June 2003 Archive 

English mobilisation for European Social Forum gathers momentum The latest preparatory meeting of the English mobilisation for the second European Social Forum (ESF), taking place in Paris on 12-15 November 2003, was held on 17 May in Newcastle.

When Labour is the alternative to New Labour Robin Cook and Clare Short may have got all the media attention but there have been other expressions of despair of far greater significance for the future of Labour and the left.

Neo-conservatism and the politics of paranoia The founders and first generation of the neo-conservatism movement that now dominates Washington are either deceased or older than the septuagenarian US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. In decades past neo-con believers remained off-stage, occasionally appearing in moments of crisis or opportunity. These appearances were brief and failed to attract sufficient attention to provoke public debate.

Holiday in Sars-land Just when you thought it was safe to travel to Toronto, Sars once again reared its ugly head. Why is it that this industrialised city can’t cope? Natasha Grzincic unmasks Sars in Canada’s largest city.

Secrets and Lies Richard Norton-Taylor writes that intelligence reports on Iraq are distorted and manipulated for political ends

International solidarity with Venezuela takes off Despite the misunderstanding and even hostility expressed by some leftists, the Bolivarian Revolution of President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela is seen more and more as a beacon of hope in a unipolar world. From 10-13 April 2003 - the first anniversary of the short-lived fascist coup against Chávez - thousands gathered in Caracas for an international solidarity meeting.

The warfare state Now that the fog of war has lifted and the post-war triumphalism has proved short-lived, it is time to assess the implications of Blair’s drive to war for British democracy writes David Beetham

Jakarta imposes martial law in Aceh On 19 May 2003 the Indonesian government placed Aceh, one of Indonesia’s most resource-rich provinces, under martial law. This followed the breakdown of a December 2002 peace agreement between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (Gam). Breaking the original agreement, the government demanded that Gam gave up its goal of independence and laid down its arms. When Gam refused, Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri declared martial law

Unspinning the globe What does Public Relations mean to you? Sharp suits, beguiling smiles, off the record hints, misinformation and lies?