The economic crisis has now dragged on for months and there is no end in sight for U.S. workers. Worst of all, we workers, our children and grand children, will have to pay all of this debt back – with interest – and will have received nothing of any real substance in return. Enough is enough! We say, make the rich pay for their crisis!

Editorial for Socialist Appeal Issue 46

The capitalist system may well be suffering the worst crisis in its history. According to George Soros, billionaire investor and frank analyst of the system he defends, the world financial system has in effect disintegrated and there is no possibility of a near-term resolution to the crisis. In 2007 there were a total of three bank failures. Last year there were 25. As of this writing, 13 have failed in the first few weeks of 2009.

Editorial for Socialist Appeal 45

Now that the electoral dust has settled, many are already disappointed with Obama and his cabinet picks. Nonetheless, he enjoys astonishing approval ratings of over 80 percent. But this only means that the reaction to the inevitable disappointment will be that much more explosive.

The world economic crisis is shaking the consciousness of the world working class. Nowhere is this more true than in the most powerful and wealthy country on earth: the United States. After decades of relative peace between the classes, the class struggle is now back on the agenda.

Editorial for Socialist Appeal 44

The U.S. has elected a new president. On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Along with the dramatic turn in the economic situation, this marks a definite turning point in the history of the country and of the world. On the streets across the U.S., you could feel a collective sigh of relief.

...And yet, a week after the election, only 16 percent of Americans said they thought things are going well in the country. 83 percent said things are going badly. These are all-time records. The pessimism is worse than anytime since World War Two; more even than the Watergate era.

...For Marxists, it’s not the color of the President’s skin that determines our attitude. What matters are the class interests a candidate represents.

Editorial for Socialist Appeal Issue 43

It was not the immediate crisis on Wall Street that has “caused” the public outrage against the Big Business bail out. This was only the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” This has simply brought to the surface deep-seated discontent that had been brewing for years.

Editorial for Socialist Appeal 42

It’s official. Barack Obama is the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. His rapid rise to national prominence and eventual nomination have left millions of American workers and youth dizzy with hope for real change. Many have lamented or attempted to justify his shift to the right since he won the nomination (a shift from the so-called “center” of U.S. politics as he has never been on the “left”). But few have drawn the logical conclusion from this: that as we have explained time and again in the pages of Socialist Appeal, Obama does not represent real change and is organically incapable of changing anything fundamental. How could he? He is a Big Business politician and he will defend Big Business’ interests.

Edtorial for Socialist Appeal 41

If you work for a living, the news just keeps getting worse. Oil prices have reached record levels of over $140 per barrel – 14 times higher than just ten years ago. OPEC predicts it could rise as high as $170 before the end of summer. Choosing between food, medicine and gasoline is now the norm for millions of working class families. Contrast this with the mega-profits of ExxonMobil, which raked in $40.6 billion in 2007 and another $10.9 billion in just the first three months of 2008.

Editorial for Socialist Appeal Issue 40

It is now official: George W. Bush is the most unpopular U.S. President in modern history. 71 percent of Americans say they “disapprove” of the job he is doing, while just 28 percent say they “approve.” The previous all-time low was set by Harry Truman in 1952, with 67 percent disapproval. In other words, Bush is even more unpopular than Richard Nixon in the days before he resigned from the presidency in August 1974.

Much of the discontent is due to the war in Iraq, which just 30 percent support, the lowest rating ever. Just a few months ago, in January, nearly half those polled believed “things were going well” in Iraq. Millions who formerly supported the war are now against it, especially as the economic effects of the war are coming home to roost.

The situation in the USA is one if increasing crises.  The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to trail on, costing nearly $275 million per day.  The situation at home is one of increasing unemployment and continual crisis in the housing and credit markets.  US workers will be called on to go to the polls to elect a party of big business, but this era of crises will only serve to casue more people to question the world in which they live. Editorial for Socialist  Appeal Issue 37.