To comprehend the ongoing upheavals in Iran, one must grasp the underlying nature of class struggle in the country over the past half century.Before 1953, Iran possessed a democratic government under the leadership of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who undertook the bold step of nationalizing the oil industry, then under British control. In order to safeguard the interests of capitalist corporations, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British intelligence (MI6) coordinated a coup...
The role of the Venezuelan people in the political crisis of the past decade is ironic. The legitimacy of a leader, in principle, can only be recognized by the people. The paradox here is not so much the will of society, as the capacity for that will to pass through a recognized procedure and become legitimate power, such as elections. When electoral bodies, courts, media, and security forces operate as checkpoints; the people can reject a government/authorities in the collective consciousness. ...