5 January 2019

As government shutdown enters third week
Trump threatens to declare national emergency to build border wall

By Niles Niemuth, 5 January 2019

Legal options are reportedly being seriously considered within the Trump administration for circumventing Congress, including redirecting funds already appropriated to the Department of Defense.

US House Democrats reaffirm right-wing program of austerity, bipartisanship

Trump to deploy more troops to US-Mexico border on semi-permanent basis

Ecuador unveils “special examination” of Julian Assange’s asylum

By Mike Head, 5 January 2019

The Moreno government’s investigation into the granting of the WikiLeaks founder’s asylum and Ecuadorian citizenship is clearly designed to repudiate both.

Silence follows Trump attorney’s statement that Julian Assange did nothing “wrong”

Scuffles in German city of Amberg exploited to incite right-wing campaign

By Marianne Arens and Peter Schwarz, 5 January 2019

Politicians from Bavaria and Berlin have been lining up to outdo each other with proposals for more restrictive asylum laws.

NBC journalist resigns, blasting media as “defender of Washington and the system”

By Bill Van Auken, 5 January 2019

William Arkin, a veteran reporter and security consultant for NBC, delivered a scathing critique of the corporate media as stenographer and apologist for the military-intelligence apparatus.

India’s unions to hold two-day “general strike” next week

By Deepal Jayasekera, 5 January 2019

While millions of workers will join the protest strike to oppose Modi and his class-war policies, the Stalinists and their union allies are intent on channelling social opposition behind the Congress and other rightwing parties.

Fifteen Indian coal miners trapped, likely killed, in mine disaster

By W. A. Sunil, 5 January 2019

Rescue efforts after the “rat-hole” mine flooded have been hampered by inadequate equipment and the indifference of the government authorities.

UAW lawsuit against GM pits temporary part-time workers against laid-off Lordstown workers over jobs

By Shannon Jones, 5 January 2019

In an effort to divert anger over its refusal to fight impending GM plant closures, the UAW has filed a lawsuit to force the dismissal of hundreds of temporary part-time workers in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Report: 452 child workers died in the US from 2003 to 2016

By Jessica Goldstein, 5 January 2019

The number of children working and killed at work in the US reveals the stark reality that in one of the most advanced capitalist economies in the world, child labor is not eradicated.

Mumia Abu-Jamal wins right to reargue appeal of his 1982 conviction

By Fred Mazelis, 5 January 2019

The internationally known prisoner has steadfastly maintained his innocence of the murder of a Philadelphia police officer.

Protests against poverty, housing evictions and repossessions spread across Ireland

By Steve James, 5 January 2019

Figures released by the Department of Housing last July showed that nearly 10,000 people in Ireland are living in emergency accommodation. Housing campaigners suggest the real figure is double that.

Growing signs of Australian economic fragility

By Oscar Grenfell, 5 January 2019

A marked slump in the property market is one expression of broader recessionary tendencies.

Australian stripped of citizenship despite being made stateless

By Mike Head, 5 January 2019

Prakash’s case has set a far-reaching precedent because the government has proceeded even though Fijian authorities rejected Canberra’s declaration that he is a citizen of that country.

New in Russian

Эта неделя в истории
25 лет назад: Сапатистское восстание вспыхивает в мексиканском Чьяпасе

5 января 2019 г.

1 января 1994 года, в тот же день, когда вступило в силу Североамериканское соглашение о свободной торговле, Сапатистская армия национального освобождения, состоящая в основном из крестьян, подняла открытое восстание в Чьяпасе, самом южном штате Мексики.

New in Turkish

Sudan’daki protestolarda onlarca kişi öldürüldü

Jean Shaoul, 5 Ocak 2019

Sudan Devlet Başkanı Ömer El Beşir hükümetine karşı protestolar sırasında en az 37 kişi öldürüldü, 219 kişi ise yaralandı.

New in Spanish

La estrategia de la lucha de clases internacional y la batalla política contra la reacción capitalista en 2019

James Cogan, Joseph Kishore y David North, 4 enero 2019

El año 2019 inicia ante la explosiva interacción de crisis geopolíticas, económicas y sociales. En todo el mundo, la burguesía está recurriendo a políticos y organizaciones ultraderechistas y neofascistas para defender el sistema capitalista. La amenaza de las dictaduras y guerras solo se pueden derrotar por medio de la movilización política de la clase obrera con base en una estrategia internacional y socialista.

La ralentización económica mundial: la guerra económica estadounidense llega a casa

Andre Damon, 5 enero 2019

La guerra económica perseguida por el Gobierno de Trump con el apoyo de amplias secciones de la élite política estadounidense está teniendo fuertes consecuencias para EUA en la forma de una desaceleración económica global.

Desaceleración en el crecimiento manufacturero de China establece tono para el nuevo año

Nick Beams, 5 enero 2019

Wall Street y los mercados globales acaban de atravesar el peor año desde el 2008. El desmoronamiento económico chino marca que la economía mundial se está frenando.

Trump desplegará más tropas en la frontera entre EUA y México de forma semipermanente

Eric London, 5 enero 2019

El anuncio se produjo justo cuando Trump realizaba una rueda de prensa improvisada junto a líderes del sindicato fascista que representa a los oficiales de la patrulla fronteriza.

La administración de Trump abre el 2019 con un ataque de gas lacrimógeno contra los migrantes en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México

Niles Niemuth, 5 enero 2019

Agentes de la patrulla fronteriza dispararon tres descargas de gas contra un grupo de aproximadamente 150 personas mientras intentaban cruzar una cerca fronteriza de Tijuana a los Estados Unidos.

Silencio sigue comentario del abogado de Trump de que Julian Assange no hizo nada “malo”

James Cogan, 5 enero 2019

La cúpula política y mediática de EUA, Europa y Australia no ha dicho nada sobre la entrevista de Rudy Giuliani con Fox News.

New in Norwegian

Fransk politi arresterer «gul vest»-talsmann Eric Drouet

Anthony Torres, 4. januar 2019

Styringseliten sender et signal om at den sikter på kriminalisering og forfølgelse av alle uttrykk for ekte politisk opposisjon.

Trumps sier det ikke er satt noen dato for tilbaketrekkingen av tropper fra Syria

Bill Van Auken, 4. januar 2019

Mens Trump beklaget Washingtons «endeløse krig» formante hans fungerende forsvarsminister Pentagon om å fokusere på «Kina, Kina, Kina.»

USA-Kina spenningene vil øke over Taiwan

Peter Symmonds, 4. januar 2019

Ny amerikansk lovgivning krever jevnlige våpensalg til Taiwan og oppfordrer amerikanske embetsrepresentanter til å delta i utvekslinger på toppnivå med sine taiwanesiske motparter.

Taushet om Trump-advokatens uttalelse om at Julian Assange ikke gjorde noe «galt»

James Cogan, 4. januar 2019

Ikke et ord om Rudy Giulianis Fox-News-intervju har blitt ytret av det politiske etablissementet og foretaksmedier i USA, Europa eller Australia.

New in German

Globale Verlangsamung: Der US-Handelskrieg trifft zu Hause ein

Andre Damon, 5. Januar 2019

Der Handelskrieg, der von Trump mit Unterstützung großer Teile des amerikanischen Establishments verfolgt wird, hat die Wirtschaftskrieg global ausgebremst – was nun auch in den Vereinigten Staaten selbst spürbar wird.

Neues Jahr: Deutsche Leitmedien fordern beschleunigte Aufrüstung

Peter Schwarz, 5. Januar 2019

Eine Mischung aus Angst und Aggression prägt die Kommentare der deutschen Leitmedien zum Neuen Jahr.

Frankreich
Polizei verhaftet Sprecher der „Gelbwesten“ Eric Drouet

Anthony Torres, 5. Januar 2019

Mit Drouets Verhaftung signalisiert die herrschende Elite, dass sie jede Äußerung von echtem politischem Widerstand kriminialisieren und verfolgen wird.

Eine sozialistische Perspektive gegen Faschismus und Krieg
Veranstaltungsreihe der IYSSE zu den StuPa-Wahlen an der Humboldt-Universität

den International Youth and Students for Social Equality, 5. Januar 2019

Die IYSSE treten am 23. und 24. Januar zu den Wahlen des Studierendenparlaments an der Berliner Humboldt-Universität an. Im Zentrum ihres Wahlkampfs steht der Aufbau einer sozialistischen Bewegung gegen Militarismus und Krieg, soziale Ungleichheit und den Aufstieg der extremen Rechten.

New in French

Les gilets jaunes se mobilisent contre Macron pour marquer le Nouvel an

nos reporters, 3 janvier 2019

Pour le réveillon du Nouvel an, des «gilets jaunes» à travers la France ont manifesté leur opposition à Macron et leur détermination à continuer leur mouvement.

Royaume-Uni: efforts intensifiés dans tous les partis pour empêcher un Brexit grâce à un nouveau référendum

Robert Stevens, 3 janvier 2019

Dans une crise de régime sans précédent au Royaume-Uni, le principal souci de Corbyn est de préserver l’unité du Parti travailliste au motif que seul un gouvernement travailliste peut sauver l’impérialisme britannique

Le faux journalisme du Spiegel et la campagne contre les «fausses nouvelles»

Peter Schwarz, 3 janvier 2019

La révélation de l‘existence d‘un journaliste faussaire dans la rédaction du magazine allemand Der Spiegel montre comment l’opinion publique est manipulée par des médias faisant soi-disant autorité.

L’arbitre nommé par le gouvernement dictera la convention collective des travailleurs de Postes Canada

Louis Girard, 3 janvier 2019

La criminalisation de la campagne de grève des travailleurs des postes et l’imposition imminente de contrats de concessions constituent une attaque sur l’ensemble de la classe ouvrière.

Les décès par surdose d'opioïdes triplent chez les adolescents et les jeunes enfants américains

Kate Randall, 3 janvier 2019

L'ampleur de la crise des opioïdes à laquelle les jeunes sont confrontés met en lumière la réaction lamentablement inadéquate du gouvernement à cette catastrophe sociale qui échappe à tout contrôle.

Dix ans depuis le coup d'État constitutionnel au Canada

Keith Jones, 3 janvier 2019

Quelques semaines à peine après le krach financier de 2008, le gouvernement conservateur du Canada a utilisé les pouvoirs arbitraires du gouverneur général non élu pour dissoudre le Parlement et empêcher sa défaite par un vote de censure.

Other Languages

Perspective

Wall Street rules

5 January 2019

The Federal Reserve, responding to Thursday’s stock market selloff, declared it was “listening” to the markets and ready to scrap its plans to raise interest rates.

Earlier Perspectives »

Featured Commentary

The Strategy of International Class Struggle and the Political Fight Against Capitalist Reaction in 2019

By James Cogan, Joseph Kishore and David North, 3 January 2019

The year 2019 begins amidst the explosive interaction of geopolitical, economic and social crises. All over the world the ruling class is turning to ultra-right and neo-fascist politicians and organizations to defend the capitalist system. The threat of dictatorship and war can be defeated only through the political mobilization of the working class on the basis of an international socialist strategy.

Obituary

In memory of Halil Celik (1961–2018)

By the International Committee of the Fourth International, 2 January 2019

Halil Celik, founder and leader of the Sosyalist Eşitlik group, which supports the International Committee of the Fourth International in Turkey, died on December 31, 2018 following a serious illness.

Commentary

The New York Times’ #MeToo smear against Bernie Sanders

By Barry Grey, 5 January 2018

The Times wants the next Democratic campaign, like the last, to be dominated by the politics of gender, race and sex—not class.

The global slowdown: US trade war comes home

By Andre Damon, 4 January 2019

Democrat Elizabeth Warren enters US presidential race

By Patrick Martin, 4 January 2019

French police arrest “yellow vest” spokesman Eric Drouet

By Anthony Torres, 4 January 2019

Yellow vest protesters rally across France on New Year’s Eve

French “yellow vest” protests expose anti-worker role of New Anticapitalist Party

More on the 2018 'yellow vest' protests in France »

Trump says there is no set date for Syria troop withdrawal

By Bill Van Auken, 4 January 2019

In deleted tweet, US nuclear command declares itself “ready” to “drop something”

More on the Trump Presidency »

Arts Review

Netflix’s The Innocent Man: The American injustice system

By Joanne Laurier, 5 January 2019

The six-episode documentary released in December is based on bestselling novelist John Grisham’s only non-fiction effort. The miniseries chronicles the wrongful incarceration of four men in the 1980s in Ada, Oklahoma.

“Life is forbidden to us … do you want to comply with that?”: The rediscovery of Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz’s The Traveler in Germany

By Clara Weiss, 4 January 2019

Though written 80 years ago, The Traveler is not just a remarkable literary document of the Nazi period, but speaks immediately to the major political and historical questions of our time.

Best film and television of 2018

By David Walsh and Joanne Laurier, 31 December 2018

The film world in 2018 can be viewed and judged in different ways and by distinct standards.

Musical highlights of 2018

By Matthew Brennan and Hiram Lee, 31 December 2018

Many of the year’s best musicians refused to limit themselves to one “lane,” “border,” genre or supposedly separate culture.

Clint Eastwood’s The Mule: The world’s oldest drug courier

By Kevin Martinez, 3 January 2019

Vice: A portrait of an American corporate-military gangster

By David Walsh and Joanne Laurier, 29 December 2018

Workers Struggles

Over 30,000 Indian farmers and agricultural workers protest; Cambodian garment workers strike; New Zealand junior doctors plan 48-hour national strike
Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific

5 January 2019

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

Los Angeles school officials hire strikebreakers as teachers prepare for walkout

By Dan Conway and Jerry White, 4 January 2019

Teachers in Los Angeles should reach out to educators in Oakland and across California to prepare a statewide walkout to defend the right to high quality public education.

Strike looms in Los Angeles as struggles by educators set to continue in 2019

Virginia teachers plan statewide protest to demand school funding

Teacher unions in Washington state back Democrats’ regressive school taxes

As one-year anniversary of lockout approaches
Alcoa intensifies attack on Quebec ABI workers

By Laurent Lafrance, 4 January 2019

Amazon worker describes brutal conditions at Tracy, California warehouse during Camp Fire

By Evan Blake, 3 January 2019

“Amazon ruined my life”
Amazon hired private detectives to spy on injured worker

More on Amazon »

Science

New Horizons completes flyby of Ultima Thule

By Bryan Dyne, 4 January 2019

Moon targeted for further exploration, orbiting space stations and militarization

By Henry Allan and Bryan Dyne, 27 December 2018

Editorial Cartoon

General James “Mad Dog” Mattis’ resignation “stuns” leading Democrats

Mattis, who led the bloody US campaign to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004 and boasted to his troops in Afghanistan that “it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot” Afghans, is now being hailed as an American hero, a rock of stability and sanity whose departure has set the ship of state adrift.

This week in history: December 31-January 6

25 years ago: Zapatista rebellion erupts in Chiapas, Mexico

The peasant-based Zapatista Army of National Liberation staged an open revolt in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico, on January 1, 1994, the day that the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect.

More »

50 years ago: Irish civil rights demonstrators attacked while police watch

On January 4, 1969, Irish civil rights protesters engaged in a four-day march from Belfast to Derry to protest the treatment of Northern Ireland’s Catholic minority, were attacked by a mob of Unionists while police stood by and did nothing.

More »

75 years ago: Hitler speech highlights crisis of fascist regimes

On January 1, 1944, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler delivered a New Year’s message which pointed to the increasing crisis of the fascist regimes in Europe, amid major military defeats and mounting opposition from the working class.

More »

 

100 years ago: 700,000 workers march in Berlin in anti-government protest

In an enormous demonstration on January 5, 1919, hundreds of thousands of workers massed in the streets of Berlin to protest the actions of the German government, which was dominated by the right-wing Social Democrats.

More »

International Committee of the Fourth International

The 50th anniversary of the founding of the SEP (Sri Lanka)
Victory of the Trotskyists in the 1985–1986 split in the ICFI

By Saman Gunadasa and K. Ratnayake, 29 December 2018

David North addresses New Zealand meeting celebrating 80 years of the Fourth International

By our reporters, 11 December 2018

80th anniversary of the Fourth International celebrated in Melbourne with public lecture

Eighty Years of the Fourth International: The Lessons of History and the Struggle for Socialism Today

By David North, 9 October 2018

On the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Fourth International

Book Review

Rohini Hensman’s Indefensible: The ISO discovers its muse—the CIA

By Alex Lantier, 14 December 2018

Rohini Hensman’s book, issued by the International Socialist Organization’s (ISO) Haymarket Books publishing house, is an endorsement of imperialist war.

Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four

The fight against mass layoffs at GM

Watch: Shannon Allen's remarks at Detroit autoworkers meeting

A significant step forward: Detroit meeting of autoworkers resolves to form rank-and-file committees

By Joseph Kishore, 13 December 2018

Socialist Equality Party

Resolution of the SEP (UK) Fourth National Congress
The resurgence of the class struggle and the tasks of the Socialist Equality Party (UK)

By the Socialist Equality Party (UK), 6 December 2018

This resolution was unanimously adopted by the Fourth National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party in Britain, which was held October 27-30, 2018.

IYSSE

Student parliament condemns right-wing attack on IYSSE meeting at Humboldt University in Berlin

By our reporters, 17 December 2018

Security and the Fourth International

The origins and findings of the Security and the Fourth International investigation

By Eric London, 14 November 2018

This is the text and audio of a lecture delivered by Eric London in Detroit, Michigan reviewing the monumental investigation conducted by the International Committee of the Fourth International titled Security and the Fourth International, which exposed the infiltration of the movement by agents of the FBI and Stalinist GPU.

null

Seventy-eight years since the assassination of Leon Trotsky

By Eric London and David North, 21 August 2018

On August 21, 1940, Leon Trotsky, the founder of the Fourth International and the co-leader of the Russian Revolution, died from wounds inflicted the day before by an assassin, the Stalinist GPU agent Ramon Mercader.