists that make it a useful guide to action, and empower workers to overthrow the old system of exploitation and build a new, peaceful and truly representative society? In what way is socialism more ‘scientific’ and systematic?

Harpal Brar, chairman of the CPGB-ML gives a historical and contemporary look at anarchism, from its philosophical and organisational origins to the present day anarchists and their ‘activity’, and compares it to the Socialist views of Marx and Engels.

A must watch for every thinking person, every would be revolutionary, and every worker who wants to build a better world.

Continue reading “Anarchism or Socialism?”

Stop playing games with our NHS

The following letter was sent by a Proletarian reader to the British Medical Association journal BMA News.Save our NHS
“Readers of BMA News over the last couple of weeks cannot fail to have noticed the BMA’s conspicuous ‘No More Games’ campaign, designed – we are told – to appeal to the UK government to stop “playing games” with the NHS.

With all due respect to the leadership of our trade union, what UK governments – regardless of party political stripe – have done and continue to do to the NHS since 1979 is not a ‘game’, it is a pre-planned step-by-step programme to re-privatise healthcare in this country.

The first step in 1983 was to take NHS executive power away from doctors and place it instead in the hands of new business managers.

Step 2 in 1990 was to replace the old funding system of simple block budget allocation, with an artificial ‘internal market’ whereby ‘providers’ would henceforth compete for funding from ‘commissioners’.

Step 3, from 1997, was the expansion of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), whereby NHS Trusts were encouraged to ‘solve’ their funding problems by – in effect – paying for new (and often unnecessary) infrastructure projects on a credit card.

Step 4 was the introduction of ‘Foundation Hospitals’ – in effect embryonic private hospitals – from 2002: since then the government has decreed that all NHS Trusts must ultimately become Foundation Trusts, or else be subsumed into existing Foundation Trusts.

The final step was the Health and Social Care Act 2011, which in fact formally abolished the NHS as a universal free healthcare system: ‘NHS’ is now little more than the name for a pot of taxpayer money that will increasingly be directed to the government’s friends on the boards of private healthcare providers.

And so you see, the government is not ‘playing games’ here, far from it. It is no more likely to be dissuaded from privatising the NHS by appeal to reason or kindness than it was to be dissuaded from invading Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or Libya. Or Yugoslavia. Or Ukraine …

Perhaps if anyone needs to be told to stop ‘playing games’ here it’s the BMA?”