The Red Review | Issue #28 (Jan 2026)
A Socialist Action Journal
The Decline of Capitalist Democracy & the Socialist Solution
by Gary Porter
John A Macdonald’s democracy was not inclusive. Canada’s first Prime Minister supported a property-based franchise (only men who owned property of a certain value should be able to vote). He believed that property owners had a greater “stake in society” and would make more responsible decisions. This explicitly excluded the poor, Indigenous peoples, and all women. He famously said, “The rights of the minority ought to be protected, and the rich are always fewer in number than the poor.” Canada was founded on the basis of private ownership of the means of production and the right to put private profit before human needs. Canada was capitalist from the outset.
Looking Back at 2025
by Barry Weisleder
Socialist Action is a revolutionary workers’ party that puts a great emphasis on political education. At the same time, SA is an activist organization. Last year, SA initiated or joined more than 75 education, political action and protest events. SA has many practical accomplishments to its credit. It presents candidates in local elections, strives to build a class struggle left wing inside mass working class organizations, and promotes international solidarity. From Palestine to Venezuela to Sudan, from Alberta teachers to BC government employees to Ontario college support staff to Quebec union members, and to the cross-country strike by postal workers, 2025 was a year of revolt against austerity and repression.
A Tale of Two Islands in the Path of Destruction
by Elizabeth Byce
Hurricane Melissa, which ravaged the Caribbean region at the end of October, was perhaps the worst storm ever. Comparing how two distinct neighbouring nations (Cuba and Jamaica) coped with the disaster is an instructive study in contrasts. Cuba demonstrated the value of early warnings and preventive evacuations as socialist authorities issued timely alerts and evacuation measures. It protected more than 735,000 people. Pre-existing emergency plans and local supplies, well before the hurricane’s landfall, saved many lives. External unilateral sanctions constrain Cuba’s access to traditional financial institutions and markets, which limits the timely procurement, transport and distribution of emergency items.