Friday, September 25, 2015

Hope for a Left Revival?

Full post available here:

http://zzs-blg.blogspot.ie/2015/09/hope-for-left-revival.html

To any sober observer, capitalism is in the throes of a deep, profound, multi-faceted crisis. The celebration of fifteen years ago was a hollow and unwarranted declaration of the unstoppable success of capitalism. War, deprivation, and uncertainty are the legacy of those hailing that moment. Few alive today know a time when the future looked so unsure.

Read on at http://zzs-blg.blogspot.ie/2015/09/hope-for-left-revival.html

Sunday, September 6, 2015

EXODUS OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES

GERMANY’S NEW REFUGEE POLICY IS TARGETTING IN PARTICULAR TEACHERS, CHEMISTS, ENGINEERS AND DOCTORS

GERMAN LEFT-WING DAILY, JUNGE WELT, REPORTS FROM SYRIA

Everyday, buses with emigrants are leaving the Syrian capital Damascus. A ticket can be got from any travel agency. Depending on the destination the cost will be between $300 and $400. The cheaper option is to travel across the border to the Lebanese port city of Tripoli, from there one can connect with a ferry to the western Turkish Izmir. Pay a little more and one can also take a flight from Beirut Airport to Istanbul.

From Turkey, the route continues across the sea to Greece, some refugees make two, three or four attempts to reach a Greek island by boat. The refugees perform this task themselves. The boat is skippered by one of their number, who in return does not have to pay for the dangerous voyage.

For such a journey it can cost up to €10,000. The money for this voyage the refugees get either from their families or by selling property. It is mainly the middle class who can afford it. The new refugee policy of Germany attracts mainly teachers, pharmacists, engineers and physicians from Syria.  Magically nationwide courses in German are all the rage. In the past few years many have tried unsuccessfully to get a visa from the German embassy in Beirut. Now they are embarking on the dangerous and expensive escape route.

There is a rumour circulating in Instabul and even in Baghdad that the German government is planning to send ships to the coast of Turkey to accommodate the refugees and bring them to Germany, in order to avoid any more tragic images of dead children on the Mediterranean coast.

The misery being endured by the Syrian poor and Palestinian refugees from Syria remains very much in the background of the media coverage. More than 150,000 Syrian Palestinians now share their cramped living quarters with relatives and friends in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Living conditions are catastrophic in the mafia controlled Zaatari camp in northern Jordan and even more so in the Jordanian cities.  The situation is so disastrous that more than 120,000 people have returned from there to Syria. In July alone, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) registered more than 1,300 Syrian returnees. The people return to Syria due to the lack of security and the complete hopelessness of finding work in Jordan. In addition, back in Syria the children are able to return to school.

Meanwhile, the fighting continues on many fronts in Syria. Neither side has made any breakthroughs. The Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen reported this week that two villages in the northern Syrian province of Idlib have literally been colonised by Turkish Uyghur units, who are defending them. Back in 2013 it was reported that Chinese Uyghur came to Syria via Turkey and joined the Jihadi Al-Nusra Front and later the "Islamic State" (IS). Through this colonisation policy, Turkey is obviously trying to bring parts of northern Syria under its influence. Earlier this year the Idlib province was attacked by the "Army of Conquest" militia, which is financed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

On Thursday allegations were made that IS-combat forces had repeatedly used poison gas again in northern Syria. A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said reports from various sources had been received and the UN Security Council would have to take “appropriate action” to deal with this danger.


Meanwhile in Damascus, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and reaffirmed his country’s political, economic and military support for its war-torn neighbour. In particular, they would cooperate in the fight against terrorism. Syria is a sovereign state and has the right to decide "its own future". At a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad Abdollahian stressed that both Iran and Russia were united in their view the Syrian president must play a central role in any political resolution of the conflict. An Iranian peace plan was being discussed with Damascus. Tehran is seeking the United Nations involvement in making the following proposals a reality: ceasefire, national unity government, constitutional changes, parliamentary elections  In Beirut Abdollahian had already spoken with the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and the Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Large CPI gathering at r2w demo


Éilíonn na mílte ceart ar uisce

Ghlac na mílte ceard­chumannai, baill d’eagraíochtaí pobail agus daoine eile páirt i léirsiú oll­mhór i mBaile Átha Cliath Dé Sathairn 29 Lúnasa le cur in aghaidh bheartas an rialtais táillí uisce a thabhart isteach mar réamh­ullmhúchán do phríobháidiú na hacmhainne poiblí seo.

Thousands demand the right to water

Tens of thousands of trade unionists, members of community organi­sations and others took part in a massive demon­stration in Dublin on Saturday 29 August to oppose the govern­ment’s plan to intro­duce charges for water as a prelimi­nary to the privati­sation of this public resource.

Forward # 19 out now


Issue 19 of the CYM's Forward Magazine out now and available online at:

http://issuu.com/connollyyouthmovement/docs/forward_issue_19_pdf

Forward is brought to you by the Connolly Youth Movement, an Ireland based youth organisation committed to fighting for democracy, freedom and unity in this country. The CYM takes part in the struggle to build socialism in Ireland and everywhere around the globe.

www.cym.ie