14 December 2012
Obama, CEOs join forces in budget-cutting campaign
By Patrick Martin, 14 December 2012
Obama and a large group of top corporate executives are supporting a combination of minor tax increases on the wealthy and enormous spending cuts in social programs like Medicare and Social Security.
US Federal Reserve expands “quantitative easing”
By Andre Damon, 14 December 2012
The Federal Reserve announced a significant expansion of its bond-buying program and low-interest-rate policy, in a move to prop up the assets of the super-rich.
Philippine government calls for the rearming of Japan
By Joseph Santolan, 14 December 2012
Amid tensions with China, the Philippine foreign secretary said the government supported Japanese remilitarization as “a balancing factor”.
SPD leader calls for a strong German state
By Ulrich Rippert, 14 December 2012
Last weekend, a special conference of the Social Democratic Party elected right-winger Peer Steinbrück as its leading candidate for the federal election due next year.
Russia starts construction of the South Stream pipeline
By Clara Weiss, 14 December 2012
The South Stream pipeline will ensure that Europe continues to receive a large proportion of its gas from Russia.
Global tensions overshadow Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit
By John Chan, 14 December 2012
The push by China and Russia for greater Eurasian economic integration is coming into direct conflict with US interests.
Australian foreign minister visits Sri Lanka to tighten anti-refugee measures
By Mike Head, 14 December 2012
Gillard’s government is stepping up its partnership with the autocratic Sri Lankan regime to prevent refugee boats sailing from the island.
Sri Lanka: Security forces continue arresting Tamil youth
By our correspondent, 14 December 2012
Jaffna University students have been targeted because they have opposed the suppression of democratic rights and the privatisation of university education.
Uninsured in Detroit speak on health care crisis
“It is like they are trying to find a way to kill us off”
By a WSWS reporting team, 14 December 2012
A WSWS reporting team recently spoke to medically uninsured Detroit residents participating in a free health screening.
Washington, DC charter school wins Race to the Top grant
By Nick Barrickman, 14 December 2012
The US Department of Education announced that the Knowledge Is Power Program has been declared the winner of a grant from the Obama administration.
New in Persian
اهميت تاريخي ركود اقتصاد جهاني
4 دسامبر 2012 نيك بيمز
كاهش قابل توجه دورنماي رشد اقتصادي 34 كشور عضو سازمان همياري اقتصادي و توسعه ) OECD ( آخرين هشدار از سري هشدارهايي است كه سازمانهاي مهم اقتصادي جهان در باره سقوط اقتصاد جهاني ابراز كردهاند.
يونان در چنگال اتحاديه اروپا
22 نوامبر 2012 كريستوف دراير
وزراي دارايي اروپا در روز سه شنبه پرداخت وام اضطراري به يونان را بار ديگر به بعد موكول كردند، وامي كه در حقيقت موعد پرداخت آن تابستان گذشته بود. طبق گمانه زنيهاي موجود در روز دوشنبه آينده در اين باره تصميم گرفته خواهدشد.
نقطه عطفي در اقتصاد جهاني
10 نوامبر 2012 نيك بينز
پيش از انتخابات رياست جمهوري در سال 2008 در آمريكا، بخش هاي قابل توجهي از "از ما بهتران" در پي بحران مالي كه با ورشكستگي بانك برادران ليمن شعله ور شده بود، مصمم شدند كه از اوباما حمايت كنند.
New in French
Des protestations de masse contre le référendum sur la nouvelle constitution égyptienne
Par Chris Marsden, 14 décembre 2012
Plus de 100.000 personnes ont manifesté hier au Caire contre le référendum du 15 décembre sur la constitution islamiste qui entérine l’autorité de l’armée.
Le syndicat tunisien UGTT appelle à une grève nationale de 24 heures
Par Antoine Lerougetel, 14 décembre 2012
Le 13 décembre, le syndicat UGTT a appelé à une grève nationale de 24 heures dans le contexte de protestations de masse croissantes de la classe ouvrière et d’affrontements avec des groupes islamistes de droite.
L'éditeur de WikiLeaks dénonce la surveillance généralisée par internet et les atteintes des États-Unis aux droits démocratiques
Par Richard Phillips, 14 décembre 2012
Julian Assange écarte les questions provocatrices de la journaliste de CNN pour promouvoir son livre sur les opérations d'espionnage à grande échelle sur internet.
Appréciation d’une icône pop américaine
Par Nick Barrickman, 14 décembre 2012
Vers la fin de l’année 2011, une édition remastérisée de l’album phare du groupe de pop-punk Nirvana, Nevermind, fut publiée pour souligner le 20e anniversaire de cet album.
New in German
“Freunde Syriens” fordern Assad zur Machtübergabe an Islamisten auf
Von Alex Lantier, 14. Dezember 2012
Vertreter der US-Regierung und ihrer europäischen und arabischen Verbündeten haben am Mittwoch die Nationale Koalition der Syrischen Revolutions- und Oppositionskräfte als alleinige Vertretung des syrischen Volkes anerkannt.
Außergerichtliche Einigung im Geldwäscheprozess gegen die HSBC Bank
Von Barry Grey, 14. Dezember 2012
Die Finanzmafia, die die amerikanische Wirtschaft und das politische System kontrolliert, steht praktisch über dem Gesetz.
Wahlbündnis unter Führung der Sozialdemokraten gewinnt Parlamentswahl in Rumänien
Von Andrei Tudora und Tina Zamfir, 14. Dezember 2012
Die Sozialliberale Union hat bei den Wahlen in Rumänien 58,6 Prozent der Sitze errungen und wird damit als neue Regierung eine komfortable Mehrheit haben.
New in Spanish
Sindicatos traicionan huelga de trabajadores agrícolas en Sudáfrica
Por Iqla Qalam y Jashua Lumet, 14 Diciembre 2012
El Congreso de Sindicatos Sudafricanos (CSS) canceló la huelga de trabajadores agrícolas en la Provincia del Cabo Occidental el martes, sin que ninguna de las demandas de los trabajadores agrícolas hayan sido satisfechas.
Perspective
Commentary
Australian pseudo-left backs imperialist intervention in Syria
By Patrick O’Connor, 14 December 2012
The overt shift by Socialist Alternative into the imperialist camp is bound up with the new political requirements of the Labor government.
Scotland’s Radical Independence Conference pledges to divide the working class
By Steve James, 14 December 2012
The Radical Independence Conference, held in Glasgow late November, was neither radical nor independent.
Michigan’s right-to-work law
By Jerry White, 13 December 2012
The royal pregnancy phone hoax
By Julie Hyland, 13 December 2012
Leading German newspaper’s conference hears call for dismantling democracy
By Wolfgang Weber, 13 December 2012
“Friends of Syria” meeting demands Assad cede power to Islamist opposition
By Alex Lantier, 13 December 2012
Socialist Equality Party
SEP (Australia)
Film showing of Tsar to Lenin in Sydney this Sunday
14 December 2012
Nick Beams, the national secretary of the SEP, will introduce the showing of the great historical documentary Tsar to Lenin with a lecture on “The Historical and Contemporary Political Significance of the 1917 Russian Revolution”.
Workers Struggles
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
14 December 2012
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
Illinois grad assistants union pushes through concessions contract
By Marcus Day, 13 December 2012
Michigan enacts right-to-work law
By Andre Damon and Jerry White, 12 December 2012
Michigan protesters denounce right-to-work law
By a WSWS reporting team, 12 December 2012
Bankstown Fire
Australia: Fire safety problems in new student accommodation
By Mark Church, 14 December 2012
Scores of new student apartments are not fire proof because of an unclear definition in Australian building codes.
South West NHS Fightback
Lobbyists collude with UK government on National Health Service privatisation
By Tony Robson, 13 December 2012
Visit the South West NHS FightBack web site »
Arts Review
Death Grips’ No Love Deep Web: A terminally destructive message
By Zac Corrigan, 13 December 2012
The Central Park Five: A story of injustice
By Joanne Laurier, 12 December 2012
Jazz musician Dave Brubeck dies at 91
By Hiram Lee, 10 December 2012
A significant figure in postwar American culture, Brubeck's classic 1959 album Time Out sold a million copies, the first jazz album to hold that distinction.
Auto Workers Struggles
GM-Opel plant in Germany to be shut down
By Dietmar Henning, 12 December 2012
More on auto workers struggles »
This Week in History: December 10-16
25 years ago: GM permanently shuts down first sit-down strike plant
The plant where the great Flint sit-down strike of 1936-37 began was permanently shut down on December 10, 1987.
50 years ago: Mariner 2 transmits from Venus
On December 14, 1962, the NASA probe Mariner 2 became the first spacecraft to transmit from another planet back to Earth.
75 years ago: Tensions exacerbated by Japanese sinking of USS Panay
The American river gunboat the USS Panay was sunk by Japanese bombers in China on the Yangtze river on December 12, 1937.
100 years ago: Peace talks on Balkan War commence in London
On December 16, 1912, peace talks on the ongoing Balkan War began in London, convened under the auspices of the major European powers.
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).
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