REVIEW BY MARGARET ALLUM
Links — International Journal of Socialist Renewal
Number 17, January to April 2001
New Course Publications, 128pp, $8
<http://www.dsp.org.au/links>
There couldn't have been a better time for this issue of Links to appear. The explosion of resistance to the rule of the international capitalist financial institutions, that began with the November 1999 "battle for Seattle", is on the rise. While the movement is "new" in relation to the target of its anger, it is part of the long tradition of people throughout the world fighting against the rule of the super wealthy capitalist class and its cronies in government.
We need to be able to understand the dynamics and trajectory of this movement against corporate tyranny to be best able to build and participate in it. This is why the discussion and analysis that the latest Links provides is so essential. In the lead up to the global strike against corporate tyranny planned around the world for May 1, this issue of Links equips us to take on the corporate beast.
"Every where the rich men meet, people power in the street!" has become a chant that epitomises the tenacity of the new generation of acytovits who have vowed to organise on a mass scale each time the men in suits of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum (WEF) or similar imperialist institutions gather.
TIn the latest Links, Democratic Socialist Party leader Peter Boyle describes how and why this wave of protest is emerging. He examines and analyses the political debates within it.
These protests are being organised in mostly First World countries, largely outside the traditional control of social-democratic parties and the trade union leaderships. In Australia, that means that the biggest demonstrations have not been tailed the politics of Labor Party. In fact, much of the ALP opposed the 25,000-strong blockade of the WEF meeting in September (S11) in Melbourne.
Mobilising against corporate greed and fighting for the interests of the oppressed of the world raises questions of how to combine the fight for justice at home with demands of global solidarity. Barry Sheppard from the US socialist organisation Solidarity examines the US labour movements' options — fight for all the world's oppressed or protect the narrow interests of US workers?
After S11 came the mobilisations Prague in September and then Seoul in October; the rich men were again not able to meet in peace. Articles from Russian socialist academic Boris Kagalitsky and South Korea-based DSP member Iggy Kim describe these protests and the lessons learned for the movement.
DSP member and Green Left Weekly journalist Eva Cheng gives an insight into the failure of the November round of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Brunei.
From the Philippines Sonny Melencio and Reihana Mohideen of the Socialist Party of Labour comment on strategy and tactics in the anti-capitalist struggle, and offer a critique of the "politico-military" method of organisation employed by some on the Philippines left. The "pol-mil" strategy involves the targeting of representatives of the ruling class with assassinations, and acts of small scale terror.
Links also continues its coverage of the exciting development of the Scottish Socialist Party, publishing its statement of commitment to international solidarity in which they condemn the devastating effect of neo-liberal globalisation on the lives of the world's poor. The SSP pledges to "actively seek to establish links with those organisations in other countries who share our vision of a democratic socialist society".
Finally, there is another instalment of the debate on "permanent revolution" between Socialist Democracy's Phil Hearse in Britain and the DSP's Doug Lorimer in Australia. Throw in some international workers' news updates (including details of the next Asia Pacific People's Solidarity Conference in June in Jakarta) and there's enough in this Links to keep you going until issue 18. Order back issues of Links or find out how to how to subscribe at <http://www.dsp.org.au/links> or email <dsp@dsp.org.au>.