The following are three political incidents/developments from two matured bourgeois democracies.

This article describes and comments on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2018 “State of Nation Speech”. 

Assassinations and assaults that are being unleashed against the Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common, the political party formed by the former FARC leaders and activists are a hindrance to renewed initiatives for a peaceful and decent Colombia. 

Challenges in the struggle for democracy assume definite shape and character: no scope for ignoring imperialism and plunder, and lending space to imperialists and its proxies while organising the struggle for democracy. So, the stand is: oppose imperialism and plunder, and don’t deactivate the march to democracy.  

The disturbances created by the wealthy are part of the imperialists’ intervention plan in Venezuela. The disinformation campaign carried out by the mainstream media is a key component of that effort. So, no one should be surprised by the profusion of Orwellian statements and the incessant vilification of President Maduro in mainstream coverage of Venezuela.

The developments in Syria demand attention as many countries face the threat of imperialist intervention. There is no reason to imagine that any country is immune to imperialist intervention. Markets, resources to be plundered, geographical location, relations with the world bosses are all factors favouring imperialist intervention. Is the rest of the world going to simply sit by and watch?

Fidel Castro embodied in his life the unending struggle of ordinary people for a life of dignity against the forces of oppression. In him dedicated revolutionaries find the inspiration to resist their enemy, regardless how mighty.

The ouster of Brazilian President Dilma Roussef and the ongoing process of impeaching her are in fact a coup organized by the wealthy classes in the country with the support of their foreign masters. The objective of this is to roll back important reforms aimed at bettering the lives of the people and instead place in the hands of the oligarchs Brazil’s key industries and resources.

Obama’s admission that lack of adequate planning in empire’s war on Libya was the biggest mistake of his presidency does not settle the question. Her former Secretary of State, the chief architect of the intervention, Hilary Clinton claims credit for the overthrow and murder of Muammar Gaddafi, which plunged the country into chaos. The intervention was not about Libyans; it was about empire and its interests in Africa.

The leak once again reveals how states collude with private interests to protect the criminality of the powerful. Or how could journalists uncover the Panama Papers while states which carry on surveillance on millions of people, listen to billions of phone calls and read billions of e-mails were apparently unaware of the underhand dealings?

The richest 62 persons now control more than half of the world’s money, according to a new Oxfam report. Total wealth of these individuals is the same as that of the world’s poorest 3.6 billion people. The rich-poor gap is growing wider. The ultra-wealthy group of persons is getting wealthier.

As the Cuban revolutionary icon knows only too well, Empire’s war against countries aspiring to live with dignity is widespread: ranging from organizing subversion and coups to economic sabotage.

Underlying the current climate crisis that will worsen if not alleviated is the greed for greater profits, markets, fuel, and the rape of the earth’s resources. As this continues the ramifications will be increasing insecurity, competition and conflicts for water and scarce resources

The world’s richest nations have admitted that global inequality is appalling. But are they prepared to radically tackle the capitalist system that harbours rich tax thieves and appropriators of labour, who increase their wealth with political favours? A system that safeguards the interests of the minority at the expense of the majority poor?

The US government shutdown is underpinned by a failing economy with a huge debt, massive unemployment, poverty and homelessness. This exposes the limitations of the capitalist economy: It fails to eliminate poverty despite having a lot of riches

cc V M The increased use of drones raises not only questions related to efficiency and reliability, but also questions about ethics, human rights, legitimacy, sovereignty, and the morality of war

The death of President Chavez is a big loss not only to Venezuelans but also to everyone who believes in the essential struggle to create a just society for all. But his revolution, 21st century socialism as he called it, will live on

In a global examination of the survival of capitalism in crisis, the recent International Labour Organisation report shows that workers globally continue to be extremely exploited and capital continues to exact greater profits for the minority whilst finding new ways to justify this heinous system

Despite their endless preaching about human rights to the global South, the so-called developed democracies are themselves blighted by serious violations which they have done little to address

As the COP18 Doha climate crisis talks come to a close, the planet’s climate health is turning worse while conflicting capitals are busy fighting.