Socialist Party articles from the UCD to Vietnam

Page updated, 29th Sept. 2006

Overall site Index

Page updated, 29th Sept. 2006

UCD Dublin
Youth articles – Youth Against the War, skateboarders, UCD elections, etc. Socialist Voice, Jan. 2003

Ukraine

Interesting Belfast CWI meeting

It's not every week that the SP and the CWI get a mention, (and a striking photo!) in the Sunday Life paper. that's what happened on Jan. 2nd when it publicised our meeting with Naill Mulholland on developments in the Ukraine. Here's the papers story - the meeting itself was very successful with nearly 20 present (not bad for the first meeting of the new year).

Neither Yanukovich or Yushenko - The working masses need their own alternative
Rob Jones, Socialist Resistance (cwi) in Moscow, 28 November 2004

The results of the second round of voting in Ukraine’s Presidential election have dragged the country into a deep crisis that threatens to split the country in two and, if it escalates further, could see ethnic conflict develop in one of the biggest and most populous countries in Europe. Read more here.

Election crisis threatens conflict
Right wing politicians and imperialist powers stir up ethnic tensions. A fierce power struggle between different factions of the Ukrainian ruling class – using the masses as pawns - threatens to slide the country into conflict and possibly even civil war.
Niall Mulholland, CWI, 25 November 2004.

The crisis erupted after the pro-Russian presidential candidate, Viktor Yanukovich, was deemed the winner of last week’s presidential elections by the official electoral committee. This, it was claimed, gave him 49.46% of the vote, compared to the 46.61% received by the opposition and pro-Western candidate, Viktor Yushchenko. He refused to recognise the official result and claimed the elections were rigged. In a symbolic act of defiance, Yushchenko was sworn in as the new president by his own parliamentary deputies, last Monday. Read more here.

Ulster Unionist Party
Splits in the UUP - effect on Northern politics. An article in the July 2003 issue of Socialist Voice.

Ulster Workers Council strike, 1974
UWC strike - Trade Union Defence Force only answer to crisis Militant, 24th May 1974
After the UWC End Sectarianism: Trade Unions Must Lead
Militant Irish Monthly, June 1974, No. 25.
Added June 9th - Militant International Review No. 9, June 1974. Northern Ireland - the crisis deepens - Postscript on the UWC strike 10th June 1974.
UWC stoppage – interview with Derry shop steward
Statement by Derry Labour and Trade Union party DURING the strike

USA
Editorial: US economy , carried in The Socialist, No. 20, October 2006
US: Historic protests in the Socialist, May 2006
US: Immigrant protests in the Socialist, April 2006
US – Hurricane Katrina - From the Sept. 2005 edition of the Socialist
Bush's election "triumph" - Has America moved to the right? STUNNED DISBELIEF and astonishment probably best described the feelings of tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of millions of people across the world when George W Bush was re-elected. However Bush's second term in office will be dogged by the crisis in the US economy and the ocupation of Iraq says Matt Waine from the Nov. 2004 edition, The Socialist

Other statements on the election result

Socialist Alternative Statement on the 2004 Nader Campaign Added here Nov. 14th
By Ty Moore, Students for Nader Coordinator, University of Minnesota

The electoral defeat of Kerry and the Democratic Party underlines, more than anything else, how right Ralph Nader was to challenge the two-party system. Read more here...

US ELECTION: Bush v Kerry - a battle between warmongers Article in the October 2004 edition, Socialist Voice
AS THE battle for the American Presidency approaches, it seems likely that we will again see a very close race to the finish between the two main candidates. As "Anybody But Bush" syndrome runs rife through whole sections of American society, many are rubbing their hands at the thought of removing the current corporate warmonger from office. But does Kerry provide a genuine alternative to the policies of the last four years? By Daniel Waldron
John Kerry - "Bush-Lite" Article in the October 2004 edition, Socialist Voice
WITH SUCH a popular mood of hatred for George Bush and his administration, you might expect that his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, would have no problem in trouncing him in the upcoming elections. However, his conservative, militaristic image is barely distinguishable from that of Bush, so voters haven't got much to whip up their enthusiasm. By Daniel Waldron
US Presidential race heats up by Tom Crean, Spring 2004 Socialist View
Obituary - Ronald Reagan, hero of the right Ronald Reagan, the B-movie actor who became the 40th president of the USA (1981-88) has died aged 93. Wall Street will stay closed for Reagan‘s state funeral, a salute to the godfather of today‘s stock market bubble. Read more here.......

US imperialism's bullying and bribery April 2003
US - CWI
It's Time to Break from the Two-Party System! Statement by Socialist Alternative, US section of the CWI, February 25, 2004
The moment Ralph Nader announced his run for president, the entire political establishment unleashed a torrent of abuse and condemnation. Nader's campaign has inspired a broad coalition opposing it, uniting in message and purpose the editors of The Nation magazine with the Wall Street Journal, the liberal intelligentsia with the strategists of Corporate America.Read more here...

Bush leads US to war & recession – by Tom Crean and Alan Jones in America. Socialist Voice, Nov. 2002
Stop this War Editorial from the November 2001 edition of Socialist Alternative, the newspaper of the American members of the CWI.
The Three Fronts of Bush’s War (and how to fight on all of them) A document by the Executive of Socialist Alternative, the US section of the CWI. 15th October 2001.
End the cycle of terrorism! End the cycle of terrorism! No war, racism and scapegoating! Statement of Socialist Alternative on the September 11 terrorist attacks
World Trade Center and Pentagon Attacks The Political and Economic Aftershocks, A Socialist Analysis
Eyewitness Comments from New York

USI
Build national campaign against fees – Paul Murphy Socialist Voice, Nov. 2002

United Nations
United Nations: Fig Leaf for US War Socialist Voice supplement, March 1st 2003 Ciaran Mulholland

Venezuela
Venezuela: FOCUSIN in the Socialist, June 2006
Venezuela at a crossroads - Once more the opposition resorts to economic sabotage
Karl Debbaut, cwi Read the rest of the article here.
Venezuelan Diary - Successful cwi intervention at the world youth festival
Sonja Grusch, Socialist Left Party, Austria
Thousands of youth from all over the world will gather under this year’s theme “for peace and solidarity - we will fight against imperialism and war” But that is not the only reason why Venezuela is a place to be at the moment. Read the rest of her diary here.

A new phase in the struggle - nationalisations and a renewed threat of counter revolution.
Tony Saunois, secretary of the cwi, 4th Feb. 2005

The threat of counter revolution has once again raised its head in Venezuela as the struggle between revolution and reaction seems to be entering a new phase.

Following Bush’s re-election US imperialism has again adopted a more aggressive attitude, mainly verbal, towards the government of Hugo Chávez.

As we have consistently warned the forces of counter revolution will attempt new adventures until they succeed in removing Chávez from power and defeat the mass movement unless the working class is able to take the necessary steps to overthrow capitalism and establish a workers’ democracy. Read more here....

Chavez speaks to twenty-five thousand
From four hours before young people in their thousands streamed towards the Gigantinho ("Little Giant") stadium in the sweltering Summer heat.

Kevin Simpson, cwi, Sao Paulo, 3 February 2005.

The queue snakes as far as the eye can see, its progress designed to take advantage of any shade that exists along the way - under trees, shop awnings, and doorways. And as time progresses, the expectation rises perceptibly. For these thousands have come to see Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, speak of the rebellion against neo-liberalism and US imperialism. Unlike the Lula meeting earlier in the week where PT supporters were bussed in, all expenses paid, all those here come of their own volition and are youth. Read more here.

Populism, revolution and counter-revolution
The following article is an English version of an introduction to the Urdu language version of the pamphlet Socialists and the Venezuelan Revolution, written by Tony Saunois.

This introduction covers important issues for socialists internationally raising the general approach revolutionaries should take towards populist regimes which come to power in the neo-colonial world and using the example of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's administration in Pakistan to illustrate these points. Added to SP site, 26th Jan 2005

Socialists and the Venezuelan Revolution, by Tony Saunois, is very relevant to the struggles of the workers and peasants in the neo-colonial world as a whole, but is of special significance for Pakistan.

Peter Taafe, General Secretary, Socialist Party in England/Wales with Khalid Bhatti, Socialist Movement, Pakistan. Read more here.

Venezuela Right-wing referendum defeat
This article is from the Sept. 2004 edition, Socialist Voice
FIFTY-EIGHT percent of Venezuelans have voted against the recall of President Chavez in a referendum that was demanded by the right-wing parties and their supporters. Despite the opposition claims of electoral fraud, this result is a clear victory for the reforming government led by Hugo Chavez.
By Paul Murphy
Interview with Venezuelan revolutionary socialist
This article is from the Sept. 2004 edition, Socialist Voice
Yasmin, a leading member of the Venezuelan revolutionary socialist organisation Utopia attended the CWI summer school in Belgium and spoke to the Socialist Voice.

Revolutionary Socialists and the Venezuelan revolution

The revolutionary crisis in Venezuela has entered a new and critical phase. The left-populist regime of President Hugo Chávez appears to have taken a left turn in the face of a renewed threat from reaction.

Tony Saunois, CWI, 21 June 2004

On two occasions, an attempted coup in April 2002 and during an employers’ lockout between December 2002 and January 2003, the working class and poor, through their own spontaneous mass movements from below, defeated these attempts at reaction. These reactionary attacks on the regime have now been followed by others. Firstly, a plot was exposed involving over 100 members of right-wing death squads from Colombia. This force entered Venezuela in collusion with sections of the ruling class in Caracas and was part of a plot to destabilise the Chávez regime and assassinate him. It was this threat that provoked a turn to the left by Chávez. As we have explained in 'Venezuela - a new phase in the revolution' (24 May 2004) Chávez for the first time directly attacked capitalism and raised the issue of arming the population.
Read the rest of this important, extensive document....

Venezuela: A new phase in the revolution
Right wing plotters threat - CWI Statement - May 24th 2004

Bosses 'Strike' to Oust Chavez by Michael O'Brien Socialist Voice, Jan. 2003
Venezuela: What has happened to the ‘Bolivarian revolution’?
Tony Saunois Socialism Today, No. 64, April 2002

Vietnam
Empire defeated New book by Peter Taaffe, reviewed by Ashling Golden in Spring 2004 Socialist View
“One, two three….what are we fighting for?” Lessons of the anti-Vietnam War Movement. By Ciaran Mullholland. This is the original version, it's a bit longer than the printed one, available in print.
Empire Defeated: A new book written by Peter Taaffe.
He is a long-standing leader of the Committee for a Workers International. This book will be of great interest to all those involved in the protests against the invasion of Iraq.
The book costs £6 and is available; post free, from the Belfast SP offices. Cheques payable to the Socialist Party.

Update, July 2004

Vietnam war - the lessons for today. Now online. Peter Taaffe, first published February 2004. We would still encourage all our readers to buy the prointed version, it's a great, educational read. Copies are available from the SP offices in Belfast and Dublin.
In an extract from his new book, Empire Defeated, PETER TAAFFE compares Wilson’s balancing act on Vietnam with the Blair government’s policy on Iraq. Read more here....

Rambo – a Reagan fantasy Pat Smyth, Militant Irish Monthly October 1985
“I’ve always thought,” Rambo tells us in his first remotely intelligent remark half way through the film, “that the mind is the best weapon.” How then could they send a man to totally defenceless to do battle with the entire Vietnamese nation and most of the Russian army thrown in for good measure? Read on