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The labour movement needs an independent class position on Ukraine – support for our own government is a mistake
JOHN McINALLY argues that last weekend’s Stand With Ukraine demonstration attracted wide trade union support, but promoted a reactionary agenda that will not help end the war

NO SERIOUS person regards the first world war as other than an inter-imperialist conflict for power and profits.  

But there is nothing impressive about 20-20 vision in hindsight: we should remember the tremendous success of the competing ruling classes in suborning the leaderships of the labour and trade union movements internationally, including socialists, into supporting their war aims, leading to the industrialised slaughter of tens of millions of working people.  

Socialists who condemned the US-led campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria were smeared as apologists for Saddam, the Taliban, Gadaffi or Assad, despite their consistent opposition to such regimes.

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