You are on page 1of 12

La ley de Arizona 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org


May 20, 2010 Vol. 52, No. 19 50¢

European bailouts confirm


Capitalist crisis isspreading
Workers must unite to fight bankers’ attacks
By Fred Goldstein Much of this debt was incurred during be a major lender under the plan.
periods of economic expansion. Though Obama was also on the phone with

Photo: KKE
The big message that the working class the capitalist economic crisis has re- French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Vice
should take away from the latest Europe- duced the tax base of the governments, President Joseph Biden met with Spanish
an bailout and the stock markets’ ups and the banks still want their pound of flesh, Prime Minister José Zapatero. Treasury
downs is that capitalism is failing as an
economic system and the time for work-
even if it takes cutbacks in services, wag-
es of government workers, pensions and
Secretary Timothy Geithner lobbied the
finance ministers, while the Federal Re-
GREEK WORKERS
ers to open a struggle is now.
European capitalist governments and
benefits. Southern Europe is experienc-
ing budget crises and cutbacks similar to
serve Board promised to supply dollars
to various European central banks in cur-
RESiSt cutS 11
the International Monetary Fund just had those taking place in California, Michi- rency swaps so they could make payments
to pledge to put up $980 billion to keep gan, Rhode Island, Illinois and many in dollars, if needed.
the governments of Greece, Portugal and other states in the U.S. The urgency behind Washington’s in-

WW_Phtoto:_dEirdrE_GriSWoLd
Spain financially afloat. Fears of immi- The credit agencies have downgraded tervention flowed from the fact that U.S.
nent government default in Greece and Greek government bonds to “junk bond” banks have $3.6 trillion in exposure to
threats of future default by Portugal and status, and the credit ratings of Portugal European banks, including $1 trillion to
Spain prompted the emergency meeting and Spain are falling. That means the France and Germany and $200 billion to
of European finance ministers and strong bankers and other financial loan sharks Spain, according to the Bank for Interna-
intervention by Washington.
Sixteen countries use the euro, which
of the capitalist world either will no lon-
ger lend money to these governments or
tional Settlements. A string of defaults set
off by the default of Greece and other gov-
ARIZONA:
is controlled by the European Central
Bank, as a common currency. That bank
will charge such high interest rates that
the governments can no longer afford to
ernments would jeopardize U.S. banks
and bring a renewed financial crisis on ImmIgrant rIghts
agreed to make or guarantee $575 billion
in loans. The larger 27-nation European
borrow.
But the governments have to borrow
Wall Street.
Furthermore, an economic collapse in
t Los Suns 5
Union pledged an additional $80 billion, in order to pay off debts to the banks that Europe could hit U.S. corporations that
Boycott grows 5
and the IMF agreed to put up $325 bil- were incurred from previous borrowing. export to those countries. More than a
lion. This is supposed to cover govern- So they are caught in a debt trap that quarter of the profits of the Standard &
ment deficits of the three southern Eu-
ropean countries and other endangered
could lead to defaulting on their loans.
That is why what is happening in Europe
Poor’s 500 top corporations come from
exports — much of them to Europe. So the
RiGHt tO A HOME 3
government debt for the next three years. is, at bottom, a bank bailout. Obama administration’s pressure for this

SLAVERY &
Gov’t bailout is a bank bailout bailout was not to save Europe but to save
High stakes for Wall St. and Washington Wall Street and the big U.S. industrialists.
REPARATIONS
The real aim is to make sure that these
Wall Street and Washington also have a At the end of this financial chain are
governments can pay their debts to the
big stake in this affair. The administration the workers. The banks have been bleed-
banks. So the government bailouts are
also bank bailouts, aimed at preventing
put on a full-court press to put together ing the governments of southern Europe. Ongoing debate 4
the trillion-dollar bailout. President This means bleeding the workers who
a global financial collapse of the type that
Barack Obama was on the phone with create the wealth and value that goes into
almost took place when Lehman Brothers
failed in the U.S. in September 2008.
German Prime Minister Angela Merkel,
pressuring her to give up opposition to
government treasuries and ends up being
paid out in interest. The capitalist gov- LeSSonofTimeSSquare
European banks and insurers are hold-
ing $193 billion in debt due from the
the bailout. German capital will have to Contiued on page 11 End U.S. wars abroad! 10
Greek government. But they also have

‘JOBS N O W !
$240 billion in government debt from
Portugal and $832 billion from Spain. Big
European banks also have investments in
Greek banks that are in danger.

_WW_Photo:_moNiCA_moorEhEAd

SubscribetoWorkersWorld
Eight weeks trial $4 One year $25
Name_ __________________________________
youth and students led a march de-
Phone_ __________________________________ manding a WPa-type jobs program on
Address__________________________________ May 8 in Washington, DC.
a strategy meeting was then held at a
City/State/Zip__ ___________________________
union hall ratifying a program of action.
Email____________________________________ Read related articles on pages 6-7.
Workers World Weekly Newspaper
55 W. 17th St. #5C, NY, NY 10011 _WW_PhotoS:_LiZ_GrEEN
workers.org 212.627.2994
Page_2_ may_20,_2010_ workers.org

guru: a giant of hip-hop music WORKERS WORLD

this week ...


By Larry Hales against in general. It is not based in
hip-hop culture alone but in the over-
 in the u.S.
Guru, a giant of hip-hop music, of arching culture of the U.S., which is
Black culture and of entertainment rooted in the particular development Capitalist crisis is spreading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
in general died April 19 from mul- of U.S. capitalism. Guru: a giant of hip-hop music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
tiple myeloma at the young age of Guru’s social consciousness can be
SWAT team raids Ohio home to enforce eviction . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
47, weeks after he went into cardiac seen early on in his music, from the
arrest and lapsed into a coma. Guru first Gang Starr album, in the song, Homeless shelter declares, ‘We’re not going anywhere’ . . . . . . 3
(Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Univer- “Positivity.” One of this writer’s fa- A response to Henry Louis Gates Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
sal), originally named Keith Elam, vorite songs is from the third in the Lucasville uprising prisoner fights back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
was one of the founding members “Jazzamatazz” series, “Streetsoul,”
‘Los Suns’ stand with immigrant community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
of the pioneering group Gang Starr, entitled, “Lift Your Fist.” The chorus
along with D.J. Premier. of the song, rapped by Black Thought ‘Boycott Arizona!’ responds to apartheid law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
From the beginning Gang Starr of the Roots, goes: On the picket line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
had a different sound. Guru, who “To all my people just lift your fist/ Voices from the bus sound off on joblessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
was born and raised in the Roxbury Seem like it ain’t no peace, no Workers reject ‘furlough’ in NYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
section of Boston, and D.J. Premier justice/
in motion when the first slaves were High school students ‘swarm’ bigots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
were both heavily influenced by jazz
captured and put on vessels across How you want, the bullet or the
music. Premier’s production uses DC jobs protest says: Build People’s Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
the Atlantic and from this hip-hop micro chip/
samples from across the spectrum of San Francisco rally demands jobs, defends immigrants . . . . . . 7
came, the argument about when the Either way you go to lift your fist.”
Black music and he has been known
fusion of jazz and hip-hop or jazz rap Oil industry ‘fix’ fails, spill spreads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
to have an encyclopedic knowledge of One of his last pieces of music was
occurred will go on. from his fourth “Jazzamatazz” collec-
hip-hop lyrics throughout the years.  Around the world
But, regardless of when and whom tion, a series that was well-received
Guru’s affinity for jazz music was
it started with, Gang Starr and Guru critically. In this song, “Too Slick,” Fight continues to combat Agent Orange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
displayed very early on. The group’s
were the first to perfect it, even be- Guru displays his usual braggadocio Cochabamba conference targets corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
first album, “No More Mr. Nice Guy,”
fore Miles Davis cooperated with along with a critique for some who
was recorded during the period now Student stike stops brutal cuts at UPR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Easy Mo Bee to make the Doo Bop make music purely for the sake of
known as the Golden Age of Hip- U.S. threatens first strike on Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
album, before the Digable Planets fame and money:
Hop, when the music was much
and before the Roots. Imperialist hostility continues after Sudan’s vote . . . . . . . . . . .10
more culturally relevant, socially “Watch me show splendor I’m no
Guru recorded another tribute to Greek workers reject capitalist austerity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
responsible and commented on the pretender/
jazz for the soundtrack to the Spike
reality of the daily conditions of op- Cause I can bring summer during
Lee movie, “Mo Betta Blues,” titled,
pressed Black people. cold December/  Editorials
“Jazz Thing.” The lyrics in “Jazz
In the song, “Jazz Music,” Guru Golden embers of burnt emcees
Thing” show a greater maturity, rhy- Stop terror: Get U.S. out of Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
precisely ties the development of jazz remains/
thmically and historically when the
music to the historical oppression of  Noticias En Español
rapper intones: ‘Cause they traded their names for
Black people:
“Its roots are in the sounds of the some sleazy fame/ La ley de Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
“The music started in the hearts and
African/ As it all turns out they’re forgotten
the drums from another land/
Or should I say the mother … about/
Played for everyone by sons bringin’ us back again/ While I’m the one that the homies
of the motherland/ Workers World
From the drummin’ on the Congo, are talking about.”
Sendin’ out a message of peace we came with a strong flow/ 55 West 17 Street
Earlier in the same verse Guru
to everybody/ New York, N.Y. 10011
And continue to grow/ rhymes:
And came across the ocean Phone: (212) 627-2994
Feet move, to the beat of the t’balo/ “Take you to new heights/
in chains and shame/ Fax: (212) 675-7869
Now dig the story and follow/ Let’s go up a few flights/ E-mail: ww@workers.org
Easing the pain, and it was
without name/ For then it landed, on American soil/ You heard what was said/ Web: www.workers.org
Until some men in New Orleans, Through the sweat, the blood, and I’m a shed some true light/ Vol. 52, No. 19 • May 20, 2010
on Rampart Street/ the toil/ This is art no corporate crap.” Closing date: May 11, 2010
Put out the sounds and they gave Hear, ‘Praise the Lord,’ shouted Guru was not the greatest rap art- Editor: Deirdre Griswold
it a beat.” on chain gangs/ ist. His cadence wasn’t the greatest, Technical Editor: Lal Roohk
During the Golden Age, before the Pain they felt, but it helped them his imagery not the most creative, Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell,
commoditization of the culture by to maintain/ and his word play wasn’t the dens- Leslie Feinberg, Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead,
mainstream media, it was difficult to est. Yet, few can imagine a greater Gary Wilson
Scott Joplin’s rags, Bessie Smith’s
find hip-hop music that did not have production rap team than Gang Starr
blues, St. Louis blues, West Coast Editor: John Parker
a social message and even the most and few can imagine any other voice
they were all the news/ Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe,
radical of groups, like Public Enemy, displaying the confidence, bragga-
Ringin’ smooth … docio and social message that came Greg Butterfield, Jaimeson Champion, G. Dunkel,
were widely known and their music in all the listeners’ ears/ from Guru. Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales,
widely circulated.
Fulfillin’ the needs, and Guru’s voice alone, the clarity in his David Hoskins, Berta Joubert-Ceci, Cheryl LaBash,
Just as the argument as to when
plantin’ the seeds/ particular northeastern growl, was Milt Neidenberg, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Betsey Piette,
hip-hop started will go on: did it start
Of a jazz thing.” distinctive. He belongs in the canon Minnie Bruce Pratt, Gloria Rubac
with Langston Hughes, who spoke
of hip-hop performers and artists in Technical Staff: Sue Davis, Shelley Ettinger,
his poetry to the accompaniment of While socially conscious, Guru
general. And who can ever forget the Bob McCubbin, Maggie Vascassenno
Charles Mingus; with Muhammad was not without his contradictions,
Ali; with the Watts Prophets; Last especially when it comes to the wom- line from the song, “Dwyck”: Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez,
Poets; or Gil Scott Heron; or does it en question. But this is pervasive in “Lemonade was a popular drink Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Michael Martínez,
precede all of them and go all the way the U.S. and can be seen in the glut of and it still is/ Carlos Vargas
back to African traditions? Just as sexist imagery on television, in print I get more props and stunts than Supporter Program: Sue Davis, coordinator
few would argue that history was set and in music and has to be fought Bruce Willis.” Copyright © 2010 Workers World. Verbatim copying
and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium

joi n us
join National Office
55 W. 17 St.
Buffalo, N.Y.
367 Delaware Ave.
Durham, N.c.
durham@workers.org
Pittsburgh
pittsburgh@workers.org
without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published weekly
Workers World Party New York, NY 10011 Buffalo, NY 14202 Houston Rochester, N.Y.
212-627-2994 except the first week of January by WW Publishers,
(WWP) fights on all 716-883-2534 P.O. Box 3454 585-436-6458
wwp@workers.org buffalo@workers.org 55 W. 17 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10011. Phone: (212) 627-2994.
issues that face the Houston rochester@workers.org
working class and Atlanta chicago TX 77253-3454 Subscriptions: One year: $25; institutions: $35. Letters
San Diego, calif.
oppressed peoples— P.O. Box 5565 27 N. Wacker Dr. #138 713-503-2633 P.O. Box 33447 to the editor may be condensed and edited. Articles can
Black and white, Atlanta, GA 30307 Chicago, IL 60606 houston@workers.org San Diego be freely reprinted, with credit to Workers World, 55 W.
Latino/a, Asian, Arab 404-627-0185 773-381-5839 Los Angeles CA 92163 17 St., New York, NY 10011. Back issues and individual
and Native peoples, atlanta@workers.org chicago@workers.org 5274 W Pico Blvd 619-692-0355 articles are available on microfilm and/or photocopy
women and men, young cleveland Suite # 207 San Francisco
Baltimore from University Microfilms International, 300 Zeeb
and old, lesbian, gay, bi, P.O. Box 5963 Los Angeles, CA 90019 2940 16th St., #207
c/o Solidarity Center Road, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. A searchable archive is
straight, trans, disabled,
2011 N. Charles St., Bsm. Cleveland, OH 44101 la@workers.org San Francisco
working, unemployed Baltimore, MD 21218 216-531-4004 323-306-6240 CA 94103 available on the Web at www.workers.org.
and students. 443-909-8964 cleveland@workers.org 415-738-4739 A headline digest is available via e-mail subscription.
Milwaukee
If you would like to baltimore@workers.org Denver milwaukee@workers.org sf@workers.org Subscription information is at www.workers.org/email.
know more about denver@workers.org tucson, Ariz.
Boston Philadelphia php.
WWP, or to join us in Detroit tucson@workers.org
284 Amory St. P.O. Box 34249
these struggles, 5920 Second Ave. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y.
Boston, MA 02130 Philadelphia Washington, D.c.
contact the branch 617-522-6626 Detroit, MI 48202 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
nearest you. PA 19101 P.O. Box 57300
Fax 617-983-3836 313-459-0777 610-931-2615 Washington, DC 20037 Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., 5th Floor,
boston@workers.org detroit@workers.org phila@workers.org dc@workers.org New York, N.Y. 10011.
workers.org_ may 20, 2010 Page 3

SWAT team raids Ohio home to


enforce eviction the struggle continues
Defenders released, stay strong,
Below, community supports efforts to save home from
By Bryan G. Pfeifer and Mike Shane Moratorium NOW! foreclosure. Right, cops remove home defenders.
The “Stony Ridge Seven” had barri-
Home defender Keith Sadler and six caded themselves in Sadler’s home since
supporters are out of jail after their ar- Sunday, May 2 in protest of the bank’s
rest during a home invasion and forced foreclosure of his home of 20 years.
eviction by the Wood County SWAT team A longtime UAW member in various
early May 7. While the paramilitary po- manufacturing plants, Sadler was unable
lice stormed Sadler’s home, about 30 to work after a repetitive strain injury
supporters rallied outside in the pouring became acute in July 2008. After being
rain chanting, “Keith’s house!” The SWAT out of work for some time due to his in-
home invasion and the arrests were re- jury and two surgeries on his right hand,
corded and photographed. Sadler’s income decreased, and thus it be-
Supporters, led by the Toledo Foreclo- came a severe challenge for him to meet
sure Defense League, followed those ar- his mortgage payments.
rested to the Woods County jail and con- The bank foreclosed on his home in
tinued to demonstrate. They were joined 2009 and refused any loan modifica-
by the Cleveland chapter of the Bail Out tion. Despite delaying court proceedings

WW_Photo:_BryAN_G._PfEifEr
the People Movement; Fight Imperialism, through various means and attempting
Stand Together members from Cleveland; to procure legal aid assistance, Sadler’s
and a rank-and-file United Auto Workers home was sold to the bank at a sheriff’s
member. They demanded the immediate sale in January 2010. Sadler was there-
release of the “Stony Ridge Seven,” that all after served with a notice of eviction for
seven be fed their vegan diet, that an im- midnight, May 2.
mediate moratorium on foreclosures and Instead of submitting quietly, Sadler coverage on his website. Supporters from came to nothing. We are taking a stand.
evictions be declared throughout the U.S., and other members of the Toledo Fore- across the U.S. and beyond have been and We are drawing a line in the sand and say-
and that the bankers and other Wall Street closure Defense League barricaded them- are sending solidarity messages through ing, ‘Enough is enough!’ We’re standing
speculators who caused the foreclosure and selves in the house until the SWAT team Twitter. During the home defense, mes- up and we hope others will too. We want
eviction crisis be arrested, not the people. dragged them out. They believe that if sages were posted on the UStream live an indefinite moratorium on all foreclo-
The Seven were released on their own the big banks can get a bailout, so can the feed and watched by people around the sures. Having people’s homes stolen right
recognizance after being charged with people. They want an indefinite morato- globe. This was critical in spreading the out from under them by the banks is not
“trespass” and “obstruction of justice.” rium on all foreclosures, evictions and word of the home defense and for garner- acceptable. We must fight back.”
A potluck and meeting in Bowling utility shutoffs — now! ing support. Sadler’s spokesperson, Lance Crandall,
Green, Ohio, took place May 7. This had During his home defense, Sadler and Though Sadler’s home’s electric power asks that people continue to call the bank
originally been planned as a potluck and his supporters received a groundswell of was cut May 5 — many suspect by police and the sheriff to demand that all charges
speakout rally at Sadler’s home. Ongoing support from individuals and organiza- officials — supporters quickly helped re- be dropped. For more information about
plans to continue the struggle, discussed tions such as Take Back the Land, Mora- store power to his home. They also helped ongoing activities, call: 419-309-7040.
at the meeting, will be announced soon. torium NOW!, the Bail Out the People provide alternative sources of energy and Local bank branch: 419-874-2090
For now supporters are encouraged to Movement, UAW and other union mem- continually dropped off food and other Bank HQ: 419-783-8950
pack the Perrysburg Municipal Court at bers and from the community. needed supplies. Wood County sheriff’s office: 419-354-
300 Walnut Street, Perrysburg, Ohio, on Supporters held a protest at the State Sadler told supporters during his home 9001; sheriff’s direct line: 419-354-9008;
May 17 at 9:30 a.m. for a pre-trial hearing Bank and Trust on May 5. Michael Moore defense: “I basically did everything with- sheriff’s personal e-mail: wasyl@wcnet.
for the Stony Ridge Seven. posted the UStream live feed and media in the system to save my house and it all org.

Homeless shelter declares


‘We’re not going anywhere’
By Dianne Mathiowetz pecially at this time of rising unemploy- downtown business and tourist areas, Force’s ongoing housing, job training,
Atlanta ment and foreclosure rates, cuts in social says Beaty. medical and legal assistance programs and
programs and the closing of other Atlanta A HUD complaint claiming violations of its counseling services. Unlike the city-run
Hundreds of homeless men receive shelters. the fair housing law has also been recently Gateway Center, Peachtree-Pine has an art
shelter every night at the Task Force for The foreclosure takes place following filed. Both of these legal actions pose the studio, gallery and photography classes. It
the Homeless building on Peachtree and years of maneuvering by major business opportunity for a groundbreaking exami- relies on resident input and participation
Pine streets in midtown Atlanta. Through leaders to force the removal of the Task nation of how unelected businessmen, in all its programs. These are just some
the machinations and dirty dealings of Force from a prime piece of real estate, bankers and developers determine public of the manifestations of the “community-
a cabal of speculators, corporate heads near to high-priced condominiums and policy in their own financial interests, con- building” philosophy that goes together
and politicians, they are being threatened fancy office towers, on Atlanta’s presti- trary to those of the general public. with the practical work of providing emer-
with eviction. gious main thoroughfare. In collusion Numerous corporate and civic leaders gency shelter, explains Beaty.
On May 4, Manny Fialkow, a Norcross with city officials, public and private fund- have already been deposed. An astound- In explaining why the lawsuit and HUD
developer who earlier created a charita- ing have either been diminished or termi- ing revelation concerns the role of former complaint are important, Beaty said,
ble-sounding company, Ichthus Commu- nated through a campaign of political and City Council member, Debi Starnes, who “The evidence will show that racist, ex-
nity Trust, to buy the shelter’s outstanding economic pressure, media demonization designed draconian ordinances meant clusionary and anti-poor measures define
$900,000 worth of loans, abruptly ended and racist imagery. to rid downtown Atlanta of poor people Atlanta’s policies on affordable housing,
negotiations with the Task Force and fore- In television interviews, Fialkow claims during the 1996 Olympics. She became public transportation, education, health
closed on the property. That morning, he that he has no interest in developing the the “homeless czar” in the Shirley Frank- care and recreation.” The organization
had insisted that an agreement to forestall property now and that his only concern lin administration. While claiming to be has been targeted, Beaty explains, be-
foreclosure was on track and the papers is finding better housing for the shelter’s a city employee, her salary was paid by cause, “the Task Force has never shirked
were ready to be signed. The foreclosure clients, yet he stands to make millions of the business community and funneled from ‘speaking truth to power,’ demand-
was not included in the monthly auction dollars in the building’s resale or develop- through the United Way to her. (Atlanta ing justice, not charity, for poor people,
that takes place on Fulton County Court- ment. When word of the foreclosure got Progressive News) for all people.”
house’s steps. By late afternoon, news of out, consultants and surveyors immediate- Starnes oversaw the development of a The men who are served by the
the foreclosure was made public. ly demanded entrance to see the building. multimillion dollar a year “one-stop” cen- Peachtree-Pine shelter say that they “are
As of this writing, no official notice has The Task Force’s claims of a concerted ter, located in the former city jail building. not going anywhere.” They and the vol-
yet been received by the Task Force direc- campaign of forced removal are backed It refuses assistance to homeless people unteers and community activists who
tor, Anita Beaty. up by voluminous e-mails and documents regarded as “noncompliant.” Her private support the Task Force’s work, political
Beaty stated: “Until no one needs our found through discovery in a federal civil consulting company does work for agen- mission and vision are resisting this lat-
services, we will stay here. This is home rights lawsuit charging Central Atlanta cies competing for the same funds that est attack.
for thousands of people over the course Progress, the City of Atlanta and others constantly criticized the Task Force and Plans are being readied for support
of a year. It is where they get access to with “tortious interference.” falsely claimed it lost funding because it rallies, media events and community de-
all kinds of necessary referrals and help.” Their stated goal of eliminating the was mismanaged, and that it was only fense. For more information, see www.
She explained the vital role the Task Force Peachtree-Pine shelter is part of an ef- “warehousing” the homeless rather than homelesstaskforce.org or join the Face-
performs in preventing homeless people fort to remove poor, homeless African- helping them get back on their feet. book page. Donations are welcome to as-
from living and dying on the streets, es- American men, in particular, from the This claim flies in the face of the Task sist in this struggle.
Page_4_ may_20,_2010_ workers.org

A response to Henry Louis Gates Jr.


The Atlantic slave trade
& the rise of world capitalism
By Abayomi Azikiwe slavery was the natural order of relations enslavement any objective observer must addition, in modern society the legacy of
Editor, Pan-African News Wire between Africans and Europeans and that ask for evidence. One leading Marxist his- racial dominance and national oppres-
traditional African societies were just as torian on Africa, Walter Rodney, wrote sion is very much a cornerstone in the
An essay by Harvard Prof. Henry Louis culpable as the traffickers and plantation in his book “How Europe Underdevel- continuation of imperialism.
Gates Jr. in the April 23 New York Times owners. These assumptions ignore the oped Africa” that “Undoubtedly, with few Even today African Americans still
took up the ongoing contentious debate facts that many African societies fought exceptions such as Hawkins, European suffer the most severe impact of the U.S.
around the demand for reparations for the for centuries against slavery and colonial- buyers purchased African captives on economic crisis with significantly higher
centuries of unpaid labor extracted from ism, and that European merchants, land- the coasts of Africa and the transaction rates of unemployment, losses of homes,
Africans brought to the United States as owners and later industrial capitalists between themselves and Africans was a pensions, health services and a drastic de-
enslaved workers. Gates claims that the reaped enormous wealth from imported form of trade.” (Rodney, p. 95, 1972) cline in household wealth. In the criminal
demand for reparations is invalid since enslaved African labor and the theft of the Rodney continued: “It is also true that justice system, African Americans dispro-
there were some Africans who collabo- continent’s resources. very often a captive was sold and resold as portionately constitute the largest per-
rated with European slave traders in dis- Africans resisted slavery on the con- he made his way from the interior to the centage of people who are serving prison
locating millions of people from the conti- tinent. They fought slavery on the ships port of embarkation — and that too was a sentences resulting from social depriva-
nent between the 16th and 19th centuries. that transported them to Europe and the form of trade. However, on the whole, the tion and the racist character of the legal
These are not new arguments in rela- Western hemisphere. During the course process by which captives were obtained system.
tionship to a broader question: the histor- of slavery on the plantations, small farms, on African soil was not trade at all. It was Racial profiling by law enforcement is a
ical significance of slavery as an economic towns and cities, there was flight and re- through warfare, trickery, banditry, and point of induction for African Americans
system in the development of Western bellion against this form of human bond- kidnapping. When one tries to measure and other people of color into the crimi-
Europe, North America, the Caribbean, age. The slave rebellions led by Gabriel, the effect of European slave trading on the nal justice system. African Americans are
Central America and South America. The Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, John Brown African continent, it is essential to realize more likely to be stopped by the police
denial and refusal to apportion adequate and Osborne Anderson are testament to that one is measuring the effect of social and arrested on spurious charges. Many
blame to the wealthy elites of monarchs, the self-directed efforts to end this system violence rather than trade in any normal others are beaten and even killed during
merchants, explorers and plantation of human bondage in North America. sense of the word.” (Rodney, p. 95) routine traffic stops by police and in en-
owners — who not only orchestrated the Guinean President Ahmed Sekou Toure counters with law-enforcement agents.
Atlantic Slave Trade for centuries but Who really benefited from
said in 1962: “The relation between the Professor Gates was a victim of such
benefited immensely from the profits the Atlantic slave trade?
degree of destitution of peoples of Africa practices himself in 2009 when he was ar-
gained as a result of the exploitation of Many historians of the 20th century and the length and nature of the exploi- rested inside his own home in Cambridge,
African labor and resources — continues such as W.E.B. DuBois, Eric Williams, tation they had to endure is evident. Af- Mass., by local police although he had
today through academics such as Gates Walter Rodney and Kwame Nkrumah rica remains marked by the crimes of the identified himself as the homeowner and
who seek to negate the seriousness of the have documented the impact of the At- slave-traders: up to now, her potentiali- a leading faculty member at prestigious
unresolved national question in the U.S. lantic slave trade and colonialism on the ties are restricted by under-population.” Harvard University. Gates was fortunate
A recent debate around the impor- growth of industrial capitalism in West- (Rodney, p. 95) in his encounter with Cambridge po-
tance of slavery in American history was ern Europe and North America. Eric Wil- lice. Many African Americans and other
sparked by Virginia Gov. Robert Mc- liams in his work “Capitalism and Slavery” the legacy of enslavement today
people of color in the U.S. are frequently
Donnell’s proclamation declaring April wrote: “Many of the 18th century banks Gates’ essay raises several fundamen- severely beaten, tortured and even killed
“Confederate Heritage Month.” McDon- established in Liverpool and Manchester, tal questions about not only who is to in similar uninvited interactions with law
nell made no mention of slavery and its the slaving metropolis and the cotton cap- blame for the Atlantic Slave Trade and enforcement.
role in the state in his initial proclama- ital respectively, were directly associated which national and class interests ben-
tion. The academic and popular history with the triangular trade. Here large sums efited economically from the system of Reparations, national liberation
of slavery in the United States had been were needed for the cotton factories and exploitation but what impact this legacy and socialism
dominated for decades by white South- the canals which improved the means of has had on contemporary U.S. society. Any honest assessment of the social
erners and those who sympathize with communications between the two towns.” The European slave owners and capital- impact of slavery in the U.S. would have
their basic assumptions. (“Capitalism and Slavery,” p.99, 1943) ists gained tremendous wealth from the to acknowledge that it was the European-
Two major assumptions that guide pro- Yet when arguments are made that exploitation of African labor. With it the American planters, slave traders and later
slavery and Confederate thinking are that Africans benefited from the continent’s industrial capitalist system was built. In capitalists who were the exclusive benefi-
ciaries of the trade in human beings from

Lucasvilleuprisingprisonerfightsback
Africa. In the 21st century, it is the African
people on the continent and in Western
Europe as well as the Americas who are
still suffering from national oppression,
By Sharon Danann cops creating their own rules. Everyone neo-colonialism and imperialism.
Youngstown, Ohio FRee feared them. I didn’t and they knew it.” Every effort on the part of any op-
Greg Curry The immediate danger is further retali- pressed African nation-state to exert its
On March 3 Lucasville uprising prison- ation from the guards, which means the independence and sovereignty has been
er Greg Curry took a stand against relent- possibility of a danger to Curry’s life. challenged by the imperialist countries
less harassment by guards at Ohio State The Lucasville Uprising Freedom Net- led principally by the U.S. capitalist class.
Penitentiary. The convictions of many work is mobilizing a campaign of letters, Consequently, it is necessary to empha-
Lucasville uprising prisoners are based on phone calls, faxes and e-mails to Warden size not only the role of world capitalism
falsehoods. Nevertheless, guards in Ohio David Bobby, holding him responsible as the system that derived its strength
and nationwide are vindictive against for the protection and security of Greg and power from the slave trade and colo-
these prisoners based on a guard’s death Curry. We are calling for the termination nialism but that it is necessary to replace
during the uprising. of guards who think they have permis- this system of exploitation with a society
Curry explains, “If I am sentenced to sion to torment prisoners at will, destroy- where the labor of the workers and farm-
LIFE and gotta get on my knees, then Life protection. His punishment: two weeks ing their property, violating their rights ers are not extracted for profit but for its
is already over. I get this, in fact having in “the hole” (isolation) and an increase and raining down all manner of harass- equal distribution to all.
‘Life’ gives me more room to express my- of security level that placed him back in ment on their heads. The demand for reparations places em-
self or ‘LIVE.’” solitary confinement for at least five years. Betty Springer, member of the Lu- phasis on how the most profitable banks
Weeks before March 3, much of Curry’s Curry had been recommended for a re- casville Uprising Freedom Network, has and corporations gained their wealth
property had been confiscated without duction of security level to Level 3, which these words for the warden of OSP. “War- through the exploitation of African labor.
cause. When he went through channels to would have made him eligible for trans- den Bobby, if you are allowing these vi- Institutions such as JPMorgan Chase & Co.
get it returned, he was informed that his fer to a medium security prison. OSP’s cious, inhumane activities to continue on Aetna Insurance Company and many other
possessions were missing from the prop- warden, David Bobby, disregarded this your watch, you are personally respon- corporations have been forced to admit in
erty room vault, apparently destroyed. recommendation, but Curry was optimis- sible for the results. Toss out the rotten recent years their role in the slave system
During outside recreation, two guards tic about his appeal. Either the stepped- apples, Warden, or we will see that some- in the United States and internationally.
decided to pat Curry down to deliver the up campaign of harassment by certain one else does.” Yet this admission is inadequate with-
message that if he told on one of them guards was specifically aimed at under- Contact Warden David Bobby by phone out efforts to correct the historical dam-
again, the consequences would be more se- mining Curry’s appeal, or it was a remark- at 330-743-0700, by fax at 330-743- age done to the people who have still
vere. Upon his return to his cell, he found it able coincidence. 0841, by e-mail at david.bobby@odrc. not reclaimed their rightful place within
torn apart, like “Hurricane Katrina.” Curry asserts, “I believe I was right. state.oh.us or by mail at Ohio State Peni- modern society. Only with the overthrow
At lunch, a violent struggle ensued. So often all these ‘tough’ prisoners let the tentiary, 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road, of capitalism and imperialism and the sei-
Curry received a severe beating, including police do anything. I always say, ‘Because Youngstown, OH 44505. Please refer to zure of the wealth stolen by the capitalists
head wounds requiring stitches, but he be- y’all won’t deal with it properly, it always Greg Curry’s prisoner #213-159. Free Greg can true reparations be granted to the Af-
lieves that his dreadlocks provided some falls on the next prisoner.’ These were BAD Curry and all political prisoners! rican people.
workers.org_ may 20, 2010 Page 5

On the Picket Line


Steve Nash,

In front of millions
amare Stoudemire, below

‘Los Suns’ stand


by Sue Davis

nursesonthemoveinD.C.
Nurses United of the National Capital Area, which rep-
resents 1,600 registered nurses at Washington Hospital
Center, plan to picket the hospital May 11 to protest its
with immigrant community
demands to reduce earnings and change staffing levels By Monica Moorehead state Capitol. Sharpton says that he personally
and work rules that would negatively impact both patients and Latino/a represen- “opposes the bill,” progres-
and nurses. The current contract at the District of Co- As the Boycott Arizona movement tatives were wearing sive sports columnist Dave
lumbia's largest civilian hospital, which expired April 24, continues to resonate throughout Los Suns jerseys as they Zirin exposed in his May
was extended through May 10. "Under the Washington the U.S. in response to the racist, an- linked arms. 10 “Edge of Sports” article
Hospital Center's new management team, there seems to ti-immigrant Senate Bill 1070, sports TNT, which was air- that Kendrick is organiz-
be a short sightedness and a disturbing tendency to focus world figures are taking a unique and ing the Suns-Spurs game ing a fundraising party in
on market trends instead of excellence in patient care," progressive stand. On May 5 — rec- live, cut away from the his private box at the Dia-
Dottie Hararas, president of the nurses' organization, told ognized as Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican game briefly to an aerial shot of the mondbacks’ stadium on May 20 for
the May 6 Union City!, the online daily newsletter of the holiday — the National Basketball march, which was both a welcome State Senator Jonathan Paton. Paton
Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO. "But for nurses, Association team the Phoenix Suns surprise and unprecedented during is a well-known supporter of SB 1070,
the patient is always the center of everything we do." Will decided to show their opposition to a major U.S. sports event viewed by who has said, “We need to secure the
WHC management learn from the recent four-week strike the racist bill by wearing jerseys em- millions of people. border, and we need to secure it now.
by nurses at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia blazoned with “Los Suns.” Prior to the May 5 game, three That’s why I voted for SB 1070, and
that successfully defeated similar demands? Stay tuned. The players wore the jerseys dur- retired African-American basket- that’s why I urge the governor to sign
ing a semifinal Western Conference ball players expressed support for it.” (thenation.com/blog)
fLoCdemandsrights playoff game with the San Antonio
Spurs in Phoenix. Some fans held
the Suns’ actions and the march
on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show.
This anti-immigrant bill will have
the heaviest impact on MLB, since
fortobaccoworkers up signs saying “Viva Los Suns” and Kenny Smith stated, “I think it’s nearly 30 percent of professional
The Farm Labor Organizing Committee held a protest “Los Fans.” great that the team understands, the baseball players are from Latin
both outside and inside the May 7 shareholders meet- This act gained national and in- management understands, and now America and the Caribbean. This
ing of Reynolds American in Winston-Salem, N.C. FLOC ternational attention, with high- the people of Phoenix are all rallying means that if the bill goes into ef-
is demanding the tobacco giant use its clout to make profile Suns’ players like Amare together at the same time.” fect in August these players can be
growers provide better wages and living conditions for Stoudemire and Steve Nash making Charles Barkley, a former Suns stopped at any time by the police,
the state's 30,000 mostly immigrant tobacco workers. public statements about why this act player, said, “The Hispanic com- detained and fined if they don’t have
Though Reynolds' spokespeople denied responsibil- of solidarity was so important. munity — they’re like the fabric of “proper” identification or papers.
ity for the workers, FLOC leader Baldemar Velásquez Stoudemire, who is African Amer- the cloth. They’re part of our com- The MLB Players Association is
described the confrontation as "a modest breakthrough" ican, stated, “It’s going to be great to munity.” putting pressure on Baseball Com-
because Reynolds acknowledged that there was "a guest wear Los Suns to let the Latin com- Chris Webber chimed in: “Public missioner Bud Selig to have the 2011
worker problem." He vowed that FLOC will persevere in munity know we’re behind them Enemy said it a long time ago — ‘By All-Star game moved from Phoenix
the struggle for tobacco workers' rights. (Winston-Salem 100 percent.” (thenation.com/blog, the Time I Get to Arizona.’ I’m not to another locale if the bill is not re-
Journal, May 8) May 5) During postgame comments surprised. They didn’t even want pealed.
following the Suns’ victory over the there to be a Martin Luther King Day Arizona Governor Jan Brewer,

CiWcontinuefight Spurs, Nash, who is white and was when John McCain was in office. who speaks on behalf of big business
raised in Canada, stated that it was So if you follow history you know interests, wrote a defensive, racist

fortomatoworkers important to take a stand against


“racial profiling” and “racism.”
that this is part of Arizona politics.”
(Dave Zirin, “Edge of Sports”)
column for the world’s largest sports
enterprise, ESPN, on May 5 trying
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers staged a 22-mile (NBA TV, May 5) Nash was the first to explain why an economic boycott
march in mid-April to get Florida-based supermarket NBA player to come out against the Protesting the Diamondbacks was “misguided” and why a “secure”
chain Publix to take a stand against abusive work condi- war on Iraq in 2003. What the Suns did on May 5 border was needed.
tions in the state's tomato fields. The three-day march The Spurs head coach, Gregg comes on the heels of a mush- In the entertainment world, on
began in Tampa and ended at Publix corporate head- Popovich and his team, publicly rooming protest movement against ABC’s popular talk show “The View”
quarters in Lakeland. CIW, whose ongoing campaign supported the Suns’ actions. Major League Baseball’s Arizona on May 6, co-host Whoopi Goldberg
on behalf of tomato workers has persuaded McDonalds, On the same evening, African- Diamondbacks team. The Diamond- wore the “Los Suns” jersey. Gael
Whole Foods and Subway to pay an extra penny a pound American civil rights leader the Rev. backs have faced protests outside of Garcia Bernal, a Mexican actor who
for tomatoes, is urging the public to boycott Publix until Al Sharpton helped lead an immi- stadiums during their road games in played Che Guevara in “The Motor-
it stops buying produce from criminal growers. It took grant rights march of thousands, Chicago and Houston. Future pro- cycle Diaries,” said that the Arizona
Publix more than a year to stop buying from two Florida which passed by the U.S. Airways tests are scheduled for Atlanta, Den- bill is “illegal” and will promote “ra-
tomato farms whose bosses were convicted of slavery Arena where the Suns were playing ver and other cities. cial and cultural discrimination.”
charges in 2008. CIW's latest victory occurred April 1 on its way to a closing rally at the While team owner Ken Kendrick (Prensa Latina, May 4)

‘Boycott Arizona!’
when food service giant Aramark agreed to pay 1.5 cents
more per pound of tomatoes and to abide by a supplier
code of conduct. It's estimated the raise will boost work-
ers' pay by 40 percent to 70 percent.

overtwohundredgroupssupport responds to apartheid law


Employment Non-Discrimination Act By Paul Teitelbaum
Tucson, Ariz.
and other cities in California passed
resolutions calling for a boycott of
Internet is ablaze with videos, on-
line petitions and Facebook groups
Pride at Work, the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer affil-
Arizona. Arizona’s major league that support the boycott. Artists
iate of the AFL-CIO, announced on April 21 that the new
Ever since the signing of Arizona’s baseball team, the Diamondbacks, Against Arizona’s SB 1070 is one
transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination
racist SB 1070, protests and outrage whose owners contributed heavily Facebook group calling on the artist
Act introduced by Rep. Barney Frank has been endorsed
against this apartheid-like law have to the coffers of Arizona politicians community to boycott Arizona. Art-
by 236 organizations and individuals. Unlike earlier bills,
continued nonstop. In addition to who pushed through the bill, is be- ists can join the campaign by find-
the new bill includes gender identity in its definition of
the protests and demonstrations ing boycotted and faces demonstra- ing the group’s Facebook page or by
those who cannot be discriminated against by civilian
demanding the repeal of SB 1070, tors in any city where they play. sending an e-mail to artistsagain-
nonreligious employers with more than 15 employees.
the call for “Boycott Arizona!” has Award-winning author Tayari starizona@yahoo.com.
Beside LGBTQ endorsers, ENDA supporters include allies
emerged and caught fire. Jones wrote eloquently about why This racist, vicious, anti-immi-
representing faith, labor and civil rights communities.
The boycott is a weapon that was she decided to boycott Arizona and grant law was passed in Arizona

Calif.teacherspassresolution effectively wielded against apart-


heid South Africa and was previ-
declined to appear at the Pima Sum-
mer Writers Conference in Tucson:
just as the state prepares to unleash
a harsh and austere budget that at-

toendafghanwar ously used against Arizona in the


early 1990s when the state refused
“That people should be legally re-
quired to show proof of citizenship
tacks public education, health care,
and all social services. This attempt
The California Federation of Teachers passed a resolu- to enact the national Martin Luther is similar to the antebellum man- to divide people and blame immi-
tion on March 20 to end the Afghanistan war and use King Jr. holiday. That boycott cost date that Black people produce ‘free grants for all of society’s ills will
the money to support domestic programs. Sponsored Arizona an estimated $350 million papers’ proving themselves not to not succeed. The Boycott Arizona!
by United Teachers Los Angeles, American Federation in convention business along with be slaves. It recalls the pass system Campaign is a weapon we can use
of Teachers Local 1021, the resolution demands that the 1993 Super Bowl. The economic under South Africa’s Apartheid. to cripple the economy of Arizo-
the military budget for that war be redirected "to meet boycott resulted in the creation of a Sadly, visiting Arizona for a confer- na’s racist ruling class. This can be
urgent human needs domestically, such as education, state MLK holiday. ence or a vacation without fear has a progressive weapon to weaken
healthcare, housing, jobs, and other social programs Immediately after the signing of become an ostentatious display of the Arizona bosses’ economy, just
and public services." In addition, it calls for reparations SB 1070, the American Immigra- privilege.” (tayarijones.com/blog/) as these bosses are attempting to
to support infrastructure and social programs for the tion Lawyers Association decided Hip-hop artists, poets, other en- break down the workers, stealing
Afghan people. The resolution will be raised at the AFT to move its fall 2010 annual confer- tertainers and artists have endorsed jobs, education and access to social
convention in July. ence out of Arizona. San Francisco the Boycott Arizona campaign. The services. Boycott Arizona!
Page_6_ may_20,_2010_ workers.org

Voices from the bus


sound off on joblessness
By Sean Schafron
Baltimore

On a breezy May 8 morning, a


school bus filled with activists left
the Bail Out the People Movement
office in Baltimore and headed for
the Protest For a Jobs Program in
Washington, D.C.
The passengers included young
adults and seniors, and were em-
ployed, unemployed and retired,
male and female, and Black and
white. While not all wished to be
interviewed by Workers World,
the one thing everyone had in
common was the knowledge that

Highschoolstuden
something is terribly, fundamen-
tally wrong with the appalling
state of affairs in this country and
the realization that something
must be done. By Dianne Mathiowetz
Malik Nance, Frank Neisser and Shyrese Brown. WW_Photo:_SEAN_SChAfroN

Organizer Cheryl LaBash of Hundreds of high


Detroit BOPM said: “Fight For message out that there must be a jobs pro- us today and pay attention to our needs.” school students and com-
Jobs is a crucial, important struggle that gram right now, before this situation gets Malik Nance, 21 and unemployed for munity members, many
intersects every problem that working much worse.” three years, pointed out the devastating of them gay and lesbian
people are facing. For example, if you But it was Baltimore area residents who effects the crisis has had on Baltimore’s youth and all of them
don’t have a job you can’t pay your utility were, obviously, most in touch with the lo- Black community. He added, “It’s not opponents of lesbian/
bills, so your utilities are shut off, and then cal crisis. true that the government doesn’t have gay/bi/trans oppression,
you’re either evicted or the bank foreclos- Shyrese Brown is a 21-year-old Black the money available for a jobs program counter-demonstrated
es on your home. The problem we’re con- worker who has been unemployed for nine like the WPA. Rather than build prisons, against seven members
fronting is that while there is apparently months. “I fill out applications and they it’s time they stop taking us for granted of the notoriously anti-
some kind of recovery going on, it doesn’t never call, while I do call them. It’s very and stop sending money everywhere it’s LGBT and anti- Semitic
include jobs for the unemployed.” important to do this protest and to make it not needed. There’s plenty of money out Westboro Baptist Church
Boston organizer Frank Neisser, laid clear that we all need jobs, the youth too. there. They’re living in luxury while poor on May 6 in Atlanta. Two
off from his job as a computer program- The President and Congress must give us people are living on the streets. of the seven were minor
mer and unable to find employment opportunities, because we have nothing to “We’re all here to make our voices children, and the protest-
since, noted: “There needs to be world- do and nowhere to turn.” heard. The government needs to look into ers said it was painful to
wide worker solidarity. There is really no An older African-American resident, our hearts and respond to our call for a see the right wingers use the children to
solution to unemployment in the system, Helen Bell, while grappling with the in- jobs program. That’s why I came and what carry their reactionary signs.
so jobless workers need to take advantage tense problem of having to find a new we all hope to see accomplished today,” The students took over the street inter-
of the time forced upon them to mobilize place to live, was on the bus selflessly de- said Nance. section near Grady High School, opposing
and fight back.” termined to demand the government pro- After the D.C. activities ended and the the Westboro group’s messages of hate, op-
Unemployed Boston BOPM activist vide full employment “rather than spend bus returned to Baltimore, everyone be- pression and bigotry. For two days, May 5
Allan Brown, 30, said, “With 30 million billions fighting wars that are unnecessary lieved that they did, indeed, participate in and 6, the right-wing group had aroused re-
jobless people, we really need to get the and cruel. The people in charge must hear an action that made a difference. sistance at other Atlanta high schools, Jew-

In Vietnam and USA


Fight continues to combat Agent Orange
By Sue Davis like Danang in Vietnam and provide pub- devastating physical and mental dis- gave birth to a third-generation son with
lic health benefits to disabled Vietnamese abilities traced to the toxic chemicals. severe physical problems.
The U.S. war against the Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans. She explained that though the U.S. gov- “Many babies with no limbs or eyes
people continues, though it officially end- Nguyen Thi Hien, a dynamic leader of ernment has donated $3 million to help die very young,” he said, while others are
ed 35 years ago. The poisonous legacy of the Vietnam Association for Victims of the disabled, that money, distributed by forced to live with severe mental and phys-
the war — the contamination of the land Agent Orange/Dioxin and president of nongovernmental organizations, never ical conditions. Noting that many disabled
with chemicals like dioxin in Agent Orange the Danang chapter of VAVA, spoke mov- reached those in desperate need. now receive small allowances from private
— continues to maim millions of Vietnam- ingly about the 4.8 million people who Pham The Minh is one of them. He charities, Minh stressed, “We need the U.S.
ese, now into the third generation. are exposed daily to the poison. A U.N. traced the abnormalities in his heart and to cooperate with our government to im-
But the effects of the 82 million liters of study estimates dioxin contaminates 15 lungs, as well as the deformity in his legs, prove the living conditions of the victims.”
dioxin-containing Agent Orange that the percent of the countryside. to his parents who fought in a heavily “There are consequences to wars,”
U.S. sprayed in Vietnam are not limited Hien noted that 61 chapters of VAVA sprayed province. Minh’s father died of summed up Ratner. “We must make the
to that population. U.S. GIs were also poi- deal with 3 million people living with cancer in 2005, and his younger sister just U.S. pay for the war in Vietnam.”
soned and are now dealing with myriad
disabilities, as are their offspring.
The Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and
Responsibility Campaign, which spon-
Workers reject furlough in NYS
sored the Fifth Agent Orange Justice Tour Several hundred angry New York state
from April 14 to May 16, is continuing its workers gathered in downtown Buffalo
international fight to rectify this situation, May 10 to protest threatened furloughs,
said coordinator Merle Ratner at a May 8 chanting “Cut back Wall Street, Not Main
meeting in New York City. Though its le- Street!” Facing a 20 percent pay cut to
gal suit charging chemical companies like pay for a crisis they didn’t create, workers
Monsanto and Dow with war crimes was from three of the public worker unions,
denied in federal court in 2009, the cam- Civil Service Employees Association,
paign has a new strategy. Public Employees Federation and United
Susan Schnall, a leading anti-Vietnam University Professions, cheered at honks
War activist with Veterans for Peace who of solidarity from passing fire trucks and
has seen the horrific effects of Agent Or- city transit trains. Supporters in the crowd
ange first-hand, announced that Rep. included representatives from the United
John Conyers of Michigan is writing a bill Auto Workers, Working Families Party
to expand disability benefits to U.S. veter- and the International Action Center.
ans and their children, clean up hot spots — Report and photo by Ellie Dorritie
workers.org_ may 20, 2010 Page 7

DC jobs protest says:

Build People’s
Assemblies
migrant worker camps livable.” Other cities represented included Bos-
Protesters at the Department of Labor ton; Cleveland; Jersey City and Newark,
told about the many effects of unemploy- N.J.; Norfolk and Richmond, Va.; Pitts-
ment on their lives and the lives of their burgh; and Rochester, N.Y.
families and friends. They urged that, After the rally, the group marched
with a national unemployment rate be- through the streets of Washington to the
tween 18 percent and 20 percent, it was offices of the Communication Workers
high time the federal government begin union, where they held a strategy summit
undertaking a jobs program of similar to build the movement for a jobs program.
size and scope to the WPA. They also de- Meeting chair Abayomi Azikiwe, a lead-
nounced the heavily armed police block- er of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to
ing the entrance to the Department of La- Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Util-
WW_Photo:_BrENdA_ryAN
By LeiLani Dowell bor — which is, in theory, supposed to be ity Shutoffs in Michigan, described the

nts‘swarm’bigots Washington, D.C. concerned with the plight of workers. abysmal situation in Detroit, which has
Larry Holmes of BOPM in New York an unofficial unemployment rate of 44.5

i
n a powerful, energetic and inspiring opened the protest by stating that, as op- percent and a youth unemployment rate
day of action, activists, unemployed posed to the phony “war on terror” cham- of 80 to 90 percent. Vidya Sankar of the
aTLanTa people, students and youth, and com-
munity organizers from across the East
pioned by the government and media,
“real terror is when you don’t have a job,
North Carolina chapter of FIST discussed
the formation of a People’s Empower-
Coast and Midwest converged on the De- when you don’t have health care.” ment Movement in response to massive
partment of Labor on May 8 to honor the Sharon Black, a BOPM leader who trav- layoffs and furloughs in Raleigh, N.C.
75th anniversary of the Works Projects eled to Washington, D.C., with a busload In addition to the push for People’s As-
Administration — by demanding a con- of people from Baltimore, stated that semblies, a lively discussion ensued, with
crete jobs program, now. They then held those present were picking up the struggle various points contributing toward the
a meeting to strategize around their de- that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other formation of a political program. In ad-
mands and plan future events. leaders had advanced before King was as- dition to a massive, federally funded jobs
Proposed actions resulting from the sassinated — the right to a job for all. program, some of the overarching themes
meeting include the creation of People’s Larry Hales, a leader of Fight Imperial- included full legalization for all immi-
Assemblies to be held in various cities to ism, Stand Together youth group, spoke grants, an end to the school-to-prison
help link struggles and movements to- on the importance of the participation of pipeline, self-determination for all op-
gether; national days of outrage and local youth, including high school and college pressed peoples, defense of public educa-
speak-outs against unemployment; com- students, in the fight for jobs and educa- tion, and an end to all U.S. wars.
munity-labor action committees inside tion, not jails. Folks from Baltimore and Washington,
local unions to support the fight for jobs; Three New York City high school stu- D.C., described their struggles to avoid
Photo:_ProJECt_q_AtLANtA
and connecting with student and youth dents were among many youth who being evicted from their homes. Youth
ish institutions and public venues. But this calls for an Oct. 7 day of action in support shared their experiences. Debanjan from raised the idea of forming collectives to
time the rainbow of youths at this midtown of public education. the borough of Queens said it was “dis- create their own jobs. Many expressed the
school responded in a highly organized According to a press release from the gusting that it’s impossible for me to get need to fight now to preserve the future
fashion, declaring that their message of ac- day’s organizers, the Bail Out the People a job so I can go to college — but they al- for the youth. Activists explained how the
ceptance and love would triumph. Movement: “Seventy-five years ago … ways have jails available.” Roseena, who capitalist system works to ensure a re-
At one point, the crowd swarmed across on May 6, 1935, President Franklin D. lives in the Bronx, described being in serve army of labor, the unemployed, to
the street. The Westboro reactionaries Roosevelt signed the executive order es- a lottery for summer jobs after the New keep wages low and sow divisions among
hastily left their corner and headed for their tablishing the Work Projects Adminis- York state and city government cut fund- workers. Workers discussed challenging
vehicle. The protesters stayed right behind tration, the biggest public jobs program ing to the Summer Youth Employment the Tea Party’s racist, reactionary pro-
them. Despite police efforts to get the stu- in the history of the country. Between Program. Primavera, also from the Bronx, gram with a real people’s program.
dents to disperse, the young people kept up 1935 and 1941, more than 8 million WPA said youth are beginning to say, “Hell no! To get involved with the growing move-
their demonstration on a nearby busy street workers did every job imaginable — from It’s my right to work!” Other youth from ment against unemployment and for a
for several hours as motorists in passing building bridges, schools and hospitals, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Providence, R.I., jobs program, visit www.bailoutpeople.
cars honked and waved in support. to teaching school and helping to make and New York spoke at the rally. org.

Rally demands jobs, defends immigrants


By Judy Greenspan
San Francisco.
said that Richmond is “a human rights of Black contractors,
San Francisco city. We are a diverse community, and echoed these sentiments.
we just passed a measure denouncing the “We have to support im-
More than 100 people gathered out- anti-immigrant Arizona law.” The dem- migrant families in Ari-
side the San Francisco Federal Building onstration echoed national sentiment op- zona, because we have
to demand a “real jobs program” for the posing Arizona’s SB 1070. been there too.” Ratcliff
millions of unemployed in this country. Many speakers hailed the importance also spoke about the local
Organized by the San Francisco Bail Out of the WPA and noted that without mas- struggle unfolding in the
the People Movement, this May 8 protest sive protests by millions of unemployed Bay View neighborhood
commemorated the 75th anniversary of workers during the Great Depression, involving the building
the Works Projects Administration, the President Franklin D. Roosevelt would of the new community
depression-era jobs program that put never have signed the federal jobs pro- library. “African Ameri-
millions of unemployed back to work. The gram into law. Aileen Hernandez, a re- cans have been locked
protest also demanded that the govern- tired organizer with the Ladies Garment out for years from con-
ment do whatever it takes to create jobs Workers union, noted that it took a long struction jobs,” Ratcliff
needed by the more than 30 million un- time for the Roosevelt administration to noted. “We’re going to
aileen Hernandez and John Parker. WW_Photo:_Judy_GrEENSPAN
employed. “put out a jobs program. The people had win the right to build the
John Parker, a leader of BOPM, Los to come together on the bottom to push.” new Bay View Library.” are still being laid off,” Rodriguez stated.
Angeles, set the tone of the protest when Hernandez, now a civil rights and Pablo Rodriguez, a local college profes- He called for massive resistance against
he said, “It’s the banks that are stealing women’s rights activist, drew attention sor and political director of the Ameri- the layoffs and cuts in education.
our jobs, not the immigrant community.” to the millions of dollars being spent on can Federation of Teachers Local 2121, The local BOPM coalition, which in-
Parker pointed out that “instead of profil- wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: “It takes brought attention to the “extermination of cludes many labor, community, religious
ing immigrant workers, the government $1 million to keep a soldier in those wars. union jobs and unionization.” Rodriguez and civil rights groups in the Bay Area, has
should be profiling big business” and add- Imagine what that money could do here.” noted that the rich are richer than ever be- scheduled a film showing about the WPA
ed that the workers and jobless need to be Willie Ratcliff, publisher of the San fore and over 1,000 teachers in San Fran- on Saturday, May 22 at 1 p.m. in the SF
“in solidarity with each other.” Francisco Bay View newspaper and head cisco have just been laid off. “This is the Gray Panthers Office, 1182 Market St. For
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin of Liberty Builders, an organization richest country on the planet and teachers more information call 415-738-4739.
Page_8_ may_20,_2010_ workers.org

BP disaster

Oil industry ‘fix’ fails, spill spreads


By Gene Clancy ating giant fireballs which capsized and tinued to spread. Floating tar balls have workers had finished pumping cement
destroyed the rig. washed up on some of the Louisiana bar- to fill the space between the pipe and the
Seven British Petroleum executives The seven executives were rescued, but rier islands, just three miles from the sides of the hole and had begun temporar-
gathered on the Deepwater Horizon drill- 11 workers lost their lives. Since then, an coastline. An oily sheen already covers ily plugging the well with cement; it isn’t
ing platform in the Gulf of Mexico on estimated 3 million gallons of crude oil many beaches and saltwater marshes. Ex- known whether they had completed the
April 20 to “celebrate the project’s safety has gushed into the Gulf of Mexico. Oil perts expect that this spill will become the plugging process before the blast.
record.” Considering the dismal past safe- industry officials stated that they knew worst in U.S. history. Regulators have previously identified
ty performance of BP, the rig’s owner, this about the methane crystals and have of- problems in the cementing process as a
would seem to have been a hollow exer- ten encountered them in underwater Halliburton … again! leading cause of well blowouts, in which oil
cise. Several miles below them, natural drilling operations. One of the largest energy services com- and natural gas surge out of a well with ex-
forces were preparing to spoil their party panies in the world, Halliburton, has been plosive force. When cement develops cracks
in a deadly way. A long shot fails found to have had a part in the current ca- or doesn’t set properly, oil and gas can es-
A University of California Berkeley pro- On May 8, BP chief operations officer tastrophe. The giant company, once led cape, ultimately flowing out of control.”
fessor, Robert Bea, who worked for Shell Doug Suttles announced that a desperate by former Vice President Dick Cheney, A 2007 Minerals Management Services
Oil in the 1960s during the last big north- operation designed to stem the flow of oil became infamous as one of most egre- study found that “cementing problems
ern Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout, has had suffered a “setback.” gious Iraq War contractors, which ripped were associated with 18 of 39 [oil rig]
revealed details of what happened in the Workers had lowered a huge concrete off millions of dollars in no-bid contracts blowouts between 1992 and 2006.”
disaster. Far below, workers were con- and steel “containment box” over the well- and put thousands of their workers at risk It seems that as with the current eco-
verting the drilling rig from an explora- head, which is a mile below the surface. of their lives. It had largely faded from nomic depression, it is the working class
tion well to a production well. However, a buildup of the same methane public view since President Obama en- which is forced to pay the price for envi-
In an attempt to set a concrete seal crystals that were involved in the initial tered office — until now. ronmental disasters, as with capitalist cri-
around the wellhead, the workers applied disaster coated the sides of the contain- As the provider of crucial cementing ses. It is remarkable that two giant energy
heat and reduced pressure on the drilling ment box and clogged the opening out of services on the oil rig that exploded and industries, coal mining and oil drilling,
pipe. This process allowed a giant meth- which the oil was to have been funneled. set off the massive spill in the Gulf, Hal- have managed to not only befoul the envi-
ane gas bubble to form. Deep beneath the Workers had to lift the containment box liburton finds itself under scrutiny once ronment, but also to kill and maim work-
seafloor, methane gas is in a slushy, crys- and set it to one side, while the company again. The company says it had four work- ers, most recently with deadly methane
talline form. But as the bubble rose up the decides what to do next. ers on the doomed oil platform at the time gas explosions at the Upper Big Branch
drill column to the shallows, the greatly “I wouldn’t say it’s failed yet,” Suttles of the explosion. Mine disaster, which occurred on April 5
decreased pressure allowed the bubble to said. “What I would say is what we at- The Wall Street Journal last week high- at Massey Energy’s coal mine in Raleigh
grow and intensify. A giant cloud of gas tempted to do last night didn’t work.” lighted the possible role of cementing in County, West Virginia, and the April 20
enveloped the platform. Engines on the Meanwhile the huge, gooey, toxic mass the April 20 accident: Horizon Deepwater disaster in the Gulf of
drilling platform raced and exploded, cre- of oil released by the disaster has con- “In the case of the Deepwater Horizon, Mexico.

Reviewing Water Wars


Cochabamba conference targets corporations
By Jen Waller of the collective wisdom in the room and similar struggles as our guide, the people
share different strategies and tactics for must channel our energy into chasing off
I had the opportunity to attend the April taking on corporations. The audience was the corporations that privatize our local
20-22 World People’s Conference on Cli- made up of people from all over the world. resources and sell them back to us at ex-
mate Change and the Rights of Mother At the end of the presentations, each per- orbitant prices — all the while destroying
Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where son in the audience was asked to write on a our habitats and throwing off the equilib-
people from all over the world initiated a piece of paper one idea they had for taking rium our Mother Earth requires to sus-
discussion about finding real solutions to on corporations. tain human life.
the climate crisis. During this conference, Then we passed them to the person to Discussions among the world’s big
I attended an April 21 workshop called our left and a few of them were read aloud. powers at the White House and the Unit-
“Taking action against corporations that Some of the things we came up with were: ed Nations — and likewise the conference
damage the climate,” which brought up the m Interview disgruntled employees of in Copenhagen last December — have
Water Wars against Bechtel Corporation. the corporation who may be willing to evaded the true structural causes of the
Evo Morales, the Indigenous president disclose insider information that can crisis we face. They fail to address the ex-
of Bolivia, had called for the conference. be used against the corporation. ploitation of Mother Earth at the hands of
It was appropriately held on the ten-year m Stop drinking Coca-Cola. corporations and the idea that the natural
anniversary of the Water Wars against m Become educated and smarter con- resources we all require for survival can
Bechtel, which also took place in Coch- sumers and develop an independent be privatized, bought and sold.
abamba. President Morales was a key ac- press to help. On the Cochabamba conference’s final
tor in the Water Wars. At that time he was Photo:_thomAS_KruSE m Create discontent among the masses day, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
a leader of the cocaleros, the coca growers From a pamphlet on the events of 2000: about the heads of the corporation said, “If the hegemony of capitalism con-
in the Chapare region of the department ‘a Bolivian woman holds back the advance so that they don’t want to show their tinues on this planet, human life will one
of Cochabamba. of government forces with a single slingshot
faces in public. day come to an end. For those of you who
The cocaleros were known for fighting during the Water War on the streets of down-
town Cochabamba.’
m Create community versions and believe that’s an exaggeration, one must
against U.S. repression and resisting the control of the services the corpora- remember this: The planet lived for mil-
so-called war on drugs, and they joined tions provide so that the people are lions of years without the human species.”
control of the economies of many in-
the water uprising because they were no longer dependant on corporations, The workshop showed one way to start
debted nations in the global South, has
fighting foreign control in general. and they become obsolete. working to overthrow this hegemony, by
also taken the opportunity to get into the
The Water Wars against Bechtel came What happened in that room is a min- coming together as one and brainstorm-
water business. But water is just one ex-
at a time when foreign companies were iature version of what is happening in ing ideas of ways to channel our anger
ample of dwindling natural resources,
privatizing many Bolivian resources: people’s social movements around the into action. Now write down your idea
and corporate interests are scrambling
Before the water they privatized gas, oil, world. Using the Water Wars and other and pass it to the person on your left.
to gain ownership of all the remaining
electricity, and more. When Bechtel came
supplies. Faced with such a challenge, we
to Bolivia under an assumed name and MarxisM, reparations & the Black Freedom struggle
can be encouraged by what the people of
tried to privatize the water with the back-
Cochabamba did in 2000 as an incredibly An anthology of writings from Workers World newspaper.
ing of the World Bank, the people had had Edited by Monica Moorehead.
important and powerful example of tak-
enough. From factory workers to farmers Racism, National Oppression & Self-Determination Larry_holmes_
ing on corporate control of resources.
to environmentalists, the people of Coch- Black Labor from chattel Slavery to Wage Slavery Sam_marcy
abamba rose up to drive out the gigantic Water Wars’ veterans take the lead Black Youth: Repression & Resistance LeiLani_dowell
CovEr_iLLuStrAtioN_By_SAhu_BArroN

Bechtel Corporation. The facilitator of the April 21 panel was the Struggle for Socialism is Key monica_moorehead
All over the world, water scarcity is Jim Shultz of the Democracy Center in Co- Black & Brown unity: A Pillar of Struggle for Human Rights
swiftly becoming a crisis situation. The chabamba, which played an instrumental and Global Justice! Saladin_muhammad
world’s fresh water supply is dwindling, Alabama’s Black Belt: Legacy of Slavery, Sharecropping
support role in the Water Wars. The pan-
and Segregation Consuela_Lee_
as demand for it increases, tripling be- elists included Bolivian Water War activist Harriet tubman, Woman Warrior mumia_Abu-Jamal
tween 1950 and 1990. This situation cre- Marcela Olivera, an organizer from Ama- Are conditions Ripe Again today? 40th Anniversary
ates an incredibly lucrative industry for zon Watch in Ecuador and an activist from of the 1965 Watts Rebellion John_Parker
corporations looking to invest in water. Camp for Climate Action in Britain. Racism and Poverty in the Delta Larry_hales
The World Bank, which already has The panel’s goal was to take advantage Haiti Needs Reparations, Not Sanctions Pat_Chin Available at Leftbooks.com
workers.org_ may 20, 2010 Page 9

PUERTO RICO
Student stike stops brutal cuts at UPR
By Berta Joubert-Ceci

Under a constant rain, more than 5,000


students from the 11 campuses of the Uni-
versity of Puerto Rico marched to the of-
fices of the president on May 7 to show
their unity and demand that management
sit down and negotiate. Since April 23 the
students have held stoppages, temporary
strikes or indefinite strikes, depending
on the individual campuses. Students at
the main campus in Rio Piedras, home
to more than 19,000 students, have led
the struggle. They declared an indefinite
strike after the administration refused to Left, on May 5 students demonstrate at the office of a university trustee. above, Students block the main entrance of the Rio Piedras campus.
negotiate.
The students demand that UPR rescind with the severe economic crisis affecting From day one, the students have reached tiated discussion of the agreement. Stu-
“Certification Number 98.” C98 increases Puerto Rico following the economic crisis out to the people. Their main message is dents will meet in assembly during the
general tuition; suspends tuition exemp- in the U.S. Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony that their actions are not only on behalf of coming week.
tions now granted to honor students, the whose economy is completely attached to the current student body, but a defense of Some of the points in the agreement
children of UPR employees and students that of the empire. the Puerto Rican people’s right to higher are: C98 will be rewritten to continue the
on UPR sports teams, among others; and education. They especially defend the chil- exemptions on tuitions. The university
institutes other antipeople measures that unity and solidarity in action dren of the poor, who make up 75 percent commits to not privatizing any of the cam-
would effectively result in the privatiza- University employees, both teaching of UPR students. This appeal has truly res- puses, nor will it sell any of the facilities
tion of this public university. and nonteaching, have joined the strike onated, and small children are frequently such as stadiums, theaters, gymnasiums,
Since April 23 many students have been and demonstrate together with students seen in demonstrations wearing signs and laboratories, and it will only increase
camping inside, occupying the Rio Piedras at the gates of the Rio Piedras campus. All reading, “Class of 2025.” tuition after exhausting all other possibili-
campus and successfully stopping all class- over the island, many sectors of the work- ties of increasing revenues.
es and activities in spite of a police pres- ing class have joined in active solidarity. Strikers force the uPR administration On May 11 representatives of the 11
ence. The cops include riot police, sum- Artists, public and private student bodies, back to the table campuses will meet to deliberate about
moned by the administration, which is in parents, political and pro-independence After the march on May 7, the Students the agreement. In the meantime, the
partnership with the neoliberal, pro-U.S. organizations and parties, religious and Negotiating Committee and the UPR, strike continues. Even though the agree-
government of Governor Luis Fortuño. other organizations have joined. People represented by the president of the Board ment is a step in the right direction, the
The Fortuño administration has im- bring food to the students who are camp- of Administrators and the UPR president, students still view it as incomplete. They
posed austerity measures on the island, ing inside the Rio Piedras grounds. On reached a tentative agreement. This ini- want assurance that students involved in
including layoffs of thousands of pub- Mother’s Day, mothers of the students tial document represents a partial victory more direct actions are not penalized.
lic service workers, as its way of dealing proudly spent the day with them. for the students. On May 8 the board ini- Email: bjceci@workers.org

At nuclear arms talks at U.N.


U.S. threatens first strike on Iran
By Sara Flounders to be in violation of nonproliferation less of the risk to humanity or the cost fourth round of sanctions have continued.
rules. to U.S. workers, the sheer multibillion- While Washington demands endless
A month-long meeting, involving 189 The corporate-owned media actually dollar size of and super profits to major inspections of Iranian sites, it refuses to
countries, is underway at the United Na- described this as a disarmament proposal! corporate military contractors and thou- give any information on the deployment
tions. It’s the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Just after this announcement, Presi- sands of subcontractors in the U.S. capi- of its 12 nuclear-powered ballistic mis-
Treaty (NPT) Review. dent Obama flew to Prague and with great talist economy all mean that there is a sile submarines that are on “hair-trigger”
This review of a nuclear disarmament flourish signed, with Russian President sector of the ruling class demanding that nuclear-launch readiness. These giant
treaty that went into effect 40 years ago Medvedev, a new Strategic Arms Reduc- these weapons systems continue to be death machines are each armed with 24
occurs every 5 years. Its stated purpose tion Treaty to reduce the number of active built. This was once justified using Cold Trident-II missiles with a range of more
was disarmament by the countries hold- nuclear weapons to 1,550. War anti-communist rhetoric and now than 4,000 nautical miles. Each of the
ing nuclear weapons, stopping the spread But the New York Times gave the real using “anti-terrorist” rhetoric. 24 missiles on board a sub has 4 MIRV
or proliferation of nuclear weapons to reason for the disarmament proposals nuclear warheads. This is total of 1,152
other countries, and the right of all coun- in the Nuclear Posture Review and the u.S. deflects attention from its arsenal nuclear warheads hidden underwater in
tries to use nuclear technology for peace- START Treaty with Russia. “At the heart The problem Washington faced, at a the oceans of the world, including in the
ful purposes. of President Obama’s new nuclear strat- world conference to discuss disarma- Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and off
Almost the only U.S. media attention egy lies a central gamble: that an aging, ment, was how to deflect attention from the coast of Korea.
of this international gathering has been oversize, increasingly outmoded nuclear the U.S.’s own role and any demands for The U.S. has never demanded or even
the ridicule, threats and demonization arsenal can be turned to the new purpose clear disarmament. proposed inspection of the 400 nuclear
heaped on Iranian President Mahmoud of adding leverage” against Iran and North The solution was Secretary of State weapons held by Israel with U.S. techni-
Ahmadinejad, the only head of state to Korea. “We think we now have credibility Hillary Clinton’s demand to discuss the cal support and decades of diplomatic and
take the disarmament conference seri- Bush never did to tighten the noose,” said totally unsubstantiated charges that Iran political cover.
ously enough to attend it and offer con- one of Obama’s aides. (April 6) is a global nuclear threat because the Washington continues to raise the
crete suggestions on how to meet the What could be a more cynical maneu- country could develop the capacity at fear that Iran or North Korea will spread
goals of nuclear disarmament. ver than signing a treaty on disarmament some point years in the future to build a nuclear weapons to other countries. The
Rather than hear a call for NPT to over- to give more weight to a first-strike nucle- nuclear weapon. NPT prohibits nuclear weapons states
see disarmament of all nuclear-armed ar threat against Iran and the Democratic The U.S. holds the majority of nuclear from transferring nuclear weapons — in-
states within a specific timeframe and a People’s Republic of Korea? weapons — an enormous arsenal of 5,113 cluding the direct or indirect control of
Middle East Nuclear Free Zone, the nu- Hopes were dashed for those who took warheads by Washington’s own admis- such weapons — to nonnuclear weapons
clear powers of U.S., Britain and France President Obama at his word a year ago sion. Iran is still at the technical level of states. But this is exactly what the U.S. it-
orchestrated a public walk-out during the in Prague in the midst of his first Euro- attempting to develop lowly enriched self does.
Iranian president’s U.N. talk. They used pean trip as president when he outlined nuclear energy for fuel, lighting and med- Hundreds of B61 thermonuclear bombs
their enormous political and economic a goal of “a world without nuclear weap- icine. Iran has enriched uranium to less and Tomahawk cruise missiles, among
strength to pressure 30 other countries to ons.” There was hope for at least a blanket than 5 percent, consistent with fuel for a other U.S. nuclear weapons, are pres-
participate in the walk-out. statement that the U.S. would never be small civilian nuclear power plant. Nu- ently “hosted” in the nonnuclear NATO
More ominous than the symbolism of the first to use nuclear weapons. clear weapons use uranium that is highly countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, the
a U.S.-led walk-out on disarmament pro- It is essential to understand that nuclear enriched to more than 90 percent. Such Netherlands and Turkey. U.S. nuclear
posals were the actions in Washington in weapons taken from active status do not enrichment requires technology that Iran weapons were held for decades in South
the month leading up to the NPT. have to be destroyed. The number of oper- does not possess. Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Guam.
President Barack Obama, while an- ationally inactive stockpiled nuclear war- Although the International Atomic En- Far from submitting to intrusive in-
nouncing the results of the Nuclear Pos- heads will remain in the high thousands as ergy Agency, the watch-dog agency set up spections as it demands of Iran and North
ture Review of the Pentagon’s weapons “responsive reserve warheads,” part of the by the U.N., has consistently reported no Korea, the U.S. will neither confirm nor
on April 5, explicitly asserted the right to “Stockpile Management Program.” evidence of links to a nuclear weapons deny the presence or absence of nuclear
make a nuclear first-strike against Iran There is another impediment to any program in Iran, the U.S. threats, sanc- weaponry on board its nuclear-powered
and North Korea if the U.S. deemed them form of real U.S. disarmament. Regard- tions and efforts at a still-more-stringent aircraft supercarriers.
Page_10_ may_20,_2010_ workers.org

WORKERS WORLD

editorial imperialisthostility
Stop terror: continuesafterSudan’svote
Get U.S. out of Asia By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
At the same time Carter acknowledged
“the generally peaceful nature of the vot-
ing process,” and noted that the more than

W
e never trust what the state au- New York prisons. They will attempt to National election results in Sudan re- 60 percent turnout far exceeded the nor-
thorities say regarding someone legitimize the increasing militarization turned President Omar Hassan al-Bashir mal participation of most U.S. national
held completely in their power. of the country — cops with submachine to power in Africa’s largest geographic na- elections.
Nor do we trust what the corporate guns on the subway platforms; increased tion-state. The ruling National Congress Other Western-based institutions and
media spreads about the prisoner, his screenings at the airports. Party won an overwhelming majority, regional organizations reiterated calls
or her history or alleged motives. Even During the worst economic crisis since with Bashir gaining 68 percent of the vote for the overturning of the Sudanese gov-
less would we trust what they say about the Great Depression — in the days fol- and the first vice-president and president ernment. Human Rights Watch said that
someone charged with “terrorism.” lowing a massive, national upsurge of of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, taking 93 per- Bashir should not be immune from ICC
We do know, however, that the story workers on May Day — they will attempt cent in the southern region. arrest and prosecution.
spread against the person accused of to divide with their continuing racist, These were the first multi-party elec- The European Union declared that it
trying to explode a car in New York City’s anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant campaign. tions held in Sudan since 1986, when the welcomed “the largely peaceful conduct
Times Square on May 1 has a political Whatever the truth behind the Times results failed to resolve Sudan’s internal of the recent election” but “expressed con-
context. We knew immediately that the Square incident, it is U.S. imperialist political crisis and prompted a military cerns about the deficiencies in relation to
U.S. government and corporate media aggression in that region that has created coup that brought Bashir to power in 1989. international standards.” The organiza-
would spin the story to justify U.S. war a political context for such an act. Any Since the early 1990s, relations between tion of 27 member states called on Sudan
policy toward Pakistan, Afghanistan and attack aimed at civilians is grotesque, but the Sudanese government and Western “to cooperate fully with the ICC in accor-
the entire West and Central Asian region, this one would be minuscule compared to imperialist countries have deteriorated. dance with its obligation under interna-
and that the police authorities at home the deaths, injuries, destruction and utter In 2008, the International Criminal Court tional law.” (Sudan Tribune, April 26)
would use it to try to diminish Constitu- chaos that U.S. imperialism has brought in The Hague issued indictments against Sudan has refused to accept the legiti-
tional guarantees for freedom. to Iraq and Afghanistan and has begun to Bashir and other leading government macy of the ICC and maintains that the
In the days since the incident, Sec- inflict on the 170 million Pakistanis. members, accusing them of war crimes in indictments against Bashir are designed
retary of State Hillary Clinton on CBS Over the last 20 years U.S. sanctions, their efforts to battle the rebel movements to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
threatened the elected government of war and occupation have killed 2 million in Sudan’s western Darfur region. Sudan is one of the emerging oil-produc-
Pakistan — which is a U.S. ally and a Iraqis, made 5 million refugees and di- Western imperialist states and their ing states in Africa; the government cites
virtual client state of U.S. imperialism vided Iraq in three parts in order to rule observers claimed that widespread ir- this as a major factor in Western efforts to
— with “severe consequences” if the inci- it. Its 30 years of subversion, invasion regularities occurred in the elections replace the leadership.
dent was traced to Pakistan. Though U.S. and outright occupation have prevented and that the overall outcome left much In the United States, anti-Sudan forces
spokespeople have tried to soften this, progressive development in Afghanistan. to be desired. The European Union de- have criticized the Obama administra-
such a threat is not easily forgotten. Now it is sending more troops. Only the clared that despite the internationally tion for not having a clear foreign policy
In reality this threat is part of the U.S. Pentagon’s iron control of the media supervised elections, the political officials toward the Bashir government. Last year
pressure on the Pakistan regime to wage prevents more frequent revelations of should still be arrested and brought to President Barack Obama appointed a spe-
a more aggressive war against “insur- U.S. atrocities against civilians, commit- trial in the Netherlands. cial envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who
gents” in the border zones — meaning ted both by troops flying U.S. and NATO Some opposition parties echoed the has attempted to open up dialogue be-
the use of more military force against flags and by the U.S. mercenaries “con- West’s complaints and even said the tween Khartoum and Washington.
their own people. When the Pakistan tracted” as substitute hired killers. outcome of the vote was illegitimate. Congressional Rep. Frank Wolf recent-
army goes in, it may kill some fighters There is a courageous civilian op- Nonetheless, the African Union, which ly stated in a letter to Obama that Gration
but it unquestionably kills many civil- position in Pakistan to the attacks by represents 53 member states, hailed the has not enacted the right policy toward
ians, provoking what can turn into a hor- the army and the drones. It has dem- elections. The AU has opposed the ICC Sudan. Others, such as New York Times
rible civil war in this vast country. onstrated that it can mobilize hundreds indictments, maintaining that the court columnist Nicholas Kristof, have called
The Pentagon in the meantime has of thousands and has mass support. Of is jeopardizing the peace process and the for the bombing of the Sudan Air Force.
stepped up its high-tech war on the peo- course, U.S. policy is aimed at stopping country’s overall political stability. (The East African, May 10)
ple of Pakistan from the safety of high- this movement. AU Commissioner Jean Ping said that A statement by the so-called Save Dar-
tech bases in the United States. Remotely Those in the U.S. who want an end to he commended “the people of the Sudan fur Coalition, which campaigns for U.S.
piloted planes fire rockets on houses in the violence should remember how this and Sudanese political parties for peace- military intervention in Sudan, said that
Pakistan. They hit extended families at was achieved during an earlier war — the fully conducting the just-concluded multi- “President Obama must lead world lead-
wedding parties. They hit farmers. The war on Vietnam. A massive opposition party general elections. These elections ers to not recognize President Omar al-
Pentagon claims they hit “Pakistani Tal- here to that war helped end it and stay constitute a fundamental milestone to- Bashir as a legitimately elected leader
iban.” On one day — May 11 — they fired the hands of the war profiteers. wards realizing democratic transforma- and to press for meaningful steps towards
18 rockets from four of these drones into More than ever, we need a mass tion … as espoused by the 2005 Compre- political freedom in Sudan in the run-up
a border village. movement of people in the United States hensive Peace Agreement.” (April 17) The to next year’s referendum to determine
demanding the troops be pulled out of CPA was the result of negotiations after a independence for South Sudan.” (Inter
Anti-Muslim repression here Iraq and Afghanistan, and demanding no ceasefire between the Sudan People’s Lib- Press Service, April 20)
We also know that the local and attacks on Pakistan. We want the hun- eration Movement and the central govern- In response to the Sudan elections, the
federal government, with the help of dreds of billions of dollars wasted on war ment at the conclusion of a 20-year civil Obama administration said: “The United
the corporate media, will attempt to use to be spent on jobs, homes and health war from 1983-2003. Both parties to the States notes the initial assessment of inde-
this incident to further increase repres- care here. CPA accepted the election results. pendent electoral observers that Sudan’s
sion in the U.S. They will use it to justify Let’s build solidarity, not hatred, Bashir said that the country would go elections did not meet international stan-
their attacks on the Pakistani immigrant between the working class of the U.S. ahead with a referendum on the future of dards. Political rights and freedoms were
community — at a time when at least two and the farmers, workers and progressive the southern region in 2011. (Al-Rayaam, circumscribed throughout the electoral
Pakistani political prisoners, Dr. Aafia people of Pakistan, as well as with the April 25) process, there were reports of intimidation
Siddiqui and Fahad Hashmi, languish in Pakistani community here. The Sudan Tribune noted, “Observers and threats of violence in South Sudan,
say that the agreement between the two ongoing conflict in Darfur did not permit
respective ruling parties in the North and an environment conductive to acceptable
“Low-Wage capitalism by Fred Goldstein is a most timely work, South, committing themselves to accep- elections, and inadequacies in technical
as the working class prepares for a fightback during the greatest crisis tance of the results before they are official- preparations for the vote resulted in seri-
of capitalism since the Great Depression.” ly released, signifies a giant step towards ous irregularities.” (IPS, April 20)
clarence thomas, ILWU Local 10 and Co-chair, Million Worker March Movement maintaining the status quo.” (April 21) The White House indicated that Wash-
ington “remains committed to working
Attacks against Sudan continue with the international community to sup-
The United States observers, including port the implementation of outstanding
the Carter Center, expressed their reser- elements of the CPA and ensure that the
Low-Wage Capitalism vations about the election process and its referendum happens on time and that its
results are respected.”
outcome.
What the new globalized high-tech imperial- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
ism means for the class struggle in the u.S. said in a statement, “It is obvious that the
Fred Goldstein’s book provides an easy-to- elections will fall short of international
read analysis of the roots of the current global standards that are expected of advanced
economic crisis, its implications for workers and you can subscribe at workers.org.
democracies.” Carter expressed a lack of
oppressed peoples, and the strategy needed faith in the ability of the Sudanese peo- Follow Workers World on Twitter http://
for future struggle. ple to conduct their own internal affairs twitter.com/workersworld.
Paperback,_336_pages._includes_graphs,_charts,_ by emphasizing the role of international
bibliography,_endnotes_and_index. Facebook http://bit.ly/c4ndyg.
observers. According to Carter, Western
monitors were essential to ensure a quali- Or write to Workers World Newspaper
Available at www.Leftbooks.com and bookstores around the country fied outcome. (Final Call, April 25) 55 W. 17th St, #5C, New york, Ny 10033
workers.org_ may 20, 2010 Page 11

With strikes and demonstrations


Greek workers reject capitalist austerity
By Deirdre Griswold the states and municipalities.
In Greece, however, the workers’
A combative and confident workers’ organizations are led increasingly
movement in Greece is throwing a mon- by communists, who are refusing to
key wrench into the plans of Europe’s pol- bow down before capital’s demands.
iticians, who are trying to revive the capi- They don’t buy the argument that
talist system by further grinding down the workers must sacrifice in order
workers’ wages and benefits. to keep the system stable. The sys-
Greek workers have been demonstrat- tem is already completely unstable
ing in the tens of thousands, calling on for the workers. Capital is now de-
their class sisters and brothers through- manding draconian cuts that, if al-
out Europe to rise up against the austerity lowed to happen, would not just
plans that politicians of various stripes, reduce workers’ income further, but
from Britain’s Labour Party to Germany’s would plunge them into a crisis of
conservative coalition, have been carrying hunger and homelessness.
out in cahoots with the owners of the mul- So, beginning May 5, a general
tinational corporations and banks. strike by both private and public sec-
In Greece the social democratic gov- tor unions — the sixth general strike CrEdit:_KKE
ernment has also given in to the demands this year — paralyzed Greece for 48 hours. Message from the Parthenon. europe’s most class-conscious workers support the Greek
of big capital, cutting wages and gutting The day before, the workers came out in people's struggle.
pensions and social services, but the yet another militant demonstration and,
workers’ organizations are refusing to ac- at the Acropolis high above Athens, sev- imperialist, democratic front that will capitalist system.”
cept this poisonous prescription. eral hundred young people from the Com- overthrow the power of the monopolies Capitalism “cannot become human”
All over the capitalist world, govern- munist Party of Greece (KKE) unfurled and will struggle for people’s power. Peo- or avoid crises, says the KKE. “The more
ments are in crisis as a result of the con- two huge banners down the rock walls ple should have no trust in the parties of powerful the monopolies get, the more
traction of the financial markets. The below the Parthenon calling for “Peoples the plutocracy or in the EU.” the workers and the people will suffer, the
Greek government is no exception. Like all of Europe, Rise up” in Greek and English. The statement says that the brutal greater parasitism, corruption and bar-
the others, it came to rely greatly on credit antiworker policies of the government barity will become. …
during the period of unbridled expansion communist May Day statement “will persist and will escalate as long as “The working class is the most power-
and speculation — and low taxes on the The KKE has a long history of resis- the workers and the people do not show ful social force. It produces the wealth; it
rich — that turned millionaires into mul- tance. It struggled against a fascist regime their real strength. The subversion of so- creates and makes the factories, the en-
tibillionaires. When the bubbles burst, the and German occupation during World cial security rights, the dramatic rise in terprises and the infrastructure work.”
financiers demanded bailouts, threatening War II, participated in a civil war against retirement age limits, the drastic cuts in But for Greece to develop in favor of the
social disaster unless the people’s hard- the pro-imperialist regime backed by pensions and benefits, the abolition of people, the capitalist monopolies must
earned money was turned over to them. the U.S. and Britain from 1946 to 1949, restrictions on mass dismissals, the elimi- “become popular-social property and be
The Greek government handed over a and resisted a military dictatorship from nation of Collective Labor Agreements, subjected to central planning and to social
$36 billion bailout to the banks, which 1967 to 1974. The Central Committee of even the abolition of the basic salary and and workers’ control.”
only propelled the country into a new the KKE put out a statement for May Day the generalization of the temporary and This kind of talk may have provoked
crisis as the government started running that explained, in the language of Marx- flexible employment are measures prede- just a sneer from the political servants of
out of funds. Meanwhile, the imperialist ism and class struggle, what the workers termined years ago. big capital when the markets were wal-
bankers of the European Union demand- must do to “defend the conquests that “Their goal is for the labor force to lowing in easy money. But not any more.
ed Greece accept a draconian austerity the previous generations have shed their become even cheaper, the young people The New York Times reported on May 4
plan in order to qualify for new loans at blood for.” to be deprived of fundamental rights as about the banners hung on the Acropolis
exorbitant interest rates. “It’s time to rise up with class unity and regards labor, education and health care with these words: “Investors took fright
In the United States, where the capital- people’s mobilization against the war on services. The same measures are pro- across Europe and on Wall Street, send-
ist crisis hit first, the response of the unions our rights. To struggle for our rights and moted in all EU countries as required by ing the euro to a fresh one-year low.”
to this same process has been muted, even for our children’s future. Our class has the interests of the capitalists. They want The class struggle is back — and it’s not
as millions of workers lost their jobs and the power and the capability to lead the the workers to pay for the capitalist crisis just coming from one side.
then were hit by huge budget cutbacks by formation of a great antimonopoly, anti- and the impasse of their aged, outmoded Email: dgriswold@workers.org

Capitalist crisis is spreading


Continued from page 1 freedom, the working class in Portugal production, slow growth and economic unemployment went up from 16.9 per-
ernments are conduits to transfer wealth itself had a revolutionary uprising that stagnation are choking the system and cent to 17.1 percent.
from the workers to the bankers. came to the edge of a proletarian revolu- creating long-term mass unemployment. There may be a recovery of capitalist
Now that the governments are in a po- tion in 1974. Workers in the Spanish state Furthermore, the system is always stand- profits and business, but it is not bring-
sition of unsustainable debt, the bankers fought the fascist Franco regime and car- ing on the brink of collapse, as the recent ing the millions of workers back to work.
want the governments of Greece, Portugal ried out heroic underground organizing crisis in Europe shows. Furthermore, the prospect of a massive
and Spain to cut back even further on the for decades. rebound of capitalist production and em-
working class as a price for the bailout. These three countries constitute the Debunking the ‘jobs recovery’ ployment is off the historic agenda.
While the banks in Europe and the U.S. poorest, most class-conscious, militant The government and the big business Instead the system is lurching from
rake in hundreds of billions in profit, in parts of Europe. A spreading struggle media in the U.S. were hyping the great crisis to crisis. The only way out for the
Greece unemployment is officially around in the south could easily expand to the “jobs growth” numbers just as the Euro- workers is to follow the lead of the Greek
10 percent. It is the same in Portugal and north, where the workers have been un- pean crisis came to a head. That sobered working class and refuse to allow the
around 20 percent in Spain. This is official der constant pressure from the German, everyone up about the “recovery” of the bosses and the bankers to put their crisis
unemployment, meaning that, as in the French and British ruling classes. system. on our backs.
U.S., the figure is far below real unemploy- There were great cheers for the sup- The workers should refuse to be en-
ment. This is a crisis for the working class capitalism depends on life support posed creation of 290,000 U.S. jobs in the slaved to the capitalist “jobs market,”
— and the bosses want to make it worse. from state month of April. A more sober assessment where they have to sell their labor to some
That is what is driving the heroic and in- What this latest crisis shows is the com- of these numbers brings little solace to boss every day or face rejection and un-
transigent resistance of the Greek working plete dependence of the capitalist class the workers. Of the 290,000 jobs, 62,000 employment. A job should be a right, a
class, which has taken to the streets to stop in Europe, the U.S. and Japan upon the were short-term census work. According political right. If the capitalists cannot
the attacks on their pensions, retirement state as the fundamental prop to keep the to the government, 150,000 new workers give the workers jobs, then the govern-
age, wages and general living conditions. system going. The capitalist states have to enter the workforce every month. So of ment should guarantee a job or income to
In fact, the Greek bailout was meant to go to their mints and print money to loan the 290,000 new jobs created, that leaves everyone who needs it — a job with dig-
stop the “contagion” of financial default banks and weakened governments just to just 80,000 jobs for the unemployed. nity and living wages.
and economic meltdown. But it was also temporarily stave off catastrophic crises This doesn’t even put a dent in the If capitalism cannot do that, then it is
meant to guard against the contagion of that bring devastation to the workers and number of workers who are unemployed, time to get rid of the system.
class struggle, which could easily grow the oppressed. underemployed or have become discour- Goldstein is author of the book “Low-
among the militant working classes of But going to the printing press does not aged from looking for work and dropped Wage Capitalism,” a Marxist analysis
southern Europe. create any value. Only workers create val- out of the workforce. This figure, called of globalization and its effects on the
The Greek working class fought against ue. The European Union, the European total unemployment or U6 by the Bureau U.S. working class. He has also writ-
Nazi occupation and British-backed Central Bank, the U.S. Federal Reserve of Labor Statistics, stands at 30 million. ten numerous articles and spoken on
counterrevolution after World War II. System and the Treasury Department can In fact, the regular unemployment rate the present economic crisis. For further
When Portugal’s African and Asian colo- print money to loan out to save the banks went up from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent information visit www.lowwagecapital-
nies were fighting for and winning their on a temporary basis. But capitalist over- last month, and, more importantly, total ism.com.
Mndo obrero ¡Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los países, uníos!

Rechazo en masa a la
ley de Arizona y al ICE
Por Fred Goldstein los capitalistas necesitaban la mano
de obra barata de cerca de 400.000
Hace cuatro años, en el Primero de trabajadores/as inmigrantes. Pero la
Mayo, millones de inmigrantes y sus ley solamente permitía entrar a este
partidarios/as obligaron al gobierno país legalmente a 5.000 trabajadores/
capitalista a rechazar el vicioso proyec- as por año. Éste era un seguro de
to de ley anti-inmigrante de Sensen- que hubiera una reserva enorme de
brenner. trabajadores/as indocumentados/
Este Primero de Mayo más de 1 mil- as para competir por los empleos de
lón de inmigrantes y simpatizantes se bajo sueldo. También se aseguraba
manifestaron en más de 100 ciudades que durante una depresión hubiera
enviando un poderoso mensaje a las una población no documentada para
fuerzas racistas anti-inmigrantes en ser el chivo expiatorio por la crisis de
Arizona para que deroguen la ley estilo desempleo.
apartheid que legaliza los perfiles racia-
les. tLcAN, industria agrícola
Unidas a las protestas contra la ley de e inmigración
Arizona estaban las exigencias para que Esto es precisamente lo que pasó
se terminen las redadas, las deportacio- en Arizona. Oficialmente la tasa de
nes y la separación de las familias por desempleo ha subido de más de 4
la Agencia de Inmigración y Aduanas por ciento al 9,6 por ciento en los dos
(ICE por las siglas en inglés). Las mani- años de la crisis. Antes había 150.000
festaciones pedían la legalización, el fin desempleados/as en Arizona y esta
de la criminalización de todos/as los in- muNdo_oBrEro_foto:_JohN_CAtALiNotto cifra ya ha subido a más de 300.000.
migrantes indocumentados/as y justicia e Primero de Mayo: un reflejo del verdadero potencial de la relación entre los/as trabajadores/ Y ésta es una cifra modesta debido a que
igualdad para todos/as. as y las masas oprimidas por un lado, y la ultra-derecha por el otro. decenas de miles de trabajadores/as in-
La presencia masiva de inmigrantes documentados/as ya no están contados/
militantes empequeñeció las protestas Además, la propuesta de una tarjeta de política inmigratoria. as como parte de la fuerza laboral. Si el-
anteriores de las bandas racistas del Par- identidad biométrica es una amenaza po- Esta vacilación de Washington no sólo los/as solicitan beneficies por desempleo,
tido del Té, que han sido pintadas por los tencial para todos/as los/as trabajadores/ envalentona al sector anti-inmigrante y los/as trabajadores/as del estado están
grandes medios de comunicación capital- as. Ahora mismo hay una investigación de derechista en su represión, sino que for- obligados/as a dar sus nombres al ICE.
ista como una fuerza todopoderosa desde los antecedentes de todos los trabajadores talece las mismas fuerzas racistas que Es difícil comprender el porqué la
que organizaron “rebeliones” durante las portuarios en el país por el Departamento quieren tumbar a la administración de gente deja a sus familias y corre el riesgo
audiencias públicas sobre el proyecto de de Seguridad de la Patria. Muchos/as han Obama. Mientras que los fascistas “Min- de penuria y muerte al cruzar el desi-
ley de salud. perdido sus puestos de trabajo después de utemen” y otros tipos ultra derechistas erto para entrar en los Estados Unidos,
La manifestación del Primero de Mayo descubrirse infracciones menores. siempre han estado incitando a un ataque a menos que se sepa que el TLCAN, el
fue un reflejo más del verdadero potencial La tarjeta de identidad biométrica daría contra los/as trabajadores/as indocu- tratado que pasó en 1994, abrió México
de la relación entre los/as trabajadores/ a todos los jefes un arma en contra de to- mentados/as, la clase dominante en gen- a la industria agrícola estadounidense y
as y las masas oprimidas por un lado, y la dos/as los/as trabajadores/as. La amenaza eral y el gobierno capitalista tomaron una en efecto destruyó una gran parte de la
ultra-derecha por el otro — una vez que el es especialmente grave para trabajadores/ posición más moderada durante el auge agricultura doméstica de México resul-
pueblo se moviliza. Las rabiosas fuerzas as negros/as y latinos/as. Estos/as tienen económico. tando en la pérdida de tierras y empleos
anti-inmigrante que acudían a los mítines una incidencia desproporcionadamente para millones de personas. La invasión
de Sarah Palin en la gira del Partido del Té alta de encarcelamiento a causa de una capitalistas necesitan de trabajadores/as de corporaciones estadounidenses forzó
no estaban a la vista el Primero de Mayo elevada tasa de desempleo y porque son indocumentados/as a millones de inmigrantes a venir a los
— y por buena razón. El Primero de Mayo blanco de discriminación racial en primer Los empresarios no se quejaron cuan- Estados Unidos para alimentarse ellos/
fue realmente un gran paso hacia adelante lugar. Es bastante comprensible que, entre do los/as trabajadores/as indocumenta- as y sus familias. Era un plan corporativo
en el camino a la lucha contra la derecha. las muchas consignas gritadas en las mani- dos/as cruzaron la frontera para cultivar construido deliberadamente para que ga-
festaciones, se oye a menudo, “¡Obama, es- sus alimentos, construir casas y edificios naran las corporaciones y perdieran los/
Arizona, parte de una tendencia cucha, estamos en la lucha!” de oficinas para la expansión inmobili- as trabajadores/as.
El propósito de la ley de Arizona es La administración Obama ha estado aria, convertirse en techadores, yeseros, Éste es el trasfondo de la campaña de
estimular el racismo, usar a los/as inmi- distante y pasiva frente a este desafío pintores, y jardineros, trabajar en los intimidación y división emprendida con-
grantes como chivos expiatorios, para manifiestamente inconstitucional a los mataderos, limpiar las casas, cuidar los tra los/as trabajadores/as indocumen-
dividir la clase obrera y hacerle más fácil derechos de los latinos/as y a la jurisdic- niños, etc. tados/as. La única solución puede venir
a los empresarios el superar la crisis ción de la propia administración. Legis- Las empresas de construcción, los de la clase trabajadora y envuelve la soli-
económica de desempleo sin que haya ladores derechistas en Texas, Utah, Colo- desarrolladores de bienes raíces, la in- daridad, tanto dentro de los Estados Uni-
una rebelión de los/as trabajadores/as. rado y otros lugares están amenazando dustria hotelera, los empacadores de dos como entre los/as trabajadores/as
Pero la ley, aunque extrema, no es un con seguir el ejemplo de la ley de Arizona. carne y otros capitalistas ganaron miles estadounidenses y los/as trabajadores/
hecho aislado. Hasta ahora Washington ha dejado en de millones en ganancias explotando a as mexicanos/as. Los/as trabajadores/
Las redadas del ICE y la colaboración manos de las fuerzas locales el resistir por trabajadores/as indocumentados/as que as y campesinos/as en México estarán
entre el gobierno federal y cerca de 70 de- vías legales esta medida de corte fascista, tenían poca representación, y quedaban forzados/as a venir aquí para sobrevivir
partamentos de la policía de todo el país que da a la policía el derecho a pedir los completamente vulnerables. siempre que esté el imperialismo corpo-
continúan. La retórica de Washington, papeles de quien se tenga la “sospecha Pero una vez estalló la burbuja inmo- rativo estadounidense en México y en
en particular respecto al proyecto de ley razonable” de ser indocumentado/a. El al- biliaria y la crisis económica se extend- otros países oprimidos.
que está siendo elaborado por el Senador calde de Phoenix, un policía del condado iera, los empresarios ya no pudieron ob- Es demasiado pronto para saber qué
Charles Schumer de Nueva York, trata de Pima, la American Civil Liberties Union tener un beneficio fácil de los millones de van a lograr últimamente las magnífi-
de “seguridad fronteriza”, de un “cami- y otras organizaciones de servicios legales trabajadores/as indocumentados/as, así cas movilizaciones del Primero de Mayo
no” draconiano a la ciudadanía pagando están trabajando para desafiar esa ley. que la clase dominante los utilizó como 2010. Pero ya ha hecho vacilar a la clase
multas, de demostrar competencia en Mientras tanto, el ICE y los policías del chivos expiatorios. Al aumentar el de- dominante y sus planes de convertir a los/
inglés, de ir “al final de la línea,” de “pro- condado de Maricopa bajo el mando del sempleo en los EEUU de un 4 al 10 por as inmigrantes en chivos expiatorios por
gramas de trabajadores huéspedes, etc. alguacil Joe Arpaio de mentalidad fas- ciento, la actitud de la clase dominante y la crisis económica. Esto abre paso para
Estas medidas punitivas llamadas “refor- cista, siguen llevando a cabo redadas y el gobierno se hizo más dura. que crezca la solidaridad entre todos/as
mas migratorias” estigmatizarán oficial- revisiones arbitrarias, a pesar de un fallo Esto fue parte de una política del go- los/as trabajadores/as y para levantar la
mente a los/as trabajadores/as indocu- de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional que bierno cuidadosamente calculada. Du- consigna de que no hay fronteras en la lu-
mentados/as. le quitó a Arpaio el derecho a ejecutar la rante el período de expansión económica cha obrera.

You might also like