In the midst of the trade war between the US and China, quite a few among the international Left feel happy about Beijing “standing up to Trump’s bullying”. While we are temporarily entertained by Trump’s failure, we must not forget that any Xi victory in his counter-offensive always requires the people to pay the price.
Despite the momentous shift heralded by Kast’s election, though, it is unlikely to change one of the principal challenges of Chile’s democracy in the 21st century: voter discontent and disenchantment.
Rising inflation is one thing. But it is being accompanied by a weakening jobs market as employment growth slows to a trickle and wage rises, especially for the lower paid, have slowed. Unemployment among Hispanic workers — who swung significantly towards Trump last November — rose to a year-high of 5.5 per cent in September, compared with 4.4 per cent overall.
What do socialists have to say about the administration’s threats against Venezuela? Our starting point is opposition to U.S. intervention in whatever form—from sanctions to war. The U.S. has no right to determine the Venezuelan people’s future. Only Venezuelans can do that.
