Their system, their crisis - but it’s our pay, jobs and homes that are under threat
The chaos of the financial system has hit new levels with the collapse of Bear Stearns, the US’s fifth largest investment bank. Now commentators fear the entire banking system is on the brink of a 1930s style collapse.
They promised a new era "free from dictatorship". Instead the invasion of Iraq has delivered untold misery, violence and murder. Five years ago, as the US and British armies marched triumphantly into Iraq, George Bush and Tony Blair declared a victory "for democracy in the Middle East".
Millions around the world are facing a future of insecurity, starvation and malnutrition as the price of basic food soars. The price of maize, wheat, soya beans and rice – staples for the majority of the world’s population – have more than doubled in the last few years.