World Socialist Web Site

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Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)

30 October 2009

Obama signs bills for record Pentagon, Homeland Security spending

By Patrick Martin, 30 October 2009

President Obama signed legislation Wednesday authorizing $680 billion for the Pentagon, the largest military budget ever. On Thursday, he signed a bill giving another $44 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, to strengthen state repression within the US.

US: GDP figure masks deepening economic crisis

By Barry Grey, 30 October 2009

The Commerce Department on Thursday reported that the US gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.5 percent on an annualized basis in the third quarter, breaking a string of four consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Wrangling continues over Iranian nuclear deal

By Peter Symonds, 30 October 2009

An international agreement on Iran’s low-enriched uranium is yet to be finalised. An initial Iranian response handed yesterday to the IAEA reportedly contains caveats that are not likely to be accepted by the US and its European allies.

Britain: Deepening recession fuels concern over corporate bonuses and bailouts

By Julie Hyland, 30 October 2009

Disagreements over the Brown government’s policy on the global economic crisis have become more vocal after figures showed that the UK economy shrank by 0.4 percent from July to September.

Opel’s future once again up for grabs

By Dietmar Henning, 30 October 2009

Although the new German government has barely taken office, all the deals struck between the trade unions, General Motors and the consortium from the Canadian-Austrian automotive supplier Magna and the Russian Sberbank are once again up for grabs.

US: Lack of insurance linked to thousands of child deaths

By Naomi Spencer, 30 October 2009

Lack of health insurance may have caused or directly contributed to the deaths of nearly 17,000 children in the United States over the past two decades, a new study has found.

Swine flu vaccine shortage disrupts local response plans

By Andre Damon, 30 October 2009

People lined up at treatment centers throughout the country this week to receive swine flu immunizations.

Australian man faces lengthy jail term for “offensive” letters

By Mike Head, 30 October 2009

A Muslim man faces up to 14 years in prison for sending allegedly offensive letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

New in German

Wofür sterben die Nato-Soldaten in Afghanistan

Von Bill Van Auken, 30. Oktober 2009

Die Todesrate unter den US-Einheiten stieg im Oktober auf den höchsten Stand in einem Monat seit die US-Truppen das Land vor acht Jahren besetzt haben. Die Soldaten sterben nicht für den Kampf gegen den Terrorismus und für die Demokratie, sondern für die strategischen Ziele des US-Imperialismus in Zentralasien.

New in French

Dans quel but meurent les soldats américains en Afghanistan ?

Par Bill Van Auken, 29 octobre 2009

Alors que dans les derniers jours les troupes américaines ont essuyé leurs pires pertes en huit ans de guerre en Afghanistan, il a été révélé mercredi que le frère du président Hamid Karzaï, un réputé pilier du narcotrafic afghan, est à la solde de la CIA.

Perspective

The swine flu pandemic and the market

30 October 2009

The Obama administration entrusted preparations for the H1N1 pandemic to pharmaceutical corporations and stood by as state and local governments laid off public health workers. The result is an acute shortage of vaccine, and little infrastructure to deliver what is available.

Earlier Perspectives »

Workers Struggles

The way forward for Ford workers

Statement of the Socialist Equality Party, 29 October 2009

With votes tallied at factories employing more than a third of Ford’s 41,000 US workers, the concessions contract being pushed by the UAW appears headed for defeat.

WSWS speaks to workers who exposed GM payoff to Canadian auto union

By Jerry White, 30 October 2009

The WSWS recently spoke with two auto workers at a General Motors transmission plant in Windsor, Ontario, who have been involved in campaigning against a secret agreement between GM and Canadian Auto Workers officials.

Indian auto dispute sparks mass protest, shuts Ford Canada plant

By Kranti Kumara, 30 October 2009

Last week more than 100,000 workers from some 70 plants in the Gurgaon-Manesar area walked off the job to show support for the Rico workers’ struggle and protest the murder of a Rico striker by company thugs.

Britain: Three days of post strikes under way

By our reporters, 30 October 2009

Yesterday saw the start of three more days of postal strikes after days of talks failed to broker a deal.

Workers Struggles: Europe & Africa

30 October 2009

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

History

Seventy years since the outbreak of World War II: Causes, Consequences and Lessons

By David North, 29 October 2009

The following is adapted from a lecture given by SEP National Chairman and WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North to meetings held in October in California and Michigan.

Socialist Equality Party

Public Meeting in New York City
Historians in the service of the Big Lie:
An examination of Robert Service’s new biography of Leon Trotsky

This public lecture on November 15 in New York will be given by David North, chairman of the international editorial board of the World Socialist Web Site and national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party.

International Students for Social Equality

ISSE meetings in Britain
End the war in Afghanistan
No to wars of colonial conquest!

The International Students for Social Equality is holding a series of meetings to demand an end to the war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of all occupying forces.

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