Critical notes on Postcolonial theory

By Martin Thomas (first published on the Workers Liberty website) "Postcolonial theory came to prominence during a period of massive political defeats for the Left… [But in universities] there is a mass base for what we might call oppression studies… so… a movement from the bottom, which was a kind of demand for theories focusing …

Peace, Justice … and Stalinism

Above: logo of the International Conference Jeremy Corbyn announced his Peace and Justice Project (PJP) in December 2020, with a mission statement that included: “To bring people together for social and economic justice, peace, and human rights, in Britain and across the world…[It] will work with labour and social movements and provide platforms to those …

SWP, “anti-imperialism” and terror: a story of cowardice and opportunism

Above: the SWP's immediate reaction to the Hamas pogrom of 7 October (posted by SWP on 9 October 2023) The Socialist Workers Party’s immediate response to the 7 October massacre of Israeli civilians (“Rejoice”) and its repeated statements of support for Hamas are aimed at presenting an image of being the most militant “anti-imperialists” in …

It’s right that the march goes ahead – but beware slippery slogans

Above: behind such apparently innocuous slogans, the SWP supports Hamas and opposes calls for a ceasefire. The following piece appears in the present issue of Solidarity under the headline "Against bans, against slippery slogans". It was written before the Metropolitan Police announced their decision to allow Saturday's pro-Palestinian march to go ahead: By Martin Thomas …

Exposing Singham is not “red baiting” or “McCarthyism”

Above: the New York Times headline and photo of Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham By Bill Weinberg via Oakland Socialist Note: Here is another transcript from Bill Weinberg’s “Countervortex” podcast. These podcasts are part of Bill’s livelihood. Even if you prefer to only read material online, we urge you to subscribe to Countervortex to …

Neither G7 nor Brics but global workers’ unity!

By Martin Thomas The 24 August 2023 invitation by the China-led BRICS group of states to six others to join is unlikely to make the group much stronger short-term. It is, however, new evidence of the fracturing of the 1990-2008 world of US-led globalisation into a world of tariffs, trade bans, military clientelism like Russia's …

Flashpoint Niger

Above: the coup leaders By Bill Weinberg Transcript from CounterVortex podcast of Aug. 12 (via Oakland Socialist): In this episode, we’re going to take a look at the situation in the West African nation of Niger, where a coup d’etat has polarized things across the whole region and there is great potential for escalation, and for imperial …

The Unbearable Manicheanism of the “Anti-Imperialist” Left

New York City, 2023: "anti-imperialists" back Putin's propaganda. Credit: Brenda Ryan By William Robison at The Philosophical Salon (h/t: Anti*Capitalist Resistance) JD notes: this article examines the contradictory logic and regressive politics of the contemporary "anti-imperialist" left that opposes capitalist exploitation by the West but turns a blind eye to repression by non-Western states opposed …

Debate on Ukraine: Gilbert Achcar and Tom Dale

Recently, the US online magazine New Politics has carried a debate on Ukraine, involving Gilbert Achcar and a critic, Tom Dale. We republish the articles below, in the order they appeared. Although I personally (JD) tend to have more sympathy with Dale, I'm content to give Achcar the last word, for now at least: The …

Unite conference backs “OK-ish” statement on Ukraine

Today's Morning Star can barely conceal its disappointment that Unite's policy conference has endorsed what we at Shiraz would call an "OK-ish" statement on Ukraine. The increasingly anti-Ukraine Stalinist rag that purports to speak for the UK left and labour movement, omits the fact that the Unite statement supports "the right of Ukraine to defend …