Paul Kellogg
Luxemburg, Lenin, Levi: Rethinking revolutionary history
Part 1. John Riddell. Parts 2 and 3 below.
Britain: Reflections on the crisis in the Socialist Workers Party
"As an important part of the English-speaking left, the SWP over the years has influenced many individuals and groups.
By Paul Kellogg
Bolivia: Who's the real 'outlaw'? Behind Bolivia’s nationalisation of a Canadian mine
By Paul Kellogg
September 5, 2012 -- PolEcon.net, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission -- For Canada's Financial Post, the actions of the Bolivian government in nationalising a Canadian mine this northern summer confirmed the country’s status as an “outlaw nation” (Grace 2012). But for less-biased observers, the reality was a little different.
Responding to pressure from local Indigenous communities the Bolivian government confirmed on August 2 that it would expropriate the operations of a Canadian-owned mining project. This represents, in the short term, the success of local social movements in putting an end to violence created by the tactics of the corporation, and in the long term, one small step towards ending 500 years of foreign powers stripping the country of its natural resources.
Britain: The challenge of George Galloway’s ‘Bradford Spring’
George Galloway campaigns in Bradford West.
United States: Debt crisis -- the issue is the war machine, not welfare
Source: “Graphic: Who pays the taxes?" What Went Wrong: The Betrayal of the American Dream. February 7, 2011.
By Paul Kellogg
July 27, 2011 -- PolEconAnalysis, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with the author's permission -- As July came to an end, the United States central government had come up
against its congressionally mandated debt ceiling. Without an agreement
to raise that debt ceiling – last set at US$14.3 trillion – the US
central government will be unable to borrow money to pay its bills. The
consequences could be extremely serious – soaring interest rates, a
collapse of the US dollar, not to speak of social security stipends,
pensions and salaries going unpaid.
Message to the US -- Blame the wars, not China
By Paul Kellogg
Currency wars and the privilege of empire
By Paul Kellogg
October 23, 2010 -- PolEconAnalysis -- In uncertain times, the headline was soothing: "Secretary Geithner vows not to devalue dollar".[1] United States Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner was saying, in other words, that if there were to be "currency wars" -- competitive devaluations by major economies in attempts to gain trade advantage with their rivals -- the United States would not be to blame. Who, then, would be the villain? China, of course.
Earlier this year, Democratic Party congressman Tim Murphy sponsored a bill authorising the United States to impose duties on Chinese imports, made too inexpensive (according to Murphy and most other commentators) by an artificially devalued Chinese currency. "It's time to deliver a strong message to Beijing on behalf of American manufacturing: Congress will do whatever it takes to protect American jobs."[2]
Ecuador, Venezuela: Danger south of the border
Supporters of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa celebrate his return following defeat of the attempted coup.
Greek crisis reveals ‘progressive’ Europe’s reactionary stew
May 3, 2010 – The bailout of the debt-ridden Greek government seems finally to be complete.