11 February 2012

Speculation on Greek default mounts as EU demands still more cuts

By Robert Stevens, 11 February 2012

With speculation mounting of a possible forced exit from the euro, the unelected governing coalition led by Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is pledging to meet whatever requirements are demanded of it.

Obama caves in to Catholic Church, religious right on contraceptives

By Kate Randall, 11 February 2012

President Obama on Friday caved in to pressure from the Catholic Church and the religious right, announcing that religiously affiliated employers would not be required to provide access to birth control as part of medical coverage for their women employees.

NATO bombing kills eight Afghan children

By Bill Van Auken, 11 February 2012

At least eight Afghan civilians, all children according to some reports, were killed Thursday when a NATO warplane bombed a village in Afghanistan's northeast Kapisa province.

Bomb blasts in Aleppo, Syria kill 28

By David Walsh, 11 February 2012

Two bomb blasts in Aleppo, Syria’s most populous city, killed at least 28 people and wounded some 235 on Friday.

Egyptians protest in lead-up to anniversary of Mubarak’s ouster

By Alex Lantier, 11 February 2012

Thousands marched in Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities against the US-backed Egyptian military junta yesterday.

Ongoing atrocities by NATO-installed Libyan regime

By Will Morrow, 11 February 2012

The war crimes and abuses being perpetrated by the TNC regime further expose the claims that the NATO allies intervened for humanitarian purposes to rescue the Libyan people from violent repression.

Democrats propose cut in extended unemployment benefits

By Patrick Martin, 11 February 2012

The plan is the beginning of a bargaining process in Congress that will cut benefits for the long-term unemployed.

UK government seeks deportation of Muslim cleric Abu Qatada

By Julie Hyland, 11 February 2012

The British government is continuing its efforts to deport Muslim cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan.

IBM launches new form of day-wage labour

By Dietmar Henning, 11 February 2012

Germany is serving as a pilot project for a radical reorganization of IBM’s work structures around the world.

Kentucky bill targets teachers for student achievement

By Ryan Rahilly, 11 February 2012

A Kentucky teacher explains the implications of legislation that will evaluate teachers based on student achievement.

New in Chinese

苏联解体二十年后
2012年的资本主义危机和工人阶级的激进化

作者: 大卫 • 诺斯,2012年2月11日

原文是世界社会主义网站国际编委会主席和美国社会主义平等党全国主席大卫 • 诺斯在1月份举行的一系列社平党区域会议里作的报告。

New in Romanian

Jefuirea clasei muncitoare din Grecia

De Peter Schwarz , 11 februarie 2012

Atacurile asupra populației elene au luat proporţii monstruoase. "Troica", formată din Comisia Europeană, Fondul Monetar Internațional și Banca Centrală Europeană cere ruinarea completă a clasei muncitoare din Grecia.

New in German

Lehren aus der Zerschlagung von Manroland

Kommentar von Ulrich Rippert, 11. Februar 2012

Die Gewerkschaft IG Metall spielte von Anfang an eine Schlüsselrolle dabei, die Turbo-Insolvenz von Manroland und den massiven Arbeitsplatzabbau vorzubereiten, durchzusetzen und jeden ernsthaften Widerstand dagegen zu verhindern.

Frankreich: Thibault tritt als Generalsekretär der CGT ab

Von Anthony Torres, 11. Februar 2012

Der Generalsekretär der französischen CGT, Bernard Thibault, kündigte an, dass er sich auf dem 50. Kongress der CGT nicht zur Wiederwahl stellen werde.

Britisch-argentinische Beziehungen verschlechtern sich wegen Malwinas-Inseln

Von Bill Van Auken, 11. Februar 2012

Kurz vor dem 30. Jahrestag des Krieges zwischen Großbritannien und Argentinien verschärfen sich die diplomatischen Spannungen um die Malwinen wieder.

Bad as Me - ein neues Album von Tom Waits

Von Hiram Lee, 11. Februar 2012

Tom Waits ist mit Bad as Me zurückgekehrt, dem ersten Album mit neuem Material seit Real Gone im Jahr 2004.

Other Languages

Perspective

Australia lines up with US for war with China

11 February 2012

The Australian defence posture report is the latest sign of the Obama administration’s aggressive push against China on all fronts.

Earlier Perspectives »

Socialist Equality Party

Sri Lanka: SEP open letter to the defence minister

By the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka),
11 February 2012

The Socialist Equality Party demands that the Rajapakse government immediately ends the harassment and threats by the military against party members in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka: Military continues intimidation of SEP in Jaffna

By our correspondent, 10 February 2012

Sri Lanka: Colombo meeting to defend SEP’s democratic rights

The background to the euro crisis—Part 2

By Peter Schwarz, 2 February 2012

SEP (UK) public meetings: For a general strike to bring down the Cameron government!

Workers Struggles

Germany: Lessons for workers from the defeat at Manroland

By Ulrich Rippert, 11 February 2012

The IG Metall trade union played a key role from the beginning, preparing and enforcing the “turbo-bankruptcy” of printing press manufacturer Manroland and massive job cuts, as well as preventing any serious opposition developing.

Toronto municipal union accepts Mayor Ford’s layoff and privatization-promoting contract

By Carl Bronski, 10 February 2012

ISO covers for New York nurses union

By Peter Daniels, 10 February 2012

Fight Ontario Caterpillar plant closure! Unite North American workers against wage-cutting!

By Keith Jones, 9 February 2012

More on the Caterpillar lockout »

More on the lockout of Cooper Tire workers »

Workers Struggles:
Asia, Australia and the Pacific

11 February 2012

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

Correspondence

Letter on the plight of construction workers in Britain

11 February 2012

The following email was received from a British construction worker.

Letters from our readers

11 February 2012

A selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.

Arts Review

Polanski’s Carnage: Not a dispute about fundamentals

By Joanne Laurier, 10 February 2012

A Dangerous Method: The Freud-Jung controversy, among other matters

By David Walsh, 8 February 2012

Obituary

American actor Ben Gazzara (1930-2012)

By David Walsh, 9 February 2012

Commentary

The looting of the Greek working class

By Peter Schwarz, 10 February 2012

Obama administration brokers pro-bank mortgage fraud settlement

By Joseph Kishore, 10 February 2012

UK-Argentine tensions rise over Malvinas Islands

By Bill Van Auken, 10 February 2012

France’s New Anti-capitalist Party echoes NATO propaganda against Syria

By Anthony Torres, 10 February 2012

Syria and the seeds of world war

By Bill Van Auken, 8 February 2012

Crisis in Detroit

Detroit schools manager names schools to close this fall

By James Brewer, 10 February 2012

New boss of Highland Park, Michigan schools
Who is Jack Martin?

By Nancy Hanover, 3 February 2012

Visit the CAUS web site »

Science

Bird flu scientists respond to media hysteria, suspend critical research

By Nicholas Russo, 10 February 2012

History

New evidence points to German police involvement in 1967 murder of student protester

By Franci Vier, 9 February 2012

Robert Service wins support from the extreme right in Germany

By Wolfgang Weber, 7 February 2012

The extreme right-wing weekly newspaper Junge Freiheit has weighed in on the debate over a German edition of Robert Service's biography of Leon Trotsky, defending Service against the criticisms of fourteen historians and political scientists.

David North speaks in Berlin: “In Defence of Leon Trotsky and Historical Truth”

By our reporter, 3 February 2012

David North placed his exposure of Robert Service’s slanderous biography of Trotsky in a broader historical and political context.

More on the Post-Soviet School of Historical Falsification »

25 years ago: Anti-KKK protests bring thousands to all-white Georgia county

Georgia Democratic Governor Joe Frank Harris met with civil rights leaders in Atlanta on February 11, 1987 seeking to end further protests in all-white Forsyth County.


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50 years ago: Explosion kills 299 German coal miners

On February 7, 1962, an explosion at the Luisenthal coal mine in West Germany killed 299 miners.

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75 years ago: Flint sit-down strikers win 44-day strike

The Flint sit-down strike ended on February 11, 1937 after 44 days, with a victory for the striking workers.

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100 years ago: End of the Manchu dynasty

On February 12, 1912, the Empress Dowager signed an agreement on behalf of the six-year-old emperor, formalizing the end of the Manchu dynasty that had ruled China for 288 years.

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