TH£ Employing class' view of P-9 strike ••• 4 Behind debate on 'The Color Purple' . . . 8 Castro on Bay of Pigs invasion . . . . 9

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKL \' . PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 50/NO. 20 MAY 23, 1986 75 CENTS Protest apartheid Minn. strikers fight on; June.14 union tops aid Hormel

BY MAGGIE McCRAW in N.Y. AUSTIN, Minn.- On Thursday, May BY DEE SCALERA 9, the striking meatpackers' local here was NEW YORK - Momentum is building placed into trusteeship by the United Food here for the June 14 demonstration against and Commercial Workers' (UFCW) Inter­ the apartheid system in South Africa set for national Executive Committee. New York City. This act comes in the ninth month of the The march will demand an end to all meatpackers' strike to win a decent con­ U.S. ties with the racist regime, as well as tract from Hormel. It will only aid Hor­ commemorate the 1Oth anniversary of the mel's attempt to defeat the strike and bust rebellion in Soweto, South Africa. the union. Reports to the Tuesday, May 6, meeting After voting unanimously to place strik­ of the New York Anti-Apartheid Coordi- · ing UFCW Local P-9 into trusteeship, the nating Council outlined how the demon­ stration is building throughout the city and See editorial page 22 region. · Two main marches will begin at the United Nations and Harlem to converge on International , Executive Committee (IEC) the Great Lawn of Central Park. These appointed Joe Hansen, director of Region main marches will be met by a feeder 13 of the union, the local's trustee. The march from El Barrio, the oldest Puerto IEC instructed Hansen to resume negotia­ Rican neighborhood in New York. City. tions with Hormel. Hansen was also di­ There will also be feeder marches from rected to take possession of the local's re­ Greenwich Village, the lower East Side, cords, funds, and offices.The IEC sus­ and Chelsea in Manhattan, as well as the pended the local's elected leadership. As we go to press, no attempt has been Jaax boroughs of Brooklyn and the Bronx. A April 12 rally to support strikers in Austin. L.ocal is continuing fight, despite latest made by the UFCW's top officials to en­ feeder march of people from other cities moves by union tops to strip members of right to decide contract. will leave from Penn Station. force the trusteeship. Unions in several East Coast cities are At a May 8 press conference responding sponsoring "freedom trains." The "Nelson to the trusteeship, P-9 President Jim The officialdom, Guyette continued, The trusteeship was imposed on the local Mandela Freedom Train" will be bringing Guyette pledged, to the cheering approval "cannot circumvent the democratic process following a hearing in April. The hearing participants · from Philadelphia. Other of hundreds of strikers and supporters, that that exists here." The local, he said, will was to determine if the local had complied trains will be coming from Washington, the members and officers would continue "fight legally and by every other means to with the IEC's March 14 directive ordering D.C., and Boston. the fight ;1gainst Hormel. "We intend to achieve a fair and decent contract." it to end the strike. The local was not al­ The unions are playing a major role in keep doing the jobs we were elected to do," The strikers have issued an appeal to· all lowed to present its evidence at the hear­ building the demonstration. Leaflets, post­ Guyette told the press. "We're fighting for working people to send telegrams or call ing. Only two of the 17 witnesses the local ers, and buttons are being made available, our jobs. We intend to keep pushing the the UFCW International union headquar­ had requested were permitted by the Inter­ and distribution is being organized through company and those people who get in the ters in Washington, D.C., protesting the · national officialdom to testify. Local offi- several union headquarters. way." officials' attack on their embattled local. Continued on Page 5 The union representing New York Philharmonic musicians will be donating their stage as the platform, for the main Iowa rally backs fired Hormel workers rally. This will mean a savings of $40,000 in expenses incurred to build the demon­ stration. BY FRED FELDMAN dummies, I think there are going to be a lot have any idea how much support there is OTTUMWA, Iowa - Striking TWA A meeting was called of women's more dummies." until you get out there," she said. flight attendants; locked·out grain millers groups to form a women's contingent to Missouri farmer Billy Cameron told this Some of the themes of the rally were from Keokuk, Iowa; farmers fresh from the reporter, "The working-class people have address the special needs of and express summed up in banners displayed on the blockade of federal Joan sharks in Chil­ solidarity with South African women. to stick together. The farmers can't go on stage in the city park where the rally was licothe, Missouri; auto workers from St. Elombe Brath of the Patrice Lumumba losing money like this ." He said his in­ held. "In solidarity there is strength," read Louis; steelworkers from Birmingham, Coalition reported to the meeting that May debtedness has risen by $450,000 since one. ·~we support farmers - terminated Alabama; oil workers from Texas; and is African Liberation Month, and that sev­ 1979. employees of Local431, Ottumwa, Iowa," meatpackers from the Oscar Mayer plant in eral meetings will be taking place in Har­ Jo Ann Bailey is a striking Hormel read another. A third declared, "Ottumwa­ Perry, Iowa, and the Armour-Con Agra lem to educate about the situation in Africa worker who has recently visited several bound Missouri farmers support P-9 and plant in Louisville, Kentucky. and to build June 14 in the Black communi­ cities to explain the struggle in Austin and 431." These were among the hundreds of Ottumwa to other unionists. "You can't Continued on Page 5 ty . workers and farmers who came to Ot­ High school students have recently tumwa to show solidarity with 507 Hormel formed their own anti-apartheid group. workers here who were illegally fired Janu­ They have endorsed the June 14 activities ary 27 for honoring a roving picket line set and made building the demonstration up by striking Hormel workers from Au­ Socialist Publication Fund­ among high school students throughout the stin, Minnesota. The fired workers are city their main goal. They are also discus­ members of United Food and Commercial sing a fundraiser at the headquarters of Dis­ Workers (UFCW) Local 431. The Austin surpasses $100,000 goal trict 65 of the United Auto Workers to raise meatpackers are members of UFCW Local money for the demonstration. P-9. BY ANDREA GONZALEZ guaranteeing the successful completion of The churches will be building the dem­ Those attending the rally included more The $100,000 Socialist Publication the drive- in full and on time. onstration and raising money at weekly ser­ than 150 members and supporters of Local Fund has gone over the top! Payments on pledges that are still out­ vices. P-9 who came in three buses from Austin. More than $35,000 was collected in the standing will help push the fund even fur­ When reporting on the progress of the They were not deterred from this act of sol­ last week, surpassing the national goal. As ther over the top in the coming weeks. logistics, Jim Bell, a central leader of the idarity by the fact that top UFCW officials we go to press, more than $115,000 has An important factor in the success of the coalition and president of the New York have declared the local to be in receiver­ been received toward the fund. (See Publication Fund was the contributions City Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, ship. scoreboard on page 7.) from regular readers of the Militant and explained that the Parks Commission was Some rally participants wore T -shirts The success of the fund is due to the Perspectiva Mundial. More than 100 read­ reluctant to issue a permit because an anti­ proclaiming, "I did time for Local Pc9", a generous support of the readers of the ers and subscribers responded to the arti­ apartheid rally would draw the "chain reference to arrests for participating in socialist publications - the Militant; our cles in these two publications or to fund ap­ snatching crowd." To this, Bell answered, mass picketing at the Hormel plant. Spanish-language sister publication, Per­ peal letters, donating more than $4,000. "We will have a peaceful demonstration Six meatpackers came from the Ar­ spectiva Mundial; the bimonthly news­ These contributions helped enable the Mil­ with or without their permits." mour-Con Agra plant in Louisville where, magazine, Intercontinental Press; the itant and Perspectiva Mundial to bring our The next four weekends will be targeted one told the Militant, workers took a 35 magazine of Marxist theory and politics, readers timely reports on events around the for mass leafleting. Volunteers are also percent cut in wages and benefits in their New International; and the many books. world. needed for phone banks and mailings. last contract and face more concession de­ and pamphlets published and distributed by "It was the re~onse of the supporters of Anyone who would like to help in any of mands when the contract comes IJp again Pathfinder Press. the socialist publications that guaranteed these building activities or would like more later this year. the successful and timely completion of the information, contact: Annie King, District . "We came up to see what is really hap­ More than 900 people participated in the fund," Jerry Freiwirth, the fund director, 65-UAW, 13 Astor Place, New York, pening here," he said. "The International fund drive, pledging an average of $137 to told the Militant. "All contributions- big N.Y. 10003. (212) 673-5120 extension told us the Austin strikers are all dummies, the fund. Ninety percent of these pledges and small - have been greatly ap­ 402. getting everybody fired. But if they're were paid before the May lO deadline, preciated." Good sales and discussion at Albert Lea·plant

BY JOHN DANIELS for another concessionary con­ petition calling on local officers to average 10 sales apiece as they able to discuss with P-6 members ST. PAUL -.Socialists from tract, while P-9 members have withhold dues to the UFCW Inter­ talk to workers who are on their our upcoming Socialist Educa­ Minneapolis and St. Paul have been fighting against concessions. national union until the Interna­ way to and from work. A two-per­ tional weekend, which will be been traveling to Albert Lea, Min­ This has prompted some P-6 tional Executive Committee sup­ son sales team recently sold 34 held in St. Paul. The weekend will nesota, in an effort to get the Mil­ members to comment, "P-9 proud, ports the striking Hormel workers. Militants at one shift change. include classes on the labor move­ itant into the hands of workers at P-6 poor.'' In the meantime, sol­ ment. After hearing a description the large Farmstead Foods plant idarity with P-9 and its fight Militant sales teams can attest to While the Militant has been of these classes, one young Farm­ this solidarity for P-9 inside the featuring news on the Hormel stead worker said he would not Farmstead plant. One . look strike, sales teams say P-6 mem­ only attend himself, but would try through the company parking lot bers are also interested in articles to get some of his coworkers to at­ SELLING OUR PRESS shows scores of cars and trucks on Nicaragua, South Africa, tend as well. with "Boycott Hormel" stickers. Libya, the Watsonville strike in When questioned, one worker told California, and the flight atten­ Socialists are trying hard to reg­ AT THE PLANT GATE us, "There's not one spot in that dants' strike against TWA. ularize plant-gate sales at Farm­ plant where you can stand without stead Foods even though Albert located there. Farmstead employs against Hormel greed has been Another topic of interest among Lea is an hour and a half drive seeing · a ' Boycot~ Hormel' the workers at Farmstead is the about 1 ,200 workers organized by growing inside the Farmstead sticker." from Minneapolis and St. Paul. United Food and Commercial plant. From the start, some P-6 state of the union movement in One important reason is the re­ Workers (UFCW) Local P-6. members have joined P-9's roving Many P-6ers wear "P-9 proud" general. Some workers talk about sponse of P-6 members to the The struggle in Austin, Min­ pickets, which extended the Hor­ and "Boycott Hormel" buttons to the need for a new perspective in paper. As one Farmstead worker nesota, only 30 miles away, being mel strike to Ottumwa, Iowa; Fre­ work. They also participate in sup­ fighting the employers' offensive told us, "I like the Militant. Are fought by Local P-9 to win a de­ mont, Nebraska; and other plants port committee meetings for P-9, against working people. Many of you going to be back out here next cent contract, has made a big im­ in the Hormel chain. as well as collect funds at the plant them are eager to discuss how to week?" pact on their brothers and sisters at In the last few weeks, close to gate for the strikers in Austin. tum around the unions. Local P-6. They recently settled 700 P-6 members have signed a Militant sales team members The last Militant sales team was We answered him, "You bet." Railroad workers face attacks on job conditions

BY JIM MILES dangerous due to its very light frame and CHICAGO - The Santa Fe Railroad single set of rail wheels. Unlike much was shut down for almost a week over a heavier multiwheeled railroad cars, it is management decision to run a new and even more likely to literally bounce off the highly dangerous experimental train with­ rails at high speeds, resulting in severe de­ out union operators. railments. These trains have already been Some 8,000 members of the United tested on the Chicago & Northwestern, al­ Transportation Union (UTU) and 4,000 though none are currently in operation. members of the Brotherhood of Locomo­ The union refused the initial reduced­ tive Engineers were forced to strike May 3 crew offer from the Santa Fe since the al­ when the Santa Fe, in a major attack on the ready agreed-upon minimum crew size in unions, ran an ·experimental train called a the systemwide contract consisted of at "RoadRailer" from Chicago to Los least one engineer, one conductor, and one Angeles and back with a crew of two brakeman. supervisors. The company then offered to pay an en­ The strike crippled freight traffic and gineer and conductor to stay home and let blocked the movement of Amtrak passen­ management run the train. After this final ger service over the 12,000-mile rail net­ union-busting offer was refused, the com­ RoadRailer being pulled by a locomotive. Santa Fe workers were forced out on strike work of the. Santa Fe .. AU 14 railroad craft pany went ahead and sent the train out of for almost a week when the company ran this type of special experimental train with­ unions honored the picket lines. Al­ Chicago with management personnel on out union operators. together, more than 20,000 workers on the Saturday, May 3. The union wentdn strike Santa Fe stayed out. that afternoon, while management· arrog­ ready existing train runs, rules, and work­ and welfare benefits. . At.leJiSt om: major derailment occurred antly .declared they'd operate without the . ing conditions in the case of the Santa Fe . On May 9 the BrotherhoOd of Locomo­ from management personnel attempting to unions. On May 8, the unions won a temporary tive Engineers voted to authorize a strike operate trains during the strike. Leaking The carrier also demanded a reduction in restraining order against the Santa Fe, pro­ against Amtrak. The 24,000-mile Amtrak sulfuric acid from a derailed Santa Fe the number of crews operating between hibiting the carrier from using any super­ system carries about 35,000 passengers a freight forced the evacuation of a family in Chicago and Los Angeles from 20 to 6. visory forces to run trains. No settlement day in the Northeast Corridor and about Tulia, Texas, on May 5. Each crew would have to travel several has yet been reached on how the experi­ 60,000 passengers a day nationwide. · UTU members on the picket line at the hundred miles farther ~ thus increasing the mental train will be run in the future. As The union, representing 2,000 engineers Santa Fe's Corwith Yard in Chicago said possibility of accidents from fatigue. the Militant goes to press, talks are going who work for Amtrak, voted tQ authorize a the dispute began when the company first on between the unions and the Santa Fe. The company is attacking existing strike because Amtrak had made unilateral approached the union with the offer to run .What is happening on the Santa Fe is agreements with the union on the basis of a changes in work and safety rules, job as­ a special reduced-crew train consisting of part of an industrywide attack on rail work­ joint statement by the carriers and the signments, and wages. one engineer and one conductor for a new ers. union in the 1985 national contract. The Four days later on May 13 Amtrak and "RoadRailer" piggyback run from Chicago Some 2,000 rail workers and their sup­ statement says that in order for the carriers the BLE agreed to binding arbitration over to Los Angeles that would carry GM auto porters marched and caravanned through "to compete effectively" and "promote the disputed changes. parts. new business," it is in the "mutual" interest Greenfield, Massachusetts, May 3 in a spi­ Railroad workers across the country are rited demonstration of union solidarity as The "RoadRailer" is a specially de­ of the union and the carriers "to provide facing and can expect increased assaults on the strike against Guilford Transportation signed truck trailer incorporating the air­ this improved service by makiug changes already agreed-upon contracts as the car­ Industries entered its third month. brakes and wheels of a railroad car but with in operations" ·and rules. riers wage war on our jobs, safety, and only one set of railroad wheels instead of Guilford operates the Maine Central, working conditions. two. It also features retractable road But rail workers on the picket line say Boston & Maine, and Delaware & Hudson wheels. Authorized to operate at speeds of that the company refused even to define railroads. The carrier is demanding new Jim Miles is a brakeman for the Chicago & 70 to 80 miles per hour, this truck trailer what constituted "new business," thus wage concessions and wants members of Northwestern Railroad and a member of sits directly on the rails and is extremely leaving open the possibility of attacking al- all crafts to pay 50 percent of their health United Transportation Union Local 577.

The Militant tells the truth Subscribe today! The Militant That's the way you'll Closing news date: May 14, 1986 get facts about Editor: MALIK MIAH Managing editor: Washington 's · war MARGARET JA YKO against working Business Manager: people at home and LEE MARTINDALE abroad: from South Editorial .Staff: Rashaad Ali, Susan Apstein, Fred Africa and Nicara­ Feldman, Andrea Gonzalez, Pat Grogan, Arthur Hughes, Tom Leonard, Harry Ring, Norton Sandler. gua, to emba ttled Published weekly except one week in August and the workers and farmers last week of December by the Militant (ISSN 0026- in the U.S. Read our 3885), 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Tele­ ideas on how to stop phone: Editorial Office, (21 2) 243-6392; Business Of­ aparth eid , war, the fice, (212) 929-3486. Correspondence concerning subscriptions or , i oppression of Blacks changes of address should be addressed to The Mili­ rE~l;;;ed is-;-o $3 for 12 ,;;eks ""[;" $15 for 6 m~ths I and women, a nd the employer tant Business Office, 14 Charles Lane, New York, I o $24 for 1 year o A contribution I offensive against all workers. N.Y. 10014. Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. POST­ I Name I At the plant gat es, picket MASTER: Send address changes to The Militant, 14 Address Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Subscriptions: I I lines a nd unemployment U.S. $24.00 a year, outside U.S. $30.00. By first-class I City/State/Zip I lines, at antiwar and abortion mail: U.S., Canada, and Mexico: $60.00. Write for air­ rT elephone I righ ts actions, the Militant is mail rates to all other countries. 1 Union/Orga nization I there, reporting th e news, Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily rep­ participating in struggle. resent the Militant' s views. These are expressed in edito­ I Send to Milita nt, 14 Charles La ne, New York, NY 10014 1 rials .

2 The Militant May23, 1986 U.S. lies about Chernobyl disaster unravel

BY HARRY RING the official Soviet news agency, included Top Soviet officials report that the Cher­ an admission that may well be a first for nobyl nuclear disaster has been brought any government involved in using nuclear under control. This despite the reckless power. prediction by anti-Soviet "Western In an article advising on measures to be experts" of uncontrolled fire and the like­ taken to reduce the risk of radiation con­ lihood of a catastrophic nuclear melt­ tamination, the Tass dispatch said: down . "Even a small amount of radioactivity At the same time, the mounting toll and entering the · environment can become a the extent of released radiation· at Cher­ source of great calamity." nobyl confirm what a dangerous business This is a scientific truth that the govern­ nuclear power is and why all nuclear plants ment of the United States and other prom­ should be shut down . oters of nuclear power stubbornly persist in On May 14, Soviet leader Mikhail Gor­ trying to conceal. bachev reported an increase in the accident Instead, they promote the dangerous lie toll . Deaths had risen to nine - two killed that there are "safe" levels of radiation. in the original explosion and seven who And, curiously, every amount of escaped died since of radiation exposure. He said radiation, be it at Three Mile Island or else­ the total hospitalized for radiation disease where, is always found to be within the as­ so far had risen to 299. serted "safe" limit. And apparently the extent of the radioac­ Soviet officials made another point that Soviet emergency crews succeeded in bringing Chernobyl nuclear disaster under con­ tivity was such that a total of92,000 people underscores why there is no such thing as a trol. U.S. propaganda lies about why it can't happen here are unraveling. have now been evacuated from the area. safe nuclear operation. The initial number of evacuees was under Discussing the 36-hour delay that oc­ 50;000. curred before evacuation of the Chernobyl About 288,000 people live within 10 federal officials refused to order an evacu­ On May ·11 Soviet officials reported that area got under way, Aleksandr Lyashko, miles of New York's Indian Point nuclear ation there even "though the reactor was a turning point had been reached in coping premier of the Republic of the Ukraine, site power plant. And about 17 million people within an hour of a total meltdown. with the situation at the Chernobyl nuclear of the Chernobyl plant, told reporters: live within a 50-mile radius of the site, The May 10 Washington Post disclosed power installation and that a "catastrophe" "The accident developed in an unusual which is located 35 miles from midtown that the Chernobyl plant had an important had been averted. way, not as scientific knowledge would New York City. safety feature, not previously reported, In Washington, the head of a U.S. task have predicted: First there was a small ex­ So far, no one has come up with an which may have prevented a meltdown of force monitoring the accident grudgingly plosion and a small radioactive emission. evacuation plan for U.S. nuclear plant the reactor. conceded, "We have no real reason to The measurements at first showed that areas that is considered workable. The new design information was re­ doubt that." · there was nothing to fear." Yet 92,000 people were evacuated in the leased by the U.S. government more than a The principal factor in bringing the situ­ "Nobody has ever confronted a similar Chernobyl area in an apparently orderly week after the accident. . ation under control seemed to have been accident," added Yevgeny Velikhov, a way, with 25,000 being transported out of The Chernobyl reactor, the Post said, the dumping of four thousand tons of lead, ranking Soviet physicist. the town of Pripyat in two hours and 20 "had much stronger containment structures sand, and other material intended to douse Exactly. And that's how other nuclear minutes. beneath it than previously believed." the flames and absorb radiation. disasters can and will occur. All the lying "It appears," the report continues, "that A Moscow dispatch to the May 11 New the reactor had thick concrete·- possibly With that accomplished, engineering propaganda about U.S. nuke plants being York Times repeated the now standard as­ six to eight feet--' under the reactor core, crews began the work of "entombing" the better located, designed, and operated than sertion about "the absence of safety precau­ then a double sandwich of thin concrete damaged reactor by encasing it in concrete. their Soviet counterparts and therefore tions and rescue plans that nuclear power slabs and pools of water. Beneath them lay The principal designer of the reactor said "safe" are offered to cover over that reality. plant operators and regulators in the West another thick slab that was the foundation it would have to remain sealed for "hun­ But some of the propaganda lies have have adopted. . . . " dreds of years" to confine its continuing unraveled. of the building." But the very same article felt moved to In addition, the flooring under the reac­ radioactivity. Despite this, he said, two For instance, it's hardly reassuring for report: "Despite the problems, Western ex­ more units would be added to the Cher­ New York residents to be told that a major tor was exceptionally large. This, perts gave the Russians credit for avoiding specialists told the paper, may have caused nobyl station as planned. problem with Cheinobyl is that it was lo­ panic during the evacuation and for finding the escaping fu_el to · spread out ·in . a thin Meanwhile, a May 10 dispatch by Tass, cated in a populated area. adequate housing, clothing, and food for the people being moved." layer, rather than building up as a molten lump. Would any New Yorker seriously be­ "Many U.S. reactors," the report said, lieve the same thing would happen if In­ "have flooring with a surface area less than SALES SCOREBOARD dian Point blew? one-tenth of the floor thought to be in the (Week #9: Totals as of Militant issue #18, PM issue #9) Or the residents of Harrisburg, Pennsyl­ Chernobyl unit." vania? At the time of Three Mile Island, But it can't happen here?

SINGLE ISSUES Area Militants and Perspectiva Special effort boosts sales Mundials Total sold Subscriptions sold this week so far 10-week goal sold so far in 9th week of nat'I drive Atlanta 121 1,042 1,040 30 Baltimore 73 667 810 38 BY TOM LEONARD riere . They also bought $300 worth of Birmingham 178 663 900 24 The ninth week of our national sales and Boston 83 975 1,000 117 socialist literature off a sidewalk table. Capital District, N.Y. 48 568 650 68 subscription drive was a resounding suc­ A Houston regional sales team had a Charleston, W.Va. 42 604 600 15 cess. fruitful visit to the Rio Grande Valley in Chicago 259 1,238 1,500 36 This was a target sales week for many Texas, where they sold 40 Militants and Cincinnati 64 363 500 15 Socialist Workers Party branches and Perspectiva Mundials to farm workers and Cleveland 90 546 900 28 Young Socialist Alliance chapters around students at Pan American University. Dallas 321 1,445 1,700 44 the country. That special effort showed up Going into the last week of the cam­ Denver 35 587 800 41 in combined single copy sales of 5,453 paign, five more areas of the country have Detroit 147 1;499 1,730 75 Militants and Perspectiva Mundials . There raised their sales goal quotas. They include Greensboro, N.C. 105 699 700 58 were also 275 subscriptions sold to both Houston 117 1,558 1,800 53 Los Angeles, Greensboro, San Francisco, Kansas City 88 604 1,120 24 publications. This raises the total number Louisville, and Detroit. Los Angeles 317 2,005 2,200 123 of subscriptions sold to 1 ,899, or 95 per­ Louisville 54 332 400 15 cent of our projected 10-week goal. (See Miami 27 381 550 54 accompanying scoreboard.) Canadian socialists Milwaukee 124 706 750 32 Sales of the Spanish-language Perspec­ Morgantown, W.Va. 89 668 700 16 tiva Mundial, sister publication of the Mil­ report sharp increase New Orleans 63 576 650 49 itant, continued to be impressive. Dallas, in sales of press New York 250 2,795 3,250 137 for example, sold 86 copies of Perspectiva Newark 444 2,226 2,600 97 Mundial, along with six subscriptions. 111 684 935 25 Members of the Revolutionary Workers Oakland They also sold 235 Militants and two sub­ Philadelphia 89 600 1,000 17 League of Canada report a sharp increase scriptions. Last Saturday, beginning the Phoenix 209 1,225 1,500 48 in sales of the socialist press in their coun­ Pittsburgh 42 488 800 27 last week of the sales drive , Dallas sold try. 170 MilitantS, 60 Perspectiva Mundials, Portland 85 603 650 23 Bob Braxton, a reporter for "Socialist and seven more subscriptions in one day of Price, Utah 7 101 250 6 Voice and the French-language publication Salt Lake City 101 636 640 34 community sales. (These figures are not in­ Lutte Ouvriere (Workers Struggle), re­ San Diego 0 344 580 14 cluded in this week's scoreboard.) San Francisco 191 1,157 1,400 65 cently visited the Canadian province of San Jose 151 899 1,000 55 Other areas with exceptional Perspec­ Newfoundland to report on the broadly Seattle 162 838 800 40 tiva Mundial sales were San Francisco, 80; supported strike of public sector workers St. Louis 181 1,022 1,250 39 Phoenix , 80; and Los Angeles, 112, plus there. Tidewater, Va. 56 363 375 17 13 subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial. During his short stay he was able to sell Toledo 85 443 500 48 Los Angeles finished an excellent target 261 copies of Socialist Voice and 16 sub­ Twin Cities 166 1,317 1,600 81 sales week by also selling 205 copies of the scriptions, as well as distribute 175 intro­ Washington, D.C. 76 794 800 54 Militant and 10 subscriptions. ductory copies of the paper. As a result of Midwest Sales Team 602 852 64 Newark also had a good week, selling a Total sold this week 5,453 his work, subscriptions to Socialist Voice combined total of 444 Militants and Per­ Total sold so far •. • 35,219 . .... 1,899 are continuing to arrive at the paper's cir­ 10-week national goal 45,000 2,000 spectiva Mundials. They also had a good culation office in Montreal. Percent of national sale recently at a Haitian film showing in Canadian socialists also report increased goal reached • • . 78% 95% East Orange, New Jersey. In less than an plant-gate sales in Toronto and Montreal. To be on schedule . . 90% 90% hour and a half filmgoers bought 13 Mili­ They say they have missed opportunities to tants and five copies of the Canadian sell more papers after quickly selling out French-language newspaper Lutte Ouv- their bundles at a number of plants.

May 23, 1986 The Militant 3 Tenacity of Austin strikers worries bosses Labor officialdom initiates bureaucratic moves to curb union militants

BY TOM LEONARD Raskin reports that his contacts in the The importance of the Hormel strike in union movement have a mixed reaction to Austin, Minnesota, for the entire labor Kirkland's proposal to give the executive movement is being discussed by thousands council more power to intervene in the af­ of union members across the country who fairs of affiliated unions. Some expressed are supporting the strike. It is also being doubt about the ability of the "labor of­ closely followed by tht! employing class. ficialdom to rise above bureaucratic self­ They, too, recognize that this strike battle interest." Others said it was about time top is something new and different from other officials got involved iri labor struggles. strikes in recent years. Some union members expressed the con­ A.H. Raskin, for many years the chief cern that intervention by the top officials labor correspondent for the New York "will mean a suppression of rank-and-file Times, who is now retired, tried to address influence and a damper on militancy." some of the bosses' concerns on May 4. Raskin also mentions that representa­ His views appeared in an article in the busi­ tives of the bosses' interests are showing ness section of the Sunday Times titled, concern about the officialdom's ability to "Big labor tries to end its nightmare." control the ranks. For example, Mark Ber­ Raskin points to the growing dissatisfac­ nardo, manager of labor law for the U.S. tion in the unions' ranks with the AFL-CIO Chamber of Commerce, said, "It will be top officialdom's inability to fight back p_ositive if it means a more cooperative, re­ against the antilabor offensive. He also sponsive movement, one that reins in the points out that since the offensive against maverick locals such as the one in Austin. working people began more than a decade If it goes the other way," he added, "it will ago, trade union membership has declined be a problem management will have to by about lO million. Lane Kirkland has been AFL-CIO president for nearly seven years. Graph shows big counter." The primary purpose of Raskin's article loss in union membership due to continuing government-corporate offensive against is to inform corporation heads about cur­ workers' wages and living conditions. From the point of view of the U.S. rent plans of union tops to deal with the Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO's growing revolt by the unions' ranks- par­ top officialdom is responding to their ticularly by the ranks of Local P-9 of the AFL-CIO national convention last fall. termmmg union policy should rest with wishes by joining in the bureacratic attack United Food and Commercial Workers Among these decisions was a constitu­ union officials at the top and how much on the P-9 membership's struggle to win a (UFCW) in Austin. tional amendment reaffirming the right of with the rank and file ." decent contract. AFL-CIO-affiliated International unions to But as Raskin admits, the heroic P-9 Every union militant knows the bosses Raskin reports that top union officials fighters have already won broad support in -· hate unions, and that where they exist, the autonomy. This was supposed to mean that international unions are free to make their have no intention of allowing union ranks the ranks of labor. This is a matter of great bosses want them housebroken and prefer­ own policy ·decisions without interference to make policy decisions as was done by concern to the bosses. ably led by weak-kneed officials. That is from the 35-member AFL-CIO national Local P-9. He refers to Lane Kirkland's re­ why they are keenly concerned about the executive council headed by federation marks to the February AFL-CIO executive The longer P-9 is able to continue its AFL-CIO officialdom's ability to maintain President Lane Kirkland. council meeting as an example. fight against Hormel, the more the bureau­ tight control of the labor movement. cratic practices of the class-collaborationist Although a spokesman for the bosses, Raskin explains to the bosses how the Referring to a series of setbacks to the union officialdom are exposed. This is an Raskin also has a line to top uniQn offi­ impact of the Hormel strike has changed labor movement in the recent period, Kirk­ invaluable learning experience for union - cials. Some provided information for his executive council members' minds. "The land told the council, "We must be part of militants who want to transform the unions article. strike, now in its ninth month," he writes, the general staff at the inception, rather into organizations that fight for working "pits a militant local of striking meatpack­ than the ambulance drivers at the bitter people everywhere. He points out that these top officials feel ers not only against Hormel, but also end." These remarks were primarily di­ their positions and privileges are against its own International union and rected against Local P-9's struggle to win What Raskin knQws, however, and care­ threatened by the broad support for the P-9 most of labor's top hierarchy." The strike, its strike, which is based on mobilizing and fully avoids is that the increasingly rebeli­ strikers. This has led them to begin to re­ he continues, has "rekindled fierce debate involving its own ranks and reaching out to ous mood in the union ranks did not begin vise some of the decisions they made at the within labor over how much control in de- other unions and their allies for support. with workers' opposition to misleaders. That is still in its beginning stages. But after years of comfortable peaceful coexistence - class collaboration - with The revolt by P-9 members and the the bosses, Kirkland wants no part of the growing number of their supporters began Black leaders endorse militant struggle being fought out by Local with their resistance to the economic and P-9. Instead, he and the 35-member AFL­ social deterioration of their living stan­ CIO executive council came to the defense dards caused by the Hormel company. of UFCW President William Wynn, who Their decision to use union power to fight Hormel strike, boycott grudgingly backed the strike at first, but the company has not only won them wide­ has since place the local under trusteeship spread support, but has precipitated the "Hormel: You're not welcome in our figures, and elected officials. These in­ (receivership). broadest debate inside the unions since the merger of the AFL-CIO 31 years ago. community," was the headline on a half­ clude James Bell, president of the New This scurrilous solidarity between union page ad in the City Sun, a New York Black York City Coalition of Black Trade Union­ bureaucrats was codified in a motion weekly. ists; Rev. Calvin Butts, Abyssinian Baptist passed at the February council meeting. The ad, which appeared in the May 7 Church; David Dinkins, Manhattan Raskin reports that the meeting was, in Michigan march issue of the paper, explains that "meat­ borough president; N.Y. State Assembly part, "a lachrymose [tearful] discussion of packers in Austin, Minnesota- members members Roger Green, Herman Farrell, labor's difficulties on the strike front. " of Local P-9 United Food and Commercial Jr., and AI Vann; Jim Haughton, Harlem defends abortion Workers - have been on strike against Fightback; C. Vernon Mason; Dennis The weak-kneed motion read, "Today's Hormel for eight months. P-9 workers are Mumble, an exiled South African trade economic and political climate makes it BY NANCY BOY ASKO demanding the restoration of their wages unionist; congressmen Major Owens, imperative that unions follow realistic bar­ ANN ARBOR, Mi. - Building on the from Hormel; a highly profitable com­ Charles Rangle, and Ed Towns; Paul Robe­ gaining strategies that will assure gains for momentum of the National March for pany. And they want improved safety in a son, Jr., and Jitu Weusi, vice-chair of Na­ workers and protect their jobs." Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., and plant where each worker averages two ac­ tional Black United Front. Raskin is dubious about the official­ Los Angeles, the Ann Arbor-Washtenaw cidents per year. The ad was sponsored by the Greater dom's moves to head off rank-and-file County National Organization for Women "Not only does Hormel exploit its U.S. New York Area Labor Support Committee members' increasingly rebellious mood . sponsored a local march here April 19. workers," the ad continues, "but it also for Local P-9. The support committee is "The sticky fight by the Austin rebels," he Michigan is one of the few states that helps to prop up the apartheid system. Hor­ made up of representatives from a number points out, "has the fervent support of still provides state funding for abortion. mel began operating in South Africa in of unions, community, and religious or­ scores of local unions and individual activ­ One focus of the action was to head off at­ 1984 through a large meatpacking firm, ganizations in the metropolitan area. ists all over the country ." tacks on state funding and demand the Renown Food Products. Black workers at reinstatement of federal funding. "If one of Renown face racism, harassment, and low us is not free, none of us are free ," Rev. wages. Local P-9 and the Sweet, Food, and Ann Marie Coleman told the crowd of 200 Allied Workers Union, representing Re­ ·ohio socialist runs for US. Senate mainly young women gathered at the Ann nown workers, have exchanged solidarity Arbor Federal Building. messages and vowed to support each BY HENRY SCHEER Witness For Peace, Nuclear Weapons Other speakers stressed the need to over­ other's efforts." CLEVELAND - Kate Button, a 26- Freeze Campaign, Socialist Workers come restrictions on reproductive rights of year-old production worker at General Party, All -African People's Revolutionary young women. The ad explains that "Hormel counts on Electric in Cleveland, is the Socialist Party, Democratic Socialists of America, After the speakers, there was a spirited selling a large percentage of its products to Workers Party candidate-for the United and others to protest the U.S. bombing of march around the university section of Ann the Black community. To boost business States Senate seat from Ohio now held by Libya. The picket drew 40 people. Arbor with chants of, "Not the church, not during the strike, Hormel is spending mil­ Democrat John Glenn. The socialist candidate was well re­ the state, women must decide their fate" lions on advertising directed toward us, Button kicked off her campaign by par­ ceived when she exclaimed, "Because Lib­ and "Fund contraception, not contra aid!" while unions and churches are calling for a ticipating in activities protesting the U.S. yan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi opposes The march was cosponsored by the Ann national boycott. Hormel is depending on war against Libya. In a statement that was U.S. foreign policy and supports liberation Arbor League of Women Voters, Citizens us - Black consumers - to ignore its picked up by eight radio stations in the struggles around the world, he is a ' mad Advisory Committee on Rape Prevention, treatment of workers here and in South Af­ Cleveland area, she contrasted President dog' and a 'terrorist.' Yet when Howard Coalition for Women's Rights, Michigan rica. But we won't scab by buying Hormel Reagan's unproven charges of "Libyan ter­ Metzenbaum [Democratic U.S. Senator Abortion Rights Action League, New products. Whether you call it Spam, Dinty rorism" to the real U.S. "state-sponsored from Ohio] openly calls for murdering Jewish Agenda, Planned Parenthood of Moore, or Mary Kitchen - whether it 's terrorism' ~ against the people of Nicaragua. Qaddafi, and Reagan drops four 2,000- Mid-Michigan, University of Michigan sausage, ham, or bacon- the proper name pound bombs on his house and murders Women's Studies, Women's Crisis Center, · for Hormel is 'union buster.' " On April 24 Button addressed an scores of Libyans, they are 'civilized lead­ Women's International League for Peace The ad was endorsed by a number of emergency picket line that was called by ers.' The real source of terrorism is the and Freedom, and the Women's Law As­ prominent Black trade unionists, religious Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice, White House." sociation.

4 :t\iay 23, t986 Iowa rally supports fired.·Hormel workers

Continued from front page cause known. Mike Dudley, a fired member of Local "This Hormel Co. cannot win if we 43I , chaired the rally. He hailed the vic­ stand united." · tory recently won by. the fired workers who Guyette announced that on May 17 hun­ were ruled eligible for unemployment ben­ dreds of unionists would leaflet and carry efits retroactive to February 23. Hormel out other activities to support the boycott of has appealed this decision. Hormel products on the first day of fishing Several speakers reflected the broad season in Minnesota. He also reported that community support for the fired workers. the efforts of farmers to organize a boycott Father James Grubb of the St. Bernard on sales of hogs to Hormel are taking a toll Church in Ottumwa prefaced an opening on the company, which is now advertising prayer with the comment: "My father for hogs for the first time. would have kicked my butt if I had crossed Missouri farm activist Perry Wilson, a picket line. I have never crossed a picket Sr. , told the Militant, "We're Jaking the line and never will." hog boycott before every group we can. Mayor Jerry Parker of Ottumwa also sa­ When people find out the real issues, luted the workers' courage in honoring the they're sympathetic." P-9 picket line. He criticized those local Other speakers at the rally included businessmen who have backed Hormel Frank Vit, a leader of the 50 unionists at against the workers. "They are glad to have the Fremont, Nebraska, Hormel plant who you spend your money at their stores. But were fired for exercising their contract when you act to protect that living stan­ right to honor a P-9 picket line there; Dave dard, that's different." Willoughby, president of United Auto Jerry Parks got one of the most en­ Workers Local 977 at the Maytag plant in thusiastic responses. He is a leader of the Newton, Iowa; David Arian, president of farmers who are blockading the Chillicothe the Southern California Longshoremen's MilitanUGreg Preston offices Of the federal Farmers Home Ad­ Council; David Foster, chairperson of the ministration and other federal agencies that Larry Bastain, of United Auto Workers Local 325, told the rally, " If you want to know meaning of solidarity, go to Austin. Workers in Austin and Ottumwa have National Rank and- File Against Conces­ have refused to help farmers. He also par­ sions; Larry Regan, president of United ticipated in the April II protest at the Hor­ given labor a shot in the arm." Steelworkers Local 10I4 in Gary, Indiana; mel plant in Austin, which was attacked by Peggy Glavas, president ofUSWA Local the cops. 9-Family Fund. the pressure, to stand for what they know is 2629 in Galesburg, Illinois; Ron Weisen, "I have never seen more social and legal The final speaker was P-9 President Jim right." president of USW A Local 1397 in Home­ injustice than is going on in Austin," he Guyette. Guyette discussed the UFCW top "Pressures will come on you in Ottumwa stead, Pennsylvania; Thomas Ludgood, said. "I think every union and farmer in officials' decision to place the striking to betray each other, pressures from people representing Teamsters Local 600 in St. this country should get together and shut local in receivership. He talked about the who don't understand the meaning of sol­ Louis; Francois Letellier of the Indepen­ that plant down. We need to stand to­ top bureaucrats' use of surveillance and idarity," Guyette said. "But Ottumwa has a dent Federation of Flight Attendants; Bar­ gether." other methods of harassment against the proud heritage that has been passed on to bara Mungovan of International Associa" They drive the farmers off the land," he struggling local. people who know that in unity there is tion of Machinists Local 702 at Eastern said. "They drive us to the cities. They "Why all these moves if this is a struggle strength. No longer can they isolate the Airlines in Miami Springs, Florida; and force us to look for work, and then they try that can't be won?'' he asked. "The reason workers in Keokuk or the flight attendants Ron Schreiber of Local 48 of the American to use us to break the unions." is on this platform. People ready, despite or the meatpackers. They can make their Federation of Grain Millers. Parks linked the attacks on farmers and workers in this country to what the U .S. government is doing to the people of Nica­ ragua. "The reason the U .S. government is Minn. meatpackers pledge to fight on backing the contras in Nicaragua is be­ cause the Nicaraguans have passed a law saying no one can be foreclosed on. They Continued from front page Nearly 700 of the approximately I ,000 The striking loqd also sent, a letter to have another law saying that everyone in cials characterized the hearing as a "kan­ members of.UFCW Local P-6 at Farmstead supporters across the country. The letter the country must be fed. So our govern­ garoo court and an insult to union solidar­ Foods in nearby Albert Le'! signed a peti­ states that the decision to put the local into ment keeps pouring money in for the con­ ity." tion to withhold their per capita dues from trusteeship is the "latest move by the tras so the corporations and banks can run On May 9, the International officials the International union until the officials UFCW )n~ernattl,ing Nicaragua the way they used to." sought and won a court order enforcing the support the Austin strikers. local and membership of their democratic An Iowa farmer also spoke in defense of trusteeship. U.S. District Court Judge Ed­ At a labor solidarity rally May 10 in Ot­ right to decide on a just contract." In the the fired workers. ward Devitt ordered the strikers not to tumwa, Iowa (see front-page story), farm­ face of this attack, it explains, the strikers Dan Varner, a fired worker who is chief physically harm or intimidate the ap­ ers from Iowa and Missouri pledged to "are united now more than ever." The letter shop steward at the Hormel plant here, pointed trustee . He also ruled that records stand by the strikers in their fight against encourages supporters to continue their spoke about Hormel' s attempt to block the and funds could not be moved or transfer­ Hormel. work in solidarity with the Austin strike. workers from receiving unemployment red from the union offices until further On May 9, the strikers organized a dem­ All correspondence supporting the benefits. "We .know that what we did was notice. onstration outside the union hall. More strike, as well as contributions for the right," he said. 'The people who say we In asking for this restraining order, the than I 00 people lined the streets carrying Adopt-A-Family and other programs, didn't have the right to not cross a picket International officials claimed that an signs that read, "Wynn [UFCW Interna­ should now be sent to United Support line are a greedy pack of liars." "emergency existed." They cited as evi­ tional president] says it's over, we say it's G~oup, P.O. Box 396, Austin, Minnesota Sherry Hacker, a leader of the Ottumwa dence an Austin police report claiming that just begun" and "Boycott Hormel." 5591 2 .. Support Group, also spoke. surveillance teams had observed boxes Larry Bastain, recording secretary of being taken from the union hall. The Inter­ United Auto Workers Local325 at the Ford national officials claim that the boxes con­ Motor Co. plant near St. Louis, presented a tained union records. How Hor~nel rakes in profits check to the Ottumwa Support Group. He Judge Devitt has scheduled a hearing to was part of a delegation of workers from make a final decision on the legality and the local. implementation of the trusteeship May 27. froiD apartheid South Africa The local has issued T -shirts with the The striking local also sought a restrain­ slogan "Hormel busters" on the front and, ing order May 9 to stop the trusteeship. But The following article is reprinted from parent cause by the South Africa police . on the back, the local insignia and the slo­ U.S. District Court Judge Gerhard Gesell the April it issue of The Unionist, the Makhema believes that this arrest, and gan, "They say give back, we say fight in Washington, D.C., denied the local's re­ weekly newspaper of Local P-9 of the others like it, were made at the behest of back." More than I 00 were sold at the Ford quest. United Food and Commercial Workers. the company. plant in two hours. Another 100 were sold The local had filed an earlier lawsuit The local is currently on strike against According to other experts on South Af­ at the rally in 20 minutes. Proceeds went to against the UFCW International in Gesell's Hormel company in Austin, Minnesota. rican labor, Renown was one of 17 com­ the P-9 strikers. court May 6. That suit asked the court to · panies targeted by a nationwide boycott "If you want to know the true meaning block the trusteeship and fine the UFCW Renown Food Products, one of the two campaign prompted by wage and other of brotherhood, sisterhood, and solidar­ International $1 3 million in damages for its or three largest meatpacking companies in working conditions. The meatpacking in­ ity," said Bastain, "go to Austin. We're campaign against the local and moves to South Africa, has technical service and dustry is apparently "highly brutish" even sick and tired of being sick and tired. The end the strike . licensing agreements with the George A. by South African standards. workers in Austin and Ottumwa have given Following the announcement of the trus­ Hormel & Company. As far as we know, Makhema believes that the Renown labor a shot in the arm." teeship, the strikers organized a symbolic Renown uses Hormel's meat-processing plant which is most likely to be using the · Billy Osburn, secretary-treasurer of protest action. They briefly chained the technology, which is advanced even for the Hormel technology is the Deep City plant United Steelworkers of America Local doors of the union hall shut. Two strikers, United States, to produce some of its meat near Johannesburg, which produces pro­ 66I2, presented a check to the support imitating the National Guard, who were items, which include various smoked, cessed meats. Renown is a subs-idiary of group. sent into Austin by Democratic Gov. Rudy packaged , and canned products like bacon Imperial Cold Storage which is owned by Perpich to herd scabs for Hormel in Janu­ He told the Militant his local voted to and salami. Barlow Rand, a major South African con­ ary, carried batons. The big-business South African workers at Renown are contribute $100 a month for the next three glomerate . media seized on the action to violence-bait months to the Austin workers' Adopt-A-P- organized by the Sweet, Food and Allied The following is from the George A. the strikers. The media reported that strik­ Workers Union, which is part of Hormel Annual Report, 1984, Interna­ ers "armed with baseball bats" were COSATU , [Congress of South African tional operations section: "guarding the union hall." Trade Unions]. Jim Cason at ACOA "George A. Hormel & Company con­ 'Militant' Prisoner Fund The violence-baiting was echoed by [American Committee on Africa] spoke to tinued to strengthen its position in }fiscal The Militant's special prisoner UFCW spokesperson Allan Zack, who told David Makhema, the general secretary of 1984 as an international enterprise through fund makes it possible to send re­ the media that he was afraid to "expose his SFAWU . Makhema said that the union its wholly owned subsidiary, Hormel Inter­ duced-rate subscriptions to prison- staff to violence" in Austin. wished to "express solidarity with the Hor­ national Corporation. . ers who need help paying for the In the days following the announcement mel strikers - we will do everything we During the year, new technical services paper. Please send your contribution of the trusteeship, workers and officials can to help them." Makhema said that Re­ and licensing agreements were established to: Militant Prisoner Subscription from other unions around the country nown is "totally anti-union" and that the with Renown Food Products Corp of the Fund, 14 Charles Lane, N ew York, called the local to express their outrage at company is currently harassing union Republic of South Africa, and with HaiTai N.Y. 10014 the trusteeship. They pledged to continue members. On Wednesday morning, a Confectionery Company Ltd. of the Re­ organizing support for the strike. SFA ~U member was arrested without ap- public of South Africa."

May 23, 1986 The, Militant 5 Why Washington is cool toward Aquino gov't

BY HARRY RING cronies to steal the country blind. Soon after returning from meetings with At the Manila meeting, President top Philippine officials, Secretary of State Aquino reminded Shultz that the Philip­ George Shultz publicly rebuked former pines are saddled with a foreign debt of$26 Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. billion and that half the nation's export On TV May 13, Shultz said Marcos was earnings are soaked up by debt service pay­ "causing trouble" in the Philippines, "and ments. some of it goes beyond just argument." Meanwhile, the Philippine economy is From his haven in Hawaii, Marcos has suffering the aftershocks of the years of been promoting right-wing demonstrations Marcos' rule. in Manila against the new government of The entire 1986 government budget is President Corazon Aquino. but $4.6 billion, and it is anticipated there The move to distance the Reagan admin­ will be a deficit of a billion dollars. istration from Marcos came but four days After the Shultz visit, Solita Monsod, after Shultz's visit to Manila where he had minister of economic planning, said she ducked the issue. There, he had hypocriti­ had told him that if there could not be more cally claimed Washington could not inter­ adequate aid then, at least, Philippine sugar fere with Marcos' right to free speech. and garment import quotas should be Apparently on his return to Washington, raised. it was decided that the ambiguity toward The quota of Philippine sugar permitted Marcos was proving costly to U.S. policy into this country had been reduced, and it is in the Philippines. alloted but 2.5 percent of all U.S. garment In his TV appearance, Shultz also con­ imports. ceded that the Philippine economy was in Yet, Monsod said, "All we heard from serious difficulty, but reiterated his claim Shultz were sympathetic noises." that "the budget picture" here does not per­ Washington's reluctance to help al­ mit the additional U.S. funding which the leviate the economic difficulties of the Aquino government has urgently re­ Filipino people is not simply the customary U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and Philippines President Corazon Aquino. In quested. capitalist response to human need. It is also recent trip to Philippines, Shultz scolded Philippine officials who demanded more Meanwhile, President Aquino said it a time-tested form of pressure on the new economic aid to reduce high foreign debt. would take time to resolve her country's government, one that it apparently does not desperate financial situation, "especially consider sufficiently "reliable." since the promised assistance has not come Indeed the coolness has been so pro­ And, like the Philippine military, the whether the Aquino government can keep through yet." nounced that top Philippine officials had Reagan administration seems wary of the the mass of Philippine peasants and work­ Last February, when it was clear that deemed it necessary to insist that Reagan Aquino proposal for a cease-fire with the ers in check. That means thwarting the Marcos was finished, Washington reluc­ declare publicly if he supports the new liberation fighters, despite the fact that popular drive to root out all the Marcos' tantly cut its longtime ties with him and government in Manila, or if he is still look­ Aquino includes the ultimatum that the re­ cronies in positions of power, win legaliza­ moved to establish relations with the new ing to the exiled Marcos. bels lay down their arrris as a precondition tion of political parties, free the remaining Aquino government. Vice-president Laurel said there had for negotiations: political prisoners, and win other demo­ Developments since then have shown been "lingering doubts" about Reagan's The skepticism on the issue of a cease­ cratic changes, including establishment of that while Washington sees no alternative stand ever since he made his astonishing fire was signaled by the choice of the first a freely elected constituent assembly to to Aquino, its relations with her govern­ statement that maybe there had been fraud ranking U.S. visitor to Manila after Marcos draft a new constitution. ment are far from warm. "on both sides" in the election Marcos had was ousted- Caspar Weinberger, secre­ · Washington recognizes that while This was clear from Shultz's May 9 visit tried to steal from Aquino. tary of war. Aquino is a capitalist politician heading a to Manila. Shultz held a 45-minute meeting Reagan does support the new govern­ The number one job, Weinberger had capitalist government, the overthrow of the with Aquino where she stressed that pro­ ment, Shultz then curtly responded, arrog­ stressed, was to shape up the Armed Forces Marcos dictatorship was an enormous vic­ posed U.S. aid was grossly inadequate. antly adding, "Let me remind you, the of the Philippines so they could effectively tory for the people - one that opens the In addition to the $240 million in eco­ president is not on trial." do battle with the rebels. way for their active participation in politics nomic and military aid committed by Con­ Washington's frosty attitude toward the In sum, the present strained relations are for the first time. That's what makes Wash­ gress for 1986, the administration says it Aquino government involves more than an expression of U.S. concern about ington uneasy. will ask for an additional $150 mHiion . Reagan's personal partiality t'o dictators. There is no assurance that Congress will Major issues are involved. vote even this paltry amount. These include the U.S. military-base A single comparison indicates howpal­ agreement which expires in five years, the Antiwar actions set for May 17 try it is. For the state of Israel, the adminis­ question of the Philippine debt, and tration recommended a 1986 economic and Aquino's proposal to negotiate a cease-fire BY RASHAAD ALI Resistance in more than 200 cities. military aid package of $3 billion. with the popular-based guerrilla force, the The Pledge of Resistance National Reagan's proposal to send $100 million Yet when Philippine Vice-president Sal­ New People's Army. Clearinghouse reports that there will be · to beef up the mercenaries is set to be voted vador Laurel said his crisis-ridden country While Aquino has said no more than that more than 70 regional and statewide anti­ on by Congress in mid-June. needed much more than the $150 million in she will review the military-base agree­ war actions to "make the war visible" on May 17 gives opponents of the U.S. added aid, Shultz had snapped, "We don't ment when it expires in 1991, Washington • May 17, Armed Forces Day. government's expanding war drive in Cen­ have an infinite capacity to provide would apparently prefer a firm, public These protes.ts are a continuation of the tral America an added opportunity to bring money." commitment for renewal now. campaign against aid to the U.S.-backed out antiwar forces in their areas. Surely, the Philippine government has Washington- and Wall Street- also contras, who are fighting against the gov­ In Denver, Colorado, antiwar activists every moral right to insist on more ade­ seem uptight about the demand now being ernment and people of Nicaragua. from all over the state will converge on the quate U.S. aid. For nearly a century, U.S . voiced in the Philippines that the onerous The debate over contra aid has sparked a governor's mansion to protest his refusal to bankers and businessmen have reaped luc­ $26 billion debt be canceled, even though number of antiwar actions, most notably block the training of Colorado National rative profits from the Philippines, leaving Aquino has declared she does not agree the April 19 antiwar demonstration of Guard in Honduras. its people impoverished. And, for years, with this demand. Instead, she has re­ 25,000 in San Francisco and the April 14 The governors of Massachusetts, Maine, Washington permitted Marcos and his quested less onerous repayment terms. coordinated local actions by the Pledge of and Vermont have refused to send state Guard units, which they command, to Honduras. Several other states are consid­ ering doing the same. An all-night vigil will be held in Fox 'IP': Castro speech on Cuban economy Valley, Illinois, to welcome back returning Illinois National Guard from Honduras. The forthcoming June 2 issue of alleged entrepreneurs who worry The deep South is planning a "Peace Pic­ Intercontinental Press will feature more about the enterprise than the nic" in Biloxi, Mississippi, for May 17. part of a speech by Cuban Presi­ interests of the country, we have a LJV1jE'ROOIJ\.TTZrJ\.Tr"J\.TTAL Antiwar activists will be coming from the dent Fidel Castro, presented to a capitalist in every sense of the D :l~ J' J~L::.J~ J.M tri-state area of Louisiana, Mississippi, and meeting celebrating the 25th an­ word." r'RESS Alabama. niversary of the defeat of CIA­ The current, May 19, IP includes . ;,;;'";;«•;,..,....---=•"::..· __...:;'·::::;··•:; · ,..,.,.-...:O<:o:·::::···=-·---o!ii'i '.. 'i•"'i~':="'"' A march through Washington, D.C., is backed mercenaries at Playa Giron reports on antigovernment pro- .-"" _"~_.. _ __:______--,.,r planned by Pledge activists and others. (also known as the Bay of Pigs). tests in South Korea, Greece, and Chernobyl Accident They will march past some of the symbols In the April19 speech, Castro re­ Paraguay. G . R . d f of war in that city, including the U.S. Con­ minded the Cuban people that the nm emm er o gress, the Heritage Foundation, and the new generations have ahead of Intercontinental Press is a biweekly Nuclear Hazards U.S. council on World Freedom. Protes­ them tasks equal to or greater than that carries more articles, docu­ ters are expected to come from Maryland those of the generation that de­ ments, and special features on world and Virginia. fended the revolution at Giron. politics- from Europe to Oceania New York antiwar protesters will be Specifically, he pointed to the and from the Middle East to Central gathering at the USS Intrepid on Armed challenge of rooting out all vestiges America - than we have room for Forces Day to condemn U.S. intervention of the old system of capitalism. in the Militant. Subscribe now. in · Central America, Puerto Rico, Libya, Cuba's economic strength has and South Africa." This old warship has been undermined, he said, by Enclosed is D $7.50 for 3 months. been turned into a military historical habits of laziness, profiteering, and D $15 for 6 months. D $30 for 1 museum. other sources of inefficiency.: year. Other antiwar actions will take place in "Those who look for privileges and San Antonio and Austin, Texas; Omaha, Name------cushy jobs," he stated, "are doing Nebraska; Akron, Ohio; Cape Cod, Mas­ Address ______Austra/111 the mercenaries' work." Farmers Resist Worst Crisis Since 1930s sachusetts; Reno, Nevada; Augusta, "The first thing a communist City __ State __ Zip __ Maine; and in Detroit, Birmingham, cadre must ask himself is not if his Pittsburgh, Portland, and St. Louis. firm is making more money," he Clip and mail to Intercontinental For more information call the Pledge said, "but how the country makes Press, 410 West St., New York, NY Hotline at (202) 328-4042 or the Pledge of more. From the moment we have 10014. Resistance National Clearinghouse at (202) 328-4040.

6 The Militant May 23, 1986 Chicago mayor gains control of council Washington faction of Democratic Party is· victor over old machine

BY JIM LITTLE officers were brought in to monitor the CHICAGO- For the first time since he election. Manuel Torres accused Gutierrez was elected mayor in April 1983, Harold of being a communist and a terrorist. Washington appears to have gained control Gutierrez backers circulated a letter accus­ of the 50-member Chicago City Council. ing Torres of adultery and failing to pay Two Washington-backed candidates won child support. special aldermanic runoff elections on But the single most important issue in April 29, 1986. the 26th Ward election was who backed which faction in the Democratic Party. In the predominantly Black Southside Washington walked the ward and actively 15th Ward, the runoff election shaped up campaigned for Luis Gutierrez. Citywide as · a head-to-head between Democratic campaign activities and fundraisers were Party machine incumbent Alderman Frank held by Washington people and "indepen­ Brady and Washington-backed Democrat dent" Democrats to win support for Gutier­ Marlene Carter, a Black woman. Carter rez. won the election by a wide margin. Likewise, the machine pulled out the But the face-off that received the most stops to back their candidate, Manuel Tor­ notice was in the Latino 26th Ward. There, res. Besides Vrdolyak's, Torres also got Washington-backed Luis Gutierrez beat the active backing of both Jane Byrne, an out machine-supported Manuel Torres, announced candidate for mayor in 1987, 7,429 votes to 6,549. Both candidates are and Richard M. Daley, Cook County Puerto Rican. state's attorney and possible contender for the machine-backed mayoral candidate. Washington supporters now hold 25 Edward Vrdolyak Oeft), chair, Cook County Democratic Party. Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. Mayor Harold Washington summed up council seats. With Washington's vote in the significance of the election results, say­ case of a tie, the mayor is expected to push ing, "The Democratic machine is dead. It through many of his proposals previously council. business fathers have expressed a growing killed itself. It committed suicide." denied by the machine majority. Prior to The faction fights of the Democratic impatience with the disruptive tactics of the Even though Washington has only a tie the recent elections the machine had a 29 to Party have dominated city council politics Vrdolyak-led faction. breaker margin on the city council, the 21 majority. since Washington, Chicago's first Black The bankers and steel barons who run election reflects much more about how the The runoff election was the second mayor, won office in 1983. Edward Vrd­ Chicago want to see more rationalization of Democratic Party organization is being re­ round of a special election ordered by a olyak, the alderman from the lOth Ward city government, more economizing, more structured and strengthened as the rulerS' federal court decision last December. The and chairman of the Cook County Demo­ layoffs of city workers. Washington, under party in the city. court held that the Democratic Party cratic Party, has headed a faction of 29 al­ the guise of "anti-machine" policies, has It will be impossible for Vrdolyak to machine under former Mayor Jane Byrne dermen since 1983. They represent local carried out a series of cutbacks and anti­ maintain discipline on votes . Many Vrd­ had gerrymandered the ward map of capitalist interests grouped around the rem­ labor policies. But he has been thwarted by olyak "loyalists" are already defecting and Chicago in such a way as to prevent Blacks nants of the old Democratic Party machine. the maneuvers of the Vrdolyak faction declaring themselves "independents." and Latinos from having fair representation Once headed by longtime mayor and from doing what the big-business owners It seems that the Washington-led Demo­ on the city council and the Democratic "Boss" Richard J. Daley, the machine ran demand. cratic Party will have a freer hand in run­ Party Committee. The court decision re­ Chicago politics for over two decades For their part, the old machine faction ning the affairs of the city. What this will mapped seven of the city's 50 wards to through a system of open patronage, ward has rallied mostly under the banner of ra­ mean for working people, however, will give Blacks or Latinos a substantial major­ fiefdoms, and blatant racism. The election cism to fight any reform of the Democratic not be so good. Despite the internal fight in ity of the voters. of Washington in 1983 marked a shift in Party organization that would undermine the Democratic Party since 1983, Wash­ In the first round of the election, the the way the rulers run Chicago in the inter­ their control. They are also preparing for ington was able to raise taxes and cut the Washington faction of the Democrats made est of big business and to head off any at­ the 1987 elections when they hope one of city labor force by about 4,000 workers. headway, winning two new seats on the tempt by working people and Blacks to en­ their own will be put back In City Hall. And he's already announced plans to close council. With the results of the second gage in genuine working-class political ac­ The special elections WCJ:e marked by the 1986 budget deficit of $150 million by runoff, Washington has overturned the vot­ tion. Through newspaper editorials and charges and countercharges of fraud, vio­ new cuts in social services and another ing control ·of the machine faction on the television commentaries the city's big- lence, and vote theft. Hundreds of special round of taxes . . Over the top! Pa. March for Wo111en 's Lives City Pleqetl Paid BY LOUISE CHRISTOPHER Pittsburgh, and Wilson College in Cham­ HARRISBURG, Pa. -Chanting, "Free bersburg. Atlanta 1625 1625 .choice now," about 300 people marched Banners proclaimed, "Keep abortion Baltimore 1124 1119 $100.000 along the Susquehanna River to the steps of and birth control safe and legal," "Give Birmingham 1740 1585 the State Capitol here May 10. The abor­ mother her rights for Mother's Day," and Boston 4385 4385 tion rights action, initiated by Planned "Motherhood by choice, not by chance." Capital District. N.Y. 870 680 Socialist Parenthood, was called the "Pennsylvania Organizations present included the Charleston, W.Va. 1830 1360 March for Women's Lives." Greater Harrisburg chapter of the Coalition Chicago 4460 3640 Endorsed by the National Organization of Labor Union Women, National Associa­ Cincinnati 1757 1727 Publication for Women (NOW) and many other organi­ tion of Social Workers, NOW, Planned zations, the action drew people from across Parenthood, YWCA, Women's Interna­ Cleveland 1420 1420 the state from Erie to State College to Get­ tional League for Peace and Freedom, In- Dallas 4035 3868 Fund tysburg. Buses came from Philadelphia, Continued on Page 20 Denver 2520 2495 Detroit 4315 4016 Greensboro, N.C. 1405 1350 Houston 7770 7470 Kansas City 2560 1795 On March 15 we launched the Los Angeles 8710 6621 Socialist Publication Fund with the goal of raising $100.000 by May 10. lltTfOHA110HAL WULY Of 1H/I $ANOINI$1A HA110NAL U8IOA110H 'IIOIIT Louisville 1012 892 internadonal Miami 1454 1297 A major purpose of the fund is to Zimbabwe's Prime Minister visits Milwaukee 1270 1270 help finance publication of the Subscribe to Barricada lnter­ Morgantown, W.Va. 1925 1790 Militant, our Spanish-language nacional, weekly of the San­ sister publication Perspectiva New Orleans 3953 3218 dinista National Liberation New York 10010 8720 Mundial. and other socialist publi- cation projects. Front. Get news of the latest Newark 6220 6060 political, military, economic, Oakland 4930 4483 Checks should be made out to: diplomatic, and cultural de­ Philadelphia 3370 3005 Socialist Palalicatioa FaJUI velopments of Nic~ragua and Phoenix 1060 438 14 Charles Lae, lew York, n 10014 Pittsburgh 1555 1235 Central America. Portland 1886 1880 Enclosed is my contribution to Price, Utah 775. 675 the Socialist Publication Fund of Salt Lake City 2075 1675 $__ . In English or Spanish. San Diego 2210 1880 I pledge a contribution of$___ San Francisco 6320 6320 to the Socialist Publication Fund San Jose 4850 4250 to be paid by Seattle 3025 3025 News of revolutionary Nicaragua ... St. Louis 4552 4222 Name Tidewater, Va. 590 475 Address ... airmailed to you every week Toledo 1930 1745 Twin Cities 4575 4020 City from Managua Washington D. 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May 23, 1986 The Militant 7 What's behind debate on 'The Color Purple'

BY MALIK MIAH In the last decade two Black women writers have caused a big stir among Black journalists, academics, and political activ­ ists and among other liberal and left circles for their writings about the lives and op­ pression of Black women. They are Ntozake Shange, who wrote the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf, and Alice Walker, who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. For Colored Girls, with its all-Black cast, opened on Broadway in September 1976. The play. told a part of the Black woman's story through a series of vig­ nettes. It described a Black woman's life f'\\.· \ -growing up, coming of age, aspirations, \ \ \ \ \ ... ) \ ~ broken dreams, verbal and physical abuse, rape, abortion, and most important of all, survival. This powerful play, told from the point of view of a Black woman, was highly praised, especially by women- Black and white . . But it was attacked by many others, especially a reactionary layer of Blacks, for Militant Mahn being negative toward Black males. The Color Purple exposes Black women's oppression. Debate it generated reflects leading role of Black women in fight for abor­ Chicago columnist Vernon Jarrett wrote tion rights, as in the recent March for Women's Lives (right), in the fight against apartheid, and other issues. at the time in the city's Black daily, the Chicago Defender, that Shange's play was equal to "that classic pro-Ku Klux Klan (The purpose of this reactionary white­ by the capitalist system- is generally seen And the fight for women's liberation has achievement of 1915, Birth of a Nation ." and Jew-baiting is clear. It is an attempt to as a social problem by the Black movement helped change the consciousness of women He asserted that For Colored Girls was prevent Blacks from objectively consider­ and opposed as such. Sexist violence, how­ -and men- about women's role in soci­ "a degrading treatment of the black male ing what Walker has to say.) ever, tends to be viewed differently - by ety. ... a mockery of the black family ." In the wake of the 1986 Academy Blacks and whites. There were some Black women involved In Chicago and other cities meetings Awards ceremony, which gave The Color When it is acknowledged at all, it tends in the feminist movement from the begin­ were held in the Black community to de­ Pwple no awards after it received II nomi­ to be seen as a personal matter, with the ning, though not in large numbers. Black nounce the play. Many of the critics had nations, Tony Brown gleefully wrote, the woman often being blamed for provoking women - the most oppressed women - never seen For Colored Girls, but claimed "ceremony was a 'blue' night for Purple the man into beating her. stood to gain the most from the demands it was hostile to Black men . People, but a night of liberation and rejoic­ But sexist violence is widespread. that women's rights supporters fought for: ing for proud Africans everywhere." Nearly 6 million women are reported legal abortion, affirmative action, Repeat performance beaten by their husbands each year. Some childcare, pay equity, and the Equal Rights Ten years later we find a similar perfor­ Behind heated attacks 2,000-4,000 women in the United States Amendment. mance against the book and film The Color There is no question that The Color Pur­ die annually as a result of family violence. Purple- the best-selling novel and one of ple has produced the most wide-ranging The fact that such violence occurs More women working the most widely seen Hollywood-made national political discussion and debate among Blacks as well as whites cannot be Another important change has been the films about a piece of Black life. about Black women, male-female rela­ wished away or hidden just because racists incorporation of large numbers of women Syndicated columnist and TV host Tony tions, and the relations between the fight use its existence to bolster anti-Black pre­ into the labor force. Brown called The Color Purple "the most for women's equality and the struggle to judice. More than half of all working-age racist depiction of Black men since Birth of end racist oppression in many years. We- supporters of social progress­ women are in the labor force today as com­ a Nation and the most anti-Black family The debate generates so much heat be­ must face the facts and stand foursquare pared to 34 percent in 1950 and 43 percent film of the modern film era." cause the book and film touch on a very against the triple burden ,of racial and sex­ in 1970. Women are now 44 percent of the The Nation of Islam - which is led by profound social, political, and personal ual oppression and class exploitation that entire labor force, with the number con­ Louis Farrakhan - headlined its review in question: the oppression of women, espe­ Black women suffer. tinuing to rise. This includes more women the Final Call "Purple poison pulses cially Black women. Unless we do so, we are harming the integrated into the most strongly or­ through community." A subsequent article What's most noteworthy about the at­ fight for Black liberation. We are under­ ganized, predominantly male, sectors of by Harry Davidson claimed the movie "ex­ tacks by irate males is that little recognition mining unity and solidarity within the the industrial working class. ploits all the stereotypes (negative images) is given to the real suffering and oppression Black nationality and movement, These social changes make working traditiomilly associated with Blacks: the of Black women, which is the centerpiece women - including Black women - buffoon who appears not to have the of The Color Purple. It's as though Walker Women ftght back more economically independent and thus slightest intelligence; the devoted slave had made up the story out of whole cloth. When women stand up to these assaults, less dependent on men to survive. This is who is put in her place; the immoral sexual Few critics are willing to discuss the however, they are called "bitches" or ac­ true even though working women earn on brute who is distorted and dehumanized; central question treated by Walker: the op­ cused of being antimale. This is true for all average 64 percent of what men earn and the Black jezebel; the dominating Black pression of Black women as women. women- Black and white. also have the double burden of. working female; and the emasculated, weak Black Some of Walker's opponents admit there When, in The Color Purple, Celie says and taking care of family and home. male." is at least a grain of truth in her story of a "no more" to Mister, she's not attacking Economic independence gives working Washington Post columnist William Black woman, Celie, growing up in rural the male of the species. She's simply trying women more options. It gives them more Raspberry called the movie "libel" against Georgia in the first decades of this century. to live free of abuse. confidence to make decisions. Combined Black men. Celie is raped, brutalized, and degraded, Everything is turned upside down by the with other advances won by women, it has James Jackson, secretary of the central first by her stepfather, then by her hus­ critics, however. It's an example of the a progressive impact on women's attitudes committee of the Communist Party, wrote band. Eventually she resists and gains victim being turned into the criminal. toward themselves and their place in soci­ in the party's monthly journal, Political Af­ some self-confidence and respect in the Walker is accused of denigrating men by ety. It also affects the attitude of men to­ fairs, "Indeed, in the book and the film, process. showing the real abuse Black women suf­ ward women. But even many of those who grant that fer. Black men are depicted as bestial violators Ruling-class offensive of female humanity, venomous predators such things do happen claim that the over­ Just how reactionary maJ!y of the criti­ who rape and commit incest upon their riding message is that Black men are ani­ cisms of Walker's book and the film based The last decade, however, has seen a de­ own children." mals, and therefore The Color Purple is ra­ on that book are can be seen by the fact that termined offensive by the government and "What has emerged," he claimed, "from cist and reactionary. Celie's lesbian relationship with Shug employers against the gains won by work­ the Walker-Spielberg collaboration [Ste­ But Walker's story is not antimale. It Avery comes in for particular attack, often ing people, including by Blacks and ven Spielberg directed the film] is the gros­ simply expresses the strivings of women to being the target of undisguised antigay women. The reactionary ideological offen­ sest slander of a people, whose men and be treated as human beings, with all the comments. sive against women's rights has been an women have fought side by side to create, dignity and rights that entails. And that's The reason so many Black women and important part of the attacks by the em­ defend, and advance the opportunities and what her enemies don't like. other women identify with this movie is ploying class. well being of the nuclear family against Is it racist to admit that there is violence that they can personally relate to Celie - The employers' goal is not to drive merciless, oppressor ruling classes, first of amm1g Blacks, especially violence by her oppression and her rebellion . women out of the labor force. It is to get slavemasters, then plantation overlords, Black men against Black women? The identification by women - and women - including women of the op­ and now capitalist exploiters and . land­ Is it racist ..:._ or at least an adaptation to many men - with an oppressed woman pressed nationalities - to see themselves lords." racism - for Black women to talk and fighting back, growing, and developing less as part of the working class and as po­ T. Willard Fair, writing in the Miami write about this violence? her understanding and self~confidence is litical and union activists and more as Times, called The Color Purple "a very These questions are at the heart of the progressive, not racist. It is inspiring. womeri with family responsibilities who dangerous movie. And Black children political debate over The Color Purple. just happen to work. Impact of women's liberation movement Today the organized labor movement is should not be allowed to see it without pa­ Violence in the Black community rental presence," he added. The Color Purple is both a product and a under severe attack, suffering many set­ Concluding his assault with an appeal to There is violence in the Black communi­ reflection of changes that have taken place backs and defeats. Gains won by the Black antiwhite and anti-Semitic prejudice, Fair ty, including physical and verbal abuse of in U.S . society over the last several dec­ and women's rights movements are also said, "Finally, I wonder why I went to see Black women by Black men. That's the ades. taking blows. While there is some resis­ a movie in which several of the colored bitter truth. The civil rights victory in the 1960s not tance, there is no mass fightback led by the principals had already shown an inability to This antiwoman violence is an obstacle ·only smashed the Jim Crow system of legal labor movement to answer the employers' deal with their color. Alice Walker, the au­ to Black women gaining confidence in segregation in the South and opened new attacks . thor of Color Purple, is married to a mem­ themselves. And it blocks them from be­ political and economic doors to Blacks, it In this context, the ruling class' antiwo­ ber of the Jewish community. Quincy coming full participants in and leaders of gave Black women more self-confidence man ideology gets an echo among a mid­ Jones, who scored the music for the movie, the struggles of Blacks, women, and the just as it gave confidence to all wmnen dle-class layer in the Black community. If is married to a white woman. And Whoopi working class against oppression and ex­ fighting to advance their rights. Black women followed the logic of this Goldberg wears a Jewish name that she ploitation . The feminist movement, in fact, was in­ antiwoman ideology, it would lead them to selected." Other violence between Blacks - bred spired by the fight of Blacks for equality. Continued on Page 21

8 The·Militant May 23, 1986 International Socialist ~e~ie~------s~up~p~•e_m_e_n_t_to_t_he__ M_n_it_an_t ___M~ay~·-9~- Fidel Castro on Cuba's The following is the first part of a speech by Cuban The mercenary invasion didn't take anybody here by President Fidel Castro at a celebration of the 25th an­ surprise despite the fact - and this is a good example of niversary of the defeat of the CIA-sponsored invasion the serious work of the news transnationals - that the of Cuba, April17-19, 1961. The presentation marked president of the United States had given orders not to talk victory at .. about or publish any news having to do with the prepara­ both the defeat of the U .S.-organized army of Cuban exile mercenaries at Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs) and the tions for an invasion that many people already knew April16, 1961, declaration in Havana on the socialist about. character of the Cuban revolution. This declaration The main dailies, among them The New York Times­ was made at a funeral for the victims of an aerial which on that occasion betrayed its reputation as an ob­ bombing raid the day before. Bay ol Pigs jective newspaper - were told not to publish any infor­ Castro spoke April 19 at the Karl Marx Theater in mation about the preparations for the invasion. There­ Havana. The text is taken from the April 27, 1986, fore, neither the wire services nor the press provided any issue. of the English-language Granma Weekly Re­ indication of what was about to take place. But, through view. Subheadings are by the Militant. other means, given the antecedents, and the revolution­ Speech marks 25th aries' acquired capacity to guess what the enemy is going Distinguished guests; to do, we knew that an attack was imminent. We can't Relatives of the fighters killed in Giron; say that we knew the exact date it would take place, but Veterans of Giron; anniversary of we could detect all the symptoms of what was to happen. Comrades all: We had worked very hard in the weeks preceding the About half of our country's present population was yet attack. A tremendous effort was made in the organization to be born when the Playa Giron incidents occurred. mercenaries' defeat and training of the personnel, hundreds of thousands Many of those who are now adults were children. But were trained and armed in the space of a few weeks. The millions of persons remember perfectly well those weapons arrived at a steady pace and just in time. We can events, which were lived intensely by our people. say that a few weeks before the invasion a large number These days our press has dealt at length with all those and of declaring of weapons arrived: ground artillery, antiaircraft artil­ events. lery, antitank artillery, tanks and self-propelled guns. I have observed that although many interesting tes­ And we had been able to put together hundreds of timonies exist about these events, an exact, precise and socialist nature of thousands of weapons, most of them from socialist coun­ global story of that battle is yet to be written. There are tries, because our initial attempts to buy arms lots in times - as far as we can remember - when there's a Western Europe were sabotaged . certain confusion as to dates, despite the fact that the bat­ Cuban revolution Some Western countries sold us ammunition· but not tle lasted only three days. Things that happened on the the guns. One of the freighters loaded with a shipment of 19th are presented as if they had taken place on the 18th rifles and munitions, La Coubre, was sabotaged and doz­ and later events, on the 20th, are presented as having ens of workers and soldiers died in that typical act of CIA taken place on the 19th and so forth. Perhaps, after 25 sabotage. Since then, despite the fact that probably years and taking advantage of the numerous written tes­ thousands of ships have unloaded weapons in our coun­ timonials, past and present, and of the opportunity to in­ try, none of them has exploded. :('llaturally, it was easy for terview many of the participants in the battle, some histo­ the CIA to sabotage a ship that had taken its cargo aboard rian or group of historians may be able to reconstruct in a Western European port, to set up a booby trap so that those events with a maximum of precision. when one of the munitions cases was lifted it would ex­ The international press, encouraged by the fact that the plode. 25th anniversary of that battle is being celebrated, has We made every possib1,e study and came to the conclu­ also dealt at length with those events. A number of news sion that the explosion was no accident. Crates of gre­ agencies have said that certain institutions that partici­ nades in that shipment were dropped from airplanes at pated in the events haven't recovered yet from the defeat. various heights, at thousands of meters, and none of them The attack on Giron had its antecedents. As far back as exploded. It was evident that this was a case of sabotage Dec. 11 , 1959 - December 1959, mind you! - the organized abroad and one in a very sophisticated fashion chief of the Central Intelligence Agency presented the in order to cause a double explosion, because that's what U.S. government with a plan to destroy the Cuban Rev­ it really was. The first explosion was followed by another olution. And as early as March 17, 1960, President [U.S, one several minutes later, when numerous soldiers and President Dwight] Eisenhower issued orders to prepare workers were helping their comrades, making that act of for the attack. Of course, we didn't know about it at that sabotage even more bloody. time. We found out later, when the authors and partici­ pants themselves confessed to their crimes. Emergency training of an army Preceded by destabilization, sabotage, assassination The arms we received days before the attack did notre­ main long in storage. The organization of the battalions The attack on Gir6n was preceded by a whole program was stepped up. At that time, the largest unit in our of destabilization, acts of sabotage, assassination plots, armed forces was the battalion: heavy and light battalions organization of armed bands, landing of weapons and ex­ we called them, according to their armament. We worked plosives, and weapons drops. Long before the attack on out a program for the training of officers and personnel, Giron the imperialists had succeeded in organizing an accelerated program because all we had was a handful numerous groups of bandits in the Escambray [Moun­ of technicians, mostly Soviet and Czech, and the training tains] and there were armed groups organized by the CIA in the handling of that type of weapons was a long-range in practically every province. There were hundreds of program. The first batteries were supposed to be ready counterrevolutionary organizations in our country. Every after several months and we had the armament of hun­ time three or four and everi two or three counterrevolu­ dreds of batteries. tionaries got together they set up an organization. That These were special circumstances, an emergency situ­ was the CIA's style, to promote as many organizations as ation. We visited the camps where the first batteries were possible, although some were stronger and preferred, and being trained and told· the militiamen there: "What you those were the ones used for its activities. learn in the morning you'll have to teach in the after­ Two days before the air attack, El Encanto department noon." We recruited thousands upon thousands of fight­ store was burned to the ground in an act of sabotage that ers to train them as gunners. They were volunteers from cost the life of Comrade Fe del Valle, one of the workers. the various units that had already been organized. The air attack was launched at dawn on April 15. The Ciudad Libertad became an enormous training camp night before they had tried to make a landing in Oriente along with other places. Weeks before the i,nvasion, tens province, in the Baracoa region, and the invasion got of thousands of men were being trained in Marie!, in under way on the 17th. Cabana Fortress, everywhere. That was fundamental, not Many things have been written, especially on the other a single minute was wasted. And that was what made it side, by journalists, CIA agents, U.S. government offi­ Fidel Castro during Playa Giron battle. He took per­ possible on the day of the attack for all the armament to cials, former CIA agents, and U.S. politicians, in an at­ sonal command of Cuban forces that smashed in 64 have the personnel ready to handle it, with varying de­ tempt to explain the imperialists' defeat. For us, how­ hours the U.S.-sponsored attempt to overthrow revo­ grees of training. ever, the events are quite clear. lution. Continued on next page

May 23, 1986 The Militant 9 International Socialist Jte~e~------M_a_y __I_sw--2 .

Continued from preceding page You must understand that a rigorous training of that FLORIDA personnel was impossible in such a short space of time, but they knew how to handle their weapons. The rest was the result of the bravery, heroism, and determination of the workers, militiamen and soldiers. The tanks, too, had arrived a short time before and the tankers had barely a few weeks to train. They already knew something about tanks due to the experience ac­ quired while driving the tanks that the tyrannical regime had left in our country. . Steps were taken to protect the airports because we had the idea that the enemy might try to pull a surprise attack. Antiaircraft batteries were set up and the planes were dis­ persed. On the night of April 14 and the morning of April 15 we were at the improvised general staff post we had set Y(f!]U~ ram as 1 up in a section of Havana, waiting to see what would hap­ I ZAPI\Til S~V · \MP ,-- pen in Oriente, whether or not a landing was to take place 1 ZAPATA PENINSUlA I there. : Caleta del Rosario , / I , I Air attack , --- It was dawn when several planes flew overhead, flying ... "' ,' very low in the direction of Ciudad Libertad. Less than a __ minute, maybe half a minute after we saw them fly over­ head, they opened with rockets and machine guns on the camp in Ciudad Libertad. We were also able to note how incredibly fast the militiamen in charge of the antiaircraft batteries began to fire on the planes. I don't think 20 sec­ onds elapsed between the attack and the moment they began to fire back, and accurately. That's the way the first battles began, with a surprise attack using planes disguised as our own with the emblem of our air force painted on them. When we saw them fly overhead we were puzzled by their presence, · C.A.RISS£AN and we wondered where they were coming from since we didn't know anything about it. But they turned out to be 0 MIU:S 20 enemy planes in disguise. We thought it was strange for them to launch the air at­ 0 I

10 The .Militant May 23, J9116 May ISR/3

And they did have air superiority given the number of the news of the landing was a false alarm. planes and spare parts, about 30 planes to our II planes I expected there would be a reillly big battle west of and only seven pilots. The secret lay in how our planes Havana. I thought to myself, it will be worse still for the were used. . • mercenaries . if they land there. We had the bulk of our The Pentagon and CIA plan seemed reasonable be­ forces in Havana, even naval forces: two frigates which cause they assumed that the famous brigade - with its we had fitted out with antiaircraft guns. In fact, they were tank company, its many antitank weapons, its artillery, bristling with antiaircraft guns. In Havana our small air its paratroopers, etc. -well-trained by the CIA and the force would have been able to play a greater role since it Pentagon, could hold on to that piece of territory. When was closer; the navy could have participated; and many the paratroopers landed, we were convinced; tl}ere was more forces and combat equipment were in Havana than no longer any doubt about where the main blow was in Giron. going to be; it was clear. And then the Revolution's ob­ When I got here I found there was no landing. I will al­ jective was not to give them time for anything, not to let ways regret that the left flank operation wasn't underta­ up the pressure, because we couldn't allow them to con­ ken that night. solidate a beachhead and set up the provisional govern­ The enemy, which was fighting hard at Playa Larga, ment that was already appointed, with bags packed in came under pressure from our forces and pulled back at Miami and waiting to land in Giron. dawn. They were able to do so! They were able to link up The curious thing about this is that they picked a spot with the others at Giron. Otherwise they would have been which, objectively speaking, had characteristics similar split in two by simply cutting off the road at the spot I to Trinidad or the Isle of Youth, was easy to defend. But knew perfectly well. they landed in one of the places which we knew best, al­ most as well as the Sierra Maestra. This was because the U.S. fleet simulates landing Revolution had taken an interest in the poorest and most What had happened? The U.S. fleet had simulated a remote parts of the country, for social not military landing in the area of Cabanas and Bahia Honda. They reasons, and it had already built two tourist centers and Cuban artillery in action against mercenaries. had indeed simulated a landing, and now we know that three roads there. Weapons had arrived in Cuba only weeks and days they used electronic means to give the impression of a The curious thing is that the three roads and the Giron before attack. Militiamen being trained in their use landing and fighting. airport had all been built by the Revolution. We were were told, "What you learn in the morning, you'll The U.S. fleet's help enabled the mercenaries to last very familiar with that area and so were quickly able to have to teach in the afternoon." 30 hours more than they should have, for at the most they draw up countermeasures. Of course, we didn't know shouldn't have lasted more than 40 hours. The fact that how many planes the enemy had, we had to be careful they lasted 64 hours was due to that maneuver of simulat­ 'and not make mistakes. There was no doubt about what We didn't give the enemy a minute's rest,. not a min- ing a U.S. landing . our planes had to do. Their mission was to sink the . ute! That was an important factor. In 64 hours- it was On the 18th, given the resistance in the Playa Larga mercenary fleet. 64 even though people say 72 or less than 72, but in fact area, or rather in the direction of Playa Larga-Gir6n, and Thus, while their planes tried to strike at our forces and they landed at about 2:00a.m. on the 17th and by 6:00 the fact that all the mercenary forces were concentrated in give cover to theirs, our planes concentrated on sinking p.m. on the 19th there was no longer any organized resis­ Giron, we decided to speed up and intensify the offensive their fleet, and in two or three hours all their ships had tance; they had been routed. They weren't given a min­ at Covadonga and Yaguaramas. Thus, on the 18th there either been sunk or had fled. That famous fleet with its · ute's rest. was heavy fighting in that area for they also resisted de­ auxiliary ships didn't even last three hours. The United Of course, forces were dispatched in other directions, sperately there - perhaps they were waiting for the U.S. States had been giving them protection all along the way but the bulk was sent in the directions I mentioned be­ planes and fleet to come in. for several days' using aircraft carriers' destroyers' etc. ' fore . Heavy fighting c;ontinued on the 19th. as we advanced. but offshore at Gir6n and Playa Larga they were wiped We wanted to reach Gir6n that same night. In one of I think we had two or three heli~opters at the time and we out in a flash. [Applause] . his accounts, Aavio [Capt. Aavio Bravo Pardo] used them to move troops. We stationed a small force They cduldn't hold out here. Even the ship with the explained his instructions; he was in one of the first four east of Giron, several kilometers away, and they ad­ communications command post was sunk by our planes tanks advancing on the enemy, and he said they had to vanced by land; they were joined by bazooka operators which in addition shot down some enemy planes that reach Playa Larga, go onto Gir6n and from there to San who were flown in by helicopter. The helicopters were morning. Of course, it wasn't possible to provide cover Bias, all in one night. also used to fly in a bazooka company to be stationed for our forces at that time. At about 11:00 a.m.or be­ Perhaps Flavio and some of the readers thought that along the road leading from San Bias to Gir6ri'to ctif the tween 10:00 and 11 :00 two planes were assigned to pro­ was too much, but I'm convinced it was the right thing to mercenaries off in that direction, since they were resist­ vide air support for the militia instructors' battalion so do and was not beyond our means. In fact, I'm absolutely ing with the help of tanks in San Bias. that it could cross the road and head for Palpite. That was convinced that Giron could have been reached on the All these steps were taken. A trap was set for them the only time at which our planes let up their pressure on morning of the 18th, that there was no need to wait until with the force stationed east of Gir6n, in the direction of the enemy fleet, to support our forces and consolidate. the 19th. Cienfuegos. They were told to remain silent, to not show that move. There was heavy enemy resistance at Playa Larga but, any signs of life and lie in ambush on the edge of the sea. However, large-scale movement of enemy planes was as I said, we knew every inch of the terrain like the back This turned out to be a snare where we picked up all the evident. We couldn't tell if there were 20, 50, or 100. of our hand. When we saw the resistance they were put­ gusanos who fled from the fighting heading east. Who knows how many planes· the United States could_ ting up in Playa Larga, we were planning a simple, . Actually, we didn't plan to storm Giron on the 19th if mobilize! That's why our troops were always accom­ elementary flanking operation along a sort of narrow trail enemy resistance continued. We had a different idea. We panied by a considerable number of antiaircraft batteries, but where vehicles and even tanks could pass. This was had positioned 10,000 shells- 10,000 cannon and 122 and during the day the artillery and tank units especially between Soplillar and Caleta del Rosario. We were millimeter shells - and the idea was to pound them with were ordered not to go beyond Jovellanos so they awaiting the arrival of the tanks that were coming on their the artillery on the night of the 19th and move in at dawn wouldn't be in the area of operations during daylight. But own power to flank them on the left, surrounding Playa on the 20th. after sunset, a flood of artillery, men, and tanks rrioved to Larga from the west. We wanted to split the mercenary Shortly after noon or in the early afternoon, I left the the front. forces in two and move rapidly to Gir6n, still under cover command post and headed for San Bias, and since, as I Of cours~. there weren't many tanks there at first be­ of darkness. The enemy might have encountered the explained, there was no car radio I had to stop at every cause at that time our special trailer trucks could only tanks at Giron before sunrise. town and call by phone. I think it was when I was calling move five at a time, while the others had to go under their A battalion was sent by land to Cayo Ramona also to Havana from Jovellanos or a nearby town that I was told own power along the roads for over 200 kilometers, but divide the enemy between Gir6n and the roads they held there was. another landing· and that the planes had spotted they were drawing near. We had a lot of ground and anti­ leading to Covadonga and Yaguaramas. many small boats sailing between the U.S. ships and aircraft artillery and all the infantry we needed. In my opinion, it was at that moment - we would Giron. have to check the information, the exact time when the rest of the tanks arrived -that Havana headquarters con­ Invaders try to escape tacted me to say an enemy landing was taking place west I thought for a moment and wondered at a landing at of Havana. That seemed very strange.to me and I won­ this stage, a new landing at this stage? I already knew that dered whether they had enough men after the effort they the forces coming from Playa Larga were close to Giron, were making in Giron and after having dropped the para­ just a few kilometers away, and that the others had recap­ troopers. Did they have another army to be used west of tured the roads and were advancing from the north. I told Havana? I ·asked if they were sure, if the news had been the comrades at the command post, "No, it isn't a land­ confirmed and I was told our forces had already clashed ing, it's an evacuation attempt, an attempt at evacua­ with the enemy. tion!" This was about I :30 a.m. , when we were waiting for We told the air force to go all out and attack those the tanks to arrive. Given the news that the enemy was boats heading for the coast and then we went on to San landing west of the capital, that it was confirmed and Bias. We told Pedrito [Maj. Pedro Miret Prieto] to please contact had been made, I decided to leave for Havana make full use of the artillery in attacking the position at right away. I really regret it, because I believe that al­ Giron and the sea between the coast and the U.S. fleet though the idea might have seemed an exaggeration, with since we couldn't allow the mercenaries to escape. At the other tanks heading for Giron, the plan could have that point the objective was to prevent them from escap­ worked. The historians will have to talk with the mem­ ing. bers of that tank force and other participants to get their Of course, the U.S. ships and a U.S. aircraft carrier opinions, because I had to leave for the capital. were onlookers to the whole battle. Nobody knew what · I left a comrade who didn't have much military experi­ they would do, but nobody worried about that. In fact, ence at the Australia command post; but I gave him all when destroyers got close, the 85 millimeter cannon were the instructions: don't fail to undertake the operation. I aimed at them. I remember that when we reached Gir6n, USS Essex. Aircraft carrier and its destroyer escort returned and arrived at dawn. At that time we didn't have ·the first tanks there - it was nighttime - were lined up stood otT of Playa Giron covering invasion. U.S. plan the highway we have now, which makes the trip so much on the shore facing the U. S. fleet, which had all lights called for mercenaries to hold a piece of Cuban terri­ faster; it was a three- or four-hour journey by car. Our out. They would only tum on a reflector every so often. tory, proclaim "provisional government," and have it cars didn't have the means to communicate with Havana; The whole battle at Gir6n was fought in the presence of invite direct U.S. attack. Castro said fact that battle we could telephone from a given place, but we didn't the U.S. fleet and its aircraft carrier, and I think that also took place in presence of U.S. Navy was "measure of even have radio communication at the time. When I ar- gives a measure of the courage of the Giron fighters. courage of the Giron fighters." • . rived in Havana at dawn, I was disappointed to learn that Continued on ISR/6

. . May 23, 1~86 The Militant 11 International Socialist Revie~------~------M_a_y __I_sw_4 __ Bolshevik leader on formation oil and Ebert, in France Thomas and Renaudel, in England latroduclion Henderson and Hyndman, in Belgium Vandervelde and de Brouckere, in Austria Renner and Pernerstorfer, in The following document, "The Hour for a Genuine Russia Plekhanov and Rubanovich, in Sweden Branting Communist International Has Struck," by Gregory and his party, in America Gompers and his accomplices, Zinoviev is reprinted from The German Revolution and in Italy Mussolini and Co. - they all called for the pro­ the Debate on Soviet Power; Documents: 1918-1919, letariat to conclude "civil peace" with the bourgeoisie of --•:P~f'"eparing · the Founding Congress. This is the second "its own" country, that is, to reject the struggle against volume of The Communist International in Lenin's Time, the exploiters, to reject a war against the war- in real­ a documentary history of the Communist International ity, to become cannon fodder for the imperialists. from its beginnings until the death of V.I. Lenin in 1924. At that moment the Second International went com­ The new volume, published by the Anchor Foundation pletely bankrupt and perished. and distributed by Pathfinder Press, is scheduled to be re­ leased later this month. v The new volume is divided into two parts. The first fo­ This sudden conversion of the Second International cuses on the German revolution and the founding of the into an organization carrying out the program of the im­ German Communist Party. Last July's International perialists was, in reality, not so sudden. It was prepared Socialist Review reprinted documents from the first part little by little in the course of over thirty years of "peace-' of the book. ful" capitalist development- roughly from the defeat of The second part takes up the international debate on the Paris Commune in 1871 until the first Russian revolu­ Soviet power, as well as the preparations for the March tion in 1905. 1919 founding congress of the Communist International. Thanks to the general course of economic develop­ The document by Zinoviev is from the second section of ment, the bourgeoisie of the wealthiest countries ac­ the book. quired the ability to bribe and corrupt the upper layers of The document first appeared as an article in Pravda the working class- the labor aristocracy- with crumbs (newspaper of the Russian Communist Party, which had from their superprofits. The petty-bourgeois "camp fol­ changed its name from Bolshevik in 1918) on March 2, lowers" of socialism flooded into the ranks of the official ·.. 1919. This was the opening day of the founding con­ Gregory Zinoviev, president of the Communist Inter­ Social Democratic parties and gradually shifted their po­ gress, held in Moscow, of the Communist International national from 1919 to 1926. litical course in a bourgeois direction. The leaders of the (also known as the Comintern or the Third International.) . conciliatory parliamentary workers' movement, the lead" · The Communist International was an international or­ ers of the narrow-minded trade unions, the party sec­ ganization whose goal was to help build and train Marxist Nevertheless, the Stuttgart congress accepted an retaries, the editors, and the functionaries of Social De­ parties capable of leading the workers and exploited amendment, introduced by Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg, mocracy came together into a whole caste, the workers' farmers in the overthrow of capitalist rule in their coun­ stating: "In case war should break out anyway, it is bureaucracy, having its own self-satisfied group interests tries. It began to.take shape after the most prominent par­ [Socialists'] duty to intervene for its speedy termination even to the point of being hostile to socialism. ties and leaders of the Second. International supported and to strive with all their power to utilize the economic As a result of all this, official Social Democracy de-'"' their respective imperialist ruling classes in World War I and political crisis created by the war to rouse the masses generated into an antisooialist and chauvinist party. 6 (191~1918). and thereby hasten the downfall of capitalist cl~ss rule. "2 The war wiped out all conventions, tore away all ver­ In October 1917 the Bolshevik Party of Russia led the II bal covers. It shook up all humanity, and compelled all · workers and farmers of that country in a revolution that the parties and groups to show their true colors. What had established the first victorious workers' and farmers' The Balkan War of 19123 could only be the prelude to been concealed was now in plain view. The Second Inter­ government. Lenin was the central political leader of the an imperialist world war. That was clear to all socialists. national showed itself for what it really was: an organiza-' · Bolsheviks. Atthe Basel congress' (November 1912), convened tion dominated by the petty bourgeoisie and agents of the The revolution inspired working-class fighters all over during the Balkan War, the Second International an- · big bourgeoisie, who played the part of workers' leaders. the world and spurred the founding of the Communist In­ nounced: "Let [the bourgeois governments] remember Solemn vows to fight to the death and internationalist res­ ternational. that the Franco-Prussian War was followed by the revolu­ olutions were forgotten. Each "leading" party of the Sec­ After Lenin's death in 1924, a · bureaucratic caste tionary outbreak of the Commune; that the Russo­ ond International began to call on the workers of its coun­ headed by Joseph Stalin consolidated its control over the Japanese War set into motion the revolutionary energies. try to kill the workers of other countries - to serve the' workers' state that had been forged by the revolution. of the peoples of the Russian Empire . ... Proletarians interests of a gang of bankers and generals. Each of the This caste subordinated the interests of the workers and consider it a crime to fire at each other for the profits of "Social Democratic" parties began to carry out whatever farmers, in the Soviet Union and around the world, to the the capitalists, the ambitions of dynasties, or the greater tasks that had been entrusted to them by the bourgeoisie protection of its special privileges and the search for glory of secret diplomatic treaties. "4 of their respective country or imperialist coalition. agreements with the imperialist powers. III As a result, the Communist International degenerated VI As late as the end of July and the beginning of August and collapsed·as a revolutionary formation. Three fundamental groupings had already taken shape Gregory Zinoviev ( 1883-1936) joined the Russian 1914, twenty-four hours before the beginning of the im­ perialist war, the leading bodies and. institutions of the in the heart of the Second International. During the war. Marxist movement in 1901 and was an early supporter of Second International's chief parties continued to de­ years and up to the onset of proletarian revolution in the Bolsheviks. From 1919 to 1926 he was pr.esident of nounce the impending war as a monstrous crime. State­ Europe these three groupings took shape quite clearly. the Communist International. He was executed by Sta­ ments of these parties dating from those days and col­ lin's regime on frame-up charges. VII lected by the Viennese professor Carl Grunberg serve as The German Revolution and the Debate on Soviet the most eloquent indictment against the leaders of the Power, Documents: 1918-1919, Preparing the Found­ 1. The social-chauvinist tendency (the "majority" ten­ Second International. 5 These documents show more con­ ing Congress is available at a special pre-publication dency). Its most characteristic representatives are the vincingly than anything else that on August 4, 1914, the price of $9.00. The regular price will be $12.95. This German Social Democrats, who now share power with leaders of the Second International called "white" what offer is good through June 14. It can be ordered by mail the German bourgeoisie and are the murderers of leaders they themselves on August 3 had called "black." from Pathfinder Press, 410West Street, New York, N.Y. of the Communist International, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg~ 7 10014 (please send $. 75 for handling), or purchased at IV the end of May at Pathfinder bookstores listed in the di­ ·During the entire war partisans of this tendency in Ger­ rectory on page 20. As the first shots rang out on the fields of the im­ many, France, Britain, Russia, Austria,and all the other perialist war, the leading parties of the Second Interna­ countries supported finance capital and monarchy, in­ . tiona! betrayed the working class. Under the guise of"de­ flamed chauvinistic passions, participated in the murder­ fending the fatherland" each party crossed over to the ous extermination of the flower of the working class, 'Hoar for a Genuine Communist side of "its own" bourgeoisie. In Germany Scheidemann preached "war to the finish," converted the workers' International Has Struck' 1 2. John Riddell, ed ., Lenin's Struggle for a Revolutionary 6. This question is discussed in Zinoviev's article, "The So­ BY GREGORY ZINOVIEV International (New York : Pathfinder Press, 1984), p. 35 . cial ~oots of Opportunism," and Lenin's article , "Imperialism 3. In October 1912 the governments of Bulgaria, Greece, and the Split in Socialism," both printed in Riddell ; Lenin's I Montenegro, and Serbia attacked Turkey. The conflict Struggle , pp. 475-504. Zinoviev's article can also be found in As early as the 1907 International Socialist Congress at threatened for a time to expand into a world war. In this first the Marxist periodical New International, vol. I, no. 2, $4.00, Stuttgart, when the Second International came up against Balkan War, which ended in May 1913, Turkey was defeated distributed by Pathfinder Press . the questions of colonial policy and imperialist wars, it and forced to cede most of its European territories. 7. Rosa Luxemburg (1870-1919) was a founding leader of was revealed that a good half of the Second International During the peace negotiations held in London under the the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. -and the majority of its leadership- stood much closer supervision of the European imperi_alist powers, the victorious She later moved to Germany and joined the Social Democratic to the views of the bourgeoisie on these questions than to Balkan states fell out over the division of the spoils. Behind Party there in 1898, becoming a leader of the left wing. A rev­ these differences were the imperialist powers. olutionary opponent of World War I, she became a leader of the the communist viewpoint of Marx and Engels. This conflict led to the second Balkan War (June-August At Stuttgart the revisionists' proposed "recognition" of Spartacus group and was imprisoned by the German govern~ 1913) in which the Serbian, Greek, and Romanian governments ment. A founding leader of the German Communist Party, she bourgeois colonial policy - that is, support for im­ defeated Bulgaria and forced it to cede some of its territory . was arrested by troops of the Social Democratic Party govern­ perialist wars - was rejected by only a very narrow Turkey also seized the opportunity to retake some territory from ment and murdered in January 1919. . . ·' majority. The leading parties of the Second International Bulgaria. Karl Liebknecht was a founding leader of the Socialist Youth ·­ -the German, French, and British- and especially the 4. Ibid ., p. 89. International in 1907. He was the only member of the German trade union leaders in these countries - spoke out there parliament to vote against war credits in December 1914. A definitely and absolutely against revolutionary policies. 5. Carl Grunberg, "Die Intemationale und der Weltkrieg, leader ofthe Spartacus group, he was jailed by the German gov- Materialien," in Archiv for die Geschichte des Sozialismus und . emment in 1916 for antiwar propaganda arid released as a result der Arbeiterbewegung, vol. 6 (1916), PP : 373-541 , and vol. 7 of the November 1918 revolution . Like Luxemburg, 1. "Kommunisticheskii lntematsiona1," in Pravda, March (1917), pp. 99-248. A selection of these documents are printed Lieb~cht was arrested by troops of the Social Democratjc 2, 1919. . in Riddell, Lenin's Struggle, pp. 111-39. · Party government and murdered in January 1919.

12 The Militant May 23, 1986 May ISRIS :ommunisllnlernalional press into a tool of bourgeois corruption of the proletariat much easier for the Scheidemanns and Renaudels to de­ ' 700,000 members in its ranks, worked out a scientifically ~d the workers' party into a housemaid of the im­ ceive the workers. based program, held power for fifteen months, created a perlalists. strong Red Army, and aroused the warm sympathy of the The "majority Socialists" carry the saine share of re­ The center continues its petty-bourgeois-pacifist prop­ proletarians of all the world. · aganda for "disarmament" under capitalism, courts of ar­ sponsibility for all the crimes committed during the war In Austria an influential group of Communists has bitration under imperialism, and so on, easing the coun­ against the working class of all countries as do the kings, been formed, which has a great future. terrevolutionary work organized by the allied im­ bourgeois ministers, heroes of secret diplomacy, and In Hungary the Communist Party already has won the periah I ' ittfamous "League of Nations." bankers. majority of the town proletariat, and in the near future if · Now that the imperialist war is over, now that it is at It is of the utmost imporuutce to clear a path for the in­ will also win the majority of soldiers and peasants. last being replaced by the civil war of the oppressed dass­ ternational proletariat through the reactionary rubbish In Italy at the last congress of the Socialist Party li vic­ es against their ancient oppressors, the social chauvinists heaped on ~the road of revolution by the leaders of the tory went to the Communist forces, who led a heroic assume the role of the out-and-out butchers of the inter­ center. It is necessary to break away the most revolution­ struggle against imperialism during the war and who national proletarian revolution. ary forces from the center, and that requires ruthless criti­ have won the sympathy of an enormous majority of the. The social chauvinists have now fully revealed them­ cism and exposure of the center's leaders. An organiza­ Italian proletariat. 11 selves as the class opponents of the proletariat and are tional break with the center is a historical necessity. The In France sympathy for communism is growing, carrying out the program to "liquidate" the war urged on timing of this break must be determined by the Com­ which is indirectly reflected in the conduct of the French them by the bourgeoisie: burdening the working masses munists of each country, according to the movement's center group. The statement of such a man as Henri Bar­ with the main weight of taxes; preserving the inviolabil­ stage of development. ity of private property and bourgeois control of the army; busse that he considers himself a French Spartacist is an dissolving the workers' councils rising up everywhere; IX extraordinarily significant sign of the times. keeping political power in bourgeois hands; and c0unter- 3. Communists. This tendency remained in the minor~ In Britain the British Socialist Party_ as well as the posing bourgeois "democracy" to socialism. · ity in the Second International, where it defended Marx­ MacLean group are moving toward the early formation of Majority "Social Democrats" are one of the main ob­ ist views on war and the tasks of the proletariat (at a Communist party. staeles to the workers' victory over the bourgeoisie in the Stuttgart in 1907, through the resolution of Lenin and Likewise, in a whole number of other countries present epoch. The bourgeoisie deliberately installs the Luxemburg). The "left radical" group in Germany (later (Romania, Sweden, Holland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Nor­ social chauvinists in power, in order to facilitate massacr- . Party in Russia, the the Spartacus League), the Bolshevik way) and in territories formerly part of the Russian Em­ mg-the workers. In Germany, Austria, and Hungary the "Tribunists" in Holland, the youth group in Sweden, and bourgeoisie at this very moment is carrying this out, try­ pire (Poland, Latvia, the Ukraine, Lithuania, Belorussia, the left wing of the Youth International in a number of Estonia), strong Communist parties have formed. ing to defeat the Communist proletariat under the banner countries constituted the initial nucleus of the new Inter­ of ·the "Social Democratic" Party.- This confirms the national. X words of Engels in his foreword to Revelations about the Cologne Communist Trial: Since the start of the war this tendency, true to the in­ The program .of the RCP, which will receive the ap­ '~Petty-bourgeois democracy in Germany .is even now terests of the working class, has proclaimed the slogan: proval of the eighth party congress, will on the whole un­ the party which must certainly be the first to come to "Tum the imperialist war into a civil war!" doubtedly be acceptable for all the enumerated parties, power in Germany as the saviour of society from the At the Zimmerwald conference (1915), 10 the Zimmer- _ and will become the program of the Communist Interna­ communist workers. "8 wald Left was formed, the first nucleus of the Third, tional. Up to this point the Communists have not struggled Communist International. Since then, and especially The tactics of the Communist International are defined sharply against the "majority Social Democrats," since since the victory of the proletarian revolution in Russia, for the most part in fifteen theses, published in the name -· we' still did not all recognize the scope of the danger these communism has grown in a number of countries. of eight Communist parties on January 25, 1919, with a traitors posed to the international proletariat. Opening the specific proposal for calling the first congress of the eyes of all working people to the Judas-like role of the so­ In Germany the Spartacus League, which had won Communist International. cilfl chauvinists and neutralizing arms in hand this coun­ worldwide fame and affection from the workers of all These tactics are determined by a profound conviction terrevolutionary party is a most important task of the in­ countries, formed the Communist Party. It is growing that the present-day epoch is one of the decay and col" ternational proletarian revolution. with every passing day, marching to power at a rapid lapse of the entire world capitalist system, and that the pace. VIII proletariat's task is now to seize state power rapidly, to realize the dictatorship of the laboring classes, and to 2. The center tendency (social pacifists, Kautskyites, In Russia the Communist Party has won the sympathy of the entire working class of city and country, united create a proletarian state on the basis of soviets or similar Independents). This tendency began to take shape even organizations. before the war, mainly in Germany. At the beginning of The organizational forms of the Third International the war the center almost everywhere was in fundamental 10. The Zimmerwald conference was an international con­ Continued on ISR/8 solidarity with the social chauvinists. The theoretical ference of socialists opposed to the imperialist war, held in leader of the center, Kautsky, came out with a justifica­ Zimmerwald, Switzerland. The majority at the conference re­ tion of the policy conducted by German and French so­ fused to call for a definitive break with the Second Interna­ cia1 chauvinists. The International became "an instru­ tional. ment for peacetime," as Kautsky wrote at the beginning The Zimmerwald Left was a minority at the conference made 11 . A congress of the Italian Socialist Party in Rome, Sep­ of 1915. Once the war has broken out, only one thing is up of several revolutionary currents. It was organized by Lenin, tember l-5, 1918, approved a left-wing resolution hailing left for us to do, he added: "Struggle for peace, class the leader of the Russian Bolshevik Party (later Communist Soviet Russia and calling for the dictatorship of the proletariat Party). in Italy. ' struggle in peacetime. "9 During four years of war the center sometimes wa­ vered to the left, but in general it remained true to the pol­ icies outlined above. During the January uprising of the Berlin proletariat, the center played a very ambiguous role and weakened the workers with the prospect of negotiations with the government hangmen. From the very start of the war the center insisted on "unity" with the social chauvinists. After the murder of Liebknecht and Luxemburg, the center continued to preach the same "unity" - that is, unity of the worker­ communists with the murderers of the Communist lead­ ers Liebknecht and Luxemburg. As soon as the war began the center (Kautsky, Victor Adler, Turati, MacDonald) started to preach for a "mutual amnesty" of the leaders of the social-chauvin~t parties of Germany and Austria, on the one hand, and of France and England, on the other. The center preaches this amnesty even now at the end of the war, and that hin­ ders the workers from understanding the reasons for the collapse of the Second International. The center sent its representatives to the Bern interna­ tional conference of class collaborators, making it that

8. Frederick Engels, "On the History of the Communist League," in Marx and Engels, Selected Works (Moscow: Prog­ ress Publishers, 1977), vol. 3, p. 187. 9. The reference is to Kar.l Kautsky's article, "Inter­ nationalism and the War," where he wrote, "The International is at its strongest in peacetime and its weakest in wartime. While we must certainly regret this, it does not lessen in the ·stightesnheJntefnaiioilal S Importance lfl-fimes of peace, that is, in times of normal social development. :'The International is not merely at its strongest in peacetime. It is also the most powerful instrument to keep the peace ... . "Our partisanship in the war will not prevent the Interna­ German communist leader Karl Liebknecht, left, was only member of German parliament to vote against war tional, firm and united, from fulfilling its great historical tasks: credits in 1914. He was jailed by German government in 1916 for antiwar propaganda. Rosa Luxemburg, right, Struggle for peace, class struggle in peacetime." (Riddell, founding leader of German Communist Party, was arrested by Social Democratic Party government and mur­ Lenin's Struggle, pp . 148-49.) dered in January 1919? along with Liebknecht.

May 23, 1986 The Militant lJ International· Socialist Review May ISR/6

Continued from ISR/3 News of the evacuation attempt that was presumed to be another new landing, but that I was sure was an evacu­ ation, was what led to the decision to continue operations and capture Giron that same day to prevent the .mer­ cenaries from escaping. That's what we did. Upon reviewing those events- and, I repeat, I think a historian or team of historians should undertake a min­ ute and accurate compilation of everything that happened and when, since the lack of communications between dif­ ferent units was a serious problem - I remember that after reaching Gir6n, Pedrito's artillery force, which had not received any information, continued firing on us . So I can imagine what the ·mercenaries went through because of what we went through with that shelling. Every time they fired, the earth shook and there was no way of tell­ ing if they were firing from land or sea. We were under fire from our own artillery for a while. The lack of communications, the final orders when we got four commanders each into a separate tank, given the news that the highway between San Bias and Giron was intercepted by mercenaries with antitank cannon .... The lack of communications with the other forces ad­ vancing from Playa Larga prevented us from knowing exactly what was happening, and, as darkness set in, the tanks were ordered to run over the cannon at full speed. It seems that when the mercenaries heard the noise or even before then, they had left that position and the tanks went on to Gir6n. What developed was an exchange of fire be­ Castro at right giving speech April16, 19.61, at funeral for those killed in air raids. It was here that socialist nature tween two of our tanks and there was almost a clash with of Cuban revolution was declared. He said then, "This is what they can't forgive us for, that we made a socialist our forces coming -from Playa Larga. revolution right under the nose of the United States. And that we defend this revolution with rifles." Unfortunately, there were many such incidents be­ cause of the lack of good communications between units mercenary forces · were totally demoralized. Isolated At that time we didn't have the number of doctors we and the dynamics of the situation. However, this was no groups don't offer resistance, neither tenacious nor light, have now and the experience we have now. However, we obstacle to success nor was it used as an excuse to keep nor of any other kind. This is the mentality of the mer­ learned the importance of medical care. If we·had had the the differeat.forces from fulfilling their missions. There cenaries, or of those who aren't defending a deeply felt, medical care and the resources we have now, maily of the were other incidents after that which have been talked just cause. · wounded would have been saved. That is the truth. Hun­ about. I wasn't planning to discuss this at such length, dreds of comrades were wounded in the fighting where, I Then something else happened. I was heading toward but I especially wanted to talk about this to the new gen­ repeat, the most notable thing was the heroism, courage, the site of the alleged battle and was about 30 meters erations, the millions born after Gir6n. That's why I've patriotism and revolutionary spirit of the fighters. gone on a bit. · from the sea along that trail with some berry bushes be­ tween the sea and the path and I passed about 10 meters, Proclaiming socialist nature of revolution Demoralized mercenaries about from here to that door, from an armed squad of Yet another event of tremendous historic importance mercenaries lying amidst the trees. I didn't see them but As I said, these operations lasted 64 hours. The enemy was the fact that on the day of the funeral, the very hours they saw and recognized me . was absolutely, totally demoralized. The next day most of the funeral for those killed in the air raid on the 15th, efforts were concentrated on collecting prisoners and As we discovered afterwards in questioning, they were we proclaimed the socialist nature of our Revolution. · weapons. The mercenaries were so demoralized that totally demoralized and this comes as no surprise. Not [Prolonged applause] Historically this is as important as when we were out picking up prisoners as we moved east one single mercenary fired a shot from the moment they the fighting at Gir6n itself, and actually it happened be­ and pressuring those scattered so they would fall into the were disorganized, not a single one! Some were left on fore the battle and before the outcome of.the battle was trap set by our 'waiting forces, at one point heavy shoot­ the Houston, which had run aground off the Bay of Pigs known. ing broke out up ahead. In spite of my instructions, a tank to avoid sinking, since [Capt. Enrique] Carreras had The imperialists claimed this was a revolution be­ in our group went ahead and wound up clashing with our scored a direct hit with a missile on the first day. It was trayed, when the Revolution started enacting popular .own forces. I was told there was a group putting up tena­ sinking and they moved it to the coast. Part of a battalion laws, just laws, laws which had even been announced cious resistance and my reply was, "Tenacious resistance was left there and they didn't know what had happened so years before, because they were laws that had been out­ on the morning of the 20th? I doubt it, that's very un­ they were still resisting on the night of the 19th, but the lined following the Moncada attack. likely." problem was solved afterwards. It was the Moncada Program that was strictly im­ In any case, we sent a mortar and some troops to see Courage, patriotism, and zeal plemented. Rent reduction was one of the first laws, fol­ what was happening. Those who were lying in ambush lowed by electricity rate reductions, recovery of ill-got­ had become used to. or fallen into the vice of, capturing I would say the most notable thing about the Giron ten gains, and, of course, most important of all, the Ag­ everything that came their way- the day before they'd events was the courage, patriotism and zeal of the fight­ rarian Reform Law, which aroused the ire of the empire captured a mercenary company, or at least two platoons ers. That was the most important thing about the battle, although it wasn't ultraradical. It was radical in relative with a tank. So they saw another tank that looked similar the conduct of all those who participated in it. Of all the terms, if we keep in mind that there were huge estates and and fired a bazooka at it. [Laughter] Yet another clash be­ comrades who were given assignments, the planes with many U.S. firms held many thousands of hectares, one tween our own forces. Luckily, there were no casualties the seven pilots - they destroyed the enemy squadron with more than 200,000 hectares [500,000 acres], so a and some shots were exchanged until - nobody still and part of their planes, those not shot down by antiair­ law which set a limit of about 400 hectares [1 ,000 acres] knows how- they realized this was not the enemy. For­ craft guns. Enemy planes virtually disappeared. Their air was very radical. But on a world scale, if you check the tunately, there were no casualties but that was the tena­ force was destroyed. The fleet was partially destroyed land left for landowners elsewhere it wasn't very radical, cious resistance I'd been told about. and the rest fled at top speed. They didn't show their because up to 400 hectares were allowed in the first Ag­ faces in the area any more. There were [our] seven pilots rarian Reform Law. But since it affected the interests of It sounded strange because all this has its psychology -the enemy had about 30 planes. The courage of the big U.S. companies they decided to wage war on our and laws, and when demoralization sets in, it is total. The tank crews, artillery.gunners, antiaircraft gun crews­ country. many of them youths 16, 17, or 18 years old -the infan­ The Agrarian Reform Law was enacted in May 1959 try which advanced constantly without stopping in the and it was followed by other legislation such as the Urban face of any risk, against an enemy that had taken up pos­ Reform and other measures mentioned in the Moncada itions and which we had to uproot, almost without com­ Program, which was not strictly speaking a socialist pro­ munications where commanders often had to act at their gram. own discretion. . .Of course the imperialists began to take measures In the first attack against Playa Larga on the morning against the Revolution, measures of an economic nature, of the 18th the tanks reached the enemy positions. . . . closing credits and threatening to deprive us of our sugar One of the five served as a command post and the ad­ quota, which they did bit by bit. And there was always a vancing four reached the trenches and one of them fell in response by the Revolution to all enemy action: nationali­ the enemy trenches. zation of U.S. firms, takeovers of oil refineries which re­ fused to refi'ne Soviet oil. It appears Soviet oil is com­ The infantry advanced along a highway at night and munist oil and therefore different from other oil, so the early morning, a straight road where there was no cover. U.S. refinery couldn't refine communist oil. Then we All comrades given assignments fulfilled them im­ demonstrated that the oil could indeed be refined. We mediately with no hesitation. Those were the features of took over the refinery, and with the help of the workers Giron, heroism above all. Those circumstances meant the Soviet oil was refined. At that time we were also still more casualties. refining oil that had come from Venezuela. The enemy was dug in and our forces had to advance in As a result of revolutionary legislation to punish kill­ open areas. The enemy planes inflicted casualties at the ers, thugs, regain money stolen from the country, and the start because they attacked a bus carrying personnel, they other things we mentioned, they started saying this was a attacked various trucks with troops that were taken by revolution betrayed, that this was socialism and com­ "The·mercenary forces were totally demoralized. Iso­ surprise .. They would pass by and salute and the com­ munism and therefore a revolution betrayed. lated groups don't otTer resistance, neither tenacious rades would think they were our planes; then they would Following the bombing and in the wake of the Gir6n nor light, nor of any other kind. This is the mentality return and strafe. This meant higher casualties, to such an attack, when our people were on the eve of an attack of mercenaries, or of those who aren't defending a extent that 156 comrades, including those who died after­ whose scale and consequences no one could imagine, . deeply felt, just cause." wards from their wounds, lost their lives in these actions. when we perhaps faced the biggest war in our history -

14 The Militant May ISR/7

Also in this century and in this hemisphere we had to hear them recognize that socialism brings an end to all struggle alone for many years against the Yankee empire, those ills! much more powerful than the Spanish empire. And we Many lessons _can be drawn from Giron. It would be were even betrayed by the immense majority of the Latin impossible to list them all, nor do I pretend to do so; but American governments. Our people won the right to there's something I wish to point out now that, even ifl struggle for freedom, to struggle for independence, to have mentioned it before, is worth repeating on a day like struggle for justice, and to struggle for socialism. today. The importance of Giron is not in the magnitude of Those who on the eve of the invasion fought and died the battle, the fighters, and the heroic deeds there; in the Escambray Mountains or in other provinces of the Giron's great historical relevance is not what occurred country, fighting against the bandits, also fought for there, but what did not occur thanks to Giron! [Applause] socialism, as did those who qied in the underground, I'm not saying that capitalism would have been re­ those who died in the Sierra Maestra, those who died in stored in our country had the effort to establish a beach­ the_Moncada attack. That's the idea, the conviction we head been successful, because there's no way in which all have, yet the imperialists and the gusanos claimed that they could have restor~ capitalism in our country, of this ours was a betrayed revolution. On the contrary, never I'm certain! [Applause] Not because it foiled a plan that before had a revolution been served more loyally! would have turned out country into a Yankee colony [Applause] again, because I'm convinced that this country would In Giron- just so they don't have the slightest doubt never again have become a Yankee colony! -our people and the thousands of fighters who were ca­ The relevance of Giron lies in the price we would have pable of so many feats fought for socialism openly! Let had to pay for our Revolution, the price we would have the imperialists and their lackeys have no doubt about it. had to pay for socialism, had the Yankee plan to establish [Applause] a beachhead been successful. These are two great historical events. Back in those times the events of the Vietnam War and Some U.S. journalists reported that they had expected the imperialists' defeat in Vietnam had not yet occurred. an uprising that didn't materialize. Some even said, "It And we here, close to the United States, isolated, lacking didn't materialize because quick measures were taken any logistical possibilities whatsoever, would have had to against the dissidents." As you know, they call the coun­ wage a Vietnam War in our own country, with a much terrevolutionary gusanos dissidents. And they didn't rise smaller population than Vietnam's, on a much smaller National Institute of Agrarian Reform up. Indeed, many were arrested because we knew who territory than Vietnam's, and without borders with any Peasants receive title to land in 1959 agrarian reform they were and we wanted to keep them from committing socialist country, but rather on the United States, the ag­ acts of sabotage. gressor country. But that crowd was so split, carried so little weight since nobody knew how something which began like that J-J;ow much that battle would have cost our people had among our people, and was so demoralized that even if their plans succeeded, had they brought over the new was going to end - we openly proclaimed the socialist they were chickens, which rise every day, they wouldn't nature of the Revolution. [Applause] Therefore our government, which was left stranded with its bags ready have risen up on that morning of April 17. [Laughter and at the side of the plane! It's a pity it failed to reach Giron people were struggling directly for socialism, for applause] socialist revolution. for it would have been captured together with the full That crowd couldn't have staged anything here even mercenary contingent and we would have had all these Socialist stage had already begun remotely resembling an uprising. To launch an uprising big shots, the entire council of ministers, in our hands. you need the people on your side and who ever heard of [Laughter] Of course, at the time of the attack and as a result of all the counterrevolutionary gusanos having the people in I said we would have had to be the first to confront the measures taken previously, some in response to im­ our country on their side? They can't understand that. what Vietnam confronted later under different condi­ perialist and counterrevolutionary action, we could say tions. For were they by any chance going to subdue the that the socialist stage of the Revolution had begun be­ Laws of the Revolution popular people again? Would they restore capitalism? Would we cause- aft~r having nationalized 35 U.S. sugar mills, Others have mentioned, and this is a bit more logical, surrender? [Shouts of ~·no!"] the oil refineries and other U.S. firms- on August 6, that there was no uprising because the laws of the Revo­ Two things worked in Giron, the tactic we used was a 1960, all the banks were nationalized, in addition to 383 lution were popular. I'm very happy to hear them say that combination of our experience in irregular warfare with major firms in the country on October 13 of the same the laws of the Revolution were popular, that expropriat­ elements of conventional warfare. All the movements we year. At the time of the Playa Giron mercenary attack, ing or confiscating the property of the big estate owners, made in the enemy's rearguard. We came from the Sierra the banks had been nationalized, the big monopolies had the capitalists, the owners of big businesses, and the Maestra and were familiar with that experience, we been nationalized, U.S. property had been nationalized, Yankee monopolies are very popular laws! [Applause] weren't rank amateurs. big firms had been nationalized regardless of nationality; But I also say to them that these popular, very popular The country had weapons, I said we had hundreds of the country had regained control over its natUral re­ laws are socialist laws, communist laws! [Applause] thousands of weapons, plus a people willing to fight and sources and industry. This marked the start of a new stage And so I ask myself why so much antisocialism, why die. Could they have disarmed that people? Supposing and its socialist nature was openly explained. Then those so much anticommunism, if the laws passed by socialism they would have established the beachhead, could they men fought and died for socialism. and by communism are popular laws, just laws, for have occupied the whole country - the flatlands, the Actually, all those who have fought and died in Cuba which the people are willing to die. By saying that they mountains, the cities- without a fight? Could they have in each historical period have fought and died for are confessing, without realizing it, that what is not the wrenched from us our 300,000 weapons? [Shouts of socialism- if we view socialism as what it is, a higher least popular or just is capitalism - the exploitation of "no!"] They could not have wrenched them from us. stage in the development of human society- from those man by man, large landholding imperialist investments, · And who else but us could be more convinced of that, who took up arms along with Carlos Manuel de Ces­ and all those measures to exploit the people, keep them after having gone through the experience of the Sierra pedes, those who fought alongside Agramonte, Gomez, uneducated, neglected, deprived of medical care, often Maestra, after initially having just a few rifles there, after and Maceo in the. first war of independence, which led to unemployed, and wrapped up in corruption and vice. having had to cope with a huge army of 80,000 fully the abolition of slavery and acts as radical as the That's what they're confessing to when, searching for armed men? It was then that we resumed our fighting nationalization of U.S. property and capitalist firms, be­ justifications, they claim that the people didn't rise be­ with seven rifles, brought by the group Raul [Castro] was cause at that time the world was inconceivable without cause of popular laws! We are extremely happy that they leading and by myself. Seven rifles with which to face a slavery. recognize this, because that's where the strength of the huge army! Could they take our seven rifles away? Later, when the patriots in our struggle for indepen­ Revolution lies, in the justice inherent in its social [Shouts of "no!"] Those seven rifles increased manyfold dence against Spain called for peasants and slaves to join changes. and they kept on increasing. the Liberation Army, this was a very radical act for the Of course, such hateful things as begging, prostitution, The Cuban revolutionaries specialized in fighting with independence and freedom of the homeland and for jus­ racial discrimination, illiteracy, and all those evils of the enemy's weapons. When the war ended, over 90 per­ tice in our country. And socialism is a higher form of jus­ capitalism, and even worse, of the underdeveloped cent of the Rebel Army's weapons had been captured tice, humanism, dignity, and fraternity among human be­ capitalist world, could never be popular. We're happy to Continued on next page ings. It is the higher form of true freedom! [Applause] Thus we can rightly say that all those who have fought throughout the history of our country since October 1868 also fought for socialism. Only that for the first time this was already done directly and during an advanced stage For further reading, of our history and of the development of our society and our people- one of the most heroic peoples of the hemi­ sphere - because before they had to fight alone against books by Fidel Castro Spain, all alone, against hundreds of thousands of Spanish soldiers when our population hardly exceeded I million. And they passed on to us these heroic traditions, the same traditions we followed after 1953, when we Speeches Cuba's Inter­ Selected Speeches 1960-79. began our fast and final struggle for independence! It was nationalist Foreign Policy 81f2 x 11 format, 134 pp. those fighters back then who made these advances possi­ 1975-80. 391 pp. $8.95. $6.00. ble, who made it possible, before 100 years had passed Women and the Cuban Rev­ since that epic struggle, for us to start building socialism Speeches Vol. II Building in our country. olution. Castro, Vilma Espfn, Socialism in Cuba. 368 pp. and others .... (Stone, ed.) 156 First socialist state in Western Hemisphere $8.95. pp. $4.95. As I was saying, our people has been one of the most Fidel Castro on Chile. 81J2 heroic peoples in the hemisphere, given its history, its Speeches 1984-85 War and accomplishments, what it did in the last century, and also Crisis in the Americas. 250 x 11 format, 158 pp. $6.00. what it's done in this century. We believed and were cer­ pp. $7.95. Fidel Castro at the UN. Pam­ tain that a people capable of doing what it did in the last phlet, 46 pp. $1.25. century was also eapable of doing what it did in this cen­ tury, [Applause] carrying out the feat of becoming the Available from Pathfinder bookstores (see page 20 for one nearest you), or first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere, a deed orderfrom Pathfinder Press,410West ~treet, New York, N.Y. 10014. Please in­ that occurred in our country, of which our present and fu­ clude $.75 for handling. ture generations can be proud. [Applause]

May 23, 19~6 The Militant 15 · ·-· · ' International Socialist Jtevie~------M~ay__ ~~s~ws Castro on Cuban victory at Playa GirOn

Continued from preceding page Many of you will remember how after the April 15 Kampuchea or Afghanistan, from Batista's army. Fighting with weapons captured bombings they claimed that the attacking planes be­ After Gir6n they organized the dirty war on Nicaragua, from the enemy was precisely our philosophy. longed to our own air force that had revolted, and the mined its ports, promoted the formation of mercenary Just imagine! Even if the Yankees and their Organiza­ U.S. representative said so at the United Nations. The bands that have committed all kinds of misdeeds and tion of American States lackeys had intervened, would big lie told quietly. It is still unknown whether the man crimes. they have been able to disarm us? Never! A terrible war knew what he was saying or if he was fooled, because After Gir6n they supported the genocidal government would have ensued in our country, hundreds of they even fool their own people. of El Salvador, which has killed tens of thousands of Sal­ thousands, perhaps millions of CQ!:>ans would have been The head of the U.S. delegation at the time was [Adlai] vadorans. They supported the genocidal government of killed. But they would have never been able to subdue us . Stevenson, a politician who enjoyed certain prestige in Guatemala, which has killed, since the intervention I'm certain that in the end, instead of those 300,000 the United States, with a reputation as a liberal. And they against the Arbenz government, over 100,000 people in weapons, we would have had a million weapons. And let made him say that- that was his statement- so you see that country, and among the victims are tens of thousands the Yankees know right here and now what's in store for the methods of imperialism, the style of imperialism: a of missing persons. them if one day they invade our country. [Applause] treacherous, surprise attack at dawn, with planes painted After Gir6n they intervened in Grenada. with the Cuban insignia. You can see the degree of per­ After Gir6n they intervened in Lebanon, where they Lessons of Giron fidy . strafed, bombed and killed Lebanese people. Giron meant that those who gave their _lives there But it isn't just Giron that showed the aggressiveness After Giron, 25 years later, they have just attacked saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, and perfidy of imperialism. Before Giron they had or­ Libya. This shows the aggressive, perfidious nature of saved the lives of maybe millions of Cubans. We would ganized a similar plan for Guatemala and had toppled the imperialism everywhere, using the same methods, the have been victorious anyway, but at a terrible cost and democratic government of [President Jacobo] Arbenz. same lack of scruples, the same total lack of morality. also at the price of having the country totally destroyed. But in Giron all they did was make a big mistake; they This teaches us what imperialism stands for: perfidy, ag­ That's one of the lessons we must all draw from Giron. didn't realize how different the circumstances were be­ gressiveness, voraciousness. It's one of the things that the younger generations must tween the adventure they had carried out and the adven­ The imperialists now have the Latin American peoples always understand and be aware of. It's one of Giron's ture they were trying to carry out now . by the neck, suffering their worst crisis with a public debt of nearly $400 billion, high interests, dumping, protec­ undeniable merits. After Giron But there were also other consequences to Giron that tionism. Imperialism is insatiable, that's what Giron also highlight the cost for humanity that these imperialist ad­ After Giron they int~rvened in Santo Domingo with shows us. What they did here was aimed at recovering ventures may bring. As a consequence of Giron, of the tens of thousands of soldiers to crush the revolutionary their properties, restoring capitalism, regaining the coun­ defeat sustained by imperialism, of its resentment and struggle of the Dominican people. try's natural resources, and it is for that reason that they humiliation, the government of the United States con­ After Giron they waged their bloody and brutal war on have waged war everywhere. That's also another impor­ ceived new ideas for a direct aggression on our country, Vietnam, which cost thousands of heroic Vietnamese tant lesson, an unforgettable lesson taught by Giron. · to seek revenge in this way and cause the destruction of lives. In order to understand what imperialism is, the role it the Revolution. After Giron they promoted South African intervention plays against the peoples, the role it plays against human­ This led to the measures that later brought on the Mis­ in Angola to try to prevent the MPLA [People's Move­ ity's peace hopes, the role it plays against Latin Ameri­ sile Crisis that placed the world on the brink of nuclear ment for the Liberation of Angola] triumph. can interests, no one has to read Marx, Engels or Lenin, war. You can see for yourself the significance of the im­ After Giron they promoted the reactionary intervention because all these events I have mentioned occurred a long perialists' irresponsible acts that, through Giron and its against the Ethiopian Revolution. time after these visionary men died and objectively show deieat there, nearly brought the world infinitely greater After Giron they committed countless aggressions the Latin American peoples who is dividing them, ex­ tragedies. That's another lesson, the unforeseen conse­ against the Arab countries and against the Palestinian ploiting them, keeping them underdeveloped and poor, quences of the imperialists' irresponsible acts. people, through Israel. who is interfering in their affairs and plotting against Giron also teaches us how perfidious, aggressive and After Giron they intervened wherever there was a rev­ their independence. These are lessons on which we must voracious the imperialists are, the way they behave, their olution and organized dirty wars wherever the people meditate and which help us to understand the phenome­ characteristic style. struggled against genocide or feudalism, whether in non of imperialism. Zinoviev: 'Hour lor Communisllnlerna,lional bas struck' Continued from ISR/5 munist International and its executive body. At the end of 1873, when the First International - The international league of Communist parties an­ founded by Marx and Engels - fell apart after the must be determined at the first congress of the Com­ nounces a decisive struggle with the international league smashing of the Paris Commune, Marx predicted: munist parties. It must establish a strong leading center of the imperialists. "Events and the inevitable development and complica­ able to direct the movement ideologically and organiza­ The Eighth Congress of the RCP is unshakably con­ tion of things will of themselves see to it that the Interna­ tionally in all countries. vinced of the imminent victory of communism. The tional shall rise again improved in form." 14 Communist International will triumph as the interna­ XI Now this prediction is coming true. The hour "of the tional union ofSoviet republics. In the name of this great creation of a genuine Communist International has At present we invite the following parties to join the goal the Communist proletariat of the entire world pro­ struck. In the near future it will unite suffering humanity Communist International: . . . 12 claims revolutionary war against the bourgeoisie. The in a worldwide league of Soviet republics and abolish the All other workers' organizations that stand on the pub­ Russian proletariat, the first to win power in its own state itself in the old sense of the word. lished platform and whose work shows dedication to the country, began this war, with the help of its socialist Red cause of the Third International have the right to join its Army. The international proletariat, organized in the 14. Karl Marx, "To Friedrich Adolph Sorge," in Selected ranks. Communist International, will wage it to its conclusion. Correspondence (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975), p. 269. XII .------New from Pathfinder ------. The League of Nations, now being organized by the imperialists, is in fact the "International': of the The German Revolution bourgeoisie whose aim is to strangle nations. The League of Nations is a cooperative society founded by And the the Entente 13 imperialists to exploit the entire civilized world and to drown in blood the workers now initiating Debate on Soviet Power the proletarian revolution in all the main countries. Documents 1918-1919 The Bern International "Socialist" Conference, which Preparing the Founding Congress attempted to reanimate the corpse of the Second Interna­ tional, is in fact a tool of the imperialist League of Na­ Prepublication price until June 14-$9.00 tions. As a counterweight to the international organization of In November 1918 revolution broke out in Germany, the exploiters and their lackeys, the Eighth Congress of toppling the German Empire and forcing an abrupt end to the Russian Communist Party decides to organize the In­ World War I. Workers' and soldiers' councils formed ternational Organization of the Toilers- the Communist across the country. The documents in this book, most of which have never International. before been published in English, record the debates in the The Federation of Foreign Communist Groups af­ workers' movement on Germany's future during the first filiated with the RCP, groups of Communists who were crucial months of this revolution. prisoners of war, must receive the most ardent support Should the workers' and soldiers' councils take power from our party. and establish a revolutionary govemment in Germany? A The RCP must do everything it can to help achieve all sharp struggle on this question shook the new republic. that is undertaken by the First Congress of the Com- Recorded in this book are the contending positions of German Communist leaders such as Rosa Luxemburg 12. There were 39 parties invited. The list appears on pages and Karl Liebknecht and Social Democratic leaders such 450-451 of The German Revolution and the Debate on Soviet as Karl Kautsky and Friedrich Ebert, as well as debates Power. within the German Communist Party and comments on 13 . The Entente was the name given the imperialist alliance the German events by Bolshevik leaders in Russia. (560 pages) of Britain, France, and Russia at the start of World War I. They Available at Pathfinder Bookstores (see directory on page were joined by the United States, Italy, and Japan. The im­ 20 for one nearest you), or order from Pathfinder Press, perialist powers on the opposing side - Germany and Austria - were known, along with their ally Turkey, as the Central 410 West St., New York, N.Y. l0014. Please add 75 cents Powers. for postage and handling. (After June 14, $12.95)

16 The Militant May 23, 1986 Capitalists fail to·block Sandinista land reform

"Notes from Nicaragua" is a column al was defeated overwhelmingly. prepared by Cindy Jaquith and Harvey McArthur of the Militant's bureau in * *· * Managua. Two ex -officers in the Ministry of the MANAGUA, Nicaragua- A group of Interior (MINT), which takes charge of peasants attending the April 29 session of police functions and security in Nicaragua, Nicaragua's National Assembly burst into were convicted of treason, espionage, and laughter when deputies of the Conservative giving military secrets to a foreign power Democratic Party (PCD) said they were de- on April 20. Before an audience of 200 MINT officers, ex-sub-lieutenants Rey­ naldo Aguado Monteleagre and Eduardo Trejos Silva - who had also been mem­ bers of the FSLN - were stripped of their NOTES FROM ranks, FSLN buttons, and shirts, and given prison uniforms instead. NICARAGUA Both men had confessed to spying for the CIA; Aguado since 1985 and Trejos fending the rights of peasants as they intro­ since 1983. The wife of Trejos, Rosalinda duced a bill to freeze Nicaragua's land re­ Soza Villanueva, also admitted to being in­ form for lO years. volved with the CIA and was tried and con­ The PCD delegates argued that agricul­ victed as well. All three went before a tural production was more efficient when MINT military tribunal with civilian attor­ poor peasants worked for rich landlords. neys of their choosing. Militant/Cindy Jaquith They claimed that the peasants did not Aguado and Trejos said they spied under Women on Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. In April speech, Commander Tomas Borge know how to produce on the land they were the direction of officials of the U.S. em­ called for advancing fight against their oppression. given. bassy in Managua. Among their assign­ The peasants, however, had come to the ments was ·gathering information on: assembly to demand that more land be dis­ MINT plans for combating mercenaries of oppressed as women; working women IMEP metal fabrication plant in Managua tributed to landless farmers. They carried a the Nicaraguan Democratic Force, the have been oppressed as women and as on April 22. It was the ll6th anniversary large sign saying "On this May Day, we FSLN's relationship to the M-19 guerrilla workers; and here on the Atlantic Coast, of the birth of Russian revolutionist V.I. demand land so we can produce, survive, group in Colombia, personnel in the MINT women have been oppressed as women, as Lenin, and the union at IMEP hosted a and feed our children." State Security division, and documents in workers, and as Miskito, Rama, Sumo [In­ rally of 300 people to celebrate the occa­ The PCD proposal was backed by de­ the MINT offices. dians], or Garffonas, that is to say, for sion. puties from the two other capitalist parties, ethnic reasons." Borge singled out Miskito, Rama, Delegations came from a dozen nearby the Independent Liberal Party and the * * * factories and two army units. National People's Social Christian Party . In an April 17 speech in Puerto Cabezas, Sumo, and Garffona women in the agricul­ tural and fishing industries, who, he said, leaders of the Sandinista Workers Federa­ Deputy Ariel Bravo Lorfo of the Com­ in the Miskito Indian region of Nicaragua, tion (CST), to which the IMEP union be­ munist Party of Nicaragua initially called FSLN leader Tomas Borge called for ad­ · "play an important role; they participate to­ gether with the men in production." longs; the Association of Rural Workers; the bill "reactionary." Later he spoke in vancing the struggle of costena women, as and the Nicaraguan Association for favor of sending the bill to commission for women of the country's Atlantic Coast are In the fight for peace and autonomy on the Coast, women have stood out, said the Friendship with the Socialist Countries at­ study since it contained "important educa­ called. Borge is Nicaragua's minister of the tended. tional material ." He later changed his mind interior and president of the national com­ Sandinista leader. "Now these women again and voted against the bill. mission organizing the project for regional must continue fighting . . . to push forward Guerman Shliapnikov, Soviet ambas­ The Sandinista National Liberation government autonomy on the Coast. the advancement of women in leadership sador to Nicaragua, spoke, as did Lucfo Front (FSLN), Nicaraguan Socialist Party, "In contrast to the rest of the women in posts in institutions, organizations, and Jimenez, general secretary of the CST. and Marxist-Leninist Party all opposed the the country," said Borge, "the costefla projects." Jimenez recounted Lenin's contribution·s in bill. Several deputies pointed out that two woman has suffered a triple oppression. leading the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, de­ of the bill's sponsors had been charged "Unfortunately the revolution still does * * * feating intervention by the U.S. and other with cattle rustling and with expelling not not mean equality between man and "Lenin - We workers are defending our imperialist powers, and consolidating the peasants from their land. The PCD propos- woman. Our women have historically been revolutionary power" read the banner at the new revolutionary government. N.J. socialist candidate hits call for more cops

BY CARLA HOAG supplies as books, paper, and pencils. and dignity on the job." Party congressional candidate Chris NEWARK, N.J. - Ruth Nebbia, "More cops will just mean more killings She contrasted the role of the cops under Brandlon as "workers, with a working­ Socialist Workers Party candidate for like the racist killing of Michael Harris, a a capitalist government in Newark to the class outlook and working-class values." mayor of Newark, concluded her campaign Black youth, by an Irvington, New Jersey, role of Nicaragua's police. "Under a work­ Andrew Smith, a leader of the Black at a rally here May l 0 with a denunciation cop on the streets of Newark. More Black ers' and farmers' government, the police Student Union at Seton Hall University, of Mayor Kenneth Gibson's call for more cops won't change this. In South Africa, force comes from the working people and who recently joined the Young Socialist cops. the white rulers use Black cops, as well as is on our side. It protects the rights of Alliance, described the struggle against ra­ "All Mayor Gibson and the other white ones, to shoot down young anti­ workers and farmers." cist attacks on Black students by racist capitalist mayoral candidates here see apartheid fighters. Thirty-five people attended the rally at groups and the university administration. when they look at Newark is street crime, "The job of the cops in this society is to the SWP campaign headquarters. Chris Brandlon, the SWP candidate who and their answer is more cops," she said. protect the rich and attack working people. Other speakers included John Dillon, a is running against incumbent Democrat "They don't see declining health care, lack In Austin, Minnesota, cops protect the member of the Communications Workers Peter Rodino in New Jersey's lOth C.D., of child-care facilities, soaring rents, and a Hormel Co. and its ·scabs by attacking the of America. He is also chairperson of the was the final speaker. Brandlon is a 29- school system that lacks such basic struggle of the Harmel workers for safety New Jersey P-9 support committee, which year-old'worker at General Dynamics and a is organizing solidarity with the Harmel member of the United Auto Workers. He strikers. denounced the immigration law being He congratulated the Militant for provid­ pushed by R\)dino and others, which pro­ ing weekly coverage of the strike "with no poses harsher measures to stop. Latin Honduran soldiers carry out lies and no distortions." He encouraged a American workers from exercising their provocation on border vote for Nebbia and Socialist Workers human right to come to the United States. BY CINDY JAQUITH tinued Talavera, "urges the government of Nat'l women's conference set for June MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Shots fired Honduras to take all necessary measures to from Honduran territory killed a Nicara­ prevent incidents like the ones described The National Organization for Women guan soldier April 29 at the Sandinista . . . from damaging the climate of detente will hold its national conference in Denver army border post in Palo Grande Viejo, in that the government of Nicaragua is deter­ June 13- 15. Chinandega Province. According to the mined to maintain on the common border. The three-day conference will be filled Nicaraguan government, the assailants are "My government hopes that Honduran with workshops, issue hearings, and ple­ assumed to be members of the Honduran authorities, acting with the good sense and nary sessions in which NOW members will army. moderation required b'y the circumstances, discuss and decide future activities in the Earlier, on April 27, three Honduran sol­ will avoid the repetition of actions so re­ fight for women's rights. diers launched a grenade and machine-gun grettable as those that took place." One major topic of discussion will be the fire at the Sandinista border post in Santo · Thus far, no response from the Hondu­ continuing fight to defend and extend abor­ Tomas del Nance. ran government has been reported here. tion rights. In a provocative move, the Na­ The attacks by Honduran troops come in Meanwhile, on May Day, Honduran tional Right to Life Committee has sched­ the context of efforts by the U.S. govern­ trade unionists, peasants, and students uled its annual convention in Denver the ment to provoke a war between Honduras demonstrated against the U.S. war aims in same weekend. The organization of right­ and Nicaragua. the capital of Tegucigalpa. According to wing antiabortion fanatics scheduled its Jose Leon Talavera of the Nicaraguan the ACAN-EFE news service, demonstra­ convention after the NOW conference was Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Hondu­ tors chanted "No to war, yes to peace" and booked. NOW is calling on members and ran Foreign Relations Ministry denouncing "Yankee garbage, out of Honduras!" are­ supporters to make a special effort to attend the murder of the Sandinista soldier and ference to the thousands of U.S. troops on the convention as a show of force for other Honduran attacks. Talavera said such maneuvers in that country. women's rights and the right to safe, legal attacks "are pushed by the [U .S.] govern­ One speaker addressing the rally said, abortion in particular. ment with the goal of provoking incidents "The people of Honduras do not want a war For more information on the conference that could serve its aims of directly 'attack­ with Nicaragua. We want pe~ce and for the write to: J 986 National NOW Conference, Militant/Holbrook Mahn ing my country. U.S. soldiers and Nicaraguan contras to P.O. Box 7813, Washington, D.C. 20044, NOW conference will discuss fight for "The government of Nicaragua," con- get out of our country." or contact your local NOW chapter. abortion rights.

May 23, 198fj The Militant 17 Young Socialists discuss student upsurge

BY mERESA DELGADILLO cruited several people. NEW YORK -The national committee In Morgantown, West Virginia, the of the Young Socialist Alliance met here YSA helped to build a three-day anti-apart: April 26 and 27 . The YSA is a nationwide heid conference at West Virginia Univer­ organization of revolutionary youth with sity. As part of this activity, a representa­ chapters in 40 cities. tive of the African National Congress, By far the biggest discussion among the which is leading the democratic struggle YSA national committee members and against the apartheid regime, spoke to a chapter organizers was the YSA's partici­ high school class of 100 students. Some of pation in the upsurge of political activity on the high school students decided to put first the campuses and how to win these young things first, cut the rest oftheir classes, and fighters to the Young Socialist Alliance. come over to the university to hear the Thousands of students are participating ANC leader again. Three of them then in anti-apartheid and antiwar demonstra­ came ro the next meeting of the YSA there. tions, holding teach-ins, building shan­ It was clear that the upsurge of political tytowns, and staging sit-ins. Some 50,000 activity involves not only college students, students participated in the March 9 and 16 but more and more high school students as abortion rights actions. well. A citywide coalition of high school students in New York organized an anti­ Student upsurge apartheid action of 100 students April 25 "There is a broad layer of young people and is building the June 14 anti-apartheid who are thinking politically, getting in­ action in New York. In Cincinnati, Miami, volved in many different issues, from op­ and Berkeley, high school students are par­ position to apartheid to support for a ticipating in the political activities on the woman's right to choose," Mark Curtis, college campuses and being attracted to the national chairperson of the YSA, said in a YSA. Militant/Holbrook Mahn report on winning new members to the In his report, Mark Curtis noted that 70 Young Socialist Alliance National Chairperson Mark Curtis (right) gave report to YSA. high school students walked out of school YSA leadership meeting on upsurge of political activity among students and oppor­ Since January l, he said, more than 40 in Salt Lake City to protest the bombing of tunities to build YSA. National Secretary Jackie Floyd reported on priorities of YSA young fighters have joined the YSA. Libya. They staged a sit-in on the lawn, in coming months, including need to campaign for national action protesting U.S. Three students in Houston joined the and 40 students were subsequently ex­ war against Nicaragua. YSA in the past few months as a result of pelled from school. the chapter's regular activity on the cam­ puses. The YSA has shown slideshows on Antiwar action needed does not bow to Washington's dictates. The national committee decided to step Nicaragua, helped build support for the The meeting of the national committee The success of the April 19 antiwar dem­ up the YSA's activity on the campuses. striking meatpackers in Austin, Minnesota, took place just a week after the U.S. bomb­ onstration of 25,000 in San Francisco "The YSA is part of the blockades, the participated in abortion rights activities, ing of Libya, so this was a big topic of dis­ shows that antiwar sentiment can be marches, the sit-ins," explained YSA and distributed the Young Socialist, Per­ cussion at the plenum. Jackie Floyd, na- · mobilized and that big opportunities exist leader Mark Curtis. Going through these spectiva Mundial, the Militant, and tiona! secretary of the YSA, gave a report to organize broad actions of this type. One battles is an important part of the life of an socialist books on the campuses. on behalf of the national executive commit­ of the major decisions of the meeting was organization of young workers and stu­ In Boston, a high school student joined tee outlining the political priorities for the to continue to raise with other antiwar dents," he said. the YSA as a result of the YSA' s participa­ YSA in the next few months. She fighters and organizations the need for the The committee decided that YSA chap­ tion in protests against the school board's explained that this bombing was aimed not most powerful response possible to the ters across the country will go on an all-out attempts to close down four schools that only at Libya, but also at Nicaragua and all U.S. war against Nicaragua- a national effort on the campuses to sell the Young have been desegregated. The Boston YSA revolutionary fighters around the world. antiwar demonstration. Socialist, the Militant, and Perspectiva YSA leaders reported that in every city Mundial. chapter has also been campaigning for can­ Building support for Local P-9 didates of the Socialist Workers Party on where the YSA is active, we took part in The election campaigns of the Socialist the campuses. Four college students have protests against the bombing of Libya. The YSA leaders discussed the impor­ Workers Party have already proven to be asked to join the YSA. Many of these actions linked the U.S. at­ tance of the battle taking place in Austin, an important way to explain socialist ideas tack on Libya and the U.S. war against Minnesota, between Local P-9 of the to radicalizing young people, and the YSA The Washington, D.C., YSA chapter Nicaragua. United Food and Commercial Workers will be helping to get speaking engage­ has been part of the protests at Georgetown Union and the Hormel meatpacking com­ ments for SWP candidates in the high University. The YSA has been invited to YSA leaders reported that the attack on pany. schools and on college campuses. give classes at the "Freedom College" set Libya has increased the awareness among The YSA has been very active in helping The YSA is cosponsoring regional up by the students there. Central America solidarity activists that the to build support for the strike. Many socialist educational conferences with the Both the Newark and New York chap­ U.S. is pushing ahead toward war and YSAers are union members and have Socialist Workers Party. Several YSA ters of the YSA have each recently re- wants the right to attack any country that helped build solidarity with Local P-9 in leaders spoke about classes that chapters the labor movement. YSA members have have _ organized, and other chapters re­ helped win support for the strike from ported on plans to begin class series. women's rights fighters, Black organiza­ The national committee stressed the im­ Do you know someone who reads Spanish? tions, farmers, and others. portance of the YS~A 's efforts to reach its In many places, the YSA has helped or­ spring fund drive goal of $20,000. This ganize student meetings for Local P-9. In 'PM': P-9 shows way forward will be a big part of enabling the YSA to re­ Dallas, for example, the YSA is part of a For nine months meatpackers spond to the new political opportunities. broad citywide ·support committee for in Austin, Minnesota, have been Local P-9, and there are two campuses This meeting registered progress for the fighting the giant George A. Hor­ where student P-9 support committees Young Socialist Alliance. The national mel & Co., the company's goons, have been formed. committee members agreed that the YSA is union-busting lawyers, and scabs off to a good start in winning new members who are backed by the cops, Abortion rights to an organization of young workers, stu­ courts, National Guard, and the The fight to defend and extend abortion dents, and other youth who are part of state government. No a rights was also a topic of the meeting. The today's battles. Local P-9 has won broad sup­ las YSA will join with others working to build port from other unionists on the success of the national abortion Theresa Delgadillo is a member of the na­ throughout the country, and from centrales rights demonstrations in March, planning tional committee of the YSA . She is also a working farmers, students, and nucleares ~~!i'ti~D,I more demonstrations, participating in member of International Ladies' Garment others. clinic defenses, and helping to draw allies Workers' Union Local 23-25 in New York Accidente en Chernobyl This strike has become a cause recuerda peligros de Ia such as the labor movement into the fight. City. for working people, who are tired energia nudear en EU of takebacks. But not everyone in the labor Huelga en Ia Hormel 14 de junio: 'Militant' sales teant in Iowa movement backs this fight. The indica el camino para marcha contra top officialdoms of almost every los sindicatos en EU apartheid en NY international union and the na­ Continued from back page home and abroad. At Grinnell College in tional AFL-CIO have joined to­ Another worker who rejected Oscar Des Moines, Meggan, a student who heads gether to oppose the strikers' working people and the oppressed Mayer's offer was quoted in the local up the campus Central America solidarity newspaper. "I've modified my vote," he work, stopped at our literature table and leadership. Their attack on P-9 in the U .S. and around the world. said, "from 'no' to 'hell no.'" ' told us, "I've been to Nicaragua, and I also only serves the interests of Hor­ jSuscribete ahora! In Marshalltown, Iowa, we sold at the support the Cuban revolution." She wanted mel and the enemies oflabor. Why Swift Independent meatpacking plant, to know where the YSA stood on these then is it that the top officialdom Subscriptions: $16 for one which employs some 300 members of questions and later asked us how to join is attempting to crush this strike? year; $8 for six months; Intro­ UFCW Local 50. Workers there bought 13 and build a YSA chapter. The new issue of Perspectiva ductory offer, $3.00 for three Militants and one subscription. Workers at After two visits to Grinnell, we sold 54 Mundial answers this question in months. this plant are also talking about takebacks. Militants, seven subscriptions, and about a major article which goes into the One of them who bought the Militant told $100 in- other socialist literature and T­ history of the U.S. labor move­ 0 Begin my sub with current us, "The companies work one plant against shirts. ment, the roots of"concession con­ issue. another. We 've got to get the unions to­ We also went to the University of North­ tracts" and the development of Name gether." em Iowa in Cedar Falls, where we were in­ Local P-9's fi,ght. In Des Moines, we visited the Firestone vited to speak to one of the classes about Address ______plant organized by United Rubber Workers the YSA. While on campus we sold 40 Perspectiva Mundial is the City/State/Zip ______Local 310. The work force there has been Militants and 18 subscriptions. Spanish,language socialist maga­ cut in half by layoffs, but 43 union mem­ So far in the state of Iowa we have sold zine that every two weeks brings Clip and mail to PM, 408 West St., bers stopped their cars to buy Militants. 881 copies of the Militant and Perspectiva you the truth about the struggles.of New York, NY 10014. Campuses we have visited in Iowa are a Mundial and 68 subscriptions. More than hotbed of protest against the U.S. govern­ half our sales have been to union members ment's attacks on workers and farmers at and most of the rest to college students.

18 The Militant May 23, 1986 N.Y. rally backs flight attendants' strike

BY TOM LEONARD line unions that ''could prevent things like NEW YORK - Some 500 trade union­ this from ever happening again." ists participated in a car caravan and rally IFFA Vice-president Lantz was intro­ at JFK airport May 8 in ·support of striking duced to cheers and chants of "IFFA, TWA flight attendants. Members of the In­ IFFA, IFFA ." In her remarks she pointed dependent Flight Attendants Association out that a negotiated settlement was still (IFFA) have been on strike for eight possible since TWA had not yet answered weeks. They are still waiting for an answer the union's latest offer. to their last contract offer to the company Lantz ridiculed TWA President Carl on April 24, in which they agreed to 28 Icahn's sexist attitude, saying that Icahn percent cuts in wages and benefits. thinks "these girls will give me anything I Today's caravan began at TWA's ser­ want." There were loud cheers when she vice hangar number 17 . It included about added, "But we are going to stay out until 100 cars, motorcycles, and buses and many he gives us everything we want." flying green ribbons and signs supporting Lantz reported that IFF A strikers had re­ the strike. As the caravan drove past· both cently won the right to unemployment ben­ the international and domestic TWA flight efits in several states and that nearly 75 terminals, strike supporters honked horns percent of the members were now collect­ and shouted at passengers not to fly TWA's ing unemployment checks. The states in­ unsafe airplanes. As they arrived at the clude Missouri, where TWA has its home rally across from TWA's main terminal, a base in Kansas City, and Massachusetts, loudspeaker blared out the message, where strikers got checks retroactive to the "Don't fly TWA - better find a safer beginning of the strike. She added that way." some unemployment checks were bigger The caravan included two busloads of than the wages paid to many of the TWA IFFA members. One of the buses carried a scabs: large banner demanding that TWA "Stop Lantz got a big hand from the crowd corporate terrorism!" · when she concluded her talk with the Included in the caravan "was a limousine pledge, "We're not going to give in." · carrying Jesse Jackson, IFFA Vice-presi­ Jesse Jackson told the rally that flight at­ dent Karen Lantz, and other union officials tendants are in the same battle as striking who had helped organize the rally. Minnesota meatpackers of United Food Most of the rally participants were mem­ and Commercial Workers Local P-9. He bers of IFFA. But there was a sizable con­ urged the strikers not to bow down and tingent of rank-and-file members from In­ said, "Workers united can never be de­ TWA flight attendants rally in Chicago. Hundreds of others rallied to support strik­ ternational Brotherhood of Electrical feated." This slogan was picked up and ers at New York City's Kennedy airport. Workers Local 3. There were also uni­ chanted by the crowd for several minutes. formed flight attendants from Pan Am, The spirited flight attendants also began Eastern, and American Airlines, including. to chant, "P-9, P-9, P-9" when that local's members of Teamsters Local 115. executive board member, Pete Wip.kels, TWA flight attendants Representatives from other unions were was introduced as a rally speaker. Winkels mainly union officials, some of whom ad­ said that if anyone had told him I 0 years dressed the rally. They were from the ago that an Austin meatpacker and flight Communications Workers of America, attendants would some day be on the same meet to assess strike which has donated $10,000 to the strike; platform, he would have told them they BY MITCHEL ROSENBERG hours or more per week that TWA has been Transport Workers Union Local 100, were crazy. "Now," he said, "we are all in demanding. which organizes New York City transit this together." NEW YORK-Over 300 striking TWA flight attendants met here May 5 to take Despite the workload the scabs are hand­ workers; United Auto Workers District 65; He told the rally about another important ling, TWA's service is still disrupted. Hot and Teamsters milk drivers from Local strike that needed solidarity - the Colt stock of their fight after being out eight weeks. meals are not being served, safety rules are 545. workers in Hartford, Connecticut. Winkles not being followed, and other comers are "We're in a war" with the giant carrier, A representative of TWU Local 504, wound up with the message, "Hang tough. being cut. The airline's scheduled flights Independent Federation of Flight Atten­ which led in organizing the rally, told par­ Fight. Be proud." have not been brought back to 100 percent dants (IFFA) President Vicki Frankovich ticipants his union had contributed $1 ,000 During the rally, IFFA members intro­ operation, and scabs have been prohibited told union members, "and anyone who to IFFA, and there was more money to duced a "Union-buster Icahn" T-shirt and from taking vacations or sick leave. crosses the picket line is a turncoat, a de­ come. He said it didn't matter that IFFA circulated leaflets on how trade unionists Under normal circumstances, Fran­ fector." was an independent union and that "from and others could help the strike. Contrib­ kovich said, a labor reserve of 20 percent now on it is going to get more support from utions and messages of support should be Of the 6,000 IFFA members, 85 percent exists to cover sick or vacationing workers. all of organized labor." He said plans were sent to IFFA Fightback Fund, 630 Third support the strike, she reported. This is totally gone during the strike, fur- . under way to organize a coalition of all air- Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017. Some IFFA members who have crossed ther undercutting safety conditions in the the picket lines have been organized by the air. company to call strikers as "friends." They Frankovich listed the following as are urging them to become scabs, relating "back-to-work issues," that is, conditions Oakland socialist kicks off to the strikers the TWA claim that only a that must be met by TWA after economic limited number will be hired back as questions are decided: strikebreakers. • No recriminations against strikers congressional campaign "You are not my friend," Frankovich who were disciplined by the company or suggested as the proper response to such a arrested leading up to or during the strike. BY CRAIG HONTS California at Berkeley was strongly con­ call. The union also responded by sending • Domiciles (home bases) to be main­ OAKLAND - "The real terrorists are demned by Patterson, who pointed out how a letter to scabbing attendants, telling them tained as before the strike, on a seniority not in Libya, they're in Washington, D.C., "these protesters are fighting for justice. that "only 200 positions are left in the basis. directing wars against the people of Libya They do not deserve to be arrested and union - come back now." • All strikers must be allowed back. and Nicaragua," declared Miesa Patterson, brutalized, but should be honored for their TWA has already implemented some of (TWA is threatening to disallow strikers to the Socialist Workers Party candidate for commitment. the takebacks it demanded from IFFA. Re­ displace scabs.) U.S. House of Representatives from tirement packages have been slashed uni­ "My campaign," Patterson told the rally, • All strikers must return together im­ California's 8th Congressional District. laterally, and scabs are working the 80. mediately following the strike. The Socialist Workers campaign held a "stands 100 percent on the side of the kickoff rally here on April 6 to denounce workers and peasants of the world fighting the wars of aggression being carried out by for self-determination. the U.S. government and to launch Patter­ "My campaign stands 100 percent on the N.J. farm workers win first contract son's campaign. side of the workers and farmers in this country fighting against' union-busting, BY ANDREA GONZALEZ In April the union returned to court with Patterson is a member of International farm foreclosures, racist attacks against af­ New Jersey farm workers have won their videotapes proving that the growers were Association of Machinists Lodge 284 and firmative action, and the U.S. war drive, first union contract. A preliminary settle­ operating the farm with nonunion 'labor. works as an assembler at Atlas Pacific in which will send our children to fight and ment between growers Isaac and Saul The union asked the judge to enforce his Oakland. She is contesting the seat cur­ die for the owners of the banks and corpo­ Levin and the Agricultural Workers Or­ previous court ruling ordering the growers rently held by Democratic Congressman rations. gamzmg Commission (Comite Or­ to negotiate. Facing contempt of court Ronald Dellums, a leading member of the "The Socialist Workers campaign stands ganizador de Trabajadores Agrfcolas, charges, the growers gave in. liberal Congressional Black Caucus. for independent political action. The ballot COTA) was announced May 5. The agree­ In the preliminary settlement, the grow­ Another central theme of the Socialist box does not decide our fate. We do that ment is the fi rst union contract ever won by ers have agreed to rehire the union mem­ Workers campaign is the need to struggle when we fight for our own interests - like farm workers on the East Coast. · bers, raise wages above the legal mini­ against the system of apartheid in South the strikers at Hormel, like the students COTA has about I ,500 members in the mum, open the books to the union, and en­ Africa. fighting against apartheid at the University New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. While sure union members thcir jobs through the The April 3 police riot against the anti­ of California, and like the 125,000 demon­ it is not affiliated on the national level, 1986 season. apartheid protesters at the University of strators who marched in the streets of COTA is a member of the AFL-CIO's Jeff Fogel of the American Civil Liber­ Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles on Cumberland Central Labor Council and the ties Union, which worked with the union March 9th and 16th to defend abortion New Jersey Ind~:~ stria l Union Council. on the legal actions, explained that this set­ rights. The mostly Puerto Rican migrant farm tlement marked the first time a New Jersey Labor news in the Militant "We need more demonstrations like the workers at the Levins' Cumberland farm grower "has agreed to pay over minimum The Militant stays on top of impor­ Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice in voted in the union last September. The wage. We've been having trouble getting .., tant developments in the labor move­ San Francisco on April 19th. We must de­ growers, however, refused to bargain with them to pay the minimum." ment. Our correspondents work in the mand: not .one penny to the contras, no COTA. The union went to court and on Hailing the agreement, Angel Domin­ mines, mills, and shops where events U.S. intervention in Central America and Sept. 30, 1985, Superior Court Judge Ed­ quez, the organizing director of COTA, are breaking. You won't miss any of it the Middle East, and break all ties to apart­ ward Miller ordered the growers to told the press that "it shows other workers if you subscribe. See the ad on page 2 heid. negotiate. The growers broke off negotia­ in the area that it can be done. It's a long for subscription rates. "We must support the struggles of work­ tions last February, claiming they were process, and they have to be very patient, ers and farmers worldwide." going to close the farm. but it can be done."

~ay 23, 1986 The Militant 19 -CALENDAR------CALIFORNIA Local 10 and Socialist Workers Party. Sat. , Two classes on Farrell Dobbs' books on the OHIO May 17, 7 p.m. 132 Cone St. NW, 2nd floor. Teamster organizing drives of the 1930s. Sat. , Cleveland Los Angeles Donation: $2. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For May 17 , 2:30 p.m. and Sun., May 18 , 10:30 Class Series on the Communist Manifesto. A Socialist Educational Weekend. more information call (404) 577-4065 . a.m. Speaker: Thabo Ntweng. Donation: $2 per "U.S. and World Politics Today." A forum Sat., May 17, May 24, May 31, and June 6 at 3 class. p.m. 2546 W Pico Blvd. Ausp: Young Socialist by Mark Severs, member Socialist Workers LOUISIANA Forum and classes held at 4907 Martin Party National Committee. Sat., May 17 , 7:30 Alliance. For more information call (213) 380- Luther King Dr. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. 9460. New Orleans p.m. Donation: $2. Attack on Human Needs in Louisiana. Speak­ For more information call (3 14) 361-0250. Two classes on the strategy for the labor Oakland ers: Viola Francois of the Welfare Rights Or­ movement. Class I. "Lessons of the 1920s and U.S. Nuclear Plants- Why They Are All ganization and Dwayne Pellebon, Southern '30s. " Sun. , May 18, 11 :30 a.m. Class 2. "The Dangerous, Why They Should All Be Shut University of New Orleans. Sat., May 17 , 7:30 NEW YORK Strategy for Labor Today." Sun. , May 18, 2:30 Down. Speaker: Arnold Weissberg, former p.m. 3207 Dublin St. Donation: $2 . Ausp: Mil­ p.m. Speaker: James Harris , member SWP Na­ staff writerfor the Militant. Sat., May 17 , 7:30 itant Labor Forum. For more information call Manhattan tional Committee. Donation: $1 .50 per class. p.m. 3808 E 14th St (near 38th Ave.). Dona­ (504) 486-8048. Socialist Educational Conference. Forum and classes held at 252 I Market Ave. tion: $2. Ausp: Militant Forum. For more infor­ "U.S. and World Politics Today." A forum Ausp: Socialist Workers '86 Campaign and mation call (415) 261-3014. by Malik Miah , editor of the Militant . Fri. , May Conference on Nicaragua. Three classes. Young Socialist Alliance . For more information May Day in Managua: Report Back from 16, 8 p.m. call (216) 861-6150. May Day Participants in Nicaragua. With "From Somoza to the Sandinistas: a History."" "The Fight for Women's Liberation Today." slideshow presentation. Sat. , May 24, 7:30 Speaker: Ron Repps, member of United Two classes by Margaret Jayko, managing OREGON p.m. 3808 E 14th St. (near 38th Ave .) Dona­ Teachers of New Orleans. Sat., May 24, noon. editor of the Militant . Sat. , May 17, 10 a.m. "Democratic Rights in Nicaragua." Speaker: Portland tion: $2 . Ausp: Militant Forum . For more infor­ and 3 p.m. High School Students Speak Out. Speakers: mation call (415) 261-3014. Mike Ferry , member Committee Against Mili­ "Imperialism and War. " Two classes by tary Intervention in Nicaragua and Young Joree Jackson, representative of Young San Jose Andrea Gonzalez, former socialist candidate for Socialist Alliance; others. Sat., May 17, 7:30 Socialist Alliance. Sat., May 24 , 2 p.m. mayor of New York. Sat. , May 17, 10 a.m. and Workers and Peasants .in Power: A Report "Blacks, Indians, and Women in Nicaragua." p.m. 2732 NE Union. Donation: $2. Ausp: from . Revolutionary Nicaragua. Speaker: 3 p.m. Young Socialist Alliance Forum. For more in­ Speakers: Mariba Karimoca, professor at Forum and classes held at 79 Leonard St. Greg Nelson, Socialist Workers candidate for Southern UniVersity , participated in Third formation call (503) 287-7416. mayor of San Jose, recently returned from Nic­ Translation to Spanish. Donation: $5 for confer­ World Brigade in Nicaragua; Irina McAlister, ence. Ausp: Young Socialist Alliance and aragua. Translation to Spanish. Sat. , May 17, YoungSocialist Alliance . Sun., May 25 , noon. PENNSYLVANIA 7:30p.m. 46 112 Race St. Donation: $2. For more Socialist Workers Party. For more information 3207 Dublin St. Donation requested. Ausp: call (212) 219-3679. Pittsburgh information call (408) 998-4007. Young Socialist Alliance. For more information Eyewitness Report from Nicaragua. Speaker: call (504) 486-8048. Clare Fraenzl , Socialist Workers Party candi­ GEORGIA date for governor of Pennsylvania and member Atlanta NORTH CAROLINA of United Mine Workers Local 1197. Just re­ The Crisis on the Farm and How to Stop MISSOURI Greensboro turned from fact-finding tour of Nicaragua. Foreclosures. Speakers: Julius Anderson, Fed­ St. Louis No to Nuclear Power: Soviet Accident Spurs Sat. , May 17, 7:30p.m. 402 N Highland Ave. eration of Southern Cooperatives; Nathaniel · A Socialist Educational Conference. Call to Shut U.S. Nukes. Speakers: representa­ Ausp: Socialist Workers 1986 Campaign. For Richey, Worth County Young Black Farmers "Prospects for Socialism in the United tive of Socialist Workers Party; others. Sun ., more information call (4 I 2) 362-6767. Association; Martha Miller, attorney who led States." A forum by Thabo Ntweng, Socialist May 18, 5 p.m. 2219 E Market St. Donation: court fight against farm foreclosures; Elizabeth Workers Party National Committee. Sat. , May $2 . Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more in­ Kilanowski, member United Auto Workers 17 , 7:30p.m. Donation: $2. formation call (9 I 9) 272-5996. Pa. abortion rights

Continued from Page 7 temational Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the National Abortion Righ~s Action League. At the rally , a Planned Parenthood speaker mentioned a recent amendment proposed in the State Senate by Democrat Joseph Rocks of Philadelphia. The amend­ ment is designed to harass abortion clinics by making licensing difficult. This is part of a barrage of antiabortion legislation pro­ posed in each session of the Pennsylvania legislature. Ann Schenk of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters made the point that if women do not control their reproductive lives, they do not control their lives at all. Alma Fox, a board member of Pennsyl­ vania and Pittsburgh NAACP and a na­ tional board member of NOW, spoke about the civil rights battle in Birmingham, Alabama, 25 years ago, commenting that "people like you and me can make a differ­ Unionists, farmers, antiwar and anti-apartheid activists, ence if we are willing to fight." The final speaker was Eleanor Smeal, abortion rights fighters, students ... national president of NOW. Like the other speakers, she emphasized electing prochoice candidates in the upcoming Attend a socialist educational conference Pennsylvania Democratic primary elec­ The Young Socialist Alliance and the fight for a class-struggle policy, St. Louis* tions. However, she also explained the Socialist Workers Party are sponsor­ and the unfolding democratic revolu­ Minneapolis-St. Paul need for continuing massive actions and ing weekend conferences that will tion in South Africa. demonstrations, including in Harrisburg, feature presentati<:ms by party and For more information on the con­ May 31 where, she said, tens of thousands should YSA leaders on the international and ference in your area, see directory San Francisco be mobilized in future actions to defend U.S. political situation and the road listing at bottom of this page. Pittsburgh safe, legal abortion and other women's forward for working-class fighters. rights. May17 June 7 Supporters of Socialist Workers Party Classes will take up topics such as Houston imperialism and its role in Central Boston candidates Clare Fraenzl, who is running America, the fight against women's Cleveland* *For these cities, check calendar list­ for governor, and Mike Carper, running for oppression, trade unions today and New York City* ings above ad for more details. U.S. Senate, handed out campaign state­ ments and sold 50 copies of the Militant and Young Socialist. -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP'------Where to find the Socialist Workers Party, GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 132Cone NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 141 Dallas: SWP, YSA, 336 W. Jefferson . Zip: Young Socialist Alliance, and Pathfinder St. NW , 2nd Floor. Zip: 30303 . Tel: (404) 577- Halsey. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. 75208. Tel: (214) 943-5195. Houston: SWP, bookstores. 4065 . NEW YORK: Capital District (Albany): YSA, 4806 Almeda. Zip: 77004. Tel: (713) ILLINOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA, 3455 S. SWP, YSA , 352 Central Ave .. 2nd floor. Zip: 522-8054. ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, Michigan Ave. Zip: 60616. Tel: (312) 326- 12206. Tel: (518) 434-3247. New York: SWP, UTAH: Price: SWP, YSA, 23 S. Carbon 205 18th St. S. Zip: 35233. Tel: (205) 323- 5853 or 326-5453. YSA , 79LeonardSt. Zip: 10013. Tel: (2 12)219- Ave. , Suite 19, P.O. Box 758. Zip: 84501. Tel: 3079. KENTUCKY: Louisville: SWP, YSA , 809 3679 or 925-1668. Socialist Books, 226-8445. (801) 637-6294. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA , 3750 E. Broadway. Zip: 40204. Tel : (502) 587-8418. NORTH CAROLINA: Greensboro: SWP, 767 S. State, 3rd floor. Zip: 84111. Tel: (801) West McDowell Road #3. Zip: 85009. Tel : LOUISIANA: New Orleans: SWP, YSA, YSA, 2219 E Market. Zip: 27401. Tet: (919) 355-1124. (602) 272-4026. 3207 Dublin St. Zip: 70118. Tel : (504) 486- 272-5996. VIRGINIA: Tidewater Area (Newport CALIF6RNIA: Los Angeles: SWP, YSA, 8048. OHIO: Cincinnati: SWP, YSA, 4945 Pad­ News): SWP, YSA, 5412 Jefferson Ave. Zip 2546 W. Pico Blvd. Zip: 90006. Tel: (213) 380- MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, dock Rd. Zip: 45237 . Tel: (513) 242-7161. 23605 . Tel: (804) 380-0133. 9460. Oakland: SWP, YSA, 3808 E 14th St. 2913 Greenmount Ave. Zip: 21218. Tel : (301) Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 2521 Market Ave. Zip: WASIDNGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA, 3106 Zip: 94601. Tel: (415) 261-3014. San Diego: 235-0013 . 44113. Tel: (216) 861-6150. Columbus: YSA , Mt. Pleasant St. NW . Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) SWP, YSA, 2803 B St. Zip: 92102. Tel: (619) MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: SWP, YSA , P.O. Box 02097 . Zip: 43202. Toledo: SWP, 797-7699. 234-4630. San Francisco: SWP, YSA, 3284 510 Commonwealth Ave ., 4th Floor. Zip: YSA, 1701 W Bancroft St. Zip: 43606. Tel : WASHINGTON: Seattle: SWP, YSA , 23rd St . Zip: 94110. Tel: (415) 282-6255. San 02215 . Tel : (617) 262-4621. (4 I 9) 536-0383. 5517 Rainier Ave . South. Zip: 98118 . Tel : Jose: SWP, YSA, 46 112 Race St. Zip: 95 I 26. MICIDGAN: Detroit: SWP, YSA, 2135 OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA , 2732 NE (206) 723-5330. Tel: ( 408) 998-4007. Woodward Ave . Zip:48201 . Tel: (313)961-0395 . Union. Zip: 97212. Tel : (503) 287-7416. WEST VIRGINIA: Charleston: SWP, COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA, 25 MINNESOTA: Twin Cities: SWP, YSA , PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia: SWP, YSA, 61 lA Tennessee . Zip: 25302. Tel: (304) W.3rd Ave. Zip: 80223. Tel: (303) 698-2550. 508 N. Snelling Ave ., St. Paul. Zip: 55104. Tel: YSA , 2744Germantown Ave . Zip: 19133. Tel : 345-3040, Morgantown: SWP, YSA , 221 FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 137 NE (612) 644-6325. (215) 225-0213. Pittsburgh: SWP, YSA, 402 Pleasant St. Zip: 26505. Tel: (304) 296- 54th St. Mailing address: P.O. Box 370486. MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA , N. Highland Ave. Mailing address: P.O. Box 0055 . Zip: 33137. Tel: (305) 756-1020. Tallahassee: 4725 Troost. Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753- 4789. Zip: 15206. Tel : (412) 362-6767 . WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, YSA , P.O. Box 20715. Zip: 32316. Tel: (904) 0404. St. Louis: SWP, YSA, 4907 Martin Luther TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 4707 W. Lisbon Ave . Zip: 53208 . Tel : (414) 222-4434. King Dr. Zip: 63113. Tel: (314) 361-0250. Berkman Dr. Zip: 78752. Tel. (512) 452-3923. 445-2076.

20 The Militant May 23, 1986 -THE GREAT SOCIETY------..,------Don't they know it's all for Simply not rational - "We pictures of Reagan and President derous dictator Marcos into ipant in an Ohio law enforcement them? - A protest rally in Rome have plane crashes and chemical Suharto smiling together are a big Hawaii. But Erin Baker, a top seminar on terrorism. Libyan "ter­ greeted the opening of Italy's first spills, and people. tend to say, political boon for the Indonesian New Zealand athlete, won't be rorists," he deduces, "would come McDonald's. And designer Valen­ 'That's life,' and go on. But when dictator, a White House aide ob­ able to participate in a competition to the rural areas because it's har­ tino, whose headquarters abuts the there is a nuclear accident, the served. "It's sexy, political chic," there. The State Department has der to put a tail on them. Because threat seems different and more in­ he said. repeatedly denied her a visa since it's less populated, you can't fol­ sidious. We hear concerns about her 1981 arrest for participating in low someone." And, he adds, milk and babies and pregnant Apartheid - the rational sys­ an anti-apartheid demonstration. "You don't want to be sitting women." - Samuel Florman, en­ tem - According to the South Af­ around with your finger in your rican regime, more than a gineer and author. Get the pernt, pal? - "The nose when the situation comes." thousand people officially changed color last year. By the Federal Bureau· of Investigation Lord, turn it off-We haven't has begun its investigation of Art for the masses - A mail Harry str.oke of a government pen, 702 heard a report on the results, but Michael K. Deaver by seeking to order fi rm in Sydney, Australia, people classified as Coloured be­ Ring May 4 was a day of fasting and question the five Democratic sena­ ·bought a print by Picasso and prayer in six Utah counties most came white, 19 whites became plans to cut it up into 500 one-inch Coloured, three Chinese became tors who asked the Justice Depart­ directly threatened by a steady rise ment to investigate his lobbying squares, to be sold at $135 apiece, white, etc. No Blacks became of the water level in Salt Lake re­ activities."- News item. "to give ordinary people a chance new emporium, filed suit to shut it sulting from abnormally wet wea­ white and no whites became to own a piece of work by the cen­ down. Among. other things, he ther. "It's important to do every­ Black. tury's greatest artist." A spokes­ said there was "an unbearable thing we can," an official said. Intelligence operation-Mus­ man added, "If this thing takes smell of fried food fouling the They are consistent __: The kingum County Sheriff Bernard off, we may buy other masters as air." Whatever turns you on - Those U.S. government ushered the mur- Gibson was an enthusiastic partie- well and give them the chop." 'Salvador': movie indicts U.S.-backed regime

Salvador. Directed by Oliver Stone. A Hendale Film vador hammers home the crimes being committed Corp. release. With James Wood, Jim Belushi, and against the people of that country by a dictatorship whose Elpedia Carrillo. blood-letting continues only because of the guns, dollars, and political support it gets from the U.S. government. BY SUSAN APSTEIN Unable to crush the popular movement, the regime has Action, adventure, and a powerful indictment of the a special mistrust and hatred of young people, and the reactionary U.S. role in the Salvadoran civil war adds up film gives you an idea of what they do to them. In an old but seemingly indestructible jalopy, Boyle and Dr. Rock drive down to El Salvador. Their first en­ counter with the war comes when they cross the border FILM REVIEW .into El Salvador and hit a military roadblock. The sol­ diers are holding a group of young peasants. One, who to a good movie. doesn't have an ID, is being grilled: "Who are your Filmed in Mexico, Salvador is as fast-moving as its friends? Communists?" central character, Richard Boyle. Boyle (James Wood) is The shocked U.S. visitors see the officer blow the a reporter who's down on his luck. He heads for El Sal­ young man's brains out. vador to make some money and to try to link up with a We see survivors of the Sumpul River massacre, an ac­ Salvadoran woman he met on previous assignmeot there. tual event in which hundreds of peasants were Boyle is accompanied on his adventure by Dr. Rock slaughtered by the army while trying to flee across the (Jim Belushi), an aging hippie and jobless DJ who goes border into Honduras. along for the ride. There's a child, with scars over half his body, missing A lot of good rock music and a high-energy perfor­ an arm. A newsclip of Reagan campaigning for reelec­ mance by Wood set the tempo for events that move so tion in 1980 is cut in: "Military aid to EI Salvador is nec­ Assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. Film de­ fast you can hardly catch your breath. Pressed for cash essary to protect Central America; Latin America, and picts his murder at the hands of rabid rightist and, despite his cynicism, devoted to the reporting pro­ eventually North America itself from infiltration by ter­ Roberto D' Aubuisson. fession, Boyle plunges through a .series of harrowing on­ rorists." Then another scarred child. the-scene reporting gigs. Boyle's personal adventures are hair-raising. Operat­ they're "communist-oriented, maybe even packing He's a hustler who plays all the angles, but a well­ ing on the basis of gut reactions, he doesn't care what he guns." An equally crooked U.S. reporter speculates that meaning hustler who is shocked and angered by what he says or who he says it to. That, and a drive "to get the maybe they ran a military roadblock. sees in El Salvador. story," leads to some savage beatings and close.~alls with Ambassador Kelly, modeled after the actual U.S. am­ Neither he, nor the filmmakers, grasp the politics of death. ' · bassador at the time, is shocked by the murders of the the Salvadoran civil war too clearly, but what they see But, I think, most powerful is the depiction of the mur­ church workers. He's portrayed as well-meaning but they report truthfully and what they report is a condemna­ der of Romero. naive. But he's also shown as someone who, when push tion of the right-wing regime in El Salvador and its We see Major Max and his fascist-like underlings pre­ comes to shove, does what he's supposed to. When the· Washington sponsors. paring for the assassination of the archbishop, who Max rebel forces capture an important town and government Boyle and Dr. Rock get involved in the lives of people characterizes as "the biggest pink shit of all ." troops are on the defensive, he's the one who wires for victimized by the ferocious attempts of the regime to Romero is gunned down during an overflow mass that more aid to keep the dictatorship going. crush the popular rebellion. is actually a protest against the regime. The grisly scene Salvador offers no real comprehension of what the rev­ The film is given added punch by dramatizations of ac­ of the killing is given added impact by use of part of the olutionary struggle there is about, what motivates the tual events - events that made headlines in this country. denunciation of the government terror delivered by Rom­ Salvadoran peasants and workers to st~adfastl y resist the These include the 1980 assassination of Archbishop ero before he was shot down. dictatorship. But the film's strength is the way it ham­ Oscar Romero and the rape and murder of the U.S. mis­ ~hen a dictatorship violates human rights, the arch­ mers home what the regime there is &nd how the bl.ood sionary Catholic nuns and lay workers the same year. bishop declares, the people "respond with the legitimate that it spills is on Washington's hands. There's a chilling portrayal of the rabid right-wing killer right of insurrectional violence." He makes a powerful Boyle fi nally manages to get himself and his friend who ordered the murder of Archbishop Romero, Roberto appeal to the soldiers to stop the repr~ssion . Marfa out of the clutches of the death squads and back to D' Aubuisson, "Major Max" in the film . And after a graphic depiction of the murder of the U. S. the States. For a minute you think you're in for a typical By dealing with such actual events, as well as graphi­ church workers, we hear a patently crooked U.S. military happy ending, but the film ends with a punch that's not cally conveying the scope of government repression, Sal- adviser saying they had been coming from Nicaragua, so usual for Hollywood. Behind the controversy around 'The Color Purple'

Continued from Page 8 liberation struggles in Asia, Africa, and Black family," or worse, progress has been mination and women's contributions in the subordinate their fight for equality and Latin America and said, "Why not here?'' made since the 1976 antiwoman attacks struggle for Black equality. It explains that against sexual oppression. It would mean They began playing a vanguard role in against Shange's For Colored Girls. as long as the relations between Black men accepting the view that their role is to help battles for school desegregation, affirma­ Two examples show this. First is the un­ and women are oppressive and even vio­ push their men forward against racism. tive action, and other fights for equality. precedented positive response to The Color lent, unity in struggle is impossible. Unity This backward idea was a very common This changed perception by women of Purple. Most people who read the book or can be achieved only on the basis of equal­ one among Black rights activists before the their role in the Black liberation movement saw the film identified with Celie and her· ity and dignity for Black women and its ac­ rise ofthe women's rights movement in the is progressive and indicates an advance for fight to survive. Whatever criticism work­ tive championship as a political goal of the late 1960s. Although Black women played the entire working-class movement. It ing people may have of the movie, it is in entire Black movement. a big role in the civil rights fights in the bodes well for future struggles by working the framework of solidarity with this op­ "We must continue to search for new 1960s, they weren't considered equals. • people. pressed Black woman. concepts in the Black male/female relation­ Most Black women were like the young As part of this change, a number of Second, is the charter adopted by the ship," the document says, "and understand Celie, doing what they had to do - and Black feminists - or "womanists" as first congress of the National Black Inde­ that the continual domination of Black told what to do by their menfolk. They had Walker calls herself - began to write pendent Political Party in 1981 . This prog­ women by men (and society as a whole) to stand behind their man. about the .reality of Black women. They rammatic document is the product of more will perpetuate the political backwardness In the early 1970s, however, Black began to publish the truth - not to vic­ than 20 years of discussion, debate, and ac­ of humankind ." · women began to press their own needs as timize Black men - but to educate men tion among a layer of the most advanced Alice Walker and other Black women Black women. They began to say no to the and women, Black and white, to recognize political activists in the Black movement writers' exposing the truth about Black sexism prevalent in the Black movement. Black women's contributions to the strug­ on what way forward to end racial oppres­ women's oppression is a step forward. In And they began to demand an end to sexist gle for equality and their demand to end sion. It explains that the source ofracism is fact, the whole debate generated around violence and brutalization, as did other their second-class status. They wanted all rooted in the capitalist system, and that The Color Purple reflects a broader change supporters of women's equality. Blacks to see that sexism hurts. the fight for Black freedom requires a mass struggle to developing in the working-class move­ Black women began demanding a full equality. end capitalist rule. · ment: Black women beginning to play a leadership role in the fight to end racism While every time a Black woman tells The document also incorporates a pro­ vanguard role in the fight for women's and national oppression. They pointed to the truth about women's oppression she is gressive position on the role of Black rights, Black liberation, and the needs and the role women were playing in national still denounced by some as antimale, "anti- women in the struggle for Black self-deter- Interests of all working people.

May 23, 1986 The Militant 21 -EDITORIALS------Lenin on Russian revolution and Support striking meatpackers women's liberation Working people across the country should respond to members and officials of these union locals have pledged The October 1917 Russian revolution, led by the the appeal by the striking Minnesota meatpackers for an their continued support. Bolshevik Party, brought significant advances for emergency campaign to protest the top union officials' Working farmers in Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota women. The following are excerpts from the writings decision to put their local into trusteeship. (See page 1 are continuing to give their support to the strike. of V.I. Lenin, the central leader of the Bolshevik story.) The National Organization for Woinen's national Party, in which he discusses two of the preconditions This action, which was unanimously decided by the board voted to back the strike. for women's liberation: the drawing of women into United Food and Commercial Workers' (UFCW) Inter­ Dozens of Black leaders in New York City have called the work force and the socialization of household national Executive Committee, means the elected local for support to the strike. (See story on page 4.) They join tasks. The excerpts are taken from The Emancipation leadership is replaced by a trustee appointed by the top Black leaders in dozens of cities in supporting this impor­ of Women by V.I. Lenin, available from Pathrmder officialdom. This is a blow to the local's nine-month tant labor battle. Press, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. Send strike and an aid to Harmel's union-busting. $1.65 plus $. 75 for postage and handling. With the trusteeship, the top officialdom, backed by Spanish-speaking workers from the canneries of Wat­ the capitalist courts, are attempting to legally strip the sonville, California, to the fields of the Midwest and the Large-scale machine industry, which concentrates strikers of their right to have their elected leaders factories in Puerto Rico are solidarizing with the strikers. masses of workers who often come from various parts of negotiate with the company. The strikers are being de­ Other locals of the UFCW are supporting the strikers. the country, absolutely refuses to tolerate survivals of nied their right to decide on a contract. The trusteeship Members of UFCW Local P-6 at Farmstead Foods in Al­ patriarchalism and personal dependence, and is marked represents a major change in the strike. bert Lea, Minnesota, are petitioning to withhold their . by a truly "contemptuous attitude to the past." In particu­ Despite this betrayal by the officialdom, local Presi­ dues until the officials support the strikers. UFCW Local lar, speaking of the transformation brought about by the dent Jim Guyette, speaking for the strikers, pledged "to P-40 in Cudahy, Wisconsin, has already voted to with­ factory in the conditions of life of the population, it must fight, legally and by every other means, to achieve a fair hold its dues in protest of the officialdom's betrayal. be stated that the drawing of women and juveniles into and decent contract." In a recent letter, the local explained that in the face of production is, at bottom, progressive. It is indisputable The stepped-up support and solidarity of all working the officialdom's move to strip the members of their that the capitalist factory places these categories of the people, students, and others can make a difference in the rights, the strikers "are united now more than ever." outcome of this ongoing battle. All working people should also be "united now more Hundreds of local unions around the country are sup­ than ever" in protesting the trusteeship and mobilizing OUR porting the strikers. In the days following the trusteeship, support for the strikers' fight to win a decent contract. REVOLUTIONARY HERITAGE Imperialists' summit working population in particularly hard conditions, and that for theni it is particularly necessary to regulate _and The May 4-6 meeting in Tokyo ofthe heads of govern­ Now, in the wake of the Tokyo meeting, Israeli offi­ shorten the working day, to guarantee hygienic condi­ ment of seven imperialist countries (the United States, cials are cynically pointing to Syria's defensive moves as tions of labor, etc.; but endeavours completely to ban the Canada, Japan, Britain, France, West Germany, and a possible threat to Israel. work of women and juveniles in industry, or to maintain Italy) was a summit of warmakers. A U.S. official told the New York Times that the Israeli the patriarchal manner of life that ruled out such work, Behind a propaganda smokescreen of resolutions and government is seeking "to build their own case for some would be reactionary and utopian. By destroying the pat­ speeches denouncing terrorism, the participants dis­ antiterrorist retaliatory action against Syria, using the riarchal isolation of these categories of the population cussed how to intensify military, economic, and dip­ same criteria we used in striking Libya." who formerly never emerged from the narrow circle of lomatic pressure on Libya and other countries that refuse As in the case of Libya, the imperialist governments domestic, family relationships, by drawing them into di­ · to bow to the dictates of the imperialist powers. and media are churning out war propaganda about al­ rect participation in social production, large-scale There was no criticism of Washington's terrorist at­ leged Syrian terrorism. machine industry stimulates their development and in­ tempt to assassinate Libyan head Muammar el-Qaddafi Washington and the Israeli government threaten Syria creases their independence, in other words, creates con­ and his family in the April 15 bombing raid, or the because its government opposes U.S. and Israeli occupa­ ditions of life that are incomparably superior to the pat­ slaughter of dozens of Libyan children and other civil­ tion and domination of Lebanon and because the Syrian riarchal immobility of pre-capitalist relations. ians. On the contrary, Libya- the victim of this unpro­ ·government insists on the return of territory that was voked attack - was the prime target of the summit. seized from Syria by the Israeli rulers in the 1967 war. * * * A statement issued by the seven heads of state de­ Reagan has also sought to directly link the war against We must all admit that vestiges of the bourgeois-intel­ nounced Libya as a state "which is clearly involved in Libya to U.S. backing of the contras waging war against lectual phrasemongering approach to questions of the sponsoring and supporting international terrorism." As is Nicaragua. He charged that Qaddafi "has sent $400 mil­ revolution are in evidence at every step, everywhere, customary in war propaganda against Libya, the assertion lion and an arsenal of weapons and advisers into Nicara­ even in our own ranks. Our press, for example, does little was not accompanied by a shred of proof. gua." to fight these rotten survivals of the rotten bourgeois­ The statement called for measures, including the ex­ The common imperialist front in Tokyo against Libya democratic past; it does little to foster the simple, mod­ pulsion of diplomats and an embargo on arms sales, and other unnamed "terrorist" countries was accom­ est, ordinary but virile shoots of genuine communism. against Libya and other unnamed "terrorist" govern­ panied by a common front against the countries of Asia, Take the position of women. In this field, not a single ments. In recent weeks Washington's European allies Africa, and Latin America, which are being crushed democratic party in the world, not even in the most ad­ have expelled many Libyan diplomats and other Libyans. under a mountain of debt to imperialist bankers and cor­ vanced bourgeois republic, has done in decades so much Such actions are clearly not only against Libya. As porations. The summit reaffirmed support to the World as a hundredth part of what we [the Bolshevik Party] did Washington is doing within the United States, the West Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which have in our very first year in power. We actually razed to the European rulers are using the "antiterrorism" pretext to the assignment of imposing brutal austerity programs on ground the infamous laws placing women in a position of further restrict democratic rights in their own countries. these countries as the price of new loans. inequality, restricting divorce and surrounding it with The summit represented a victory for the Reagan ad­ The need to maintain and, if possible, deepen such disgusting formalities, denying recognition to children ministration, which had sought more support from its im­ brutal exploitation of the peoples of Asia, Africa, and born out of wedlock, enforcing a search for their fathers, perialist partners for acts of war against Libya. On May Latin America is the real reason for threats and acts of etc., laws numerous survivals of which, to the shame of 7, President Reagan stressed that the summit statement war against Libya, Syria, Nicaragua, Angola, and other the bourgeoisie and of capitalism, are. to be found in all did not preclude more military attacks on Libya. countries. The war moves by Washington and its allies civilized countries. We have a thousand times the right to In the aftermath of the summit, unnamed Washington are no more a response to terrorism than the U.S. occupa­ be proud of what we have done in this field. But the more sources leaked to CBS News that the U.S. government tion of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines in the thoroughly we clear the ground of the lumber of the old, was drafting plans for another attack on Libya. The navy 1898 Spanish-American war was a response to the sink­ bourgeois laws and institutions, the more we realize that has reportedly been ordered to send ships carrying cruise ing of the Maine, or the U.S. bombing and invasion of we have only cleared the ground to build on, but are not missiles to the Mediterranean. Vietnam was a response to the alleged Tonkin Gulf inci­ yet building. The government of Syria is also being targeted. After dent in 1964. Like terrorism, these incidents were merely Notwithstanding all the laws emancipating women, the April 15 attack on Libya, the Syrian government re­ pretexts for imperialist wars. she continues to be a domestic slave, because petty portedly placed its military forces on a higher alert, fear­ The Libyan government had it right when it explained, housework crushes, strangles, stultifies, and degrades ing that the U.S. or Israeli governments would strike at in the aftermath of the Tokyo summit, that "terrorism has her, chains her to the kitchen and the nursery, and she Syria. The Syrians' concern was heightened when Presi­ been used as a pretext for invasion and aggression against wastes her labor on barbarously unproductive, petty, dent Reagan said he might use the pretext of terrorism to the people because of their rejection of imperialist nerve-racking, stultifying and crushing drudgery. The attack Syria and Iran. hegemony." real emancipation of women, real communism, will begin only where and when an all-out struggle begins (led by the proletariat wielding the state power) against this petty housekeeping, or rather when its wholesale transformation into a large-scale socialist economy be­ gins. Victory for democratic rights Do we in practice pay sufficient attention to this ques­ tion, . which in theory every Communist considers indis­ In a victory for democratic rights, the Supreme Court Black jurors. putable? Of course not. Do we take proper care of the issued a ruling April 30 that will make it rriore difficult As a result of the court's decision, Blacks and other shoots of comm'bnism which already exist in this sphere? for prosecutms to exclude Blacks from juries. victims of racism may object if a prosecutor tries to re­ Again the answer is no. Public catering establishments, Up until now, in most states, lawyers were allowed move a member of the defendant's race from the jury. nurseries, kindergartens - here we have examples of what is called "peremptory challenges" to jurors. This al­ The prosecutor will then have to prove that the objection these shoots, here we have the simple, everyday means, lowed them to exclude potential jurors without giving to the juror is not racially motivated. involving nothing pompous, grandiloquent or ceremo­ any reason. Left unresolved is the question of whether the ruling nial , which can really emancipate women, really lessen The Supreme Court admitted that the peremptory chal­ will be retroactive. If so, appeals are expected from hun­ and abolish their inequality with men as regards their role lenges had been widely used to exclude Blacks from dreds of Black prisoners now doing time because they in social production and public life. These means are not juries in which Black defendants were on trial. This "pur­ were convicted by all-white juries, according to the new, they .(like all the material prerequisites for poseful racial discrimination," the Court ruled, violates NAACP Legal Defense Fund. socialism) were created by large-scale capitalism. But the defendants' constitutional right to a trial by a jury of The large numbers expected to appeal if the decision is under capitalism they remained, first, a rarity , and sec­ one's peers. made retroactive are one measure of a racist legal system ondly - which is particularly important- either profit­ The case before the Supreme Court was brought by that discriminates against Blacks at every step: from ar­ making enterprises, with all the worst features of specula­ James Batson, a Black man convicted by an all-white rest, to prosecution, to sentencing. This ruling strikes a tion, profiteering, cheating and fraud, or "acrobatics of jury of burglary. The prosecutor in the case used his blow at racist injustice and is a victory for all working bourgeois charity", which the best workers rightly hated peremptory challenges to exclude all of the potential people. and despised.

22 The Militant May 23, 1986 Puerto Ricans and U.S. bombing of Libyan people

Fernando Ribas-Dominicci died in the U.S. govern­ sons to perpetuate the U.S. ruling class' domination of claimed these activists were terrorists. ment's brutal bombing of the Libyan people April 14. the peoples of the world. It is a price we share with work­ Puerto Ricans are a colonial people. We are oppressed, Ribas-Dominicci, 33, was from Utuado, Puerto Rico. ing people of the United States. exploited, and dominated by the U.S. government. We The U.S. government justified the attack on Libya by are second-class citizens on our own island. When we claiming it was fighting terrorism. Washington has al­ come to the United States, we face discrimination in all ways justified its attacks on Puerto Rican independence spheres of life. When we fight this oppression and ex­ fighters by claiming that they are terrorists. ploitation we too are branded terrorists. iBASTA On Aug. 30, 1985, for example, under the guise of Yet the U.S. rulers want to send Puerto Ricans to kill fighting terrorism, the U.S. government sent more than our brothers and sisters in the colonial and semi-colonial YA! 200 FBI agents armed to the teeth into Puerto Rico. This world, who are fighting for what we must fight for- an Andrea Gonzalez small invading anny raided more than 30 homes, arrest­ end to foreign domination, oppression, and exploitation. ing 11 independence activists and closing the proin­ The death of Ribas-Dominicci should remind all dependence magazine Pensamiento Critico. At the same Puerto Ricans of the price we pay and have paid since He was also a captain in the U.S. anned forces. time, the FBI arrested two other activists in Mexico and U.S. citizenship was forced on us in 1917 - the lives of Texas. The government claims that these activists are ter­ our sons, brothers, husbands, and others in U.S. wars Ribas-Dominicci died carrying out part of the U.S. rorists. Therefore nine have been denied bail. They have around the world. government's terrorist attack on the Libyan people. been in jail in the United States for almost nine months. It should remind us that this is the price the U.S. gov­ His death serves to expose one part of the price Puerto Seven years earlier the local. Puerto Rican police, in ernment wants Puerto Ricans to pay in Washington's war Rican people pay for the colonial domination of our collusion with the FBI, executed two Puerto Rican inde­ against our brothers and sisters in Central America. We homeland by the U.S. government- the sacrifice of our pendence fighters at Cerro Maravilla. The police and FBI must say "basta ya!" Jailed Puerto Rican patriots win ·. round in court

BY SELVA NEBBIA Since their arrest, only four have been ers, violating the most elementary rights of In an important victory for democratic released on bail, which was set as high as a the accused to be granted bail until they are rights, the Federal Court of Appeals in million dollars. The four activists released proven guilty or innocent." Manhattan ruled that the Bail Reform Act on bail are Jorge Farinacci, Norman Juan Enrique Palmer added that "this of 1984 was unconstitutional. This act al­ Rarn~rez Talavera, Carlos Ayes Suarez, case has served to expose and in this way lows the court to deny a defendant bail sim­ and Angel Diaz Ruiz. strike a blow against this fascist law. I feel ply on the government's claim that the de­ Nine others remain incarcerated at the satisfied that now other people are not fendant is "dangerous" or "likely to flee." Metropolitan Correctional Center in New going to have to go through what they have The May 2 decision is the result of a mo­ York City. They are lvonne Melendez done to us with the phony excuse that we tion by defense attorneys for nine Puerto Carrion, Luz Maria Berrios Berrios, are dangerous." Rican independence activists who were de­ Filiberto Ojeda Rios, Juan Enrique Segarra Filiberto Ojeda Rios, agreeing with the nied bail under this act. The activists have Palmer, Luis Alfredo Colon Osorio, Isaac others, said, "I consider it a victory not be­ been in jail since August 1985. Camacho Negron, Elias Castro Ramos, cause we will be released on bail but be­ The nine activists, along with four Hilton Fernandez Diamente, and Orlando cause it is going to help the North Ameri­ others, were arrested in a massive FBI at­ Gonzalez Claudio. can people." tack on the independence movement Au­ Recently, this reporter, along with Mili­ The court has temporarily suspended its gust 30. During this attack, 200 FBI agents tant reporter Andrea Gonzalez, visited the decision so as to allow the U.S. govern­ raided more than 30 homes in Puerto Rico, nine activists in the Metropolitan Correc­ ment to appeal before the Supreme Court. arresting II activists. At the same time, the tional Center and interviewed seven of While the appeal is pending, the law re­ FBI arrested two other activists in Cuer­ them. mains in effect. And the nine activists re­ navaca, Mexico, and Dallas. Referring to the recent court decision main in jail. All 13 are accused of taking part in the ruling the Bail Reform Act unconstitu­ For more information, or to send con­ 1983 robbery of a Wells Fargo annored tional, lvonne Melendez said, "I think this tributions to help defray the costs of the de­ truck in Hartford, Connecticut. The FBI is a great political and legal victory because fense effort, write to: Puerto Rican Com­ claims the activists are members of the it is the first time this law is being fought." mittee Against Repression, P.O. Box A- Macheteros (literally, machete wielders), a The law, she explained, has been used 840, New York, N.Y. 10163, or call (212) Militant/Selva Nebbia proindependence organization. "especially to incarcerate political prison- 286-0924. -from Perspectiva Mundial Ivonne Melendez Carri6n -LEITERS-----

Third World. The spirited crowd SUNY students protest of more than I 00 refused to back Libya bombing down from the verbal and physical SUNY (State University of New intimidation by those students who York) at Stony Brook has seen its attempted to break up a peaceful first major political action since demonstration. last spring when students sat in at the administration building over What kept up the spirit was that the issue of getting the Stony we were acting in solidarity with Brook Foundation to divest its all the brothers and sisters who are holdings from South Africa. (It fighting back against U.S. im­ was successful.) perialism worldwide. If need be, we will be back once again to ' It all began on Friday, April 18, demonstrate that U.S. terrorism when student organizations hung will not be tolerated anywhere. posters condemning the U.S. ter­ Jordan Rockowitz rorist action in Libya. Hours after Stony Brook, New York the posters had been hung, some , students came and started to rip the posters down. One courageous student came and placed himself Chernobyl in front of the thugs tearing the The editorial on the Soviet nu­ posters down. More students came clear accident at Chernobyl cor­ and surrounded him, and then a rectly stressed the hypocritical . debate-turned-shouting-match be­ posturing and lies of the U.S. -and gan that dealt with everything European imperialist governments from the U.S. bombing of Libya about their own "safe" nukes and to violence against gays and les­ the cover-up of Three Mile Island. bians. Public Safety officers had However, even in the midst of Missed several issues that there is more to the issues than The Militant special prisoner to intervene when the debate the media's anti-Soviet hysteria, the propaganda agents of im­ neared physical violence. I have missed several issues of fund makes it possible to. send it's important to understand why perialism will ever tell me. So I reduced-rate · subscriptions to the privileged bureaucrats in the your paper. I have been transfer­ On the following Tuesday, a red to another prison within the Il­ depend on you as a source of ob­ prisoners who can't pay for Soviet Union build nukes for elec­ jectivity. them. Where possible the fund demonstration of more than I 00 trical power generation. linois department of correction. students and staff took place Upon arriving here I sent a notice ·During the recent act of ter­ also tries to fill prisoners' re­ against U.S. action against Libya. Like our own trade union bu­ of my change of address. rorism perpetrated against Libya, I quests for other literature. To "There were many counterde­ reaucrats, they try to imitate the I truly do not ever want to stop. only got the misleading facts that help this important cause, send monstrators who shouted racist re­ "modem" capitalists and utilize reading the Militant. During the were shown on network news pro­ your contribution to: Militant marks at Arab and Black students capitalist solutions to "econ­ many years I qave spent in prison, grams. It pained me that I did not Prisoner Subscription Fund, 14 , involved in the march. At one omize." Unfortunately, they also the Militant has made me better in­ have the benefit of your reactions Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. point, these counterdemonstrators repeat the pernicious lie that nu­ formed about the state of world af­ to the incident. So please continue 10014. joined the march and shouted, clear power is "benign" and "pol­ fairs than any other publication. I to send me your paper. "Kill Qaddafi!" In a scene re­ lution free." don't say this as a shallow attempt I am not able to pay the cost of The letters column is an open miniscent of Friday's confronta­ Unlike the revolutionary gov­ to heap insincere flattery on you. I subscription, and I hope that you forum for all viewpoints on sub- tion, students attempting to en- ernment of Cuba, the Soviet bu­ say it because it is the truth as I see will understand that it is due to the . jects of general interest to our­ . gage in rational debate about U.S. reaucracy cannot honestly claim, it. poverty of my present situation. readers. Please keep your letters imperialism were taunted and then "We have never lied · to the I think about the one-sided and Keep up the good work, and know brief. Where necessary they will shouted down. But a megaphone people." distorted perceptions that other pa­ that I support you in your struggle! be abridged. Please indicate if was available, and students came Jim Miles pers give of the struggle in the A prisoner you prefer that your initials be up to denounce U.S. actions in the Chicago, Illinois Third World countries, and I know Menard, Illinois used rather than your full name.

May 23, 1986 The Militant 23 TH£ MILITANT 10,000 rally to support tarmers Action backs ongoing protest in Chillicothe, Missouri

BY KATHIE FITZGERALD CHILLICOTHE, Missouri- More than 10,000 farmers , unionists, and young people participated in a May 7 rally to sup­ port the ongoing farm protest here. Since March 17, several hundred farm­ ers with tractors and combines have been involved in a round-the-clock blockade of the Farmers Home Admistration (FmHA) office. The FmHA is a federal lending agency that is supposed to loan money to particularly hard-pressed farmers . The farmers are demanding the removal of the FmHA supervisor since he has granted only nine loans in the last year. The farmers are also demanding emergency credit so they can plant this spring, fair prices for their products, and a moratorium on farm foreclosures. A feature of the rally was the appearance of musician John Cougar Mellencamp. Mellencamp helped organize last year's Militant/Jeff Po~ers Farm Aid concert to raise money for farm­ John Cougar Mellencamp singing at May 7 farm protest in Chillicothe ers. He had volunteered to perform in Chil­ licothe to help farmers break the media "Three things," she continued, "ended relating to the farm crisis. a striking TWA flight attendant; Wayne blackout' of this important protest. the Vietnam war. People, protest, and pub­ The crowd welcomed representatives Cryts, a Missouri farmer and Democratic Chillicothe city officials had asked Mel­ licity. Today, we've got the people, we 've from United Food and Commercial Work­ Party candidate for Congress; and Charlie lencamp not to appear at the site of the pro­ got the protest, and thank God, we've got ers (UFCW) Local P-9. P-9 is on strike Peniston, a leader of the Chillicothe pro­ test but to perform at a local arena. Mellen­ the publicity." against Hormel in Austin, Minnesota. The test. Actor David Soul, a supporter of the camp refused their request, explaining that Polzine introduced Mellencamp. He told strikers were joined by members of UFCW Hormel strikers, also spoke. "this is not a concert, it's a protest." the cheering crowd that he had come "to let Local 431 frorri Ottumwa, Iowa, and Local The mood was jubilant throughout the A flatbed truck backed up by a huge yel­ you be the voice of all those across the 22 from Fremont, Nebraska, who were day . Thousands of people had poured into low combine was the stage for the rally. country, in thousands of Chillicothes, who fired by Hormel for honoring P~9's picket Chillicothe. Thousands of dollars had been Behind the stage was a banner that read, are going through exactly what you are ." lines. raised. And the media blackout had finally "Farmers protest ' 86, March 17-?, Chil­ Mellencamp then sang a number of his hits Other speakers included Kathy Zwarick, been broken. licothe welcomes John Cougar Mellen­ camp." The rally was opened by Roger Allison, · head of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center and central leader of the protest. "We're LaRouche ·fascist assaults Phil -Donahue here today because of the crisis in rural BY PAT GROGAN Donahue and Thomas passed ·by. Accord­ tory of thuggery . America. Farmers," Allison said to cheers, A member of the fascist organization ing to witnesses, Ferguson began shouting In the mid-1970s, the LaRouche outfit "are standing up and saying 'enough is headed by Lyndon LaRouche physically obscenities and yelling, "Donahue and his - then called the National Caucus of enough, and we're not going to take it any­ wife ought to be murdered." assaulted NBC television talk show host Labor Committees -launched "Operation more.'" When Donahue walked toward the table Phil Donahue at LaGuardia Airport in New Mop-up," with the proclaimed goal of Allison then introduced Charlie Knott, York May 11 . to respond, Ferguson attacked him, knee­ physically destroying the Communist president of United Auto Workers (UA W) The attack by a member of LaRouche's ing him in the groin and punching him in Party. The attacks quickly extended to Local ~ 1, who presented the farmers with a · National Democratic Policy Committee the jaw. Donahue defended himself, and other organizations, including the Socialist check for $500 on behalf of his local. Char­ (NDPC) took place as Donahue and his police pulled the two men apart. Workers Party and other left groups, and to lie Lukens and John Barry, members of the wife, actress Marlo Thomas, were walking The LaRouche supporter who attacked Black and Puerto Rican activists, union­ executive board of UA W Local 93 , gave a through the airport. They were en route to Donahue also yelled out that Donahue had ists, and liberals. The LaRouche group also check for $1,000. This check rep(esented Boston, where Thomas was scheduled to slan9ered the LaRouche campaign on his denounced and tried to disrupt strikes. the first payment of the local's pledge of receive an award for her work against nu­ daily TV show on NBC. $2,000. Rev. Nelson "Fuzzy" Thompson, clear weapons from the Women's Action The La Rouche outfit has been on a red­ From that time, they have forged ties president of the Kansas City chapter of the for Nuclear Disarmament. baiting campaign against NBC, claiming with the cops, offering to spy on progres­ Southern Christian Leadership Confer­ One of the LaRouche outfit's most ag­ the network is a pawn in a Soviet conspi­ sive groups. They have collaborated with ence, gave $500 on behalf of that organiza­ gressive campaigns has been in support of racy to unleash a terrorist war in the United . the Ku Klux Klan. The LaRouche group tion. Mellencamp donated $5,000. nuclear power and the development of nu" States. A recent issue of the NDPC news­ maintains armed units at its Virginia head­ Bobbi Polzine, a founder of Minnesota clear weapons by the United States govern­ paper, New Solidarity, referred to the quarters, supposedly to protect its leader Grounds well, told the rally, "They call ment. The LaRouche followers set up the "traitors at NBC" and termed the network from alleged assassination plots . Fusion Energy Foundation to promote nu­ America the land of the free. But how free "the National Bolshevik Company." The LaRouche group uses racism and clear power and have raised hundreds of are we when they take a farmer's machin­ anti-Semitism in an attempt to tum work­ thousands of tax-free dollars from The capitalist media is depicting the at­ ery and leave nothing in his hands? ing people against each other. businessmen in the nuclear industry. They tack on Donahue as a "melee," putting it in "We need a moratorium to keep farmers support the U.S. development Of nuclear the same league as the clashes that some­ Under the guise of fighting drugs, they ' on the land, and we're offered stress coun­ weapons to stand up to what they call a times take pia~ between celebrities and have waged a racist campaign againsl. seling," Polzine continued. "We're in a so­ "Soviet threat." photographers or fans . But it was not. · Blacks and Latinos. Their newspaper cial and economic war. And we're going to The LaRouche supporter, William Fer­ This violent attack was a considered po­ screams about the "International Zionist end it," she said. guson, was sitting at a literature table when litical act by a fascist outfit with a long his- conspiracy" of drug dealers. They denounce as "baby killers" women who have abortions and call for mandatory testing for AIDS and quarantining all those Big 'Militant' sales at. Iowa plants, campuses who test positive. They urge the bombing of Libyan oil fields and oppose the struggle BY ELLEN HAYWOOD dents at the .Ottumwa rally were already Local 1149 were on layoff at the Oscar against apartheid. OTTUMWA, Iowa, May 10 - For the familiar with the Militant and thanked us Mayer plant. We met some of these work­ past 10 days our Socialist Workers Party for the paper's coverage of their fight. But ers while selling at a supermarket. Seven of "This outfit is a deadly enemy of all and Young Socialist Alliance national sales we were still able to sell 30 more copies of them bought the Militant, and one bought a working people and of democratic rights," team has been in Iowa introducing new the Militant and four subscriptions. In ad­ subscription. said Diane Roling, the Socialist Workers readers to the Militant, its Spanish-lan­ dition, socialist trade unionists who came Party candidate for governor of Illinois, in guage sister publication Perspectiva Mun­ to Ottumwa to support the rally sold nearly • The workers told us Oscar Mayer is try­ a statement condemning the attack on dial, and the YSA's newspaper the Young 50 more single copies of the Militant and ing to get them to accept a bad contract or Donahue. The NDPC has received a lot of else the company will shut down the plant. Socialist. seven subscriptions, plus seven copies of attention in Illinois because two LaRouche Today we attended the Ottumwa rally to the book Teamster Rebellion. The Perry meatpackers are defying the followers recently won the lllinois Demo­ support the fighting meatpackers of United Bob Wilson, a fired member of Local company and have voted to reject the cratic Party primary elections for lieutenant Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 431 , said he had read a Militant article takeback offer. One union member told us, governor and secretary of state ~ "What bums me is that they spend millions Local 431 who were fired for honoring the about the Ottumwa workers. He told us, Roling urged trade unions, Black and of dollars to go over and bomb Libya, and picket lines of UFCW Local P-9 strikers "There isn't one thing in that article that Latino organizations, farm protest groups, then these companies say they're broke, from Austin, Minnesota. (See front-page isn't completely true." women's rights fighters, and all supporters and we're supposed to pay concessions." story.) When we arrived in Perry, Iowa, we of democratic rights to· protest the NDPC Many of the workers, farmers, and stu- found that some 600 members of UFCW Continued on Page 18 attack on Phil Donahue.

24 The Militant May 23, 1986