Class Struggle
n°29
November 1999
- 1
Britain - The record of railway privatisation: from sell-off to slaughter
The train crash at Ladbroke Grove Junction, just outside Paddington Station in London, on the morning of Tuesday 5 October, generated a sense of profound shock. Despite the obvious concern of John Prescott, deputy prime minister with responsibility for transport, to avoid putting the blame on the privatised railway … - 2
Britain - Big landowners - capitalist interests under a ”feudal” cloak
No-one is more secretive than the rich about their wealth - and they are prepared to pay a high price for their secrets to remain hidden. In fact an entire industry is exclusively devoted to massaging accounts and finding legal loopholes in order to conceal the whereabouts of their assets. … - 3
World Economy - The parasitism of finance capital and its impact on production
NatWest, one of Britain's "Big Four" banks and one of the most profitable, has been the target of several takeover bids over the past few months. Its management and main shareholders have been resisting these bids by trying to boost the price of NatWest shares so as to make a … - 4
Colombia - US imperialism and the war on drugs
During his trip to Washington in September 1999, Andres Pastrana, Colombia's president, announced that he was asking the US to extend 1.5 billion dollars in military aid over three years, doubling the current amount the US sends to Colombia. Proposing what he calls a "Plan for peace, prosperity and the … - 5
Russia - Through the ”Russia-gate” looking glass
A new term has recently been added to Russian political vocabulary: "The Family". It was originally used by the press to designate the extended family of President Yeltsin - himself, his daughters, his son-in-laws, their friends, their financial advisors and their backers behind the scenes. This is because the activities …