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Demystifying the economic crisis

Meltdown! A Socialist view of the Capitalist Crisis
By Tony Iltis, Lee Sustar, John Bellamy Foster, Phil Hearse, Adam Hanieh & Dave Holmes
Resistance Books, 2009
54 pages, $6.00
Available from http://www.resistancebooks.com

Venezuela: Opposition campaigns with slander, violence

The international and domestic campaign against the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez has dramatically escalated in the lead up to the February 15 referendum to remove the restriction on elected official standing for office if they have already served two terms.

Climate emergency or a crisis of democracy?

When the authorities put the figures together, the death rates in Melbourne and Adelaide due to the recent heat wave will show a spike in response to the record temperatures over Eastern Australia.

On the box

Jerusalem Cuts — On May 14, 1948, eight hours before the British mandate over Palestine was to expire, Israel's future prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared independence for the state of Israel. SBS, Friday, February 20, 2.30pm. Blaktrax

Beat the car — increase public transport

Sydney residents of the lower north shore and inner city are increasingly “electing” to drive to work “despite living a relatively short bus ride from the heart of the city”, a report in the February 10 Sydney Morning Herald concluded.

Bolivia: Refounding a nation

The historic struggle for national liberation, economic sovereignty, and the “refoundation” of Bolivia on the basis of justice for the impoverished indigenous majority achieved an important milestone on January 25, with the approval of the new Political Constitution of the State (CPE) by 61.43%.

Philippines: Urban poor join new left party

“We are the bat people, the people who lived under bridges in Manila”, explained urban poor organiser Ka Lisa as she took a small group of international observers around a section of an urban poor relocation settlement in Bulacan, about 60 kilometres north of Manila.

Israel's racist ethnic cleansing

As of February 12, it was still unclear who will end up forming the next Israeli government following the February 10 parliamentary elections, with negotiations to form a new ruling coalition possibly continuing for six weeks. However, what is clear is that regardless of who the eventual prime minister is or which parties are in the cabinet, the brutal ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is set to intensify.