Learning by number

The crack pipe of peace Dear Auntie _ War, famine, economic depression and global warming - the idea that 'another world is possible' seems remoter than ever. Will we ever have a just and peaceful world? _ Desperate for peace, Preston

No hope Dear Auntie, All my left-wing friends seem to be overjoyed about Obama winning the US election, holding real hope that he will bring change, that he'll stop the wars, and that he'll somehow make America all cuddly and nice. But haven't we been here before? I'm getting flashbacks to the expectations people had of politicians like Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, and how quickly they betrayed us. Is it terrible that I think Obama will be just more of the same? Hopeless, London

Both feet not in the grave Dear Auntie, Having reached 50, I've become invisible. It's the only explanation of why people look right through me. I'm ignored in shops and at bus stops; and getting served at the bar is an endurance test, as men and younger women always take priority. I have a lifetime of experience as an activist, but these days there's always a 'Darren' or 'Ryan' whose opinion matters more. I'd go as far as saying they don't even hear me speak! It seems white hair and wrinkles are taken as an early indication of Alzheimer's. But I'm not ready to go gently into the night and as Auntie looks of a similar age, does she have any advice? The invisible woman, London

Punishing Palestine: How the US plays politics with aid Libby Powell on how the US has retaliated after Palestine’s UN statehood bid

Breaking the silence Michael Pooler discovers how former IDF soldiers are opening up about life in the occupied territories.

Palestine’s wandering poet Mike Marqusee on Mahmoud Darwish, the poet of the Palestinian people

An ‘excess of democracy’: what two generations of radicals can learn from each other The philosophy and experience of 1960s/70s radical movements are in several ways complementary to the ideas of the direct action movements of today. Hilary Wainwright examines the possibility of forging a new kind of political economy by learning from the best of both

N30 and after: was that it? A debate on the public sector strikes Gregor Gall analyses the 30 November strikes. With a response by Heather Wakefield

Audio: Rebellious Media Conference Exclusive podcast with Dan Hind, James Curran, Zahera Harb

Leanne Wood: Why I’m standing for the Plaid Cymru leadership Leanne Wood AM sets out a socialist vision for Wales.

After Durban: All talked out? The UN climate talks in Durban followed a familiar script of inaction. Oscar Reyes asks if activists should still be focusing attention on them