France: After election win, what course will Francois Hollande take?
Francois Hollande.
By Murray Smith
June 18, 2012 – Police fire tear gas at protesters.
John Riddell: Lars Lih and Ben Lewis reveal Zinoviev at his best
Zinoviev and Martov: Head to Head in Halle
Edited by Ben Lewis and Lars T. Lih,
Egypt: 'Reject the Supplementary Constitutional Declaration' military coup
June 18, 2012 – http://www.e-socialists.net/node/8845 -- The signatories to this statement announce their complete rejection of the Supplementary Constitutional Declaration.
Québec solidaire agrees to talks on electoral agreement with other pro-sovereignty parties
By Roger Annis
June 21, 2012 -- Rabble.ca, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with the author's permission -- On June 20, the National Coordination Committee of Québec solidaire issued a statement in response to a "Call for a United Front" in the next election in Quebec, saying it is open to a “limited and timely electoral arrangement” with two other pro-Quebec sovereignty parties. The statement is titled (translation), "Defeat the Liberals, yes. But above all, build a progressive Quebec!"
The call has received close to 11,000 signatures online. It urges the three pro-sovereignty parties – Parti québécois, Québec solidaire and Option nationale – to enter into an electoral agreement such that only one candidate of the parties would contest electoral districts against the ruling Liberal Party and the right-wing Coalition pour l’avenir du Québec (CAQ).
The mandate of the current Liberal government ends in 17 months. Widespread speculation has it calling an election as soon as August.
NO REDD+! in Rio+20: A declaration to decolonise the earth and the sky
“Against Amazonian Genocide.
Ecuador: New left or new colonialism?
Pro-Correa march in Quito on International Women's Day, March 8.
By Federico Fuentes
June 17, 2012 -- Green Left Weekly -- Criticism of Latin America’s radical governments has become common currency among much of the international left. While none have been exempt, Ecuador’s government of President Rafael Correa has been a key target.
But a problem with much of the criticism directed against Correa is that it lacks any solid foundation and misdirects fire away from the real enemy.
Correa was elected president in 2006 after more than a decade of mostly indigenous-led rebellions against neoliberalism.
During his election campaign, the radical economist promised to rewrite the country’s constitution, reject any free trade agreement with Washington, refuse to repay of illegitimate foreign debts and close a US military base on Ecuadorian soil.
The social movements had campaigned around many of these demands, which is why most supported Correa in the second-round presidential run-off against Alvaro Noboa, Ecuador’s richest man.
Since then, Correa has largely carried out these election promises. This explains why he has an approval rating of more than 80%, a June 13 opinion poll found.
Left criticisms
Greece: Young revolutionary members of SYRIZA interviewed
Photo by Eric Ribellarsi.
June 18, 2012 -- Winter Has Its End/Kasama Project, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal at the request of the author. It has been slightly abridged -- Eric Ribellarsi met with 10 young members of the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE), which is part of the Coalition of the Radical Left, SYRIZA. [The KOE comes out of the Maoist tradition and is the second-largest component of SYRIZA.] They discussed their backgrounds, experiences, the student movement, the orthodox Communist Party in Greece (KKE), revolutionary strategy and the political choices of revolutionary communists within the Greek crisis. Eric Ribellarsi is part of a reporting team in Greece.
* * *
Can you tell me how some of you became communists? How did you come to join KOE?
Greece: 'Our struggle resumes', SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras' election night speech
Speech by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras on June 17, 2012.
Climate Connections, June 18, 2012 -- What’s wrong with the green economy?: Joanna Cabello of Carbon Trade Watch at Rio+20.
For more coverage of the Rio+20, click HERE.
By Patrick Bond, Rio de Janeiro
June 18, 2012 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal, a version of this article also appeared at Climate and Capitalism -- Given the worsening world economic crisis, the turn to "Green Economy" rhetoric looms as a potential saviour for footloose financial capital, and is also enormously welcome to those corporations panicking at market chaos in the topsy turvy fossil-fuel, water, infrastructure construction, technology and agriculture sectors.
On the other hand, for everyone else, the Rio+20 Earth Summit underway this week in Brazil, devoted to advancing Green Economy policies and projects, appears as an overall disaster zone for the people and planet.