12 June 2009

Iranians voting in presidential poll

By Peter Symonds, 12 June 2009

Iranian voters go to the polls today in the first round of the presidential election after a boisterous campaign that has involved hundreds of thousands in rallies and street demonstrations for and against incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

New US commander in Afghanistan assembles team of assassins

By Bill Van Auken, 12 June 2009

Confirmed Wednesday as Obama’s new commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal has been given extraordinary powers to assemble his own staff and is drawing heavily from a super-secret assassination squad formed under the Bush administration.

American Nazi kills guard in attack on Holocaust Museum

By Patrick Martin, 12 June 2009

An 88-year-old neo-Nazi was charged with murder Thursday, the day after he killed a security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial and Museum and then was shot in turn by other guards.

Sri Lankan Chief Justice questions legality of Tamil detention camps

By Sampath Perera, 12 June 2009

Just before he retired last week, the Sri Lankan Chief Justice declared that the detention of hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians in internment camps was unlawful.

Obama administration’s new moves to block release of torture documents

By Tom Eley, 12 June 2009

While the Obama administration continues its efforts to suppress documentation of the Bush administration’s extensive torture regime, a number of Freedom of Information Act lawsuits threaten to bring more evidence of torture to light.

Germany: The Greens declare their allegiance to the bourgeoisie

By Peter Schwarz, 12 June 2009

Following a relatively good showing in the European elections, the German Greens have reiterated their hopes of participating in a future government alongside conservative parties.

Canada: Federal Court orders repatriation of torture victim Abousfian Abdelrazik

By Graham Beverly, 12 June 2009

Canada’s Federal Court has ruled that the Canadian government has repeatedly violated Abousifian Abdelrazik’s constitutionally-guaranteed right to return to Canada and ordered the Canadian government to repatriate him within 30 days.

Australia: “Quality” teaching and the Labor/union assault on public education

By Erika Zimmer, 12 June 2009

Last month the media reported a shift in the position of the New South Wales Teachers’ Federation (NSWTF) on performance pay for the state’s teachers. According to one commentator, it signalled “an end to their long-standing opposition to so-called performance pay.”

New in German

Die Krise der britischen Labour Party

Von Chris Marsden, 12. Juni 2009

Das Fraktionsgerangel in der Labour Party ist am Montag in die Sackgasse geraten. Eine Gruppe von Rebellen, die von den Medien angefeuert worden war, scheiterte mit ihrem Versuch, Premierminister Gordon Brown zum Verzicht auf das Amt des Parteiführers zu zwingen.

Linkspartei verfehlt ihr Ziel bei der Europawahl

Von Lucas Adler, 12. Juni 2009

Die Linkspartei konnte vom Niedergang der Sozialdemokratie bei der Europawahl vom vergangenen Sonntag überhaupt nicht profitieren. Weit entfernt von dem erhofften zweistelligen Wahlergebnis erhielt sie nur 7,5 Prozent und belegte damit den letzten Platz aller Bundestagsparteien.

Obamas entscheidet sich für privaten Profit, statt für Menschenrecht auf Gesundheit

Von Patrick Martin, 12. Juni 2009

In der Gesundheitsreform hat die Obama-Regierung nicht die Verbesserung der Krankenversorgung für die amerikanische Bevölkerung im Blick, sondern die Senkung der Kosten, d.h. die finanzielle Gesundheit des amerikanischen Kapitalismus.

Die Zukunft der Kunst in einer Zeit der Krise

Von David Walsh, 12. Juni 2009

WSWS Kulturredakteur David Walsh hielt kürzlich in mehreren amerikanischen Städten einen Vortrag über "Die Zukunft der Kunst in einer Zeit der Krise". Wir bringen den Vortrag ab heute in zwei Teilen.

New in Spanish

Las mortíferas consecuencias del capitalismo: 44 niños perecen en fuego de guardería infantil mexicana

Por Rafael Azul, 12 Junio 2009

Un fuego que barrió con la guardería infantil ABC en Hermosillo, capital del estado de Sonora en el noroeste mexicano, el 5 de junio ha terminado en la muerte de 44 niños.

Siete días de Mayo del 2009

Por Patrick Martin, 12 Junio 2009

Durante la semana pasada se dieron una serie de incidentes que sugieren una crisis cada vez más profunda en la maquinaria del estado.

New in French

Le déclin de la social-démocratie

Par Peter Schwarz, 12 juin 2009

Le résultat le plus manifeste des élections européennes qui eurent lieu le week-end dernier est le déclin spectaculaire de la social-démocratie.

Perspective

Obama administration spearheads assault on workers in California

12 June 2009

With the support of the Obama administration, the economic crisis in California is being used as an opportunity to gut social programs and slash working class living standards in the most populous US state.

Earlier Perspectives »

Socialist Equality Party

European elections
Germany: The significance of the Socialist Equality Party campaign

By Ulrich Rippert, 12 June 2009

The German Socialist Equality Party was the only party participating in the European elections to make clear the real extent of the capitalist crisis and to propose a socialist transformation of society.

Detroit election meeting
Stop the shutdown of Detroit! A socialist response to the economic crisis

10 June 2009

Socialist Equality Party candidate for Detroit mayor D’Artagnan Collier will speak at an election meeting June 16.

Workers Struggles

Britain: RMT Tube workers face union busting and organised scabbing by drivers’ union ASLEF

By Paul Mitchell, 12 June 2009

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union workers yesterday ended a two-day strike on the London Underground against plans by the company and its parent body Transport for London to cut over 1,000 jobs.

Workers Struggles: Europe & Africa

12 June 2009

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

ICFI/Marxist Library

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

9 June 2009

First published in 1988, 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 that confronted the Fourth International during its first five decades, this volume examines the implications of the struggle waged by the Trotskyist movement against Stalinism, bourgeois nationalism and various forms of petty-bourgeois radicalism.

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