In this week's issue:

The Socialist 27 April 2001, issue Shut Down Capitalism

Shut Down Capitalism

LEADERS FROM 34 nations from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean gathered in Quebec to establish a new free trade zone - the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which will further impoverish millions of people on the continent and throughout the world. Jason Baines, Socialist Alternative, Canada, reports from Quebec.

Stop The Jobs Slaughter

Capitalism's destructive "logic": SIGNS THAT a worldwide recession is becoming closer gathered last week when the US Federal Reserve (the "Fed") cut US interest rates for the fourth time in four months, writes Kieran Roberts.

Drug companies: so much for the free market

DRUG COMPANIES, making medicines that could save millions of lives, recently brought a court action against the South African government, writes Jon Dale.

Tube workers: If we stick together, we can win

THE STRIKES against the government's PPP proposals for tube privatisation have been the most successful action on London Underground for years, writes Bill Johnson, RMT member London Underground.

Middle East: A war by any other name

THE MIDDLE East took another shuddering step towards war with the first ever invasion of the Palestinian Authority (PA) territory by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday 15 April...

Germany: Building international socialism

SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE (SAV), the German section of the CWI, held a well-attended weekend school - Sozialismus Tage - on 13-15 April, writes Sascha Stanicic and Per-ake Westerlund.