International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

Population growth is a feminist issue

Sheila Malone — 2009-11-30T16:53:26Z

World population has grown from 2.5bn in 1950 to 6.8bn in 2007. By 2050 it is predicted to reach 9.2bn, and then stabilise (UN figures). This estimate assumes rates in many countries in the North will continue to decrease, and that the South will gradually follow suit.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Ecology and the Environment, Women

Notes on the international situation

François Sabado — 2009-11-30T16:27:00Z

This report was presented to the Executive Bureau of the Fourth International for discussion at its session of October 17, 2009, with a view to debate at the 16th World Congress of the Fourth International. .

- IV418 - November 2009 / Fourth International, 16th World Congress - 2010

Climate change and our tasks

Daniel Tanuro — 2009-11-30T16:12:00Z

The climate change that is underway is not the product of human activity in general but is mainly due to the fact that the capitalist system, guided by considerations of short-term profit and superprofit, has based and continues to base its development not only on the exploitation of labour power but also on the plundering of natural resources, in particular finite and non-renewable reserves of cheap fossil fuels.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Ecology and the Environment, Fourth International, 16th World Congress - 2010

What's Behind the Left Bloc's Success?

Ralph Blake — 2009-11-30T00:17:28Z

Raphie de Santos a supporter of the Fourth International, whose mother escaped to Portugal in the 1930s from Franco's Spain only to seek refuge in Scotland during the 1950s from Salazar's dictatorship, takes a look at the evolution of Portugal's Left Bloc.

- IV418 - November 2009

Convert the ailing car industry!

Lars Henriksson — 2009-11-30T00:12:18Z

With the economic recession and environmental crisis alternative plans for socially useful, sustainable production have never been more relevant. When the financial shit hit the fan last year the overproduction in the auto industry became visible.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Ecology and the Environment, Economy, Trade unions/workplace organizing

The World Social Forum, a sustainable model?

Pierre Rousset — 2009-11-29T23:57:21Z

After a period of remarkable expansion, the process of the World Social Forum (WSF) has stalled. The balance sheet of the most recent big assemblies turns out to be very contrasting – we can say, simplifying a lot, politically negative in the case of Nairobi (Kenya) in 2007 and positive in the case of Belem (Brazil) two years later.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Social Forum

Chavez calls for Fifth International

François Sabado — 2009-11-26T18:59:51Z

During an international meeting of left parties held in Caracas from 19-21 November, 2009, Hugo Chavez launched a call for a Fifth Socialist International which, according to him, should bring together left parties and social movements. According to the president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the Fifth International must be “an instrument for the unification and the articulation of the struggle of the peoples to save this planet”. In a world political situation marked by a total crisis of the capitalist system, this is a fact important enough to be underlined.

- IV418 - November 2009 / New parties of the left, Future of socialism (Latin American debate), Debate section

West looks on as repression escalates

Fred Leplat — 2009-11-23T14:16:54Z

The vicious offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched by the Sri Lankan army at the start of 2006 ended in May with a brutal defeat for the Tamil national liberation movement. Civilians taking refuge in agreed no-fire zones were bombarded along with the few medical facilities. Between January and May this year, over 30,000 Tamils were killed. The leaders of the LTTE were executed summarily, as well as soldiers taken prisoner.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Sri Lanka

Three main parties agree to savage the working class

Alan Thornett — 2009-11-23T13:58:16Z

The party conference season in Britain this year had a bizarre “Alice in Wonderland” feel about it. The pitch of all three main parties was not the usual one about what they would do for us if they were elected and how good things would be under them. It was the complete reverse. It was about what they will take away from us and just how painful it will be.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Britain

A life in the heart of the struggle

Duncan Chapel, Liam Mac Uaid — 2009-11-09T16:34:05Z

Chris Harman, the editor of International Socialism and a central committee member of the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP), died from a massive heart attack on November 6th. He was 67. We, and others in the Fourth International, join in sending condolences to Chris' family, friends and comrades.

- IV418 - November 2009 / Britain, Obituary