Sunday, April 27, 2025 Donald Trump is a man in a hurry. Better prepared than when he came to office in his first term as President, he has embarked at breakneck speed on achieving his international and domestic objectives. He is not hampered by the niceties of diplomacy nor does he pay lip service to other countries and their leaders. This has come as a shock to Western “allies” of the US, whose second class position in relation to the world’s hegemonic superpower Trump has made painfully clear. They are struggling to adjust to this new reality. The EU is struggling with multiple problems of weak leaders and economic and political stagnation. In Britain too Kier Starmer’s government is failing to address the country’s economic problems nor is it trying to meet the needs of the British people. In fact, the reverse. It is threatening more cuts to welfare and services to fund war and the arms build-up. So the old imperial European powers are not well placed to challenge Trump by carving out an independent road for themselves. But he will face other challenges from within the US establishment and from a disgruntled voter base, who will be made worse off by his policies. There will be resistance too from the Global South. The question is what will the long-term impact of his policies be and will he actually make the US stronger or weaker? Issue 54 The World North America Europe Britain

Saturday, April 26, 2025 Trump is motivated by a desire to ensure US supremacy in the face of China which is developing rapidly. No other country poses such a threat and he wants to clear the decks for that fight, hence his attempt to end the war in Ukraine on terms favourable to the United States. Other aspects of Trump’s imperial agenda – his designs on Greenland and Panama and also relate to his desire to prevent China challenging US power. Issue 54 Europe North America

Friday, April 25, 2025 Although Trump is notoriously erratic, beneath the surface of this and his egregious, insulting behaviour there are consistencies. One is that he will continue to support Israel as the bastion of US interests in the Middle East and Palestinians who continue to suffer from Israel’s genocidal actions both in Gaza and the West Bank. One bright spot in a rather grim political landscape in Britian has been the unified and determined campaigning by activists in solidarity with Palestine. In particular we can learn from the past success of the boycott of South African apartheid to mobilise people to boycott Israeli apartheid now. Issue 54 middle east Britain

Thursday, April 24, 2025 Trump has signed a blitz of executive orders on a huge variety of issues and of little coherence. His ideologically support and programme emanates from right-wing think tanks, with a socially reactionary agendas. But America is deeply divided and despite his show of power Trump will face challenges. But his opponents, particularly the Democratic Party, have a big job to do to change things and commit to progress in working class interests. Issue 54 North America

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 The threat from China to the US and the West is real but it is not a military one, as the media would have us believe, which is used as the pretext for increased arms spending. In fact, it is the US that has threatened to annex Canada, take over Greenland, take back the Panama Canal (which it has partly succeeded in) take over Ukrainian mineral resources and redevelop Gaza ethnically cleansed of Palestinians. By contrast, what China has been doing is developing its technology and industry so that it is now a leading force in hi tech and green industries. This came into sharp relief with the success of DeepSeek’s new artificial intelligence system. This is what motivates Trump. He wants to focus on the serious challenge that China poses to the United States status as the world’s one superpower. Issue 54 The World Asia / Pacific North America

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 There is a long history behind the West’s objective of destroying the government in Syria. The long campaign of military action and sanctions which eventually led to Assad’s defeat. His overthrow will have a profound impact on future prospects for Syria and the region, including the Palestinians whose cause has been weakened by these events. The West backs the terrorists who now control the country and who are oppressing and killing people from ethnic and religious minorities and women from all groups. Meanwhile the United States is still involved and Israel and Turkey are vying to carve up bits of Syria for themselves. The future looks grim for Syrians. Issue 54 middle east

Monday, April 21, 2025 Although German Democratic Republic (GDR) ended 35 years ago its achievements demonstrate what is possible in a society committed to the welfare of its citizens. It did this against enormous odds. It was economically disadvantaged after the end of the second world war and faced the West's attempts to isolate it from the rest of the world. Significantly it was determined that war would never again emanate from German soil and advocated for peace. Issue 54 Europe