On “Stop the warmongers! Defend Günter Grass!”

 

 

It is typical of the Israel government and its allies within and outside Israel to tarnish people like Günter Grass and others who criticise whatever Israel does with the anti-Semitic brush. Will it be long before the German government deliberately confuses so-called “anti-Semitic” expressions with Holocaust denial so as to find an excuse to threaten Grass with imprisonment if he speaks out further?

 

The crass actions of Netanyahu will only serve to publicise Grass’ poem and garner more support for him. All Netanyahu could have done is to simply ignore Grass.

 

Jennifer H
11 April 2012

***

Add my name in defense of Günter Grass, in agreement with the statement of support.

 

Michael S
11 April 2012

On “Israel: Documents show Defence Ministry planned West Bank land grabs”

 

Jean Shaoul’s article is further verification for the rightness of the WSWS’ call to defend Günter Grass’ conscientious denunciation of the danger emanating from the nuclear state of Israel.

 

Ever more constricted politically by the reactionary nationalism of Zionism and its role as a vital agent of imperialism in the Middle East, it warrants comparison to Germany in the 1930s. Driven by the growing crisis of capitalism, Israel squeezes the Palestinians into ever more oppressive ghetto conditions while planning, together with the US, war with the most advanced military horrors that threaten to engulf the world.

 

Meanwhile, as Stalinism and Social Democracy tied the hands of the working class from fighting Nazism, the Israeli working class is held back as long as it cannot break out of the nationalist bonds of Zionism to fight for the unity of the working class under the struggle for a Socialist United States of the Middle East as part of a world socialist revolution.

 

It is only the WSWS and the International Committee of the Fourth International that has offered this perspective of hope.

 

Harvey L
10 April 2012

On “Americans cut back on doctor visits, prescriptions”

 

I am lucky enough to have a cheap generic available (most of the time, except when there are shortages), but this is not the case for far too many. I go to the pharmacy monthly, and in the last half-year every time I have been there I have seen or overheard people either choose between two medications they need, or beg for “just enough to get through Friday/when I get paid/my check comes.”

 

These are mostly working class people, and span the age range from young to elderly. People coming to fill prescriptions for their children, themselves, or their parents. They cannot, even when working, and sometimes even with insurance, afford the medications.

 

This, in a state which is supposedly in “recovery.”

 

Christie S
Washington, USA
9 April 2012

On “Wife of missing Sri Lankan journalist speaks to WSWS”

 

This is journalism, exposing the so-called democratic government to the core. This is a Julian Assange here, who has to be defended on the basis of defending democratic rights. She says clearly that the UNHRC report is highly limited, TNA says to implement it, because of its imperialist leaning. The US secretary of state says we have funded Colombo in war around $2 billion and first announced the LTTE as a terrorist organisation in 1997. So, TNA’s line that “Sinhalese oppress Tamils” is just that of Goldhagen’s “ordinary Germans” line, which will not withstand serious analysis.

 

Defend democratic rights against the chauvinist bourgeois government, take a united fight, rally behind working class leadership!

 

Sathish K
9 April 2012