24 December 2010

Hailing 111th Congress, Obama prepares further shift to the right

By Joseph Kishore, 24 December 2010

The media and the Obama administration marked the end of the 111th congressional session with an orgy of self-congratulation, proclaiming its supposedly “historic” achievements, while setting the stage for even deeper attacks on the working class.

Greek parliament approves further austerity measures

By Robert Stevens, 24 December 2010

The Greek parliament passed its 2011 budget early Thursday morning, at the end of the final session of the five-day parliamentary debate.

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks cables: Spanish socialist government plans to renege on election pledges

By Paul Mitchell, 24 December 2010

Cables published by WikiLeaks reveal that the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) did not expect to win the March 14, 2004 election and was seeking to renege on their manifesto pledges within hours of coming to power.

WikiLeaks cables expose France’s collaboration with US imperialism

By Kumaran Ira, 24 December 2010

Cables leaked to WikiLeaks expose how the entire French political establishment supports the illegal US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

More on WikiLeaks »

Iraqi cabinet established nine months after election

By James Cogan, 24 December 2010

After months of intense US pressure, the new “national unity” government broadly conforms to Washington’s demands.

Iran imposes huge increases in fuel and food prices

By Keith Jones, 24 December 2010

Iran’s government has imposed massive hikes in the prices of subsidized goods and services, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, electricity, water and flour.

New York suit charges Lehman auditor Ernst & Young with collusion in fraud

By Barry Grey, 24 December 2010

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a civil suit Tuesday charging the accounting firm Ernst & Young with complicity in massive fraud committed by Lehman Brothers in the months leading up to the investment bank's September 2008 collapse.

Report on collapse of Royal Bank of Scotland to be published

By Jean Shaoul, 24 December 2010

The chair of the Financial Services Authority has announced the publication of a report on the events that led to the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The demolition of press freedom in Hungary

By Markus Salzmann and Peter Schwarz, 24 December 2010

Without any significant protest from the European Union or the European press, Hungary’s Fidesz party has won overwhelming parliamentary support to pass a new media law that will effectively deprive the country of freedom of the press.

British working class families forced to rely on charity food handouts

By Simon Whelan, 24 December 2010

As the poverty and hardship imposed by the British government’s austerity package begins to bite into already meagre budgets, thousands of British families and individuals are increasingly reliant upon charitable food parcels.

New in French

Le premier ministre italien Berlusconi survit de justesse à une motion de censure

Par Peter Schwarz, 24 décembre 2010

Le vote d’une motion de censure ne résoudra pas la crise politique en Italie. Avec une majorité restreinte et précaire, le gouvernement sera à peine en mesure d’agir.

New in German

Italienische Studenten demonstrieren gegen Hochschulreform

Von Marianne Arens, 24. Dezember 2010

Vergangenen Mittwoch protestierten in Italien erneut Tausende Studenten gegen das Spargesetz der Bildungsministerin Mariastella Gelmini.

Geheime Depeschen enthüllen: Washington intervenierte in Italien zur Verteidigung von CIA-Entführern

Von David Walsh, 24. Dezember 2010

Der Spiegel berichtete am 17. Dezember, dass geheime amerikanische Depeschen enthüllen, wie amerikanische Stellen Druck auf die italienische Regierung ausgeübt haben, um für Entführung und Folter verantwortliche CIA-Agenten zu schützen.

Sächsische Landesregierung beschließt Sparhaushalt

Von Martin Nowak, 24. Dezember 2010

So wie der Bund hunderte Milliarden zur Rettung der Banken aufgewandt hat, ist auch die sächsische Landesregierung den hauseigenen Spekulanten mit Milliarden zur Seite gesprungen. Nun werden die Gelder mit drastischen Sparprogrammen wieder eingetrieben.

Richard Holbrooke: Jahrzehntelanger Agent des US-Imperialismus

Von Patrick Martin, 24. Dezember 2010

Der alt gediente amerikanische Diplomat steckte bis zum Hals in der Ausführung und Verschleierung blutiger Verbrechen.

„Roter Stern über Russland“ gewinnt Banister Fletcher Award

Von unserem Korrespondenten, 24. Dezember 2010

Der deutsch im Mehring Verlag erschienene Bildband David Kings wurde als bestes Kunst- und Architekturbuch ausgezeichnet.

New in Spanish

El derrumbe del capitalismo y la lucha por el socialismo en EE.UU.
Programa del Partido Socialista por la Igualdad (PSI-EE.UU)
Segunda parte

24 Diciembre 2010

El Partido Socialista por la Igualdad (EE.UU.) adoptó el documento que sigue más abajo durante su primer Congreso Nacional celebrado del 11 al 15 de agosto, 2010, en la ciudad de Ann Arbor, estado de Michigan. Publicamos el documento en dos partes.

Other Languages

Perspective

Christmas in America

24 December 2010

Three years since the onset of the recession in December 2007, the majority of the US population is facing staggering levels of unemployment, home foreclosures, hunger and poverty.

Earlier Perspectives »

Notice to Our Readers

WSWS holiday schedule

Over the holiday period we will not publish December 25-27 or January 1. We will resume our regular schedule of postings on January 3.

Socialist Equality Party

WSWS posts program of Socialist Equality Party (US) in Spanish
El derrumbe del capitalismo y la lucha por el socialismo en EE.UU

24 December 2010

The World Socialist Web Site today continues the publication of the program of the Socialist Equality Party, The Breakdown of Capitalism and the Fight for Socialism in the United States—El derrumbe del capitalismo y la lucha por el socialismo en EE.UU. in Spanish.

Sri Lankan SEP holds a public meeting to defend WikiLeaks and Julian Assange

By our correspondents, 24 December 2010

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the campaign against Assange as “a political witch-hunt” and calling for the working class to defend WikiLeaks.

ISSE/SEP meetings in Germany defend Julian Assange and WikiLeaks

By our correspondents, 24 December 2010

The political significance of the WikiLeaks revelations

By Nick Beams, 23 December 2010

WSWS/ISSE meeting discusses New Zealand mine disaster

By our correspondents, 24 December 2010

Meeting told that last month’s Pike River coal disaster constitutes a devastating indictment of the company’s safety procedures and of the profit system itself.

History

150 years ago: The election of Abraham Lincoln touches off secession crisis

By Shannon Jones, 24 December 2010

On December 20, 1860, six weeks after voters of the United States elected Abraham Lincoln as the 16th president, South Carolina seceded from the union. Other Southern states soon followed, leading within little over five months to the outbreak of the American Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in US history, and ultimately to the freeing of 4 million slaves.

Commentary

The Australian refugee boat disaster and the Labor government’s “border protection” regime

By Patrick O’Connor, 23 December 2010

Obama administration preparing executive order to authorize indefinite detentions

By John Burton, 23 December 2010

Washington’s incendiary role in Asia

By Bill Van Auken, 22 December 2010

One third of working families in US struggling to meet basic needs

By Jerry White, 22 December 2010

Science

New species of lemur discovered in Madagascar

By Frances Gaertner, 24 December 2010

What is thought to be a new species of fork-marked lemur has been discovered in the forests of Madagascar.

Arts Review

Striking DSO musicians perform for Detroit homeless

24 December 2010

In the eleventh week of their strike against the DSO, symphony musicians visited three homeless shelters in the city of Detroit to perform Christmas music concerts. The WSWS interviewed musicians and residents about the experience.

A conversation with violist Caroline Coade
Detroit Symphony striker: “I now realize this is a big fight … a fight for what’s right”

By David Walsh, 23 December 2010

Full coverage of the DSO strike »

Red Star Over Russia by David King wins Banister Fletcher Award

24 December 2010

The photo-documentary book Red Star Over Russia: A Visual History of the Soviet Union by David King is the winner of this year’s prestigious Authors’ Club Banister Fletcher Award.

Workers Struggles

Australia: Union lifts work bans at Macquarie University

By our reporters, 24 December 2010

Union officials are seeking to contain the anger of university workers and prevent them from developing a political struggle in defence of public education against the Gillard government.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

24 December 2010

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

Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia & the Pacific

24 December 2010

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

This week in history: December 20-December 26

25 years ago: Trumka calls off UMW Massey Strike

On December 20, 1985, United Mine Workers head Richard Trumka called off a 15-month-long strike of 1,100 West Virginia and Kentucky coal miners against the A.T. Massey Coal Company, ordering workers back on the job "unconditionally."


More »

50 years ago: National Liberation Front founded in South Vietnam

On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF), also known as the Viet Cong, was founded in South Vietnam, which was then under the dictatorship of the US puppet Ngo Dinh Diem.

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75 years ago: German author Kurt Tucholsky commits suicide

While living in Swedish exile, the German Jewish author Kurt Tucholsky, took his own life on December 21, 1935. Tucholsky was a member of the Social Democratic Party, a lifelong socialist, and one of the first prominent European cultural figures to warn of the dangers posed by fascism in Germany.

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100 years ago: Mine disaster in England kills 344

On December 21, 1910, one of the worst workplace disasters in British history took place when an explosion in the Pretoria pit near Manchester in northwest England killed 344 men and boys. Only three survived.

More »