On “Seven Days in Chicago: What has been revealed by the Chicago teachers strike”

 

 

Jerry White absolutely is speaking the truth. A voice in the wilderness when compared to what is propagated by the controlled means of communication and the power of the state now nakedly exposed. Nonetheless, the wilderness, it may be said, is more and more becoming aware of the truth, analogous to the conditions before natural birth. I’m in solidarity with the SEP and the Chicago teachers.

 

EB
18 September 2012

 

On “South Africa: ANC orders security clampdown against miners’ revolt”

It is important that workers are not misled by Julius Malema. This man is a multimillionaire who represents a particularly rapacious section of the South African bourgeoisie. While attacking Zuma and Cosatu, Malema’s hot air is intended to dissuade workers from making a break with the ANC and big business’s sweetheart unions. Malema’s interests are inexorably tied up with the interests of capital in South Africa. Workers must reject Malema and form workers’ committees elected from the most revolutionary and advanced workers from amongst their ranks. There is no need nor place for a fraud like Malema!

 

Eric G
South Africa
17 September 2012

 

On “Turkey ramps up war threats against Syria”

Mr. Marsden,

 

I can only describe your article as a clear summation of the destabilizing effect the war in Syria is having on the entire region. This past summer saw some of the bloodiest conflicts between the Turkish government and the PKK that has taken place in years.

The statements by Erdogan claiming Assad is not a true Muslim or references to the battle of Karbala will only further inflame sectarian conflicts. Turkey is home to a small Alawite community and a large Alevi community that is often mistaken for Alawites, both of which are Shi’ite sects. The AKP’s appeal to religious prejudice and arming of Sunni extremists to fight in Syria is directly putting millions of lives on both sides of the border in jeopardy.

 

IF
Turkey
13 September 2012

On “Lessons of the Lufthansa strike”

 

If you have flown Lufthansa, United, or any other airline recently you would have noticed that there are exactly zero empty seats, zero frills, no food, expensive drinks, countless delays, and many overworked and understaffed crews. All this in order to give seven-figure bonuses to the people in charge of making air-travel safe, affordable, and pleasant.

 

PK
17 September 2012

On “Study shows harmful impact of economic crisis on California’s women”

 

I’m glad that someone has written the truth. It makes for a better world when people unite and share ideas through a rational and intelligent manner. Kudos to Kevin Martinez.

 

Sincerely,

 

Izzy S
16 September 2012

On “Australia: Official wall of silence over Bankstown fire”

 

 

I used to work in local government in Sydney and it’s incredible that the work done on those units at the centre of the fire debacle could have passed by Bankstown Council. Development control inspectors have to check the construction periodically and a completed roof atrium not in the original approved plans would surely have been picked up if the inspectors had been doing their job properly.

 

I have noted that many if not most families living in those units are either recent migrants or refugees. Fee-paying university students from overseas are entitled to expect that universities here can provide suitable accommodation or advise them where to find it; they shouldn’t have to fight for affordable housing along with migrants, refugees and local people. No doubt eventually when an inquiry is held into the causes of the fire, a way will be found to blame students and others for overcrowding and leaving rubbish in fire escapes and stairwells.

 

Jennifer H

15 September 2012

On “The enigma of Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony”

 

What a wonderfully human story. "The Soviet Army in Leningrad allowed their anti-aircraft guns to remain silent for the duration of the concert."

 

May we all live to risk life and limb for a bit of culture.

 

Thabo
13 September 2012

***

This is a very fine article and typical of the best cultural explorations of wsws.org. Is not the Seventh Symphony also used as background in Ken Russell's Billion Dollar Brain when the forces led by a Fascist American billionaire played by Ed Begley attempt to invade Russia? Imagery from Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky is also used in this interesting film before Russell eventually succumbed to what the late Andrew Britton termed "visual diarrhea". The revealing historical and cultural issues raised in this article also reveal how we should evaluate artistic talents and avoid over-praising questionable ones like Russell who mostly operates according to the sleazy principles of Rupert Murdoch tabloid journalism.

 

Tony W
13 September 2012