Capitalism versus socialism: The pandemic and the global class struggle
8 February 2021
On Sunday, February 7, the WSWS hosted an online meeting entitled, “Capitalism vs. Socialism: The pandemic and the global class struggle.”
The speakers were SEP (US) National Secretary Joseph Kishore, SEP (US) National Chairman and WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North, WSWS writers and leading SEP (US) members Patrick Martin and Andre Damon, Johannes Stern, a leading member of the
Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei in Germany, and Tomas Castanheira, a member of the Socialist Equality Group in Brazil.
The participants reviewed the critical political, historical and programmatic issues for workers in fighting against the homicidal policies of the ruling elite against the coronavirus pandemic, and the sharp turn towards fascism, authoritarianism and dictatorship by governments around the world, from the US to Germany and Brazil.
The Trump coup and the rise of fascism: Where is America going?
The initial reaction, within the United States but also throughout the world, to the violent events of January 6, 2021 and their aftermath is, quite understandably, one of shock.
The inauguration of Joseph Biden as the 46th president of the United States will take place in a capital occupied by 25,000 National Guard troops, which as noted by one military officer is roughly 10 times the number of American troops presently stationed in Afghanistan. The political situation in Washington D.C. is such that the presidential inauguration, one of the central rituals of American politics spanning more than 200 years, will be a ceremony from which the public has been banned.
ALASKA VOTERS PASS RANKED CHOICE VOTING BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY INJURE BALLOT ACCESS
On November 3, Alaska voters passed Measure Two with 50.55% of the vote. It converts elections for partisan office, including president, to ranked choice voting. Unfortunately it also vastly stiffens the definition of a qualified party . And it restricts the November ballot for congress and partisan state office to only the top four vote-getters in the primary. Past election returns indicate that for elections for Governor and Congress, this will mean only Republicans and Democrats qualify for the November ballot.
Political Party Definition
The old Alaska law lets a group become a qualified party, or keep its party status, two ways.
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On November 6, 2020, a California trial court issued an injunction, permitting the proponents of a gubernatorial recall petition to have four more months to complete their petition. Heatlie v Padilla, Sacramento County Superior Court, 34-2020-800003499.
Without the injunction, the petition would have been due on November 17, 2020. Now it is due March 17, 2021. The petition needs 1,495,709 valid signatures. On December 19, proponents said they have approximately 800,000 signatures.
The basis for the ruling is the covid-19 health crisis. Earlier in 2020, California state trial courts had granted more time for two statewide initiatives. However, the federal and state courts in California denied any similar relief to two independent presidential candidates and the Common Sense Party. The two independent candidates were Don Blankenship of the Constitution Party, and Joseph Kishore of the Socialist Equality Party. But, in fairness to the courts, the initiat