War

War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict - book review

War in Ukraine offers a clear-sighted analysis of the conflict and the necessary response by the anti-war movement, argues Lindsey German
‘We cannot simply wait’: Voices from the European left

Chris Nineham interviews participants at an impressive gathering of the European movements in Florence
The masters of war are fanning the flames – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the latest phases of imperialism and austerity
Where is Germany’s Die Linke heading?

Leandros Fischer assesses the roots of the political crisis engulfing Germany’s Die Linke and its significance for the European left
Unite the strikes: Keep the anger on the streets - Counterfire freesheet November 2022

Neoliberalism in crisis, trade unions and the anti-war movement, Israeli violence and Palestinian resistance, the importance of Marxist theory and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Let's turn growing antipathy to sanctions into more active anti-war opposition

As the cost of living crisis worsens, public opinion turning against sanctions on Russia should be channelled into active anti-war organising, writes Terina Hine
Welfare not weapons: The TUC vote for more arms spending is deeply mistaken

As several of the excellent speeches against the motion outlined, it is always working people who suffer from wars, writes Chris Nineham
The labour movement must oppose the government's war policy

Escalating the Ukraine war is a recipe for disaster — and we are already paying the price, argues Chris Nineham
Burning bridges: the Ukraine war could be heading for a point of no return

We urgently need to put peace on the agenda, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The deadly dynamics of war

The bombing of Crimea’s Kerch Bridge, followed by deadly Russian attacks, is a dangerous escalation that must be opposed, argues John Westmoreland
The fortunes of war: can the Ukrainian counter-offensive succeed?

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica analyses the current direction of the Ukraine war.
The war in Ukraine is escalating out of control

Fighting has spread to several countries and the economic war leaves no national economy untouched. The demand for an end to escalations, sanctions and war remains vital, argues David Jamieson
Putin’s alarming escalation shows why peace must be the priority in Ukraine

The Russian president’s statement makes clear that we are nearer to great power nuclear confrontation than at any time for generations, writes Chris Nineham
To avert a cost-of-living catastrophe we need to talk about Ukraine

The cost-of-living crisis and the war on Ukraine are inextricably linked, writes Chris Nineham
The Ukraine War 6 months on: We have to stop the warmongers

As the war drags on and decisive military victory for either side looks increasingly remote, the movement must renew its call for peace, writes Shadia Edwards-Dashti
A People’s History of Howard Zinn

On the hundred year anniversary of Howard Zinn's birth, Sean Ledwith examines the life and work of America’s greatest radical historian
The road to more war: Nato Summit gears up for escalation

Nato is responding to the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine in the most confrontational and provocative way possible, writes Chris Nineham
Nato Summit: peace is not the priority

The warmongers gathered in Madrid are ramping up militarism and gearinng up for more war, writes Lindsey German
Starmer and Lammy know which side they are on – so should we - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the rail strikes, Labour's attack on the unions and a woman's right to choose
While Ukraine burns: why is the west prolonging the war?

Chris Nineham describes the immense suffering and misery the Ukraine war is causing and why despite this, Biden and Johnson are pushing for more war
Tariq Ali: why my account of Churchill angered the right - video

Tariq Ali's latest book documenting the time and crimes of Winston Churchill has provoked anger from the right wing media. Counterfire's Yonas Makoni spoke to Tariq about his book and why it's angered the right
'We need to be more radical and war forces us to be': Interview with a Russian anti-war activist

Dragan Plavšić speaks to Russian socialist and anti-war activist Alexei Sakhnin about the war in Ukraine and the opposition to it in Russia
The start of a war and the end of an era: How the invasion of Ukraine is changing the world

Chris Nineham analyses the causes and consequences of the war in Ukraine and tectonic shifts in global power politics
War is Peace: Finland and Sweden poised to join NATO

The expansion of NATO will only escalate a new Cold War, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
We can defeat the Tories, collectively

The scale and intertwined nature of the crises we face show that the problems are systemic and so the solutions must be collective, writes Karen Buckley
Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes - book review

Lindsey German welcomes Tariq Ali’s dismantling of the myth of the imperialist warmonger Churchill in Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes
We won't pay for their war - Counterfire freesheet May 2022

The Palestinian struggle for liberation, code red for the climate, interview with a Russian anti-war activist, resisting the cost of living crisis and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Russia and Nato: the crocodiles with Ukraine in their jaws

As Russia’s war in Ukraine moves into its third month, talks of peace and de-escalation are being replaced with signs of greater preparation for war, writes Lindsey German
Confronting connected crises: cost of living and the war

Resisting the cost of living crisis means opposing the war, writes Feyzi Ismail
'Weapons, weapons, weapons': The dangers of escalating the war in Ukraine

Pouring more weapons into Ukraine will only prolong the war and take us closer to the prospect of open conflict between nuclear armed states, writes Lindsey German
General strike shuts down Greece: Collective working-class action has great power

Greek workers shutdown the country in a national 24-hour general strike calling for higher wages in the face of rising costs and in clear opposition to war and militarism, reports Kevin Ovenden
'Neither East nor West': How Orbán won again

Anita Zsurzsán explains how far-right Viktor Orbán cynically tapped into opposition to war to keep his regime afloat
The war in Ukraine: opposing imperialism East and West

Dragan Plavšić and Anja Ilić discuss the war in Ukraine, its causes and consequences and how socialists should respond
Curious tensions: the American hard right and Putin

The isolationist pro-Putin politics of the Republican hard right is clashing with an American establishment committed to imperial hegemony, writes John Clarke
A very British disgrace: seven years of the Saudi war in Yemen

Seven years into the Saudi bombing of Yemen, the anti-war movement must continue to confront Britain’s key role in the massacre, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Zelensky's clampdown: censorship and silencing from the West's poster boy

The banning of opposition parties and media clampdown in Ukraine underline the need for an anti-war war position independent of Zelensky, argues Kevin Ovenden
Is Iran finally coming in from the cold? – CounterBlast

The release of Nazanin Zaqhari-Ratcliffe points towards a realignment of global tensions, argues Terina Hine
Causes and effects: Russian aggression, Nato and the war in Ukraine

If we want to understand why there is war, we need to look in more than one direction at once, argues Chris Nineham
Is there a way of bringing peace to Ukraine?

Imperialists have no interest in peace, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The cost of living crisis: a political choice, not a result of war

The cost of living crisis, though exacerbated by war in Ukraine, remains a political choice by a system in turmoil, argues Terina Hine
Racism: the ugly offspring of war

Lindsey German describes how aggression overseas drives racism at home
The privatisation of the refugee crisis – CounterBlast

Yet again, the government has come up with a half-baked scheme that pushes responsibility on to the individual, argues Terina Hine
Why blaming NATO is not westsplaining

If we want to understand why the war is taking place, we need to ignore the propaganda, and consider the geopolitical context, argues Dragan Plavšić
The path to war: Ukraine, Russia, and NATO

Russian aggression is real, but so is NATO duplicity in Ukraine, argues John Rees
The cost of European rearmament: who pays?

As the war in Ukraine carries on and Europe rearms, stopping militarisation and immiseration go hand in hand, argues Kevin Ovenden
After Ukraine, are the Balkans next?

Talk of war has returned to the former Yugoslavia, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Imperial rivalry and the war in Ukraine - video

Chris Nineham discusses the nature of the war in Ukraine, how we got here and how socialists in the west must respond
Why sanctions on Russia are not the answer

The struggle to stop the war in Ukraine and ensure the conditions for peace means solidarity with the people in Russia who oppose this war, not sanctioning them, writes Kevin Ovenden
Ukraine: ‘Who is winning the war?’ and other stupid questions

Kevin Ovenden on the monstrous inversion of the horrors of war and the hypocrisy of the west
Climate change and war: The whole social structure needs to be overturned

The latest IPCC report points to the structural change needed to avert disaster. Our leaders driving war at this time is further proof that they don't have the solutions, writes Feyzi Ismail
Russian socialists against the war

We republish the manifesto of a new Russian anti-war organisation, Socialists Against the War Coalition, translated by Progressive International
Ukraine: The consequences of war

A new global militarism is emerging from the war in Ukraine, argues John Rees
Russia’s anti-war protests: how best to support them

The best way of supporting Russia’s anti-war protesters is by protesting against Johnson’s warmongering at home, argues Dragan Plavšić
Governments start wars, people bring them to an end

Kevin Ovenden on a week of war in Ukraine, attacks on the anti-war movement and the struggle for peace
First they came for Stop the War, now they're coming for tube workers

Unjum Mirza, Aslef Equalities Officer, Victoria Line, writing in a personal capacity, responds to The Telegraph's attack on striking tube workers
An open letter to George Monbiot

John Rees responds to George Monbiot's attack on Stop the War
War creates refugees - who knew?

The government seems shocked that the war they've been cheerleading is leading to people fleeing for safety, and have moved swiftly to limit how many can come to Britain, writes Terina Hine
Ukraine: A Socialist Response - video

John Rees discusses the unfolding crisis in Ukraine and how socialists should respond
'Tell that to the Afghan people': Chris Nineham on idea that Nato is a defensive alliance - video

Chris Nineham argues with Iain Dale on LBC about the realities of Nato and rebuffs the attacks on the anti-war movement
Is Starmer’s warmongering a betrayal or business as usual for Labour?

History shows why nobody should be surprised that the Leader of the Opposition is backing the dogs of war, argues Sean Ledwith
Ukraine crisis: The dangers ahead

John Rees looks at what’s at stake in the Ukraine
Stop the drive to war, return to diplomacy - Stop the War statement on Ukraine

The Stop the War Coalition's statement following the dangerous escalation of the crisis in Ukraine
The main enemy is at home: The urgent tasks for the anti-war movement

As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, the anti-war movement must urgently organise to pull our leaders back from the brink, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
No war in Ukraine: stop Nato’s warmongering

The West’s expansion has brought us to the brink of war, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Yemen is bleeding: Britain's complicity in Saudi Arabia's war

Why is Britain enabling Saudi Arabia to escalate its war on Yemen nearly seven years after it began?
Starmer smears Stop the War to side with the warmongers

Starmer is cosying up to the warmongers while the Prime Minister is risking a catastrophic war in Ukraine to deflect attention from his domestic political problems, argues Sean Ledwith
Ukraine: Boris Johnson is fanning the flames of war

Following Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv, Britain and the US continue to ratchet up tensions with Russia despite Ukraine urging calm, writes Terina Hine
We can't afford the Tories: It's time to fight - Counterfire Freesheet February 2022

The cost of living crisis, institutionally sexist police, the victories for the working class in 1972, stopping war in Ukraine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Ukraine and the threat of war

The powder keg that threatens to ignite over the situation in the Ukraine is, more than anything, a manifestation of the turn towards intensified global rivalry on the part of the US, argues John Clarke
The bloody legacy of Bomber Blair

The announcement of a knighthood for Tony Blair is an insult to the lives destroyed by his criminal warmongering, argues Alex Snowdon
Is Bosnia breaking up?

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explains the newest crisis in the Balkans
Talking peace, risking war: why the hawks are shaping the US’s China policy

Weeks after signing off the AUKUS pact, Joe Biden was back on the offensive against China this week. Chris Nineham reports
Dissenting POWs: From Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison to America Today - book review

Dissenting POWs charts the record of US prisoners in Vietnam who opposed that imperialist war, in a vital contribution to the anti-war movement in the present, argues John Clarke
Stop the arms fair: Liverpool says no to the merchants of death

Ahead of the Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair in Liverpool, protesters gathered to call for it to be cancelled, reports Michael Lavalette
We won't pay for their crisis - Counterfire Freesheet October 2021

The Tory crisis, an interview with Ken Loach on Starmer and the next steps for the left, urgent demands to stop climate breakdown and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Aukus: ratcheting up Western confrontation with China - video

Chris Nineham speaks to RT News about the provocative and unnecesary step the US, UK and Australia have taken with their new nuclear alliance
Merchants of death are not welcome in Liverpool: protesters rally against the arms fair

Protesters confront the militarism of the Liverpool arms fair with a clear message of peace, reports Tayo Aluko
Did the crime of 9/11 justify 20 years of the War on Terror? - video

Lindsey German speaks to Double Down News about the legacy of 20 years of war and terror on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
The tragedy after the tragedy: 9/11 and the war on Afghanistan

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Chris Nineham assesses the war on Afghanistan and 20 years of military interventions it was used to justify
The ignominious end of liberal interventionism

The whole idea that the world's largest imperialist nation could 'remake' a country was a conceit born of overweening power, argues Lindsey German
Made in Washington: the tragedy of Afghanistan

More war will not help the people of Afghanistan or anywhere else and those still arguing for "humanitarian intervention" are living in a fantasy, argues Shabbir Lakha
The tragedy of Afghanistan must never be repeated - CounterBlast

The defeat in Afghanistan has shattered Britain's imperial fantasies and exposed the lies about humanitarian intervention, argues Terina Hine
Afghanistan: why Biden is still bombing

US military intervention is what devastated Afghanistan in the first place, more bombing is not going to fix it, argues Chris Nineham
China, imperialism and the new world order

Dragan Plavšić discusses US imperialism and the developing global tensions with China as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
Donald Rumsfeld was a known known war criminal - CounterBlast

The former US Defense Secretary should be remembered for his connivance in horrific wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, writes Sean Ledwith
Friendship’s Death – film review

Peter Wollen’s newly restored feature film reminds us of a time when theory and practice came together in the cinema, argues Martin Hall
A world in crisis and G7 leaders aren't going to do anything to solve it

All the talk of solving the world's problems at the G7 summit is just that - all talk, says Lindsey German
The Israeli War Machine is deliberately destroying Palestinian families - CounterBlast

Terrorising civilians has always been part of Zionist military doctrine and is not accidental, writes Sean Ledwith
Britain's war machine: imperial fantasies and the tilt to China

Britain's new hi-tech aircraft carrier and its 100-stop mission will only increase global tensions, argues Chris Nineham
The West's defeat in Afghanistan: after twenty years of war, what was it all for?

Twenty years of the War on Terror has produced neither security nor stability for the Afghan people and cost countless lives in the process, argues Terina Hine
Just what we need in the middle of a pandemic: more nukes - CounterBlast

The biggest threat to the freedoms and safety of the British people is our own government, not someone else’s, argues Sean Ledwith
'America is back': Biden and the continuation of US imperialism

We shouldn't allow the relief from watching Trump go colour our view on Biden's administration, argues Chris Nineham
Imperialism under Biden - video

Shabbir Lakha explains what we can expect from Biden's foreign policy using a Marxist understanding of imperialism
Biden, the Yemen U-turn and how to end the war

The US ending its support for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen is a win for the anti-war movement, but we mustn’t be complacent, argues Lucy Nichols
Students take a stand against war on Yemen during global day of action

Students held a mass rally as part of an internationally-coordinated day of action to stop the war on Yemen, reports Minnie Life
Biden's presidency, the warmakers and the anti-war movement in the US

Anti-war sentiment has already impacted on the incoming Biden administration, but it will have to be mobilised to deliver change, argues Chris Nineham
Armoured cars and tanks and guns: the real story of the Irish troubles

Chris Bambery looks at the history of the Northern Ireland state - and the violence Britain was prepared to use to maintain it
Conscious barbarism: Pompeo ramps up war on Yemen in final days of Trump administration

Millions more Yemenis are now at risk of starvation because of Pompeo's Houthi terrorist designation, writes Chris Nineham
2020: the year the mask fell off

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead
The Queen’s Gambit: a riposte to Cold War America

The Queen’s Gambit offers an engaging critique of official Cold War narratives and Western individualism, finds Nathan Street
ICC dropping investigation into Iraq war crimes is a scandal - video

Despite thousands of allegations of crimes committed by the British army in Iraq, not one case has been prosecuted in a court - how can the ICC say there isn't a cover-up?
Permanent war: Britain’s global military reach exposed

With a permanent military presence at 145 base sites in 42 countries or territories around the world, Britain is far from a ‘nation in retreat’, writes Terina Hine
Why is there £21.5bn more for the military but no money for key workers?

The credit card is maxed out when it comes to public sector pay but there's always money for war according to the Tories, writes Terina Hine
US foreign policy is unlikely to become less belligerent under Biden

Biden's foreign policy record suggests there isn't likely to be much change, so the anti-war movement must prepare to assert itself, argues Chris Nineham
Starmer, Corbyn and the Labour whip: this is a war against the left

Withholding the whip from Corbyn is unjustifiable. The left must unite and fight back against Starmer's war on the left, argues Chris Nineham
After the election, is US foreign policy likely to change?

As the chaotic presidential election inches towards resolution, we can expect more continuity than change in US foreign policy, argues Terina Hine
Stop the war on Yemen: a global protest the warmongers can't ignore

As the devastation of Yemen continues, Stop the War is part of a global coalition organising an international day of action against the war
What the US state does to anti-imperialists: The Trial of the Chicago 7 review

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells us the powerful story of the brave stand taken by the anti-war movement in the late sixties
New Tory rules on 'anti-capitalist school materials' are an attack on civil liberties

The government's latest regulations are an attempt to hamper political learning and organising in schools, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
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
Taiwan: the US is leading the world to the brink of a new Cold War

Recent provocations in Taiwan between the US and China risks military escalation, and must be resisted by the anti-war movement, argues Terina Hine
Protecting war criminals and torturers: the Tory bill and Starmer's shame

The passing of the Overseas Operations bill which Labour abstained on is a disservice to victims of torture and undermines international law, argues Lindsey German
Donald Trump is no 'peace president'

Trump is once again claiming he has an anti-war foreign policy in his election campaign, but his record doesn't back it up, argues Chris Nineham
What is imperialism? - explainer

Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it
Refugee crisis is one of the major legacies of Britain’s recent interventions

'Wars are welcome, refugees not' seems to be the only mantra the media and politicians want to repeat, says Lindsey German
Never again: Hiroshima at 75

The ruling class's deadliest toys, nuclear weapons are never a 'necessary evil', writes Lucy Nichols
Jazz and the anti-war movement

Chris Nineham reflects on the history of jazz music and the anti-war movement ahead of Stop the War's event with Shabaka Hutchings marking the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Protest for Yemen: The UK has blood on their hands

The opposition to Britain’s role in facilitating the destruction of Yemen spilled onto the streets of London for a second week, reports Maddalena Dunscombe
Protesters march against the UK enabling the war on Yemen

Protesters demanded an end to Britain's role of facilitating the war on Yemen that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, reports Lucy Nichols
The anti-war movement must challenge the imperialist narrative

It's our turn to tell the story of war, says Terina Hine
Blowing open the past: Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods reviewed

Spike Lee's latest is a powerful and deeply political triumph, finds Chris Nineham
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
The China syndrome: why Trump’s obsession could lead to war – long read

The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham
Coronavirus: a collective problem that needs a collective response

Capitalist competition is arresting the fight against Covid-19, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
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
Fight to fund health, not war

With the current crisis increasing military tension, we must argue publicly to avoid increased military spending in the UK, writes Chris Nineham
Lockdown? This government should be locked up – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Covid-19, class crises and the escalation of global tensions
Coronavirus is showing that war has never been about security

While thousands are dying from the pandemic, it is obscene that war machines are still grinding on, argues Lindsey German
Endless conflicts are deepening Coronavirus crisis

In this critical hour, all sanctions and hostilities must cease argues Chris Nineham
US sanctions on Iran are fuelling the spread of coronavirus

Trump's sanctions on Iran are limiting the country's ability to deal with the coronavirus outbreak effectively and it's costing lives, writes Jonathan Maunders
A People’s History of the German Revolution 1918-19 - book review

William Pelz’s People’s History of the German Revolution is a vivid and accessible introduction to socialism’s greatest lost revolution, finds Tom Whittaker
Afghanistan is a prime example of why 'humanitarian intervention' is a lie

After spending trillions of dollars and killing countless civilians, the US has admitted defeat in Afghanistan, but don't expect any honest accounting, writes Lindsey German
Why socialists oppose imperialist wars

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander
After a bruising election... What next for the left? - Counterfire Freesheet January 2020

Labour leadership contest, general strike in France, growing protest movement in India, why socialists oppose imperialism, a year of climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Behind Trump's tantrums: the US, Iran and the continuing threat of war

The decline in the US' strategic power in the region is leading to desperate measures from Trump writes Chris Nineham
War with Iran is still a danger

The threat of war with Iran isn't over and the anti-war movement must continue to organise against it, writes Shabbir Lakha
The anti-war movement gears up to oppose war with Iran

Protesters took the streets to say no to Trump's drive to war with Iran, reports Shabbir Lakha
Labour needs Corbyn’s anti-war politics more than ever

The leadership contest is likely to be a missed opportunity for making Labour a serious anti-war party, argues Alex Snowdon
Decade of austerity: 10 reasons to get the Tories out

Tory PM Boris Johnson cannot be allowed to pretend that ten years of Tory rule are nothing to do with him, argues Alex Snowdon
If you are against the West's wars you need to be against Nato

Chris Nineham looks at Nato’s interventionist history and its deranged bid to expand operations to every corner of the world
Labour and the warmongers – election briefing 2 December

Lindsey German on imperialism and anti-imperialism
We need to talk about Nato: an imperialist war machine

Ahead of the Nato Summit in London on 3 December, Sweta Choudhury busts the myths that portray Nato as a force for peace
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 nasty parties unite to stop Corbyn - election briefing 12 November

Lindsey German on Farage’s non-aggression pact, media warmongering and imminent strikes
What the government wants us to forget on Remembrance Day

Poppies must not distract us from the Tories' contempt for the working class, writes Mona Kamal
Vote Labour and get ready to fight - Counterfire freesheet November 2019

Corbyn and the British state, CWU and UCU strike ballots, why we say no to Nato and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Stop Turkey's mass murder of Kurds say protesters in London

Tens of thousands of protesters demanded an end to the barbaric attacks on the Kurdish people by the Turkish army, reports Shabbir Lakha
With friends like this: John McDonnell’s flirtation with the right is damaging and inexcusable

Alastair Campbell and the Gentlemen’s Quarterly should be treated like enemies, argues Alex Snowdon
Say no to war and invasion of Rojava - SPOT statement

Statement from Solidarity with the People of Turkey following Erdogan's invasion and airstrikes on northern Syria
Kick out the crooks - Counterfire freesheet October 2019

Tory crisis, Corbynism, drive to war with Iran, austerity, climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Why join Counterfire?

We need a bigger, stronger extra-parliamentary left.
Trump betrays the Kurds: never trust the imperialists

US and British imperialism will never be an ally for the liberation of people anywhere, writes Shabbir Lakha as Erdogan begins bombing northern Syria
Netanyahu and Pence: Boris Johnson's warmonger allies

Boris Johnson's meetings with Netanyahu and Pence were about coordinating the drive to war with Iran, writes Lucy Nichols
Bolton's out, but we can't trust Trump or Johnson

John Bolton's sacking is good news, now we need an alternative foreign policy by an anti-war government, argues Lindsey German
Profiting from death and destruction: DSEI 2019

The world's worst arms dealers will be gathering to exhibit their instruments of death at London's ExCel Centre once again, writes Lucy Nichols
Where is the love?

An anti-arms trade campaigner explains what the DSEI arms fair is and why it is so important to join the protests against it when it comes to London in September
How far will he go? Trump and the limits of populism - book review

Chris Nineham assesses the varied interpretations of Trump in this year’s Socialist Register, pointing out the opportunities for the left
India's annexation of Kashmir sets a path for war

The Indian government revoking Article 370 is an outright transgression of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, writes Sweta Choudhury
Stand with Kashmir against military occupation and colonialism

At a London vigil for Kashmir after India's suspension of Article 370, Nirmala Rajasingam of the South Asia Solidarity Group gave this speech
Iran: stop this war before it starts

We shouldn't be fooled, the British state has been deliberately ramping up military aggression with Iran, argues Alistair Cartwright
Boris Johnson is a racist, sexist, warmonger who must be stopped - video

"If you try to have a war with Iran... you will create a mass movement against war in this country of the sort that you haven’t seen in more than a decade"
Not my Prime Minister - People's Assembly kicks off week of protest

On the eve of Boris Johnson's coronation as Prime Minister, Londoners gathered outside Downing Street to show their opposition, reports Chrissy Brand
The environmental cost of the United States war-machine

The sheer scale and perpetual nature of US military operations make it unimaginably destructive for the planet, argues Pete Morgan
Britain is following Trump and escalating the threat of war with Iran

The British Navy's seizing of an Iranian oil tanker shows Britain following Trump, trading in diplomacy for the threat of military confrontation, argues Lindsey German
BBC Panorama hatchet job on Labour antisemitism is a farce

The BBC's Panorama on antisemitism in the Labour Party provides no real evidence and shows how cynical the smear campaign is, argues David McAllister
Be in no doubt: Britain will be involved if there is war on Iran

If there is war, Britain will be part of it, writes Chris Nineham
Organise now to avoid war with Iran

Despite platitudes from both sides of the Atlantic, we cannot ignore the very real risk of another disastrous conflict in the Middle East, writes Chris Nineham
Game of Thrones: dragons of mass destruction

The disappointing ending to the latest and last series of Game of Thrones betrays an artistic and political laziness from the writers, argues Sean Ledwith
No to Trump, no to war on Iran

Trump and his neocon advisers are taking us to the brink of yet another disastrous war in the Middle East, writes Hilary Stephenson
Ten things they don't tell you about D-Day

As the commemorations of the 75 year anniversary of D-Day take place, Lindsey German reminds us of the truth about the end of the Second World War
Why Theresa May is the most disastrous Tory PM ever

Following Theresa May's resignation, Chris Nineham looks at her record as Prime Minister and what the left should do next
Nia Griffith has to go, say Labour members

Over 1,500 Labour Party members have signed an open letter calling for Nia Griffith’s resignation, reports Shabbir Lakha
There is something happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Centrist?

It’s the failure of centrist politics that fuels the rise of the populist right, but the centrists just don’t get it, argues John Rees
Seven demands for stopping climate change

Environmental activist and author, Elaine Graham-Leigh, highlights seven key demands the movement against climate change needs to be making
Keep fighting for Corbyn: Stop the attacks - Counterfire freesheet March 2019

The soft coup against Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism, Tory Brexit crisis, Winston Churchill, Venezuela, climate change, Palestine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Nato and the new imperialism

Written in June 1999, John Rees explains why the war in the Balkans was not about the plight of refugees but part of Nato’s expansion. It wanted to dominate the Balkans and eastern Europe as well as control the oil rich areas of the Caspian Sea
Why stopping wars is essential for stopping climate change

War isn’t just a waste of resources that could be used to tackle climate change, but is itself a significant cause of environmental harm, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Who's to blame for the rise of Islamophobic terrorist attacks?

After the terrorist attack in Christchurch and now the attacks on Birmingham mosques, Shabbir Lakha finds that it's leading politicians and the media fuelling Islamophobia
US military: the world's biggest polluter

The fight against ecological disaster must include fighting the war machine of the US state, argues Jago Corry
Tony Benn: socialist, comrade, friend

An obituary written at the time of Tony Benn's passing by John Rees on a life well lived
Conspiracy theory: the answer is more left-wing theory not less

Ruling class power can’t be understood as a conspiracy, argues John Rees
Revoking Shamima Begum’s citizenship is unjustifiable

Removing Shamima Begum's citizenship is a violation of international and human rights law and would set a dangerous precedent, argues Shabbir Lakha
Chuka's core values: privatisation, austerity and war

What the 7 MPs who quit Labour have in common is their voting records supporting welfare cuts, privatisation and foreign intervention, writes Mona Kamal
From toy drones to real ones: the arms trade and education

By allowing the arms trade into schools, colleges and universities, we are teaching children that innovation for the sake of destruction is acceptable and desirable, argues Lucy Nichols
Gavin Williamson: delusional and dangerous

Gavin Williamson's latest speech with jingoistic rhetoric and calling for more military spending shows just how out of touch with reality he is, argues Lindsey German
Before Venezuela: a long history of US imperialism in Latin America

The push for regime change in Venezuela represents the latest in an abhorrent history of intervention in Latin America, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
There's no refugee crisis in Britain, only a hostile environment and racist scapegoating

The current Tory-manufactured “refugee crisis” is part of the same hostile environment that this government has created for its own citizens, argues Cathy Augustine
They've got to go! General election now - Counterfire freesheet January 2019

Tory Brexit crisis, the fightback against austerity, Eurovision boycott campaign, Trump and Syria, remembering Rosa Luxemburg, Yellow Vests and protests across Europe in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Climate chaos is the most political issue of our time, to stop it we need systemic change

Climate breakdown is a political issue, and to stop it we need to tackle it at the root, argues Jim Scott
Counterfire's books of the year - part one

We asked a few leading campaigners and performers from the left what books have inspired them over the last twelve months
Hundreds rally in London to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia

A packed out public meeting organised by Stop the War demanded an end to Britain's complicity in the war on Yemen, reports Chris Nineham
Britain must stop arming the Saudi war criminals now

A new offensive in the Saudi war on Yemen will ratchet up the humanitarian crisis. We must build a huge campaign to end arms sales, writes Chris Nineham
The politics of Remembrance

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article
A hundred years after WW1, what are we remembering?

The establishment makes a big display of remembering fallen WW1 soldiers while justifying today's wars. We should remember those who fought hard to stop war, argues Lindsey German
Afghanistan's unending war: seventeen years since the Western invasion

The Taliban is advancing again, met by escalation from Trump and NATO. Amidst the devastation, our leaders still can't recognise defeat, writes Stop the War's Chris Nineham
Trump targets Iran: not just talk, this is serious

The Trump administration is stepping up its aggressive campaign against Iran, writes Chris Nineham
Corbyn makes defiant speech as thousands welcome him to Liverpool

At a Labour rally at Liverpool's pier on the eve of Conference, Jeremy Corbyn gave a radical speech to rapturous applause and loud chanting
The importance of mass mobilisation against war

Build the mass movements against war. Kevin Courtney's speech from the Stop the War Coalition national conference
Aftermath: Art in the wake of World War One - review

Modern art was a way of actively willing war towards an end says Alistair Cartwright in his review of the Aftermath exhibition at the Tate
To be called a political artist is no insult - Rachid Taha tribute

An obituary for the iconic Algerian singer who stood up against war and racism

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War

War

War in Ukraine offers a clear-sighted analysis of the conflict and the necessary response by the anti-war movement, argues Lindsey German

Chris Nineham interviews participants at an impressive gathering of the European movements in Florence

Lindsey German on the latest phases of imperialism and austerity

Leandros Fischer assesses the roots of the political crisis engulfing Germany’s Die Linke and its significance for the European left

Neoliberalism in crisis, trade unions and the anti-war movement, Israeli violence and Palestinian resistance, the importance of Marxist theory and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

As the cost of living crisis worsens, public opinion turning against sanctions on Russia should be channelled into active anti-war organising, writes Terina Hine

As several of the excellent speeches against the motion outlined, it is always working people who suffer from wars, writes Chris Nineham

Escalating the Ukraine war is a recipe for disaster — and we are already paying the price, argues Chris Nineham

We urgently need to put peace on the agenda, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

The bombing of Crimea’s Kerch Bridge, followed by deadly Russian attacks, is a dangerous escalation that must be opposed, argues John Westmoreland

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica analyses the current direction of the Ukraine war.

Fighting has spread to several countries and the economic war leaves no national economy untouched. The demand for an end to escalations, sanctions and war remains vital, argues David Jamieson

The Russian president’s statement makes clear that we are nearer to great power nuclear confrontation than at any time for generations, writes Chris Nineham

The cost-of-living crisis and the war on Ukraine are inextricably linked, writes Chris Nineham

As the war drags on and decisive military victory for either side looks increasingly remote, the movement must renew its call for peace, writes Shadia Edwards-Dashti

On the hundred year anniversary of Howard Zinn's birth, Sean Ledwith examines the life and work of America’s greatest radical historian

Nato is responding to the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine in the most confrontational and provocative way possible, writes Chris Nineham

The warmongers gathered in Madrid are ramping up militarism and gearinng up for more war, writes Lindsey German

Lindsey German on the rail strikes, Labour's attack on the unions and a woman's right to choose

Chris Nineham describes the immense suffering and misery the Ukraine war is causing and why despite this, Biden and Johnson are pushing for more war

Tariq Ali's latest book documenting the time and crimes of Winston Churchill has provoked anger from the right wing media. Counterfire's Yonas Makoni spoke to Tariq about his book and why it's angered the right

Dragan Plavšić speaks to Russian socialist and anti-war activist Alexei Sakhnin about the war in Ukraine and the opposition to it in Russia

Chris Nineham analyses the causes and consequences of the war in Ukraine and tectonic shifts in global power politics

The expansion of NATO will only escalate a new Cold War, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

The scale and intertwined nature of the crises we face show that the problems are systemic and so the solutions must be collective, writes Karen Buckley

Lindsey German welcomes Tariq Ali’s dismantling of the myth of the imperialist warmonger Churchill in Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes

The Palestinian struggle for liberation, code red for the climate, interview with a Russian anti-war activist, resisting the cost of living crisis and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

As Russia’s war in Ukraine moves into its third month, talks of peace and de-escalation are being replaced with signs of greater preparation for war, writes Lindsey German

Resisting the cost of living crisis means opposing the war, writes Feyzi Ismail

Pouring more weapons into Ukraine will only prolong the war and take us closer to the prospect of open conflict between nuclear armed states, writes Lindsey German

Greek workers shutdown the country in a national 24-hour general strike calling for higher wages in the face of rising costs and in clear opposition to war and militarism, reports Kevin Ovenden

Anita Zsurzsán explains how far-right Viktor Orbán cynically tapped into opposition to war to keep his regime afloat

Dragan Plavšić and Anja Ilić discuss the war in Ukraine, its causes and consequences and how socialists should respond

The isolationist pro-Putin politics of the Republican hard right is clashing with an American establishment committed to imperial hegemony, writes John Clarke

Seven years into the Saudi bombing of Yemen, the anti-war movement must continue to confront Britain’s key role in the massacre, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

The banning of opposition parties and media clampdown in Ukraine underline the need for an anti-war war position independent of Zelensky, argues Kevin Ovenden

The release of Nazanin Zaqhari-Ratcliffe points towards a realignment of global tensions, argues Terina Hine

If we want to understand why there is war, we need to look in more than one direction at once, argues Chris Nineham

Imperialists have no interest in peace, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

The cost of living crisis, though exacerbated by war in Ukraine, remains a political choice by a system in turmoil, argues Terina Hine

Lindsey German describes how aggression overseas drives racism at home

Yet again, the government has come up with a half-baked scheme that pushes responsibility on to the individual, argues Terina Hine

If we want to understand why the war is taking place, we need to ignore the propaganda, and consider the geopolitical context, argues Dragan Plavšić

Russian aggression is real, but so is NATO duplicity in Ukraine, argues John Rees

As the war in Ukraine carries on and Europe rearms, stopping militarisation and immiseration go hand in hand, argues Kevin Ovenden

Talk of war has returned to the former Yugoslavia, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

Chris Nineham discusses the nature of the war in Ukraine, how we got here and how socialists in the west must respond

The struggle to stop the war in Ukraine and ensure the conditions for peace means solidarity with the people in Russia who oppose this war, not sanctioning them, writes Kevin Ovenden

Kevin Ovenden on the monstrous inversion of the horrors of war and the hypocrisy of the west

The latest IPCC report points to the structural change needed to avert disaster. Our leaders driving war at this time is further proof that they don't have the solutions, writes Feyzi Ismail

We republish the manifesto of a new Russian anti-war organisation, Socialists Against the War Coalition, translated by Progressive International

A new global militarism is emerging from the war in Ukraine, argues John Rees

The best way of supporting Russia’s anti-war protesters is by protesting against Johnson’s warmongering at home, argues Dragan Plavšić

Kevin Ovenden on a week of war in Ukraine, attacks on the anti-war movement and the struggle for peace

Unjum Mirza, Aslef Equalities Officer, Victoria Line, writing in a personal capacity, responds to The Telegraph's attack on striking tube workers

John Rees responds to George Monbiot's attack on Stop the War

The government seems shocked that the war they've been cheerleading is leading to people fleeing for safety, and have moved swiftly to limit how many can come to Britain, writes Terina Hine

John Rees discusses the unfolding crisis in Ukraine and how socialists should respond

Chris Nineham argues with Iain Dale on LBC about the realities of Nato and rebuffs the attacks on the anti-war movement

History shows why nobody should be surprised that the Leader of the Opposition is backing the dogs of war, argues Sean Ledwith

John Rees looks at what’s at stake in the Ukraine

The Stop the War Coalition's statement following the dangerous escalation of the crisis in Ukraine

As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, the anti-war movement must urgently organise to pull our leaders back from the brink, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

The West’s expansion has brought us to the brink of war, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

Why is Britain enabling Saudi Arabia to escalate its war on Yemen nearly seven years after it began?

Starmer is cosying up to the warmongers while the Prime Minister is risking a catastrophic war in Ukraine to deflect attention from his domestic political problems, argues Sean Ledwith

Following Boris Johnson's visit to Kyiv, Britain and the US continue to ratchet up tensions with Russia despite Ukraine urging calm, writes Terina Hine

The cost of living crisis, institutionally sexist police, the victories for the working class in 1972, stopping war in Ukraine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

The powder keg that threatens to ignite over the situation in the Ukraine is, more than anything, a manifestation of the turn towards intensified global rivalry on the part of the US, argues John Clarke

The announcement of a knighthood for Tony Blair is an insult to the lives destroyed by his criminal warmongering, argues Alex Snowdon

Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explains the newest crisis in the Balkans

Weeks after signing off the AUKUS pact, Joe Biden was back on the offensive against China this week. Chris Nineham reports

Dissenting POWs charts the record of US prisoners in Vietnam who opposed that imperialist war, in a vital contribution to the anti-war movement in the present, argues John Clarke