It’s incredible. To a man and woman the international leaders of the western powers - led by the imperialists - support the bombing of Gaza’s population, under the pretext that “Israel has the right to defend itself”. And then, once this bombing and shelling has killed and wounded many thousands, they say “we want humanitarian aid for innocent civilians”!

    So during the past 12 days of constant bombing and shelling there were no innocent civilians in Gaza? Only Hamas terrorists? Nobody can pretend this is true.

    Today, trapped Palestinians continue to be bombed and shelled. They were told to move south. But Khan Younis in the south was bombed yesterday, killing - among others - an extended family from the north of 30 kids and adults. Today another 200 or so have been killed - innocent civilians, small kids and babies...

    Then, yesterday, there was the shelling of the hospital in Gaza City. Yes, Gaza City in the centre of the Strip, where many innocent civilians had returned because the south is equally unsafe now. They said they preferred to die in their own homes. This particular shelling is being blamed by the Israeli government on Islamic Jihad... and Biden agrees. Those who know about these matters say otherwise.

    But it’s scarcely the point. This one-sided “war” waged by the Israeli state is already being fuelled, just like the war in Ukraine, by the imperialist powers. And we all know why. War, when recession is shrinking their economies, is a very effective alternative money machine for them.

    Yes, it was sparked by the Hamas militia’s atrocities against innocent Israelis living along the eastern border of Gaza. But let’s remember that terrorism is the action of the weak against the strong. There is a long history attached to this atrocity. There is a context. It excuses nothing, but it does explain it - and for the working class, this understanding is crucial.

    Indeed, the terrorist action of Hamas was predictable even if it wasn’t predicted. As long as the system of big powers supporting lesser powers who oppress whole populations continues, what else can be expected?

    The profits of the world’s multinationals depend entirely on this “order of things”. This order, which means poverty and repression for the majority, can only be ended by mass working class action, across all borders, across all divisions - including today’s divide between Israeli and Palestinian workers. This is the kind of fight which has to be prepared. It’s called class war.

The official measure of inflation (CPI) is now 6.7%. In other words, it’s not gone down this month, but it’s also not going up. The official pundits add that wage growth is higher, at 7.8%-7.9% implying that while the working class might be better off, wage rises are a factor in causing inflation.

    It’s the same old lie. In fact the RPI index, a better indicator of workers’ rising costs, is 8.9%. Rents are increasing, even if food prices may be down slightly, and only for now... Because, with the Middle East conflict, the price of petrol and diesel will go up even more, pushing up all other costs.

    The “experts” at the Institute for Fiscal Studies admit that “household disposable income” will fall over the next 2 years. Meanwhile, the bosses continue to cut jobs. With the announcement at Rolls Royce, plus the 2 Swedish companies Volta and SKF - and KPMG in the City - the total job losses this week alone are 4,000. Financial experts say a recession is on the horizon. The working class knows that it’s already begun.

    Never mind, though. Sunak claimed at Tory Party conference that Britain's economy is growing - and he added, that this was not "despite Brexit, but because of Brexit." He used official figures to show that since 2019, it grew by 1.8%, compared to 1.7% for France and 0.2% for Germany. Except that in July, GDP (the measure of the economic output) actually shrank by 0.5% and then grew by only 0.2% in August. And GDP is forecast to shrink more in 2024.

    As for Brexit, it contributes to this shrinkage. It’s already meant food and medicine shortages, staff shortages in the NHS and elsewhere and delays at the border due to the restriction of free movement of people and goods (precisely the rules that Labour’s Starmer says he won’t change!).

    So when the so far, unimplemented barrage of new regulations are applied, like tariffs on electric cars at the end of 2023, the end of the City’s derivatives clearing in June 2025, checks on animal and food products this side of the border, etc., etc... the government will struggle even more with its bigoted fantasy economics of “growth”.

    And while it’s true to say that none of the world’s capitalists and their politicians can prevent the next crisis, which is likely to be of epic proportions, the British Brexit contingent has gone that extra mile to guarantee it.