On “Sri Lanka: Military continues intimidation of SEP in Jaffna“
I never cease to be inspired whenever I read about the SEP in Sri Lanka. Their courage and resolve bring Trotsky to mind.
Kate
Minnesota, USA
10 February 2012
On “Sri Lanka: SEP open letter to the defence minister“
I have been following the principled struggle of the Sri Lankan SEP for some time now, and it is a source of pride and encouragement for me.
If you have been able to maintain the intransigent opposition to both imperialism and various opposing strands of bourgeois-promoted chauvinism, while struggling to expose treacherous social-democracy and Stalinism at the same time, surely a similar fight can be organized in my native lands of former Yugoslavia. Not to mention the extreme social and political conditions in which you are forced to operate in.
I fully support your campaign for the release of political prisoners, and condemn the anti-democratic, unlawful attacks on your political rights. Yours is a shining example of how to develop and defend a Marxist perspective for the Balkan region as well.
Stay strong in your fight, for it is the fight of the whole working class, regardless of nationality.
Mirko L
Serbia
11 February 2012
***
As a supporter of the SEP and regular reader of the WSWS, I felt compelled to write and express my disgust but not surprise at the campaign of intimidation currently being waged by the Ministry of Defence against the SEP in Sri Lanka.
As the capitalist class plunges deeper into crisis, we have seen internationally the increasing ferocity of attacks on the democratic rights of the working class, including but not limited to the use of the state on the Occupy movements in every country, the attacks on free speech via the internet under the guise of “anti-terrorism” and the desperate attempts of the capitalist class to control or eliminate any movement of opposition by the working class.
Ever-increasing numbers of the Australian working class are paying close attention to these attacks on our basic democratic rights and the democratic rights of our international brothers and sisters.
I fully support the campaign to defend the SEP and its members.
Stop the attacks on the democratic rights of the SEP!
Stop the military’s threats against SEP members!
In solidarity,
AL
Melbourne, Australia
12 February 2012
On “The looting of the Greek working class“
The Greeks had the best working conditions in the world. If the 1 percent can destroy their benefits, they can destroy benefits worldwide.
RD
Oklahoma, USA
10 February 2012
On “IBM launches new form of day-wage labour“
This “cloud” model somewhat resembles the way I am working now. I am an “on-call temporary” for a large firm in San Francisco. I am not a permanent employee of the firm, but I trained with them and they call me in for assignments and projects or when a permanent employee is on sick leave or vacation. The hourly pay rate is good, and it is a nice place to work, but I never know when or for how many days I will be working each week, if at all. Weeks can go by without my being called.
Meanwhile, I am receiving unemployment benefits from which my previous employer attempted to have me disqualified. I had to appeal that decision and go before a judge in order to obtain my unemployment benefits. This is becoming more and more common, according to sources at the Employment Development Department and a few lawyers with whom I have discussed the matter.
I certainly don’t like the sound of a “Facebook-like” site where my personal and financial information would be posted for all to see, as though I were a form of labor livestock at a market. But that is obviously how we workers have come to be seen in the eyes of these corporations.
Carolyn
California, USA
11 February 2012