• News and Analysis
• US Elections

News and Analysis

• Bush's Education Agenda
  With support from the Democratic leadership, Congress passed the Bush education plan, which will require public schools to administer basic skills tests in math and reading to students in grades 3 to 8 by the 2005-2006 school year. The rhetoric used by George W. "leave-no-child-behind" Bush suggests that he supports the goal of closing the academic achievement gap between black and white students, and between poor and 'middle class' white students. Is it possible to eliminate most of the academic achievement gap without lowering the bar for high achievers? Is the Bush plan actually designed to close the gap? (by Doug Mann)

• Enron - Imperialism in Action
  The ignominious collapse of Houston, Texas-based Enron - at $62 billion the largest bankruptcy is US history - is a powerful reminder of how "business as usual" is conducted in the epoch of capitalist decay and imperialism. Formerly seventh on the Fortune 500 list of large corporations, its stock fell from a high of $90.56 in August 2000, to $0.30 on January 16, 2002. This formidable downfall has had far-reaching effects, and there are many lessons that the working class can learn from it. (January 22, 2002, John Peterson Editor of Socialist Appeal)

• Our Economy is Smashed
  The economic boom on the nineties is officially dead and buried and it is high time we stop searching for roses to grow from its grave. For 2002 will bring nothing but thorns in the hands of the working class. (By T. Shepherd)

• Domestic Symptoms of Capitalism in Decay
  Recently an American by the name of John Walker was found in the ranks of the Taliban. A young boy, Charles Bishop, also recently flew a small plane into a tall Florida office building. In his pocket was found a hand written note expressing support for bin Laden. To many these occurrences are shocking, to Marxists they are no surprise. Global Capitalism is in the epoch of it's senile decay. Not even suburban America is safe from the cancer of this rotten system. (by John Fisher)

• Largest Defense Contract in History will leave thousands Jobless.
  On Friday, October 26, the Pentagon announced that it had awarded Lockheed-Martin Corp. the $300 billion contract to build the Joint-Strike fighter, which will become the main fighter jet of the US Air Force, Navy and Marines. It will also be immediately deployed by the British armed forces. The $300 billion contract to build the 3,002 planes is the largest single defense contract issued by any state in history, and is estimated to mature into a $1 trillion a year business for the maker of the jet. It will also be one of the biggest blows ever given to workers in the defense industry. (By David May)

• Patriotism, Fear and Panic - What's Next?
  The events of the morning of September 11th have shaken the entire world. One single terrorist attack has not only shocked masses of people out of their daily lives, it has crippled the world economy. Already, the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, has stated that the dead will be counted in the thousands.(David May - September 13, 2001)

• For the Workers At Windows on the World
  A short piece by someone who worked at the WTC building and participated in an organising effort there. (September 12, 2001)

• What About the Working Class?
  John Fisher in New York takes a brief look at the toll the destruction of the WTC takes on the Working Class (September 12, 2001)

• The Economic Effects of the Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center
  John Peterson looks at some of the potential economic effects of this unprecedented situation. (September 11, 2001)

• US Suicide Bombing - Terrorism Aids Reaction
  On Tuesday September 11, 2001 the world was shaken by news of the most devastating terrorist attack in history. Alan Woods and Ted Grant make a first urgent analysis of the events and their meaning for world politics

• China, America and the Pacific
  The clash between China and the USA over the crashed spy plane has thrown into sharp relief the tensions between the great powers in Asia. The incident in itself was an accident. But dialectics explains that necessity can be expressed through accident. Underlying the immediate incident lie fundamental contradictions between China and the USA. By Ted Grant and Alan Woods. (April 23, 2001)

• George W. Bush's Foreign Policy
  This article focuses on the background of Bush's foreign policy, the issue of National Missile Defense, and Latin America. By Peter Johnson. (April, 2001)

• Racism and Capitalism in Cincinnati
  The murder by a white police officer of an unarmed 19-year-old black man was the spark which ignited the accumulated tinder of racism and poverty in Cincinnati last week. In the biggest "race riots" since the Rodney King trial in Los Angeles in 1992, hundreds took to the streets to protest police brutality and the pent-up frustrations of decades of marginalization and poverty. (April 18, 2001)

• School Shootings: Who Are The Real Victims?
  The past month has seen more school shootings in predominantly wealthy white areas and more speculation about this seemingly "unexplainable" issue. Yet contrary to what the media purports and to what Bush and others would have us believe, these recent acts of violence do not go without cause and solutions. Indeed it is precisely the potential solutions that frighten those who are the most ardent in calling for action to address school shootings. The responsibility for these acts lays not merely with the misguided and alienated youths who pull the triggers but with the social system of which they are a product. (March 2001)

• Busted! The 'New Economic Paradigm' Goes South
  For the past few years we have been carefully following the development of the US and world economies. Yet almost overnight, instead of "the boom will last forever", the press now has stories about "how to survive the recession", and openly discusses the economic slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrials (DJIA) and NASDAQ suffered overwhelming losses today in a broad-based sell-off that handed the Dow Industrials its worst percentage loss in 11 months and took the NASDAQ below the 2,000 mark for the first since December 1998. (March 12, 2001)

• Silicon Valley hit by privatized power cuts
  'Brownouts' in the golden west, power cuts in Silicon Valley and, in the longer term, threats by big chunks of high tech business to relocate out of California, the most advanced industrial state on earth. What is going on? Deregulation of the electricity industry, that's what they've decided to introduce market forces into the energy sector, and the result is they're creating havoc. By Mick Brooks. From the British Marxist Magazine Socialist Appeal.

• See the World Through American Eyes
  John Fisher looks at the myth of "American Opportunity", and explains that much of the wealth in the US and Western nations is due to the fact that it bleeds the so-called Third-World dry! (January 14, 2001)

• An Army of One?
  Due to stagnant recruitment, the US Army has unveiled a $150 million campaign and a new slogan, "an army of one", abandoning their long-used slogan, "be all that you can be." They hope this new slogan will appeal to potential recruits 18 to 24 years old who are strongly "independent". By Peter Johnson. (January 10, 2001)

• Is the US Supreme Court Impartial?
  We are told in our high school government classes that the judicial arm of government is "objective" and "impartial". Yet time after time it is clear that the decisions taken by the Supreme Court, the highest body of the judicial branch, are tinted with "partisan" bias – the fiasco over the presidential election being the most recent and conspicuous case. (January 2, 2001)

• American Youth and the Ideas of Marxism
  John Fisher looks at the rising interest in Marxist ideas among American youth - even though these ideas are supposedly "dead"! (December 16, 2000)

• Plan Colombia - Talking peace, preparing for war
  What is Plan Columbia? Where is the $1.3 billion dollars in American "aid" going? What are the prespectives for peace in Columbia? (September, 2000)

• The Enforcers - What is the WTO, and why we must fight it!
  At the end of September 2000, tens of thousands have been trying to protest at the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Prague. They are right to protest. But what are they protesting about? The World Bank, IMF and the World Trade Organisation - that was stopped in its tracks in Seattle last December - are the three pillars of the global capitalist economic order. They argue that problems like world poverty, the destruction of the environment and poisoning of our food "just happen." Actually these things are imposed by the giant multinationals that control the world's economic resources. And these three institutions are their enforcers. (October 4, 2000)

• The Political Situation of the Youth in the West
  It is clear that there is a rising tide of activism across the planet. From Seattle to Prague, the new protest movement signifies the begining of a broader movement of the masses. But how can we harness this energy and enthusiasm in order to transform the world? Tom Rollings from the UK explains how Marxists can intervene in these movements in order to build a revolutionary alternative to capitalism. (October, 2000)

• The Debate over RU-486
  Analisa Drew takes a look at the controversy surrounding the introduction of the abortion drug RU-486. (October 1, 2000)

• Summary of a Recent Business Week Survey
  The Sept 11th edition of Business Week  carried a very interesting article on attitudes about big business etc. in the USA based on a new survey. Since most people would not have seen this, we are summarizing the data given. (September 12, 2000)

• St. Louis Labor Day 2000
  David May gives us a report of the Labor Day event in St. Louis. (September 12, 2000)

• For a mass party of labor with class-independent and socialist policies!
  This year, we are once again faced with an election with no real choices for working people. The movement behind Nader's candidacy is a giant step forward, but the Greens are not a class-based party. We need a mass party based on the working class which will defend the interests of working people. Join the fight for the creation of such a party! You can also distribute this flyer on Labor Day!

• Report from Republican National Convention 2000 in Philadelphia
  Analisa Drew writes about her experience in Philadelphia, as well as looking at the meaning of the new anti-capitalist movement. (August, 2000)

• Hunting Immigrants in Arizona
  Latin American workers in the United States often have no rights and no voice. Who is to blame for the surge of illegal immigration into the United States? What position to socialists take on this issue? From the Mexican Marxist Newspaper Militante. (August, 2000)

• Raising Prices, Raising Consciousness
  Analisa Drew takes a brief look at the effect of rising gas prices on the average American's outlook. An economic slump would be a nightmare for working people, and their views on the status quo will be shaken to the core. Yet another sign of the changing mood in America. (June 23, 2000)

• USA today: police brutality and the electric chair
  The state-sanctioned murder of Shaka Sankofa (a.k.a. Gary Graham) once again raised the issue of the death penalty in the public eye. Rob Sewell takes a look at the death penalty and police brutality in today's "kinder gentler" America. (June 23, 2000)

• Interview with Ramona Africa
  The only surviving member of the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house by the polce tells her side of the story. The police bombed their home and murdered innocent men, men women and children, yet Ramona Africa was the only one to serve prison time.

• US: Calm Before the Storm
  A new mood of change is sweeping America. This new mood has gripped the minds of the youth in particular - a sure barometer for the rest of society - and was epitomised by the anti-capitalist/anti-corporate demonstrations of Seattle and Washington. By Rob Sewell. (May 23, 2000)

• W-2 is Big Business
  Who exactly benefits from the privatization of the public assistance programs? Is it the poor? This article examines the big business interests behind Wisconsin's "welfare to work" program. (April 2000)

• A first look at the A16 anti-IMF/World Bank protests
  Peter Johnson examines the significance behind the latest in a rising wave of anti-capitalist sentiment. Keep checking back for the latest information! (April 16, 2000)

• Who Controls the Government?
  Peter Johnson takes a look at the state in capitalist society, why it exists, and the interests that lie behind it. (January 2000)

• Income Gap in the US Widens - Again
  A recent report by Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities confirms Marx's analysis that under capitalism the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. By Peter Johnson. (January 17, 2000) The report can be found here.

• The Boom in America - Compliments of the Working Class
  A look at the unprecedented economic expansion in the US. Why is it going so long? Can it last forever? Who is benefitting the most? By Peter Johnson. (January, 2000)

• Thanks WTO! It's Been a riot!
  A commentary piece by Comrade Aaron Kuller on the events and effects of the WTO protest. (December 4, 1999)

• It has Everything to do with Class
  A look at the upcoming anti-WTO protest in Seattle.  We need to emphasize the class nature of this issue in order to raise the class consciousness of the masses.   (November 17, 1999)

• Reports and Commentary on the Anti-WTO Protests from YFIS Members
  Just what the title says! Check it out for the most recent reports! (November and December, 1999)

• American Century... for the Rich
  A look a the reality of the economic boom. (October 4, 1999)

• The Central Valley's Poor West Side
  Labor journalist David Bacon investigates the efforts to unionise Latino workers in California. (October 1, 1999)

• Are You Blind, Man? (Or is That Just Indifference?)
  A great commentary piece on the attitude of your average Joe towards life under capitalism. (September, 1999)

• Is the US Government Really Concerned with Chinese Human Rights Abuses?
  Check out this White House guest list for a state dinner for President Jiang Zemin of China, October 29 1997.

• How to Fight Unemployment? Put 1.82 million US Citizens in Prison!
  There has been a big fuss lately about the record unemployment levels in the United States. But what does this mean in relation to the colossal number of US citizens behind bars? (August 18, 1999)

• West Virginia's Mine Wars
  Some history behind one of the most militant labor movements ever! Learn about American Labor History!

• All is Not as Rosy as it Seems - Especially in Coal Country!
  Once one of the centers of the American labor movement, the exodus of jobs and investment from West Virginia's Coal Country have left the region economically devastated. Read one young resident's excellent account! (June 3, 1999)

• One Man Protest in McAllen, Texas
  An amusing account of one person's protest against the bombing of Yugoslavia during a visit by the President and Vice President. See what one person can do! (June 2, 1999)

• If America Should Go Communist
  Excellent essay from 1934 by Leon Trotsky.

• Student Activism on the Rise Across America
  Students and workers are uniting to make a difference! You can too! (April 19, 1999)

• Whose side is the "Impartial Law" on?
  A Federal judge has fined a pilots' union $46 million for contempt of court! (April 16, 1999)

• The Changing Mood in America
  An editorial on the subtle hints that there is something brewing underneath the apparently calm surface of American society.

• Which Way for Blacks in the US - Black Nationalism or Socialist Revolution?
  The United States is the richest and most powerful country on the planet. Yet despite this, the poison of racism remains an integral part of America. Rob Sewell discusses the alternatives from a working class point of view. (February 1999)

• US Labor Party: "Here to Stay"
  The US Labor Party was established just over two years ago in Cleveland, Ohio. But this Pittsburgh convention was deemed the First Constitutional Convention, with more-or-less its constitution and structures in place. Over the past two years, this fledgling party has made modest progress in building up its membership, which currently stands at more than 10,000. Greater progress has been achieved, in attracting affiliation and endorsement from union bodies representing over one million workers. (November 1998)

• General Motors: Management Plans Stalled by Workers
  "I am happy that this has come to a head now. The only way to bring them to the negotiating table was to strike. GM promised us $350 million in investment in new machinery. They promised us new work; they haven't done any of it." These are the words of Larry, a striker the General Motors engineering plant in the US that makes cradles for truck engines.

• Clinton, the Real American Scandal
  When Bill Clinton first came in to office back in 1992 he claimed to carry the hopes and aspirations of millions of working people - both black and white, and all those who had been marginalised by the successive right wing Republican regimes of Reagan and Bush. One by one any hopes have been dashed - on welfare, healthcare and education, Clinton has sided with the rich and the conservative every time, his phony "third way" philosophy little more than warmed up Republicanism. (October 1998)

• Tet Offensive: a Turning Point in the Vietnam War
  A look at one of the decisive turning points of the Vietnam war.

US Elections

• US Elections - the Aftermath
  We finally have a president. But what does all the legislative and judicial maneuvering mean? What is the Marxist perspective? By Peter Johnson (December 13, 2000)

• For a mass party of labor!
  Sean O'Quinn looks at the similarities between the two major parties, and offers an alternative. (December 12, 2000)

• US Elections - What Next?
  Nearly a week has passed since the US Presidential election, and still there is no declared winner. What does all of this mean? How is it possible that the vote is split almost identically between the two major candidates? How can Marxists use this situation to explain the ideas of socialism? (November 14, 2000)

• A Look at Election 2000
  The presidential election of 2000 marks a turning point in US electoral politics. George W. Bush and Al Gore are involved in an often bitter and close struggle which will alienate most voters. What are the alternatives available to socialists? (September, 2000)

• Two sides of the same coin - Capital Democrats and Republicans bound hand and foot to Big Business
  David May takes a look at this years' election. Who controls the big business parties? What is the alternative to these parties? (September 25, 2000)