The Railway Maritime and Transport trade union are no strangers to controversy, from winning massive pay rises for their members through sustained strike action, to an unapologetically socialist stance and recent accusations of being ‘Putin apologists’. But what role does an “industrially and politically militant union” play today? Neil speaks with RMT regional organiser and Bristolian Brendan Kelly on recent strife on the railways, ferry ports and a take on the war in Ukraine that has stirred up longstanding debates about foreign policy.
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Mordern Russian imperialistic war in Ukraine has the same nature as the US imperialistic wars had in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. The only difference is that it was not Russia putting military bases around US borders for last 30 years and finally burning nazi coups in Mexico and Canada supporting anti-US polititians in these countries. It was US threatening Russia exactly this way though Russia is not ruled by communists anymore and had pro-US policy till 2008. US were too self-assured regarding Russia’s dependence on Western markets, controlled by US, and decided not just to grab the Russian backyard integrated into Russian economy but even planned to throw out strategic and historic military base of Russian fleet from Crimea in Black sea. But it was strategic miscalculation as though today’s Russia is quiet weak and dependent economy but still has the largest nuclear weapons arsenal and they forgot about China who has their own imperialistic interests and is able to replace Western markets for Russia’s natural resources. So there neither good no bad boys here. That’s capitalism in its highest stage – imperialism, according to Vladimir Lenin, 1914
Russian imperialistic war in Ukraine has the same nature as the US imperialistic wars had in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. The only difference is that it was not Russia putting military bases around US borders for last 30 years and finally burning nazi coups in Mexico and Canada supporting anti-US polititians in these countries. It was US threatening Russia exactly this way though Russia is not ruled by communists anymore and had pro-US policy till 2008. US were too self-assured regarding Russia’s dependence on Western markets, controlled by US, and decided not just to grab the Russian backyard integrated into Russian economy but even planned to throw out strategic and historic military base of Russian fleet from Crimea in Black sea. But it was strategic miscalculation as though today’s Russia is quiet weak and dependent economy but still has the largest nuclear weapons arsenal and they forgot about China who has their own imperialistic interests and is able to replace Western markets for Russia’s natural resources. So there neither good no bad boys here. That’s capitalism in its highest stage – imperialism, according to Vladimir Lenin, 1914. And there are only 2 exits – collapse of the system with nuclear war and nations mass murder or collapse of the system with revolutionary transit to new system ruled by working class without exploring human by human, without borders and wars.