Of course the British Prime Minister won't condemn Trump outright for his invasion of Venezuela to "arrest" Maduro. Starmer is, after all, a "special" partner in the US-led Imperialist Club.

    The British navy is always present in the Caribbean. Its officers are "assistants" on the US aircraft carrier General R Ford, anchored somewhere off Puerto Rico, so that US jets can take off and potentially target nearby islands/countries - like Cuba...

    And there's nothing new, nor unprecedented about it. As if there haven't always been "spheres of influence" - the richest and most powerful countries dividing the world between them to exploit their own backyards. "Might" has always been "right"!

    The so-called "International Rules-based World Order" and sanctimonious UN Resolutions have never had any weight! The "right of self-determination of nations" was only respected when it suited the rich protagonists or could be used in their interests. As is shown so painfully today in Gaza and the West Bank - or indeed in Ukraine where Zelenskyy acts willing proxy for European/US imperialism, which aims to weaken the "strong" Russian left-over of the former Soviet Union. Yes, all the better to gain full access to its resources.

    Some of us can recall how, in 1991, US President George HW Bush announced a "New World Order" when launching the first Iraq war, aiming at "regime change". And of course the actions of US/multinational corporations and the power politics of reactionary leaders throughout the rich imperialist world, in their wars for resources like oil, are always carried out with impunity and with the complicity of British political leaders of whatever stripe.

    US "might" under Nixon helped get rid of "socialist" Allende in Chile in 1973, helping brutal military dictator Pinochet into power. Reagan presided over the invasion of Grenada in 1983 to end "socialist" rule - and never mind that socialism under such conditions is a mirage. But even timid nationalisations can prevent imperialist-backed companies like Shell, BP, Exxon-Mobil or Conoco from gorging their shareholders' stomachs... As happened in Venezuela under Chavez and Maduro, which then, due to retaliatory sanctions couldn't even maintain its oil infrastructure, let alone feed the poverty-stricken population. No wonder 4m fled.

    Today, in the context of the ongoing global crisis and decline of this decaying capitalist economic system, a revival of good old colonialism is afoot, to prop up profits, albeit in new forms. Trump, as the latest front-man for the US "world order" just reflects the degenerate state of this, in fact, capitalist "dis"-order, in its ever-rotting state. He puts it crudely - and hence his "threats" against Greenland. It's unnecessary, but deliberate bluster, to act "big stuff". After all, the US army is already in Greenland...

    But let's be sure of one fact. That the working class, even in one country is much bigger stuff, because it can turn off the profits' tap without using a single bullet. That's what we need to work toward, so as to build our own "new world order", under workers' socialist rule, which will eventually make it possible to use this world's precious resources in the interests of all.

In his New Year address, Keir Starmer promised to "tackle" the cost of living (COL), claiming "this Labour Government is on your side, doing everything we can to ease the cost of living - and make life better". Yes "life" is bad. Food prices are 40% higher now than 5 years ago; average rents are at least 30% up and still rising!

    But never mind, Starmer pointed to the first freeze in rail fares for 30 yrs. Forget that last year under his watch they were increased by 5.1% and are over 20% higher than 5 yrs ago! He claims that the £150 cut in energy bills, due in April, will help. But it's too little, too late! Energy bills are more than 50% higher than they were 5 yrs ago. And spare a thought for the "poor" energy companies, whose profits skyrocketed to £30bn this year! Not quite high enough, apparently. So for Starmer, a cap on energy prices is not part of his "doing everything we can to ease the COL" plan...

    Of course, he had to mention the COL crisis in his New Year message: it was the reason behind the 2022/23 strike wave and the thought of another wave of discontent haunts him and the bosses he represents. This month, 30 sixth form colleges will be on strike, against a 4% pay offer. Teachers and school workers could well follow after a 6.5% pay offer over 3 years, while they face impossible workloads. At the end of 2025, bus workers were on strike in West London, Cambridge, South Wales, and Manchester over pay, but with their different strikes and wage demands organised separately. The same is true in the NHS - where resident doctors struck on their own, when wages and workload are a problem for all workers!

    Indeed, like during the 2022/2023 strike wave, the union leaders keep strikers apart. Birmingham's refuse workers have been on strike exactly one year on 6 January, all by themselves, when it is obvious that the most effective way to win, would be to bring these fights together! So our wish for 2026 is to instill fear in the hearts of the bosses and their mouthpieces like Starmer, by breaking artificial divisions amongst workers and fighting back together as one strong, united, class!