IV449 - June 2012

IV 449 June 2012

"Everyone" - because in Europe many people still believe that this continent is the centre of the world – is talking about the elections on June 17, 2012 in Greece: the "cradle of democracy", according to a history that is partly fable. The possible results of the election interest not only the "Right" and the "Left" – including the PCF (French Communist Party), put back in the saddle of a tottering horse by the Left Front sponsored by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who are all "friends" of Alexis Tsipras, the leader of SYRIZA - but also the political institutions of the European Union (EU), the bankers and their "bailed-out" banks, the speculators in the currency market. And, of course, those who make a living from forecasts that are uncertain, but lucrative, of an economic conjuncture which makes the front pages of the daily press: Roubini and Co.

Ecofeminism developed in the 1980’s in the context of a growing green movement and of large anti-war and anti-nuclear missiles mobilisations. The ‘worldview’ of ecofeminists resonates today with the fights of indigenous people and of farmers organisations such as La Via Campesina.

Chris Williams is a longtime environmental activist and author of Ecology and Socialism: Solutions to Capitalist Ecological Crisis (Haymarket Books, 2010). He is professor of physics and chemistry at Pace University and chair of the science department at Packer Collegiate Institute and is a regular contributor to the International Socialist Review. Alternative Radio’s David Baramian interviewed Williams in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on March 20, 2012, after giving a presentation that Barsamian described as “stunning.” Williams’ talk and his conversation with Barsamian can be viewed at www.lannan.org

Labour Party Pakistan statement on the present situation

In less than one week, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in Egypt has emptied the final result of the first “free” presidential elections in the country’s history of any real meaning, reminding everyone that it held the reins of power in the country and did not intend to let go.

Symbols and myths are important elements in forging political affiliations and national identities. In 2000, the Northern Ireland Assembly witnessed a heated debate that a layman would have perceived as strange or rather ludicrous. The central issue was whether Easter lilies should have the same symbolic treatment and standing as poppies. How could flowers be the locus of a momentous political debate, a bone of contention among serious politicians? Yet, whoever knows the history of Ireland would know what these two flowers stand for. In fact, they are closely connected to the Irish struggle against Great Britain. Republican and nationalist movements used Easter lilies as political symbols to recall the memory of those who gave their life for the nationalist cause. On the other end of the spectrum, the Unionists and the Royalists use the poppy, sold by the Royal British Legion, to celebrate the fallen soldiers who defended the United Kingdom

0n 28 December 2011, the jet forces of Turkish Army killed 37 Turkish citizen Kurdish people - most of whom were children - residents of Uludere village at the border of Northern Iraq.

In North America, gaining Indigenous autonomy from the colonial powers of the United States (US) and Canada has involved efforts at state-formation, that is, tribal governance. For decades, Indigenous activists and organizers in North America have worked tirelessly to assert the validity of treaties and establish the sovereignty of tribal nations. These nations seek to gain control over their social and political institutions without compromising what they consider unique and essential cultural markers.

“It is not on fear but on hope that we base our future.” It was with these words that Alexis Tsipras reacted to the electoral defeat of Syriza, the coalition of the radical left which he leads. For, beyond the right’s victory, nothing is resolved for the Greek people, and nor will anything be easy for the parties called upon to govern in the context of a cabinet of national unity. Also, paradoxically, Syriza’s defeat seems to be a factor not of demoralisation, but rather of hope. This interview with Dimitris Hilaris of OKDE-Spartakos was conducted by Paolo Gilardi.