En Passant

Lance Selfa, author of The Democrats: A Critical History, unravels in Socialist Worker US the myths circulating about the 1 January “fiscal cliff” and explains what’s really at stake – far-reaching and harmful attacks on the social safety net.
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The disarray of the Republican Tea Party right will give confidence to all those that want to fight back. Our hope must be that in doing so, workers discover the power to unite and go well beyond the Democratic Party that has taken their votes for granted and delivered so little.

America’s growing working poor will be courted for their votes on 6 November, but there is very little on offer for them in this election writes Alex Callinicos in Socialist Worker UK.

Me in today’s The Conversation on Obama or Romney: the choice of the 1%. http://theconversation.edu.au/obama-or-romney-the-choice-of-the-1-9498?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+18+September+2012&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+18+September+2012+CID_2eaf9c0accf385c1810e80dba70944a8&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Obama+or+Romney+The+choice+of+the+1

Obama isn’t being a “leader” on the issue of marriage equality, as some supporters claim, but a latecomer. His position only “evolved” to an open statement of sympathy after opinion polls showed it was a politically safe position among a large majority of the population outside of conservative Republicans.

That sea change in public sentiment was driven not by politicians, but because masses of LGBT people and their supporters spoke up and took action. Their position on what ought to be considered an elementary right hasn’t “evolved,” and they have good reason to be frustrated when supporters of the Democrats claim that Obama is making a “courageous” statement.

Obama is speaking to the politicians of Australia’s one percent on Thursday. That day there is a demonstration against him at Federation Park outside Parliament House in Canberra at lunchtime. Be there to show your support for the Wall Street Occupiers and the protesters around the globe. And for the other members of the Occupy movement across Australia – support the 99% in struggle. Support the QANTAS workers, the Baiada picketers, the maritime workers, the public servants, the nurses, all those fighting for better wages and conditions. That is our future. That is our hope.

The Tea Party can bide its time. When the bourgeoisie needs a battering ram to take on labour and massively attack living standards, it will be ready.

THE OBAMA administration is out to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal and pressure world leaders into imposing sanctions against countries–like Iran–that allegedly harbor ambitions to develop nukes of their own. That’s the agenda behind the Washington summit on nuclear security, which followed the announcement of a supposedly less belligerent U.S. nuclear strategy and the signing [...]

Historic. Unprecedented. Landmark. These are just some of the lies the liberal press are using to describe Barack Obama’s healthcare changes. But the legislation is a con, a massive transfer of working people’s wealth to private insurers. Reforms they aren’t. These changes are worse than doing nothing. The new laws will force the poor who [...]

The Democrats are in a mad rush to pass health care legislation that is a disaster in the making for working people and a massive giveaway to the industry.