The Growing Crisis of Confidence: A Sign of Things to Come in the U.S. After decades of relative prosperity, peace and stability, the world of the American worker has been turned upside down. The depth of the distrust felt by millions of Americans was revealed in a Reuters/DecisionQuest poll according to which, fully 61 percent of Americans have lost faith in their leaders and institutions over the past four years. At the top of the list contributing to this feeling was the war on Iraq, followed by the 2000 presidential election fiasco, the numerous financial scandals, and terrorism. John Peterson looks at the meaning of these findings.
The Changing Mood in America Immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union, there was a spirit of optimism in the United States. We had "won" so to speak, and in the words of our then president George Bush, we could look forward to a New World Order of peace, freedom, full employment, and the crushing domination of the US in world affairs and trade. This fresh outlook, coupled with one of the most powerful economic booms in history, led many to believe ever more strongly in the system. Yet there are chinks in the armor. To look at the stock market, the economy is still healthy. But corporate profits are at their lowest level in nearly a decade (in spite of the billions of dollars handed to them in corporate...
What Sort of Unity? The repercussions of the terrorist attacks in the US will be much wider than anyone could have imagined. Now that the shattering impact of these events is beginning to seep into people's minds, the far-ranging implications for the world economy, the class struggle, national and international politics and world relations are becoming more and more clear. We explained on numerous occasions that we have entered the most unstable period in history since World War II - a period of wars, revolutions, and counter-revolutions. We predicted that economically, politically and socially, the world would be turned upside down. But nothing could have prepared us for the suddenness and trauma of these...
How September 11th was used by Bush Three years on the world is no safer after Bush's so-called "war on terror". What is becoming ever clearer is that the war in Iraq is not about fighting terrorism, but about the economic, military and strategic interests of US imperialism.
The RNC Demos and the American Working Class Last week, the Republican National Convention met in New York City, but while inside the delegates were busy worshipping Bush, oustide massive protests – the largest in the history of U.S. political conventions – took place with an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 participating throughout the day. The mood was one of anger against Bush, but there was also a growing realisation that the Democrats are not much different.
US Perspectives 2004 As this document was drafted in April of 2004, many of the specific facts and figures have changed. However, the fundamental processes and trends remain accurate to this day, and many of the predictions are already coming to pass. The economic recovery has still not conclusively taken off or slipped back into recession, but the factors that allowed some breathing room for the economy are rapidly disappearing. The effects of Alan Greenspan’s recent interest rate rise - in an effort to counter inflation - cannot yet be predicted. With energy prices cutting into consumer spending, the industrial sector is once again shedding jobs, and the economy is producing less than the bare 150,000...
USA - John Kerry's Foreign Policy Supporters of John Kerry and the Democratic party continue to call for "anybody but Bush" in 2004, while the majority of Americans are ready to resign themselves to accepting a "lesser evil" for president. Yet, Kerry's platform is set to be "more Bush than Bush"; and his intentions for dealing with the biggest issues facing Americans are "just as evil" as the methods of GW! John Peterson examines the three most important subjects of American foreign policy, and exposes the merging of Bush and Kerry's positions on them.
A Farewell to Ronald Reagan Former US president Ronald Reagan passed away on June 5. The state funeral, which was little more than a crude exercise in propaganda on the part of the Bush administration, was held the following weekend. The historical revision at the ceremony was astonishing. The working class of the United States and the world must know and understand the real legacy and meaning of the Reagan years in order to understand the lessons of the past and lead the struggle against capitalism and imperialism today.
USA - Election 2004 - Cancer or the Plague - You Get To Choose! A new WIL flyer. John Kerry is the Democrat's new poster boy. But what have he and his party done for working people? We need a real alternative - a mass party of labor based on the unions! Download it as a PDF file.
USA - Abu Ghraib: A Nightmare Without End The myth of an American military mission to build a democracy and liberate an oppressed people has been shattered to pieces. The photographs from Abu Ghraib depict scenes of physical brutality, sadist sexual abuse, and monstrous acts by American soldiers. The Bush administration and the military command in Iraq continue to deny knowledge and involvement, even while a flood of information from eyewitnesses provides proof to the contrary. However, the calls demanding justice from a domestic or international court are misleading; history shows us that only the working-class can end the war and bring the guilty to justice.
The Halliburton Scandal: Business as Usual David May looks at the latest in a long string of corporate scandals. The ties between big business and the government are closer than ever - and this is not an aberration of capitalism - but its heart and soul!
Antiwar demos in New York and San Francisco On March 20 in 300 U.S. cities and towns there were antiwar demonstrations. The two biggest demos were in New York and San Francisco. The comrades of the US Socialist Appeal were there.
New WIL Anti-War Flyer The March 20 demonstrations will be the latest in a long string of mass protests starting with the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle. Express your opposition to the occupation of Iraq! Let the Iraqi people decide! Socialism is the only solution for the USA and Iraq! To end war, end capitalism! Download as a PDF file.
Hearts and Minds: Vietnam and the War in Iraq While there are many differences between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam War, there are many parallels and lessons to be learned - above all that public opinion at home is more decisive in the long run than the actual military successes or failures in the war zone.
America, Afghanistan and Pakistan: America prepares another front More than two years have passed since George W Bush declared his "war on terrorism." What has the result been? In Iraq the USA has shown its impotence to control the situation. It has been unable to build up a stable base. It is bogged down in a bloody impasse. But what about the other field of operations – Afghanistan?
