Who we are and what we do Youth for International Socialism is a group of workers and youth that fight for the end of capitalism, and for democratic socialism, as explained by the ideas of genuine Marxism. We have links worldwide, and are in political solidarity with the ideas of the International Marxist Tendency presented at the In Defence of Marxism website (www.marxist.com). We are Marxists in the tradition of Marx and Engels, and as continued by Lenin and Trotsky. Although we fight against capitalism shoulder to shoulder with other groups with similar goals, we maintain the specific ideas and principles of Marxism in our activities. By getting involved in the local, national, and international youth, labor, and communist movements, YFIS takes an active part in the day to day struggles of workers and youth around the world. With news and analysis, solidarity campaigns, educational material, discussion groups and much more, we work to spread the ideas of genuine Marxism to as many people as possible. We educate others and ourselves, and defend the interests of the workers and youth at all times. Join us in the fight for a better world! Read more... |
In the society in which we currently find ourselves, class society, a small minority of the population holds ownership and control over industry, banks and all major means for producing wealth. Because we, the workers, do not get to enjoy this wealth, although we create it, our lives are reduced to working for wages that disappear when we pay the bills. How does the ruling class keep us putting up with such a lifestyle? One way is the fact that the ruling class?s ideology permeates contemporary culture and dominates the media.
Peter Kent, a Canadian minister, recently expressed concerns over the supposed ?shrinking democratic space? in Venezuela. He was referring to measures against several TV stations. On one of these, Noel Álavarez, president of the bosses? union FEDECAMARAS, called for another ?military solution? to the political situation in Venezuela. How would Kent like it if a Canadian boss suggested Canada?s military intervene to remove his government?
After several weeks of solid protest, the state authorities released the three youth activists of Jebha from prison last week. This is a huge victory for the struggle against the lack of water supplies, power cuts and other problems affecting the village. We want to thank all our readers who sent solidarity messages.
As part of the widespread arrests of activists in Iran during the past few days Alireza Saghafi was arrested on Monday, February 1, 2010. He is a member of the Iranian Writers? Association and a labour rights activist who was arrested on May Day 2009 in Tehran?s Laleh Park.
This article takes note of the effects of the recession on workers in the USA (high unemployment, low wages, threats of losing homes, etc.) and how Obama is continuing Bush's program of spending billions of dollars bailing out Wall Street. The union leadership told workers that voting the Democrats into Congress and the White House would change things, but where is this change? As the Workers International League explained, voting for the "lesser evil" in a system dominated by two corporate parties would bring about an immediate "evil." People then get tired after no real change and end up bringing the "greater evil" back into power. This is precisely what happened in Massachusetts.
An opposition group recently won the election and will become the new leadership of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100. Even though the election was held last June, the ballots were not counted until December! This was one of the many tactics used by the incumbent Toussaint leadership, which was seeking to install its handpicked successors.
