1st November 2008

Huge IMF bailout for emerging economies

By Peter Symonds, 1st November 2008

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), backed by central banks in the US and Europe, has taken drastic steps over the past week to prop up so-called emerging economies around the world from Asia to Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Obama begins to “lower expectations” for a Democratic White House

By Patrick Martin, 1st November 2008

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has begun to back away from his promises of social change, even before balloting concludes on Election Day next Tuesday.

Political stalemate forces general election in Israel

By Jean Shaoul, 1st November 2008

Israel will go to the polls to elect a parliament on February 10, some 12 months earlier than scheduled.

Hundreds dead in earthquake in Pakistan

By Vilani Peiris, 1st November 2008

An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale followed by numerous after-shocks struck the south-western Balochistan area of Pakistan early Wednesday morning.

Video: WSWS speaks with family members of Michigan fire victims

WSWS speaks with family members of Michigan fire victims1st November 2008

WSWS reporter D'Artagnan Collier speaks to family members and a teacher of one of the victims of the tragic house fire in Highland Park, Michigan which killed four people on Wednesday, October 22, 2008.

The furore over the BBC’s Brand and Ross broadcast
What constitutes an “appalling lapse in standards”?

By Julie Hyland, 1st November 2008

What are the issues raised by the furore over the antics of BBC talk show hosts Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, which has dominated the British media for the last week?

New in Russian

Оппортунизм versus социализм:
Уроки двух <левых> конференций в Британии

Крис Марсден, 1 ноября 2008 г.

Вчера Мировой Социалистический Веб Сайт опубликовал подробный отчет о состоявшихся на выходных конференциях, проведенных двумя <левыми> оппортунистическими организациями, британской Социалистической Рабочей партией (СРП - Socialist Workers Party) и <Возрождением достоинства> (Respect Renewal) Джорджа Геллоуэя (George Galloway).

New in French

Le cabinet irakien temporise sur l’accord de sécurité américain

Par James Cogan, 1er novembre 2008

Le processus de ratification de l’accord de sécurité bilatéral entre les Etats-Unis et l’Irak, accord qui autoriserait une présence militaire américaine continue en Irak, est maintenant au point mort. Mardi, le cabinet irakien du premier ministre Nouri al-Maliki a officiellement rejeté l’entente dont la rédaction a demandé des mois de négociations épineuses entre les officiels américains et irakiens.

New in German

Geschichte und revolutionäre Partei

Von Barry Grey, 1. November 2008

Ein wichtiges, vom Kongress der SEP verabschiedetes Dokument mit dem Titel The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party ist jetzt in Buchform erschienen. Anlässlich der Veröffentlichung dieses Dokuments in Buchform ist es angebracht, etwas zu seiner Bedeutung im Lichte der Weltwirtschaftskrise zu sagen, die nach dem Kongress ausgebrochen ist.

PSG-Mitglied kandidiert für Personalrat der Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe

Von unserem Reporter, 1. November 2008

Ein halbes Jahr nach dem großen Streik der Berliner Verkehrsarbeiter finden Anfang November Personalratswahlen bei der BVG statt.

Grundsatzerklärung der Socialist Equality Party (USA)
Teil 2

1. November 2008

Die Socialist Equality Party, die das Internationale Komitee der Vierten Internationale in den USA vertritt, hielt vom 3. bis 9. August 2008 ihren Gründungskongress ab. Wir beginnen hier mit der Veröffentlichung der Grundsatzerklärung, die vom Kongress einstimmig verabschiedet wurde.

Perspective

Wall Street’s Great Heist of 2008

1st November 2008

The Wall Street Journal published a front-page article Friday reporting that the nine biggest US banks, which have received a combined $125 billion in taxpayer funds as part of the $700 billion bailout authored by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and passed by the Democratic Congress, owed their executives more than $40 billion for recent years’ compensation and pensions as of the end of 2007.

Earlier Perspectives »

History

The German October: The missed revolution of 1923
Part 3

By Peter Schwarz, 1st November 2008

Eighty-five years ago, in October 1923, the German Communist Party prepared an insurrection and then cancelled it at the last minute, prompting Leon Trotsky to characterize it as “a classic demonstration of how it is possible to miss a perfectly exceptional revolutionary situation of world-historic importance.”

SEP Meetings

ISSE meeting in Frankfurt, Germany
A fierce response by Georgian nationalists

1st November 2008

The presentation at an ISSE meeting in Frankfurt, Germany provoked a hostile response on the part of a group of Georgian nationalists.

Workers Struggles

Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific

1st November 2008

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

Correspondence

A letter on Canada, South Africa and deadly asbestos

1st November 2008

A letter sent to the World Socialist Web Site in response to the article, “Canadian Government defends export of asbestos to poorer nations

Letters from our readers

1st November 2008

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

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