Permanent Revolution

ECP: Stop new laws vs consenting sex!

Bill J — 2008-11-19 17:26:30

As the governments announces new prostitution offences, we ask: who benefits from criminalising sex workers & clients?...English Collective of Prostitutes

Permanent Revolution London – autumn discussion series

Bill J — 2008-11-01 10:03:52

Wednesday 3 December

Climate change or climate disaster?

Members of Permanent Revolution and the Green Left discuss the ever more dramatic threat to the planet and whether “ecosocialism” can provide an answer to the oncoming crisis

Lambeth tenants walk out of ALMO conference

DJ — 2008-11-18 23:28:36

Last Saturday saw tenants and staff protest outside the Town Hall at the undemocratic nature of the new ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation), called Lambeth Living, which now runs Lambeth Council’s housing stock...

Latin American immigrant workers get organised!

Bill J — 2008-11-18 17:00:30

At a packed meeting trade union activists, Latin American solidarity campaigners and immigrant rights organisations came together to discuss how to build solidarity with Latin American workers in Britain who are organising for trade union rights at work. Dave Esterson reports....

Germany: 100,000 school students strike

Bill J — 2008-11-18 16:07:56

100,000 school students across Germany went on strike on Wednesday, November 12. In more than 40 cities there were rallies and demonstrations instead of classes. In many places, university students and teachers expressed solidarity.

LRC conference report

Bill J — 2008-11-16 18:10:57

Over 250 delegates and members attended the Labour Representation Committee’s (LRC) annual conference on 15 November in London, writes Stuart King. It was a larger conference than we have had for sometime, perhaps reflecting a desire to discuss and debate the economic crisis and what it means for socialists.

People B4 Profit - Lewisham Sat 22nd Nov 4pm-6pm

Eleanor Davies — 2008-11-05 11:40:56

People B4 Profit – Lewisham Public Meeting St Mary’s Centre, Ladywell Road, Lewisham SE13 7HU

Britain today is seeing a concerted attack on its social services. Health, education, housing and leisure facilities are seen not as services for people but as a source of private profit. The government and local authorities provide more and more opportunities for private business to skim profits off the public sector. Come to the meeting and join the fight against privatisation! To find out more email: people-before-private-profit@googlegroups.com Download leaflet here.

The Fourth International loses its way after WWII

Bill J — 2008-11-15 16:07:00

A new leadership came out of the 1946 conference of the Fourth International (FI), based in Europe rather than the USA. At the core of the new leadership was the International Secretariat (IS) of seven based in Paris which included Michel Pablo, the International Secretary, Pierre Frank, Ernest Mandel and US Trotskyist Sherry Mangan.

Born in the USA: reflections on Barack Obama's victory

Keith H — 2008-11-10 14:27:27

George Binette ponders the meaning and consequences of Barack Obama's win in last week's US Presidential election...I was born in the United States a little less than 50 years ago. Among my most enduring visual memories comes from the age of three as white cops, faces contorted in hate, unleashed Alsatians and turned fire hoses on black children...

USA: Obamania at the universities

Bill J — 2008-11-08 20:53:25

Scott is an activist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (USA). He spoke with REVOLUTION about the political situation at the universities a few weeks before the elections. We don’t necessarily agree with all his points (for example, the support for Cynthia McKinney), but we think this interview is an important contribution to the debate.

Switzerland: protest against bankers

Bill J — 2008-11-07 16:50:12

Despite the financial crisis, despite the massive drain of deposits and the losses from speculative trading, UBS announced that it would pay millions in bonuses to its cadre. To protest against this, the youth party of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, the JUSO, called for rallies across the country on 29 October in front of the branches of the largest bank in Switzerland

Obama wins: crisis continues

Jon B — 2008-11-05 12:58:35

As US electors were going to the polls last night, economist Keith Harvey was reminding the Cardiff Radical Socialist Forum that the course of the election campaign turned on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the signal that the US banking system was in crisis.

Defend Adrian Swain: ELTA need to add their support

Bill J — 2008-10-26 20:52:45

On Monday 20 October 2008 the National Union of Teachers (NUT) branch of St Paul’s Way Community School discussed an emergency motion to the East London Teachers Association (ELTA) asking them to support Adrian Swain’s campaign against victimisation. (Download petition here)

The credit crisis eases a little; now for the recession

Keith H — 2008-10-16 12:17:13

Some $2tr of global government public money into debt-ridden banks over the last week has eased the credit crunch marginally. Now attention turns to the recession in the major western countries and Japan, says Keith Harvey

PR9 - Now available for download

Bill J — 2008-05-28 18:09:43

There is no shortage of self-reverential looking back to 1968 in the media – the generation of “68-ers” who now run a lot of it have made sure of that. For all that, May 68 continues to traumatise our rulers. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for example, recently fulminated against its “moral and intellectual permissiveness”.

In this issue we neither romanticise nor vilify these events. Rather, in two articles – one on the events in France, the other on the international setting – we examine the forces that took to the streets that year and the legacy it has left us with. Our film review continues the ’68 theme.

In an exclusive interview with a leading Venezuelan trade unionist we unravel the class dynamics of the Bolivarian revolution and present it alongside a series of impressions from a comrade who visited recently.

Will China fall prey to the fall-out from the global credit crunch? We attempt an answer in this issue when we examine what lies behind its rapid economic growth and the left’s confusion on the matter.

Finally we search among the ruins of Labour’s disastrous spring election results and see if we can detect signs of life for the far left.

PR10 out now!

Bill J — 2008-09-15 21:40:51

Our autumn journal not surprisingly deals with the ongoing financial crisis and its implications for the British and world economy. Our lead article looks at Britain, while we interview Costas Lapavitsas on the financial crisis and its implications for Marxist theory. Two reviews continue the analysis, one a polemic with our former comrades in the LFI who dismiss the idea of long waves in capitalism.

A major article looks at the new leadership in Cuba and the direction in which the country is travelling – we think towards the market. Two other articles on Latin America look at the political crisis in Bolivia and developments in Chile under Bachelet.

Other pieces give an impression of the new working class in China and the history of the US working class. Trying to explain why the USA has never built a workers’ party is very relevant in a US election year where the voters again are faced with a choice between two bourgeois parties.

Our Editorial and Feedback sections address the thorny question of “left unity”, following a period of failures to hold together left electoral fronts and parties, in England and Scotland. It does it in the context of reporting on the growing discontent and struggles against Labour’s wage freeze.

If you find our journal stimulating, sympathise with its arguments and ideas, why not get in touch and help us? We are not just a journal but an organisation fighting to change society. Maybe you can too.