The devastating invasion of Iraq by the United States was an egregious act of violence that cannot be understated. The comparison to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II is apt, for in both cases, innocent lives were taken in the name of punishing supposed war criminals. Yet, the real criminals of war were not brought to justice but rather the people of Iraq were made to suffer.
Yuliya, a Ukrainian expat, recently had a challenging encounter with some Greek leftists. We met last summer and had interesting conversation and sharing thoughts about the global left. We shared this point that it is crucial for the left to recognize the complexities of political situations in countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Iran, and not fall into the trap of blindly supporting regimes that claim to be anti-imperialist. The left must acknowledge that there can be authoritarian and oppressive regimes that are not aligned with the West.
In our increasingly interconnected world, we are often told that nations act according to their own interests. Governments and politicians promote the idea of national identity and sovereignty, suggesting that they are acting on behalf of their citizens and promoting their well-being. But is this really the case?
Karl Marx’s critique of capitalism is still relevant today, as many of the issues he identified remain unresolved. In particular, Marx’s analysis of the exploitative nature of capitalism, in which workers are paid less than the value of their labor, and capitalists profit by appropriating the surplus value created by workers, remains a contentious issue.
C. L. R. James, also known as Cyril Lionel Robert James, was a Trinidadian-British Marxist theorist, historian, and cultural critic who made significant contributions to the study of colonialism, slavery, and the African diaspora. Born in 1901, James spent much of his life traveling and writing, and his ideas have had a lasting impact on the fields of history, sociology, and cultural studies. In this article, we will explore James’s thoughts on migration and its relationship to the broader themes of colonialism and globalization.
Recently, a TV debate on women’s rights in Iran has caused controversy. Dr. Maryam Nasr, a member of the Women’s Studies Department at the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, and a clergyman named Majid Dehghan, a faculty member at the Women and Family Research Institute, discussed the topic of “Sovereignty and Gender Issues” on a television program.
Mohsen Shekari, 23, was a waiter in Tehran. Majid Reza Rahnavard, 23, was publicly hanged from a crane in Mashhad (northeastern Iran) and did not have a defined profession. Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, 39, was a worker and an orphan of both parents. He still published pictures on his Instagram that he took on a trip he had more than 17 years ago. Mehdi Karami, 22, was the son of a street handkerchief seller. His last words, spoken before his execution, shocked Iran: “Dad, the sentences have been pronounced. I am sentenced to death. Don’t tell Mom.”
In the Middle East, progressive political groups, including those on the left, right, seculars and radicals such as communists and anarchists, often face brutal suppression by authoritarian governments. At the same time, Islamist groups in the region also actively oppose and attack these progressive movements, using tactics such as assassination, murder, and forced disappearance.
When it is said that the moral “police” has been closed, it means that it has been removed from the state administrative and will not act as police unit but still, “Guidance Patrol”. This force can continue to exist as it was before 2005. It should be emphasized that the Islamic Republic with all its political and social structure is a moral police.
The scene is painful, the murderer of the people is dancing. Alongside this horrible image, patriotism and nationalism also has its own manifestation. Where the riot police are happy for Iran while they are shedding Iranian blood on the ground! He is singing the praises of the people, as if he wants to say: “I killed and I am happy to kill.” In their side, those who rebel against God’s government are not Iranians! However, this symbolic scene also announces the fall of the regime in the most pitiful way.
The governor of Tehran said last year that 23% of the total population of the outskirts of Iran’s cities are in Tehran. He said that 4.5 million people of Tehran live in dilapidated buildings on the outskirts of the city. At the same time, half a million people of this city live in settlements that are illegal according to the municipality.
women had fewer opportunities to enter the labor market and their position at production and economy were more restricted. During primitive accumulation, Silvia Federici calls this “the devaluation of women’s work”. Through which Iran’s Islamic capitalism wants to make “motherhood” a major part of a woman’s social responsibilities. Even the sale of birth control devices was criminalized by law.