Marxist Summer Academy, August 9-14, in Prague
The RIO Summer Academy (August 9-14) is a camp for revolutionaries of all ages. While it doesn’t take place at the Copacabana, summer feeling will come up for sure at a lake near Prague. »»»»
read comments (1)
A revolutionary answer to militarism in the framework of the Euro crisis
The Greek government – and the European Union and the International Monetary Fund behind it – justifies its massive program of cuts against the working population of Greece with the need to make “painful sacrifices” in order to save the country. »»»»
I. Capitalism in the phase of imperialism
Since its inception, capitalism has spread around the world and has now penetrated into every corner of the earth used by people. This spreading did not always take place in the same way, but was itself subject to change. Initially, technological progress and with it the new industrially-dominated economic system were “exported” into ever more countries which could then develop into industrialized nations. The most advanced states were able to become great powers that over time gradually divided the entire globe amongst their colonial empires. »»»»
With this document we, the Revolutionary Internationalist Organization (RIO), want to present general theses about the state of trade unions today and the work of revolutionaries within them. We are aware that these theses are very abstract – they must be, since they are based more on theoretical and historical considerations than on concrete experience (and they are focused on the trade unions in Germany in particular). Accordingly, this document represents the stand of the discussion within our organization, even though we believe that many of the insights can be generalized. »»»»
The sixth European Social Forum was dominated by bland NGO politics and obfuscatory Maoism
About 3,000 people participated in the sixth European Social Forum (ESF) in Istanbul. There were 200 seminars about the economic crisis, climate change, students’ protests and many other topics. »»»»
On Saturday, June 26th, RIO (the Revolutionary Internationalist Organization) organized a special Hiphop concert in the ”Red Island” in Berlin: a far cry from mainstream and ghetto-gangster-rap, three artists from Germany, England and Chile showed what political rap can sound like – class struggle rap to be precise. »»»»
In the Czech parliamentary elections at the end of May, all the traditional parties lost
On May 28 and 29, parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic. The last elections four years ago ended with a draw (the right-wing and the left-wing parties got exactly 100 seats each) but thanks to corruption two social democrats supported the election of a right-wing government. »»»»
Comrade Meryem Çağ, an active member of the trade union federation of public sector workers KESK, was fired from her job at the Izmir regional customs office in mid-May. The firing of this trade unionist by the Turkish state is obviously politically motivated. »»»»
For a revolutionary solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict!
In the early hours of May 31, Israeli navy commandos boarded the “Freedom Flotilla” of ships carrying aid to Gaza and murdered at least 9 activists. The ships, carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid (including food, medicine and building materials) and 663 activists from 37 countries, were boarded in international waters 64 kilometers off the coast of Israel. »»»»
The sixth European Social Forum will take place on July 1-4 in Istanbul (Turkey). More than 200 seminars and workshops are planned in a 13-axis program with an emphasis on the causes and consequences of a systemic crisis, under the slogan “another Europe is possible”. On July 3, the streets in Istanbul will be filled with up to 100,000 demonstrators. More information about the social forum can be found at www.fse-esf.org. »»»»
For solidarity with the struggle of the TEKEL workers and the remembrance of the deceased mine workers!
The head of the Turkish trade union TÜRK IS, Mustafa Kumlu, who has been an obstacle to the struggle of the TEKEL workers from the very beginning and who was thrown out of the central May Day demonstration at the Taksim square in Istanbul by workers, has declared that TÜRK IS will not participate in the general strike (“day of action”) on May 26. »»»»