For years, it seemed like news from across the pond was going from bad to worse, but as protests began springing up in the US, it became clear that the Americans were out-doing us. We caught up soon enough, and the movement went global, but many of our tactics (such […]
If it is true that wars begin in the minds of men then Iran and Western powers have been at a state of war for some time. Martial rhetoric has been accompanied by steady military build-up and unprecedented diplomatic shut-down as each side throws away their steering wheel in this […]
The Occupy movement seeks to present a radical democratic critique of the present self-destructive economic and political climate. It also expresses a demand for accountability and legitimacy on the part of the institutions of economic and political power. Therefore it is necessary to consider not only issues of economic and […]
Unbelievably, Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude oil producer, imports petrol. But Nigeria’s fuel importers aren’t upset by the government’s 1st January cut of subsidies to the cost of petrol and kerosene imports. They’ve simply passed on their ‘loss’ to Nigeria’s 99% by raising prices 100% and more. Joining furious demonstrators throughout […]
Western Sahara may be the forgotten country of the Arab Spring but Stefan Simanowitz takes hope from its latest victory in the European Parliament. According to Noam Chomsky, the Arab Spring did not begin in Tunisia with the self-immolation of a market-seller, but instead can be traced back to the massive […]
As headlines roll with stories of ‘deadly clashes between protestors and the military’ on the 26th of February, 9th of March, 9th of April, 28th of June, 1st of August, 9th of September, 9th of October, 19th of November and 16th of December; one wonders if anything is happening in […]
Stefan Simanowitz reflects on his time spent in Tahrir Square over the election period For an activist like me the sensation of walking across the 6th October Bridge and into Tahrir Square at the height of last month’s ‘second revolution’ was equivalent to how an Elvis fan must feel arriving at […]
John Rees answers some key questions about the dramatic events in Egypt. Why was there a renewed revolutionary explosion last week? When Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February he was replaced by a civilian government but real power lay in the hands of the high command of the […]
Imagine becoming poor overnight. Since May 2010, when the government decided to get a loan from the IMF, EU and ECB, most people in the country have lost at least one third of their annual income. For those who still have a job, the value of their labour has fallen […]
Stretched across the tent town by the London Stock Exchange is a banner spelling out the slogan of 2011: “Real Democracy Now”. Go to the camp and many participants will tell you that it is not their demands which are key – it is their process. The old chant “This […]