Why making good policy requires careful thinking and plenty of time. Britain has just begun to face what will prove to be a long drawn-out cost of living crisis. In part this is caused by labour and supply chain shortages resulting from the Covid pandemic, but a more fundamental issue is the cost of energy, … Continue reading Insulation Rebellion — Editorial
Month: May 2022
Sanctions and Rubles
Martin Seale The members of NATO have imposed sanctions on Russia following its Special Military Operation in Ukraine which began on 24th February. NATO would clearly like these sanctions to severely damage Russia. It is unlikely that they will for two main reasons. Firstly, Russia is a currency creating state and does not therefore have financial constraints. Secondly, Russia is … Continue reading Sanctions and Rubles
The Persecution of Julian Assange Part 3
The persecution of Julian Assange — part 3 By Peter Brooke A brief history of Wikileaks[1] followed by ‘Assange Extradition, on to the Next Hurdle’ from Craig Murray’s website. As a teenager in Australia in the 1980s, Julian Assange had explored the possibilities of hacking with a couple of friends calling themselves the 'International Subversives'. This … Continue reading The Persecution of Julian Assange Part 3
Skills v Knowledge
Skills v Knowledge, or the balance between university education and vocational education. The Tory head of the Education Committee has the right ideas, as seen in his exchanges with Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for education, during the debate on the Schools White Paper, Monday 28th March 2022 — Commons Chamber Robert Halfon: The White Paper … Continue reading Skills v Knowledge
Austrian Chamber of Labour
The Austrian Chamber of Labour as an instrument of workers' interests Eamon Dyas [Below is a brief account of the history and purpose of the Austrian Chambers of Labour. It was stimulated by a conversation I had with Florian Wenninger, of the Institut für Historische Sozialforschung at the headquarters of the Arbeiterkammer in Vienna on … Continue reading Austrian Chamber of Labour
A Poem
GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN II “As one day it might happen that a victim must be found I’ve got a little list – I’ve got a little list.” So sang Gilbert and Sullivan: “Of society’s offenders who might well be underground And would never be missed - who would never be missed" But I … Continue reading A Poem
Manus O’Riordan and Ernest Bevin
Manus O’Riordan and Ernest Bevin By Dave Alvey A Note on Manus O’Riordan Manus O’Riordan was an Irish trade unionist and socialist who had many friends in the British labour movement. Following his sudden death on 26 September 2021, and reflecting his popularity across the multivarious strands of the political and trade union worlds, his … Continue reading Manus O’Riordan and Ernest Bevin
Notes on the News
By Gwydion M. Williams France’s Overlooked Left Vote Ukraine: Making Local Democracy Illegal Russia: A Fate Worse Than Putin? NATO: Elites Who Reluctantly Tolerate a Democratic Electorate Britons Vote Themselves Into Poverty Bears and Libertarians – Both Unbearable Covid Failures France’s Overlooked Left Vote Macron picked up another nine million votes: a bare majority of … Continue reading Notes on the News
Orecchiette
Listening to Italy by Orecchiette Parties Italians commemorate their Liberation Day from Nazi fascism on 25th April. This year's celebrations were the largest ever; La Repubblica estimated 70,000 were gathered in Milan's cathedral square. Dignitaries made appropriate speeches throughout Italy but Matteo Salvini's Lega did not appear at all. Further controversy followed a Tweet made by Vito Petrocelli, M5S's (Five Star) … Continue reading Orecchiette
Letter about Ukraine
Letter on Ukraine to Labour Affairs From Eamon Dyas I don’t think Zelenskiy believes that he is going to be defeated. Of course, given his predicament such defiance of reality is irrational and can only be sustained by a confidence that at some point he can convince US/NATO to get involved. US/NATO could never have … Continue reading Letter about Ukraine
A Unipolar World and Ukraine
ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI ON the place of Ukraine in A UNIPOLAR WORLD Extracts from The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives Zbigniew Brzezinski, New York, Basic Books, 1997 After the fall of the Soviet Union, Americans started thinking about a unipolar world, a world organized around one pole, themselves. Zbigniew Brzezinski, diplomat and adviser to presidents … Continue reading A Unipolar World and Ukraine
Labour Affairs 