Inside the belly of the beast

Inside the belly of the beast

When the first issue of Green Left Weekly hit the streets just over seven years ago, the United States was leading "Desert Storm", the bloody military attack on Iraq. Sanitised and censored news reports in the mass media disguised the fact that this was the most destructive bombing campaign unleashed since the Vietnam War.

Green Left Weekly was at the forefront then, as now, in revealing the truth behind the US's intentions in the Middle East. The track record of the US, not only in the Middle East, but also Latin America, Asia and elsewhere, has always been to place its own "national interest" ahead of the rest of the world. But who determines the "national interest"?

The regular updates on US politics in Green Left Weekly provide an important insight into the power and role of the wealthy elite and US-based transnationals which dictate US foreign and domestic policy. An analysis of this sector of US society from a left and progressive perspective is vital to understand any issue involving the world's largest imperialist nation. The regular Letter from the US in Green Left's international pages offers readers such coverage.

As well as reporting on the US's "globocop" role around the world, this column also updates readers on the campaigns opposing racism and attacks on workers' and women's rights. Last week's Letter from the US, by correspondent Barry Sheppard, was an excellent report on the anti-war movement.

If you are a regular or occasional buyer of Green Left Weekly, a subscription to the paper is the most reliable and cheapest way to receive regular news on politics in the US. If you are impressed by the paper and would like to contribute to the project in a more substantial way, the special $200 for two year solidarity subscription is well worth considering. Subscribe to Green Left Weekly — it's your paper.

From GLW issue 308