27 January 2012

Striking truckers, fishermen clash with Italian government

By Mike Jobson, 27 January 2012

Yesterday the government of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti moved to crush protests by truckers, fishermen, and other professions hit by Monti’s unpopular social attacks.

Israel prepares for war against Iran

By Peter Symonds, 27 January 2012

The Israeli political and military establishment is preparing to attack Iran, and pushing the US to advance its own plans for war.

Washington to expand military presence in the Philippines

By Joseph Santolan, 27 January 2012

The deployment of US vessels in the Philippines would be a further ratcheting up of the Obama administration’s confrontation with China.

Pakistani elite preparing to restore full cooperation with US in Afghan War

By Ali Ismail, 27 January 2012

Despite the tough-sounding rhetoric over NATO air strikes that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers, Pakistan’s civilian and military elite is moving to restore full and open cooperation with Washington.

Democrats seek to defuse opposition to Detroit library cuts

By Shannon Jones,
27 January 2012

The reopening of the Montieth branch library appears to be a calculated move to dissipate anger over library closures and other cuts.

Australian protesters denounced as “ugly mob”

By Mike Head and Peter Symonds, 27 January 2012

The incident yesterday in Canberra has been used by the media and political establishment to suggest that political protest is illegitimate and potentially dangerous.

Military mutiny in Papua New Guinea

By Patrick O’Connor, 27 January 2012

The unresolved constitutional crisis reflects the intensifying rivalry between the US and China that is fuelling instability throughout the Asia-Pacific.

Kazakh elections take place amid rising social tensions

By Clara Weiss, 27 January 2012

On January 15, Kazakhstan held its parliamentary elections amid rising social tensions.

Child poverty map of UK paints a bleak picture

By Dennis Moore, 27 January 2012

In some of the poorest areas of the UK, between 40 and 50 percent of children live in poverty, with areas of London featuring heavily.

Insolvency of Schlecker drugstore chain threatens 47,000 jobs throughout Europe

By Elisabeth Zimmermann, 27 January 2012

The privately owned drugstore empire is seeking a so-called orderly bankruptcy plan, preserving the company but enabling it to terminate contracts.

Totally drug-resistant tuberculosis reported in Mumbai

By Debra Watson, 27 January 2012

Doctors in Mumbai, India’s largest city, reported in December that they had confirmed four cases of Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis.

New in Spanish

SOPA, PIPA y la libertad del Internet

Por Andre Damon, 27 Enero 2012

Millones de personas firmaron peticiones online el Miércoles contra dos leyes de censura del Internet que actualmente están bajo consideración por el Congreso estadounidense. Las peticiones fueron impulsadas por llamados de miles de sitios webs, algunos de ellos, incluyendo Wikipedia y Reddit, cerraron todo el día en protesta.

New in French

Les crimes de guerre des États-Unis et de l'OTAN en Libye

Par Barry Grey, 27 janvier 2012

Un rapport publié la semaine dernière par des groupes de défense des droits de l'homme au Moyen-Orient montre en détail les crimes de guerre commis par les États-Unis, l'OTAN, et leurs forces interposées « rebelles », lors de la guerre en Libye.

La crise sociale et politique plane sur le forum économique mondial de Davos

Par Nick Beams, 27 janvier 2012

Il y a douze mois de cela, l'état d'esprit au Forum économique mondial (FEM) de Davos en Suisse, était plutôt à l'optimisme.

New in German

Soziale Proteste in Osteuropa

Von Peter Schwarz, 27. Januar 2012

Die Welle sozialer Erhebungen, die im vergangenen Jahr den Nahen Osten, die USA, Griechenland, Spanien und viele andere Länder erschütterte, hat mittlerweile auch Osteuropa erreicht.

Ein Jahr nach der Ägyptischen Revolution:
Erneute Massenproteste

Von Johannes Stern, 27. Januar 2012

Millionen Demonstranten fordern angesichts immer schlimmer werdender sozialer Verhältnisse soziale Gleichheit und wirkliche Demokratie und eine „echte zweite Revolution“.

Obamas Rede zur Lage der Nation

Von Patrick Martin und Joseph Kishore, 27. Januar 2012

Das Weiße Haus schlägt vor, die amerikanische Industrie durch Angriffe auf den Lebensstandard der amerikanischen Arbeiter zu sanieren.

Clint Eastwoods „J. Edgar“

Von Joanne Laurier, 27. Januar 2012

Law-und-Order-Regisseur Eastwood bleibt sich auch in seinem neuen Film über den FBI-Chef Hoover treu - als glühender Verfechter der kapitalistischen Ordnung und ihres Unterdrückungsapparates.

Other Languages

Perspective

Social protests spread in Eastern Europe

27 January 2012

The wave of social uprisings that rocked the Middle East, the US, Greece, Spain and other countries last year has now reached Eastern Europe.

Earlier Perspectives »

Commentary

US militarism and Obama’s State of the Union address

By Alex Lantier, 27 January 2012

US President Barack Obama made a calculated gesture to the US military in Wednesday’s State of the Union Address, opening and closing his speech with fawning references to the armed forces.

The death of Joe Paterno and the Penn State scandal

By Hiram Lee, 27 January 2012

Legendary college football coach Joe Paterno, demonized in the media for his role in the Penn State scandal, died January 22 at the age of 85.

Renewed mass protests mark anniversary of Egyptian Revolution

By Johannes Stern, 26 January 2012

The State of the Union address

By Patrick Martin and Joseph Kishore, 26 January 2012

Workers Struggles

The Cooper Tire lockout and the lowering of US wages

By Jerry White, 27 January 2012

On the picket lines in Findlay, Ohio, important political questions are emerging as Cooper Tire workers grapple with the issues posed by their nearly two-month struggle.

More on the lockout of Cooper Tire workers »

Trustees endorse Unilever attack on UK workers’ pensions

By Danny Richardson, 27 January 2012

As workers began picketing at Unilever plants across the UK, the company’s pension trustees endorsed its plan to gut retiree benefits.

Unilever worker says: “It’s like we have gone back a hundred years”

By Danny Richardson, 27 January 2012

Unilever workers speak out against attack on Final Pension Scheme.

Manroland: WSWS article unleashes debate in local newspaper

By our reporter, 25 January 2012

More on the struggle at Manroland »

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

27 January 2012

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

Arts Review

The death of Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos
“I no longer deal with politics, with generalisations. I have stopped understanding them.”

By Stefan Steinberg, 27 January 2012

In many respects Angelopoulos expresses the artistic and political crisis of a generation of intellectuals who tragically failed to come to grips with the traumas of the past century and the extraordinary social and intellectual challenges of the new.

Etta“Sing like your life depends on it”: Etta James—1938-2012

By Paul Bond, 26 January 2012

Etta James had an instantly recognisable voice, sinuous, tender and harsh in equal measure. She died a few days short of her 74th birthday.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations—uneventful, for the most part

By Hiram Lee, 25 January 2012

Petition: The Court of the Complainants—a potent Chinese documentary about injustice and state repression

By Richard Phillips, 25 January 2012

Crisis in Detroit

Detroit Democrats continue cynical campaign against Emergency Manager law

By Lawrence Porter, 25 January 2012

Visit the CAUS web site »

History

German government report highlights Nazi past of public officials

By Sybille Fuchs, 25 January 2012

ISSE

Oppose extradition of Richard O’Dwyer to the US!

Statement of the International Students for Social Equality,
23 January 2012

The International Students for Social Equality calls on all students, young people, academics and workers to oppose the extradition of Richard O’Dwyer to the United States on copyright infringement charges.

Socialist Equality Party

Sri Lanka: SEP/ISSE meeting to demand release of political prisoners

By the Socialist Equality Party

The SEP and ISSE will hold a public meeting in Jaffna on January 29 to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

This Week in History: January 23 - January 29

25 years ago: Gorbachev issues dire warning to Communist Party Central Committee

Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev’s address to the plenary session of the Central Committee on January 27, 1987, warned of an enormous social crisis in the USSR for which the party leadership bore responsibility.


More »

50 years ago: Alarm over US balance of payments deficit

This week in 1962 the US National Foreign Trade Council announced that it expected 1962 to produce a $3 billion balance of payments deficit—the amount by which the outflow of currency from the US would outstrip the amount coming in.

More »

75 years ago: Second show trial opens in Moscow

The second Moscow show trial began January 23, 1937. Old Bolsheviks, including Radek, Pyatakov, Muralov, Sokolnikov, Serebriakov, and 12 others sat in the dock faced by the Stalinist chief prosecutor Vyshinsky, a former Menshevik and opponent of the Russian Revolution.

More »

100 years ago: Bloody end to civil war in Equador

On January 28, 1912, Eloy Alfaro and other leaders of the Radical Liberal Party were murdered at a prison in Quito, where they were held following their defeat in a brief civil war.

More »