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Crisis

The limits of Keynesianism - video

Dominic Alexander looks at the limits of Keynesian economics in the context of the current crisis and questions of state spending
It’s not the vaccine, it’s the vacuousness: polling, politics and the Starmer slump

Chris Nineham argues Starmer's poor polling can't be blamed on vaccine success
Boğaziçi student protesters are taking on Erdoğan and they need our solidarity

Amid a crackdown on dissent and academic freedom by Erdoğan’s authoritarian regime, students in Istanbul stand defiant, reports Ceren Sagir
Brazil: escalating covid deaths pile the pressure on Bolsonaro

The view is growing that Brazil’s calamitous covid death toll is the result of a deliberate strategy by Bolsonaro, finds Orlando Hill
False hopes: the crisis will not be solved by slightly nicer capitalism

Promises of enlightened policies by the likes of Trudeau and Biden fly in the face of the harsh reality of a system in deep crisis, argues John Clarke
Stop blaming people’s behaviour for this catastrophe – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the Tory game of Covid-shaming and the persistence of the Palestinian cause
Tories can’t be trusted to save lives and protect the NHS - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Johnson's ceaseless governmental crisis and the fight for Zero Covid
Schools: the frontline in stopping the Tories and saving lives – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon assesses the first government crisis of 2021
Why are health workers still not getting the protection they need?

It’s an outrage that health workers are still not getting the PPE they need to keep themselves safe, writes Richard Allday
Cancelled Christmas ends a year of Tory disasters - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the black hole of Johnson’s governmental crisis
Covid Christmas crisis: Johnson’s Tories are a plague on all our houses – CounterBlast

A catalogue of mismanagement exposes an incapable government that must be removed, observes Alex Snowdon
The Tories’ addiction to profit threatens all our lives - CounterBlast

Boris Johnson is ending the year with the same clueless and inept style of leadership he started it, writes Sean Ledwith
Will a Covid vaccine save us?

A safe, effective and accessible vaccine would be a major turning point in the pandemic but we can't just wait, we need a zero-Covid strategy now
The problem with the Shock Doctrine: Socialists and Crisis - video

Crises are inherently moments of weakness for the ruling class and an organised left can play a role in shaping the outcome, argues Chris Nineham
Manchester rent strike and occupation to continue after University's derisory offer

The University of Manchester's offer for a 5% rent reduction is an insult and students will continue their occupation and renew the rent strike for the January term, writes Lucy Nichols
Cummings’ exit shows how the Johnson administration is falling apart - CounterBlast

The sacking of Boris Johnson’s chief of staff has deeper roots than mere office tensions in Downing Street, argues Alex Snowdon
Vaccine hope is not a substitute for a zero-Covid strategy

We need to stop the transmission of the virus now to prevent more deaths before a vaccine is ready, argues Caitlin Southern
Why is the US election so close? - video

Kevin Ovenden analyses the US election result so far and why the crisis is far from over
Tory splits widen as opposition to No. 10 grows in all quarters - CounterBlast

The Tories are failing in the most basic principle of government, to keep its people safe, and its uniting people against them, writes Terina Hine
Holiday hunger backlash turns the tide against Tories - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on class warfare and the government’s commitment to inequality
Testing times, but no trace of a government strategy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tories’ ever-escalating Covid crisis, anti-austerity and Labour’s warped security values
Covid: a Tory-made crisis - Counterfire Bulletin October 2020

Why we need a zero-Covid strategy, resistance on the frontline, carnage in America and a new direction for the left in this month's Counterfire bulletin
American carnage: this is chapter 1 of the crisis - video

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome
No country for old men? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on systemic inequality and Labour’s identity problem
International opposition to the war on Yemen is growing

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham
Macron’s war on ‘Islamic separatism’

As a second wave of Covid-19 powers through France, a beleaguered president bent on re-election invokes a familiar Islamophobic trope, says Susan Ram
The Tories and Covid, not just incompetent but corrupt

The government’s privatisation of public services is at the heart of the Test and Trace failures and it’s costing lives, argues Lucy Nichols
Double trouble: COVID chaos and the neoliberal university

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić
Whose crisis is it anyway? The problem with the shock doctrine

The ruling class is ruthless in trying to exploit crises, but we shouldn’t underestimate the turmoil it's in and the opportunities to advance the struggle, argues Chris Nineham
The Covid crisis in universities: voices from the frontline

The new term has seen universities plunged into Covid-chaos. John Westmoreland spoke to UCU activists about what’s happening and the action we need
When Towering Inferno meets Groundhog Day - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on a Tory party that cannot cope and a pitiful pseudo-opposition
8 Reasons to reject Sunak’s scheme and keep fighting for the furlough - Counterblast

Sunak’s scheme will mean millions are made jobless and the movement should reject it, argue Susan Newman and Chris Nineham
‘And seem a saint, when most I play the devil’: Johnson’s dangerously misleading Covid broadcast

The government is still committed to putting profit before lives. We need to organise to force adequate safety measures argues Katherine Connelly
Second time farce, but it will lead to tragedy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the spiralling Covid crisis and how class remains our compass point
Tory failure: the explanation lies beyond stupidity - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the return of Conservative sleaze and Keir Starmer’s unfit-for-purpose Labour Party
Tax the rich - but it is about a lot more than that

Kevin Ovenden looks at the growing crisis facing the government over the soaring deficit and the debate on taxation
The cost of the Costa Coffee economy - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tory return to work and Trump’s bid for a second term
This country is non-functioning: Black Lives Matter resets itself after Kenosha

As Trump and the far right try to capitalise on urban unrest, pro athletes take the movement to new heights, reports Kate O’Neil
This town is a ghost town: government pushes re-openings amidst empty city centres - CounterBlast

Tory attempts to square the circle of profits and public safety are becoming increasingly desperate, argues Lucy Nichols
This Tory is for turning: Boris Johnson’s vacillations

The present series of U-turns shows the government is both incompetent and vulnerable to pressure from below as never before, asserts David McAllister
Another day, another U-turn: Boris Johnson is vulnerable - CounterBlast

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith
Jacob Blake and Kenosha: the chickens are still coming home to roost

Kate O’Neil reflects on the US empire’s latest eruption of racism and violence
Why does capitalism go into crisis? - video

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Susan Newman explains the regular crises faced by capitalism
The summer daze of Boris Johnson - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on a political crisis that’s far from over
Dunce’s cap for Williamson, and a big Fail for the exam system - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Tory education and why socialists defend refugees
Resurgent virus exposes Johnson’s terrible failures – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on a persistent Covid-19, feckless Tories and campaigning for carers
Prepare for the coming jobs massacre – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on the impending economic crisis and Blairism’s place in history
The Russians are coming: the new liberal delusion

The unfounded hysteria about Russian interference is being driven by the political centre struggling to find a way back, argues Chris Nineham
It’s working people’s good sense versus the government’s nonsense – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid and the distortions of the Tory spin machine
Save lives and jobs: distance yourself from neoliberalism - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on post-Covid reconstruction and the politics of free speech
Ten reasons Roosevelt’s New Deal was more myth than reality

FDR’s reputation as a workers’ President should be rejected along with Boris Johnson’s attempt to channel his legacy, argues Sean Ledwith
The South Sea Bubble: England's first stock market crisis 300 years ago

The South Sea Bubble was not an exceptional event but the first of many crises produced by the inescapable tendencies of capitalism, argues Dominic Alexander
The movement that can dump Trump – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter impact on US politics and the floundering Tories
The looming danger of a US-China military confrontation

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German
40,000 deaths but Johnson pushes us back to work - CounterBlast 5 June

The awful milestone of 40,000 officially recorded deaths shows why the government is reckless in lifting the lockdown, writes Alex Snowdon
The schools’ crisis: what can we expect

Children will not be returning to normal schooling this week, explains NEU executive member Philipa Harvey
Not until it's safe: stay away on 1st June

Many primary schools will re-open for large numbers of children on Monday. This is too soon, argues NEU activist Tony Dowling
5 things the Cummings crisis teaches us which make the country virtually ungovernable - CounterBlast 28 May

The bizarre and obsessive defence of Dominic Cummings shows that the current crop of Tories are incompetent as well as callous, argues Chris Nineham
Do as I say, not as I do: Cummings must go

The revelations about Boris Johnson’s chief adviser breaking lockdown rules should be the end of his career, writes Sean Ledwith
Capitalism as a dynamic system: Marx and the Climate Crisis - extract

In the second of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate destruction is a structural feature of capitalism
Tube drivers: In dubious battle

Tube driver and ASLEF branch chair Unjum Mirza describes the growing conflicts over worker and passenger safety on London Underground
Contagion revisited: how Hollywood got its pandemic prediction upside down

Chaotic leadership vs calm public: how reality was different from Contagion's plotlines, says Chris Nineham
Hackney organises against charges and discrimination in migrants' health care

Marion Macalpine reports from the recent Hackney Keep Our NHS Public meeting on migrant health and welfare during the lockdown
Marx and the Climate Crisis - extract

In the first of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at why individual behaviour has received so much attention and why this is an inadequate approach to the climate crisis
Model Letter to your local authority: don't open schools until it is safe

This model letter can be adapted and used to lobby the local authority in your area to put pressure on them not to open the schools until they are safe
A failed government in a failed system – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back
Conspiracies and capitalism: why we shouldn’t end the lockdown

Responses to the Covid-19 crisis that jeopardise the working class have to be rejected, asserts Shabbir Lakha
Doctor speaks out: this isn't freedom, it's a death sentence

Physical distancing restrictions are not simply a matter of preserving NHS capacity, they are about saving lives, says Red Elmahdi
Left on our own: a dispatch from the frontline

Counterfire interviewed a care worker from a home in Yorkshire about the Covid-19 issues that are affecting these workplaces across Britain
World War 2: we weren’t all in it together

On VE Day, we repost Lindsey German's article busting the oven-ready myths that are being used to corral the herd during this crisis
Corona and the food crisis: how the markets failed us

Corona crisis has exposed how market forces cannot be trusted with our food production, says Kevin Potter
Set up to fail? Labour’s not so independent inquiry

Nick Fitzpatrick finds glaring issues with the panel put together by the NEC and its remit to investigate #LabourLeaks
Government and opposition: all in it together? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, Labour collusion, the dictates of capital and remembering WW2
Capitalism: do not resuscitate

The global economic crisis rendered by the Covid-19 pandemic considered by Susan Newman
Lockdown? This government should be locked up – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions
I don’t mind working but I do mind dying

London tube workers have been fighting to ensure a safe service during the Covid crisis; here’s its timeline, by Unjum Mirza, driver and Aslef branch chair
Republic of hunger: In the time of lockdown

Deaths by hunger will outpace deaths due to novel coronavirus in India, says Shashi Kant Tripathi
How long can the government distort facts - CounterBlast 22 April

While the government continues to distort facts, labour movement outside parliament has started to bear fruits inside, says David McAllister
The coronavirus crisis: Britain’s ugly moment of truth – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, the Tories and the real value of workers
The government's callousness is clear for all to see - CounterBlast 19 April

Boris Johnson's government has blood on its hands, says Tom Griffiths
Shock and awe: Orbán’s corona dictatorship in Hungary

The harsh authoritarianism of Orban’s hard-right regime is a warning to the world, writes Anita Zsurzsan in Hungary
Thick as thieves: coronavirus and the media

Timid, bland, uncritical - British news media have failed in holding the government to account over the coronavirus crisis, explains Des Freedman
PPE: Tories are still failing our frontline workers - CounterBlast 18 April

The government is failing to deliver PPE while trade unions consider strike action to save lives, writes Lucy Nichols
Capital’s dilemma: the conundrum of neoliberalism and Covid-19

Gramsci’s morbid symptoms reassert themselves in the age of coronavirus, writes Shashikant Tripathi
Sir Keir Starmer’s deadly crusade: supporting big business and undermining unions - CounterBlast 15 April

Keir Starmer's "forensic" opposition amounts to siding with the government against unions and public health it seems, writes Katherine Connelly
The coronavirus care home crisis: this is what herd immunity looks like - CounterBlast April 14

The government's attitude to the elderly in care homes is unconscionable, argues Shabbir Lakha
UK's national scandal: time for accountability and change

In this thorough and damning account of the government's catastrophic failures dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Raisa Ahmed argues we cannot return to 'normal'
The government must commit to end homelessness for good, not just during COVID-19

COVID-19 has given the government the impetus to house the homeless, but this should not be a temporary solution, argues Norbert Lawrie
Is there life outside Labour? That is where the hope lies

Recent events in the Labour Party need to be examined clinically, because they tell us important things both about the party's direction of travel and about how power is wielded within it, says Chris Nineham
Socialists in a time of plague

John Rees provides an overview of a landscape darkened by the establishments’ failure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic
Pandemic hammers the US economy

The coronavirus crisis has triggered a deep and sustained economic downturn in the US that will have lasting effects, writes John Clarke
It’ll Be Over By Easter: How Trump Became the Covidiot-in-Chief

Tragically, the events leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak and the manner in which he has bungled the federal response confirms that the Trump Presidency is destined to go down as one of the most disastrous in US history, says Sean Ledwith
The Sanders campaign and the corona crisis: stay in the race and retool for the long game

The pressure on Sanders to withdraw is intense. He must stay, and fight the long game, argues Kate O'Neil
Right turn for Labour – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the election of Sir Keir Starmer and the continuing Covid-19 crisis
Coronavirus crisis: is the tide turning against the Tories?

Number Ten’s Covid-19 media strategy appears to be unravelling, notes Alex Snowdon
Herd from the hub: a frontline dispatch

What happens when precarity and key working meet head-on in a pandemic, Andrew Emerson reports
A Knight’s leadership heralds a return for the Labour right – CounterBlast 4 April

This grave result is at loggerheads with the dictates of our present reality, observes Alex Snowdon
Gaza finds itself embroiled in another kind of seige

Gaza still needs our help, let us not give up on it in these testing times, argues Maddalena Dunscombe
Staff and workers still remain exposed - CounterBriefing 30 March

The attempt to look competent by providing regular updates the government is just trying to hide its inadequacies, says David McAllister
Can Johnson gain politically from this crisis? – weekly briefing

Lindsey German assesses the balance of forces
Crisis management Tory style - CounterBriefing 29 March

Another day and another suit delivering the same excuses as the fear and anxiety mounts for the rest of us, writes Chrissy Brand
Test, test, test: the politics of coronavirus in microcosm

A crisis is always an opportunity for the right; our side has to start setting the terms of its own agenda, writes Kevin Potter
Dominic Cummings vs the people - podcast

Following his article Coronavirus: the politics of Cummings' cull, Sean Ledwith speaks to Parallax Views
The sociopathic calculus of capitalism in a crisis

The ruling class is debating whether or not it's worth saving the lives of those it can no longer exploit; this is barbarism, writes Kevin Ovenden
Protect the NHS? Call their bluff and we can win – CounterBriefing 25 March

Don’t underestimate the power of popular pressure at this moment, argues Katherine Connelly
Pandemic basic income is not the solution

UBI lets the bosses off the hook and does nothing to challenge a system in crisis, argues John Clarke
Clap for the NHS: fight for testing and protection

As testing continues not to be rolled out, NHS workers and those in their care are increasingly at risk, argues Alia Butt. Clap for them this Thursday
Message to the government: your friends, the super-rich, are the hoarders - CounterBriefing 21 March

The government is trying to deflect blame from its failings by blaming ordinary people for the shortages, argues Katherine Connelly
Universal Credit: a coronavirus catch-22

People could lose money if they claim UC under the new proposals, reports Jim Scott
Criminal negligence while the virus lets rip - CounterBriefing 19 March

In the second CounterBriefing, Chris Nineham looks at the verbal gymnastics of the government to cover its own back after its policy has been declared utterly impractical
The viral bug that crashed the economy

The seeds for the economic meltdown that we face now were planted a long time ago, says David Bush
Endless conflicts are deepening Coronavirus crisis

In this critical hour, all sanctions and hostilities must cease argues Chris Nineham
Teachers in New York forced schools to close; we need to do the same

Don't play dice with people's lives. Close schools now, argues Shabbir Lakha
Laugh through the lockdown

Five of the best novels to keep you laughing while you sharpen your critical faculties from John Rees
Coronavirus is exposing capitalism - video

Kevin Ovenden speaks to Double Down News on how the nature of capitalism is being shown for what it is in this crisis
Stop the profiteering: requisition the private hospital beds

The government should use the power it has to requisition private hospital beds, instead of going ahead with plans to let the private sector profit once again, argues Mona Kamal.
Coronavirus: market failure

In his third note on the Covid-19 outbreak, Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis examines the role of the market in the apparent crisis on our shelves
Coronavirus – the trigger for a slump?

Michael Roberts explains why Coronavirus has destabilised the global economy
Fire, floods and emergencies: these are what the election is about - election briefing 18 November

Lindsey German on broken infrastructure, social crisis and covert war crimes
The devil and the deep blue sea: Labour and Johnson’s deal

Final stage Brexit fatigue cannot be allowed to override fundamental class imperatives, argues Kevin Ovenden
Their democracy and ours – weekly briefing

Current attacks on democracy have to meet maximum resistance but this is not an end within itself, argues Lindsey German
Johnson out, Corbyn in: we need a general election – weekly briefing

No summer recess for our side as vitalising extra-parliamentary pressure becomes a priority, argues Alex Snowdon
Universities take global steps to fight climate disaster

Universities around the world are organising together to declare an emergency and combat climate change, reports Pete Morgan
Tory values meet the rights and wrongs of women - weekly briefing

The nasty party displays its true colours as it flounders towards a new stewardship, observes Lindsey German
Rebels for life: next steps for the climate justice movement

Recent climate activism has shifted the debate but unless the system of profit-seeking is addressed then the ecological danger will remain, argues Bill Perry
The Russians are Coming, Again - book review

Kuzmarov and Marciano's analysis of the US media demonisation of Russia warns of the danger of a new cold war, in full historical context, finds Martin Hall
Bungled Brexit beggars belief - weekly briefing

General Election Now has to be the clarion call for all those resisting war, austerity and inequality, argues Lindsey German
A Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank merger spells trouble

The proposed merger of German banks is a disaster waiting to happen and exposes the weaknesses at the heart of European capitalism, argues Chris Bambery
Brexit and the left: the crisis is not going away

The left must face up to the scale of the crisis and respond robustly, writes Jonathon Shafi
May's Brexit deal is dead: we need a general election now

Theresa May's second catastrophic defeat in Parliament is a masterclass in Tory failure. The only way out is a general election, argues Shabbir Lakha
Eurozone blues

The economic crisis intensifies across Europe, with the US and south east Asia close behind, argues Chris Bambery
No government should survive this kind of rout. May must go.

After the catastrophic loss in Parliament, it's clear the Tories are unable to govern and Theresa May should already have resigned, argues Chris Nineham
The travesty that is Theresa May’s government has to end – weekly briefing

As Tory rule hits an unprecedented crisis, the left must keep its eyes on the prize: the boldest and strongest of Corbyn victories, argues Lindsey German
Bigger than Brexit - weekly briefing

EU monomania shouldn’t blind us to the starker realities of global economic crisis and ever increasing class tensions, argues Lindsey German
Theresa May: more than a lame duck, less than a dead duck

Theresa May clinching the confidence vote solves nothing for her or the country, argues John Rees
Theresa May fiddles while the country burns

John Rees counts the days left for the Prime Minister
The rise and fall of neoliberalism

The neoliberal order established since the 70s is collapsing and what comes out of it is down to us, argues Chris Bambery
Fighting fascism: what we can learn today from the tragedy of the 1930s

To stop a violent movement set on crushing democracy and the left, we must begin by building a mass united front of the working class, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Brazil’s election and the Global South’s debt trap

The media present today’s Brazilian elections as a special case but, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica, Brazil’s troubles reflect the troubles of the world economy
The neverendum won’t help Labour, but it will help the right - weekly briefing

The Labour party mustn’t lose sight of its base as the Salzburg shenanigans highlights an EU still fixated on elites and privilege, argues Lindsey German
Learnt nothing and forgotten everything: the next crash is coming - weekly briefing

Finance capital is a game for the rich and when it goes wrong it's our side who are expected to pay the price, argues Lindsey German
UK wage stagnation is not a puzzle to solve, but an injustice to fight

Wealth redistribution has to become the key priority in our fight against austerity, insists Susan Newman
Fight for Corbyn, Freedom for Palestine - Counterfire Freesheet September 2018

Corbyn's leadership in danger, solidarity with Palestine, People's Vote vs People's Brexit, UK wage stagnation, Yemen and fighting the far right
Inequality and the City: CEO salaries soar while we still pay for the crash

Falling wages in a growing economy and ever increasing pay for bosses show a system undeterred by crisis in consolidating wealth at the top of society, argues Josh Newman
The dynamics of disaster

Capitalism will destroy humanity. Only working class mass mobilisation and struggle can stop this, argues John Westmoreland
May Day, May Day: this ship is sinking – weekly briefing

This latest Tory crisis is an opportunity the left must seize and the week’s protests are all the means to do so, argues Lindsey German
Too rich to fail - weekly briefing

“One rule for them and one rule for us” is a key mantra for neoliberalism and it has to be destroyed, argues Lindsey German
The limits of Keynesianism part three: Marx, Keynes and the analysis of the trade cycle

In the third part of our series on Keynesianism, Dominic Alexander looks at cycles, crisis, and why Keynesianism always looks to fix capitalism
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Marx on his 200th birthday

On 5 May, leading Marxists are getting together to celebrate Marx’s 200^th birthday. Chris Nineham argues why the event matters so much.
Rudd down, May to go

Amber Rudd resigning because of popular pressure is a victory and a reminder that what the left does can make a decisive difference argues Chris Nineham
The limits of Keynesianism part two: the assumptions Keynes makes

In the second part of our series on Keynesianism, Dominic Alexander outlines the economic and philosophical underpinnings of Keynesian thought
The limits of Keynesianism part one: John Maynard Keynes and orthodox economics

In the first part of our series considering the merits and pitfalls of Keynesian economics, Dominic Alexander looks at the history of Keynes' contribution
Why we’re heading for another economic crash

Our economy continues to be tied to the vagaries of speculative finance
Brexit: the need for independent working-class, anti-capitalist politics

We build on the schism in capitalist politics resulting from Brexit divisions by putting anti-racism grounded in working class politics front and centre argues Kevin Ovenden
What does this week's stock market crash mean?

As the stock market plunged this week and fears of a 2007 repeat spread like wildfire, Michael Roberts analyses what the crash could mean
Save the NHS - Counterfire Freesheet February 2018

The Tory manufactured crisis in the NHS, Carillion, Labour, Palestine, Grenfell and more...
NHS Emergency Demonstration - model resolution

The People's Assembly have drafted a model motion to submit to trade union branches, Trades Councils, CLPs and other campaign groups to support the NHS Emergency demonstration on Saturday 3 February
Corruption and Crisis in Peru

As the Peruvian establishment reels, the left must seize the moment, take to the streets and strike a blow, argues Jonathan Maunders
Today’s fringe is tomorrow’s respectable racism - weekly briefing

POTUS' tweets are a symptom not a cause: our side has to start presenting credible alternatives, argues Lindsey German
The many crises of the British state

The British state is enveloped in crisis more than at any point for 30 years. One more push could topple this government, argues Chris Bambery
Now is the time to fight back - Counterfire Freesheet October 2017

Tories in crisis, Catalonia, German elections and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 21, October 2017
Uncertain Futures: An Assessment of the Conditions of the Present

Edmund Berger’s Uncertain Futures provides an important defence of Marxist economic theory, and an analysis of crisis, argues Sean Ledwith
The Long Depression: How It Happened, Why It Happened, and What Happens Next

An understanding of capitalist crisis needs to make use of all parts of Marx’s theory, including the declining rate of profit, argues Dominic Alexander
The election which showed that class is back - Final Election briefing (for now)

All change - and things are shifting in our direction at last, writes Lindsey German
Bring it on

We need to make Theresa May's election gamble her last, argues John Rees
Heroin, hope and Hibernian FC: T2 Trainspotting reviewed

“The world kept moving forward - and we didnae”, Chris Bambery finds a lot to like in the recently released Trainspotting sequel CONTAINS SPOILERS
The new balance of forces: lessons from Saturday

As the old order stumbles, our side must embrace the internationalism that underpins anti-Trumpism, asserts Kevin Ovenden
The state, capital and predictions for the global economy

Amidst the festive season Chris Bambery asks what 2017 holds in terms of what affects us most directly: jobs, housing, income - in other words the economy
Royal Bank of Scotland: socialism for the rich

The final reckoning of the 2007/8 crash will be played out in the realm of politics not economics, argues Chris Bambery
Deutsche Bank crisis: too big to fail?

Chris Bambery looks at the Deutsche Bank crisis in Germany, and speculates about the consequences for the European and global economies
Bubbles always go pop: capitalism and the Hanjin bankruptcy

Chris Bambery takes a look at what happened to Hanjin shipping company and what it tells us about comptemporary capitalism
Corbyn: realpolitik or radicalism?

Jeremy Corbyn's path to victory lies in remembering his roots and staying connected with the streets, argues Alex Snowdon
Cutting student bursaries only makes the NHS crisis worse

Danielle Tiplady takes a look at how the Tories' policies are destroying the NHS
An opening for the left - keep Corbyn, keep fighting

Chris Nineham takes a snapshot of the current political crisis and argues for a fast and sharp strategic realignment
To stop the far right we must oppose the EU

Kevin Ovenden argues for an internationalist approach to the European crisis in the second half of a two-part series on the European question
Thousands march calling for Cameron to resign

In response to the largest exposé of tax evasion in history, the British public have taken to the streets calling for David Cameron's resignation
Big trouble for Ireland's rulers: the election analysed

The radical left finds itself in a stronger position than ever before, but must build on this momentum, argues Rob Winkel
Stock markets plunge: there may be trouble ahead

As stock markets tumble again, the recovery Osborne was boasting about rests on shaky foundations
Hollywood takes on the bankers? Review of The Big Short

Mckay's film exposes the greed at the core of the system, but fails to tell the story of those most affected by the crisis
'Marauding migrants': demonising the victims of western wars

The migrant crisis is not a threat to Britain but a human catastrophe for those fleeing for their lives, often as a result of Western intervention
Two announcements, one crisis

Two big announcements on economic policy are due this week - one from New York and one from Whitehall. James Meadway looks at how they will shape the future of this country
Why you should join the march for homes

Protests will converge on London Mayor Boris Johnson's HQ on 31^st January in a rapidly growing campaign demanding action on the housing crisis writes Sarah Hatch
European elites menaced by the danger of debt deflation

Unless the nettle of debt write-offs is grasped, we are entering a second, more serious round of the European crisis argues James Meadway
Homes for people, not profit

The pro-market policies of successive governments have caused a growing housing crisis - we need to start building council houses again in large numbers argues Alastair Stephens
Austerity isn't working, and here's why

James Meadway: you can’t have consistently rising debts, and consistently falling incomes. The two must collide at some point. That means a crisis
Crisis and Control: The Militarisation of Protest Policing

In a period of social and economic crisis, Crisis and Control by Lesley J Wood, provides an understanding of the state logic that leads to increased police militarisation, finds Adam Tomes
Not if, but when‏ - the next crisis approaches

James Meadway: reports from the last few weeks say that the world economy is on course for another financial crisis - with Britain dangerously exposed
Britain's economy: one shock away from another crash

James Meadway writes on the growing danger of a new crash facing the debt laden British economy
Marxism and the crisis - a strategy for the left

John Rees looks at the left's analysis of the crisis and outlines a strategy for resisting our rulers attempts to make us pay for it

Crisis

Crisis

Dominic Alexander looks at the limits of Keynesian economics in the context of the current crisis and questions of state spending

Chris Nineham argues Starmer's poor polling can't be blamed on vaccine success

Amid a crackdown on dissent and academic freedom by Erdoğan’s authoritarian regime, students in Istanbul stand defiant, reports Ceren Sagir

The view is growing that Brazil’s calamitous covid death toll is the result of a deliberate strategy by Bolsonaro, finds Orlando Hill

Promises of enlightened policies by the likes of Trudeau and Biden fly in the face of the harsh reality of a system in deep crisis, argues John Clarke

Alex Snowdon on the Tory game of Covid-shaming and the persistence of the Palestinian cause

Alex Snowdon on Johnson's ceaseless governmental crisis and the fight for Zero Covid

Alex Snowdon assesses the first government crisis of 2021

It’s an outrage that health workers are still not getting the PPE they need to keep themselves safe, writes Richard Allday

Alex Snowdon on the black hole of Johnson’s governmental crisis

A catalogue of mismanagement exposes an incapable government that must be removed, observes Alex Snowdon

Boris Johnson is ending the year with the same clueless and inept style of leadership he started it, writes Sean Ledwith

A safe, effective and accessible vaccine would be a major turning point in the pandemic but we can't just wait, we need a zero-Covid strategy now

Crises are inherently moments of weakness for the ruling class and an organised left can play a role in shaping the outcome, argues Chris Nineham

The University of Manchester's offer for a 5% rent reduction is an insult and students will continue their occupation and renew the rent strike for the January term, writes Lucy Nichols

The sacking of Boris Johnson’s chief of staff has deeper roots than mere office tensions in Downing Street, argues Alex Snowdon

We need to stop the transmission of the virus now to prevent more deaths before a vaccine is ready, argues Caitlin Southern

Kevin Ovenden analyses the US election result so far and why the crisis is far from over

The Tories are failing in the most basic principle of government, to keep its people safe, and its uniting people against them, writes Terina Hine

Alex Snowdon on class warfare and the government’s commitment to inequality

Lindsey German on the Tories’ ever-escalating Covid crisis, anti-austerity and Labour’s warped security values

Why we need a zero-Covid strategy, resistance on the frontline, carnage in America and a new direction for the left in this month's Counterfire bulletin

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome

Lindsey German on systemic inequality and Labour’s identity problem

The desperate situation in Yemen cannot be hidden anymore. More and more international voices are calling for a halt to the fighting, says Chris Nineham

As a second wave of Covid-19 powers through France, a beleaguered president bent on re-election invokes a familiar Islamophobic trope, says Susan Ram

The government’s privatisation of public services is at the heart of the Test and Trace failures and it’s costing lives, argues Lucy Nichols

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić

The ruling class is ruthless in trying to exploit crises, but we shouldn’t underestimate the turmoil it's in and the opportunities to advance the struggle, argues Chris Nineham

The new term has seen universities plunged into Covid-chaos. John Westmoreland spoke to UCU activists about what’s happening and the action we need

Lindsey German on a Tory party that cannot cope and a pitiful pseudo-opposition

Sunak’s scheme will mean millions are made jobless and the movement should reject it, argue Susan Newman and Chris Nineham

The government is still committed to putting profit before lives. We need to organise to force adequate safety measures argues Katherine Connelly

Lindsey German on the spiralling Covid crisis and how class remains our compass point

Lindsey German on the return of Conservative sleaze and Keir Starmer’s unfit-for-purpose Labour Party

Kevin Ovenden looks at the growing crisis facing the government over the soaring deficit and the debate on taxation

Lindsey German on the Tory return to work and Trump’s bid for a second term

As Trump and the far right try to capitalise on urban unrest, pro athletes take the movement to new heights, reports Kate O’Neil

Tory attempts to square the circle of profits and public safety are becoming increasingly desperate, argues Lucy Nichols

The present series of U-turns shows the government is both incompetent and vulnerable to pressure from below as never before, asserts David McAllister

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith

Kate O’Neil reflects on the US empire’s latest eruption of racism and violence

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Susan Newman explains the regular crises faced by capitalism

Lindsey German on a political crisis that’s far from over

Lindsey German on Tory education and why socialists defend refugees

Alex Snowdon on a persistent Covid-19, feckless Tories and campaigning for carers

Alex Snowdon on the impending economic crisis and Blairism’s place in history

The unfounded hysteria about Russian interference is being driven by the political centre struggling to find a way back, argues Chris Nineham

Lindsey German on Covid and the distortions of the Tory spin machine

Lindsey German on post-Covid reconstruction and the politics of free speech

FDR’s reputation as a workers’ President should be rejected along with Boris Johnson’s attempt to channel his legacy, argues Sean Ledwith

The South Sea Bubble was not an exceptional event but the first of many crises produced by the inescapable tendencies of capitalism, argues Dominic Alexander

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter impact on US politics and the floundering Tories

The coronavirus and deepening economic crisis is being used as a pretext by Trump to scale up tensions with China, writes Lindsey German

The awful milestone of 40,000 officially recorded deaths shows why the government is reckless in lifting the lockdown, writes Alex Snowdon

Children will not be returning to normal schooling this week, explains NEU executive member Philipa Harvey

Many primary schools will re-open for large numbers of children on Monday. This is too soon, argues NEU activist Tony Dowling

The bizarre and obsessive defence of Dominic Cummings shows that the current crop of Tories are incompetent as well as callous, argues Chris Nineham

The revelations about Boris Johnson’s chief adviser breaking lockdown rules should be the end of his career, writes Sean Ledwith

In the second of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate destruction is a structural feature of capitalism

Tube driver and ASLEF branch chair Unjum Mirza describes the growing conflicts over worker and passenger safety on London Underground

Chaotic leadership vs calm public: how reality was different from Contagion's plotlines, says Chris Nineham

Marion Macalpine reports from the recent Hackney Keep Our NHS Public meeting on migrant health and welfare during the lockdown

In the first of two extracts from her new book Marx and the Climate Crisis, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at why individual behaviour has received so much attention and why this is an inadequate approach to the climate crisis

This model letter can be adapted and used to lobby the local authority in your area to put pressure on them not to open the schools until they are safe

Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back

Responses to the Covid-19 crisis that jeopardise the working class have to be rejected, asserts Shabbir Lakha

Physical distancing restrictions are not simply a matter of preserving NHS capacity, they are about saving lives, says Red Elmahdi

Counterfire interviewed a care worker from a home in Yorkshire about the Covid-19 issues that are affecting these workplaces across Britain

On VE Day, we repost Lindsey German's article busting the oven-ready myths that are being used to corral the herd during this crisis

Corona crisis has exposed how market forces cannot be trusted with our food production, says Kevin Potter

Nick Fitzpatrick finds glaring issues with the panel put together by the NEC and its remit to investigate #LabourLeaks

Lindsey German on Covid-19, Labour collusion, the dictates of capital and remembering WW2

The global economic crisis rendered by the Covid-19 pandemic considered by Susan Newman