The world economic situation worsened dramatically over the last week and each day seems to greet a new crisis.

Many looked to the $700 billion bailout in the US to save the system.

The bailout has been accompanied by governments propping up banks across Europe. None of this has solved the crisis.

Socialist Worker explains what the bailouts mean, what other solutions our rulers have and asks whether any of them can work

Economic crisis: problems stored up in the way system works
by Simon Basketter

Economic analysts and the media are frantically debating whether a recession in the US economy is inevitable or has already started.

Major Wall Street finance houses are announcing huge losses. House building is down 30 percent, retail sales are plunging and unemployment has climbed to 5 percent

Are we going back to the 1930s? The economic similarities


Poster advertising national unemployment demonstration in 1933 (Pic: » www.unionhistory.info)

Anindya Bhattacharyya analyses similarities and differences between the crisis then and today