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Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)

30 July 2010

EU, Australia and Canada impose tough sanctions on Iran

By Peter Symonds, 30 July 2010

While promoted as means of pressuring Iran, the sanctions are a further escalation of a dangerous confrontation that is setting the stage for war.

Pentagon retaliates against WikiLeaks, Pvt. Manning

By Bill Van Auken, 30 July 2010

In response to the WikiLeaks posting of tens of thousands of secret documents on the Afghanistan war, the Pentagon has launched a manhunt within the military and called in the FBI for possible prosecution of the actual source of the leak.

Russia to expand military aid to US occupation of Afghanistan

By Niall Green, 30 July 2010

The Kremlin has announced plans to begin shipping arms to support the US occupation of Afghanistan along the Northern Distribution Network that passes through Russia.

BP oil disaster

Corporate media downplays Gulf oil spill

By Josué Olmos, 30 July 2010

A number of recent articles in the corporate media have sought to minimize the effects of the Gulf oil spill and purge the event from the consciousness of the American people.

Full coverage of the Gulf oil disaster »

Michigan oil spill forces evacuations
Regulators warned Enbridge of pipeline corrosion

By Tom Eley and Dwight Stoll, 30 July 2010

Dozens of families have been evacuated from their homes along streams and rivers in central Michigan in the wake of an oil spill from a ruptured pipeline, which likely took place on Sunday. Local health officials have also warned residents against drinking water from wells that may be contaminated by the oil.

Young people disenfranchised in Australia’s snap election

By Richard Phillips, SEP candidate for Blaxland , 30 July 2010

Australians not already registered on the electoral rolls had only one working day to secure their right to vote in the August 21 federal election.

UN court upholds Kosovo’s declaration of independence

By Julie Hyland and Paul Mitchell, 30 July 2010

The United Nations International Court of Justice ruled last week that Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008 was legal.

French parliamentary commission approves pension cuts

By Kumaran Ira, 30 July 2010

In closed-door hearings, a parliamentary committee approved bitterly unpopular pension cuts in France, which are scheduled to go to a vote in the National Assembly in early September.

Democrats, Republicans posture as friends of small business

By Patrick Martin, 30 July 2010

President Obama and congressional Republicans both claim to defend small business, while advocating tax breaks and other handouts that mainly benefit corporate America and the wealthy

Italy’s Berlusconi government racked by scandals and growing tensions

By Marianne Arens, 30 July 2010

The current corruption scandals in Italy far exceed those involved in the so-called Tangentopoli swamp of 1991, and a succession of ministers and state secretaries has already resigned

New in French

Grèce: Que se cache-t-il derrière la scission de l’aile droite de SYRIZA ?

Par Chris Marsden et Robert Stevens, 30 juillet 2010

Lors du congrès de SYRIZA (Coalition de la Gauche radicale) au mois de juin, l’« Aile novatrice » du parti a quitté le congrès en annonçant son intention de former un nouveau mouvement. Celui-ci doit défendre plus ouvertement le gouvernement social-démocrate qui impose actuellement des coupes massives contre la classe ouvrière.

New in German

Die Afghanistan-Dokumente und der Kampf gegen Krieg

Von Bill Van Auken, 30. Juli 2010

Die völlige Gleichgültigkeit der amerikanischen Medien und des politischen Establishments insgesamt gegenüber den Enthüllungen auf WikiLeaks werfen die Notwendigkeit einer neuen Strategie im Kampf gegen Krieg auf.

Katastrophe bei der Loveparade - die Verantwortlichen weisen alle Vorwürfe zurück

Von Lena Sokoll, 30. Juli 2010

Die Katastrophe von Duisburg wirft nicht nur die Frage nach der Schuld und Verantwortung Einzelner auf, sondern beleuchtet auch die gesellschaftlichen Zustände, unter denen sie zustande kam.

Loveparade: Demonstration vor dem Duisburger Rathaus

Hunderte fordern Sauerlands Rücktritt

Von unsern Korrespondenten, 30. Juli 2010

Am Donnerstag forderten ca. 500 Personen den Rücktritt des Duisburger Oberbürgermeisters Adolf Sauerland, der die Loveparade trotz gravierender Sicherheitsmängel genehmigt und unterstützt hatte.

„Es wird nie mehr so sein wie zuvor“

Interview mit einem Augenzeugen

Von unseren Korrespondenten, 30. Juli 2010

Christof Holona, der am Samstag mitten in dem tödlichen Gedränge war, berichtet, was geschah.

Other Languages

Perspective

Obama in Detroit
Returning to the scene of the crime

30 July 2010

President Obama is visiting two Detroit area auto plants today, a year after ordering the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs at GM and Chrysler and enforcing a 50 percent cut in the wages of auto workers.

Earlier Perspectives »

Arts Review

“Justice had nothing to do with it”
An interview with Richard Brenneman, journalist who covered the Polanski trial

By David Walsh, 30 July 2010

Richard Brenneman, court reporter for the Santa Monica, California Evening Outlook spoke to the World Socialist Web Site on the prosecution of filmmaker Roman Polanski.

A somber look back: Mad Men, Season 4

By James Brookfield, 29 July 2010

AMC’s Mad Men, whose fourth season premiered on Sunday night, stands out as one of the more interesting and well-written US television series at present.

I am Love and The Leopard: Italian cinema new and old

Investigative Report

The social crisis in Appalachia
Part 4: Youth prospects

By Naomi Spencer, 30 July 2010

The population of the coalfields region of eastern Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia has hemorrhaged with the collapse of wages and jobs in the coal industry since the 1980s.

“If you got hurt and took an ambulance, you would die”
Matewan, West Virginia, residents speak on dearth of services

By a WSWS reporting team, 30 July 2010

The small town of Matewan, situated in the steep mountains of Mingo County, West Virginia, earned a place in history for the struggles of the coal miners who called it home in the first part of the twentieth century.

Socialist Equality Party (Australia) Election Campaign

Support the socialist alternative to war, social inequality and attacks on democratic rights! Build the Socialist Equality Party!

By the Socialist Equality Party (Australia), 29 July 2010

The Socialist Equality Party calls on working people and youth to support our campaign in the August 21, 2010 federal election and vote for our candidates in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

SEP (Australia) relaunches party web site

29 July 2010

The Socialist Equality Party has relaunched its web site, www.sep.org.au, featuring the SEP’s 2010 election statement, profiles of its candidates and information on the campaign.

Australia: Prime Minister Gillard answers damaging leaks with display of “steel”

By Mike Head, 29 July 2010

In an attempt to confront damaging leaks about her opposition in cabinet to spending on pensions and parental leave, Gillard provided an aggressive display of the ruthless pro-business and austerity agenda that lay behind her installation as prime minister.

Socialist Equality Party election meetings
The socialist alternative to austerity, social inequality and war

26 July 2010

The SEP candidates will be addressing public meetings over the next four weeks and final rallies in Melbourne and Sydney.

Full coverage of the SEP (Australia) election campaign »

Workers Struggles

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

30 July 2010

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

Commentary

The Afghanistan documents and the struggle against war

29 July 2010

The utter indifference of the US media and the political establishment as a whole to the WikiLeaks documents’ exposure of massive violence against the people of Afghanistan poses the critical need for a new strategy in the struggle against war.

Gulf oil spill: 100 days of disaster

By Tom Eley, 29 July 2010

The first 100 days of the BP Gulf oil catastrophe have provided an object lesson in the destructiveness and irrationality of capitalism.

The German Love Parade disaster: Not a tragic accident, but a crime

By Ulrich Rippert, 29 July 2010

Numerous eyewitness testimonies indicate that the organizers and those politically responsible disregarded concerns and warnings raised by experts.

Socialist Equality Party

SEP candidate to be placed on the ballot in Detroit

26 July 2010

SEP candidate D’Artagnan Collier, will be on the ballot for the 9th district of the Michigan state house of representatives.

SEP public meetings in New Orleans and Mobile
The Gulf oil disaster and capitalism

21 July 2010

The SEP will hold public meetings in the US Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Alabama in early August to discuss the causes and consequences of the BP oil spill disaster.

Sri Lankan SEP to hold public meeting against police-state measures

29 July 2010

The methods used against the Tamil masses during two decades of civil war are being turned against working people as a whole as the government wages its “economic war” to “build the nation”.

Book Review

Diane Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the Great American School System
An insider’s critique of education “reform”

By Walter Gilberti and Jerry White, 27 July 2010

Diane Ravitch’s book presents a summary on the attack on public education, from its origins during the Reagan era to Obama’s Race to the Top.

Committee Against Utility Shutoffs (CAUS)

Michigan governor signs law witch-hunting workers for “energy theft”

Statement of the Committee Against Utility Shutoffs (CAUS), 23 July 2010

The Committee Against Utility Shutoffs (CAUS) condemns legislation signed into law by Michigan’s Democratic governor, Jennifer Granholm, sanctioning a crackdown on poor residents in Detroit and other cities for alleged “energy theft.”

Visit the CAUS web site »

25 years
50 years
75 years
100 years

25 years ago: GM, UAW deepen collaboration with Saturn car brand

On July 26, 1985, the Executive Board of the United Auto Workers (UAW) approved a new, more highly exploitative labor contract for workers to be hired at General Motors’ Saturn venture, to be based in Tennessee.

More »

50 years ago: War threat after South Korean elections

South Korea attacked a North Korean naval vessel, killing 14, on July 31, 1960, the first naval conflict since the signing of the 1953 armistice. One South Korean sailor died in the exchange. The attack came the day after the Liberal party of former South Korean dictator and US puppet Syngman Rhee suffered a stinging electoral defeat.

More »

75 years ago: New Deal establishes jobs program for unemployed writers

On July 27, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Federal Writers Project, one of several programs enacted under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for the purpose of employing cultural workers. Collectively known as “Federal One,” the other cultural programs of the WPA included the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Art Project and the Federal Music Project.

More »

100 years ago: Rupture between Spain and the Vatican

This week in 1910 Spain recalled its ambassador to the Vatican after the Holy See issued an ultimatum demanding Madrid reverse a new law granting rights to non-Catholic religious organizations.

More »

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