15 February 2013

Euro zone economy posts worst contraction since 2009

By Andre Damon, 15 February 2013

The economy of the 17-member euro zone contracted 0.6 percent in the last three months of the year, underscoring the depth of the economic slump gripping the world economy.

Teenager shot dead in Bahrain protest against US-backed monarchy

By Bill Van Auken, 15 February 2013

A 16-year-old boy was shot dead while scores of other people were wounded and arrested in mass protests Thursday against the Bahraini regime.

Syrian civil war creates worsening humanitarian crisis

By Oliver Campbell, 15 February 2013

The US and its allies cynically exploit the social disaster they have helped create, in order to intensify the push to remove Assad.

American, US Airways approve $11 billion merger

By Kate Randall, 15 February 2013

The merger is the latest in a series of consolidations in the US airline industry, which has seen attacks on the jobs, wages and benefits of airline workers.

UK conservative think tank uses child poverty to further its agenda

By Joe Mount, 15 February 2013

The objective is to argue that child poverty should be redefined to blame “benefit entitlement” for “encouraging worklessness.”

ThyssenKrupp to cut 3,800 jobs in the steel sector

By Elizabeth Zimmermann, 15 February 2013

ThyssenKrupp can rely on the full support of the union IG Metall in its jobs massacre.

Australian PM’s phony job creation claim

By Terry Cook, 15 February 2013

The Labor government has not “created” jobs, but enforced a relentless wave of job destruction throughout the economy.

India: Cash transfer scheme aims to slash subsidies to India’s poor

By Ajay Prakash and Kranti Kumara, 15 February 2013

The Indian government has launched a program to replace all its subsidies on food and other essential commodities with cash payments. Due to India’s double-digit inflation rate, the real value of these payments will rapidly decline, further squeezing incomes.

California’s 2013 budget promotes the privatization of education

By Gabriel Black, 15 February 2013

Under the cloak of a small increase in school funding, the budget opens the way for the dramatic expansion of charter schools.

Pro-charter school organization attempts public school takeovers in Los Angeles

By Dan Conway and Itza Cantu, 15 February 2013

The “Parent Revolution” organization manipulates parent discontent to charterize struggling Los Angeles public schools.

New in French

Les travailleurs de Goodyear protestent contre la fermeture de l’usine d’Amiens nord

Par Antoine Lerougetel et Pierre Mabut, 15 février 2013

Quelque 800 travailleurs de l’usine Goodyear d’Amiens nord, soutenus par un millier de travailleurs venus d’autres coins de France ont protesté à Paris devant le siège français de l’entreprise.

Foxconn organise des élections syndicales: un piège pour les travailleurs chinois

Par John Chan, 15 février 2013

Cette décision, qui est soutenue par le régime chinois et les grands groupes occidentaux, est une tentative qui vise à éviter une explosion sociale.

New in Romanian

Cincisprezece ani de existenţă a World Socialist Web Site: 1998 - 2013

De David North, redactor şef al biroului editorial internaţional, 15 februarie 2013

Aniversarea a cincisprezece ani de la lansarea site-ului World Socialist Web Site este un moment important al mişcării socialiste internaţionale. Pe parcursul a unui deceniu şi jumătate, WSWS a oferit cu o acurateţe neegalată o analiză zilnică a evenimentelor politice şi culturale.

New in German

Fünfzehn Jahre World Socialist Web Site: 1998 - 2013

Von David North, 15. Februar 2013

Gestern jährte sich zum fünfzehnten Mal der Tag, an dem die World Socialist Web Site zum ersten Mal erschien.

Der New Yorker Schulbusstreik und die Verteidigung des öffentlichen Bildungswesens

Von Andre Damon, 15. Februar 2013

Der Angriff von Bürgermeister Michael Bloomberg auf das New Yorker Buspersonal ist Teil einer landesweiten Kampagne zur Zerschlagung des öffentlichen Bildungswesens

Offenbacher Klinikum wird schnellstmöglich verkauft

Von Marianne Arens, 15. Februar 2013

Am 7. Februar beschloss das Stadtparlament Offenbach, das Bürgerbegehren gegen den Verkauf des Klinikums zurückzuweisen.

Bürgerkrieg in Syrien destabilisiert den Kaukasus

Von Clara Weiss, 15. Februar 2013

Russland fürchtet, dass ein islamistisches Regime in Damaskus das gesamte Kräfteverhältnis in der Kaukasus-Region verändern wird.

Elliott Carter (1908-2012) und die Krise der heutigen Musik

Von Fred Mazelis, 15. Februar 2013

Der amerikanische Komponist spiegelte die Entwicklung der klassischen Musik des Westens im vergangenen Jahrhundert wider.

Other Languages

Perspective

Currency wars hang over G20 meeting

15 February 2013

The meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers in Moscow over the next two days is being held amid a deep contradiction in the global capitalist economy.

Earlier Perspectives »

Fifteen Years of the World Socialist Web Site: 1998-2013

The 15th anniversary of the WSWS is a milestone of immense significance for the international socialist movement. Over the course of a decade-and-a-half, the WSWS has provided, with unequalled accuracy and insight, a daily analysis of political and cultural events.

Year in Review: 1998

The World Socialist Web Site was launched on February 14, 1998, in the midst of a mounting political crisis in the heart of world capitalism, the United States.

Science fiction author Steven Brust
“The WSWS functions for me as an antidote”

Steven Brust, son of veteran Trotskyists Jean and Bill Brust, writes on the importance of the World Socialist Web Site.

15th Anniversary page »

Workers Struggles

On New York City picket lines school bus strikers discuss struggle

By Jerry White and Bryan Dyne, 15 February 2013

With their month-long strike in danger, school bus workers on picket lines in Queens and the Bronx discussed how their struggle could be taken forward.

Parents speak out in support of New York City school bus strike

By Steve Light and A. Woodson, 15 February 2013

Sympathy for school bus workers is widespread among parents of students affected, despite efforts by the Bloomberg administration and the corporate media to whip up sentiment against the strike.

After the bids: New York School bus strike at the crossroads

By Bill Van Auken, 14 February 2013

More on the New York school bus drivers strike »

Australian Education Union uses mass meeting to prepare sell-out agreement

By Susan Allan, 15 February 2013

Yesterday’s strike and mass meeting underscored the determination of the union bureaucracy to suppress any opposition to its plans for a deal that will further undermine wages, conditions and public education.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

15 February 2013

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

Arts Review

Steven Soderbergh to retire after Side Effects?: Problems of independent filmmaking

By Joanne Laurier, 15 February 2013

A new antidepressant has unexpected side effects that unravel the lives of a psychiatrist and his patient in American filmmaker Steven Soderbergh’s most recent—and possibly last—feature film.

Socialist Equality Party

Sri Lankan SEP meeting marks 25th anniversary of Keerthi Balasuriya’s death

By our correspondents, 14 February 2013

Socialism and the defense of public education in Chicago

By the Socialist Equality Party, 14 February 2013

Commentary

Britain’s Socialist Workers Party descends into factional warfare

By Chris Marsden, 14 February 2013

Obama defends drone assassinations in State of the Union address

By Barry Grey, 13 February 2013

The Nation magazine and Obama’s assassination program

By David Walsh, 13 February 2013

The New York bus strike and the defense of public education

By Andre Damon, 13 February 2013

Auto Workers Struggles

Canadian Auto Workers union reopens CAMI-GM contract

By Carl Bronski, 13 February 2013

IYSSE

Australia: Join the International Youth and Students for Social Equality!

By the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, 13 February 2013

NHS Fightback

UK government implements cuts in South East London Healthcare Trust

By Rick Wilson, 12 February 2013

Visit the NHS FightBack web site » »

This Week in History: February 11-17

25 years ago: Ford hit by strikes in UK and worldwide

Auto workers at all 22 of Britain’s Ford plants entered the second week of their strike on February 15, 1988.

More »

50 years ago: Italian metal strike ends

On February 17, 1963, 800,000 Italian metal and auto workers returned to the job having won shorter working hours and higher wages.

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75 years ago: GPU assassinates Trotsky’s son Leon Sedov

On the February 16, 1938, Leon Sedov, the eldest son of the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his second wife Natalya, was murdered in Paris by Stalin’s agents.

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100 years ago: Austrian socialist leader assassinated

On February 11, 1913, Franz Schuhmeier, a leader and parliamentary representative of the Austrian socialist movement, was assassinated at a railway station in Vienna.

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