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The red hurricane sweeps Venezuela

Following Venezuelan President Hugo Chavezs call to not leave the streets for one single day of the campaign to approve the proposed constitutional reforms in a referendum on December 2 that would significantly deepen Venezuelas transformation towards socialism, the Yes campaign has kicked into gear.

Elections, corporate media and anti-union consensus

During the federal election campaign, the corporate media has transmitted an implicit condemnation of trade unionism and an implicit endorsement of the neo-liberal ideas promoted by organisations like the H.R. Nicholls Society. Ignoring the Liberal Party’s well-established links to these extremist anti-union forces, the media has instead decided to emphasise Labor’s union connections. This selectivity is yet another example of the corporate propaganda filter through which news passes to reach the public.

Iraq: Fallujah remains a 'virtual police state'

This month marks the third anniversary of the massive US military assault on the rebel Iraqi city of Fallujah, 55 kilometres west of Baghdad. A year after the US assault, the New York Times described Fallujah as virtually a police state. Little has changed in the two years since. The October 14 Chicago Tribune described Fallujah as a place under 24-hour lockdown, surrounded by berms and barbed wire.

Support for the Socialist Alliance's election campaign

Rob Stary: Vote for a party that 'has principle as its guiding light' If people want to explore a true and genuine alternative party that represents the interests of labour, then Socialist Alliance is always going to be a good party that should be

91��̳ Weekly's $250,000 Fighting Fund: Why 91��̳ Weekly supports the Socialist Alliance

Come Saturday night, most political parties in Australia will be winding up their public campaigning until the next elections. The rank-and-file members who did their stint of letterboxing and polling booth duty will mostly retreat into inactivity, leaving “politics” once again to the professional politicians. No wonder so many people are cynical about politics — in their experience, it’s about politicians doing it by themselves and largely for themselves.

Georgia: Opposition leaders charged with 'espionage'

On November 9, two days after Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Soviet republic of Georgias pro-US president, ordered riot police to club and tear-gas anti-government protesters in the capital Tbilisi, Georgian officials issued arrest warrants for two opposition leaders on charges of espionage. Hospitals reported that nearly 600 protesters sought medical treatment after the police assault.

After Walk Against Warming: where next for the movement?

November 11s national Walk Against Warming was an important initiative for the climate change movement. It was smaller than the 100,000 people organisers had hoped for, but the fact that tens of thousands joined the biggest political demonstration of the election period confirms the opinion poll findings that climate change is a grave concern for large numbers of people.

Letters to the Editor

Palestine For a self-proclaimed committed leftist, Philip Mendes (Write On, GLW#730) displays a remarkable right-wing capacity for slander and muddying the waters of debate. Presumably, the leftist Mendes does not supported the Frech colonialists

History of the Comintern: Uniting forces for a revolutionary party

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. In the years following the revolution, its leaders initiated the formation of the Communist (Third) International (Comintern), an international grouping of communist parties. In Venezuela, the leadership of the countrys unfolding socialist revolution have issued a call for a new international of Latin American left parties. In this article, part of a series on the early years of the Comintern, John Riddell looks at the role of the International in developing revolutionary workers parties.

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