The internationalists

(Meeting of the ICT Bureau Milan December 2010 - Life of the Organisation) · The meeting dealt with a number of organisational matters as well as undertook the task of editing a new common documents which will appear in 2011. It began with a discussion of the current state of the crisis which the Italian comrades were asked to introduce. The following is a brief account of what was discussed.

(From the Friends of Spartacus, The Internationalist Youth Review, Oct-Nov 2010 - The Friends of Spartacus are young comrades involved in the resistance of university and school students as well as young workers against the cuts in Italy) · It is well known communists support the need to overthrow capitalism.

In order to face the full extent and seriousness of the economic crisis of 2008 the French bourgeoisie, like all the other bourgeoisies, has to strongly attack the workers to fill in the deficit chasm which they created in order to “save” their moribund system. France has decided to start with an attack on pensions, whilst Greece and Spain have taken broader and more drastic measures.

(As we go to press the struggles in France show no sign of dying down. We cannot do full justice to all that is going on but we can give a flavour of what is happening behind the headlines in this leaflet from Toulouse. It shows that at least some workers recognise the fact that ritual responses are not enough against an intractable and increasingly desperate class enemy.

Like someone who's been found guilty of a crime they did not commit, the working class bemusedly finds itself in the state penitentiary waiting for further punishment to be doled out. While Cameron and Osborne chant the market mantra of the need to 'cut the budget deficit' they pick and choose where the axe will fall.