{"id":211774,"date":"2020-12-31T17:15:56","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T17:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/?page_id=211774"},"modified":"2021-01-15T19:28:17","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T19:28:17","slug":"january-2021","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/january-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"<p style=\"color:#d5190b;text-shadow: 4px 4px silver\">January 2021<\/p>"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5 style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/?page_id=211804&amp;preview=true\">Socialist Standard-Events-Blogs \u27a4<\/a><\/h5>\n<div style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-209812 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/p08x8wyb-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"403\" \/><em>Small Axe<\/em> (BBC One) is a polished and engaging collection of five dramas directed and co-written by filmmaker Steve McQueen, most well-known for <em>12 Years A Slave<\/em>. As he explains, \u2018the anthology, anchored in the West Indian experience in London, is a celebration of all that that community has succeeded in achieving against the odds\u2019<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/no-1397-january-2021\/proper-gander-14\/\">More<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-211978 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Candles-Image-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"403\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Candles-Image-small.jpg 403w, https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Candles-Image-small-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Right from the foundation of the Turkish Republic, Atat\u00fcrk recognised that to build a modern, secular society those he described as the \u2018true owners\u2019, the villagers, could become the nation\u2019s greatest asset but only if the \u2018light of education\u2019 could be passed to them<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0063852;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/candles-in-the-wind\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-209812 size-large\" title=\"Troubled times\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ira-gunman-1_3571056.jpg\" title=\"Troubled times\" width=\"525\" height=\"403\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The events in Northern Ireland since 1968 caused a split in the ranks of the IRA but while the immediate problems posed by the troubles in the North may have triggered off this split it was the growing influence of Leninist ideas within the movement, and the effect these had on dividing the IRA\u2019s reaction to events in the North, that formed the core of the division.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0063852;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/50-years-ago-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-209812 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Lukashenco.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"403\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The preponderance of state capitalism in Belarus does not make it a welfare state. For example, Russia has more progressive labour legislation than we do. In Russia there are several alternative trade union federations, while Belarus has only one trade union independent of the state. It was created and registered under Lukashenko\u2019s predecessors. In Belarus it is almost impossible to conduct a strike&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0063852;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/what-is-going-on-in-belarus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-211983 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Pfizer-small.jpg\" title=\"Pfizer\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Pfizer-small.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Pfizer-small-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The problem is not so much fake news, which is often reasonably easy to identify and debunk, as partial truths, which are much harder to disentangle and can look convincing even to a discerning eye. One of the problems with vaccine scepticism is that much of what the sceptics say about Big Pharma is correct. For instance, it\u2019s quite true that Big Pharma exists primarily to make profits and only secondarily to make drugs, so if more money can be made out of bad drugs than good ones, it will make bad ones&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0063852;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/pathfinders-42\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; overflow: auto; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 10px; height: 450px; width: 30%;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-211981 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Nationalism-Image-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Nationalism-Image-small.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Nationalism-Image-small-300x230.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Open the atlas and look at a political map of Africa. Many borders consist of straight lines, and it is clear that these are arbitrary consequences of colonialism, of which colonial power ruled which area and where it was convenient to draw boundaries, rather than reflecting any genuine distinctions between nations. Instead, the lines were put in place, and nations were created as a result. Iraq, too, was assembled a century ago as an artificial entity that served the interests of the British ruling class, with special regard to access to oil reserves&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0063852;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/the-myths-of-nationalism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"float: left; width: 100%; padding-top: 30px;\">\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Whether you are new to socialist ideas or not, these links provide both introductory as well as in-depth analyses.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/welcome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">|Welcome<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/what-capitalism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">|What is capitalism?|<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/what-socialism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">|What is socialism?|<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/article\/introductory-articles\/reform-or-revolution\/education-introductory-articles-reform-or-revolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">|Reform or revolution?| <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020\/2020s\/no-1391-july-2020\/the-case-for-socialism-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Case for Socialism|<\/a> |<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/publications\/in-depth-articles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In Depth articles<\/a>| |<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/publications\/study-guides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Study Guides<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/publications\/an-a-to-z-of-marxism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">|A-Z of Marxism|<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/no-1397-january-2021\/book-reviews-143\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reviews<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"33%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/no-1397-january-2021\/book-reviews-143\/#book-one\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-209786\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/71EZMiIR9L.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"33%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/no-1397-january-2021\/book-reviews-143\/#book-two\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-209787\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51Td4XttkGL._SX320_BO1204203200_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"33%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/no-1397-january-2021\/book-reviews-143\/#book-three\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-209785\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/61zWseF9xuL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div style=\"float: left; width: 100%; padding-top: 30px;\">\n<h5><strong>SPGB<\/strong><strong> online Live \u2013 Audio talks \u2013 Meetings \u2013 Debates<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><\/div>\n<p>Forthcoming events for January <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/socialist-standard\/2020s\/2021\/meetings-18\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><\/div>\n<p>Contact <a href=\"mailto:stephenfinch@waitrose.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Discord Admin<\/a> for special invite or email <a class=\"moz-txt-link-abbreviated\" href=\"mailto:spgb@worldsocialism.org\">spgb@worldsocialism.org<\/a>\u2018.<br \/>\nCheck our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/audio\/\">Audio page<\/a> for some recordings of these talks.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/3-free-standards\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-153378 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/3Free.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/3Free.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/3Free-300x122.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"213\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Socialist Standard-Events-Blogs \u27a4 Small Axe (BBC One) is a polished and engaging collection of five dramas directed and co-written by filmmaker Steve McQueen, most well-known for 12 Years A Slave. As he explains, \u2018the anthology, anchored in the West Indian experience in London, is a celebration of all that that community has succeeded in achieving &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/january-2021\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color:#d5190b;text-shadow: 4px 4px silver\">January 2021<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2605,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-211774","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2605"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211774"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211808,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211774\/revisions\/211808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldsocialism.org\/spgb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}