A New Years’ resolution worth sticking to

2011 was certainly a year that will remain forever in the history books – it was the year that saw movements of millions overthrow the most brutal dictators. It was the year that saw thousands occupy financial districts in the heart of the beast through the #Occupy tent cities. It was the year that saw hundreds of thousands of trade unionists march against the cuts in Britain on 26 March, and then take to the picket lines on 30 November.

In short, it was a year that really saw the start of mass and generalised worldwide resistance to the brutality of the capitalist system in which we live.

2011 showed the true brutality of that system. The bond markets and big finance showed that they were more than willing to suspend even the most limited democracy by replacing the Italian and Greek Prime Ministers with World Bank and IMF henchmen, showing to the world that capitalism is not democracy, but its greatest enemy.

It turns out that British and American Military Intelligence made use of Colonel Gadaffi’s torture dungeons to obtain ‘operationally useful’ information, whilst the management at the London School of Economics roared with laughter when Said Gadaffi joked that Libya was a democratic country, more than happy to accept his dirty money.

And all the while in the USA, President Obama, originally elected on the premise of ‘change’, allowed police forces to use all means of violence to repress #Occupy protesters, whilst condemning dictatorship and terrorism abroad, yet carrying out what can only be described as war crimes through using drone bombers in Pakistan throughout the year.

So as we move into 2012, we move in to a year in which it has never been clearer that the system is the problem, and that the fabulous and rapidly increasing wealth of the rich comes at the great expense of all of us – the 99% all across the world.

It is clearer than ever that we need to organise ourselves if we are to win the class war taking place. The ‘1%’ have the IMF, World Bank, their governments, their police and their armies. And we need to use 2012 to make serious inroads into building internationalist revolutionary organisations to make sure our side wins.

This year, REVOLUTION has been discussing how we can go about doing that, and in 2012 we want to continue discussions with anticapitalists in Britain and across the world and take concrete steps forward together.

In 2011, young people showed yet again our willingness to be at the forefront of the struggle against the system – and no doubt this will continue through next year and the years ahead. We owe it to our own futures to get organised, and take the struggle to the next level as 2012 begins. So make this your New Years’ Resolution – join us, and help us to make next year a red one!