Young people are disillusioned with capitalism – not democracy-A prominent study published towards the end of 2020 through Cambridge University made the stark finding that “This is the first generation in living memory to have a global majority who are dissatisfied with the way democracy works while in their twenties and thirties”, receiving significant coverage in parts of Britain’s media.
Turkish students clash with police over state interference in education-Since the new year, Istanbul’s University campuses have become a battleground of violent clashes between students and police. The protests were sparked by President Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of Melih Bulu, an active member of Turkey’s ruling AKP party, as new rector of the prestigious Boğaziçi University by presidential decree.
Richard Leonard resigns as Scottish Labour Leader-Scottish Labour Leader, Richard Leonard, has today (14 January 2021) announced his resignation with immediate effect, making him the tenth leader to try, and fail, to overturn the Party's seemingly terminal decline. Nearly 14 years since the SNP first went into Government, Labour appear devoid of answers as the next election looms.
Communist Party trade unionists to meet at 23 January aggregate-To kick start activities in 2021, the Communist Party is holding an aggregate of members who are also active or intending to become active trade unionists. The event is open to members of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League. The Party's Industrial Organiser Andy Bain is calling for a big turnout by CP trade unionists early in the year, to plan campaigns and struggle, as a real boost to the labour and anti austerity movements.
Poetry Corner: Woman’s Question by Frances Moore-Woman's Question by Frances Moore
A Sheffield teacher and activist in the National Union of Teachers, Frances Moore (1906 - 1994) was married to Bill Moore, who was a fulltime worker for the Communist Party. Although Frances’ busy life left with little time to write in her younger days, later on she produced a substantial body of poetry, some of which was published. The poem featured here raises clearly the need for women’s equality.
Poetry Corner: [To Margot Heinemann] by John Cornford-[To Margot Heinemann] by John Cornford by John Cornford.
John Cornford from a relatively privileged families and attended Cambridge University. It was at Cambridge that he met and fell in love with Margot Heinemann and where they both joined the Communist Party. John’s mother, Frances Crofts Cornford, was a poet, and he himself was already writing poems at school.
After gaining a BA first-class honours in History, he became the first Englishman to enlist against Franco in the Spanish Civil War and was killed in battle on the Andujar and Cordoba Front on 27 or 28 December 1936.
Cornford wrote just a few poems in Spain, including A Letter from Aragon, Full Moon at Tierz: Before The Storming of Huesca and the poem featured here [To Margot Heinemann].
Poetry Corner: Call to Account! by Vladimir Mayakovsky-Call to Account! by Vladimir Mayakovsky, 1917.
Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and came to be one of the most celebrated communist poets in the Soviet Union and internationally. He was also a talented playwright, artist and actor who used art as a medium to convey the politics and ideals of the new socialist state.
The Capitol riots are not a new milestone in fascism-Maryam Pashali analyses the historic trends behind the storming of the US Capitol and argues that labels of 'fascism' provide an easy scapegoat for the leading capitalist 'democracy' and its centuries of fostering white supremacy.
The Capitol riot: 20 terrible takes!-Social media is indispensable when following a debacle like Trump’s deranged protest in real time: it can help you get an idea of things before the media does, and sometimes see stuff the media misses. But it comes a cost barely worth paying: reading people’s often nonsensical takes. Here are 20 that no socialist should have said.
Introduction-Back2Basics is the Young Communist League’s series on Marxist concepts made easy. Its aim is to provide a starting point for those interested in learning about communist theory and a foundation for further reading and study.
1. Materialism-The philosophical underpinning of Marxism-Leninism is often referred to as "dialectical materialism". Parts 1 and 2 of this series set out what that actually means; materialism in this issue and dialectics in the next issue.
Challenge TV Interview: Ayelén Biegbeder (la Fede, Argentina) on the femicide of Florencia Gomez-On the 12 October in the town of San Jorge, Buenos Aires, María Florencia Gómez Pouillastrou (known as Florencia Gómez) was murdered, and her body was abandoned in a field in the local area. The 35-year-old woman was an active feminist who had recently become a city councillor. Florencia was a comrade of la Fede – the Communist Youth Federation of Argentina. She was a militant socialist and member of the Communist party in San Jorge.
Jessica Duggan spoke with her close friend and comrade, Ayelén Beigbeder, for ChallengeTV to find out more, and to explore the endemic violence against women in Argentina that led to her death. #JusticiaPorFlorencia
Young people are disillusioned with capitalism – not democracy - A prominent study published towards the end of 2020 through Cambridge University made the stark finding that “This is the first generation in living memory to have a global majority who are dissatisfied with the way democracy works while in their twenties and thirties”, receiving significant coverage in parts of Britain’s media.
Turkish students clash with police over state interference in education - Since the new year, Istanbul’s University campuses have become a battleground of violent clashes between students and police. The protests were sparked by President Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of Melih Bulu, an active member of Turkey’s ruling AKP party, as new rector of the prestigious Boğaziçi University by presidential decree.
Richard Leonard resigns as Scottish Labour Leader - Scottish Labour Leader, Richard Leonard, has today (14 January 2021) announced his resignation with immediate effect, making him the tenth leader to try, and fail, to overturn the Party's seemingly terminal decline. Nearly 14 years since the SNP first went into Government, Labour appear devoid of answers as the next election looms.
Communist Party trade unionists to meet at 23 January aggregate - To kick start activities in 2021, the Communist Party is holding an aggregate of members who are also active or intending to become active trade unionists. The event is open to members of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League. The Party's Industrial Organiser Andy Bain is calling for a big turnout by CP trade unionists early in the year, to plan campaigns and struggle, as a real boost to the labour and anti austerity movements.
Poetry Corner: Woman’s Question by Frances Moore - Woman's Question by Frances Moore
A Sheffield teacher and activist in the National Union of Teachers, Frances Moore (1906 - 1994) was married to Bill Moore, who was a fulltime worker for the Communist Party. Although Frances’ busy life left with little time to write in her younger days, later on she produced a substantial body of poetry, some of which was published. The poem featured here raises clearly the need for women’s equality.
Poetry Corner: [To Margot Heinemann] by John Cornford - [To Margot Heinemann] by John Cornford by John Cornford.
John Cornford from a relatively privileged families and attended Cambridge University. It was at Cambridge that he met and fell in love with Margot Heinemann and where they both joined the Communist Party. John’s mother, Frances Crofts Cornford, was a poet, and he himself was already writing poems at school.
After gaining a BA first-class honours in History, he became the first Englishman to enlist against Franco in the Spanish Civil War and was killed in battle on the Andujar and Cordoba Front on 27 or 28 December 1936.
Cornford wrote just a few poems in Spain, including A Letter from Aragon, Full Moon at Tierz: Before The Storming of Huesca and the poem featured here [To Margot Heinemann].
Poetry Corner: Call to Account! by Vladimir Mayakovsky - Call to Account! by Vladimir Mayakovsky, 1917.
Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and came to be one of the most celebrated communist poets in the Soviet Union and internationally. He was also a talented playwright, artist and actor who used art as a medium to convey the politics and ideals of the new socialist state.
The Capitol riots are not a new milestone in fascism - Maryam Pashali analyses the historic trends behind the storming of the US Capitol and argues that labels of 'fascism' provide an easy scapegoat for the leading capitalist 'democracy' and its centuries of fostering white supremacy.
Pro-people policies and power of youth yield the Left: an emphatic victory in the Indian state of Kerala - Muhammed Shabeer writes about the recent wins of the CPI (Marxist) in Kerala despite smear attempts by the likes of the fascist BJP Party.
The Capitol riot: 20 terrible takes! - Social media is indispensable when following a debacle like Trump’s deranged protest in real time: it can help you get an idea of things before the media does, and sometimes see stuff the media misses. But it comes a cost barely worth paying: reading people’s often nonsensical takes. Here are 20 that no socialist should have said.
Introduction - Back2Basics is the Young Communist League’s series on Marxist concepts made easy. Its aim is to provide a starting point for those interested in learning about communist theory and a foundation for further reading and study.
1. Materialism - The philosophical underpinning of Marxism-Leninism is often referred to as "dialectical materialism". Parts 1 and 2 of this series set out what that actually means; materialism in this issue and dialectics in the next issue.
Challenge TV Interview: Ayelén Biegbeder (la Fede, Argentina) on the femicide of Florencia Gomez - On the 12 October in the town of San Jorge, Buenos Aires, María Florencia Gómez Pouillastrou (known as Florencia Gómez) was murdered, and her body was abandoned in a field in the local area. The 35-year-old woman was an active feminist who had recently become a city councillor. Florencia was a comrade of la Fede – the Communist Youth Federation of Argentina. She was a militant socialist and member of the Communist party in San Jorge.
Jessica Duggan spoke with her close friend and comrade, Ayelén Beigbeder, for ChallengeTV to find out more, and to explore the endemic violence against women in Argentina that led to her death. #JusticiaPorFlorencia 