United States

United States

• US torn by crises as election looms

  

  Ahead of the US elections, John Clarke considers the balance of forces, the dangers of a second Trump term and the intensifying crisis whatever the outcome

• 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

• War feeds the climate crisis

  

  The climate crisis is headline news, but the role of Western military policy in it is still not well known enough, argues Maddalena Dunscombe

• Assange extradition trial: The prosecution's case does not hold water

  

  The prosecution perform mental gymnastics to avoid accusations that they are criminalising journalists, says John Rees

• The Serbia–Kosovo Treaty: a servile acquiescence to American imperialism

  

  The ‘economic normalisation’ agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is nothing other than a shoring up of US economic and geopolitical interests, argues Anja Ilic

• China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation - long read

  

  Dragan Plavšić considers what China’s modern history tells us about the nature of the Chinese state today

• US wildfires and extreme weather are a warning: we need system change to stop the climate crisis

  

  The extreme weather and wildfires ripping through parts of the US show clearly why we need fundamental change to stop the climate crisis, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

• This is about all our rights: don't extradite Assange protest

  

  Protesters assembled outside the Old Bailey to voice the opposition to extraditing Julian Assange, reports Shabbir Lakha

• The Assange case: the people have the power

  

  The tide is turning in the case to extradite Julian Assange - now opinion needs to be turned into power, argues John Rees

• Made in the US: the coup in Chile

  

  On the 50^th anniversary of Salvador Allende’s election, Mike Wayne looks at a declassified CIA report that shows how quickly plans were laid to stop him at all costs

• Business as usual for police brutality

  

  Black Lives Matter has put racist police brutality in the spotlight, but the police continue to operate with impunity, writes John Clarke

• Dust Bowls of Empire. Imperialism, Environmental Politics and Injustice of ‘Green’ Capitalism - book review

  

  Holleman’s Dust Bowls of Empire shows that ecological crisis on the Great Plains of America is rooted in racism, imperialism and capitalism, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Protest works: how the anti-war movement weakened the warmongers

  

  Recent reports show how social movements can impact directly on militarism, writes Chris Nineham

• 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

• Radical Seattle: The General Strike of 1919 - book review

  

  Winslow’s Radical Seattle tells an important story of workers’ militancy in the US very well, but questions of political strategy also need to be addressed, argues John Westmoreland

• Kamala Harris is not 'progressive'

  

  Kamala Harris' record shows she's far from the radical change that people want, argues Yonas Makoni

• Immigration Nation and the brutality of America’s borders

  

  Immigration Nation gives a damning overview of America’s cruel immigration system and the power of the American State, writes Lucy Nichols

• Never again: Hiroshima at 75

  

  The ruling class's deadliest toys, nuclear weapons are never a 'necessary evil', writes Lucy Nichols

• Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the US Border Around the World - book review

  

  Todd Miller, on US imperialism extending its border-policing worldwide, has particular relevance as the violence turns inevitably inward, finds Richard Allday

• TikTok Trump don't stop

  

  Trump and Microsoft combine to escalate tensions with China in the run up to the presidential election, writes Shabbir Lakha

• Summer Brexit report: Britain drowns beneath the waves

  

  As the UK reels under the double impact of the pandemic and recession, the Brexit deadline is coming over the horizon, argues Martin Hall

• Portland rises against Trump’s iron heel

  

  The Black Lives Matter uprising in Portland isn't backing down in the face of violence from Trump's troops, reports Sean Ledwith

• Once upon a time in Iraq, a TV documentary review

  

  Terina Hine reviews the fascinating five-part TV documentary Once Upon a Time in Iraq available on BBC iPlayer

• BLM and the labour movement come together - Chris Smalls interview

  

  Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change

• 'Global Britain': the defence review

  

  As competition increases for defence funding, Cummings' involvement has reignited concerns over the UK’s defence strategy, argues Terina Hine

• Black Lives Matter in a time of pandemic

  

  Nearly two months on from George Floyd’s brutal killing, the struggle against racist police violence is contending with a catastrophic resurgence of Covid-19, writes Susan Ram

• Dropping Huawei: UK will protect the special relationship whatever the cost

  

  The decision to ban Huawei at the detriment of the UK economy shows the ruling class will follow US foreign policy no matter what, writes Jamal Elaheebocus

• The global picture: Covid cases and deaths continue to rise sharply

  

  World leaders like Trump and Johnson trying to get back to business as usual while the virus continues to spread are deliberately sacrificing public health, writes John Clarke

• 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

• 20 Dictators Currently Supported by the U.S. - book review

  

  David Swanson, 20 Dictators provides robust evidence that the claims for US foreign policy are contradicted by its behaviour, argue Phil Armstrong and Catherine Armstrong

• Hong Kong in crisis

  

  Caught between threats from China and support from the US, the protestors face some difficult decisions, writes Dragan Plavšić

• We have everything to fear from Johnson’s spin and incompetence - CounterBlast

  

  Boris Johnson’s pathetic attempt to compare himself to Roosevelt will fool nobody as the gap grows between his rhetoric and reality, argues Sean Ledwith

• The UK is systemically racist: the fight has just begun

  

  Luna Williams, a political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, writes for Counterfire on racism in the UK

• Maxine Peake is right: US and Israeli state violence is linked

  

  Pointing out the link between US police brutality and Israel’s barbaric tactics against Palestinians is no conspiracy theory, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Is this the end for Trump?

  

  Donald Trump's approval ratings are low, but can that be converted into an election defeat? Kate O'Neil looks in more detail

• Reconstruction in the USA: Black freedom denied - part 2

  

  In the second of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland explores the successes of Reconstruction, and the subsequent attempt to airbrush them from history

• Reconstruction in the USA: Black freedom denied - part 1

  

  In the first of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland examines the contradictions of American society which laid the basis for black oppression to persist after the Civil War

• 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

• I Am Not Your Negro - film of the week

  

  I Am Not Your Negro is an unforgettably powerful film that you must not miss, writes Dragan Plavšić.

• Imperial undertones of Trump’s hurried deal for the Balkans

  

  The US President is hoping that he can broker a Serbia-Kosovo deal ahead of the November elections, writes Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• From fighting pandemic to fighting police brutality

  

  Jillian Primiano, a registered nurse, speaks to Spring Magazine about fighting COVID-19, racism and health, and the movement for police abolition

• When Alabama revolutionaries took on the KKK

  

  Despite powerful and brutal opposition, black and white communist workers battled bravely against injustice in Alabama, writes Sean Ledwith

• 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 uprising on Trump's doorstep: Black Lives Matter in DC

  

  The Black Lives Matter protests in Washington DC are taking the fight straight to Trump, reports Shabbir Lakha based on an interview with Sarah Govan

• Fred Hampton: Black Panther and red revolutionary

  

  Fred Hampton's politics are a lesson in how to fight racism and capitalism together, argues Sean Ledwith

• The message from London is clear: Black Lives Matter

  

  For the third time this week, tens of thousands of people gathered in London to demand an end to police racism, reports Lucy Nichols

• Ten days that shook America

  

  The brave defiance of the protesters in America has the ruling class in retreat, argues Chris Nineham

• London on the march: Black Lives Matter

  

  At a second mass demonstration in London, thousands of protesters gathered in Hyde Park to racist police violence in the US and here, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

• Justice for George Floyd: model resolution and window poster

  

  Counterfire has produced a model resolution you can pass in your organisation and a poster you can download to put on your window or in your area

• Where are the US protests going? - interview with Chris Smalls

  

  Counterfire's Shabbir Lakha interviewed Chris Smalls, former Amazon employee and now an organiser, about the protests sweeping across the US against racist police violence

• This government wants to follow the money, not the science – weekly briefing

  

  Lindsey German on the Covid-19 lockdown, Tory mendacity and the US revolts  

• Minneapolis: a popular revolt against racism

  

  The current unrest in Minneapolis is an explosive response to endemic police racism, writes Sean Ledwith

• London demands justice for George Floyd

  

  "No justice, no peace" rang out on the streets of London as protesters marched in solidarity with Minneapolis, reports Lucy Nichols

• It’s a big deal that the outrage expressed over George Floyd’s death was massive and multiracial

  

  Class struggle doesn’t go away in a pandemic, writes August Nimtz

• Justice for George Floyd: Minneapolis rebels against racist police

  

  Mass protests in Minneapolis continue for a third day in active defiance to the police after the racist murder of George Floyd, writes Shabbir Lakha

• 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

• Strikes, walkouts, and sickouts: how working-class Americans are organising in the time of Covid-19

  

  Counterfire's Katherine Connelly interviews US writer and historian Chris Wright about how workers are organising to protect lives and homes in America today

• The revolutionary life and legacy of Malcolm X

  

  On the 95th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth, Alyssa Cassata looks at his radical life and ideas which continues to inspire millions today

• The Jackson State massacre: the savagery of state-led racist violence

  

  50 years on from the massacre of black students at Jackson State College, systemic racism and police brutality remain prevalent in the United States, writes Alyssa Cassata

• The imperialism pandemic

  

  Imperialism is part and parcel of global capitalism and it can be seen very clearly in the coronavirus crisis, writes David Bush in this repost from Spring Magazine

• American Factory: a neoliberal story - film review

  

  American Factory is a powerful documentary about neoliberalism and globalisation and its impact on working class communities, writes Don Davies

• After the lockdowns what sort of world economy will emerge?

  

  With the global economy facing the biggest downturn in 150 years, there will be no return to 'normal', argues Michael Roberts

• Workers across the US strike on May Day for their lives

  

  Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata

• The hidden history of American radicalism: the campaign for the Workers' Unemployment Insurance Bill

  

  The little-known story of working class organising for a Communist-led initiative in 1930s America challenges assumptions about US workers’ conservatism, argues Chris Wright

• Bernie campaigners take stock and look ahead

  

  Kate O’Neil spoke with three Bernie campaigners about 'What’s next?'

• We are not expendable: interview with Chris Smalls

  

  Counterfire's Alyssa Cassata interviews Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at an Amazon warehouse in New York to demand protective gear and hazard pay, for which he was fired

• Chomsky’s Deterring Democracy: books that made me a socialist

  

  Selected by author and environmental activist Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Centrism’s pyrrhic victory - CounterBlast 8 April

  

  Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign, but the conditions that gave rise to his popularity haven't gone away, argues Katherine Connelly

• 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

• 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

• US Elections: The Establishment finds its Man

  

  Against overwhelming Establishment support for Biden, the left must resist the idea that Biden is a more credible opponent of Trump than Sanders, argues Kate O'Neil

• 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

• Syrian crisis set to grow deeper as NATO might extend involvement

  

  We are now facing another moment of extreme danger which could extend Syria's suffering for years, says Chris Nineham

• Starmer sides with Trump against Assange: expect more of the same if he’s leader

  

  Sir Keir Starmer is less critical of the Extradition Treaty than Boris Johnson, says John Cook

• Time to take a stand: the crucial case of Julian Assange

  

  The British State's sinister maneouvres around the extradition of Julian Assange are a flagrant injustice and are being rightly challenged, reports Alistair Cartwright 

• Those enslaved do not feel the benefits of a boom

  

  Trump's boasts of economic boom does not ring true to the worker says Pete Morgan

• James Baldwin: Living in Fire - book review

  

  Living in Fire is a pithy yet powerful introduction to James Baldwin’s political life as a street fighting intellectual, raging against the world’s racist and reactionary forces, finds Adam Tomes

• Can Bernie win?

  

  Sanders has had a good week and is in a strong position, but there are many battles to come, argues Kate O'Neil

• Bernie Sanders vs the Democrat establishment – weekly briefing

  

  Lindsey German on democratic socialism, witch-hunting and the fight for women’s liberation

• Trump impeachment: the failure of the Democrat establishment

  

  The failure to impeach Trump was all too predictable, only a mass movement can end the corruption in the White House, argues Sean Ledwith

• Why Bernie matters

  

  Sanders puts class warfare back on the agenda, writes Alex Kerner 

• When exposing war crimes becomes a crime: the case of Julian Assange

  

  Following an impressive London rally for Assange, Alistair Cartwright explains the significance of the case

• America’s Covert War in East Africa: Surveillance, Rendition, Assassination - book review

  

  America’s Covert War in East Africa reveals the terrible violence of US military operations in Africa, and the complicity of the UK in this dangerous policy, finds Sean Ledwith

• How America Became Capitalist - book review

  

  James Parisot’s How America Became Capitalist uncovers the contested and contradictory history of capitalist development in the United States, finds Dominic Alexander

• 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

• 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

• Bolivia: call it a coup, support the resistance

  

  International solidarity is vital - the left must unite in condemning the coup against Morales, argues David Bush

• Lessons from the remarkable life of Paul Robeson – part 2

  

  Paul Robeson's extraordinary life is a lesson to us today, writes Tayo Aluko

• Lessons from the remarkable life of Paul Robeson - part 1 

  

  Paul Robeson's extraordinary life holds many lessons for the present day, writes Tayo Aluko

• US workers strike back: General Motors and Chicago teachers

  

  A surge in strike action in the US shows a labour movement that’s fighting back, argues Kate O’Neil

• The Hong Kong protests: where next?

  

  Looking to the West for help is counterproductive for the protests, argues Dragan Plavšić

• 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

• 9/11: we are still living in the world created by Bush and Blair's response

  

  9/11 was both terrible in itself and the catalyst for the destruction and horror to come, argues Chris Nineham

• 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

• The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup - book review

  

  In The Long Honduran Night,Dana Frank gives a personal and detailed account of the resistance of Honduran people and the involvement of the US, finds Orlando Hill

• Don't extradite Assange: Wish You Were Here

  

  Terina Hine reports from Monday's event in support of Julian Assange

• The caring capitalists of corporate America

  

  When American capitalists pretend to care we know they are afraid, argues John Clarke

• 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

• In the age of Trump, 'The War at Home' remains essential viewing

  

  For understanding how grassroots movements can be organised, The War at Home remains a vital resource, writes Gabriel Polley

• The Coming of the American Behemoth - book review

  

  Roberto’s The Coming of the American Behemoth argues that fascist-like processes arose from the essential workings of monopoly capitalism in 1930s America, finds Martin Hall

• The Centenary of the 1919 Race Riots

  

  One hundred years after the race riots of 1919, author, activist and co-director of Writing on the Wall, Madeline Heneghan reflects on racism then and now

• Trump hates the Squad’s politics as much as their colour

  

  Trump's appalling racist attacks on the four Congresswomen is just as much about their radical left wing politics, argues Kate O'Neil

• 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

• 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

• Stonewall 50

  

  Marking the half-centenary of the Stonewall riots, Morgan Daniels looks at the history of the Stonewall Inn and what it means for radical queer politics everywhere

• Why Iranians might be sceptical of the west's intentions

  

  The warmongering from the west is the latest in a long line of imperialist interventions in the region, argues John Rees

• 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

• Rolling Thunder Revue: a Bob Dylan story by Martin Scorsese

  

  Scorsese's new documentary shows Dylan grasping at the truth of an America that was figuring out what it wanted to be

• Pompeo threatens Corbyn: nothing to see here

  

  The US threatening to interfere in the UK's democratic processes should be front page news, argues Chris Nineham

• A Suffragette in America: Reflections on Prisoners, Pickets and Political Change - book review

  

  Katherine Connelly’s edition of previously unpublished writing by Sylvia Pankhurst shows her deepening socialist politics, finds Lindsey German

• 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

• Trump attacks Sadiq Khan - his kingmaking must stop

  

  President Trump's incendiary interventions in British politics are completely unacceptable and must be called out, argues David McAllister

• School striker for climate: join the Trump demo

  

  Ahead of the Together Against Trump: Stop the State Visit Demonstration on Tuesday 4^th June, Nathan Street interviews Elijah Mckenzie-Jackson 

• Trump's America: women under attack

  

  As the fightback against a raft of anti-abortion laws in the USA gathers steam, it can't be left just to establishment liberals to lead it, argues Kate O'Neil

• Trump and Iran: the brink of war

  

  Trump, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have created a situation with Iran that is risking a new war in the Middle East, argues Chris Nineham

• What happened in the Venezuela coup attempt, and why the threat remains

  

  Juán Guiadó's failed military takeover was a charade, but its international supporters have further interests and plans for ousting Maduro's government, reports Orlando Hill

• City of Segregation, One Hundred Years of Struggle for Housing in Los Angeles - book review

  

  Andrea Gibbons’ history of the battle for equal housing in LA uncovers the intensity and injustice of segregation, which remains a highly visible aspect of US cities, finds Adam Tomes

• Bernie Sanders 2020: what difference can he make this time?

  

  Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election, what difference can he make this time?

• What happens to Julian Assange has implications for us all

  

  The arrest of Julian Assange today sets a dangerous precedent, argues Hilary Stephenson

• The weaponising of antisemitism

  

  The smears against Corbyn and the left are part of a concerted effort to undermine a potential left government and must be opposed, argues Alex Snowdon

• 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

• Venezuela: The US empire is on the march again

  

  As Western leaders impose more sanctions and ultimatums, we must oppose this cynical foreign intervention in Venezuela, writes Rob Winkel

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Eurozone blues

  

  The economic crisis intensifies across Europe, with the US and south east Asia close behind, argues Chris Bambery

• 5 facts about Aipac and the Israel lobby that prove Ilhan Omar is right

  

  Ilhan Omar is being attacked because she's a radical anti-imperialist, black, Muslim woman on the left, and deserves unconditional solidarity argues Shabbir Lakha

• John Pilger on the role of Nato in Europe

  

  Journalist John Pilger discusses the role of Nato in Europe and US imperialism

• Venezuela faces US-led intervention as Haiti struggles to break free

  

  To understand the imperialist intervention from the US and its allies, look to Haiti and the region's history, argues John Clarke

• Oil and ideology: the truth behind US interest in Venezuela

  

  US interest in Venezuela has nothing to do with humanitarianism and everything to do with defeating an ideological foe and stealing its resources, argues Kara Bryan. 

• The End of Policing - book review

  

  The End of Policing exposes the political purposes behind the police, and the damage caused by the modern increase in their coercive power, argues Peter Stäuber

• Ten things you should know about Trump’s man in Venezuela

  

  Abrams' appointment provides further evidence that Trump's response to Venezuela will repeat previous misadventures in the region, argues Sean Ledwith

• 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

• What would a ‘Green New Deal’ look like in Britain?

  

  A Green New Deal, now a popular idea in Britain as well as the US, can help to merge environmental struggle with class struggle, argues Jago Corry

• Neo-colonial tales: Western silence on Zimbabwe betrays hypocrisy on Venezuela

  

  Western meddling across the Global South must end, argues Shabbir Lakha

• London rallies against Venezuela coup and sanctions

  

  Over a hundred people packed out a rally in London at short notice to oppose Trump's push for regime change in Venezuela and Britain's role in it, reports Shabbir Lakha

• Building Power from Below: Chilean Workers Take on Walmart - book review

  

  The success of trade-union organising in Walmart within Chile shows the potential social power of workers in the most difficult circumstances, finds Orlando Hill

• 7 things you need to know about the Venezuela coup attempt

  

  As Western leaders impose more sanctions and ultimatums, Robin Winkel explains why we must oppose foreign intervention in Venezuela

• Dangerous sheriff in the wild west: Trump calls for coup in Venezuela

  

  The United States cannot be allowed to pick and choose countries’ governments, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica.

• US Shutdown: Trump’s racism hits the wall

  

  As the shutdown becomes the longest in US history, Sean Ledwith reports on the consequences of Trump's racist antics

• Trump's Syria solitaire

  

  The US's proposed withdrawal pushes the contradictions of Trumpism to breaking point, argues Hilary Stephenson

• 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

• Europe in turmoil: what to expect in 2019

  

  Chris Bambery explores European political economy and what developments of the last twelve months can lead us to expect about the year ahead

• The anti-war left must capitalise on Trump's withdrawal from Syria

  

  Anti-war campaigners should exploit the cracks in neoconservative foreign policy as the priorities of US imperialism clash with the republican voter base, argues Lindsey German

• What motivates the man in the White House? A study of Trump's foreign policy

  

  Despite the disastrous results of post-9/11 wars, Trump continues to lead a belligerent administration that we must resist at home, argues Chris Nineham

• The Apocolypse of Settler Colonialism - book review

  

  Gerald Horne exposes how the Three Horseman of the Apocalypse - Slavery, Capitalism and White Supremacy gave birth to the rise of the West, finds Adam Tomes

• Trump's teargas and racist brutality at the US-Mexico border

  

  As the Migrant Caravan arrived at the US border, they were met with heavy tear gas and rubber bullets in a show of inhumane violence, John Clarke reports

• The homelessness crisis deepens across North America

  

  Homelessness is spiralling out of control across the US and Canada as laws are enacted to criminalise rough sleepers, reports John Clarke

• Trump loses Congress, but the Democrats are not the winners

  

  Last night's results show increasing polarisation in US politics, with establishment politics the loser, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Migrant Caravan: Trump sends 5000 troops to stop refugees

  

  Thousands of troops have been sent to the US border as Trump vows to stop the Migrant Caravan, reports John Clarke

• Brazil election: Bolsonaro's victory and the struggle ahead

  

  The victory for far-right Bolsonaro is a dangerous development and it is now a critical moment for the left to unite and win the streets, argues Orlando Hill

• Saudi rogue killers? Why the West is so quiet about the death of Jamal Khashoggi

  

  The murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Turkey will irretrievably tarnish Saudi Arabia’s reputation in Western public opinion, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Kavanaugh, Trump and the degradation of US politics

  

  Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court marks a shift to the right, and Trump's antisemitic rhetoric shows the rot at the core of the US state, argues Sean Ledwith

• The socialist challenge to Trump

  

  The Trump nightmare has fired up left organisation in the US to electorally challenging the establishment, writes Sean Ledwith

• Imran Khan: Pakistan's new anti-war Prime Minister?

  

  Imran Khan's electoral victory offers Pakistan the potential for a break from neoliberalism and the War on Terror argues Sohaib Khan

• Steve Bannon: international orchestrator of the alt-right

  

  Steve Bannon has gained international notoriety for his role as Trump's chief strategist. Sean Ledwith examines his role in organising the transatlantic alt-right

• Establishment Fake News: Trump, Russiagate and ‘Treason’

  

  The establishment’s response to Trump’s meeting with Putin in Helsinki sounds panic-stricken but is in fact fake and dangerous, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Trump Out, Tories Out, General Election Now! - Counterfire Freesheet July 2018

  

  Trump's visit and his trade delusions, crisis for the Tories, Grenfell, is the EU really a friend to migrants and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 027, July 2018

• Trump's trade delusion

  

  Both free trade and protectionist strategies will ultimately impoverish workers, writes Susan Newman

• The meaning of Trump

  

  Is Trump a symptom or a cause of the rot at the heart of the US empire, asks Des Freedman

• Together we can defeat Trump, and the Tories too

  

  Opposing Donald Trump can play a role in bringing down our own vicious government

• The Rhyming Guide to Donald Trump

  

  Potent Whisper makes the case for protesting against Donald Trump

• The real danger behind Trump's antics and why he is not indestructible

  

  Trump's obvious absurdity should not distract us from the very real dangers posed by his presidency and his UK visit

• Trump’s state-sponsored child abuse

  

  Separating children from their parents and detaining them is consistent with Trump's inhumane policies and adds to why we need to protest against him argues Sean Ledwith

• Sound and fury, signifying nothing

  

  What does the Trump-Kim summit mean? Not much, says John Rees

• Rethinking Democracy: Socialist Register 2018 - review

  

  Socialism and democracy belong together, and recent popular movements of the left make possible a fight for authentic democracy, argues Sean Ledwith

• John Bolton: the return of the uber hawk

  

  Trump's new National Security advisor will see his appointment as an opportunity to test his military prowess, argues Lindsey German

• Did the West provoke this crisis with Russia?

  

  A US army study, 'Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?', suggests NATO expansion is the key driver of tension with Russia

• Apocalypse Then: the My Lai Massacre

  

  Fifty years on from the worst US atrocity of the Vietnam War, Sean Ledwith explains what happened that day

• Stunning victory for teachers in West Virginia

  

  This win is a huge step forward for the labour movement in the United States

• Back to the future? The possibility of a new arms race

  

  Just as Trump feels that “unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defence”, Putin evidently feels much the same way

• Europe: why retreat must not turn into defeat for the left - weekly briefing

  

  Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US

• American Carnage: Students Defy Trump’s Cult of Violence

  

  Could the student response to last weekend's shootings be the spark for change? Sean Ledwith looks at gun violence in the United States 

• Will Trump’s UK visit be the end of the special relationship?

  

  After yet another disastrous intervention into UK politics over the NHS protest John Rees asks what will be the effect of the Trump visit?

• Lauri Love's victory against extradition

  

  Lauri Love's triumph against extradition to the US is a victory and may well set a precedent for future cases argues Julie Al-Hinai

• Trump in the White House: Tragedy and Farce - book review

  

  Trump's presidency is a highly dangerous force, but to defeat its reactionary policies, its nature must be understood, argues Graham Kirkwood

• False alarm in Hawaii: Trump and nukes keep the world on edge

  

  With Trump in the White House boasting about his nuclear button, the world is on knife-edge and events in Hawaii serve as a warning to us all argues Tom Unterrainer

• Trump visit: We've confronted the Special Relationship

  

  Donald Trump's cancellation is an embarrassment for both sides of the Special Relationship, argues Chris Nineham

• Neither Washington Nor Moscow: origins and applying it today

  

  David Bush looks at what a slogan developed during World War 2 and crystallized as a position during the Cold War means for socialists in the 21st century

• Beyond a joke: Trump vs Bannon

  

  Michael Wolff's book on the Trump presidency reveals an administration in chaos, writes Sean Ledwith

• Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation - book review

  

  A new collection of writing about poverty in the US shows that America is broken, but the answer is to join in the struggles on the streets, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh.

• Why are people in Iran protesting?

  

  Since Thursday last week, Iran has been gripped by a new social unrest across a number of cities. Naz Massoumi gives some context to the unfolding crisis.

• Trump - Year One

  

  Making sense of the Trump presidency is impossible without a systematic understanding of the forces of reaction and capitalism which paved his way, argues David Bush

• Why is Trump recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a big deal?

  

  Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has international law implications, infringes on Palestinian rights and could be a calculated move argues Shabbir Lakha

• Theresa The Appeaser: Trump tweets and Britain First

  

  Trump's tweets have dangerously promoted fascists and Theresa May's weak response exposes the nature of the special relationship with the US argues Shabbir Lakha

• Man gets engaged to woman

  

  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement is an inspiration to all of us normal folk

• Union Power: The United Electrical Workers in Erie, Pennsylvania - book review

  

  Union Power is a revealing account of a vibrant and militant union in one US city in the century of Depression and McCarthyism, finds Kevin Crane

• Trump: one year of waking hell

  

  Donald Trump was elected just over a year ago. In that time, he has wreaked havoc

• Post-modern Trumpism and loneliness: the rise of vulgar authoritarianism

  

  What is at the root of Trump's appeal?

• The return of the S-word in the US

  

  As market fundamentalism is falling out of favour, especially among the young, socialist ideas are gaining traction, writes Des Freedman

• Racist Trump will never be welcome here

  

  From the repeated attempts to pass the Muslim Ban to attacking NFL players, Trump is racist and is not welcome here argues Maz Saleem

• Parliament and power: Lessons from Latin America with Jeffery Webber - video

  

  Author and professor Jeffery Webber dissects the political situation in Latin America, how it developed and what lessons can be learnt from it at a London Counterfire public meeting

• Russia and imperialism today

  

  Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian state, but does it pose the threat that advocates of the NATO alliance often claim? John Rees looks at the profile of Russian military power today.

• The deadliest of games: 
the US and North Korea

  

  Donald Trump’s fumbling towards statesmanship is a global danger, argues Ian Chamberlain

• Resisting 'America’s first white president': Ta-Nehisi Coates and the politics of despair

  

  The US writer's apocalyptic talk disempowers us at precisely the time when we need to oppose Trump, writes Des Freedman

• North Korea: the United States seek power rather than peace

  

  The US approach to North Korea cannot be understood without considering its wider goals in the region

• Fight for $15: McStrike in the US

  

  Care workers and fast-food workers came together in South Philadephia on US Labor Day