Starvation Through Abundance: The Bizarre Paradox of Crises of Capitalist Overproduction

The 2008 recession was and is one of the largest economic events of recent history, and has caused economic upheaval the world over, massive increases in levels of poverty and thousands of companies declaring bankruptcy, forcing their workers out of a job and spreading misery and despair.

For young people, this event was particularly catastrophic: austerity measures have led to university education becoming often unbearably expensive, and it is difficult to get a job even with a degree – and nigh on impossible without one. Young people have almost no possibility of gaining the economic base that makes it possible to buy a house or support a family. Our futures have been taken away – we are being forced to take any work we can, often through shady temp agencies that give young people no chance at unionisation or industrial action, which means that we can’t even improve situations for ourselves.

Why is this? Commonly the blame falls on the bankers. While we certainly have no love for bankers, and they contributed in no small way to the crisis, it is not the case that the whole crisis was caused by a few stupid bankers making bad investments. This argument lays the blame at the feet of a clique of individuals, instead of where it should lie – with how the economic system of Capitalism functions at a fundamental level.

Continue reading “Starvation Through Abundance: The Bizarre Paradox of Crises of Capitalist Overproduction”

No Pasaran in Wigan!

On 19 September the National Front held a demonstration in Wigan against immigration and the recent refugee crisis. Prior to this demonstration their local organiser, Daniel Lewis, called for homosexuals to be gassed in response to the Manchester gay pride festival.

The National Front was met by counter-protesters from parties such as the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), Left Unity, SWP, and other organisations were present such as Hope Not Hate.

Continue reading “No Pasaran in Wigan!”

Red Youth speak at October Revolution Celebration

Dan and Angela of Red Youth speak at the celebration of the Great October Socialist Revolution, shortly before heading up the Red Youth / CPGB-ML delegation to the world festival of Youth and Students in Quito, Ecuador, in December 2013.

Speaking to a packed meeting at Saklatvala hall, in Southall, West London, they describe the attacks of the capitalist class on British workers during the past 5 years of crisis, and the lessons that young British Students and Workers can draw from the inspirational struggle of the Russian workers led by the Bolsheviks leading up to the October revolution in 1917, and their success in overthrowing that decadent parasitic and moribund Capitalism in crisis, that continues to blight our lives today.

In constructing the Soviet Economy, to serve the needs of the masses of working people of those lands, the Soviet people demonstrated that it IS possible to build an alternative world; of peaceful development, cooperation and solidarity, abolishing racial and sexual discrimination, and ending crisis, famine, war, and the crippling and inhuman exploitation of man by man and nation by nation.

A better world is possible! Join us!

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Unemployment and the fight back

Unemployment in Britain is now over 2.5 million, with young people being especially hit; people under 25 account for about 40 percent of the unemployed and according to latest figures youth unemployment stands in excess of 1 million. Any day you visit the jobcentre it is literally bursting with people competing for jobs and the chances of finding work are getting less and less. In our region so many factories, pits and traditional heavy industries have closed down that the only places to look for work appear to be Tesco, Asda and McDonald’s. This entire experience is depressing and degrading, how many times must you apply for a job and never even receive a response?!

Wales

Unemployment in Wales has been a serious problem for some years, but recent reports by the Office for National Statistics and subsequent work by University researchers show that the scale of the problem is huge. Two Welsh Council’s Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil now rank in the top ten of Britain’s worst hit areas with a study by Sheffield Hallam University claiming unemployment rates of 17% and 14.9%. The report claims that Wales is hit much harder by unemployment than official statistics for those claiming jobseekers allowance suggest. With thousands of school leavers entering the jobs market and thousands more being thrown off Incapacity Benefit by bonus hungry health ‘professionals’ at private company Atos; it leads any sensible and thinking person to ask, how are people in Wales supposed to find work?

How to fight back

In days gone by when the British working class had a strong militant communist party, mass marches, riots and street fighting with the police and state forces forced from local poor committee’s money and food to keep people from starving. All we remember of these days is the Jarrow March. But the reality of the fight for jobs back in the 1920’s and 30’s is much different from the toned down sanitised history we’ve been fed. A starting point for young workers must be to read Wal Hannington’s book Unemployed Struggles. Hannington was a leading member of the Communist Party of the time and led the National Unemployed Workers Movement. Radio 4 recently broadcast a biased history of these struggles, but the first hand accounts contained in the programme are well worth listening to and learning from. Listen to the unemployed struggles of the 20’s and 30’s.

Read Red Youth – Who stole our Future?
Watch Red Youth – Remember October!

Hands off Syria!

Red Youth members, comrades of the Communist Party and others helped to spread the truth about the ongoing imperialist inspired intervention in Syria on Saturday in Manchester. Talking about the war waged by imperialism and its hangers-on in Syria was a good opportunity for engaging with people on the streets of Manchester about the wider issues which working class people are concerned about. Comrades linked up all these problems and exposed the reactionary agenda behind government and mass media policy on immigration, the NHS and unemployment. If you want to get involved with Red Youth and fight for socialism – drop an email to info@redyouth.org today!