www.socialistworker.org

May 10, 2002 | Issue 406

Socialist Worker:
Bush and Sharon, Partners in War Crimes

People around the world were outraged by the hellish pictures of the destruction in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. But not in Washington, D.C.--where politicians from across the spectrum pledged their support to Israel during Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit this week.

Free speech fight wins at Berkeley
A pro-Palestinian student group at the University of California-Berkeley won its free speech fight against the administration’s attempts to silence it.

Is it anti-Semitic to oppose Israel?
There’s no contradiction at all between opposing anti-Semitic bigotry against Jews and opposing the political project of Zionism--the construction and defense of a Jewish state on hijacked land in Palestine.

"If there is a hell on earth, it is here in Jenin"
The destruction in Jenin is beyond words. If you see it up close and personal, no word other than "massacre" can describe what happened there. What you see on television does not begin to tell the story.

France erupts in anger at Le Pen
Hatred of Nazi Jean-Marie Le Pen produced a landslide victory for Jacques Chirac in France’s May 5 election. But as Socialist Worker's special eyewitness report from France concludes, the election is certain to be the first stage in a period of political confrontation.

James Petras on how the U.S. tried to topple Hugo Chávez
Evidence is piling up of the Bush administration’s role in last month’s coup attempt against Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez. Author James Petras talks to SW about the U.S. role in the coup--and why it failed.

Charleston Five kick off their victory tour
More than 200 people packed the UNITE union hall in Chicago last week to celebrate the victory of the Charleston Five and May Day--and to pledge their solidarity to workers in struggle.

University of Massachusetts RAs
Administrators at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have gone on the offensive against a union for resident assistants (RAs).

NYC students fight cutbacks
"1-2-3-4, CUNY needs an open door! 5-6-7-8, don’t expel, educate!" That was the chant that rang out in New York April 30 as nearly 1,000 high school and City University of New York (CUNY) students protested outside City Hall.

Head cheerleader for the bosses’ team
In April, nationally syndicated columnist Thomas Friedman won his third Pulitzer Prize. So you might think that Friedman had something interesting or challenging to say--or that he was an exceptional journalist. You would be wrong.

Bipartisan agreement on tougher welfare "reform"
George W. Bush’s plan for welfare is like the rest of his "compassionate conservative" policies. Heavy on the conservative and light on the compassionate.

These cuts will kill
Cuts, cuts and more cuts. That’s what state governments across the country have in store as they try to come up with plans to balance their budgets. First in line for the chopping block are state workers and programs that provide needed social services for the poor.

A gift to corporate polluters
When is a stream not a stream? When it’s a trash can for the mining industry.