On “Britain: Anger boils over at union’s complicity in sacking of 850 BMW workers”
This clearly shows the corporatist nature of trade union leadership at the BMW plant. This is the position of every trade union in this country, which emanates from the TUC itself. The workers have a right to demand their subscriptions back, as they have failed to protect the fundamental rights of their members. A worker can lose everything at a stroke after working hard for years for himself and his family. And let us remember the banks will not hesitate to stick the boot to you when you are down and out. They will do this even when the working class has bailed the banking system out. The worker was correct in saying they were liars, because that is exactly what they are. Workers must learn lessons from the actions of these trade union leaders who claim to defend your interests.
Malcolm B
18 February 2009
On Britain: Police will not be prosecuted for Jean Charles de Menezes killing”
The murder of de Menezes is just another chapter in the current round of murders committed by the police and excused by the State. Two armed police officers shot dead on the streets of London an unarmed Scot without reason who was just carrying a table leg wrapped in newspaper. There was no prosecution. The UK is now effectively a police state. The police regularly lie under oath and are never charged with perjury. People are shot dead in the most suspicious circumstances and always the CPS declines to prosecute with the some old tired, lame excuse—insufficient evidence. Until politicians and the people with the power to kill are held responsible for their actions, we will never have a fair and just society.
Frank A
UK
18 February 2009
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Thank you for remembering Jean Charles de Menezes and his state assassination.
Anne
18 February 2009
On “Massive cutbacks in arts funding by US companies, governments”
Thank you for researching and writing this piece. The final paragraph is compelling, particularly to me as a member of the Colorado Symphony. We too are experiencing a deficit and pay cuts, but in the face of this have started a musician-run initiative to keep the arts thriving in our community through a sweeping volunteer program we're calling "Play It Forward.” If you'd like to know more about this program please contact Morgan McAllister at coloradosymphony.org.
Catherine Beeson
Ass't Principal Viola, The Colorado Symphony
18 February 2009
On “Australian PM’s essay: an exercise in ideological damage control”
This article is a tremendously well-articulated explanation of the crisis and its historical foundations. I feel strongly that arguments this article made will deliver readers to their own consciousness. People do need to firstly accept that the crisis is a complicated and perplexing phenomenon, as opposed to the insulting "explanations" that we hear every day from the capitalist media. Articles like many that Nick Beams has written quite frankly are the beacons of intellect that I hope with all my heart will establish the Fourth International as the only source of absolute truth in the world. I'm somewhat inspired by what I'm reading every day on the WSWS right now. It's fantastic.
Col
England
19 February 2009
On “US occupation of Iraq: An ongoing criminal enterprise”
If you read the military’s study of the Soviet experience in Afghanistan, you'd realize that this was foretold. All of our experiences in Iraq were known by the US military beforehand, but ignored. Drug abuse, corruption, murder, torture, low morale, and dysfunction all happened to the Soviets before their downfall, and it appears that this is going to be our exact outcome.
One telling paragraph is this one: “According to General Nawroz, the Afghan-Soviet War was a rare confrontation in history as it helped trigger the collapse of the greatest empire of modern times. Lessons learned from this conflict were gathered by both sides. Whatever else these lessons may show, the most fundamental of them is that no army, however sophisticated, well trained, materially rich, numerically overwhelming and ruthless, can succeed on the battlefield if it is not psychologically fit and motivated for the fight. The force, however destitute in material advantages and numbers, which can rely on the moral qualities of a strong faith, stubborn determination, individualism and unending patience will always be the winner. These may not be the optimum qualities always found in the armies of western democracies.”
PK
18 February 2009