The following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site.
On "Leon Trotsky, Soviet Historiography, and the Fate of Classical Marxism"
There is also Rosa Luxemburg, she of the great perspectives and ugly handbags. She had it just about right regarding union bureaucrats and the "lefts" who betrayed world revolution. As clearly as Trotsky. More so, in that she was closer to the scene where world revolution should have happened. Since J. P. Nettl's great biography in the sixties, there is nary a word about her. She too should be studied, especially where the masses move on their own, as it is happening all about us.
AL
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1 December 2008
On "Canada's minority Conservative government on brink of collapse"
Congratulations on writing the only intelligent article I've read yet on this situation. The only thing funnier than the rhetoric and name-calling by politicians is the rhetoric and name-calling in the bourgeois press editorials. Bourgeois "democracy" in Canada is obviously at a crisis as the economy starts to unravel. It's vitally important to not line up behind the Liberals and the "socialist" NDP. The working class needs a genuinely socialist alternative to the big-business parties. As always, the SEP and its voice the WSWS are it.
Julian
2 December 2008
On "Obama's national security team and the failure of American democracy"
I think you could call the Obama administration a "government of national unity" in the worst sense of that term.
Philip P
New York, USA
2 December 2008
On "Who is Paul Volcker? Obama appoints a longtime enemy of the working class"
Obama 2009: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?
John S
Kentucky, USA
30 November 2008
On "Iceland: A portent of the future"
Chris, absolutely excellent article. I count myself (perhaps wrongly now) as having been very focused on the political economics of "corporate financial Empire," and sensitive to its symptoms and advance. Your article opened my eyes. Thanks very much.
I can now see that my ignoring (and ignorance) of Iceland and Ireland in this global crisis was fogged by being US-centric. The revolution of democratic socialism will certainly affect the US, and thus the world, finally, but it may not start in the US—any more than it started in Russia.
Thanks again.
Alan M
Maine, USA
29 November 2008
On "Bush cheers ‘free enterprise' as US capitalism goes bust"
Bush is obviously talking to his very wealthy friends who will make out tremendously if we have a depression. He is oblivious as he has always been to the working class. His election demonstrates that the US left is ineffective with our inability to coalesce. Doesn't appear Obama will be much different with the choices he is making for a cabinet unless he can turn all of them inside out. We know during the 30s that the rich were not just rich, they were Egyptian Pharaoh rich. They could buy skilled labor for a quarter an hour. We need to do much better. We cannot wait for the coming miserable social/material conditions to build our cadre.
Joe K
Pennsylvania, USA
30 November 2008
On "Rachel Getting Married: Something, but not everything"
Thank you for posting the great review about Rachel Getting Married because I previously wasn't aware of the movie. Now I plan to watch it.
Stanley H
Pennsylvania, USA
1 December 2008
On "UAW pledges to impose further job losses and concessions on auto workers"
I find it astounding that the starting wage for new workers is $14 per hour. Who of us making $14 per hour can afford airline tickets, a new car, or taxes? The reason United Airlines, Chrysler, GM and countless other companies are going belly-up is precisely because their workers cannot afford to buy their products, and people who can afford their products choose not to buy them (see BMW and NetJets).
PK
2 December 2008