Every year workers throughout the world celebrate May Day. Forty years ago, it coincided with the liberation of South Vietnam (see page 22). This year, May Day comes hot on the heels of the US’s massive climbdown over Cuba – brilliant news.
After decades of attacks on Cuba resulted in the total isolation of the US, Obama finally backed down and took steps to normalise relations with the island. So much for “superpowers”.
Overall, though, the international situation is dire, with wars and national disintegration rife. Now the US-British-Saudi alliance is wrecking yet another country. The Saudis, armed and backed by Cameron and Obama, are attacking Yemen, and will destroy it, if we let them, just as the NATO powers destroyed Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Each time they claim humanitarian motives. Each time they cause humanitarian disasters.
The United Nations Security Council on 14 April rejected a Russian proposal for an embargo on arms sales to any country involved in the fighting. It voted instead for an arms embargo only on the Yemeni people, not on the Saudi aggressor.
When Russia acts to defend its neighbours from similar interventions, this is deemed a threat to world peace. When the US and British governments destroy Iraq and Libya, they call it humanitarian intervention. That’s imperialism for you.
Cuba stands as a beacon of what a steadfast anti-imperialist people can win.