6 December 2012
US-backed Muslim Brotherhood unleashes bloody crackdown in Cairo
By Johannes Stern, 6 December 2012
With Washington’s tacit support, the Islamists are seeking to crush strikes and protests and re-establish untrammeled dictatorial rule in Egypt.
German Left Party student association moves further to the right
By Christoph Dreier, 6 December 2012
There was no mention of socialism at the recent congress of the Left Party student association.
Citigroup to cut 11,000 jobs
By James Brewer, 6 December 2012
Citigroup’s announcement of global layoffs, the first step in the restructuring plan of its new CEO, was met with enthusiasm by investors.
Who are Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles?
By Andre Damon, 6 December 2012
The co-chairs of Obama administration’s deficit reduction committee are millionaires committed to make the working class pay for the crisis of the capitalist system.
ISO leader endorses Chicago school closings
By Alexander Fangmann, 6 December 2012
Anyone who harbors illusions that the International Socialist Organization has anything to do with socialism should view the video of ISO leader Jesse Sharkey’s appearance on Chicago Tonight.
Large turnout at meeting on attacks on Michigan schools
By Walter Gilberti, 6 December 2012
A meeting on state legislation aimed at expanding charter and online education schemes drew a large crowd in Rochester.
Spanish government prepares repressive measures against social opposition
By Vicky Short and Alejandro López, 6 December 2012
Mariano Rajoy’s Popular Party government is preparing to impose €90 billion in budget cuts over the next two years.
Austrian billionaire Stronach launches new right-wing party
By Markus Salzmann, 6 December 2012
With economic and social tensions mounting, Austrian business circles are backing Frank Stronach.
The failure of land reform in South Africa
By Iqra Qalam and Joshua Lumet, 6 December 2012
The failure of the agrarian reform policies of the African National Congress has exposed the bourgeois nationalist movement’s inability to resolve the land question.
Papua New Guinea PM pledges fealty to Australian government, mining investors
By Patrick O’Connor, 6 December 2012
As well as emphasising the centrality of PNG’s relations with Canberra and Washington, O’Neill used his Australian trip to curry favour with the mining giants.
Sri Lankan unions prepare political trap for plantation workers
By W.A. Sunil, 6 December 2012
The TUFPW is being formed not to fight for the interests of plantation workers, but to block an independent movement against the companies and government.
New in French
La signification historique de l’accélération du marasme mondial
Par Nick Beams, 6 décembre 2012
L’OCDE a averti qu’une contraction économique majeure n’était pas exclue.
Grandes manifestations en Égypte contre la tentative du gouvernement de changer la constitution
Par Joseph Kishore, 6 décembre 2012
La nouvelle constitution consacre la domination de l'armée sur la société egyptienne.
Premier Congrès national du PES (Australie)
Résolution 3 : Non à la campagne guerrière des États-Unis contre la Chine
Par le Parti de l'égalité socialiste (Australie), 6 décembre 2012
Voici la troisième de sept résolutions adoptées à l’unanimité lors du premier congrès national du Parti de l’égalité socialiste (Australie) qui s’est tenu du 6 au 9 avril 2012 à Sydney.
New in Romanian
Semnificaţia istorică a recesiunii globale
De Nick Beams, 6 decembrie 2012
Reducerea semnificativă a previziunilor economice date de Organizaţia pentru Cooperare şi Dezvoltare Economică (OCDE) , o organizaţie alcătuită din 34 de membrii, este ultima dintr-o serie de avertismente venite din partea unor organizaţii economice internaţionale importante privind o recesiune globală.
New in German
Massenproteste gegen Mursi
In Kairo Zusammenstöße mit der
Polizei
Von Chris Marsden, 6. Dezember 2012
In Ägypten wird weiter gegen Präsident Mursis diktatorischen Verfassungsentwurf protestiert. Ein riesiger Demonstrationszug führte am Dienstag vor den Präsidentenpalast.
Separatistische Parteien dominieren Wahlen in Katalonien
Von Paul Mitchell, 6. Dezember 2012
Bei den katalanischen Parlamentswahlen vom 25. November erhielten Parteien, die die Unabhängigkeit von Spanien fordern, einen signifikanten Stimmenanteil.
Die Zerstörung des griechischen Gesundheitswesens
Von Ernst Wolff, 6. Dezember 2012
Fünf Sparpakete innerhalb von zweieinhalb Jahren haben das Gesundheitssystem in Griechenland auf das Niveau eines Entwicklungslandes gebracht und der arbeitenden Bevölkerung das Grundrecht auf eine angemessene medizinische Versorgung genommen.
New in Persian
راه حركت به جلو در مصر
يوهانس اشترن 26 نوامبر 2012
فرمان قانون اساسي توسط رئيس جمهور مصر، محمد مرسي، طبقهی كارگر را با سوالات اساسي در ارتباط با چشم انداز سياسي مواجه ميكند. طبق اين فرمان، مرسي تمام قدرت مقننه، قانون اساسي، مجريه و قضائي را در دست خود متمركز ميكند.
Perspective
Leveson whitewash of Murdoch’s UK media empire
6 December 2012
The Leveson report is a cover-up of the criminality in the political and media establishment and the police that underlies the Murdoch phone-hacking scandal.
Commentary
Mursi’s crackdown exposes counter-revolutionary role of Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists
By Johannes Stern, 6 December 2012
Mursi’s bloody crackdown against protesters opposing his power grab exposes the counterrevolutionary character of the Revolutionary Socialists’ support for him.
Congressman Jack Brooks, Rex ’84 and the Iran-Contra affair
By Patrick Martin, 6 December 2012
Former Congressman Jack Brooks, a liberal Democrat who represented an east Texas district for 42 years, died Tuesday at the age of 89.
Obama and Al Qaeda
By Bill Van Auken, 5 December 2012
Public tussle over US deficit plans masks bipartisan agenda
By Barry Grey, 5 December 2012
The historical significance of the gathering world slump
By Nick Beams, 4 December 2012
The “rule of law” and state killings
By David North and Bill Van Auken, 3 December 2012
Workers Struggles
ILWU ends Los Angeles port strike
By our reporter, 6 December 2012
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union on Tuesday ended the eight-day strike by clerical workers, which had shut down the major US ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
Auto Workers Struggles
Defend auto workers victimised by Maruti Suzuki and Indian authorities
By the World Socialist Web Site, 6 December 2012
Workers across India and internationally must defend the workers at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar assembly plant who are the target of a joint vendetta by India’s largest automaker and the Congress Party-led Haryana government.
Behind the UAW’s “support” for the Maruti Suzuki workers
By Jerry White, 5 December 2012
More on the struggle in auto »
Arts Review
Elliott Carter (1908-2012) and the crisis of contemporary music
By Fred Mazelis, 6 December 2012
American composer Elliott Carter reflected the trajectory of Western classical music in the past century.
Nirvana’s Nevermind reissued by Sony/Universal
Assessing an American pop icon
By Nick Barrickman, 5 December 2012
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln and the historical drama of the Civil War
By Tom Mackaman, 12 November 2012
Socialist Equality Party
Report to the Second National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party
By David North, 27 November 2012
We are publishing here the opening report to the Socialist Equality Party (US) Second National Congress, given July 8, 2012 by SEP National Chairman David North.
Socialist Equality Party (Britain) South West NHS Fightback
UK health unions mount feeble protest against attacks on National Health Service
By Mark Blackwood, 4 December 2012
Saturday’s “We are One NHS” demonstration, jointly organised by the National Health Service unions, including Unite, Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the GMB, was a dispirited affair with an extremely low turnout.
A reply to Unite Head of Health Rachael Maskell
4 December 2012
Visit the South West NHS FightBack web site »
International Youth and Students for Social Equality
The PQ budget and the 2012 Quebec student strike
Statement of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (Canada), 3 December 2012
Mehring Books
Now available from Mehring Books: Russian Revolutionary Posters by David King
29 November 2012
Mehring Books is proud to offer for sale a new book, Russian Revolutionary Posters: From Civil War to Socialist Realism, From Bolshevism to the End of Stalinism by David King (Tate Publishing).
This Week in History: December 3-9
25 years ago: Beijing protest against murder of student
A thousand students marched in Beijing on December 8, 1987, protesting the murder of a fellow student three days earlier.
50 years ago: Acheson belittles Britain in West Point speech
On December 5, 1962, former US Secretary of State Dean Acheson delivered a speech to the Army Academy at West Point that singled out the United Kingdom for sharp criticism.
75 years ago: Japanese forces demand surrender of Nanking
At noon December 9, 1937, Japanese aircraft dropped leaflets over the capital of China's Jiangsu province, Nanking, demanding an unconditional surrender of the city.
100 years ago: Germany prepares for European conflagration
On December 8, 1912, the military and civilian leaders of Germany met in Berlin to hold an informal conference dubbed the German Imperial War Council.
Correspondence
Letters from our readers
6 December 2012
A selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.
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