World Socialist Web Site

28 May 2009

Grim forecasts for British economy

By Jean Shaoul, 28 May 2009

A series of reports have painted a grim picture of the British economy following the bailout of the banks, with mounting public debt pointing to the threat of savage public spending cuts.

Millions displaced as Pakistani military extends its offensive

By James Cogan, 28 May 2009

The Pakistani military is deepening its assault against Islamist militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) district of the Swat Valley and beginning to extend its campaign into other ethnic Pashtun-populated areas.

Thousands of soldiers perished in Sri Lankan war

By Sarath Kumara, 28 May 2009

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse has revealed the staggering level of casualties suffered by government soldiers in the last phase of the war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Video: GM workers speak out on concessions contract

28 May 2009

The WSWS interviewed GM workers at the Michigan Poletown plant on a new concessions contract agreed by the UAW and GM, with the backing of the Obama administration.

New York “terror” arrests: another government-orchestrated plot

By Tom Eley, 28 May 2009

Police arrested four men in New York City May 20, alleging they planned to blow up synagogues and shoot down US military planes in New York. The case against the men has been created and orchestrated by the FBI and a paid informant.

The Grundgesetz: 60 years of Germany’s post-war constitution

By Justus Leicht, 28 May 2009

Sixty years ago, May 23, 1949, saw the enactment of the Grundgesetz (literally, basic law, or constitution).

The German Left Party loses support and two prominent members

By Lucas Adler, 28 May 2009

The German Left Party has sunk below 10 percent approval in opinion polls as the economic crisis deepens.

110,000 US actors to vote on contract
The issues facing Screen Actors Guild members

By Ramón Valle and David Walsh, 28 May 2009

On May 19 ballots were sent out to some 110,000 Screen Actors Guild members throughout the US, asking them to vote “yes” or “no” on the tentative agreement reached between negotiators for SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Australian bushfire royal commission: Survivors expose “stay or go” policy

By Perla Astudillo, 28 May 2009

Testimony during the first two and half weeks of the Victorian royal commission into the February 7 bushfires has revealed that the tragically high death toll was caused by inadequate emergency services, lack of fire warnings and the absence of any centralised evacuation plan.

US Supreme Court ruling curbs “identity theft” arrests of immigrants

By Michael Stapleton, 28 May 2009

The Supreme Court ruled that in order to charge undocumented immigrants with identity theft, the government must prove illegal immigrants knowingly assumed the identity of another person.

Credit card “bill of rights” puts few restraints on banks

By William Moore, 28 May 2009

There is little in the legislation passed by Congress to aid the large numbers of working and middle class people who are being crushed by credit card debt.

New in German

Weist die Erpressung von General Motors, Regierung und UAW zurück!
Organisiert Basiskomitees, stimmt die Zugeständnisse nieder, verteidigt alle Arbeitsplätze!

Von Jerry White, 28. Mai 2009

Die Autoarbeitergewerkschaft UAW (United Auto Workers) hat sich mit General Motors auf einen neuen Tarifvertrag geeinigt, der weitgehende Zugeständnisse der Arbeiter beinhaltet, wie sie die Obama-Regierung gefordert hatte.

Obamas Schlagabtausch mit Cheney und die Gefahr von Diktatur in Amerika

Von Joe Kishore, 28. Mai 2009

Eine ungewöhnlich offene Konfrontation zwischen Präsident Barack Obama und dem ehemaligen Vizepräsidenten Dick Cheney hat am Donnerstag vergangener Woche gezeigt, wie zerbrechlich die verfassungsmäßige Regierung ist, und wie tief die Krise der amerikanischen Demokratie.

New in French

France : « L'anticapitaliste » Olivier Besancenot justifie sa collaboration avec des réformistes et des nationalistes polonais

Par Antoine Lerougetel et Stefan Steinberg, 28 mai 2009

Des reporters du WSWS ont posé des questions ciblées à Olivier Besancenot, principal candidat du Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste, au sujet de sa récente visite en Pologne. L'un des principaux intervenants au congrès du PPP à Katowice, aux côtés de Besancenot, était Bogdan Golik, vice-président de la Chambre de commerce polonaise.

L'économie mondiale en chute libre

Par Andre Damon, 28 mai 2009

Ces derniers jours, les gouvernements des principales économies mondiales ont annoncé des contractions de grande ampleur pour le premier trimestre de l'année, alors que les indicateurs réels de la crise économique continuent à se détériorer.

La grève des universités françaises se termine par la trahison des syndicats

Par Pierre Mabut, 28 mai 2009

Après plus de 16 semaines de grève continue et de manifestations, le mouvement contre la loi « d'autonomie pour les universités » présentée par le gouvernement a pris fin sous la pression des menaces du gouvernement et celle du sabotage par les syndicats qui ont refusé de mobiliser toute forme de solidarité.