The following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site.
On "Bush, Democratic auto bailout fails in Senate, talks continue"
So, the Senate killed the auto loan bill because the workers still make too much money. The Senate should put its money where its mouth is: As part of the auto loan package, all senators should agree to work for $28/hour and only be paid for hours at which they are actually present and "working." Let them see how easy it is to support a family on those wages.
Scott E
California, USA
12 December 2008
On "White House signals aid after auto loan bill stalls in Senate"
This article and the previous one on the same subject confirm that the US Government and the financial elite are treating the auto industry the same way the IMF treats Third World economies—i.e., by imposing "restructuring" of their economies, by destroying the workers and the unions, by forcing those governments to slash all social benefits for workers in order to enable profit-taking by the industries and payments for IMF loans. It has at last come true that the United States is the world's newest "Third World" country.
Carolyn Z
California, USA
3 December 2008
On "NDP rallies to the defence of Canadian imperialism"
There's no doubt any more. The NDP is now officially in support of the war in Afghanistan. They went from an anti-war position one day to a pro-war position the next. There has been virtually no reporting or comment on this from the Canadian Peace Movement. Very disturbing. The NDP move was made to accommodate a coalition between itself and the pro-war Liberal party in an attempt to unseat the ruling Conservatives of Stephen Harper (see http://www.canadaeast.com/news/article/500862).
John S
Ontario, Canada
12 December 2008
On "Washington urges Canada to wage war in Afghanistan beyond 2011"
Excellent! The first critical treatment of these matters done—perfectly in my view. I will be sending this around widely as there's absolutely nothing else around on this. Thanks, John and Keith!
Best,
John S
Ontario, Canada
13 December 2008
On "The deaths of singers Miriam Makeba and Odetta"
Miriam Makeba died in Italy after a concert that was sponsored to support the writer threatened by the Mafia. The Mafia for this concert demanded "pizzo," a pay-off in order to stage the concert. So the very last concert of her life was surrounded in the struggle against the reactionary forces. There were threats of violence surrounding this concert, and this surely was an underlying stress on Ms. Makeba!
Martin F
Italy
13 December 2008
On "SAG to hold strike vote: the issues facing screen actors"
The leaders of the SAG are cynically forcing their members into divisive, scattered wildcat strikes. SAG won't have to pay strike benefits to wildcat strikers. How cheap and low can leaders go? Check it out when wildcat strikes break out and SAG's leaders disavow the strike; you'll see cheap and low betraying reach new lows. What happened to Solidarity Forever? When did it die?
Larry L
13 December 2008
On "Questions in the affair of Illinois Governor Blagojevich"
Yet another brilliant presentation of available information. As a demonstration of fealty to the incoming administration, the US Attorney's actions toward the Governor become more clear. Democratic pretenses are dropped in the interest of the exigencies of mass oppression; and besides all that, Patrick Fitzgerald is going to need an income. Of all the things that become more visible, as the protective curtain dissolves from in front of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the ruling elite, the not least important is the whites of their eyes. It is truly amazing how squeaky clean these fellows look when you take them at face value. Willful deception indeed. It cockles one's brow.
Heinz S
15 December 2008
***
Your otherwise interesting take on Fitzgerald's "outing," as it might also be called, of Gov. Blagojevich fails to note that Fitzgerald's hand was forced by an article in the Chicago Tribune.
Franz A
Washington, USA 15 December 2008
On "30 years since the death of Jacques Brel: his life, his art, his legacy"
I read this article on my beloved Jacques Brel, and I must say that it's really excellent! I am a deep connoisseur of Brel (you can see my website on his almost 5.000 covers on http://siodmak.altervista.org/), and I think that you gave a correct and comprehensive political interpretation of his life and his poetry. Many other were his themes, but these go out of the aim of your article. I also think that the article can be used as a stimulating introduction to Jacques Brel for those who don't know much about him.
With all my compliments,
Dino G
Italy
15 December 2008