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Brexit, la démocratie, et les travailleurs britanniques

Brexit, la démocratie, et les travailleurs britanniques John Mullen Les élections anticipées, sans doute en novembre, au Royaume-Uni devrait permettre de replacer au centre du débat les intérêts des travailleurs. Toute la population britannique semble avoir été emportée dans un tourbillon politique qui a commencé par un désaccord au sein de l’élite concernant la politique extérieure. Mais, pour les travailleurs, le Brexit ne peut pas être la question politique principale. L’opposition à l’autoritarisme sans précédent de Boris Johnson et le combat contre l’austérité et le racisme sont prioritaires. Que le pays reste dans une alliance telle que l’Union européenne ou qu’il en sorte ne peut pas être la question centrale pour les classes populaires britanniques. Le sort des travailleurs dans des pays de l’UE et de ceux dans les pays européens hors-UE ne présente guère de différence radicale. Depuis 40 ans, le fait d’être dans l’UE n’a aucunement protégé les travailleurs du Royaume-Uni d’un ...
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The meaning of the Yellow Vests

This radical websit asked a group of people to write 400 words each on the Yellow Vest Movement. This is what I wrote: "The Yellow Vests are an inspiration. Rooted in the small-town working class, traditionally little-mobilised, the movement has transformed many thousands in the struggle. In my working-class French family in the South West, I found that people who before ‘never talked politics’ were enthusiastically involved, and arguing, with all the facts at their fingertips, about tax policy or police violence. Every weekend for six months has seen between 20,000 and 160,000 protesting. Macron has been humiliated every Saturday by joyful Yellow Vests and imaginative action, whether blocking motorway toll booths, picketing tax-avoiding multinationals, or forcing their way into a ministerial HQ with a handy fork-lift truck. The movement has had consistently more than 50% public support, about double Macron’s support. They have succeeded in keeping worker poverty and pensioner pov...
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Macron, Yellow Vests, and Class Struggle in France in 2019

France: Macron, Yellow Vests, and Class Struggle in 2019 John Mullen As the Yellow Vest movement in France continues its novel and inspiring revolt, Emmanuel Macron could not help expressing his class disdain for ordinary people: at a gala speech on the 11th January, he declared “Too many French people don’t know the meaning of the word ‘effort’. That’s part of the explanation for the present troubles”. This article takes a look at the general significance of Macron and the movement within class struggle in France. [i] Certainly, on our side, effort has not been lacking! It is unheard of to hold demonstrations in dozens of towns across the country on the weekend between Christmas and the New Year, but the Yellow Vest movement managed this, and succeeded, on 12th January, one of the biggest waves of protests yet. Imaginative and symbolic direct action has inspired all those who want smug-faced Macron thrown out of his palace. Motorways and ferry ports – and a horse racecourse - have be...
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memory, heritage, servants

This fascinating BBC documentary looks at what life was like as a servant in the grand stately homes which are so popular with tourists and TV viewers today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqiMASk5MIU&index=1&list=PLfHP8cnex_oE_tA3yEwsBXwk3utfegb3_
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Ghosts of Christmas Present: Macron’s Ongoing Yellow Vest Nightmare

Ghosts of Christmas Present: Macron’s Ongoing Yellow Vest Nightmare John Mullen The 15th December was Act Five for the popular Yellow Vest revolt against poverty in France, but it was not the finale. The movement remains vibrant and determined, especially in the big Southern towns like Toulouse and Bordeaux, and its effects are considerable, with pre-Christmas commerce heavily hit, privatized motorway companies losing tens of millions of euros, and images of burning cars and smashed bank windows on the Champs Elysées tarnishing Macron’s image as 21st century European capitalism’s blue-eyed boy. Christmas trees have been put up on a number of Yellow Vest held roundabouts and motorway toll booths, symbolizing the fact that they are definitely not giving up. At some roadblocks the movement collects for food banks; at others they set up mock guillotines. One of Macron’s MPs turned up for work the other day to find her offices had been repainted in bright yellow. New initiatives are to be ...
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