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.

Other Languages

Perspective

Above the law

14 December 2012

The financial robber barons of today are a law unto themselves.

Earlier Perspectives »

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

LansingMichigan 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.

More on the Bankstown fire »

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

BrubeckJazz 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 »

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.

More »

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.

More »

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.

More »

 

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.

More »

Mehring Books

KingNow 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).