socialism
Malaysian socialist MP: 'Socialism and democracy are indivisible!'
Socialism 2012 ends with a rousing rendition of the "Internationale".
By Jeyakumar Devaraj
[The following paper was presented at the Socialist Party of Malaysia's Socialism 2012 conference in Kuala Lumpur, over the November 25-26, 2012, weekend. Jeyakumar is a member of parliament for the PSM.]
November 24, 2012 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Socialism has been painted as the antithesis of democracy – and millions of people the world over believe this untruth. Right-wing political propaganda states (among other things) that
- A society based on socialism is “unnatural”. It goes against human nature which is individualistic. That’s why socialist and communist countries developed into totalitarian states. People had to be compelled to act against their normal human instincts.
- A socialist program therefore will breed dictatorship and an authoritarian government with a repressive political police etc.
- Democracy and a system of checks and balances are only possible in the free market (capitalist) system. Socialism will lead to totalitarianism.
False beliefs such as these are among the main reasons why, despite the ongoing implosion of capitalism in Europe, the majority of the people are not yet decisively moving towards a socialist economic model.
Venezuela: Hugo Chavez's six-year plan for the Bolivarian Revolution
October 31, 2012 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- The following document is the political platform on which Hugo Chavez successfully sought re-election as the president of Venezuela. It was released in Spanish in June 2012. English translation courtesy of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Canberra, Australia.
Proposal of the Candidate of the
Homeland,
Commander Hugo Chávez,
for the Socialist Bolivarian Government, 2013–2019
INTRODUCTION
I
Barry Commoner, 1917-2012: one of ecosocialism's most important pioneers
For more tributes to Barry Commoner, visit Climate & Capitalism and Climate Change Social Change.
By Ian Angus
October 2, 2012 -- Climate & Capitalism, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission -- Barry Commoner died on September 30, at the age of 95 in New York. He never called himself an ecosocialist, but he was one of our most important precursors.
He was a founder of the modern environmental movement, an anti-war activist and a powerful critic of capitalism. His 1971 book, The Closing Circle, was a pioneering analysis of the economic and social causes of environmental destruction. At a time when most writers were blaming individual behaviour or overpopulation for pollution, Commoner exposed the role of capitalism and profit.
Marta Harnecker: Conquering a new popular hegemony
"In recent years, and in increasingly more countries, growing multitudes have rebe
Venezuela: Planning the next six years of the Bolivarian revolution
President Chavez with the plan on the day he registered to stand again for presid
