A call to account

The drum of war thunders and thunders.
It calls: thrust iron into the living.
From every country
slave after slave
are thrown onto bayonet steel.
For the sake of what?
The earth shivers
hungry
and stripped.
Mankind is vapourised in a blood bath
only so
someone
somewhere
can get hold of Albania.
Human gangs bound in malice,
blow after blow strikes the world
only for
someone’s vessels
to pass without charge
through the Bosporus.
Soon
the world
won’t have a rib intact.
And its soul will be pulled out.
And trampled down
only for someone,
to lay
their hands on
Mesopotamia.
Why does
a boot
crush the Earth — fissured and rough?
What is above the battles’ sky –
Freedom?
God?
Money!
When will you stand to your full height,
you,
giving them your life?
When will you hurl a question to their faces:
Why are we fighting?

Vladimir Mayakovsky (1917)

History repeats itself

By Anton

In the late seventies, the United States of America armed the opponents of the pro-soviet Afghan government- the mujahideen. Radical Islamists from around the world flocked to join the mujahideen in their American funded war, which were indoctrinated with Islamist texts-printed in America. M-16s, Stinger missiles, CIA agent, etcetera were all sent to the Islamists. Among these men fighting the afghan state was a Saudi Arabian oligarch- Osama Bin Laden. Arming Islamists to fight against people who are anti-American came around to haunt the United States, as the people they had trained, given weapons and explosives to, used them against the US at a later date- namely the US embassy bombings and 9/11.

You would think that the US would’ve abandoned its realpolitik approach on foreign policy, but we have seen that it hasn’t in places like Syria, where they armed the most dedicated opponents of the Assad regime- the Islamists, which have people coming to help them from across the world. Communists must be realistic here- when the rebels are executing Christians and atheists, we must support Assad. Assad, for a middle eastern ruler, is a secular one, does not force women to wear veils, and protects minorities. What’s more, Assad has the support of the majority of the Syrian people, compared to the Islamist rebels. Do not misunderstand me: I support Assad as a progressive force against the Islamists, but ultimately, as a communist, I oppose Assad as an agent of capital.

For the meanwhile, we must support Assad to stop a reactionary government coming to power and further stifling class consciousness ; long term we advocate the toppling of all capitalists from power, the destruction of their state and the means of production and political power being seized by the proletariat. Class consciousness can magically appear in every member of the populace spontaneously- what needs to be done after the crushing of the reactionary threat is the following:
1) Bourgeois democracy must be fought for, as it allows unions which can fight to gain concessions from the bourgeosie and increase the quality of life for proletarians.
2) The people must be trained in how to use guns and must be armed, either by the state or through their own devices.

With each strike the proletariat will gain more and more confidence; with each political gain the proletariat will become more powerful. Any attempt to take this hard earned power and ‘democracy’ away from the proletariat must be resisted, with force if it is required.

Daily Headline – 06/04/13

Korean peninsula update

The Korean peninsula still dominates the global media in a one-sided look at the issue, the evil North Korea against the innocent US/South Korea. It’s almost as ridiculous as North Korea’s propaganda!

In the latest developments North Korea has told the embassies in Pyongyang that, in the event of war, it cannot guarantee their safety and that they should strongly consider evacuating the country, it has asked to be notified whether they are staying or going by the 10th April.
The US has moved missile defence systems to new locations including Guam and in a statement said that is is ready for any eventuality.

North Korea is guilty of lacking democracy, incompetent management, developing nuclear technology and a space program and as such pretty much just has China as a trading partner with sanctions coming from all corners of the globe. The US has a nuclear program, has used nuclear weapons against civilians and has a phoney two-party state ‘democracy’.
If you box someone into a corner, the only rational response is to lash out, from a caged animal to a country.

North Korea shouldn’t have nuclear weapons but should it be under such economic sanctions?
Are North Koreans actions and words justified? Have you ever thought about understanding the situation from their perspective?

No war, no nuclear weapons, it is the innocent, the working class who suffer.

Daily Headline – 02/04/13

Support the troops!

US and UK troops are always in the press it seems for the wrong reasons, the constant abuses carried out be these representatives of their respective countries.

Support the troops? Support abuses.

It has long been known of the human-rights abuses carried out by the US and UK at Camp Nama in Baghdad but now for the first time two UK military personnel have spoken out to the Guardian about the abuses they personally witnessed.

The abuses they say they saw include:

• Iraqi prisoners being held for prolonged periods in cells the size of large dog kennels.

• Prisoners being subjected to electric shocks.

• Prisoners being routinely hooded.

• Inmates being taken into a sound-proofed shipping container for interrogation, and emerging in a state of physical distress.

For full details on the story click here.

Iraq; an illegal war carried out by thugs under the orders of callus morons.

The death of liberty

By Anton

A soldier lies under a foreign sky
While back at home a politician on the right
Proclaims ‘for there country they did die’
The soldiers death becomes another banner under which to fight

The shovel of counter terrorism piles dirt upon the box
The nation’s flag covers the bone
As the war propaganda secretly mocks
Liberty is engraved on the stone

Daily Headline – 08/03/13

Korean peninsula on verge of war

The situation on the Korean peninsula is amazingly tense, further escalations have taken things to the verge of war.

All of the 15 UN security council members voted unanimously for tighter sanctions on North Korea (DPRK) (known as resolution 2094).

The 15 members of the UN security council consists of 5 permanent members and 10 other members who normally serve 1 year terms before being changed:

5 permanent members:
China
France
Russia
UK
US

10 current other members:
Azerbaijan
Argentina
Australia
Guatemala
Republic of Korea
Morocco
Pakistan
Luxembourg
Rwanda
Togo

In response to resolution 2094 North Korea has scrapped the ceasefire armistice agreement that was signed in 1953 by the UN, North Korea and China.

The North went on to say that it had the right to launch pre-emptive strikes following on from foreign aggression.

The scrapping of the armistice agreement leaves the Korean peninsula in a desperate situation and on the verge of war.

Daily Headline – 08/02/13

CIA droning on

The CIA has continued its mantra of defending military drones and torture.

Nominee CIA director John Brennan has come under attack for continuing the long line of government supporters for both drone strikes and torture, citing them both as necessary.

He claimed that the US was careful to minimise civilians casualties, he said:
“We only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there’s no other alternative to taking an action that’s going to mitigate that threat.”

His rhetoric will be popular among the governments of warmongering nations but will bring wide-spread condemnation among the civilised people of the world.

For more on this click here.

Y’know what really f***s me off?

By Leon J Williams

When people say “support the troops” “they’re defending our country” etc

Firstly, just f*** off!
Secondly, defending? Or do you mean to say “they’re attacking for our country”?
Third, OUR nation? By being born on a certain piece of land I am supposed to condone killing people born on different pieces of land because they have different ideas?
Fourth, you’re mantra is giving unconditional support to these murderers, whether it is the US troops, UK troops or any other troops, they are consistently responsible for deliberately killing civilians, just last week there were charges against British troops in Iraq for abuses.

So no, I won’t follow this bullshit. I am capable of thinking. I will support the troops if the war is justified and I wont when the war isn’t.

Defenders of this mantra; f*** off!

Daily Headline – 25/01/13

Tensions high on the Korean peninsula

Following on from North Korea’s successful satellite launch last month the UN has imposed more economic sanctions.

In response to this action North Korea have upped the ante by threatening to conduct more nuclear tests, targeted at the US.

The US and North Korea have major trust issues with each other and both are justified in this. North Korea is a family run dictatorship that has attacked South Korea before and the US is to date the only country that has used nuclear weapons killing almost 250,000 people, men, women and children. The US has also been to war with more countries that anyone else since the end of WW2.

So will the Korean War of 1950-53 (which has technically not ended) resume? Who will strike first? And which countries will get involved?

Of course North Korea and South Korea will fight each other but who else…
The US could see this very real nuclear threat as an opportunity to finish off the previous failed attempt to take over North Korea and remove its leadership while gaining the backing of the UN.
Japan, which is a big supporter of the US and vehemently anti-North Korea could be on hand to lend some support though their role may be limited to logistics.
In support of the North, last time around, China came to the rescue however China has also started to voice concerns about the North. While it’s possible that China could decide to remain neutral should war break out. I would say that it’s more likely that China will send in the troops again seeing that being given a choice between Kim Jong-un or the US on their border they will choose Kim Jong-un.
Last time around Russia lended some support to the North, mostly aerial, I think that this is less likely (but still possible of course). Things politically have changed in Russia since the early 50’s and support for the North seems to be over (at least compared to then).

Winners/losers/outcome

Well much like the last time it all depends on China, if China supports the North with military fire power and troops on the ground a win is possible for the North and Korea will once again be united. If China doesn’t get involved then a South Korean/US victory is certain and the country will also be united again.

Either way, just like the last time war broke out on the Korean peninsula, millions of people would be likely to lose their lives, mostly civilians.

Will US interference ever end?

By Leon J Williams

As you may or may not be aware there is a dispute over some islands in the East China sea the dispute is between China and Japan over the legal ownership. Of course, as per usual, the US has to get involved, this time by angering China the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the islands belong to Japan and that the US would oppose anything to the contrary.

Why does the US insist on getting involved in other countries business, whether that country is on their doorstep (like Cuba) or the other side of the planet (like VietNam or Iraq)?

There are countless examples of US interference, be it militarily, economically, verbally or a combination.

Some of the most notable examples of US interference since the end of WW2 include:

1950-53 – The Korean war – North & South Korea go to war, US sends in the troops to support South Korea to keep the country divided.

1959-75 – The VietNam war – North & South VietNam go to war, US sends in the troops to support South VietNam to keep the country divided.

1961 – Cuba – Failed invasion of Cuba.

1962-75 – Laos – Military support against Communist forces.

1965 – Dominican Republic – US back military dictatorship against popular forces.

1983 – Grenada – US invades.

1988-90 – Panama – US sends in the troops.

1991-96 – Iraq – Iraq and Kuwait go to war, US supports Kuwait.

1992-95 – Somalia – US sends in the troops, famous for the disaster at Mogadishu.

1994-95 – Haiti – Embargo and US troops sent in.

1999 – Serbia – Bombing campaign of Serbia

2001 – Afghanistan – Invasion, ongoing.

2003-2011 – Iraq – Invasion and overthrow of government.

There are almost countless examples of US interference and these are just the more notable ones, the US has been to war more times than any other country on the planet since the end of WW2.

Will it ever end?