World Socialist Web Site

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

9 June 2009

Social democratic parties suffer historic defeat in European Union elections

By Stefan Steinberg, 9 June 2009

The disastrous results for the social democratic parties of Great Britain, Germany and France in the European Union parliamentary elections represent a political point of no return for the parties themselves and augur a period of profound political instability.

Sri Lankan workers comment on victory celebrations

By our correspondents, 9 June 2009

The Sri Lankan government has been conducting an intense communal victory campaign since the army’s defeat of the LTTE. The WSWS spoke to workers about their reaction.

Capitalism’s deadly toll: 44 children dead in Mexican day care fire

By Rafael Azul, 9 June 2009

A fire that swept through the ABC day care center in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state in northern Mexico June 5, has claimed the lives of 44 children, while leaving at least 30 others in critical conditions.

White House had long planned GM and Chrysler bankruptcies

By Jerry White, 9 June 2009

While the Obama administration publicly claimed it was seeking to avoid bankruptcy filings by Chrysler and General Motors, behind the scenes the White House was determined to throw the two Detroit automakers into the bankruptcy courts.

New York Times on Guantánamo: A willing conduit for the military-intelligence apparatus

By Bill Van Auken, 9 June 2009

The New York Times’ latest admission of a “lapse” in journalistic standards—this time in regurgitating Pentagon propaganda about released Guantanamo detainees’ alleged “recidivism”—underscores the newspaper’s role as a willing conduit for the US military-intelligence apparatus.

Australian government claims “good news” despite soaring unemployment

By Mike Head, 9 June 2009

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd hailed as “good news” last week’s release of the latest national economic statistics even though the data point to a further rapid rise in unemployment over coming months.

Malaysian government crackdown on political opponents

By John Roberts, 9 June 2009

The Malaysian government carried out a wave of arrests last month in a bid to stem opposition to its ousting of the state government in Perak earlier this year.

Germany: Arcandor retail group faces bankruptcy

By Markus Salzmann, 9 June 2009

Unions, SPD and the Left Party are demanding the German government intervene to bail out the ailing Arcandor group, which faces bankruptcy.

New in Russian

Лидер боснийских сербов Караджич заявляет о том, что США предоставили ему иммунитет

Пол Митчелл, 9 июня 2009 г.

Адвокаты защиты лидера боснийских сербов Радована Караджича потребовали, чтобы Международный трибунал по бывшей Югославии (МТБЮ) снял с него все обвинения в связи с предположительно имевшим место соглашением о предоставлении ему иммунитета, заключенным между Караджичем и американским дипломатом Ричардом Холбруком (Richard Holbrooke). Караджич утверждает, что в конце войны 1992-1995 годах в Боснии-Герцеговине ему был предложен иммунитет от преследования в обмен на отказ от своего статуса лидера Сербской демократической партии и уход из политики.

New in German

OAS-Abstimmung zeigt schwindenden amerikanischen Einfluss

Von Bill Van Auken, 9. Juni 2009

Vergangenen Mittwoch beschloss die Organisation Amerikanischer Staaten (OAS) einstimmig die Aufhebung des 47 Jahre alten Beschlusses, Kuba von der Mitgliedschaft auszuschließen.

Erfolgreiche Abschlussversammlung der Partei für Soziale Gleichheit

Von unserem Korrespondenten, 9. Juni 2009

Die Veranstaltung am vergangenen Samstag in Berlin brachte einen intensiven Wahlkampf der Partei zum Abschluss. Zentrale Aufgabe der Kampagne war es, Arbeiter mit dem wirklichen Ausmaß der Krise und der Notwendigkeit einer sozialistischen Perspektive zu konfrontieren.

Grußbotschaften an die Wahlabschlussveranstaltung der PSG

Von unserem Korrespondenten, 9. Juni 2009

Auf der Wahlabschlussveranstaltung der Partei für Soziale Gleichheit wurden Grußbotschaften aus England, Frankreich und der Türkei verlesen.

Obama in Kairo: Ein neues Gesicht des Imperialismus

Von Patrick Martin, 9. Juni 2009

Obamas Rede war eine Veränderung im Ton des US-Imperialismus, aber nicht im Kern seiner Politik. Er verteidigte die Kriege im Irak und in Afghanistan und die andauernde Unterdrückung des palästinensischen Volkes durch Israel.

New in French

Vingt ans depuis le massacre de la place Tienanmen

Par John Chan, 9 juin 2009

Ce jour marque le 20^e anniversaire de la répression armée de la classe ouvrière de Pékin par le Parti communiste chinois (PCC) stalinien . Alors que les médias internationaux continuent à décrire le massacre de la place Tienanmen comme une opération contre une manifestation étudiante, les troupes lourdement armées s'en prenaient en fait à la montée d'un mouvement révolutionnaire d'ampleur nationale de la part des travailleurs urbains.

New in Spanish

Juez Español lanza nueva investigación sobre la tortura aprobada por funcionarios del gobierno de Bush

Por Paul Mitchel y Chris Mariden , 9 Junio 2009

Baltasar Garzón, el principal juez investigador de España, ha lanzado una nueva investigación jurídica de las acusaciones de tortura en la Bahía de Guantánamo y otras prisiones estadounidenses con el objetivo de encontrar "posibles autores materiales, que facilitaron o fueron cómplices" del abuso ilícito de los detenidos.

Perspective

Obama pledges 600,000 jobs in 100 days
A derisory answer to the jobs disaster

9 June 2009

The 600,000 jobs President Obama pledged to “create or save” over the next 100 days is far less than the number of jobs lost—1.6 million—since the stimulus plan was enacted 100 days ago.

Earlier Perspectives »

ICFI/Marxist Library

New in the ICFI/Marxist Library:
The Heritage We Defend

9 June 2009

The Heritage We Defend is a Marxist analysis of the history of the Fourth International since the assassination of Leon Trotsky in 1940. Concentrating on the central political and theoretical issues which have confronted the Fourth International during the five decades of its existence, this volume examines the implications of the struggle waged by the Trotskyist movement against Stalinism, bourgeois nationalism and various forms of petty-bourgeois radicalism.

Education

Another front in the attack on education
Prominent academic offers modest proposal for reorganizing universities

By Emanuele Saccarelli, 9 June 2009

In an opinion column published in the New York Times, Professor Mark C. Taylor, chairman of the religion department at Columbia University, takes as his point of departure a series of real problems that affect the university system in the United States.