Search London Progressive Journal
Lenin on the "Withering Away'' of the State and Violent Revolution
Lenin discusses these two topics in section four of chapter one of The State and Revolution (1917)... [read more]
Venezuela’s Chavez Calls for Calm after Violent Protests
A concerted campaign of destablisation from Venezuela's corporate media has fomented violent anti-Chavez demonstrations by right-wing students in Merida, as Tamara Pearson reports.... [read more]
Does Syria Have the Right to Defend Itself?
The Syrian government is truly fighting to defend itself against an armed opposition that is violent, sectarian and unpopular with the large majority of Syrians... [read more]
Fighting Corruption or Persecuting Political Opponents in Venezuela? A Response to the New York Times
James Suggett picks apart the New York Times' claims about alleged political persecution in Chavez's Venezuela.... [read more]
Why is Canada Punishing this Brave Woman?
Christianne Boudreau has worked with other parents internationally to create and promote educational programs to counter extremism.... [read more]
Alcohol: Why do we drink?
Alcohol consumption is one damaging effect among many that flow from this dominant socio-economic system... [read more]
Coming to Grips with Zizek
Two new books by Slavoj Zizek have recently been reviewed by John Gray in the The New York Review of Books, here Thomas Riggins reviews Gray's article.
... [read more]
Day of the Jackals: Eyewitness from the G20 Protests
In the wake of a violent police crackdown in Toronto, Daniel Serge reports on the protests at the recent G20 summit. ... [read more]
Farkhunda and Lahore killings: Acts of violent sexual perversion by “out of control” men
The men who attacked Farkhunda and their supporters are deluded if they think their actions were in defence of Allah... [read more]
U.S. cops kill at 100 times rate of other capitalist countries
How many people are killed every year by the police in the U.S?... [read more]
The myths about Marxism
The past two decades have witnessed a barrage of propaganda against Marxism and its revolutionary heritage from the mainstream media... [read more]
The Grime Behind the Crime
It seems crazy, but the evidence about lead is stacking up. Behind crimes that have destroyed so many lives, is there a much greater crime asks George Monbiot.... [read more]
Iran uses intimidation to deter Arab protests
Dan Brett says Tehran is using martial law, arrests, imprisonment, torture & killings to suppress its Arab minority... [read more]
Violent Clashes Shake Venezuela
A new law prohibiting Venezuela's corporate media from inciting violence against the Chavez government has prompted violent demonstrations from right-wing student groups, as James Suggett explains.... [read more]
The Looming Threat of Terror that Comes From the Far Right
The threat comes not only from jihadis but 'neo-Nazis' out to kill black people, Jews and gays, says Johann Hari.... [read more]
Eight Police Arrested for Death of Venezuelan Student Protestor
James Suggett reports on the Chávez government's attempt to tackle a deep-rooted culture of repressive policing in Venezuela.... [read more]
Strong as Death
I have spent many happy hours in Gaza. I had many friends there. From the leftist Dr. Haidar Abd al-Shafi to the Islamist Mahmoud al-Zahar, who is now the foreign minister of Hamas... [read more]
Greetings for Diana Buttu
A few days ago, a not so well-known Palestinian woman received an unusual honor... [read more]
Who is behind ISIS?
I have no idea where the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL or whatever name it uses came from, and I'm just as baffled by the roots of its violent ideology... [read more]
Northern Ireland Unionism's Dangerously Fascistic Tendency
After a lull over the Christmas period there have once again been violent protests on the streets of Belfast reports Conor... [read more]
The Tone and the Music
While Obama proclaims the 21st century, the government of Israel is returning to the 19th, writes Uri Avnery.... [read more]
Big Brother is Watching You Masturbate
In the week that a controversial new law on pornography came into force, Symon Hill outlines his concerns about the implications for sexual freedom, and civil liberties more broadly.... [read more]
A Beautiful but Deceptive Documentary:
The documentary movie "For Sama" has won a host of awards in Europe and North America.... [read more]
The impact of London on the evolution of Marxism
Class struggle and its capacity for state transformation were institutionalised by the works of a German philosopher called Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.... [read more]
Rising Politics of Intolerance and the Need for Unity
Over the last 20 years extreme right-wing groups have been on the rise throughout the world. They share a belief in white supremacism and conspiracy theories that allege there is a global plot to replace white Christian populations with Muslims and people of color. ... [read more]
‘No Love on the Streets’: Knife crime in Britain
There is something fundamentally wrong with a society when children feel they have to carry deadly weapons in order to protect themselves.... [read more]
Reactive Mismeasures: The New Yorker and the "New" Cold War Propaganda (Part 3)
This is the third part of a paragraph by paragraph commentary on a recent article posing as journalism in the March 6, 2017 issue of The New Yorker... [read more]
Amnesty International’s Kangaroo Report on Syria
Amnesty International (AI) has done some good investigations and reports over the years. However, less well recognized, Amnesty International has also carried out faulty investigations contributing to bloody and disastrous actions... [read more]
Abu-Mazen's Balance Sheet
People wonder why Netanyahu denounces Abbas as an "inciter", while not mentioning Hamas. To solve this mystery, one must understand the Israeli Right does not fear war, but is afraid of international pressure – and therefore the "moderate" Abbas is more dangerous than the "terrorist" Hamas.... [read more]
Clintonites Prepare for War on Syria
Neoconservatives including Clintonites are pushing hard for a direct US attack on Syria to prevent the collapse of their regime change project... [read more]
Exposing the Libyan Agenda: A Closer Look at Hillary’s Emails
Before 2011, Libya had achieved economic independence, with its own water, its own food, its own oil, its own money, and its own state-owned ban... [read more]
Leader without Glory
Abu Mazen was very different from Arafat. Arafat was flamboyant, spontaneous, extrovert. Abu Mazen is rather withdrawn, introverted, cautious, meticulous... [read more]
The Origin of Islamic fundamentalism and possibilities for its eradication
The global resurgence of violent Islamic fundamentalism can only be circumvented with a full comprehension and acknowledgment of what has historically gone wrong... [read more]
Menace on the Menu: Development and the Globalization of Servitude (Part 1)
In his book ‘The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective’, economist Angus Maddison noted that India was the richest country in the world and had controlled a third of global wealth until the 17th century... [read more]
Western Bio- Terrorism: Struck off for “Islamic sectarian violence” but no action against doctors killing patients
Carol Grayson discusses different perceptions of the phenomenon of extremism... [read more]
Piketty for Progressives
Part 2 of Thomas Riggins's analysis of Thomas Piketty's book - Capital in the Twenty-First Century... [read more]
Bury my Heart at Gaza City
The similarities between the building of Israel and the US are astonishing. The native people are portrayed as savage, inherently violent, unable to understand peace... [read more]
Acquiescing to Big Biotech: The Deceptions and Falsehoods of the GMO Lobby
British Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is a staunch supporter of the GMO sector despite mounting evidence pointing to the deleterious health, social, ecological and environmental impacts of GMOs... [read more]
To Smash or be Smashed? Lenin's Theory of the State
In Chapter Two of State and Revolution, Lenin discusses the lessons of the European revolutionary movement of 1848-51... [read more]
Ukraine: a very Western coup
Dr Tomasz Pierscionek provides an analysis of the situation in Ukraine... [read more]
Pakistan: Warning letter on human rights abuses in state custody was ignored, Taliban kill 23 FC men in retaliation
I express my deep sadness when hearing of the torture and unlawful killing of persons in state custody or the recent execution of 23 Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers by Tehrik -i-Taliban (TTP) Mohmand Agency.... [read more]
There is a war on ordinary people and feminists are needed at the front
The problem with media-run "conversations" on gender is not merely the almost total absence of male participants, but the suppression of class, writes John Pilger.... [read more]
Unchangeable Constitution?
I find it incredible that ordinary US citizens believe that they have the right to keep and bear arms in this day and age writes Susan Walpole... [read more]
PTSD in Gaza: A mental health time-bomb
The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme is the leading Palestinian non-governmental organisation which provides mental health services to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, Hussein Al-alak reports... [read more]
Nothing ‘Accidental’ in Mali – More Misery Awaits
Northern Mali promises to be the graveyard of scores of innocent people if African countries don’t collectively challenge Western influence in the region, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Democracy and Slaughter in Burma: Gold Rush Overrides Human Rights
The widespread killings of Rohingya Muslims in Burma – or Myanmar - have received only passing and dispassionate coverage in most media. What they actually warrant is widespread outrage, says Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Anniversary of Gaza Blockade: A State of Siege, and Normalcy
Condemning Israeli rights violations in Palestine by leading human rights and humanitarian organizations is nothing new. Unfortunately, such calls are rarely followed by any organized political campaigns, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
This is free Europe, never again!
The London Progressive Journal gives its take on current events in the latest editorial... [read more]
Never forget that Bradley Manning, not gay marriage, is the issue
John Pilger shows that Barack Obama’s sudden “conversion” to the cause of same-sex marriage barely disguises the prime motives of a president as reactionary and violent as George W Bush.... [read more]
The Palestinian Nakba: The Resolve of Memory
Writing about the events of Al-Nakba, Ramzy Baroud reports that every region in Palestine that was meant to be taken was captured, its people were expelled or massacred in their homes and villages. Ben Guiron ‘cleansed’ the land, but he failed to cleanse Israel’s past. Memory persists.
... [read more]
The New Mandela
Uri Avnery writes about the determination of the Israeli state to keep Marwan Barghouti, Palestine's Mandela, behind bars... [read more]
The Acceptable Face of Violence
The recent claims about India’s poverty having fallen by around seven per cent provided a stark reminder of the violent times we live in, writes Colin Todhunter.... [read more]
Embellishing the Iraq War: Moral Victory, and Selective Body Counts
Someone ought to let mainstream news producers know that the nearly 4,500 US soldiers killed in the Iraq war were not the only victims. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have also been killed as a result of the US invasion, says Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become...
Jean Claude Van Itallie shows how a recent crackdown on Occupy protesters in the US will only bring more people out into the streets, as the 99% realise they have the power. ... [read more]
A violent double standard
Phil Bates cast an eye on David Cameron's hypocrisy and the recent threat of rubber bullets being used by police... [read more]
Occupy Italy: the missing country and the missed opportunity
Patrizia Bertini comments on the slow beginnings of the Occupy Italy movement but notes that in recent days events have been picking up pace... [read more]
The BBC’s defence of the ‘Death in the Med’ is far from being convincing or ethical
Iqbal Tamimi on why the BBC's response to the complaints they received of bias in their 16th August 2010 Panorama programme is inadequate.... [read more]
A Clash of Fundamentalisms
In the third article in his series, 'Contextualising the Threat of Islam', Richard Greeman compares Islamic Fundamentalism with the U.S. regime's own brand on fundamentalist politics.... [read more]
Beyond Violence and Non-Violence: Resistance as a Culture
Political resistance is not simply gratuitous violence - is a collective response to oppression, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Morality Policing
The police treat protests and festivals as a threat to their power, writes George Monbiot.... [read more]
Venezuela: Violence and Discrimination Rise in Opposition-Controlled Universities
Kiraz Janicke reports on how the Venezuelan right are using the university campus as a battleground in their struggle against the Chavez government.... [read more]
An Alternative Reading of the Al-Mabhouh Murder
The assassination of Palestinian activist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was a well-planned, violent and sadistic act of international terrorism, writes Ramzy Baroud. ... [read more]
Chavez: Opposition Student Protests Defend Impunity and Corruption
Kiraz Janicke on Hugo Chavez's assessment of Venezuela's opposition student movement.... [read more]
Exorcising the Ghosts of Paramilitary Violence: Reclaiming Liberty in Libertad
Garry Leech on how the Colombian community of Libertad has struggled to free itself from the brutal violence of Colombia's paramilitary forces.... [read more]
Remembering the Indonesian Killings
The Indonesian massacres of 1965-66 rank among the biggest mass murders of the 20th Century. Looking back on this tragic episode, Nathaniel Mehr asked Noam Chomsky for his observations on the significance of US and British support for the massacre. ... [read more]
Twenty-Five Years On
John Haylett looks back on the struggle which defined the politics of a decade and paved the way for the rise of New Labour.... [read more]
Support the Iranian People, Oppose Tehran’s Clerical Fascism
Peter Tatchell believes the left should unite against the theocratic regime in Tehran.... [read more]
Gaza: Why We Must Act Now
Addressing a Lenasia rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza on 14th January, Zwelinzima Vavi characterised the Israeli government as a racist regime comparable to Apartheid South Africa. ... [read more]
Is Israel Winning the 'Media War' over Gaza?
In the week that the death toll from Israel's vicious onslaught passed the 1,000 mark, Ramzy Baroud looks back on a clinical campaign of distortion and misinformation by the Western mainstream media.... [read more]
Violent Opposition Student Protests Shut Down Venezuelan City and University
James Suggett on the violent confrontations initiated by anti-Chávez demonstrators in Venezuela.... [read more]
Interview: Michael Albert on the Communal Councils in Venezuela
Michael Albert is a prominent activist and economist and a co-founder of Z Magazine. Adam Gill spoke to him about the Venezuelan government's radical "Consejos Comunales" initiative, aimed at deepening participatory democracy.... [read more]
Colombia’s Double Realities: Threats Against Indigenous Communities Ignored as Calls for a Second Re-election of President Uribe Get Louder
As Colombia's President Uribe continues to target the country's indigenous communities, Mario A. Murillo examines why many Colombians are opposed to Uribe's reactionary government.... [read more]
The Plight of the Miami Five
Tomasz Pierscionek on the five Cubans held by the US on charges of epsionage, which thye deny, and the attempts to bring enough national and international pressure to bear to get their convictions re-examined.... [read more]
Mind-Forged Manacles
Crime is down, convictions are down, but the prisons are bursting. Why?... [read more]
Is Bolivia’s “Pink Tide” Being Forced to Turn?
Joanna Allan on the elite-led autonomist rebellion which threatens to undermine unity and progress in Bolivia.... [read more]
Shadow Networks: Violence, War and Plunder in the Great Lakes Region of Africa
Colonial rivalry and capitalist exploitation are at the heart of the violence in the Congo.... [read more]
What is Learning
The following is an extract from Learning, a work synthesising forty five years in education. ... [read more]
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE WOMEN OF THE WAR?
War tends to be men’s way of settling the quarrels between tribes and territories. Homer depicts the heroic, savage or mad acts of men in the Trojan War. The women come later with Odysseus’s wanderings... [read more]
Britain’s Neo-colonial Policies in Oil-rich Nigeria Fuel War and Malnutrition
The controversial re-election of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari underscores the militarization of the country’s political system and economy... [read more]
Marie Colvin, Homs and Media Falsehoods about Syria
In April 2014 I was part of an international delegation which visited Syria for five days. In each city we had meetings with political, religious and social leaders but also had time to wander about and talk with people on the streets. ... [read more]
A Global Battle of Values and Ideals
With each day that passes the conflict and animosity between the conservative reactionary forces and the global movement for progressive change becomes more acute, uglier and increasingly dangerous... [read more]
Britain’s Homeless Crisis
Under the suffocating shadow of economic austerity, homelessness in Britain is increasing, poverty and inequality deepening.... [read more]
Taking Control
The aim of populism is to remake the world as a life where nothing happens.... [read more]
Here’s a Joke: Democracy in Bahrain
On Saturday 24th November Bahrain held its second general election since the “Arab Spring”... [read more]
Civilisations, a current television project, stimulates responses
Civilisation is the culture of cities, of permanent settlements. These demand social organisation to administer to the needs of citizens... [read more]
Eyeless in Gaza
I, Uri Avnery, soldier number 44410 of the Israel army, hereby dissociate myself from the army sharpshooters who murder unarmed demonstrators along the Gaza Strip, and from their commanders, who give them the orders, up to the commander in chief.... [read more]
Taking the World to the Brink of Annihilation
Western neoconservatives and hawks are driving the international situation to increasing tension and danger... [read more]
A Song is Born
The situation in the Gaza Strip is as close to hell as one can get. Food at subsistence level, electricity for two to four hours a day, the water is polluted. Work is extremely scarce. Only the most severely ill are let out.... [read more]
Two Meetings
During the last few days, I met with two old friends: Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin... [read more]
Kaya, the royal Dog
The spectacle is almost bizarre: a political party refuses to accept new members. And not just a few individuals, but tens of thousands... [read more]
The Bizarre Case of Bashar
When I first heard that, on April 4, Bashar al-Assad had bombed Khan Sheikhoun with nerve gas my inner voice whispered: wait. Something wrong. Something smells fishy. First of all, it was too quick. Just a few hours after the event, everybody knew it was Bashar who did it.... [read more]
Palestine's Nelson Mandela
Divide et impera – "divide and rule" – since Roman times this has been a guiding principle of every regime that suppresses another people. In this the Israeli authorities have been incredibly successful.... [read more]
Westminster Attack – Courage, Cowardice and Double Standards
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, was rushed into a car 40 yards from the gates outside Parliament where shots were fired minutes after the incident occurred. What a contrast to President Bashar Al Assad and his wife, who with their children, have never fled terrorist attacks on their country ongoing since March 2011, terrorist attacks which include entirely illegal, massive bombings by UK and US air power.... [read more]
Trump and the left – a case of mass hysteria?
The stark truth is that the left has long ago lost its way politically. Sadly those left fractions, whose kneejerk political solution is to organise an obligatory protest action where slogans, such as “Dump Trump”, are chanted ad nauseum, have become an obstacle to the advance of socialism... [read more]
How did it Start?
The past cannot be changed. But perhaps, perhaps, we can learn from it and draw some conclusions... [read more]
Thanking Obama or The best slaves are the ones who thank their masters
As President Obama takes his last lap around the governing field before turning it over to Donald Trump LLC, many liberals and some deluded "leftists" have taken to thanking him for his eight years of service to the 1%... [read more]
Western countries cling on to censorship to save 'democracy'
News outlets like Russia Today, whether or not you agree with the content and ideas espoused, promote diversity of thought and provide a different perspective on world events that is urgently needed to broaden opinions, balance perspectives... [read more]
Remember Naboth
An incredible piece of legislation is now being debated in Jerusalem.... [read more]
Congressional Hawks Rush to Intensify War in Syria
One of the big lies regarding Syria is that the US has been inactive... [read more]
The White Helmets Controversy
Unknown to most people, the White Helmets brand was conceived and directed by a marketing company named “The Syria Campaign” based in New York. They have managed to fool millions of people... [read more]
WOMEN WORK TO ADDRESS SILENCE OVER WAR ATROCITIES IN POST-CONFLICT BOUGAINVILLE
In the northern coastal villages of Hako Constituency on Buka Island, in Papua New Guinea’s eastern autonomous region of Bougainville, life to all appearances is carefree... [read more]
The Shot Heard All Over the Country
Now the army, the last bulwark of national unity, is being torn apart... [read more]
Welcome! Bienvenue!
"Anti-Semitism in France" is now all the rage in Israel. A huge propaganda effort is invested in this campaign. The aim is to induce French Jews to come to Israel... [read more]
Hatred Unlimited
Absent all chances for a serious effort for peace, hatred will just grow and grow, until it engulfs us all... [read more]
The Case of Soldier A
A group of soldiers, supported by a major part of the political scene, has mutinied against their commanders. This is a major menace to the structure of the state, a challenge to what remains of our democracy.... [read more]
European Union Throws Greece and Refugees to the Sharks
"Hypocrisy, the most protected of vices." Moliere (Jean Baptiste Poquelin, 1622-1673)... [read more]
Britain and Saudi Arabia - Collusion in Barbarism
Last September, Saudi was elected Chair of the UN Human Rights Council with Britain’s collusion... [read more]
Questions of Power and Slavery
All governments encroach, creep into our lives, and smother our minds with ever more legislation that infringes our human rights and civil liberties... [read more]
There are thousands of reasons not to bomb Syria
There are many reasons why Members of Parliament should not vote in favour of bombing Syria... [read more]
Palestine
Just to think of Palestine is evocative. From the lush orange orchards to the laden olive groves... [read more]
“Conflict Issues” In Israel and Palestine: Debate in Committee Room G, British Houses of Parliament
Sitting in Committee Room G in the Houses of Parliament on 23rd October was a sobering affair... [read more]
The Settlers' Prussia
Israeli democracy is sliding downwards. Sliding slowly, comfortably, but unmistakably... [read more]
Nasser and I
Forty five years ago Gamal Abd-al-Nasser died at the early age of 52. It continues to have a huge influence on the present, and probably will on the future... [read more]
The Syrian Crisis is Part of a War Waged on Russia by the West
The roots of the current Syrian refugee crisis lie in the adoption of regime change as a key plank of US and NATO foreign policy... [read more]
From Liberal Hand-wringing to the Political Economy of Assassination: The Charleston Shootings and Mainstream Society’s Complicity in Murder (Part 1)
The larger social architecture defined by the academic, political and corporate ties of the gun lobby helps explain how we could systematically take the fight to the NRA... [read more]
The Second Battle of Trafalgar
A mighty naval battle took place this week on the waves of the Mediterranean. It will go down in history as the equal of Salamis or Trafalgar... [read more]
BDS, the New Enemy
For years now, Netanyahu has built his career on fear of the Iranian Nuclear Bomb... [read more]
The Left, Anti-Zionism & Anti-Semitism
For those of us who study Israel and Zionism from the vantage point of Britain, there are some things we are able to predict with unerring accuracy... [read more]
An Expensive Speech
Churchill famously said that democracy is the worst political system, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time... [read more]
The Casino Republic
Money plays an ever-increasing role in politics. Election propaganda is made on television, which is very expensive... [read more]
Charlie Hebdo, and the racist double standard
In a stomach-churning display of sanctimoniousness, imperialist world leaders marched shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre and in defense of freedom of expression... [read more]
What GMOs Are Really About: Profits, Power and Geopolitics
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not essential for feeding the world... [read more]
The Pen Trumps the Sword Anytime (Part 4)
The fourth part of an 'Introduction' to an illustrated book of poetry by Faysal Mikdadi. The collection, Painted into a Corner, appeared in the summer of 2014... [read more]
Tony Blair, Infanticide Endorser Rewarded by Save The Children
When the Orwellianly name “Middle East Peace Envoy” Tony Blair was named “Philanthropist of the Year” by GQ Magazine in September for “his tireless charitable work” there was widespread disbelief... [read more]
Is ISIS Coming?
If ISIS had approached the borders of Israel this week, nobody in the country would have noticed. Israel was riveted to a court-room drama... [read more]
The revolutionary reawakening of Burkina Faso
The West African country of Burkina Faso exploded into a full blown revolutionary situation on Thursday 30th October... [read more]
IMT Statement: Kobane threatened with massacre: Fight imperialism! Defend the Kurds!
The forces of ISIS are closing in on the besieged town of Kobane on the Turkish-Syrian border... [read more]
Interview with a doctor from Donetsk
During a recent trip to Kazakhstan, Dr Tomasz Pierscionek discussed the situation in Ukraine with a doctor from Donetsk... [read more]
The British Labour Party, The Northern Ireland Labour Party And The Scottish Referendum
Dr Chaminda Weerawardhana explains how the Scottish referendum exposes Labour’s inconsistencies on UK regions... [read more]
NATO weakness in the epoch of geo-political turbulence and instability
The main outcome of the NATO summit that took place in Newport, Wales on 4th-5th September appears to have been the decision to launch a new ‘spearhead’ rapid response task force... [read more]
God Wills It!
For six decades my friends and I have warned our people: if we don't make peace with the nationalist Arab forces, we shall be faced with Islamic Arab forces
... [read more]
The Jihadis Return - ISIS and the New Sunni Awakening by Patrick Cockburn
Dr Tomasz Pierscionek reviews Patrick Cockburn's latest book... [read more]
Piketty for Progressives
Part 1 of Thomas Riggins's analysis of Thomas Piketty's book - Introduction to Capital in the Twenty-First Century... [read more]
Iraq: US and Israel Plan Destruction of the Nation State
The Yinon plan is an Israeli strategic plan to ensure Israeli regional superiority. It insists and stipulates that Israel must reconfigure its geo-political environment through the balkanization of the surrounding Arab states into smaller and weaker states... [read more]
The Atrocity
Bombs are raining on Gaza and rockets on Southern Israel, people are dying and homes are being destroyed... [read more]
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, A Thatcherite Revolution: “Free Trade”, Corporate Plunder and the War on Working People
Prior to the recent national elections in India, there were calls for a Thatcherite revolution to fast-track the country towards privatisation and neo-liberalism... [read more]
Police, Guns, Action – how safe were England’s pilot badger culls?
The British government’s policy to rid England’s cattle of bovine TB by culling badgers is unravelling writes Lesley Docksey... [read more]
Tiananmen: the massacre that wasn't
What really happened 25 years ago in Tiananmen Square?... [read more]
India: a vote of despair
Dr Lal Khan provides analysis on the Indian elections and the landslide victory of the BJP... [read more]
Pakistan ambassador calls for ban on drones at UN conference as several persons reported killed in latest strike
The CCW Meeting of Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) took place from 13 to 16 May 2014 at the United Nations in Geneva... [read more]
A Shameful Chapter
How would the US react to a declaration that the Palestinians would not conduct negotiations with an Israeli government that includes semi-fascist parties?... [read more]
Censorship double standards: State terrorism websites vs insurgent websites
Carol Grayson asks whether the CIA website should be banned as the organisation is implicated in torture and promotes violence... [read more]
Missing Moazzam: For former Guantanamo detainee, the ordeal continues
I am missing the presence of Moazzam Begg as an important contributor to the daily political debate on terrorism and counter-terrorism on social media... [read more]
Free Rolf Kaestel: The prisoner who blew the whistle on a prison blood scandal linked to Bill Clinton
Most of us have read how difficult it has been for whistleblowers Julian Assange and Edward Snowdon since exposing state secrets, now imagine blowing the whistle from behind bars of one of America’s most notorious penitentiaries... [read more]
State and Revolution: Chapter One: Class Society and the State
Thomas Riggins explains how, according to Lenin, the State is a product of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms
... [read more]
Activists and Afghan Taliban slate Guantanamo and did US attempt to drone Bowe Bergdahl?
Back in 2013 a number of human rights activists including myself joined a solidarity hunger strike with Guantanamo prisoners... [read more]
Britain's Legacy in Palestine (Part 1 of 2)
Dr Faysal Mikdadi publishes an excellent account of Palestine's history, focusing on how the economic, racist, religious, nationalistic, commercial and orientalist attitudes of Britain shaped the land and its people (Part 1 of 2)... [read more]
Solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution in the face of economic war
In the run up to the 8th December municipal elections in Venezuela, the campaign of speculation, hoarding, profiteering, overpricing and sabotage of the economy has intensified... [read more]
Bankocracy: from the Venetian Republic to Mario Draghi and Goldman Sachs
From the 12th century to the beginning of the 14th, the Knights Templar, present in much of Europe, had become the bankers for the powerful and had taken part in the financing of several crusades... [read more]
Martial Law and the Economy: Is Homeland Security Preparing for the Next Wall Street Collapse?
Reports are that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is engaged in a massive, covert military buildup, writes Ellen Brown... [read more]
For Whom the Cock Crows
Thomas Riggins discusses Marx's 1844 article on Hegel's philosophy of law... [read more]
Gibraltar: A Rock of Democratic Stability As Some Nations Become Ungovernable
David Eade discusses the recent GSLP by-election victory in Gibraltar and examines the fragility of democracy across Europe... [read more]
Bulgarian Democracy: In A Delicate State
David Eade revisits Bulgaria a month after the elections that brought the Bulgarian Socialist Party to power.... [read more]
Bulgaria elections: Widespread abuse but hope
I set off to Bulgaria after being selected by the Party of European Socialists to be part of the 100 plus team from all across the European Union to monitor the General Election. David Eade reports.... [read more]
Assata Shakur: Understanding the politics behind the FBI's new attack
On May 2, the FBI suddenly announced that they had placed Assata Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list. The FBI's accusations target Shakur as an individual, but the labeling of her as a terrorist is an attack on all revolutionaries says Eugene Puryear... [read more]
Venezuelan elections
John Green provides an analysis of and background to today's election in Venezuela... [read more]
The Argo Deception: How Hollywood masks the ugly truth of Iran-US relations
Exiled Iranian journalist and documentary filmmaker, Lila Ghobady, talks about the fabrication of history through film... [read more]
Marching with the Neo-Nazis
On Saturday I attended the MSZP socialist party rally in Budapest. It was held at the national stadium dedicated to Ferenc Puskás, writes David Eade... [read more]
Andalucía High Court backs workers’ champion
If you have an image of a person who is an old school Communist mayor and trade unionist in Andalucía the chances are you would come up with a description of Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, writes David Eade.... [read more]
Despite the NRA and the Ultra-Right Most Americans Favor Gun Controls
Thomas Riggins states that the majority of Americans support more gun controls to reduce and prevent the epidemic of violence in the US
... [read more]
Now they do not need evidence, they create secret witnesses
Öcalan’s isolation may be over as the hunger strike ends in Turkish prisons, but the unjust trials of the opponents of the Government continue. Tim Baster and Isabelle Merminod report ... [read more]
Bahrain
History replays itself over and over again. An endless loop. And we watch. Mesmerised. As if it were the first time. And we never learn... From Hungary to Bahrain, Dr Faisal Mikdadi contemplates the struggle for democracy.... [read more]
Time for our unions to come to Spain’s aid
David Eade calls for a renewal of international solidarity to help Spain’s embattled workers... [read more]
The Spanish State Faces Disintegration
The Spain of today is in a deep financial crisis. Rather than the country pulling together it is pulling apart. LPJ Iberian correspondent, David Eade, discusses the possibility of the Spainish state breaking up into autonomous regions... [read more]
Mass media directing the masses
Luke Innes looks at the effect of mass media on the working class in Britain... [read more]
The Children Are Still Dying: Violence is Not News
Somewhere in my home I have a set of photo albums I rarely go near. I fear the flood of cruel memories that might be evoked from looking at the countless photos I took during a trip to Iraq, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
The Predicament of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon exist on the margins of a larger political question concerning the country’s irreconcilable sectarian, factional and familial divides, Ramzy Baroud reports... [read more]
From MI5 to Islamabad, safe in our hands: death, destruction and spymaster saviours
Colin Todhunter explains that the US had its fingers all over much of the Arab Spring since before day one.... [read more]
Manhunt
Uri Avnery, Israeli journalist and former Knesset member, writes about the abuse of African migrants in his country... [read more]
French Canadian battles to speak for London in Paris
France may have a new President but the electoral contest is far from over, reports David Eade... [read more]
Starving and Broke: Yemen’s Renewed ‘War on Terror’
Yemeni forces continue to push against fighters affiliated with al-Qaeda. Their major victories come on the heels of the inauguration of Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi, who is now entrusted with the task of leading the country through a peaceful transition writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
The Logic of Unintended Consequences: The ‘Mess in Mali'
Ramzy Baroud explains how NATO's foray into Libya is beginning to have unforseen consequences across North Africa... [read more]
When will the Palestinians revolt?
After six decades of occupation, Israeli government strategists are yet to realize that the Palestinian people are not a singular body of blind followers who can be easily manipulated and controlled, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Costly ‘Freedom’ in Afghanistan: On Morbid Wars and Logic
The Afghans are a proud people with a long and formidable history of resistance to foreign occupation. The fact that they have always prevailed, however, should not distract from the horror they still routinely experience, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Political policing
Still needs a lot of editing, especially last part...... [read more]
Back to Basics in Palestine: Redefining Our Relationship to a People’s Struggle
Palestinians are governed by laws without internationally recognizable legal frame of reference, a situation that allows Israel to justify the detention of Gaza patients seeking medical treatment outside their besieged area, writes Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
A ban on boxing- reasoned thinking or sheer discrimination
In the wake of a brawl between Derek Chisora and David Haye outside of the ring, some are calling for a ban on boxing. RJ Middleton asks whether this is an appropriate reaction to the incident... [read more]
News International Wapping Exhibition closes as Sun on Sunday is launched
David Eade reviews the News International Wapping – 25 Years on exhibition that has been touring around the UK... [read more]
The future for Tunisia
Thomas Riggins examines the background and ideology of the Ennanah Party, now heading the governing alliance in Tunisia following the overthrow of President Ben Ali ... [read more]
The Light That Cracks The Darkness
The people of Spain are actively resisting the effects of austerity. As Bryan G Taylor explains, no amount of 'Reforma Laboral' will stave off call for a revolutionary change... [read more]
Lucy Parsons: labor activist, writer and revolutionary- A Liberation Black History Month profile
Women of every oppressed nationality are often at the helm of revolutionary movements. Unfortunately, the contributions of women are frequently dismissed or forgotten... [read more]
Cuba’s truths
A interesting editorial from Cuba's national newspaper, Granma, rebuts the latest claims of human rights abuses put forth by the US and some countries of the EU... [read more]
The world war on democracy
From the Chagos islands to Libya, a ruthless system has been at work, often resorting to violence whilst trying to maintain the illusion of democracy... [read more]
Protest Movement or tourist attraction?
David Eade contrasts the Occupy movement in the UK with the 15-M movement in Spain... [read more]
The Stolen War
Uri Avnery shows how Hamas' decision to make peace with Israel scuppers plans for war... [read more]
Why capitalism likes us to behave irrationally
It’s a great irony that although human beings, as distinct from other animals, are characterised by their ability for rational thinking, so much of our behaviour is irrational, argues John Green.... [read more]
False Evidence Appearing Real
There is profit to be made in keeping the public fearful, Bryan G Taylor explains... [read more]
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
The London Progressive Journal gives its take on current events in the latest fortnightly editorial... [read more]
'Zero-Problems' Foreign Policy No More: Turkey and the Syrian 'Abyss'
Ramzy Baroud notes the U-turn in Turkey's foreign policy towards its neighbour Syria.... [read more]
The War on Libya: Behind Appearances - Part 3
An in-depth critique and analysis of the beginnings of the civil war in Libya and what was at stake for all parties involved in the final conflict, split into three parts. (Part 3)... [read more]
The War on Libya: Behind Appearances - Part 1
An in-depth critique and analysis of the beginnings of the civil war in Libya and what was at stake for all parties involved in the final conflict, split into three parts.... [read more]
Voters swing behind the PCE on its 90th anniversary
David Eade recounts the history of the Communist Party of Spain and shows that the party still has influence in Spanish politics... [read more]
Slavery for Dummies- Part three
The third and final part of an analysis by OutRageous! looking at the slavery endemic in our modern society.
... [read more]
Capitalism\'s Lost Generation
Rob Sewell looks at the global problem of rising youth unemployment... [read more]
Modern Pauperism and its Consequences: A Dissenting View on the Riots in England (Part I of II)
The first part of an essay by Matthias Dapprich in which he adopts a class based analysis of the recent London riots.
... [read more]
UK riots: Missing the bigger picture
Tomasz Pierscionek examines a variety of proposals to deal with the rioting that swept London and reveals gaps in the logic of those calling for the usual knee jerk reaction.... [read more]
Gaddafi, the War on Libya and the Left
Ben Maisky scrutinises Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s Socialist and anti-imperialist credentials and questions whether certain sections of the left are mistaken in their support for Gaddafi.... [read more]
Whitewashing Defeat
For all his poise and rhetoric, Obama’s indecisiveness is the defining feature of his presidency, says Ramzy Baroud.... [read more]
Clinton Revises Colombia’s Drug History to Justify US Military Role in Mexico and Central America
Garry Leech reflects on the Orwellian distortions in Hillary Clinton's recent comments on the history of US involvement in Central America.... [read more]
Canadian and US Unions Offer Solidarity to Threatened Mexican Workers
Daina Z. Green reports on the terrorism of Mexican unions by their own Government in support of business interests over that of their own workers. ... [read more]
Yemen’s Options: ‘Revolt, Migrate or Die’
Yemen is emerging as the latest casualty of the so-called 'War on Terror', as Ramzy Baroud explains.... [read more]
Italian Elections: More of the Same
Samuele Mazzolini reflects on an election that has consolidated the dominance of Silvo Berlusconi's centre-right bloc, and the continuing malaise of the Italian left.... [read more]
'Urgent Threats' of Yesteryear
In the second article in his series, 'Contextualising the Threat of Islam', Richard Greeman looks back on the US government's long history of constructing official enemies to justify foreign aggression and domestic repression alike.... [read more]
Venezuela Creates Peasant Militias
The Chavez regime is arming the Venezuelan peasantry to protect them against militias bent on undermining the country's agrarian reform initiatives, as Kiraz Janicke explains.... [read more]
Tens of Thousands of Students Rally in Support of Chavez in Venezuela
A student rally in the Venezuelan capital has rallied behind the country's president, writes Kiraz Janicke.... [read more]
Whither Iran?
In the wake of the demostrations of 11th February, which saw hard-liners and pro-democracy campaigners alike take to the streets of Tehran, Maziar Razi assesses the balance of forces in Iranian politics.... [read more]
Retrospective: Interview with Howard Zinn
The radical historian and activist Howard Zinn died this week, aged 87. In 2008, he gave this interview with London Progressive Journal's Daniel Pye.... [read more]
Soldiers for Hire
Melanie Macdonald on the dangerous and disturbing proliferation of neo-colonial private militias.... [read more]
Globalization Unchecked: How Alien Media is Suffocating Culture
Ramzy Baroud considers the cultural impact of global economic integration in 'third world' societies. ... [read more]
The Global Struggle for Queer Freedom
Delivering the 2009 Caroline Benn Memorial Lecture, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell hailed the ongoing defiance of the world's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the face of deeply-entrenched homophobic prejudice.... [read more]
Justice This Time Around: Will Goldstone's Report Deliver?
Israel has arrogantly dismissed the findings of a new, detailed UN report into Israeli war crimes in Gaza, as Ramzy Baroud explains.... [read more]
Book of the Month: Alex Callinicos, Imperialism and Global Political Economy
Nathaniel Mehr reviews this month's recommendation.... [read more]
Venezuela’s Globovision to be Investigated Over Calls for a Coup D’État
Kiraz Janicke on the latest events in the bitter struggle between the Chavez government and Venezuela's right-wing corporate media.... [read more]
Venezuelan Socialist Party to Form Worker Patrols and Host International Leftist Meeting
James Suggett reports from Merida on two important new initiatives by the Chavez government.... [read more]
Whose Acre?
Uri Avnery on how the battle over the identity of the historic port of Acre reflects wider struggles over cultural identity in Israel-Palestine.... [read more]
Fatah: A New Beginning or an Imminent End?
The 'pragmatism' of the Fatah Congress threatens to derail the Palestinian national project,as Ramzy Baroud explains.... [read more]
Ongoing Assassinations and Heavy Combat in Colombian Border Region
A Justice for Colombia report on the ongoing political violence in the Colombian border region of Arauca.... [read more]
Venezuelan Government Arrests Suspect in Attack on Globovision Television Station
Kiraz Janicke on the Venezuelan government's move to distance itself from the violent actions of some of its core supporters.... [read more]
Venezuela Government Condemns Peruvian Massacres
James Suggett on the Venezuelan government's response to the massacre of indigenous protestors in the Peruvian Amazon.... [read more]
Danger! Police at Work
Daniel Read examines allegations that London's police used under-cover agents to provoke violence at last month's G20 protests.... [read more]
Thank You, Mayor Luzhkov
Peter Tatchell reports on the successful rallying, against all the odds, of an anti-homophobia campaign in Moscow.... [read more]
The Economic Crisis and Poor Countries
Mick Brooks compares the 'boom and bust' economics of the past twenty years with similar patterns in the 1920s and 1930s: once again it is the poorer nations that stand to lose the most.... [read more]
Cops Must Face Law
Liz Davies says some pressing questions need to be answered about the way in which London's police conducted themselves during the G20 protests.... [read more]
Presidents of Venezuela and Colombia Pledge Peace and Economic Development
James Suggett on an encouraging meeting between Uribe and Chávez.... [read more]
Who's the Boss?
After a tumultuous few weeks in Israeli politics, Uri Avnery examines the worrying rhetoric emanating from the new administration.... [read more]
G20 Riot Police Kill Bystander
In the wake of the unprovoked - and ultimately fatal - attack on bystander Ian Tomlinson at last week's G20, Daniel Read calls for an end to police brutality and the culture of police cover-ups. ... [read more]
No Freedom Here
John Pilger on how Britain is sleepwalking into an Orwellian nightmare of surveillance, secrecy and militarism.... [read more]
Book of the Month: "Feminism and War: Confronting US Imperialism"
Nathaniel Mehr reviews this month's recommendation.... [read more]
An Important but Risky Victory for Venezuela and for Socialism
Gregory Wilpert assesses the implications of Hugo Chávez's referendum victory.... [read more]
Day of Celebrations across Venezuela for Revolution’s 10th Anniversary
Tamara Pearson on the celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of Hugo Chavez's presidency. ... [read more]
Wife of Trade Union President Shot Dead
A Justice For Colombia report on the latest in a series of state-sponsored killings aimed at terrorising Colombia's labour movement.... [read more]
Interview: Manuel Yepe talks to London Progressive Journal
On the Fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, Alexa Van Sickle talks to Manuel Yepe, the former Cuban Ambassador to Romania and close friend of Che Guevara, about what the future may hold for the Caribbean island. ... [read more]
Iraq's US Security Charade
As the mainstream media complacently celebrate the security pact which purports to confer independence upon the puppet regime in Baghdad, Ramzy Baroud provides a withering assessment of what the agreement really means.... [read more]
Bush's Last Bullet: Why the US Attacked Syria
In the aftermath of the appalling US raid on Syria, Ramzy Baroud examines the familiar double-standard in the mainstream discourse on what constitutes unacceptable policy and aggression.... [read more]
A Third Palestinian Intifada in the Making
Prominent journalist and author Ramzy Baroud considers the many uncertainties ahead for the Palestinian struggle. ... [read more]
Talk of "Progress" in Iraq is a Smokescreen as Sectarian Militants Target Christian Community
As violence continues unabated in "free" Iraq, Hussein Al-Alak questions the convenient myth that there is something inherently natural about sectarian violence in Iraq.... [read more]
Bolivia: Big Business Interests Continue to Stoke Up Confrontation Against Morales
Samuele Mazzolini on the vicious campaign being waged by right-wing elements opposed to the mildly socialist reforms of Bolivia's President Evo Morales.... [read more]
Venezuela Says US Uses Anti-Drug List as “Weapon of Domination”
James Suggett on how the United States is using the pretext of counter-narcotics to further its political struggle against Hugo Chávez's Venezuela. ... [read more]
Human Rights and Intifada in the Western Sahara
Joanna Allan examines the ongoing struggle against the illegal occupation of the Western Sahara by the Moroccan government.... [read more]
Venezuela’s Only Contacts with FARC were for Humanitarian Exchange Says Minister
Venezuela's foreign minister has refuted US-sourced allegations that Hugo Chavez has been financing the Colombian rebel group FARC.... [read more]
Cultural Values and the “Amstetten case”: what the International and Austrian Media are Saying About Josef Fritzl
Alexa Van Sickle dissects the response of national and international media to the Josef Fritzl scandal.... [read more]
Interview: Howard Zinn talks to London Progressive Journal
Daniel Pye speaks to the legendary American historian and peace activist Howard Zinn.... [read more]
Is Peace Possible in the Western Sahara?
Joanna Allan on the ongoing struggle of the Saharawi people.... [read more]
Polish Community Hits Back At Daily Mail
Chris Bath on the Daily Mail's crass xenophobia.... [read more]
Anti-FARC March Only Tells Part Of the Story
As millions march against the FARC in Colombia, Samuele Mazzolini considers the wider context of Colombia's internal security problems.... [read more]
