Cairo Conference - John Rees summing up

These videos are published for information and does not imply that Democracy and Class Struggle supports the political line of this Cairo Conference..

The views of comrade Samir Amin on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Mubarak Regime which are different from the Cairo Conference are on Democracy and Class Struggle Television here:
http://www.livestream.com/democracyandclassstruggle?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-content&utm_campaign=democracyandclassstruggle&utm_content=democracyandclassstruggle

Richard Falk on Golan Clashes

NAPM - Government's attack on anti - corruption protestors at Delhi undemocratic

June 5, 2011

The National Alliance of People’s Movements condemns the sudden and unwarranted police attack on protestors, who were peacefully assembled at the Ramlila Maidan Ground, in support of Baba Ramdev, seeking stringent measures to combat the vice of corruption in the nation. We do understand that there are and would be differences between the approaches and ideologies of various groups, striving to achieve a corruption-free State and society.

However, we equally condemn the Government’s undemocratic manner of dealing with the peaceful agitation of the people.

People in a democracy have a right to assemble and protest peacefully and when a large gathering had reached the national capital, only with a social cause, the Government should have continued its position of engaging with the agitation through a conclusive and meaningful dialogue, instead of employing such devious ways of ‘dispersing the crowd’.

We, at NAPM, have always taken the position that the struggle against corruption must be linked with wider struggles against corporatization, communalism, capitalism, criminality, consumerism in order to be sustainable and equitable. The campaign led by Baba Ramdev is certainly questionable on some of these fronts.

All the same, there is today a national atmosphere against corruption, loot of natural and human resources and injustices inflicted on millions of ordinary people, which the powers-that-be must address if the national anger and anguish is to not spiral out of its control, which is already happening in many districts.

Medha Patkar, Madhuresh Kumar, Shrikanth

Arundhati Roy on The BBC on the Broken Republic of India - Arundhati Roy will also speak at Friends House- London on 12th June 2011

Arundhati Roy - Jan Myrdal - Basanta Indra Mohan speak in London on 12th June 2011

Please join us for a public meeting and an audience with celebrated authors who will discuss their recent experiences in India with a special focus on the raging war against the poorest of the poor, the tribal people living in the heartland of India.

Arundhati Roy
From India and the author of recently published books
“Walking with the Comrades” and “Broken Republic”

Jan Myrdal
From Sweden and the author of
“Red Star Over India”

Basanta Indra Mohan
From Nepal and the author of
“Imperialism and Proletarian Revolution 21st Century”

Harbhajan Cheema
General Secretary of East India Defence Committee (Canada

Program includes
Presentations by the speakers, film and Q&A sessionn

Sunday, June 12, 2011
1:30 pm till 5:00 pm

Place:
Friends House, Main Hall,
173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Hosted by

President Saleh leaves Yemen for Saudi Arabia for treatment

9/11 and Who Rules Saudi Arabia

June 30th - Generalise the Day of Action

30th June 2011 may well turn out to be the most important step forward in a mass fight
against public sector cuts. Hundreds of thousands of workers could be involved in strike
action, from as many as four or five different unions including NUT, PCS, UCU
and ATL.

Often strike action can be ignored by those in power but also the vast majority of workers
not in unions or directly effected by the issues. Therefore we, rank & file union members
students, precarious workers & unemployed are calling for a mass show of solidarity for
those taking strike action and to generalise the strike on June 30th.

From early morning pickets, direct actions, occupations & demonstration whatever you're into
 - lets all do it on June 30th and amplify the resistance to austerity and this call for  action is  going out to activist direct action groups, local anti cuts groups,radical [political group
radical unions and student university occupations.

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100787720014939


Upcoming J30 Strike Assemblies across the country.

** Birmingham **

j30 Strike Assembly // 3pm 11th Saturday June
Meet Guild of Students Reception (University of Birmingham)
Come to the action planing meeting - bring ideas, friends, creativity :)

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117940408290663

** Leeds **

j30 Strike Assembly // 6pm 6th Monday June
Room 263, The Rosebowl, Leeds Met.
A call to all those in Leeds interested in resisting austerity cuts and beyond.

First meeting to discuss June 30th strikes.

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151694614900989

** London **

j30 Strike Assembly // 7pm 6th Monday June
7pm Monday June 6th ( Bloomsbury Venue TBC )

Following on from the call for an open assembly to discuss, propose and
organise for the first round of co-ordinated strike actions on June 30th, over
100 people turned up and squeezed into the Marchmont Centre in Bloomsbury on
Monday 23rd May. Come to the next mass assembly. Everyone invited.
Bring ideas for actions!
Read the report here: http://london.indymedia.org/articles/9136

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101026063323724

There are also meetings being organised in Newcastle, Oxford & Surrey. Dates to
be announced.

If you want to link up with others in your area to help organise solidarity for
morning pickets on June 30th then email: june30action@gmail.com

Follow @j30Strike on Twitter / Email: june30action@gmail.com
/ Announcement e-list: j30strikeassembly-updates-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

Interview with David Harvey at Marx Memorial Library

Defend the NHS from Revolutionary Praxis

In Britain we have one of the most effective and cost efficient systems of public health care in the world - the National Health Service.  Yet for many years our health service has been under attack by politicians and capitalists who want to put profits before patients.

CREEPING PRIVATISATION

Privatisation of the NHS began in the 1980’s under Conservative Governments led by Margaret Thatcher.  Hospitals and clinics were forced to contract out services such as cleaning and catering to private companies.  The pay and conditions of the cleaners and caterers deteriorated while contractors made fat profits.  Another step towards privatisation was the introduction by Health Minister Kenneth Clarke of “internal” markets whereby hospitals were forced to “compete” with each other to provide the cheapest treatments for patients.

From 1997 onwards Labour Governments continued with the drive to open up the NHS to capitalist profit-making.  In 2000 Health Minister Alan Milburn’s NHS Plan aimed:

·                     To open up the NHS to private medical companies by contracting with them to carry out routine surgery and treatments.

·                     To force hospital Foundation Trusts to aim to make profits just the same as private businesses.

·                     To start removing staff from direct employment by the NHS with the aim of worsening their pay and conditions

Now, carrying on where Labour left off, the Tory/LibDem Coalition Government is trying to bring in a Health and Social Care Act to finish off hijacking the NHS for capitalist profit-making.  Health Minister Andrew Lansley’s bill wants to:

Cut £20 billion off NHS spending by 2014.
                    
Force GP doctors to spend 80% of the total NHS budget to commission medical treatments, many of them from private medical companies.
                   
Limit the amount of treatment provided by the NHS so that people are forced to take out private medical insurance.

PATIENTS, NOT PROFITS!   KILL THE BILL!

The so-called NHS reforms are nothing to do with providing us with a cheaper, better standard of health care.  The real aim is to open up massive new opportunities for capitalists businesses to make enormous profits as happens in the USA.   There twice as much per head is spent on health care per person to provide an inferior service to that of Britain.

Politicians of all the main parties do not strive to ensure the welfare of ordinary people.  Rather they serve the financial interests of the minority capitalist ruling class

, as has been shown by the handling of the financial crisis.

Only the most militant fightback against the Government and politicians will defeat this rotten attack on our health service.

Nepal: A New Step Needed

by Rishi Raj Baral

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ again violated the party’s decision. The 5–point deal was not the party’s official decision.

Those who have keen interest in the current activities of United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist ), are not unaware of the two line struggle running within the party. It is known to all that since three years a massive two line struggle is going on between the top leaders. After passing the document of Prachanda, centered on ‘peace and constitution’ the political and ideological polarisation within the party has changed. Now Dahal and Bhattarai are in the same boat and they are rowing the boat down to the southern pole.

Recently, in an interview given to a daily news paper (it is also posted in thenextfront.com) Kiran expressed the view that Prachanda as declined to lead the struggle, has deviated from the revolutionary line and is betraying the revolution. But in that interview, there are some controversial issues too. In one place, he expresses the betrayal of revolution by Prachanda and in another place, he expresses his faith on Prachanda' leadership.

As he says: I think Dahal has to be at the frontline to complete the revolution. It has created a lot of confusion. It needs clarification and justification.

It has been proved that as a party leader Prachanda has totally failed and the relevance of his leadership has ended. In my opinion, there is no any possibility of revolution in the leadership of Prachanda Comrade Kiran must be clear in this issue.

It is true that Comrade Kiran has registered note of dissent one after another. Recently, he has expressed his dissatisfaction on the ’five–point’ deal. In his opinion , displacement of seven–point deal is not the correct way to solve the problems. In fact, the 5–point agreement was against the party’s institutional decision. We all know party’s official decision is to convert the current Khanal-led government into a national consensus government, not to make it to step down.

But only to register the note of dissent is not enough. It is just a process of showing the difference of opinions. The main thing is the plan, policy and program to march. Prachanda has come out in his real face, every thing is clear. Not mere words, but a new step is needed in practice and action by the revolutionary camp.

Frankly, I would like to say that to some extent, Comrade Kiran also is answerable for the growth of centrist trend and its liquidation on rightist camp. We were not ready and it was not the mandate of Kharipati meeting for the party unity with NCP( Unity Center Masal).

There were many ideological issues to be solved. But without solving the vital and grave ideological issues it was done hastily. And we all know Comrade Kiran was the convener of ‘Committee of party unification’. We had already Maoism and we were not ready to accept the tag of ‘Mao–Thought’. But it was also accepted.

In Palungtar extended meeting, vast majority of delegates expressed to take out the tag ’Mao–Thought’ from the party’s name. But it was not implemented. Its main reason was to compromise with centrist tendencies in the name of party unity. Advancement of Prachanda as a centrist is not the matter of one day or one month, behind it there are some lapses and compromising attitudes of some leaders of the revolutionary camp.

Conscious effort, strong will–power and bold decision– these are the requirements of current situation. I have nothing to say about Bhattarai, he is the leading figure of revisionist line within Maoist party, home the Indian ruling class prefers to have in power.

Now it is crystal clear that Prachanda wants to destroy all the achievements gained during the People’s War. He always discards the cadres and legacy of People’s war. Now we have nothing in hand all those achievements which we have gained during the ten years People’s War. But we have, we have Marxism–Leninism and Maoism. We have a vast majority of party members and grass root activists.

We have people, who want revolution and national independence. To think ‘Dahal has to be at the frontline to complete the revolution’, reflects the lack of self confidence to lead the revolution.

Prachanda ? Now he is no more the leader of our mind and heart, he has turned into a leader of a small group of notorious persons. Prachanda again violated the official decision . The gist of ‘five point deal’ is not hidden. What will happen after three months, is clear to all. Without disarming and dissolving the PLA there will be no ‘national consensus.’ It means to betray the revolution and misguide the Nepalese people.

Now we have only two choices: National Surrender in the name of ‘peace and constitution’ or preparation for the revolution from the new sphere. To be in crossroads or to say ‘wait and see ‘ means to destroy our selves. Then we must have a clear vision to march. Now the time has come to make a new and dynamic decision. Compromise, compromise and compromise means exercising a new type of centrist attitudes. For the safeguard of MLM and to launch the revolution ahead, now the time has come to make bold decision. It is time to make a great leap forward from the world of necessity to the world of freedom.