MY PARENTS worshipped the 1960s Labour leader Harold Wilson. He talked the language of the \"white-hot heat of the technological revolution\". He spoke of an end to deference and elitism. It was exciting to hear that as a youngster. Wilson unexpectedly lost in June 1970. I became a part of the great working class upsurge against Ted Heath's Tory government.
ASHER D from the UK Garage collective So Solid Crew is appearing in the play Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the National Theatre in London. He hit the headlines when he spent nine months in prison for possession of a gun, which he got after a series of attacks left him in fear for his life. Asher is now developing his acting and music career. He spoke to Kevin Ovenden.
CURRENT REPORTS say something like 500-600 people have been killed in Fallujah, including estimates of 200 women and over 100 children. There are no women among the mujahideen (resistance fighters)-so all of the above are non-combatants. Many of the men who were wounded told us they were just going about their business.
Socialist Worker sellers are finding a real audience when they campaign for Respect in the workplaces. Keith from Hackney told me how Socialist Worker was going down with local bus workers: \"Our sale at Clapton bus garage last Friday saw an upturn in interest. \"Bus workers were approaching our table and asking for information about Respect. They were wondering why they had not heard of Respect. This gave us ample opportunity to sell the only paper that informs-Socialist Worker. As a result 15 papers were sold, and many people took Respect literature.\"
ONE MILLION children are living in housing that stunts their health and education, according to a study last week by housing charity Shelter. It found the number of homeless families has increased 31 percent since New Labour was elected in May 1997. There is a housing crisis in Britain. We now have the lowest level of housebuilding since the Second World War. Council housing is virtually not built any more.
THE WHOLE experience of my brother's death and what happened after was a total shock. We knew right from the beginning that the police were lying to us. We were treated with such contempt. They were always trying to put the blame on anyone but themselves for what happened to Christopher.
THIRTY YEARS ago this week officers in the Portuguese army overthrew the country's fascist dictator, Caetano. The coup triggered a rash of strikes, demonstrations and factory occupations, as workers began to seize the opportunity to air long-suppressed grievances. The explosion from below led commentators to begin talking of the \"Portuguese Revolution\".
MANY SOCIALIST Worker sellers went to striking civil servants' picket lines this week. In Leeds they went to the Eastgate job centre on Tuesday. Sadie reports, \"The pickets were all very friendly. Two of them bought the paper. We had a good discussion with a range of political views. One picket said he thought Respect could give civil service workers a new confidence to take on Labour. Another said he agreed with Respect but was sad that Labour Party members had not been able to change the party from within. All the pickets were grateful we had come to show our support. In the run-up to the strike we sold five papers at Quarry House office.\"
CURRENT REPORTS say something like 500-600 people have been killed in Fallujah, including estimates of 200 women and over 100 children. There are no women among the mujahideen (resistance fighters)-so all of the above are non-combatants. Many of the men who were wounded told us they were just going about their business.
THERE IS something symbolic about the fact that one of the southern Iraqi towns from which the American-led occupation was forced last week was Kut. It was here that in 1916 a British invasion force was besieged by the Turkish army and eventually forced to surrender. Of course, the present occupation of Iraq doesn't yet face a disaster on this scale.
AS 1968 began, the top US military leader General Westmoreland declared, \"We have reached an important point where the end begins to come into view\" and talked of \"light at the end of the tunnel\". Within a few weeks all that had changed, and the world knew that the US was facing a bloody and unwinnable war in Vietnam.
WHEN SOUTH Africans went to the polls this week it marked ten years since black people won the right to vote. A cursory examination of South Africa today reveals deep cracks in the post-apartheid capitalist society. Despite big talk about what has been achieved, the rich continue to get richer and the poor poorer. The majority black ANC government wants South Africans to celebrate and relish the newfound peace, justice and national unity after centuries of conflict, division and injustice.
