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

4 July 2009

Obama sends marines to suppress population of southern Afghanistan

By James Cogan, 4 July 2009

The Obama administration has ordered the marines into a brutal and potentially bloody offensive in the southern province of Helmand.

French presidential speech
Sarkozy pushes austerity, anti-immigrant chauvinism

By Antoine Lerougetel and Alex Lantier, 4 July 2009

President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed a joint session of Congress in Versailles to announce his government’s plans for dealing with the economic crisis and to single out women wearing burqas as “unwelcome” in France.

Sri Lankan ministers accuse US of delaying IMF loan

By Saman Gunadasa, 4 July 2009

After more than three months of delay by the IMF in considering Sri Lanka’s urgent request for a $US1.9 billion loan, Colombo has publicly accused the US of obstructing the loan.

The Mousavi campaign in Iran and the lessons of past “color revolutions”

By Niall Green, 4 July 2009

The political movement of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, named the “Green Wave” due to its campaign color, has striking parallels with the US-backed “color revolutions” in the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukraine.

Northern Ireland: Racist attacks force 100 Roma out of Belfast

By Jordan Shilton, 4 July 2009

Over the course of several days in June, violent attacks on the Roma community in Belfast forced at least 20 families to flee their homes and eventually to leave the UK.

US: Illinois state budget crisis threatens social programs, workers’ pay

By Clement Daly, 4 July 2009

Illinois is once again faced with a budget crisis accompanied by the invocation of doomsday scenarios, mass layoffs, and slashed social programs.

Detroit: Monica Conyers pleads guilty to corruption

By Jack Cody, 4 July 2009

Monica Conyers has resigned her position on the Detroit City Council, while her former chief of staff has implicated several other high level Democrats in corruption.

Australia: West Gate Bridge construction workers charged with criminal offences

By Patrick O’Connor, 4 July 2009

Twelve construction workers have been charged with serious criminal offences relating to industrial action and picketing in April at Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge project.

New in German

Bundesverfassungsgericht stärkt Nationalstaat gegen die EU

Von Peter Schwarz, 4. Juli 2009

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat in seinem Urteil zum Lissabon-Vertrag der Europäschen Union enge Grenzen gesetzt und festgelegt, dass bei allen wichtigen Fragen die letzte Entscheidungskompetenz beim Nationalstaat liegt.

Haushaltskrise der US-Bundesstaaten führt zur sozialen Katastrophe

Von Joe Kishore, 4. Juli 2009

Auf das Haushaltsloch infolge der Finanzkrise reagieren viele Bundesstaaten der USA mit massiven sozialen Kürzungen. Die Obama-Regierung, die noch vor kurzem die Banken mit Milliardensummen gerettet hat, schaut mit verschränkten Armen zu.

Italien: Explosion eines Güterzugs löst wütende Proteste gegen Berlusconi aus

Von Marianne Arens, 4. Juli 2009

In Viareggio in der Toskana löste die Explosion eines Bahnkesselwagens mit Flüssiggas ein Inferno aus. Der Regierungschef Silvio Berlusconi wurde am Schauplatz heftig beschimpft.

Entstehungsgeschichte und Folgen des Massakers von 1989 auf dem Platz des Himmlischen Friedens

Von John Chan, 4. Juli 2009

Am 4. Juni vor zwanzig Jahren unterdrückte die stalinistische KP Chinas die Arbeiterklasse in Peking brutal mit militärischen Mitteln.

New in French

Honduras : Les Etats-Unis cherchent une entente entre les dirigeants du coup d’Etat et le président renversé

Par Barry Grey, 4 juillet 2009

L’impasse qui sévit entre le président hondurien renversé Manuel Zelaya et le « gouvernement provisoire » mis en place par l’armée dans la foulée du coup d’Etat de dimanche s’est intensifiée mercredi. Des résolutions avaient en effet été votées à l’unanimité par l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies et l’Organisation des Etats américains (OEA) condamnant le coup d’Etat et exigeant la réinstallation de Zelaya.

Perspective

German’s Constitutional Court issues nationalist ruling on European Union

4 July 2009

The Federal Constitutional Court passed a judgment on Tuesday, which will have sweeping repercussions for the future development of Europe.

Earlier Perspectives »

Polemics

Newsweek International editor’s “Capitalist Manifesto”
A desperate attempt at reassurance

By Nick Beams, 4 July 2009

Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, has written an essay entitled “The Capitalist Manifesto: Greed is Good (To a point)”, which is intended to express relief that the panic engendered by the global financial crisis is easing.

Socialist Equality Party

SEP conference in Detroit
A new political perspective for the working class

The SEP is holding this critical conference in Detroit on July 25 to discuss a new political perspective for the working class to defend jobs and living standards.

Arts Review

Karl Malden: a serious actor

By David Walsh, 3 July 2009

Malden first made his name in the New York theater as part of a generally left-wing group of writers, directors and performers and later enjoyed a long career in Hollywood extending from the postwar years to the early 1970s.

Workers Struggles

Toronto mayor risks public’s health in city workers strike

By a WSWS reporting team, 4 July 2009

Angry residents of the working-class neighbourhood of Christie Pits in west-central Toronto have filed an official complaint with the Ontario government charging that the city administration is violating its own safety regulations in its campaign against striking municipal workers.