Fascism and Racism

Cable Street 1936: An historic stand remembered

Details: Tuesday, 04 October 2011; Written by Sam Ashton

The 4th October marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, a momentous event in which the working people of London united to deliver a decisive blow against the menace of British fascism. In this article, Sam Ashton commemorates the brave stand of those workers who fought the Mosleyite thugs, while drawing important lessons for today's struggles against the English Defence League and BNP.

Which Way for Blacks in the US - Black Nationalism or Socialist Revolution?

Details: Wednesday, 17 December 2008; Written by Rob Sewell

The United States is the richest and most powerful country on the planet. Yet despite this, the poison of racism remains an integral part of America. Blacks, together with the other racial minorities, remain the most exploited section of society, mostly employed in the lowest-paid and menial jobs. Racism remains an everyday part of their desperate existence. Today, despite all the "reforms" of the last thirty-odd years, blacks continue to suffer from lynchings and violence at the hands of the state, racist organisations and individuals, as well as being forced to live under conditions of mass poverty and oppression. The recent gruesome murder of a black man in Texas who was dragged to death behind a truck is a vivid reminder of American racism. Black youth are faced with daily harassment and intimidation by the police.

Trotsky and the Struggle Against Fascism

Details: Wednesday, 17 December 2008; Written by Fred Weston

Leon Trotsky spent the last decade of his life in a struggle to keep alive the genuine method of Marxism in all fields. While on all sides Marxism was being distorted and misused both by the Stalinists and the Social Democracy to justify their own betrayal of the working class movement, Trotsky consistently put forward a revolutionary position on all problems facing the workers. One of the immediate dangers facing the international working class was the rise of fascism and therefore this new phenomenon clearly needed to be understood.

How Capitalism Failed African Americans

Details: Wednesday, 17 December 2008; Written by Alan Woods

The Second American Revolution [The U.S. Civil War] was a tremendous step forward, but it never realized its promise to Black Americans. The real winners in the Civil War were the Northern capitalists who opened up new markets and obtained a huge new supply of dirt-cheap labor. Nearly a century and a half after the abolition of slavery in the U.S.A., we are very far from achieving genuine equality for all, regardless of race, color or sex. Despite a number of advances achieved through the struggles of black people in the 1960s, the position of black Americans remains one of clear disadvantage. Originally published in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

Horror of Britain's Immigration Controls

Details: Wednesday, 17 December 2008; Written by Heiko Khoo

The horrific deaths of 58 Chinese migrants found in Dover, revealed to the world the monstrous effects of Britain's immigration regime. By making it virtually impossible for refugees and migrants to enter this country legally, many thousands every year seek to come here illegally. Jack Straw was quick to place the blame on Chinese smuggling gangs called the Snake Head. Thinking people can see through this.

Does Obama’s Victory Mean the End of Racism in America?

Details: Tuesday, 16 December 2008; Written by Josh Lucker, USA

An overwhelming 95 percent of black voters cast their ballots for Barack Obama. The scenes on the streets in Chicago and around the country were full of jubilation, as many working people, both Black and white, fervently believe that change is now on the horizon.

Many commentators from the mainstream media share this exuberance, and have even compared Obama to Moses. Spike Lee, the famous director of such films as Do the Right Thing, Bamboozled, Malcolm X, and others, has gone so far as to say that America has moved beyond race...Has the U.S. truly moved beyond racism? We don’t think so.

Race and Class: No lie can live forever

Details: Friday, 04 April 2008; Written by Ben Peck

Today marks 40 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shot in the face on the 2nd floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was imprisoned for the assassination, though never granted a trial for his murder. Given the US government's targeting of radicalised black leaders at this time, whoever pulled the trigger did the state's dirty work for them. The King family never accepted Ray was responsible.