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A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 69/NO. 13 APRIL 4, 2005 Utah miners protest boss plan to Schiavo case: Most oppose hire replacements for unionists gov’t intrusion BY JOEL BRITTON AND GUILLERMO into right ESQUIVEL PRICE, Utah—“Protest the il- legal fi rings by Co-Op mine.” to privacy “We want our jobs back.” BY KARL BUTTS “Kingstons: You can run but TAMPA, Florida—U.S. Congress met you can’t hide.” in an emergency session March 20 to pass “Cockroaches: We know where legislation aimed at determining the medi- your hiding hole is.” cal care of a single individual. Three days “Honk for support!” before the vote, with the demagogic claim These were some of the signs that the aim of the bill was to guarantee that in English and Spanish that Co- a “culture of life must extend to individu- Op miners held up at an informa- als with disabilities,” U.S. president George tional picket line March 23 as coal Bush gave his backing to the legislation, trucks and passenger vehicles titled “A bill to provide for the relief of the drove by on busy Ridge Road a parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo.” few miles south of Price. The measure aims to take the decision- The weather was cold, with making power over the fate of Terri Schiavo, freezing rain giving way to hail, a Florida woman who has been in what and fi nally sunshine as a dozen doctors describe as a “persistent vegetative miners and supporters pressed Militant photos by Terri Moss state” for 15 years, out of the hands of her their case to get their jobs back Miners fi ghting to win UMWA spouse and legal guardian, Michael Schiavo. at C.W. Mining, owned by the representation at the Co-Op mine His decision to remove the artifi cial feeding Kingston family, and win recogni- in Utah picketed company’s Rail tube that is keeping his wife alive has been tion as a local of the United Mine Co. Load Out March 23 (above). challenged by her parents. Workers of America (UMWA). “Kingstons, you can run but you Opinion polls indicate that large majori- Spirits were high. can’t hide,” said one sign, referring ties oppose this government intervention. The miners were picketing to the owners. “We want our jobs Opponents of the legislation argue that it is within sight of Rail Co. Coal Load back,” said another. Most miners a blow to the right of individuals to make Out, a Kingston-owned facility. were fi red in December, a week fundamental decisions concerning their They were also near the house before a union representation medical care and other personal affairs. where C.W. Mining boss Shane election. A truck driver passing by “I’m outraged, and I think that every Stoddard has set up a contracting (right) honked in solidarity. Continued on Page 10 outfi t in his basement, according to the miners, to hire workers for the Co-Op mine. workforce is organized by the UMWA. turning off Ridge Road stopped to get a Dozens of double-trailer trucks bringing About a third of the many drivers passing UMWA leafl et. “I’m for you guys!” one Kurdish parties coal from area mines pulled into another by blew their horns in support as they read woman yelled. Others expressed their sup- nearby load out and into Rail Co. to dump the signs, some blasting away for a good port more quietly, but fervently. press for control their loads for waiting rail cars. A number while. Cheers went up from the miners, Miners pointed down the road to where of mines send their coal to Rail Co., includ- who gestured with their hands and arms for they said Stoddard last week was conduct- of Kirkuk in talks ing the Co-Op and other nonunion mines in the next driver to pull on the horn. ing mine safety classes in Spanish and pre- the area, as well as the Consol mine, whose Some of the cars and pickup trucks Continued on Page 4 to form Iraqi gov’t BY SAM MANUEL WASHINGTON, D.C.—Offi cials of the main Kurdish parties in Iraq announced Join campaign to sell ‘New International’ that they have “agreed on the principles” but not the details of the formation of a Effort to distribute new issues of Marxist magazine to last till August 15 coalition government with the Shiite-led To those coming to the March 26 meet- United Iraqi Alliance. Debate over the NOW AVAILABLE! ing in New York to celebrate the publication form and extent of Kurdish control of the of two new issues of the New International, oil-rich city of Kirkuk and its surrounding TWO NEW ISSUES OF ‘NEW INTERNATIONAL’ we say welcome! We also urge Militant Tamin province has been at the center of readers—including those who didn’t make negotiations between the two groups aimed Special offer — $25 for both! it to New York—to join the campaign to at forming a government since the U.S.-or- sell copies of these new issues of the chestrated national elections in January. At the same time, U.S. defense secretary Back cover text from ‘New International’ no. 12 magazine of Marxist politics and theory to thousands of workers, farmers, youth Donald Rumsfeld gave widely publicized interviews on Fox News and ABC TV “One of capitalism’s infrequent long winters has and others around the world. marking two years of the U.S. military oc- begun. Accompanied by imperialism’s accelerating cupation of Iraq. Rumsfeld said Ankara’s drive toward war, it’s going to be a long, hot winter” decision to not allow U.S. troops to use —Jack Barnes EDITORIAL Turkish soil to launch a northern front in the 2003 invasion of Iraq allowed most Today’s sharpening interimperialist confl icts are fueled of the best units of Saddam Hussein’s both by the opening stages of a world depression— This campaign is being launched at the Continued on Page 7 March 26 meeting. It will be at the heart what will be decades of economic, fi nancial, and social of the work of class-conscious workers in convulsions and class battles—and by the most far- the next fi ve months. It will last through reaching shift in Washington’s military policy and August 15, the end of the 16th World Fes- organization since the late 1930s, when the U.S. rulers tival of Youth and Students taking place Also Inside: prepared to join the expanding Asian and European in Caracas, Venezuela. The widespread International meeting in Vietnam wars, transforming them into World War II. promotion of the new issues of the maga- builds world youth festival 2 zine—for which the Militant is proud to Class-struggle-minded working people must face this have taken the lead—will be combined not historic turning point for imperialism, this cataclysmic Friendship Village in Hanoi only with the efforts to distribute them in treats Agent Orange victims 3 crisis for “the West” and for “Christendom.” And draw all the corners of the globe but with classes satisfaction and enjoyment from being “in their face” to study and absorb their contents. Latest on harassment lawsuit as we chart a revolutionary course to confront it. The two new issues of New Interna- by Utah mine bosses tional have simultaneously been published 4 in Spanish as numbers 6 and 7 of Nueva Thousands march, rally New International no. 12 (In Spanish: Nueva Internacional no. 6)—$16 Internacional. This will facilitate their promotion, sales, and study worldwide. on second anniversary New International no. 13 (In Spanish: Nueva Internacional no. 7)—$14 Efforts are already underway to translate of U.S.-led invasion of Iraq 5 and publish them in French and other lan- For new ‘Militant’ readers: get each issue for $10 guages. That’s a magnifi cent illustration of Communist League in UK what’s summarized in the title of the lead launches election campaign 9 with an introductory subscription Continued on Page 10

Int’l meeting in Vietnam plans outreach, program for world youth festival BY JACOB PERASSO ezuela NPC and the general secretary of the AND ARGIRIS MALAPANIS Communist Youth of Venezuela, reported HANOI, Vietnam—Sixty-seven people that the host organizations proposed the from 36 countries attended the Second In- dates of the festival be set for August 7-15, ternational Preparatory Meeting for the 16th which was approved. This is slightly later World Festival of Youth and Students, held than the dates approved last year, he said, here February 27-28. Delegates discussed so the closing of the gathering can coincide activities they have been involved in to build with the fi rst anniversary of the defeat of delegations to the festival around the world. the so-called recall referendum aimed at They also agreed to an initial outline of the unseating the country’s elected government. program for the gathering. A national demonstration to mark that an- National Preparatory Committees niversary is planned in Caracas that day. (NPCs) have been established in at least The Aug. 15, 2004, vote had been spear- two dozen countries to build delegations headed by Coordinadora Democrática, a to the festival, reported Miriam Morales, pro-imperialist opposition coalition that Militant/Jacob Perasso general secretary of the World Federation has had the backing of weighty sections of Panel at closing on February 28 of Second International Preparatory Meeting in of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and a leader Venezuela’s capitalist class and Washington. Hanoi, Vietnam, for world youth festival in Venezuela. From left: Enrique Ramos, of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) It was the third unsuccessful attempt in two president of National Youth Institute of Venezuela and executive secretary of National of Cuba. The previous two world youth festi- years to topple the government headed by Preparatory Committee (NPC) of Venezuela; Chebabha Fadila of National Union vals were held in Havana, Cuba, in 1997 and President Hugo Chávez. The previous two of Algerian Youth; Tapas Sinha of Democratic Youth Federation of India; Miguel in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, in 2001. included a military coup in April 2002 and Madeira, president of World Federation of Democratic Youth; Ana María Prestes of More than 12,000 youth attended the gath- a bosses’ lockout at the end of that year. The Union of Socialist Youth of Brazil; Doan Van Thai, head of international relations of ering in Havana and nearly 7,000 went to Chávez administration has earned the ire of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnam; and Tania D’Amelio, national Algiers. The gatherings were marked by the most local capitalists and their U.S. allies coordinator of Youth of Fifth Republic and vice president of Venezuela NPC. political tone and character of groups and after adopting a land reform and other mea- individuals engaged in popular struggles for sures that, if implemented, would undermine out to thousands of youth. Ana María Prestes will come from Cuba. They will include national liberation, union-organizing and the prerogatives of the local bourgeoisie. of the Union of Socialist Youth of Brazil said about 200 students from countries in Africa other battles by workers resisting austerity Facilities for up to 20,000 delegates such outreach activities were held during the and elsewhere in the colonial world study- drives by the bosses, fi ghts by peasants for recent World Social Forum and the Congress ing on scholarships in Cuba. Another 500 land, and actions by students against cuts Velásquez also reported that youth or- of Latin American Students, both held in delegates, Martínez said, will come from in education. The youth at these meetings ganizations in Venezuela are collaborating Brazil earlier this year. Another forum for the more than 20,000 Cubans volunteering came together to exchange experiences with the country’s government to organize such collaboration will be the Third Inter- in Venezuela as doctors, literacy teachers, and improve their understanding of how to housing, transportation, and conference fa- national Conference in Solidarity with the or agricultural specialists. The UJC leader advance their struggles. cilities to accommodate as many as 20,000 Bolivarian Revolution, which will be held also reported that Cubana Airlines would WFDY, the main initiator of these festi- delegates during the festival. He added that April 10-14 in Caracas. offer discounted airfares for delegates to vals that started half a century ago, is based the Venezuelan airline CONVIASA will Julio Martínez, fi rst secretary of the UJC the festival. in Budapest, Hungary. In the past, WFDY arrange discounted fares in Latin America of Cuba, said the Cuban NPC is organizing Leaders of the UJC have been traveling was dominated by youth groups affi liated and the Caribbean. to send 1,500 delegates to Venezuela for the to other countries to help build delegations. to Communist Parties that looked to the To encourage attendance, the partici- festival and is exploring the possibility of Kenia Serrano, for example, president of the Stalinist regime in Moscow for political di- pation fee—which covers housing, food, organizing travel from Havana to Caracas Cuban NPC and head of international rela- rection and sustenance. The festivals were and transportation for delegates—was set by boat. About 1,000 of the Cuban delegates Continued on Page 5 interrupted for eight years as the Stalinist relatively low. It will be $200 each for del- regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet egates from the imperialist countries, $150 Union collapsed at the end of the 1980s and for those from Eastern Europe and the beginning of the 1990s. The international Middle East, and $100 for other semico- Miami: students build youth festival gatherings resumed on the initiative of com- lonial countries. An international solidarity munists in Cuba. fund was also launched to help organiza- BY SONJA SWANSON and other youth to make plans to go to the “For peace and solidarity; We struggle tions from the semicolonial world maximize MIAMI—The local organizing commit- festival in Venezuela this summer, which against imperialism and war!” is the politi- participation. tee in Miami for the 16th World Festival will be held in Caracas and other cities cal theme of this year’s festival. The event About 2,500 delegates are projected to of Youth and Students held its fi rst public August 7–15. will be held in Caracas, Venezuela. come from the host country. Elsewhere in event March 15 at Florida International In the discussion, a member of the David Velásquez, president of the Ven- Latin America efforts are underway to reach University, Biscayne Bay Campus. About Bolivarian Circles here who is a dentist 40 students and others came to see the fi lm described the internationalist help by The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The more than 20,000 volunteer doctors and movie documents the U.S.-backed military literacy teachers from Cuba who serve in coup in April 2002 that briefl y toppled Venezuela. As a result of this aid, and other Venezuela’s elected government, and the programs instituted by the government mass working-class mobilizations that led since Hugo Chávez was elected president to its defeat within days. in 1998, she said, working people in areas The program included Luis Henríquez, a that had no access to health care now re- leader of the Bolivarian Circles here, who ceive regular and quality medical care. 16th World Festival of Youth, Students talked about the relevance of the documen- Students and others who came contribut- tary for today and why youth should oppose ed more than $100 to help send youth from Caracas, Venezuela, August 7–15, 2005 U.S. intervention in the Americas. Miami to the festival. Ten people signed up Thousands of young people will partici- Nicole Sarmiento, who is active in the lo- for more information on the festival and pate in the world youth festival in Venezu- cal committee, described previous festivals. future activities of the local committee. The Young people at these events, she said, have next meeting of the committee will take ela. Their presence will be an important a chance to exchange experiences about place at the offi ces of Veye Yo, a Haitian answer to the imperialist-backed cam- struggles for national liberation, women’s rights organization in Miami. The local paign, that aims to overthrow the govern- rights, union organizing, and other fi ghts of organizing committee in Miami can be ment of Hugo Chávez and deal a blow to working people. She encouraged students reached at [email protected]. efforts of workers and farmers there to extend the gains they’ve won. The ‘Militant’ brings you the facts. address. By fi rst-class (airmail), send $80. The Militant Africa, Asia, and the Middle East: Send $65 Don’t miss an issue! drawn on a U.S. bank to above address. Vol. 69/No. 13 Canada: Send Canadian $50 for one-year sub- Closing news date: March 23, 2005 scrip tion to CL Toronto, 2238 Dundas St. West, Suite 201, Toronto, ON. Postal Code: M6R 3A9. Editor: ARGIRIS MALAPANIS United Kingdom: £25 for one year by check SUBSCRIBE TO DAY! Business Manager: MICHAEL ITALIE or inter na tion al money order made out to CL Lon- Washington Bureau Chief: SAM MANUEL don, First Floor, 120 Bethnal Green (Entrance in Editorial Staff: Róger Calero, Arrin Hawkins, Brick Lane), Lon don, E2 6DG, En gland. Michael Italie, Martín Koppel, Sam Manuel, Republic of Ireland and Continental Eu- Doug Nelson, and Paul Pederson. NEW READERS NAME rope: £50 for one year by check or in ter na tion al Published weekly except for one week in Janu ary, mon ey order made out to CL London at above June, July, and August. address. 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2 The Militant April 4, 2005 Friendship Village in Vietnam treats Agent Orange victims BY ARRIN HAWKINS center functioning. Nguyen Tien Die, who AND ARGIRIS MALAPANIS accompanied us on the tour, is the accoun- HANOI, Vietnam—“It is difficult to tant. Garment workers are hired to teach count how many people suffer from the cutting and sewing. Shirts and other cloth- diseases caused by Agent Orange,” Dr. ing produced by the students are sold on Hoang Vu Dung told the Militant in a visit the market to gener- to the Vietnam Friendship Village outside ate some income for Hanoi, on March 1. “At least 2 and as many the center. as 4 million people have been affected, both Nguyen Thi Nhat veterans and volunteers, their children, and volunteers as an the offspring of their children.” English translator. Dung is a medical researcher at the Agent She has been work- Orange Victims Fund of the Vietnam Red ing here for a year. Cross. He helps organize visits to the Friend- Vocational training ship Village. That’s where children, and a helps the young smaller number of adults, who suffer from people learn a skill so dioxin poisoning caused by Washington’s “when they return to use of the defoliant Agent Orange during their provinces they the U.S. war against Vietnam in the 1960s can work, help their and ’70s come for medical treatment and families, and be inte- vocational training. “The most common grated in society,” she medical problems of Agent Orange are said. There are also cancer, mental retardation, and deformi- teachers for general ties,” Dung said. “But we are researching studies such as math 70 other diseases.” and handicrafts, and The visits to the Friendship Village are health-care workers part of an international campaign launched to help care for the last year by veterans’ associations and other patients. organizations in Vietnam to press for com- In a math class Militant photos by Argiris Malapanis pensation for victims of Agent Orange. The of about a dozen Friendship Village near Hanoi March 1. Top: Veterans of National Liberation Front of Vietnam, including campaign includes a petition circulated in- students, several of Vue Ding Dao, standing. Left: Giang, who can’t walk because her legs are deformed as a result of Agent ternationally to put pressure on Washington the children worked Orange sprayed on her parents, is learning English. Right: Vocational training in sewing. and U.S. chemical companies that produced with pegs learning Agent Orange to pay damages to those af- to count. Because many of the children are vides medical care for 60 people. According to Le Cao Dai, the Pentagon fected in Vietnam. mentally retarded, the instructor said, “Many Nguyen Tien Die told the Militant that had contracts with eight U.S. companies for Another aspect of the campaign is the forget most of the lessons, but it helps to get the center in Hanoi is the largest. Veterans’ the production of toxic chemicals—Dow civil suit fi led in U.S. court by Vietnamese them involved in activity.” associations from across the country make Chemical, Diamond Alkali, Uniroyal affected by Agent Orange who are seeking In another part of the village, Giang and recommendations on those who are sent Chemical, Thompson Chemical, Hercules, compensation from U.S. fi rms that manufac- Huong, two sisters, sat on their beds study- here for treatment and training. Monsanto, Ansul, and Thompson Hayward. tured the defoliant. (See article below.) ing English with a dry board with sentences The U.S. military used several chemicals and their English translations. Neither of U.S. imperialism the culprit against the Vietnamese. These included Friendship Village them can stand or walk, because their legs During the course of its decade-long asphyxiants, insecticides, and nerve and The Vietnamese government, the In- are deformed. With a smile, Giang said she war against Vietnam and neighboring poisonous gases. Incendiary weapons such ternational Red Cross, and veterans’ as- is determined to learn the language and countries, beginning in 1965, Washington as napalm and white phosphorous were also sociations in six countries co-sponsor and wants to become an English translator. unleashed more bombs against Indochina used widely. The U.S. armed forces dropped fund the Friendship Village. The facility In a separate building, veterans sat play- than had been dropped in all previous wars an estimated 100,000 tons of napalm during currently houses 30 veterans and over 100 ing cards and drinking tea as they waited for combined. Nearly 60,000 U.S. troops died the war. The most notable chemical used children—victims of Agent Orange across lunch. Vue Ding Dao, who fought in Quang in combat, while millions of inhabitants of was Agent Orange, a military code name for several generations. Nam province for between 1963 and 1973, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia were killed. the chemical that refers to the color stripe Within the complex there are several told the Militant that before the war he had The damage infl icted on the Vietnamese painted around the barrels that contained buildings—a small medical clinic that pro- four healthy children. After returning from people, especially, however, has been long the defoliant. vides acupuncture and limited medical care, fi ghting in the south, he fathered another lasting. In 1971, the U.S. government claimed it dormitories to accommodate the patients, a four, all of whom were born severely de- From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military was no longer using herbicides and defoli- cafeteria, and a one-story school building. formed and died shortly after childbirth. sprayed 21 million gallons of herbicides ants in the war. But Washington continued There is also a garden where interns grow From 1967 until the end of the war, Ne and defoliants across southern Vietnam, to supply its puppet regime in south Vietnam some produce. The children stay here for Van Chanh, another veteran, fought in Tinh particularly the areas where Vietnamese with chemicals and equipment as military two to three years receiving medical treat- Tay Ninh province, one of the areas heavily resistance was the strongest. aid until the end of the war in 1975. ment and schooling. Vocational training sprayed with the poison. When U.S. aircraft According to Dr. Le Cao Dai, a medi- To this day, the U.S. government refuses is also part of the curriculum. It includes sprayed Agent Orange, he said, “We only cal researcher and author of Agent Orange to acknowledge the destructive effects of sewing, embroidering, and making artifi cial saw the mist and did not know what it was. in the Viet Nam War, the U.S. government Agent Orange spraying in Vietnam and only fl owers. Veterans stay for six months receiv- It felt like rain. Later our skin would itch claimed the aims of the spraying operation, recognizes limited effects of dioxin poison- ing medical treatment. The Vietnamese gov- and our faces became hot.” One of his dubbed “Operation Ranch Hand,” were ing of U.S. veterans and their children. A ernment recently provided funds to build a children later died at childbirth and the to defoliate the trees to reveal the hiding class-action lawsuit was fi led in the U.S. new medical center on the grounds so that other is mentally retarded. Many veterans places of National Liberation Front troops, federal court on behalf of some 10,000 the patients would not have to travel to the now suffer from cancer and other diseases, and to destroy crops, effectively depriving U.S. veterans who suffer from health prob- main hospital in Hanoi for care of serious Chanh said. Vietnamese fi ghters of food supplies. U.S. lems caused by Agent Orange. Seven U.S. illnesses. The existing clinic is adequate for The Vietnamese government has set up 12 forces sought to disguise their participation chemical companies were forced to pay treatment of minor ailments only. Plans in- similar facilities and 500 clinics in other prov- in these missions by painting the yellow and $180 million in compensation. In 1996, clude construction of a new housing facility inces to care for Agent Orange victims. The blue fl ag of the Saigon regime on U.S. air- disability compensation was expanded for that will double capacity to 200 children. Hoa Binh (Peace) village at Tu Du Maternity craft and instructing pilots to wear civilian U.S. soldiers and their children suffering A small staff works here to keep the hospital in Ho Chi Minh City currently pro- clothes during fl ights. from spina bifi da, a deformity of the spine, caused by Agent Orange poisoning. At the same time, U.S. authorities and courts claim there is no proof that the defoliant caused U.S. court dismisses Agent Orange lawsuit lasting damage to an immensely larger number of Vietnamese. BY CINDY JAQUITH a poison under international rules of war, justice is done.” A federal judge has dismissed the law- despite the effects it may have had in Viet- BBC News interviewed plaintiff and ‘Weapon of mass destruction’ suit by 100 Vietnamese against major U.S. nam. He also ruled that the plaintiffs were former liberation fighter Nguyen Van Tru Van Loi, a leader of the Vietnam chemical companies that manufactured the unable to prove the chemical had caused Quy, who has liver and stomach cancer Friendship Association, spoke about the deadly herbicide Agent Orange, which was their illnesses. and whose two children are disabled. “I’ll campaign to get justice for the victims of used by U.S. forces in the Vietnam War. The plaintiffs’ attorneys said they would fi ght,” Quy said, “not just for myself, but Agent Orange at a February 28 forum here, Agent Orange contained dioxin—known appeal the ruling. for millions of Vietnamese victims. Those entitled “Thirty Years After the War: Viet- to produce cancer, deformities, mental The chemical monopolies named in the who produced these toxic chemicals must nam on the road to renewal.” It was attended retardation, and organ dysfunction. Wash- suit were delighted with Weinstein’s ruling. take responsibility for their action.” mostly by delegates to the second interna- ington sprayed millions of gallons of the “We’ve said all along that any issues regard- “If the medical fi les [of Vietnamese vic- tional preparatory meeting for the world poison over Vietnam from 1962 to 1971, ing wartime activities should be resolved by tims] are not convincing enough, we will youth festival (see article on page 2). claiming it was trying to destroy vegetation the U.S. and Vietnamese governments,” said use the ones of the American soldiers,” Ngo “The United States used the pretext of that could feed or hide liberation fi ghters Dow Chemical spokesman Scot Wheeler. Thanh Nhan, a Vietnamese activist in the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ to invade opposed to the U.S. invasion. The Vietnam- “We believe that defoliants saved lives by lawsuit, told BBC. “There’s no reason why Iraq, but they are the ones who used ese national liberation army ultimately de- protecting allied forces from enemy ambush those who sprayed chemical products got weapons of mass destruction—Agent Or- feated the U.S. aggressors. and did not create adverse health effects.” compensation for their contamination...and ange—against the Vietnamese people,” Loi The suit charged that companies like The U.S. government also fi led a brief the direct victims’ suit is rejected by an said. “Millions of Vietnamese still suffer the Dow and Monsanto, by producing the in support of the chemical giants’ motion American court.” effects.” He encouraged everyone present to poison, committed war crimes and violated to dismiss the case. In 1984, U.S. GIs poisoned by Agent support the campaign and to help circulate international law. The plaintiffs demanded In Vietnam, Nguyen Trong Nhan, vice Orange in Vietnam won a $180 million the petition demanding compensation. Loi compensation for Agent Orange victims. president of the Association of Victims settlement from the same chemical com- thanked the World Federation of Democratic U.S. judge Jack Weinstein ruled March of Agent Orange, told the Reuters news panies charged in the current lawsuit. Jack Youth for endorsing the campaign at its Gen- 10 that Agent Orange could not be labeled agency that “We will pursue the suit until Weinstein was the judge in that case too. eral Council meeting two days earlier. The Militant April 4, 2005 3 Miners picket load out NY bus drivers strike for early retirement Continued from front page me to clean four faces, to clean four ex- paring to put people to work at the Co-Op tra cross-cuts. They called me pendejo, a mine right after Easter. ‘dummy,’” he said. “They made me work as The Co-Op bosses’ moves come as the a roof bolter in water above my knees and miners are redoubling their efforts to defeat refused to pump it out.” With the UMWA the Kingston family, which owns Rail Co. as the miners’ union, “Yes, we will force and many other businesses in Utah and near- them to pump out the water,” he said. Also by states. A rally in support of the union- on Silva’s list of abuses is that bosses would organizing struggle at Co-Op held at the sometimes refuse to provide drinking water UMWA hall here on March 12 drew miners underground, “for two and three days.” and their supporters from many areas of the Following the informational picket, West. Co-Op miners explained the stakes in miners gathered at the UMWA District 22 their fi ght, how they are reaching out, and offi ces where they were greeted by several how they are stepping up their fi ght to get solidarity messages from the day’s mail. jobs at other mines so the Kingstons will not “To Future UMWA miners, As promised be successful in starving them out. during the Mar. 12th rally, we’re sending The National Labor Relations Board you the $500 check on behalf of L[ocal] (NLRB) is investigating charges by the U[nion] 1332, Stand on SOLIDARITY. UMWA detailing how the company fi red You will win,” says a letter from Navajo more than 30 pro-union miners last fall to coal miners in Arizona. After reading other thwart efforts by the workers to be repre- mail, the miners dispensed funds to each Militant/Dan Fein sented by the union. Most were fi red on the miner not working from the contributions YONKERS, New York—Nearly 600 bus drivers and mechanics, members of Lo- eve of an NLRB-supervised representation received. cal 100 of the Transport Workers Union employed by the Bee-Line bus company election held on December 17. The board Miners fi lled out applications for English in Westchester County, New York, walked out March 3 to demand a contract that has not ruled on the validity of ballots cast classes given at the local public library and eliminates the penalty for retiring at age 57. by the fi red workers, now more than three discussed going to businesses to apply for “A driver with 27 years seniority died behind the wheel last September due to months later. Eighteen months have passed jobs that same afternoon. stress. He could not retire because he had 10 more years to go,” Tony Smith, a bus since 75 Co-Op miners were fi red in Sep- “This picket line was to show them we driver with fi ve years’ seniority, told the Militant. tember 2003 for refusing to work after the are not sitting around waiting,” said Juan Workers said the old contract imposes a 26 percent cut in benefi ts if they retire at bosses fi red one of their fellow miners. Salazar, one of the leaders of the union fi ght. age 57 with 20 years of service, instead of at age 62. One picket said the New York During the picket line on Ridge Road, “Each time we do something like this, with City bus and subway workers who are also members of Local 100 have a contract two of the most gung-ho miners were the people going by expressing support for our that allows for full retirement benefi ts at age 55 with 25 years of service. youngest. fi ght, it gives us great motivation. We’ll do —DAN FEIN Humberto Miranda is 24 and worked at it again soon!” Co-Op for a year, operating a buggy (coal shuttle car) underground for $6.30 an hour. “We simply want justice,” he said. With the UMWA, “The bosses will not be able to Utah mine bosses respond to UMWA brief mistreat us as before, we’ll have more pro- tection. The mine will be safer,” he said. BY PAT MILLER backers of the union organizing campaign, an attempt to rewrite history, slander work- Francisco Carrillo, 22, held up a “Honk PRICE, Utah—Attorneys for C.W. Min- violated a labor agreement between the ers who have fought to be represented by for support!” sign. “Justice, the pay we de- ing and the company-run International As- company and the IAUWU. The bosses the UMWA, try to isolate their leaders, serve, the rights we deserve,” said Carrillo, sociation of United Workers Union (IAU- claim the workers already had a union—the and, in short, turn the victims of unceas- a shuttle car and scoop operator, is what he WU) at the Co-Op mine near Huntington, IAUWU—and a contract, so any moves to ing company abuse and exploitation into expects to win with UMWA representation. Utah, fi led a memorandum with the central bring in the UMWA are unlawful. The the criminals. Carrillo worked at Co-Op for a year. Utah district federal court on March 16 in miners fighting for UMWA representa- “UMWA and its agents repeatedly stat- Raymundo Silva has nine years at the opposition to the motion to dismiss the tion at Co-Op have long explained that the ed that CWM fi red some 74 workers for Co-Op mine, including the nine-and-a-half mine boss’s lawsuit against the United IAUWU is nothing more than an outfi t cre- seeking union representation, called in the months on strike. A tall man, Silva posi- Mine Workers of America and its offi cers. ated and run by the bosses, which has never sheriff to kick them off the property, and tioned himself where coal trucks coming up The union and the workers who have been spoken for or supported the workers. locked them out,” says the March 16 Kings- the road from the load out would see his sign leading the fi ght for UMWA representation In its reply to the union’s motion to dis- ton reply to the UMWA legal brief asking fi rst. He explained how he was won over to at the coal mine are central targets of the miss the harassment lawsuit, the company for dismissal of the case. “CWM fi red no the UMWA cause during the fi ve months harassment lawsuit by the Kingstons, the also contends that all of the statements one but Bill Estrada, who was discharged following the strikers’ return to work as part owners of C.W. Mining (CWM). made by the workers about the conditions for cause. While they were meeting, some of an NLRB settlement in July. Through their attorneys, the Kingston at the mine that miners say led to their fi ght- of the workers gathered outside. Estrada “I saw the bosses laugh at the miners family contends that the UMWA, acting ing for UMWA representation, were false came out and falsely told the waiting work- during the strike,” Silva said. The “abuses as an organization and through the indi- and defamatory. The bosses repeat their ers they had also been fi red. Relying on at the mine” got to him. A boss “yelled at vidual workers who have been the strongest side of the story, which workers explain is Estrada’s lie, the other workers left their jobs. CWM never locked them out, they simply chose not to return to work. “One or more of Defendants or their Kingstons ask for more time to reply to the agents published statements to the effect that IAUWU is a ‘company union,’ a ‘yel- low-dog union,’ an ‘employer dominated ‘Militant’ motion to dismiss harassment case union,’ ‘not a real union,’ that the union of- BY NORTON SANDLER all parties and judicial economy and would made “by a responsible organization but by fi cers are all mine bosses, etc., all of which Attorneys for the Kingston family and otherwise be in the furtherance of justice,” a rabid labor union and its cohorts.” were specifi cally defamatory of IAUWU the International Association of United the March 19 motion states. “Counsel for The Kingstons’ response to the Utah pa- and its offi cers…. Workers Union (IAUWU) fi led a motion the Plaintiffs, The Salt Lake Tribune and pers repeats the allegation in their amended “They said CWM’s workers had no March 16 with the Central Utah Federal Deseret Morning News have indicated they complaint that coverage by these papers of health insurance, which was a lie. District Court requesting a month delay have no objection to such a consolidated the labor dispute is “slanderous.” The al- “They made specifi c claims of unsafe in responding to the motions fi led by the hearing,” the Militant and SWP motion leged defamations includes quoting work- working conditions, all of which were Militant and the Socialist Workers Party to continues. ers involved in the dispute describing the lies…. dismiss their harassment lawsuit. The court has yet to issue a ruling on fi ring of miner Bill Estrada in September “They said workers were paid only $5.25 The Kingstons own C.W. Mining, also these requests. 2003, the company lockout that ensued af- to $7.00 an hour, which was a lie. While known as the Co-Op Mine, in Huntington, The Kingstons originally filed their ter the workers walked off the job in protest workers base pay was in that general range, Utah. The IAUWU is an outfi t that work- sweeping harassment lawsuit in September of that fi ring, and comments by workers workers also received supplemental pay ers say is organized and run by the bosses 2004—accusing the United Mine Workers about the company’s low pay scale and the and production bonuses that increased their to serve their interests and to keep a real of America (UMWA) and many individual dangerous working conditions at the mine. pay, often substantially. A number of work- union out. Co-Op miners of unfair labor practices and The alleged defamations also include state- ers by applying themselves were receiving, In the March 16 motion, the Kingstons defamation. A number of newspapers and ments by the workers about their desire to and all workers through similar diligence requested that presiding Judge Dee Benson other organizations and individuals were be represented by the UMWA—because of could earn, $12.00 to $18.00 per hour. also grant them until April 15 to respond to also cited with defamation. The Kingstons the conditions they faced at that mine—and “They said if a worker refused to carry the motions to dismiss from the 17 Co-Op amended their complaint in December of their contempt for the IAUWU, which the out an unsafe work practice he was likely to miners named in the bosses’ lawsuit; the last year. Those named as defendants are company claims is a union. lose bonus and supplementary pay, which Utah State AFL-CIO and its president, Ed the UMWA and its offi cers, 17 workers at The Kingstons’ answer repeats their was a lie. Mayne; Jobs With Justice; PACE union Lo- the Co-Op mine, the Salt Lake Tribune assertion that the two Utah papers inten- “They said CWM had threatened to re- cal 8-286; and University of Utah professor and Deseret Morning News—Utah’s most tionally gave inaccurate reports on the port workers to INS, which was a lie.” Hans Ehbar. prominent dailies—the Socialist Workers decisions of the National Labor Relations After hearing about these claims by the Attorneys Randy Dryer and Michael Party and the Militant, and other unions, Board involving the company and the company in the lawsuit, miners laughed at Petrogeorge responded March 19, stat- labor organizations, and individuals who miners. what they call the bosses’ hypocrisy. “Many ing: “Defendants The Militant and the have backed the Co-Op miners’ struggle The bosses’ reply to the Utah dailies’ Co-Op miners have the pay stubs to prove Socialist Workers Party have no objection to win UMWA representation. brief also describes as defamations opin- the low pay we got over many years,” said to Plaintiff’s’ request for additional time All the defendants filed motions to ions expressed in the papers such as that José Contreras, a supporter of the UMWA to respond to said Defendants’ Motion dismiss the case. The Kingstons, however, C.W. Mining is “part of an unfortunate and one of the miners fi red a week before to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint.” At the have thus far responded only to the briefs American industry habit of exploiting im- the December 17 union representation vote. same time, they requested that the judge fi led by the UMWA and one fi led jointly migrant workers,” or that “the Kingstons’ “We have only spoken the truth about con- hold a consolidated hearing on the motions by the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret treatment of the miners is appalling.” ditions at the mine.” to dismiss the case fi led by the Salt Lake Morning News. A footnote in the Kingstons’ memo- Attorneys for C.W. Mining and IAUWU Tribune and the Deseret Morning News, A memorandum urging the court to randum states that the dispute, which had have asked for extra time to answer the and the Militant and the Socialist Work- continue C.W. Mining and the IAUWU’s drawn wide attention in Utah and else- separate motion to dismiss the lawsuit ers Party. case against the Salt Lake Tribune and where, is a private one, not a public con- fi led by union attorneys on behalf of the 17 “Given the substantial similarity of the Deseret Morning News submitted by At- troversy. As a result, the Kingstons claim individual Co-Op miners named in the suit. legal issues presented by the motions of torney Mark Hansen on March 9 says the the papers are not subject to the freedom Unless denied by the judge, the Kingston the three newspaper defendants, a consoli- Kingstons have sued the two papers be- of the press protections afforded the media lawyers will have until April 15 to respond dated hearing would serve the interests of cause they have republished statements not when reporting on a public controversy. to that particular motion. 4 The Militant April 4, 2005 Thousands protest U.S.-led Iraq invasion 2 years later BY SAM MANUEL rently deployed in Iraq or died in the war. FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina—Op- The largest applause was given to Camilo position to the U.S.-led war against Iraq was Mejia, a former Florida National Guard the theme of a demonstration here March 19, staff sergeant who refused to rejoin his unit the second anniversary of the Anglo-Ameri- in Iraq after returning home on a two-week can invasion of Iraq. This city is home to leave in October 2003. Mejia fi led an ap- Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. military plication for a discharge as a conscientious bases in the country, and nearby Pope Air objector from the military in March 2004. Force base. Among the groups sponsoring He was sentenced in May by a military court the protest were Military Families Speak to one year in prison on the charge of deser- Out; Iraq Veterans Against the War; Vet- tion. “I don’t stand before you today to say erans for Peace; Bring Them Home Now; the war in Iraq is criminal and immoral. I Fayetteville Peace With Justice; and United have learned that all wars are criminal and for Peace and Justice. The latter includes in immoral,” Mejia said. He was released from its leadership the Communist Party USA prison in February. and an array of liberal and pacifi st groups. Michael Hoffman, a former Marine cor- Militant/Sam Manuel The march and rally, which grew to poral during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, was About 3,000 took part in March 19 peace rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. around 3,000, was led by a group carrying cheered by the crowd when he called for “Real support for the troops. Bring them home now!” says main banner over stage. 100 cardboard coffi ns draped in the U.S. immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Size and patriotic character of actions was similar in other U.S. cities. fl ag. Organizers said the coffi ns symbolized U.S. troops from Iraq. “As soldiers we were U.S. troops killed in Iraq, which now exceed trained to kill, we were not taught how to 1,500. U.S. authorities and the succession of rebuild anything,” said Hoffman, one of the the ANSWER coalition, which includes in bat, or their children would have had to fi ght U.S.-backed Iraqi administrations have not founders of Iraq Veterans Against the War. its leadership the Workers World Party. in the war, there never would have been this provided information on the number of Iraqi A few busses each came to the rally from Two high school students, Abby Guinane war.” Rangel had introduced a bill in Con- deaths. Iraq Body Count, a database run by Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Katie Hamelin, from Schodack, New gress prior to the invasion to reinstate the a group of academics and peace activists, and Knoxville, Tennessee. People also car York, came with their parents to the Cen- military draft on that “patriotic” premise. has placed Iraqi civilian deaths at between pooled from North and South Carolina. tral Park peace rally. Both had attended the “They are trying to put me away for 30 17,000 and 20,000. antiwar demonstration in Albany, the state years,” said Lynne Stewart, another speaker. Placards and banners throughout the O capital, the Wednesday before. “I don’t like The lawyer was convicted in February on crowd expressed patriotic opposition to the war, and we are killing people and it’s not fi ve charges of “conspiracy to provide ma- war. “Peace is Patriotic,” read some. “Real BY ARRIN HAWKINS their fault,” said Abby. “We are there under terial support to terrorist activity” for the support for the troops! Bring them home NEW YORK—Several peace protests false pretenses,” Katie told the Militant. way she defended Sheik Abdel Rahman. “I now!” read a large banner over the stage. took place in New York to mark the second “Now that Saddam is gone, I don’t see why am part of the war here at home, the war Other signs and banners were directed at anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. we are still over there.” against democratic rights. I intend to fi ght President George Bush and top offi cials of In Central Park, a march organized by the Addressing the rally, Charles Rangel, this conviction,” she said. Stewart will be his administration. Troops Out Now coalition drew around Democratic congressman from the 15th sentenced in September. Speakers consisted mostly of veterans 5,000 people. Smaller actions were held in district in Harlem, said, “It’s one thing to Other speakers included Larry Holmes, of the 1991 and 2003 wars against Iraq and Times Square and at military recruiting sta- go to war, it’s another thing to mislead the who represented Troops Out Now; Brian family members of soldiers who are cur- tions elsewhere. Troops Out Now includes American people. If they had been in com- Becker of ANSWER; Chris Silvera of the Million Worker March; former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark; Pam Afrika of the Mumia Abu-Jamal defense campaign; and Teresa Gutierrez of the New York Commit- World youth festival meeting in Vietnam tee to Free the Cuban Five. Continued from page 2 Delegates in Hanoi also discussed the ini- “education, science, and culture, commu- Holding the fl ags of countries invaded tions for the UJC, reported that she traveled tial outline of the program for the festival, nication and technology,” “employment, by the United States armed forces, a group to Malaysia for that purpose prior to Hanoi presented by the Venezuela NPC. economy and development,” and “democ- of about 15 counterdemonstrators heckled and would have a similar stopover in Peru Velásquez said the plan includes organiz- racy and human rights.” Workshops will antiwar protesters in Central Park. after departing from Vietnam. ing up to a third of the delegates to travel also be held on the struggle for women’s Protesters targeted military recruitment Jessica Marshall of the Young Communist to a half a dozen provinces in Venezuela, liberation and the fi ght against racist dis- centers for civil disobedience. Police ar- League and Arrin Hawkins of the Young So- where a number of seminars will be held. crimination. rested 27 at the center near Times Square. This will allow delegates to get a fi rst-hand One of the main activities will be the cialists, as well as other delegates from the O United States, reported on activities across feel for the struggles of workers and farmers anti-imperialist tribunal, which will be held the country to build a large delegation for the in the country for land, jobs, and literacy. August 13-14. It will be held at the Caracas Rallies similar in size and character to Caracas event this summer. These included Delegates who stay in Caracas will also have Exposition Center, with capacity for 15,000 the ones in New York and Fayetteville took the second meeting of the U.S. NPC in Chi- a chance to visit working-class districts and people. At that meeting, delegates will con- place in San Francisco and Los Angeles. cago on February 12, which was attended see the new popular clinics staffed by Cuban duct a mock trial of Washington and other Smaller actions also took place in Boston, by about 100 students and other youth from doctors and a growing number of Venezu- imperialist powers, presenting evidence by Chicago, and other U.S. cities. Antiwar some 40 organizations. elan counterparts. The trips to the country- fi ghters for national liberation—from Puerto protests were organized in London, Rome, Delegates from Europe reported initial side will also give a chance to thousands Rico to Ireland and Western Sahara. and other European cities too. The Associ- plans to send up to 150 people to the festi- of Venezuelan youth who cannot go to the The third international preparatory meet- ated Press said the police estimated 45,000 val from each of their countries. Projections festival in Caracas to meet with their peers ing, scheduled for April 22-25 in Lisbon, turned out for the London action. Militant from more remote areas—from Cambodia from around the world. The workshop on Portugal, will fi nalize the festival’s program reporters said, however, the London rally to Bahrain—ranged to smaller delegations young peasants, for example, will be held and activities. was several thousand. of a few dozen. Groups from more than 100 in Cojedes state, where Venezuelan toilers countries are expected to send delegations. have waged land occupations and other A deadline of April 21 was set to estab- struggles for land. ‘Militant’ launches $90,000 fund lish National Preparatory Committees in Most conferences will be held at univer- all countries where efforts are under way to sities and other facilities in Caracas. Their BY SAM MANUEL cover rent, utilities, and printing and ship- build the youth festival. topics include “peace, war and imperialism,” The Militant is launching a $90,000 ping costs for the Militant and Perspectiva spring fund drive to help cover operating Mundial. It will also help fi nance special expenses for the socialist newsweekly and reporting teams like the recent one at the ‘Militant’ begins subscription drive its sister publication in Spanish Perspectiva 2005 Havana International Book Fair. Mundial. The campaign starts March 26 and Because these expenses have to be paid BY PAUL PEDERSON Militant’s sister monthly publication in will last eight weeks, ending May 22. weekly, regular payment of pledges is Supporters of the Militant newspaper Spanish, and will help the sub drive. The fund drive will coincide with the needed and requested from our readers. are launching a seven-week drive to win Subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial, Militant subscription drive (see article on To take advantage of increased opportu- more than 1,000 new subscribers to the as well as sub renewals to both periodicals, this page). It starts the same weekend as nities to expand the Militant’s readership, socialist newsweekly. Partisans of the will also count toward the goal. The effort, the launching of the international cam- the cost of the special offer for a 12-week Militant in cities across the United States however, is focused on winning new read- paign to sell the new issues of the Marx- introductory subscription was cut from $10 and in a number of other countries are ers to the Militant. ist magazine New International and the to $5 in the United States a year ago. Sup- taking local quotas for the April 2–May The seven-week campaign is shorter Spanish-language Nueva Internacional porters of the Militant in other countries 22 campaign. These will be published than previous efforts. Its success will (see front-page editorial). instituted similar rate reductions. In the last along with the international goal in next depend on preparation by Militant sup- The Militant is funded solely through the 12 months the average weekly circulation of week’s issue. porters to hit the ground running on April contributions of workers, farmers, and oth- the Militant in the United States increased An important feature of this subscription 2. A special target week is planned for the ers who value the paper’s irreplaceable role to 1,550 subscribers from 1,050 during the campaign is the work to win new subscrib- fi rst week of the drive, April 2–10, to get in covering struggles by workers to organize same period in 2003-2004. The fund drive ers among students, young workers, and momentum going from the start. unions and use union power to resist job will help ensure that these subscription rates other youth who are preparing to go to Ven- “In New York, we are planning a special speed up, weakening of safety provisions, can be maintained. ezuela to participate in the 16th World Fes- regional team to two campuses upstate, cuts in wages and broader attacks by the As we go to press, supporters of the tival of Youth and Students. The Militant is SUNY Binghamton and Albany, during wealthy rulers on the social wage. The pa- Militant from a dozen U.S. cities and from carrying regular coverage of the work here the target week,” said Doug Nelson, the per also covers what’s behind the sharpening Sweden had sent in quotas they had adopted, and in other countries to build participation director of the campaign in New York. confl ict between the main imperialist pow- which amounted to more than $50,000. Sup- in the August 7–15 gathering. “Students at both of these campuses have ers and the turn in Washington’s military porters from around the world are urged to Supporters of the Militant will be taking invited Militant supporters to help in the ef- policy and organization—the U.S. rulers’ do the same in the next few days. A chart advantage of a special offer to sell the two fort to build delegations to the world youth most far-reaching shift since the late 1930s with all local quotas and initial payments new issues of New International magazine festival.”For example, William Camacaro, preparations for World War II. And it sends will be published next week. (see front-page editorial) along with sub- a leader of the Alberto Lovera Bolivarian reporters around the world—from Cuba Supporters of the Militant are encouraged scriptions to the socialist newsweekly. New Circle in New York, and Militant editor and Venezuela to the Middle East—to give to send in accounts of their progress each week readers will have the option of purchasing Argiris Malapanis have been invited to fi rst-hand accounts of struggles by working that can be included in this column. Checks the magazines for just $10 each, or $20 for speak at SUNY Albany on April 7 about the people for land, jobs, and national sover- or money orders should be made out to The both issues, when they pick up an introduc- current political situation in Venezuela and eignty, and in opposition to imperialist Militant, earmarked “Spring Fund Drive,” and tory subscription. The offer also applies to why students should oppose Washington’s intervention and domination. sent to the Militant at 306 W. 37th Street, 10th subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial, the intervention in the Americas. The $90,000 fund will be used to help fl oor, New York, NY 10018. The Militant April 4, 2005 5 There Is No Peace: 60 Years Since End of World War II How Red Army under Stalin’s command was comp Moscow’s complicity in the crushing of 1944 Warsaw uprising by Nazi-led army w

The following article is reprinted from government were restraining them. Thus, the Nov. 25, 1944, Militant. It appeared on June 5 Moscow broadcast the following: under the headline, “The Uprising in War- “It is generally believed that it is time to act. saw.” It describes a popular insurrection There is great discontent with the orders of in Warsaw, Poland’s capital, against the Sosnokowski and Bor.” German imperialist army in 1944 and the 3. We have no reason to doubt the asser- complicity of the Stalinist regime in Mos- tion that the masses were in an insurrec- cow in its bloody defeat. tionary mood as a result of the Red Army The uprising took place between August 1 victories, and that there was discontent and October 2 of that year. With more than with the policy of restraint pursued by the 35,000 troops, the Polish Home Army at- London Polish government. The latter was tacked the German forces August 1. Much of a declared policy, based undoubtedly upon Warsaw’s population joined the fi ght, taking a desire to utilize the Polish masses against control of virtually the entire city by August the Soviet Army rather than against the Na- 4. The Nazi regime, however, sent reinforce- zis retreating before it. The pertinent fact is, ments and in the end crushed the revolt in however, that the Moscow authorities dwelt blood, killing some 200,000 Poles. on the discontent of the masses, and utiliz- During the 63 days of fi ghting, the Soviet ing it against the London leaders, became Red Army, under the command of the bu- more and more specifi c in the broadcasts. reaucratic regime headed by Joseph Stalin, Thus, on July 29 the Stalinist-controlled sat across the Vistula River in the Warsaw Union of Polish Patriots in Moscow issued suburb of Praga, where it was encamped a direct call to the Warsaw masses: “Appeal within sight of the fi ghting. The Red Army to Warsaw. Fight the Germans. No doubt did nothing to assist the rebels, even though Polish resistance fi ghters during 1944 uprising in Warsaw Warsaw already hears the guns of the battle Moscow had encouraged the Poles to which is soon to bring her liberation. . . It launch the attack and had promised aid. In (the Red Army) will be joined tomorrow by September, when a German victory seemed vors are undoubtedly being subjected to the is necessary to recall the atmosphere in the sons of Warsaw. . . For Warsaw, which certain, the Russian forces allowed a small bestial tortures of the Hitlerite conqueror. Moscow and in London at the time of the did not yield but fought on, the hour of ac- amount of ammunition to be dropped in for But the action in which they fought and insurrection. The Stalinist bureaucracy in tion has already arrived.” the Polish resistance. fell is more than an epic of heroism. It Moscow had set up a “Polish National Obviously, if Stalin and his Polish lack- When hostilities ceased, the remaining is an event of great historic signifi cance, Council” under its own auspices in oppo- eys thought an insurrection “premature,” it Polish resistance was annihilated, 85 per- which must be understood, so that the les- sition to the Polish “Government-in-Exile” is clear that on the eve of that insurrection cent of the city was razed, and the German sons can be learned and transformed into residing in London and enjoying the rec- they not only did not say so, but said the occupiers deported most of the rest of the weapons by which the workers of Warsaw ognition of Great Britain and the United exact opposite. population. This allowed the Stalinist re- can be avenged in the coming European States. The Moscow “Council” and the gime in Moscow to establish a subservient revolution. London “Government” espoused similar London Government Gives Approval government in Poland after the German No adequate picture of the events leading social programs: preservation of capital- 4. Hearing these appeals and hearing rulers were defeated by the Red Army and up to the insurrection, or of the insurrection ism in Poland and promises of reforms. the guns of the Red Army in the distance, the Allied imperialist powers in 1945. itself, is as yet available and probably will Their differences concerned foreign policy: the insurrectionary mood of the masses We publish the article below as the sec- not be until free access to the survivors can whether Poland was to be in the British or undoubtedly ran to fever pitch. The mili- ond installment of this column, which will be had. Even then the picture will not be the Russian “sphere of infl uence.” The dif- tary leaders from the London government appear regularly this year—the 60th an- complete until the archives of the various ferences emerged concretely on the ques- probably could not have prevented the in- niversary since the end of World War II—to governments involved are opened to public tion of the future borders of Poland. surrection even had they tried. In any case, tell the truth about the second worldwide view. But what we could only surmise in the The Red Army’s guns were already they decided to identify themselves with it interimperialist slaughter. fi rst fl ush of the struggle itself—namely, within earshot of Warsaw. When the insur- and give it their formal approval. that an uprising involving the mass of the rection broke out, both parties to the dispute 5. On July 31, the day before the uprising working-class population of Warsaw was reacted at once: The Moscow “Council” began, Premier Mikolajczyk of the London BY PAUL STEVENS being betrayed by the counter-revolutionary negatively, claiming it was untimely and “government” was in Moscow. The British At the beginning of October the great Stalinist bureaucracy in the Kremlin—has therefore to be opposed; the Warsaw “gov- periodical "War Commentary" (Mid-Octo- Warsaw insurrection was crushed. After the since found considerable substantiation in ernment” positively, claiming it was leading ber 1944) informs us: “It is stated by Polish insurgents had suffered 250,000 casualties, published facts. the insurrection and had prepared for it by socialists in London that when the Polish their leaders surrendered to the Nazi com- agreement, etc. Let us examine these claims Premier saw Stalin in Moscow on July 31 mand. Thus one of the most heroic mass Background Of The Insurrection on the basis of established fact. and told him the rising would take place the actions in history was brought to a tragic Before we proceed with an examination The fi rst reaction of the Moscow “Coun- following day, Stalin signifi ed his approval close. The dead are buried and the survi- of the facts that have been established, it cil” and of all the Stalinist apologists the and stated that the Red Army would have world over was that there was no insurrec- occupied Warsaw by August 6.” tion at all; that the whole thing was Moscow, on the other hand, denies that just a “canard” broadcast by the Polish it was informed. But it is not necessary for For further reading reactionaries in London. That con- us to take anyone’s word for it, in order to tinued to be the Stalinist line until it ascertain that the insurgent mass conceived TEAMSTER BUREAUCRACY became manifest from military com- of its action as one coordinated with the by Farrell Dobbs muniques that there was a full-scale advance of the Red Army. We have not How the leadership of Minneapolis Teamsters Lo- battle going on for control of Warsaw. only the fact that the Red Army’s guns were Meanwhile the Red Army’s advance already being heard in the city. We have cal 544 organized to oppose Washington’s entry towards Warsaw was halted. evidence that in Moscow this conception into World War II, and how the rulers—backed When they could no longer pre- was known. Far from the insurrection being by the top offi cialdom of the AFL-CIO and Team- tend to ignore what was happening, discouraged as premature, Moscow called the Kremlin gang took the line that for the insurrection as a direct supporting sters—accelerated union-busting and government the insurrection was premature, that it action to aid the Red Army advance on War- efforts to gag class-struggle minded workers. It re- was organized without the Red Army saw. On July 30, the Moscow radio beamed counts the infamous 1941 federal sedition trial that being informed and without any at- the following instructions to Warsaw: tempt to correlate military operations. “The whole population should gather culminated in the imprisonment of 18 leaders of Charging that the London “government” round the National Council and the under- Local 544 and the Socialist Workers Party, as well as the inter- was using it as a “political maneuver,” ground army. Attack the Germans. Stop national campaign to win their release. $18.95 the Kremlin branded the insurrection as a the Germans destroying public buildings. “crime” and refused to give any aid what- Assist the Red Army in crossing the Vistula. soever to the hard-pressed insurgents. Only Give it information and show it the best SOCIALISM ON TRIAL in the last week or two of the struggle, when fords. The more than a million inhabitants by James P. Cannon the blood-letting had been heavy enough to ought to become an army of a million men preclude any possibility of victory for the fi ghting for liberation and destroying the The basic ideas of socialism, explained in testi- insurgents, were feeble attempts made from German invader.” mony during the trial of 18 leaders of the Min- Moscow to supply them. The line of the Stalinists has remained the same, however, Stalinist Perfi dy Is Apparent neapolis Teamsters union and the SWP framed up to this day; the insurrection was a “crime,” What Moscow’s position on the insur- and imprisoned under the notorious Smith “Gag” it was premature, it was undertaken without rection was before it actually broke out is Act during World War II. $16 prior agreement and even against the wishes thus irrefutably established. It is clear that of the Red Army high command. the sponsors of the quoted broadcasts knew To date, the Stalinists and their apologists of the insurrectionary mood of the Warsaw “Communist Policy in Wartime have offered no substantiation in fact for masses, that they fostered it, and directly as well as in Peacetime” their line. But there is already ample proof appealed for the rising immediately before at hand to contradict it. it began. in ‘New International’ no. 7 1. Between June 2 and July 31 (the day Most of the broadcasts were under the Includes “Washington’s Third Militarization before the uprising) there were constant ap- auspices of the “Polish National Council” peals over the Moscow Radio for the Polish and not the Soviet government, to be sure. Drive” and “1945: When U.S. Troops Said ‘No!’,” both ar- masses to take up arms against the Nazis. However, no one in his right mind can be- ticles by Mary-Alice Waters, and “The communist antiwar 2. During this time, the Stalinist Radio lieve that these broadcasts could be made program, 1940-1969.” $12 charged that the masses were ready to rise, from Moscow without the knowledge and but that the military leaders of the London approval of the Kremlin. At any rate, the

6 The Militant April 4, 2005 There Is No Peace: 60WASHINGTON’S Years Since COLD End WAR of AGAINST World CUBAWar II plicit in slaughter of Poles was one of the great crimes of Stalinism

broadcasts were never repudiated and have other insurgents for that matter, would not been passed over in complete silence by the propose to carry through such an action Stalinist press despite their repeated quota- “inadequately armed” or only with their tion in the world press. “ardent emotions and cold arms.” It was just 6. There is further evidence, however, that because they expected adequate arms from once the insurrection began, contact was the Red Army at the gates of their city that established between its military leaders in the Warsaw masses undertook their insur- Warsaw and the Red Army of General Ro- rection. It was just because of its approach kossovsky which stood almost at the gates that their emotions became ardent. of the city. According to the “Government- By condemning insurrections in general in-Exile,” on the third day of the uprising (do they dare repeat it still after the events in a Captain Kalugin, sent by Rokossovsky, Paris and Athens?), the Kremlin oligarchy contacted General Bor, the military leader merely sought to cover up its counter-revo- of the insurgents and “made an appeal by lutionary betrayal of the Warsaw masses. radio to Stalin, via London, for arms and Actually, the Kremlin disclosed its real mo- Prisoners liberated by resistance to Nazi occupation in Warsaw, during 1944 revolt. supplies. A request was made for fi ve tons tivation—fear of the revolutionary masses of supplies to be dropped by plane.” Mos- in arms—and its own criminal conduct. If betrayal but amounted to active assistance among them. In the case of the Warsaw cow has never denied this story. The silence they thought all along that insurrections in suppressing the insurrection. insurrection, the threat of revolutionary ac- of the Stalinists would indicate that there is are “doomed to failure” then how can their Finally, in the British anarchist periodi- tion was of more immediate concern to the at least an element of truth in it. repeated broadcast appeals to Warsaw for cal, War Commentary (October), we fi nd Kremlin. The Allies, while doing nothing 7. The line of Moscow after the outbreak an uprising be characterized otherwise than the following item: “a decree ... issued by seriously to interfere with the betrayal of the of the insurrection becomes no less clear as criminal provocation? the Polish civil authorities during the fi rst Warsaw uprising, naturally took advantage under examination and proves to be in direct 8. From a juxtaposition of the two days (of the insurrection) proclaimed con- to strengthen their diplomatic position as contradiction to the Stalinist line which pre- lines—before and after the insurrection trol of the factories by workers’ councils. against that of the Kremlin. ceded it. Insofar as action is concerned, we began—another important fact emerges: This was a clear indication that the workers 3. Stalin’s policy was clearly aimed at the have these undisputed facts: Immediately The appeals over the radio were intended had already taken over.” attrition of the uprising. after the outbreak of the struggle in Warsaw, only to take advantage of the Polish mass The periodical does not give its source 4. The betrayal of the insurrection, fol- the Red Army advance on the city, steady up discontent with the policy of the nationalist for this information, so it is diffi cult to lowed by the stalemate at Warsaw up to the to then, is abruptly halted, not to be resumed and social-democratic leaders. The invasion check. But should it prove to be true, it present, appears to have been a direct blow until nearly six weeks later, towards the end of Poland by joint agreement with Hitler would point to the very heart of the whole to the Red Army even in a strictly military of September. in 1939 and the subsequent bureaucratic policy of the counter-revolutionary Kremlin sense. It certainly was a blow against the Whether the halt of the Red Army before suppression of workers’ rights in the So- gang in the Warsaw tragedy. Even so, an defense of the Soviet Union in the broader Warsaw was an act deliberately calculated viet-occupied territory had undoubtedly examination of the known facts permits us political sense. In deserting the Warsaw in- by the Kremlin in order to isolate the Polish driven the Warsaw workers further over to already to draw our conclusions: surrection and permitting it to be crushed insurgents and insure the crushing of the in- the side of the nationalist demagogues and 1. Although the confl ict over “spheres by the Nazis, Stalin was applying a strategy surrection by the Nazis; or whether the halt their social-democratic henchmen. Under of infl uence” between the Allied imperial- directed at nipping in the bud every mani- was dictated by considerations of a purely the impetus of the Red Army victories ists and the Stalinist bureaucracy played a festation of the ferment which is developing military-strategic character, is known against the Wehrmacht, however, the revo- role in determining the policy toward the into the European revolution. only to Moscow. The important thing is lutionary aspirations of the masses probably Warsaw insurrection, it was not the decisive 5. Defense of the Soviet Union today, that once the insurrection was under way, rose and clashed with their allegiance to factor. This confl ict had effect only insofar means in the first place defense of the the Stalin gang refused the insurgents any leaders who were kowtowing to the Allied as each side attempted to exploit the revo- European revolution against the imperial- material aid whatever, although such aid imperialists. The Kremlin sought to utilize lutionary aspirations of the Polish masses to ists and the counter-revolutionary Stalinist was manifestly possible. this situation for its own counter-revolution- undermine the prestige of the other. bureaucracy. ary purposes. 2. The decisive factor making for the pol- 6. The successful development of the A ‘Canard’ Becomes A Fact icy of betraying the insurrection was fear of European revolution, with the coming de- Insofar as propaganda in concerned, Warsaw Got Only Token Aid the European revolution, of the independent feat of Nazi Germany, can be assured only the development is less abrupt. At fi rst, 9. The Anglo-American imperialists, action of the masses. Both sides share this by the independent revolutionary action of Moscow denies that there is an insurrec- were naturally not averse to utilizing the fear equally and no doubt have had basic the masses. The fi rst task in that direction is tion and dubs the reports a “canard.” Then, insurrection for their own reactionary pur- agreement on policy since the Teheran the building of strong Trotskyist parties in when evidence of the struggle and its mass poses, that is, to win the Polish masses over conference. Basic agreement, however, every country under the banner of Socialist character makes denial impossible, a hue to the idea of a Poland within their “sphere does not preclude jockeying for position Revolution. and cry is raised that it is fi rst, “premature;” of infl uence.” To this end, they rushed “to- secondly, organized without coordination ken aid” to Warsaw, in the form of meager between Moscow and London; thirdly, a supplies—but not until three weeks of criminal political adventure undertaken unaided struggle had passed. To this same by the reactionaries in the “Government- end they made the gesture of requesting the Iraqi Kurds press for autonomy in-Exile.” Finally, all these charges are Kremlin for bases in Soviet territory for al- Continued from front page 146 seats, not enough to form the govern- crowned with propaganda opposing insur- leged use to supply the insurgents. When ment on its own. rections in principle. On August 19, United 2,000 Polish paratroopers in England vol- Republican Guard to escape with their weapons and command intact. Regrouped Talks between the two groups on the Press cables from Moscow: unteered to go to Warsaw, their request was details of their agreement broke down “Pravda, offi cial Communist Party news- denied. “Token aid,” on the other hand, was as irregulars later, these forces have been at the center of the armed campaign against days before the March 16 opening session paper, said today in a front-page dispatch sent by Moscow also, late in September, of the assembly, reported Agence France that the Warsaw insurrection was doomed when the insurrection had already virtually U.S. and Iraqi government forces as well as civilians, Rumsfeld said, and Washington Presse. The session was rocked by several to failure from the beginning and that the bled to death. Only when it became obvious nearby explosions. But it was Kurdish de- men who died fi ghting German mechanized that the insurrection was crushed did the has been waging a war against them since last fall. mands for control of Kirkuk, one of Iraq’s troops in the Polish capital were ‘foully Red Army resume its advance on Warsaw, largest oil centers, and incorporation of deceived by a group of adventurers and which to this day is still in Nazi hands. This Meanwhile, Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said that Rome would begin a the city’s surrounding province into their political speculators of the London emigre fact requires further scrutiny when we recall autonomous region that prevented the as- government.’ that, on the day the insurrection broke out, “gradual” reduction of the 3,000 Italian troops in Iraq in September. Most of the big- sembly from conducting anything more “Not one city has been freed by the com- even the Stalinist press was reporting that than a ceremonial opening. The Kurds bined blows of Soviet troops and citizen the Nazis were evacuating Warsaw. business media presented the announcement as another blow to the Bush administration’s also seek to strengthen their autonomy insurrections, Pravda said, although hun- 10. Regarding what happened inside in three northeastern provinces, popularly dreds of cities have been liberated by troops the Polish underground, inside Warsaw, course in Iraq. There is evidence, however, that Berlusconi made the statement largely called Iraqi Kurdistan. alone in Russia, Lithuania, White Russia, information is still very sparse. But two Starting in the 1970s, the Baathist regime and Poland. isolated items are worth our attention. The for electoral purposes, two weeks before Italy’s regional elections. His move does expelled thousands of Kurds from Kirkuk “The reason is that ‘only stupid adventur- fi rst is taken from the London Tribune, and and replaced them with Arabs in order to ers think success is possible by the insur- reads as follows: not represent another defection from Washington’s “coalition of the willing.” assure Baghdad’s control of oil reserves in rection of inadequately armed civilians in “The Polish offi cial daily accuses the Lub- the area. Kurds are demanding the right to cities fi lled with German Panzer troops, lin Patriots (Stalinist “National Council”) of Kurds press to consolidate autonomy return to their lands and homes. planes and guns,’ Pravda added. having disarmed and interned whole detach- Offi cials of the United Iraqi Alliance “The Red Army is opposed to such ments of the Polish Home Army that were (UIA) said Iraq’s National Assembly would Turkish ban caused U.S. army trouble insurrections, the dispatch asserted, since rushing from the provinces to Warsaw to as- reconvene soon. “If things go smoothly we U.S. troops continue to focus their fi re complex technical materials ‘are neces- sist the insurgents. The names of the detach- could see a presidential council elected in on organized and well-armed military units sary to wage successful modern warfare, ments, their numbers, the places where they the same session,” said Ibrahim Bahr al- of the deposed Hussein regime. In what and people equipped only with ardent emo- were disarmed have been published. What Uloum, according to Reuters. Al-Uloum has been described as their largest fi refi ght tions and cold arms cannot expect to win’.” will the Lublin commander-in-chief—Gen- is the UIA’s candidate to head Iraq’s oil since the January 30 elections, U.S. soldiers (N. Y. Times, Aug. 20, 1944). eral Rola Zymierski—reply to this?” ministry. The assembly will reconvene reportedly killed dozens of irregulars on a It is now apparent that what the Kremlin after Kurdish parties and the UIA sign an road south of Baghdad in the area known Kremlin Maintains Guilty Silence opposes is not the “prematureness" of the agreement on the status of Kirkuk. as the Triangle of Death. insurrection, its lack of coordination with Of course, no reply has been made to the On March 11, Kurdish parties and the The Hussein regime had its strongest the action of the Red Army, or even its charge. Silence here too indicates that there UIA announced an agreement to form a base among the wealthy layers of the Sunni leadership by the military representatives is some truth in it. If that is so, it points to new government in which UIA leader Ibra- Arab minority. It’s in the largely Sunni Arab of the London "government”—but the very the fact that the Warsaw insurrection must him Jaafari would be named prime minister areas that groups organizing attacks on U.S. idea of the insurrection itself. And not only have aroused a tremendous response in the and Jalal Talabani, a leader of the Patriotic and Iraqi forces, as well as bombings aimed in Warsaw, but anywhere. That is what be- rural sectors of Poland, in particular in ter- Union of Kurdistan, would become presi- at civilians and kidnappings and behead- comes crystal clear if this Pravda dispatch ritory already occupied by the Red Army. dent. Kurdish groups hold 77 seats in the ings of hostages, have been based. is stripped of its casuistry. The action of the Kremlin, if this is veri- 275-member National Assembly elected in On the second anniversary of the U.S.- Obviously, the Warsaw insurgents, or any fi ed, was then not only confi ned to passive January. The UIA won a slim majority with Continued on Page 10

April 4, 2005 The Militant 7 Socialist revolution, the family & women’s liberation Below is an excerpt from Women and not in the mother? The struggle against Family, one of Pathfi nder’s Books of the neglect of mothers must be given the Month for April. In this collection first place! Housing construction, the of speeches and writings, Leon Trotsky construction of child-care facilities, examines the effect of the Russian Revo- kindergartens, communal dining rooms lution on the condition of women and the and laundries must be put in the center of development of the family. The following attention, and that attention must be vigi- excerpt is from the chapter titled, “To lant and well organized. Here questions build socialism means to emancipate of quality decide all. Child-care, eating women and protect mothers,” an article and laundry facilities must be set up so by Trotsky on the occasion of the Third that by the advantages they provide they All-Union Conference on the Protection can deal a deathblow to the old closed-in, of Mothers and Children, held in Mos- isolated family unit, completely supported cow in December 1925. Along with V.I. on the bent shoulders of the housewife and Lenin, Trotsky was a central leader of the mother. Improvement of the environment Bolshevik party and the Russian Revo- inevitably calls forth a surge of demand, lution. Copyright © 1970 by Pathfi nder and then a surge of means. Caring for Press. Reprinted by permission. children in public facilities, as well as feeding of adults in communal canteens, is cheaper than in the family. But the transfer of material means from the family to the BOOKS OF child-care centers and canteens will take place only if the social organization learns to satisfy the most primary demands better Corbis/Hulton-Deutsch Collection THE MONTH Class of women training to work on the railroads in the Soviet Union, December than the family. Special attention must now 1923. The Russian Revolution opened the door to women’s participation in social be paid to the questions of quality. Vigilant labor, the fi rst step in freeing them from the bondage of family and household. social control and constant urging on all BY LEON TROTSKY the organs and institutions which serve the Just as it was impossible to approach family and domestic needs of the toiling the construction of the Soviet state without in social and cultural life. The general growth of the economy is masses is essential. freeing the peasantry from the tangles of Motherhood is the hub of all problems. creating the conditions for a gradual re- The initiators in the great struggle for serfdom, so it is impossible to move to so- That is why each new measure, each law, construction of family and domestic life. the liberation of mothers must of course be cialism without freeing the peasant woman each practical step in economic and social All questions connected with this must the advanced women workers. At all costs and the woman worker from the bondage construction must also be checked against be posed in their full magnitude. We are this movement must be directed against of family and household. And if we used the question of how it will affect the fam- approaching from various directions the the village. In our city life too, there is to determine the maturity of a revolution- ily, whether it worsens or lightens the fate renewal of the basic capital of the coun- still much of the petty-bourgeois-peasant ary worker not only by his attitude to the of the mother, whether it improves the try; we are acquiring new machines to character. The view of women held by capitalist but also by his attitude to the position of the child. replace the old ones; we are building new many working men is still not socialist, peasant, i.e., by his understanding of the The great number of homeless children factories; we are renewing our railways; but conservative, peasant, essentially me- necessity of freeing the peasant from bond- in our towns bears most terrible witness the peasant is acquiring plows, seeders, dieval. Thus the peasant mother oppressed age—so now we can and must measure to the fact that we are still caught up on tractors. by the yoke of the family pulls the worker the socialist maturity of the worker and all sides in the tangles of the old society, But the most basic “capital” is the mother down with her. The peasant woman the progressive peasant by their attitude to which manifests itself in the most vicious people, i.e., its strength, its health, its must be raised up. She must desire to raise woman and child, by their understanding way in the epoch of its downfall. The po- cultural level. This capital requires re- herself, i.e., she must be awakened and of the necessity of freeing from bondage sition of mother and child was never so newal even more than the equipment of shown the way. the mother in penal servitude, of giving diffi cult as in the years of the transition the factories or the peasant implements. It is impossible to move forward while her the possibility of straightening her from the old to the new, especially in the It must not be thought that the ages of leaving the woman far in the rear. Woman back and involving herself as she should years of the civil war. The intervention slavery, hunger, and bondage, the years of is the mother of the nation. From the en- of Clemenceau and Churchill and the war and epidemics, have passed without a slavement of women grow prejudices and Kolchak, Denikin, and Wrangel elements trace. No, they have left behind in the liv- superstitions which shroud the children of “T hit most cruelly at the woman worker, at ing organism of the people both wounds the new generation and penetrate deeply the peasant woman, at the mother, and and scars. Tuberculosis, syphilis, neuras- into all the pores of the national conscious- April BOOKS left us an inheritance of unprecedented thenia, alcoholism—all these diseases and ness. The best and most profound path of OF THE MONTH child homelessness. The child is from the many others are spread widely among the struggle against the superstition of religion mother and the homelessness of the child masses of the population. The nation must is the path of all-sided concern for the is above all the fruit of maternal homeless- be made healthy. Without that, socialism mother. She must be raised up and enlight- PATHFINDER ness. Consideration for the mother is the is unthinkable. ened. Freeing the mother means cutting the READERS CLUB 25% truest and deepest way to the improvement We must reach the roots, the sources. last umbilical cord linking the people with SPE CIALS DISCOUNT of the fate of the child. And where is the source of the nation if the dark and superstitious past. Che Guevara Talks to Young People by Ernersto Che IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP Guevara Where to find distrib u tors of the St. Mailing address: P.O. Box 44739. 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8 The Militant April 4, 2005 GREAT SOCIETY Love it, sort of—AT&T internet 14 percent are “very satisfi ed.” hospital, and the prison was pay- decline, a study shows. Quetiapine the boss refuses to provide health reports a poll found that half of U.S. ing the bills. Also, regulations re- (sold as Serquel) and rivastigmine benefi ts, the minimum wage will workers are “happy” with their jobs. The sane society—Last month, quired that guards be posted near (Exelon) are prescribed to almost soar from $5.15 an hour to $6.15. But, the polltakers add, this is down Daniel Provencio, a California his bedside around the clock, even half of patients with dementia in And if the boss does provide medi- prisoner, was released despite fi ve though he remained comatose. His residential homes.”—The Times, cal coverage, he won't have to pay months to go. He is brain dead and family has refused to agree to pull- London. the $1 minimum wage hike. doctors see no hope of recovery. In ing the plug. Gov. Schwarzenegger January, Provencio, doing time for declared it was “ludicrous” for the Must be revos—Las Vegas, Speaking of HMO—Relative- Harry alleged parole violation, was shot state to be footing the bills. Now Nevada, has been sprouting like ly, it’s surprising how little dental in the head by a guard’s stun gun “free,” Provencio has qualifi ed for a weed patch. New casinos, ho- coverage is provided. Here’s an Ring foam pellet. According to offi cials, Medicaid. tels, condos—profi ts are rolling indication: In Salinas, Kansas, the shooting was triggered when in. But for a signifi cant sector of 2,000 volunteer dentists from a fracas broke out between three A grim note—“London—Two the work force, the profi ts aren’t across the state, spent a three-day inmates. There was no indication drugs often prescribed for patients coming their way. However, the weekend at a local clinic. For free, from 59 percent a decade ago. Also, that Provencio was involved. with dementia are ineffective, and Democrats in the state legislature they pulled 3,700 teeth and fi lled they note, of the “happy” 50 percent, Since then, he’s been in a public one of them actually speeds mental have a radical plan. Follow this. If 2,300 cavities. Communist League launches campaign in UK BY JONATHAN SILBERMAN the London campaign. The other co-chair is The UNISON union LONDON—The Communist League an- Young Socialists member James Haywood. reported majorities of nounced March 19 that it would be standing “We will be taking our campaign to between 73 percent and two candidates in the forthcoming general working people resisting the grinding of- 87 percent in favour of election expected to be called on May 5. fensive against living standards and condi- strike action in secret Peter Clifford, 49, who works in the butchers tions at work,” Clifford said at the cam- ballots and thousands section at Grampian Country Pork Halls will paign launch. The communist candidate of union members at- be standing in the Edinburgh East constitu- had been promoting support for protest tended meetings in the ency; and Celia Pugh, 52, a sewing machin- strike action by hundreds of thousands of lead-up to the action. ist, will be standing in Bethnal Green and union members over pensions in response The protest strike was Bow in London. to government plans to increase to 65 from called off by union “Our campaign presents a working class 60 the age at which government-employed leaders when the gov- alternative to the capitalist rulers and all their workers may retire without incurring a re- ernment offered talks. parties—Labour, Tory, Liberal Democrat, duction in their benefi ts, and increasing The government and Scottish National Party,” said Tony Hunt, from 50 to 55 the minimum age at which moves follow on the a spokesperson of the League and co-chair of these workers may retire. ending of “fi nal salary” pension schemes by the majority of UK com- panies, where workers CL candidate joins London antiwar rally retire at 65, replacing them with lower payout Communist League (CL) candidate stan will continue. The imperialist rulers “defi ned contribution” Celia Pugh spoke at a London campaign are driven to such wars by declining profi t schemes. Under these launch on March 19. Earlier that day, rates and sharpening competition from schemes workers’ pen- she campaigned at a march and rally in their rivals. They are an extension of the sions are dependant opposition to what the organizers called assaults on working people at home with Militant/Jim Spaul on how the funds were Celia Pugh, right, Communist League candidate for parlia- “Bush wars.” Many among the thou- speedup on the job, and attacks on already invested, how much ment in Bethnal Green and Bow in London. sands of protesters in Trafalgar Square weakened unions. workers and their em- carried signs that read “No more crosses “The rulers are using momentum ployers agreed to pay into the scheme, and the government’s advice and “saving for (coffi ns or ballots) for Blair.” from their occupation of Iraq to push the interest rates at the time of retirement. their future.” The CL campaigners’ signs said, “Or- forward their goal of imposing a solu- The ending of fi nal salary plans has provoked In addition to strike action by trade ganise and strengthen the unions, Use tion to the Irish question in their inter- strike action at a number of companies. unions, pensioners themselves have taken union power against the bosses’ attacks”; ests,” Pugh said. “That’s what’s behind The basic state pension in the UK is to the streets in particular protesting rises “UK troops out of Iraq, Ireland, the Bal- the upping of the pressure by London, £79.60 per week for an individual and in council tax that all residents here pay on kans, Cyprus, Sierra Leone”; “Oppose backed by Washington and Dublin, on £127.25–£159.20 for a married couple. To their properties. Some have been prosecuted threats against Iran, Korea, Defend right Sinn Fein. We stand for a united Ireland qualify for the basic pension, a man must in court for refusal to pay. of oppressed nations to electrifi cation”; and for the immediate, unconditional have paid National Insurance contributions In his pre-election national Budget, “Defend workers rights, Scrap the Terror- withdrawal of British troops. for 49 years and a woman for 44–49 years Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown ism Act, No to ID cards,” and “Defend “The government speaks in the name depending on when she was born. Through announced a one-off payment of £200 to abortion rights, No reduction in time of defending ‘national interests.’ But a means-tested “pension credit” scheme, pensioners to offset the rising council tax. limits.” Many protesters attracted by the under this banner they defend the in- pensioners may get an additional £40 sup- He also announced that all individuals over signs stopped by the tables to pick up terests of the ruling rich against working plement. Despite this, 2 million pensioners, 60 would receive free off-peak local area campaign literature. A number expressed people in the UK and around the world. many of them women, are offi cially living bus travel. happy surprise to see signs calling for Many opponents of the Iraq war, like in poverty. On average, retired workers in “Such tinkering is just a cosmetic move British troops out of Ireland. the organizers of today’s protest, target the United Kingdom receive just 37 percent designed to hide the miserable conditions “Our campaign calls for the immediate, Washington. But that’s just an adapta- of their earnings from the state. But in the faced by millions of pensioners,” Clifford unconditional withdrawal of UK and all tion to the Britain First policy of the face of uncertain economic conditions and said. “The Communist League campaigns imperialist troops from Iraq,” Pugh said. rulers. Our enemy is at home. There are the collapse of a number of private pension for a decent state pension—a living wage for “No matter which party wins the election, no UK national interests, there are only companies, there is a dramatic fall in the pensioners—with the level set by the trade wars like those against Iraq and Afghani- class interests.” number of working people who are taking unions and pensioner organizations.” 25 AND 50 YEARS AGO Farmers rally in Canada Continued from Page 12 When this reporter, for example, told hog taxpayers’ dollars, our governments sup- farmers that he was a meat packer at Quality port and promote Quebec, Native, Arts, Meat Packers here, where workers went on Homosexual, Urban and Multi cultures a four-week strike in November for a liv- April 4, 1980 April 4, 1955 [i.e., immigrants]. However, when it comes ing wage, the farmers explained their own Anti-Castro rightists escalated their ter- to the independent, peaceful rural culture confl ict with the company, saying it would ror March 25 with an attempted assassina- CLEVELAND, March 27—Frederick in Canada, government support is stifl ing, not give them a price that allows them to tion of Cuban United Nations Ambassador Engels noted many years ago that F.M. suffocating and controlling.” meet the costs of production. These farm- Raúl Roa. Fourier, the French Utopian Socialist, was Many farmers are attracted to Rural ers agreed that common action was needed A bomb—powerful enough to have “the fi rst to declare that in a given society Revolution’s action orientation and also by workers and working farmers to defend blown up a city block, police said—was the degree of emancipation of women to its program. Others look to the Union their interests against the huge agribusiness discovered under Roa’s car outside his is the natural expression of the general producteurs agricoles (UPA), the farmers’ companies that dominate the food process- residence in Manhattan. Police defused emancipation.” organization in Quebec, as an example to ing industry and the government. the device. This truth can probably be adapted as emulate. Signs at both the March 9 and Both the OFA and Rural Revolution are The ultra-right Cuban exile group Ome- follows: A union’s attitude to women work- March 2 actions said, “Hats off to the UPA,” planning further actions. ga 7 called news services later to take credit ers today is an expression of its general “We need a UPA now,” and “Equity with “In 30 days you will see us closing up for the murder attempt. The caller report- level of class consciousness. Quebec.” Farmers say that government the major food distribution units…that dis- edly told United Press International that At any rate, the only real debate on the commodity price stabilization supports are tribute all the food to supermarkets [with Omega 7 had found the Cuban ambassador fi rst day of the 15th convention of the Unit- higher in Quebec than in Ontario. Farmers tractor blockades],” Randy Hellier, LLA “guilty of treason and now we are going to ed Auto Workers, CIO, was the one that in Ontario often describe this as a gain won president and Rural Revolution leader told execute him.” broke out over “the woman question.” through the struggles of Quebec farmers, the demonstrators March 9. In a protest telegram to President Carter The main reason is that the auto workers which they attribute to the UPA. A March 10 statement by OFA president March 26, Socialist Workers Party presi- experienced serious layoffs during 1954. The In recent weeks, supporters of the Mili- Ron Bonnett said, “all of the partners in the dential candidate Andrew Pulley said the union leaders failed to provide the members tant have gotten a hearing from a number ‘One Voice March’ continue to meet and assassination attempt “makes federal ac- with any effective program to fi ght unem- of farmers as they have presented a revo- make plans for further actions” to press tion to stop Omega 7 even more urgent.” ployment. This failure created an opportu- lutionary working-class perspective on the both the provincial and federal govern- Omega 7 has carried out a long series of nity for the more backward elements in the roots of the farm crisis and the need for ments to meet their demands. murders and bombings. It has been docu- union to come forward with their own “solu- an alliance between workers and exploited mented that the assailants are well known tion”—drive women workers, and especially farmers to fi ght a common enemy—the Carlos Cornejo, Annette Kouri, Michel Prai- to the police. But nothing has been done to married women, out of the plants as long as capitalist class. rie, and Joe Yates contributed to this article. bring these criminals to justice. any men workers are unemployed. The Militant April 4, 2005 9 EDITORIALS Terri Schiavo case Continued from front page American in this country should also be outraged that this govern- ‘New International’ sales campaign ment is trampling all over a personal family matter that has been adjudicated in the courts for seven years,” Michael Schiavo said Continued from front page for the liberation of the proletariat.” on CNN the day before the law was signed. article of New International no. 13: “Our Politics Start This is the kind of movement partisans of the New The law grants jurisdiction to the federal district court to render with the World.” International are working to build. judgment “for the alleged violation of any right of [Terri Schiavo’s] “Without a revolutionary theory there can be no “As the social consequences of capitalist crises grow, under the U.S. Constitution relating to the withholding or with- revolutionary movement.” This statement, made by as inevitable political confl icts sharpen between and drawal of food fl uids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain Bolshevik leader V.I. Lenin in his pamphlet What Is To within classes, and as probes to restrict political and her life.” It grants standing to the parents of Schiavo to bring a Be Done? a century ago, captures the importance of democratic rights used by working people increase,” suit under the law. the publication of NI numbers 12 and 13. The articles Barnes says, militant workers taking the lead to reach The day after the bill’s passage, a three-judge panel of the 11th and documents in the 13 issues of New International for, organize, and use union power will join others “to Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta rejected an appeal by Schiavo’s are an invaluable political tool for working-class mili- resist accelerated employing-class assaults in the plants parents, leaving in place the decision of the Florida court for the tants today. This magazine and its distribution, along and the political arena, at home and abroad.” In doing withdrawal of her feeding tube. with other programmatic documents, by the cadre of so they will change themselves as they fi ght to change On Feb. 25, 1990, Terri Schiavo went into cardiac arrest, trig- proletarian parties, and the day-to-day political work of the world. Using the new issues of New Internation- gered by a condition brought on by an eating disorder. After her class-conscious workers in mines, mills, and factories, al—buying them, studying them, and selling them—is condition stabilized, Schiavo was left in a vegetative state. While are what distinguishes above all the communist move- at the heart of carrying out this course. she experiences periods of sleep and wakefulness, some refl exive ment from all other tendencies that still pretend to be Partisans of the Militant will fi nd interest in the responses to light and noise, and some basic gag and swallowing “socialist” or “Marxist.” NIs among the thousands of young people traveling refl exes, she shows no signs of emotion, willful activity, or cogni- After leading the workers and peasants of Russia to to Venezuela this summer for the world youth festival. tion. Her brain has been irreparably damaged. Medical studies take power in October 1917—the mightiest revolution We can expect similar interest on the job, at plant gates, have shown that there has never been a case in which an individual of our epoch—the Bolsheviks proudly took the name on picket lines, during door-to-door visits in working- with brain damage of the type Schiavo has suffered, and who has communist, Socialist Workers Party national secretary class communities, at social protest actions, or political been in this state for such a period of time, has regained minimum Jack Barnes explains in the “In This Issue” that in- activities on campuses. cognitive and motor functions. troduces New International no. 12. “The Bolsheviks These issues of the magazine demand our time and In a decision upholding Michael Schiavo’s claim, Second were taking a name synonymous with being in the front energy to work at and conquer, and this can best be District Court of Appeals Judge Chris Altenbernd wrote four ranks of the proletariat—among ‘the most advanced accomplished by common study. Working people in years ago that “by mid 1996, the CAT scans of her brain showed and resolute section,’ in the words of the [Communist] capitalist society are taught to do the opposite. “We’re a severely abnormal structure…much of her cerebral cortex is Manifesto—in its march toward power, toward the dic- supposed to go to work, do our job, produce a profi t for simply gone…. Medicine cannot cure this condition.… Theresa tatorship of the proletariat,” Barnes says. “They were the boss, and not disturb the placidity of the homeland,” will always remain in an unconscious, refl exive state, totally proclaiming a new kind of movement, one ‘in no way as Barnes says. “That’s the long and short of it.” dependent upon others to feed her and care for her most private based on ideas or principles that have been invented, or We invite you to join us in using the new issues of needs.” Terri Schiavo’s parents disagree, claiming that she is not discovered by this or that would-be universal reformer,’ New International and in the process learning to think as in a persistent vegetative state and that she should be continue but on ‘clearly understanding the line of march, the con- the makers of history we can be. The larger type and in- to be kept alive through artifi cial means. Right-wing groups and ditions, and the ultimate general results of the proletar- creased space between the lines of these issues—along many Republican and Democratic politicians have backed the ian movement.’… ‘Insofar as it is a theory,’ Engels had with their photographs, ads, and indexes—make them parents’ claims, seeking to use the case to strike a blow at the explained a year earlier, ‘communism is the theoretical more inviting, more readable, more valuable political right to privacy. expression of the position of the proletariat in [the class] tools. In 2000, Judge George Greer of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court in struggle and the theoretical summation of the conditions Join the campaign to sell the New International! Florida ruled that Schiavo’s feeding tube could be removed after concurring with the doctors’ opinion that she was in an irreversible vegetative state and hearing convincing testimony at a trial that she had expressed the view before her accident that she would not Defend right to privacy in Schiavo case have wanted to live that way. Since then, her feeding tube has been withdrawn twice and in both cases the decisions were reversed. We side with Michael Schiavo. The state has no crocodile tears about the life of Terri Schiavo, these State lawmakers in Florida hastily passed “Terri’s Law” in business intruding into the right to privacy; the right same politicians are driving ahead on efforts to cut October 2003 after Schiavo’s feeding tube had been removed for of individuals—or whoever they designate to step in access to life-extending Medicare benefi ts and to slash six days. The measure allowed governor John Ellis Bush to order if incapacitated—to decide on health care and other Social Security pensions for younger generations. it to be reinserted. issues affecting their lives. Some claim that at the root of the Schiavo affair is The Florida Supreme Court subsequently declared “Terri’s Law” The emergency session of Congress and late-night a confl ict between young and old. Those of Michael unconstitutional. In its ruling the court said that “if the Legislature signing by the president of “Terri’s Law” are not about Schiavo’s generation have different “values” from with the assent of the Governor can do what was attempted here, the “right to life.” They are an assault on the basic the generation of his wife’s parents, they say. Be- the judicial branch would be subordinated to the fi nal directives right to decide your own medical and personal affairs cause many of the right-wing groups involved dress of the other branches. Also subordinated would be the rights of in private, without the interference of the state or its their arguments in religious garb, others say this is a individuals, including the well established privacy right to self- agencies. religious affair—claiming Washington is doing the determination.” A string of Republican and Democratic politicians bidding of a “Christian right wing.” None of these The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the state paraded to the podium in Congress and demagogically arguments hold water. court’s decision. disputed the medical diagnosis of scores of doctors The right to privacy is fundamentally a class ques- On February 25 of this year, Judge Greer ruled that the feeding who have examined Schiavo, who has been in a tion, a political question. Keeping the government tube should be withdrawn on March 18. permanent vegetative state for 15 years with no hope from interfering with personal decisions in the bed- for recovery. Politicians who had practiced medicine room, at bedside in the hospital, and when a woman Medical diagnosis debated in Congress before pursuing their careers in Washington claimed decides whether to carry a pregnancy to term or seek As the deadline for the feeding tube’s removal neared, the two that their medical degrees gave them the right to make an abortion, are not rights handed to us. These rights houses of Congress began debating bills designed to allow the case a diagnosis from hundreds of miles away—without have been won through struggles that overturned mis- to be heard in federal court in order to override the state court deci- ever having examined the patient! cegenation and sodomy laws, decriminalized abortion, sion and Michael Schiavo’s rights as his wife’s legal guardian. On For seven years Michael Schiavo has battled to and established the right of an individual to decide on March 21, the House passed the bill on a 203-58 vote after calling implement his wife’s wish to not be kept in a state of personal medical matters. lawmakers back Sunday for an emergency session. The measured virtual brain death. He is backed up by state law and The capitalist ruling class and its Democratic and received considerable bipartisan support: 156 Republicans and several court rulings in his favor that concurred with Republican politicians continue to look for ways to 47 Democrats voted in favor, 5 Republicans and 53 Democrats the diagnosis of doctors on the scene. chip away at these rights. Working people and all de- against. In the debate House Speaker Dennis Hastert and others Despite this unambiguous record, both state and fenders of democratic rights have a stake in defending rejected the description of the brain-damaged woman as persisting federal governments have set a dangerous precedent the right to privacy and in opposing all attempts by in a “vegetative” state. ”She laughs, she cries and she smiles with by intervening in such a private matter and in a dispute the federal and state governments to overturn court those around her,” Hastert asserted. within a family already settled in the courts. decisions and force the feeding tube back into Terri Highly edited videotape showing Schiavo’s various refl exive While calling for a “culture of life” and crying Schiavo. responses was presented by politicians as medical “evidence” that she had cognitive ability. Florida congressman David Weldon, a doctor for 16 years, presented his diagnosis without ever examining the patient, claiming that Schiavo was “not in a persistent vegetative Italian decision to pull troops is electoral ploy state.” Another physician, Congressman Joseph Schwarz, followed suit, claiming “she does have some cognitive ability.” Continued from Page 7 Iraq after Washington, London, and Seoul. Berlusconi The California Medical Association at its annual session, in led invasion of Iraq, U.S. secretary of defense Don- said he told Britain’s prime minister, Anthony Blair, “We which 1,000 delegates set policy for the 35,000 physicians through- ald Rumsfeld appeared on Fox and ABC TV News. need to construct a precise exit strategy, also because out the state, passed an emergency resolution March 21 in response ABC’s “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos asked our publics’ opinions expect this communication.” to the law. It voiced the group’s “outrage at Congress’ interference Rumsfeld what mistakes Washington made during the Blair’s offi ce at Downing Street downplayed Berlus- with medical decisions.” invasion. “Well, the fi rst thing I think I would say and coni’s remarks, saying they had been “misinterpreted.” the most important thing was that had we been suc- According to the BBC, Blair told the House of Com- Right-wing campaign cessful in getting the Fourth Infantry Division to come mons, “Neither the Italian government nor ourselves Rightist forces have organized to demand state intervention in through Turkey in the north when our forces were have set some form of deadline for withdrawal.” in the case. Many of the groups that claim they are defending coming up from the south out of Kuwait, I believe that Asked abut Berlusconi’s remark during a March 16 Terri Schiavo’s life are also vocal opponents of a woman’s right a considerably smaller number of the Baathists and White House press conference, U.S. president George to choose abortion. Bush, in his March 17 statement on the case, the regime elements would have escaped,” Rumsfeld Bush said he had spoken with Berlusconi, who said included a demagogic appeal to these rightists. “It should be our responded. “More would have been captured or killed. “he wanted me to know that there was no change in goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are And as a result, the insurgency would have been at a his policy, that, in fact, any withdrawals would be done valued,” he said, using language that clearly evoked the anti-abor- lesser intensity than it is today.” in consultation with allies and would be done depend- tion movement. ing upon the ability of Iraqis to defend themselves.” Outside the Pinellas Park hospice where Terri Schiavo is receiv- Rome’s electoral maneuver Bush said he asked Berlusconi if he could say that to ing care, about 35 protesters gathered March 19 carrying signs Facing local elections in April, Italy’s premier, Silvio the media, to which the Italian prime minister replied, saying, “Judge Greer: Florida’s Hitler,” “Michael Schiavo: Which Berlusconi, said on a state TV talk show, “Starting with “absolutely.” Wife do You Want Dead?” and “Michael: Give Terri Back to Her the month of September we would like to proceed with “Berlusconi’s decision is aimed at triggering an im- Parents!” a gradual reduction of our soldiers” in Iraq. He added mediate effect in favor of candidates supporting his In the latest public opinion poll conducted by ABC News and that the withdrawal would be tied to progress made in center right coalition, just over two weeks ahead of the Washington Post, 87 percent said they would not want to be training Iraqi government security forces, according to local elections in which some 40 million Italians can kept alive if they were in Schiavo’s condition. On the question on the Associated Press. vote,” the main daily in Milan, Corriere della Serra, who should have the fi nal say over life support in this situation, Italy has the fourth-largest contingent of troops in editorialized. 65 percent said the spouse and 25 percent the parents. 10 The Militant April 4, 2005 Fonseca biography among titles presented at Havana book fair BY MARTÍN KOPPEL counterrevolutionary war. HAVANA— One of the books presented More than 70 people attended the at the Havana International Book Fair in book launching. Pedro Pablo Rodríguez, February was Carlos Fonseca Amador: a prominent Cuban historian, writer, and bajo las banderas del Che y de Sandino editor of the collected works of José Martí (Carlos Fonseca Amador: under the ban- published by the Center for Martí Studies ners of Che and Sandino), by Matilde in Havana, was scheduled to make the main Zimmermann. The Spanish-language title presentation. When he had to travel out of was recently released by Ediciones Cien- the country unexpectedly and could not be cias Sociales, one of the major publishing at the meeting, he left written remarks that houses in Cuba, as part of its expanding were read by Norberto Codina, director of series of biographies of revolutionary fi g- the cultural magazine La Gaceta de Cuba, ures around the world. published by the Cuban Union of Writers The original edition in English, San- and Artists (UNEAC). dinista: Carlos Fonseca and the Nicara- Also on the platform were Zimmermann Militant/Jonathan Silberman guan Revolution, was published by Duke and María del Pilar Díaz Castañón, author University Press in 2000, and the first The Havana International Book Fair, held February 3–13, drew 600,000 people, of the preface to the Cuban edition and a up from 460,000 the previous year. After Havana, the fair went on to 34 other Spanish-language translation came out in professor at the University of Havana. Nicaragua in 2003. cities in Cuba. The biography of Nicaraguan revolutionary leader Carlos Fonseca Above all, “this book explains how Car- was one of the many hundreds of new titles presented. Fonseca, one of the outstanding com- los Fonseca was forged as a revolutionary munist leaders of the 20th century, was the leader,” Díaz Castañón said. central founder and leader of the Sandinista “It shows that without the Cuban Revolu- time, he added, the author writes from workers and farmers against the invasion National Liberation Front (FSLN) until his tion there would have been no Fonseca.” the standpoint of an “unabashed partisan of Nicaragua by U.S. Marines. There, she death in combat in 1976. Under the FSLN’s “I am delighted that finally, after so on the side of the Sandinista revolution.” said, “he read for the fi rst time books like leadership, working people in Nicaragua many years, a book will circulate in Cuba Zimmermann, who teaches Latin American Gregorio Selser’s biography of Sandino. carried out a popular insurrection in 1979 that tells about the deeds of the Sandini- history at Sarah Lawrence College in New In Nicaragua in the 1950s, the only book that overthrew the U.S.-backed Somoza stas,” Rodríguez said in his presentation. York, lived and worked in Nicaragua for a about Sandino was the one written by his dictatorship, established a workers and He noted that only a few titles about this number of years. In 1981–82 she reported assassin, Anastasio Somoza García.” farmers government, and began to take subject have been published in Cuba, most on the unfolding revolution for the Mana- In being won to a communist, working- far-reaching measures in the interests of of them shortly after the revolutionary vic- class perspective, she noted, he broke with the producing majority that earned the ha- gua Bureau of Perspectiva Mundial and tory in Nicaragua a quarter of a century ago the Militant. the politics of the pro-Moscow Socialist tred of capitalists at home and abroad. They and long out of print. Party of Nicaragua, of which he had been mobilized and defeated a U.S.-organized To resist the imperialist offensive in the Political impact of Cuban Revolution a member, and joined with other revolu- world today, Cubans need to know the his- In her remarks, Zimmermann pointed tionaries to establish the FSLN. tory of “our own struggle for social justice to the impact the Cuban Revolution and Sandinista, Zimmermann said, tells the and socialism,” Rodríguez said. And “un- its communist leadership had on revolu- story of the political evolution of Fonseca CALENDAR derstanding Fonseca and the Nicaraguan tionary-minded Nicaraguans of Fonseca’s and of the organization he helped build. revolution means understanding better our generation. “Just weeks after the Cuban By the mid-1980s, however, the FSLN TEXAS own revolution, our dreams, and our reali- victory, Carlos left his university classroom leadership increasingly abandoned the Houston ties.” This is especially important at a time in the city of León and headed for Havana,” proletarian course Fonseca had fought Hear Leonard Weinglass speak on of “a retreat from revolutionary ideas and she said. He and many leaders of the FSLN for, subordinating land reform and the Cuban Five and other civil rights practice in today’s world.” spent considerable time in Cuba over the revolutionary mobilizations of work- cases. Tue. April 5, noon. Thurgood The well-documented Fonseca biog- following years, participating in the popu- ing people to conciliation with sections Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern raphy tells “the historic truth” about this lar mobilizations that consolidated the fi rst of the capitalists and landlords. By the University, Room 202. revolutionary leader and the movement socialist revolution in the Americas, study- time of the 1990 elections, which FSLN he built, Rodríguez noted. At the same ing, receiving military training along with candidate Daniel Ortega, then president millions of Cubans, and getting the medical of Nicaragua, lost to liberal bourgeois care they needed as they recovered from politician Violeta Chamorro, the revolu- wounds received in combat against the tion had been gutted. MILITANT LABOR FORUMS forces of the Somoza dictatorship. For some today, the demise of the Nica- Zimmermann explained that Fonseca was raguan revolution in the late 1980s shows IOWA in Cuba during the October 1962 “missile” “the impossibility of a popular revolution NEW ZEALAND that can open the road to a socialist trans- Des Moines Auckland crisis, when working people mobilized mas- Defend Immigrant Rights—Driver’s formation,” Zimmermann said. The Cuban Revolution, Culture and In- sively to defend their revolution in face of Licenses for All Workers. Speaker: Kevin ternationalism. Hear from participant in U.S. preparations to invade the island. “For me it represents just the opposite.” Dwire, Socialist Workers Party. Fri. April 1 international team staffi ng the Pathfi nder An accurate understanding of the events Dinner 6:30 p.m. Program 7:30 p.m. Dona- Fonseca and his Nicaraguan comrades Press stand at 14th Havana International shows “how a genuine revolution can be tion: $5 dinner, $5 program. 3707 Douglas “witnessed directly the process of transfor- Book Fair in February. Sat. April 2. Dinner victorious if it has adequate leadership.” Ave. (515) 255-1707 mation here [in Havana] during the early 6 p.m. Forum 7 p.m. Donation: Dinner $7; program $3. (09) 276-8885. 7 Mason Ave., years and the inevitable confl icts with U.S. OHIO Otahuhu (upstairs, above laundromat). imperialism,” she said. “The Cuban Revo- Cleveland lution showed young Carlos Fonseca that Political Developments in Venezuela To- Christchurch a popular revolution and a profound social THE MIL I TANT day: The Fight for Land Reform, Educa- The Cuban Revolution, Culture and transformation were possible.” tion, and Health Care. Speaker: Romina Internationalism. Fri. April 1. Program: It was only in Cuba, Zimmermann on line Greeen, Socialist Workers Party. Fri. April 1. 7:00 p.m. ‘The Gloucester Arcade,’ (near added, that Fonseca also began to dis- Dinner 6:30 p.m. Program 7:30 p.m. 11018 the Theatre Royal), 129-131 Gloucester St. (03) 365-6055 cover the revolutionary anti-imperialist Lorain Ave. (216) 688-1190 legacy of Augusto César Sandino, who www.themilitant.com in 1926–34 led the armed resistance by LETTERS Down to earth consciousness that will lift the Venezuela and Scotland in the 19th century the Duchess Glasgow, to seek work. Thank you for being a genuine, world out of the mire. Having The news the Militant has cov- of Sutherland had the county’s in- The Vestey family acquired this down-to-earth example for work- an artist’s disposition made me ered about the progress by peas- habitants “systematically, hunted land from the Sutherlands in the ing people and the downtrodden reserved, content to be outside ants in Venezuela in their struggle and rooted out. All their villages 1930s after they made millions in the world. I’m a senior English the human scene I observed… for land has a signifi cance here in were destroyed and burnt, all their from cattle ranching in Latin major at Penn State who is trying your campaign helped me incor- Scotland. The peasants have oc- fi elds turned into pasturage. Brit- America and a butchers’ chain in to organize a delegation to go to porate social struggle into my cupied part of El Charcote, the ish soldiers enforced this mass of the UK. But as in Venezuela, prog- the 16th World Festival of Youth artistic worldview; I feel more vast 36,000-acre estate owned by evictions, and came to blows with ress by working people is catching and Students. Your publications human, more compassionate, the Vestey family, in their fi ght the inhabitants. One old woman up with them. A consequence of and representatives have changed more connected to the passers- to win control of the land for was burnt to death in the fl ames the “devolution” of Scotland and my life. by I see everyday. themselves. of the hut she refused to leave. It the establishment of the parlia- As a born artist and shy person, I sincerely admire the character The Vesteys are not only one of was in this manner that this fi ne ment here is that land reform I’ve always felt like an outsider; of leadership I’ve encountered in Britain’s wealthiest families but lady appropriated 794,000 acres legislation is giving local people but this past school year, I saw a the SWP, here at Penn State and in also own vast parts of Scotland of land that had belonged to the the right to buy back the land. table in Penn State’s free-speech New York City. Every candidate too. They currently have 100,000 clan from time immemorial.” It Pete Clifford zone that changed my life. I and representative of your party acres in the Scottish highlands in should be added that London’s Edinburgh, Scotland couldn’t believe it—an actual has been genuinely concerned the county of Sutherland. This role in defending this by force social movement campaigning not only of the interests of the puts them in the top 10 landowners was part of the deal of the Act The letters column is an open right before my eyes! Ever since, working class but of the welfare in Scotland, a part of the United of Union with the Scottish aris- forum for all viewpoints on members of the Socialist Workers of humanity. I wish you all the Kingdom where 1,252 people own tocracy to protect their property subjects of interest to working Party and Young Socialists have best in your future struggles and 66 percent of the land. As with the rights in return for the integration people. been in contact with me. As a the assurance that I will do all I land they acquired in Venezuela of Scotland into the development Please keep your letters brief. result, I’ve experienced what can to help. this was also stolen from work- of capitalist Britain. The landless Where necessary they will be Che and Marx meant by the Dan Schwabenbauer ing people. In the fi rst volume of peasants from the highlands were abridged. Please indicate if you “new man,” the revolutionary State College, Pennsylvania Capital, Karl Marx describes how forced into the big cities, such as pre fer that your initials be used

The Militant April 4, 2005 11 Canada farmers fight for livable income In tractorcades and rallies since January, they demand government aid BY JOHN STEELE border to the United States. At the same to 246,293—the fastest drop between cen- years ago in collaboration with a number TORONTO—In response to the depres- time, the slaughterhouse owners are lining suses since 1971. Although it is the small of Conservative Party members of the sion-like conditions they face, thousands their pockets.” farm that is taking the hit—almost half the federal parliament and Ontario provin- of farmers from all corners of Ontario have farms with less than $25,000 in total rev- cial legislature. The OFA, NFU, and the been mobilizing since January to demand Farm income drops enue counted in the last census had disap- Christian Farmers Federation have taken fi nancial support from the provincial and The depth of the farm crisis is an expres- peared by 2001—small farms operated by their distance from Rural Revolution, both federal governments. Using tractors and sion of one side of the opening stages of a families who work the land still comprise because of the group’s central demand for other vehicles, farmers have closed sec- depression in the world capitalist economy. two-thirds of all farms in Canada. federal legislation to protect “property tions of Highway 401 on three occasions Failure to receive adequate and timely aid While farm productivity is rising, so are rights,” and its civil disobedience tactics. and rallied twice at the provincial govern- and support from both the provincial and expenses. As a result, net income for work- The political focus of the March 9 Rural ment buildings at Queen’s Park in down- federal governments has generated a discus- ing farmers is dropping. In 2000 total farm Revolution rally centered on 11 resolutions town Toronto. The “farm income crisis” sion among farmers on how they can effec- revenue across Canada was $38.3 billion. drawn up by the LLA called “legislation to has generated a discussion among farmers tively resist their deteriorating conditions. With operating expenses of $33.2 billion, be tabled and enacted on March 9, 2005.” on the program, tactics, and organization The crisis affects whole communities, farmers had an income of $5.1 billion, A number of Conservative Party politicians necessary to defend their livelihoods. said Julien Papineau, president of the Es- which was less than the $5.5 billion they had promised to bring the resolutions into The biggest mobilization took place sex Federation of Agriculture. “The entire earned in 1995, when revenue was $32.2 bil- the provincial legislature. March 2 when 8,000 farmers responded community is getting involved [in the prepa- lion and expenses reached $26.7 billion. The preamble to the resolutions poses to the call for a “One Voice March” by the rations for the March 2 protest], offering The farm fi nancial survey reported last the struggle of farmers and rural business Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). support and donations, including local December that the 2003 average net agri- people in terms of urban versus rural priori- They arrived at Queen’s Park in tractors and input suppliers, as well as equipment deal- cultural income of $25,311 represented a ties, rather than a struggle for an adequate rented buses. The OFA is the main lobby ers, manufacturers, and fi nancial institution 26 drop percent from the year before. Ac- and stable income for farmers that meets organization of Ontario’s 60,000 farmers. representatives,” Papineau told the March 1 cording to the NFU, real average net farm their costs of production. “Through over- “I’m only farming today because my Voice of the Farmer. “The farming crisis has income—without including government regulation and excessive legislation politi- father farmed,” Eric Hoffer, 33, a tobacco a ripple effect in the community. The spin- subsidies—in 2003 declined to negative cians and bureaucrats have transferred rural farmer from Innerkip in southwestern off is tremendous. When people don’t have $20,000 per farm. wealth and prosperity into the hands of ur- Ontario, told the Militant. “In today’s the money to spend, everyone is affected.” ban monopolies and mega-bureaucracies,” world I wouldn’t be able to start a farm Farmers point out that the crisis affects Rightists dominate Rural Revolution said the declaration, charging the govern- by myself.” Hoffer said he didn’t know if farmers from one end of the country to the Rural Revolution, spearheaded by the ment with “crimes against rural Ontario.” he could survive because tobacco farm- other. For example, Statistics Canada re- Lanark Landowners Association (LLA), The founding declaration of the LLA has ers—whose aid from the Ontario Liberal ports that between 1996 and 2001 the num- which is a coalition of farmers and rural a clear rightist tinge to it, stating: “Using government remains undelivered—receive ber of farms in Canada dropped 11 percent business owners, was formed about two Continued on Page 9 just 10 cents on a pack of cigarettes sold at retail for $7.00. Hundreds of tractors and other farm equipment surrounded the government Quebec students strike against cuts in education buildings in the bitter cold. Signs affi xed BY AIMEE KENDERGIAN to tractors and carried by farmers and their families said: “Off farm jobs are our MONTREAL—On March 16 more than real farm subsidy,” “Farmers need cost of 80,000 university, college, and high school production,” “Average farm income below students and their supporters from across poverty line,” “Corn prices: 1979—$3.09 Quebec poured into the streets of Montreal a bushel. 2005—$2.62 a bushel,” “Ontario to press their demand that the provincial farmers, underpaid, overregulated,” and government reinstate the Can$103 million “Buy Canadian, no more imports.” (Can$1 = US$0.83) of bursaries (grants) it Speakers at the rally represented a range had cut from the education budget last fall. of producers in Ontario’s multi-billion- Several thousand marched in Quebec City dollar-a-year agricultural industry, which the same day in a similar protest. is the second-largest in the province after The demonstrations were the latest in a auto parts and assembly. The industry as a series of actions linked to a student strike whole, including food processing, employs movement that began three weeks ago and 650,000 people, according to the OFA. now involves up to 230,000 secondary and The OFA is demanding immediate post-secondary students. emergency aid of $300 million (Can$1 “We’re on strike because we need a[n edu- = US$0.83) to ensure the planting of the cation] system that’s inexpensive,” Mélanie 2005 crop for grain and oilseeds farmers, Cadieux, a striking student who had also who the farm group says face a 25-year participated in a mass demonstration four low in commodity prices; delivery of the days earlier, told the Militant. “The govern- promised $50 million in transition aid for ment wants a system for those who can pay tobacco farmers; improvements in the Ca- for it. I won’t be able to. I earn only $8,000 a nadian Agriculture Income Stabilization year. They will keep the elite. We have to be (CAIS) program; and financial aid and unifi ed and in solidarity against the injustice compensation for farmers affected by new that will be created. They want people who regulatory laws like the Greenbelt Protec- have the same mentality that they do.” Militant/Sylvie Charbin tion Act, Drinking Water Safety Act, and Tim McSorley, spokesman for the Cana- March 16 protest of 80,000 in Montreal. Strikes have involved 230,000 students. Nutrient Management Act. dian Student Federation, one of the three OFA president Ron Bonnett, a cow-calf student groups organizing the protests, told (FEUQ) and the Federation of Quebec École Polytechnique (the engineering fac- farmer, ended the rally by contrasting the the Toronto Globe and Mail students in Que- College Students (FECQ), which have also ulty) and McGill University graduate stu- Ontario government’s $400 million subsidy bec are trying to set a precedent in forcing a backed strike action and are demanding that dents, often viewed as more conservative, of Casino Windsor along with its recently provincial government to retreat on cuts that the cuts be rescinded. These groups spon- have also voted to support the protests with announced subsidy of $235 million to Gen- others have succeeded in imposing. sored the March 16 actions. CASSÉÉ was one-day strikes. eral Motors to retool its Oshawa assembly Students in Quebec had received more the initiator of the student mobilizations and Teachers with their union flags were plants, and its failure to “invest in 650,000 than 40 per cent of fi nancial aid in bursaries has asked the other associations not to meet part of the latest street protests. Several jobs in agriculture.” and the rest in loans, the Globe and Mail with Fournier unless they are included. The teachers unions are in contract talks with One week later, on March 9, about 700 reported. They had carried a debt load of FEUQ and the FECQ have said they would the provincial government. They have also farmers were again at Queen’s Park, this about half the national average of $25,000, be willing to meet with the minister of educa- been part of a coalition demanding that the time in response to the call of the Rural and their tuition fees of $1,800 per year were tion by themselves, but have insisted that the government stop funding private schools Revolution coalition. the lowest in the country. $103 million cut is not negotiable. and instead put those resources into the “I was born in Belgium, and moved to Quebec premier Jean Charest’s Liberal “We are here to maintain our rights,” public school system. Canada 20 years ago,” grain farmer Michel Party government has been on the defensive said Veronique Pronovost. “We are doing Spokespeople for CASSÉÉ said the Calande told the Militant. on this question. In a February cabinet reshuf- it in a peaceful manner. It’s a shame that struggle is not just about the latest $103 “Twenty years ago I could get $200 for a fl e he replaced the education minister who it’s the violent actions that get the media’s million cut but all the “reforms” of the edu- ton of corn. Now I get $100,” Calande con- had imposed the latest cuts. On March 15, the attention.” She explained that she and her cation system. “The perspective is for free tinued. “I come from a family of farmers. new minister, Jean Marc Fournier, offered to friends had written a letter to the media and education and the abolition of the student Farming is essential. What’s happened in put $29 million back into bursaries,. had obtained 1,000 signatures within the last debt,” said a representative of the group. Canada is terrible. Knowledge is transmit- In a ploy to divide and conquer, Fournier few days and yet no newspaper had printed Among other “reforms” students oppose ted from one generation to another. School has said he would not meet with the Coalition it. The letter quotes the offi cial web site of is the government’s attempt to decentralize can’t replace what real experience on the of the Association of Student Union Soli- the governing party: “In social matters, the the college system. Pierre-Olivier Paquin land teaches you. The world needs to know darity and Allies (CASSÉÉ). He demanded basic principle laid down by Liberals allows told the Militant he would lose one year of the situation we are living through.” that the group condemn some of the student for no misunderstanding. Economic growth college if he transfers from Sherbrooke to “Because of the diffi cult situation we are occupations of government buildings, which should not occur at the expense of the most Montreal, as he plans. “I’m against all the facing, and the lack of slaughterhouses, I had caused some property damage during disadvantaged members of society.” budget cuts,” he added. “Health and educa- had to sell a cow for $1.56,” said Terry, a police repression against the protesters. Students at the English-language Con- tion should be the priorities. I heard on TV cattle farmer. “We are stuck with old cows Fournier said he is willing to meet with the cordia University voted to strike for one that 68,257 patients are waiting for surgeries because they are banned from crossing the Federation of Quebec University Students day on March 16. University of Montreal’s only in Quebec! It’s deplorable!”

12 The Militant April 4, 2005