N°  36  February 2003 Sommario (in italian) Valentino Parlato USA: THE PRICE IS HIGH   Lucio Magri THE COFFERATI PHENOMENON   Luigi Ferrajoli UN, THE WAR'S FIRST VICTIM     The war against Iraq, whether or not authorised by a second resolution, is an illegal international act. The only threat to peace actually existing is that posed by the US, who systematically violate article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations which forbids its member countries both “the use” or “the threat of use” of force. Moreover, Weapons of Mass Destruction are held in various countries, the United States being the first among them, but this does not justify the pre-emptive war. International rights are being severely threatened by the legitimisation of war, the law of the most powerful and the present state of the world as indicated by an inequality which witnesses millions dead from starvation, lack of water and essential medicines. There is also, through the subjection of rights by power, the loss of credibility in the historic values of the west: democracy, national rights, legality, equality, human dignity. Some important steps forward can be taken to oppose all this: to put into effect all of the UN’s Charter, take up the process of progressive disarmament, let the international Criminal Court deal with crimes against humanity. But, if we really wish to have peace, we must also face other kinds of problems related to the satisfying of the basic needs of three quarters of humanity, not through the policy of aid but through the assurance of their rights. This is possible by introducing a world taxation to finance the institutions of control, imposing an adequate payment as compensation for undue gains through use or improper use (and sometimes the damage) of the common resources of mankind such as the satellite orbits, the ether bands and the mineral resources of the ocean beds. The universal design of the UN's Charter is not a utopia. Its realisation depends on the will of the democratic forces. The article, of which this is a brief summary, is an extract from the paper of the 31st session of The Permanent People’s Tribunal, Rome 14th – 15th December 2002, on ‘International Rights and New Wars’, whose official records are being published by Editori Riuniti.   Dilip Hiro PETROLEUM, IRAQ AND AMERICA   Immanuel Wallerstein BUSH AND NORTH EAST ASIA   FROM THE LEFT WING OF THE SPD   Hermann Scheer GERMANY: ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS   Alexandre Bilous FRANCE: THE LEFT IN TURMOIL   Ken Coates ENGLAND: BLAIR IN TROUBLE   Mark Green THE AMERICAN VIRUS   Giorgio Cremaschi DIVIDE TO UNITE   Emiliano Brancaccio REFORMISTS TIED   Bruno Perini FIAT: SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE   Paul Smith, Gary Morton ENGLISH FLEXIBILITY   Giuseppe Chiarante CULTURE FOR SALE   Mario Tronti BEYOND EMANCIPATION   Gianpasquale Santomassimo A PARTY FOR THE WORKERS   Etienne Balibar EUROPE, A DISARMING FORCE   This summary has links to the Italian titles and where possible, with the version in its original language