A re-issue of the text of the Mayday Manifesto, with a new introduction by Michael Rustin. Our aim is to offer this both as a historical document of intrinsic interest and to remind readers that the intellectual work of presenting the possibility of a more democratic, equal and just society has a long tradition in our country.

Le 9e congrès de Québec solidaire se tiendra dans les locaux de l'Université du Québec à Montréal, les 3, 4 et 5 mai. Les débats entre les 500 délégués-es aura lieu au Pavillon Judith-Jasmin. À cette occasion, les délégués-es éliront le futur porte-parole et président du parti qui succédera à André Frappier, qui assurait l'intérim depuis le conseil national de décembre 2012.

As many Americans prepare to observe Earth Day this year, democratic socialists who are paying attention might want to contemplate two possibly disagreeable questions. The first is: what if anything can we contribute to the understanding of climate change and other urgent environmental problems that countless green activists haven't already discovered themselves -- and long before us? The second is: what unique contribution can socialists make, if any, toward fixing what's wrong?

The current food and agricultural system, which is criticized for being "generator of hunger in a world of abundance" because of the monopolies, speculation, globalization and privatization policies of the past decades. Reporting its effects on climate change, loss of agricultural diversity, the use of GMOs, the oil-dependence and lack of people's food sovereignty: "The same people who led to the subprime crisis are those who are now speculating on food."

Firstly, we need to recognize that not all Marxists accept that capitalism as a whole is in crisis -- as opposed to particular capitals in particular localities. Secondly, if capital is in crisis -- in general or in particular, then what was its source? I begin from Marx's stress on overaccumulation. Capital has a tendency to accumulate and expand without regard for the antagonistic conditions in which it must function.

Trish Hennessy, Director of the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives in Toronto, provides an insightful overview of why inequality has risen sharply in Canada, its impacts, and why Canadians should be concerned.