The Hiroshima Peace Memorial - the Genbaku Dome - was the only structure left standing after the USA dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Japan on the 6th of August 1945. It was in front of this ruin that G7 leaders posed last week for a photo-opportunity, with smug grins on their faces.

    They had all just shaken hands with Vladimir Zelenskyy and agreed to supply more weapons to him, in order to escalate their proxy war which has pitted a devastated Ukraine's civilians and army against Russia. Yes, this was these world leaders' tribute to peace - a tribute of the most gruesome hypocrisy - obscene and repugnant.

    US president Joe Biden made sure that everyone understood that American imperialism is the "boss" when it comes to this war, by finally giving "his permission" for the supply of F-16 jets to Ukraine. Underlining that NATO has only one real puppet-master.

    British PM Rishi Sunak, representing fading British imperialism tweeted to say: "The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs. We stand united".This exposes the cynicism of this revolting line-up: Zelenskyy has been asking for jets since the war began. Now he is told he'll get them. But all the military experts say that it might take months or even years for Ukrainians to learn how to fly them. And the big guns fail to say when, how, or how many jets will be delivered. Not because they don't want to supply them, but because they're committed to dragging this war on and on. It suits their warmongering rearmament agenda.

    What is certain, is that American defence contractor, Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-16 fighter jet - and its rich and getting-richer-by-the-day shareholders - are rubbing their hands in anticipation of new orders...

    Along with a shared policy over fighter jets, the G7 have decided on a shared policy over China - after (falsely) accusing its leaders of beating the war drum over Taiwan. Which had given them another reason, of course, to build war ships! But whether they believe their own anti-China rhetoric or not, they're all invested in this industrial "workshop of the world", and profits come first. So they will now "de-risk" (as they call it!) their economic relations...

    That said, the richest countries always make sure to back up their exploitation of the rest of the world with their "fire-power". This has been their policy since Britain's gunboat plunder of China by way of the "Opium Wars" starting in 1839. So too, today.

    The war in eastern Europe may be just another chapter in imperialist world history. But as the capitalist system degenerates further, it nevertheless retains its potential to destroy humanity.

    This makes the task of the world's working classes all the more urgent. It is only by overthrowing the rule of the rich and powerful - imperialist capital - that there will ever be lasting peace on this earth.

We are told that the British economy is, after all, not in recession. The government boasts that this is thanks to its financial management skills. So what about paying public sector workers the pay rises they need?

    Junior doctors have just announced another strike for 72 hours from Wednesday 14 June to Saturday 17 June. The government refuses to talk to their union unless it abandons its strike mandate. This, when the only "leverage" workers have, is precisely the withdrawal of their labour... Quite rightly, the doctors are withdrawing theirs, again.

    The government also refuses to admit that there is a disastrous staffing crisis in the NHS. And that this, in itself, constitutes an emergency. What else is a staff shortage of almost 130,000 - one in four nurses missing and doctors leaving the country to work elsewhere?

    It's not even chiefly about pay; the NHS hasn't funded enough posts for medical specialists for decades. Doctors leave because they can only find these positions overseas. Nor has it trained enough nurses.

    In fact, it has always depended on "overseas" workers. However, the direction of flow used to be inward, not outward. The fact that this flow is reversing, says it all about the policies of the past decade.

    And it's not just the NHS which relies on immigrants - the British capitalist economy was built on the plunder of the wealth and the exploitation of the peoples of the former colonies. It has never, ever, functioned without them!

    That is why the immigration policies being promoted by Suella Braverman (and tacitly supported by Labour) are not only racist, but a fantasy which even she cannot possibly believe.

    The truth of the matter is that a British workforce somewhere out there, which can do all the work, just doesn't exist. Promoting these fantasies, serves the purpose of "divide and rule" and nothing else. Which is why yes, the doctors should fight back - but not on their own! Their fight has to be the fight of the whole of the diverse - from all corners of the globe - united, working class!