Amenazas contra Irán 12

workers.org Feb. 2, 2012 Vol. 54, No. 4 $1 In San Francisco, thousands say Put banks on trial!

By Bill Bowers San Francisco ARIZONA bigots ban books 8 Thousands of demonstrators came out Jan. 20 to “ Wall Street West” to mark the second anni- versary of the Supreme Court Citizens United deci- sion. This ruling called campaign contri- Martin Luther King butions “free speech” and claimed corporations were “people,” thus increasing the already overwhelming Day of struggle 6 power of the rich over politicians. Black History 2012 In response, the around the country demonstrated at federal courthouses. Oc- cupy San Francisco decided to target Wall Street SOPA-PIPA West, the complex housing the local head offices of 2 the major banks and financial institutions that rule Internet strike the country. Demonstrators held a series of actions at different financial institutions, including a at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Roe v. Wade

Siege of Wells Fargo, BofA Year 39 5 At least 250 people took the street as Occupy activ- ists chained themselves to all four entrances of a large Wells Fargo bank branch. People chanted, “Banks got ‘Gay families matter’ 5 bailed out, we got sold out!” and — if you replace the WISCONSIN 3 X with “jobs,” “schools,” “health care,” etc. — “We LeiLani Dowell, Workers World Party. WW PHOTO: BRYAN G. PFEIFER need X, make the banks pay!” A group marched from Wells Fargo to the Im- migration and Customs Enforcement office nearby. They denounced the Obama administration’s depor- tation of immigrant workers and their families as well as Wells Fargo’s investment in constructing private prisons and holding pens. Meanwhile, another group put an office of under siege, holding up a big banner and chanting, “Bank of America, bad for America!” Of course, the bank is based in the U.S., but it is un- doubtedly bad for the entire hemisphere. Occupy ac- tivists also chained themselves to the doors. The BofA deserved more than just a siege, so the NORTH CAR0LINA 3 99% decided to hold a peoples’ trial with the big WW PHOTO 6 bank facing charges. About 400 people witnessed as PENNSYLVANIA Donna Dewitt, president South Carolina AFL-CIO, speaking. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE foreclosed homeowners detailed BofA’s and Fannie Gwen Ivey, Phila. Postal Workers Union. Mae’s manipulations and deceits when first offering and then foreclosing on mortgages. The main chant after each testimony was “Give the deed back!” which was repeated continually. Bank of America and Wells Fargo have foreclosed on more people in San Francisco than any other mortgage-holders. The mostly African-American and Latino/a communities of Mission, Bayview and Ex- celsior have been hit especially hard. At midday more than 1,000 people took to the streets and marched through the Financial District, Continued on page 7

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TUNISIA 11 SOMALIA 9 AFGHANISTAN 11 Page 2 Feb. 2, 2012 workers.org

Fighting censorship, repression WORKERS WORLD this week ... Internet strike stalls ‘piracy’ laws  In the U.S. Put banks on trial! ...... 1 By Greg Buttereld under the control of private companies and individuals. Internet strike stalls ‘piracy’ laws ...... 2 A massive Internet strike closed down websites large The case in question involved millions of works first pub- Coalition sets demonstrations for DNC...... 3 lished abroad from 1923 to 1989. and small on Jan. 18 in opposition to two bills in the U.S. WWP leader speaks, racist Tea Party ...... 3 The public domain is not “a category of constitutional Congress that would tighten corporate domination of the One million say: ‘Recall Gov. Scott Walker’ ...... 3 Web and increase censorship. significance,” the court majority ruled. (New York Times, Transport union ghts for fair contract...... 4 The bills, known by their acronyms SOPA and PIPA Jan. 18) The decision opens the door to further re-priva- (the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual tization, a long sought-after goal of the corporate enter- Pa. teachers strike for contract ...... 4 Property Act), are backed by the money and influence of tainment juggernaut. LGBTQ protesters: ‘Gay families matter!’ ...... 5 the massive U.S. corporate entertainment industry, in- FBI repression as ACTA looms Defending legal abortion on 39th anniversary ...... 5 cluding the Motion Picture Association of America and Women, Civil Rights and the struggle ahead ...... 6 The mounting battle for Internet freedom must be the Recording Industry Association of America. Rally honors MLK’s labor legacy...... 6 Besides targeting individual Web users, the legislation seen in the context of the global uprising against capital- People’s Assembly continues Dr. King’s legacy...... 6 is seen as taking aim at countries like China and Russia, ist austerity. From Tahrir Square to Occupy Wall Street, which have resisted U.S. corporate domination of their this upsurge of class struggle has used the Internet as a Newark community group protests ...... 7 domestic Internet services and copyright laws. tool to mobilize millions into action against the wealthy Workers, supporters ‘occupy’ NYC cafe ...... 7 The bills seemed headed for easy passage in Congress. and powerful. Anti-Mexican Studies bigots now banning books ...... 8 While the current legislative battle is couched in the But the political climate is changing, and as word spread Feb. 4 anti-war actions vs. imperialist threats to Iran ...... 10 language of copyright law, the potential of SOPA and of the censorship bills, mass opposition mounted quickly. Occupy takes on the banks -- and wins! ...... 10 The corporate-owned media focused attention on the its ilk to be used to repress online political activity and shutdown of Wikipedia and half-hearted protests by speech is staggering. On Jan. 19 — just a day after the massive Internet strike tech-industry-dominated sites like Google and Amazon. Around the world But the strike’s real strength came from the millions of — the U.S. government retaliated and shut down the Web users in the U.S. and around the world who partici- popular file-sharing site MegaUpload. The site’s founder Rally supports locked-out Caterpillar workers ...... 4 pated by calling Congress and the White House, holding and several associates were arrested in New Zealand. Historic strike halts Panama Canal expansion ...... 8 File-sharing sites are used not only to download mov- rallies and educational meetings, replacing their pages U.S.-backed armies try to subdue Somalia...... 9 ies and music — much of it in the public domain or with for the day with pro-strike information, or just staying Haiti prison guard trial ends in surprise conviction ...... 9 off the Internet altogether. artists’ approval — but also as an easy way to share politi- U.S.-led ‘coalition’ shows cracks ...... 11 On the micro-blogging platform Tumblr, to give just cal materials over the Web. Anniversary of Tunisian uprising ...... 11 one example, some 650,000 users reportedly joined the MegaUpload’s homepage is now plastered with fascis- strike, shutting down their personal blog pages for 24 tic FBI and Department of Justice logos. The FBI attack Global Day honors Egyptian revolution ...... 11 hours. (Tumblr Staff blog, Jan. 20) has had a chilling effect: FileSonic, a similar site, has shut The show of Internet-user strength won a temporary down its file-sharing capabilities, and others are expect- Editorials victory: Congress declared an indefinite delay to voting ed to follow suit. Elections? Stay in the streets ...... 10 on SOPA and PIPA. The online protest group Anonymous in turn respond- But this struggle is only beginning. ed by hacking the homepages of the FBI, the DOJ and  Noticias En Español entertainment industry giants. The 1% demand Web domination Waiting in the wings is ACTA — the Anti-Counter- Amenazas contra Irán ...... After years of piecemeal attacks on Internet users for feiting Trade Agreement — a secret international trade so-called piracy — that is, the free sharing of culture and agreement backed by both the Bush and Obama admin- information — a major section of the U.S. and global rul- istrations, and about to go before the European Parlia- ing class seems intent on carrying out a full-court press ment for approval. Workers World to wrangle wholesale control of the Web for the profi- Some details of the agreement have been leaked. If 55 West 17 Street teers in the name of “intellectual property rights.” enacted, ACTA would force Internet service providers New York, N.Y. 10011 The government/media propaganda message is that to closely monitor individuals’ Internet use and report Phone: 212.627.2994 these laws are meant to protect artists’ and inventors’ suspected “copyright infringement” to governments and E-mail: [email protected] rights. But the only ones they benefit are the 1% — huge copyright holders. Web: www.workers.org transnational corporations that have stolen people’s ideas Under ACTA, people traveling across borders could Vol. 54, No. 4 • Feb. 2, 2012 and creations for decades in the name of megaprofits. be subject to having their laptops, phones, music players Closing date: Jan. 24, 2012 The corporations’ message is sheer hypocrisy. Their and other personal electronic devices searched for “pi- Editor: Deirdre Griswold entire capitalist system is built upon piracy, stolen labor rated” content. Technical Editor: Lal Roohk and resources, and cultural appropriation. With these two provisions alone, the potential for po- Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, As millions of websites were shut down in protest litical repression against anti-capitalists or anyone op- Leslie Feinberg, Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead, of SOPA and PIPA, the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 18 posing injustice is enormous. Gary Wilson joined in the attack on free expression and culture and Online activists are now working to spread the word West Coast Editor: John Parker ruled 6-2 that works of writing, art and music long in about ACTA and mount a new protest campaign prior to Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe, the public domain could be re-copyrighted — that is, put the European vote. Greg Butterfield, Jaimeson Champion, G. Dunkel, Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales, Berta Joubert-Ceci, Cheryl LaBash, LOW-WAGE CAPITALISM Milt Neidenberg, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Betsey Piette, What the new globalized high-tech imperialism means Minnie Bruce Pratt, Gloria Rubac for the class struggle in the U.S. Technical Staff: Sue Davis, Shelley Ettinger, An easy-to-read book analyzing the roots of the current global economic crisis, its implications for workers and oppressed Bob McCubbin, Maggie Vascassenno peoples, and the strategy needed for future struggle. Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez, Pamphlet and book are available at www.LowWageCapitalism. Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Michael Martínez, org and www.workers.org/books and www.amazon.com Carlos Vargas Order ‘Capitalism at a Dead End’ pamphlet from Workers World Supporter Program: Sue Davis, coordinator 55 W. 17 St., 5C, NY, NY 10011$2 (plus $1 shipping) Copyright © 2011 Workers World. Verbatim copying and join us distribution of articles is permitted in any medium with- join us National O ce Bualo, N.Y. Durham, N.C. Pittsburgh out royalty provided this notice is preserved. Workers World Party 55 W. 17 St. 367 Delaware Ave. 331 W. Main St., Ste. 408 [email protected] Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published weekly (WWP) ghts for New York, NY 10011 Bualo, NY 14202 Durham, NC 27701 Rochester, N.Y. except the first week of January by WW Publishers, socialism and engages 212.627.2994 716.883.2534 919.322.9970 585.436.6458 55 W. 17 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10011. 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By Ben Carroll health care, housing and all human needs, Wall Street of the South Dewitt spoke about why workers should be Charlotte, N.C. not for war and incarceration!” and “Jus- Coalition organizers call Charlotte “the mobilizing to protest at the DNC. tice for immigrants and all oppressed Wall Street of the South.” With the world “Located in the Deep South of historical When the Democratic National Con- peoples! Stop the raids and deportations!” headquarters of Bank of America and the struggles for civil, worker, immigrant and vention meets in Charlotte, N.C., in Sep- At the press conference, held during eastern headquarters of Wells Fargo, it human rights, North Carolina, like other tember, there will be thousands of people the week commemorating Dr. Martin Lu- has the second largest concentration of Southern states, continues the competition from across the country in the streets to ther King Jr., representatives from many finance capital in the U.S., behind New to underbid other Southern states to attract raise demands for jobs and justice on the organizations explained why they will be York City. Both banks are notorious for corporations that locate to the South for world stage. demonstrating. foreclosing homes, holding huge amounts lower wages and exploitation of workers. That’s what the Coalition to Protest at “We’re here to demand an end to the of student loans, bankrolling the prison- … Elected officials of both major parties the DNC announced at its first press confer- war on Black people, here and in Africa industrial complex, and funding environ- have followed the practices of the corporate ence Jan. 19, held outside the Time Warner — from police brutality and mass incar- mental destruction, among many other world in their bid to protect the rich and Cable Arena in Charlotte, where the con- ceration, to AFRICOM [the United States crimes against our communities. deny the working families of our country.” vention will be held Sept. 3-6. More than Africa Command] and proxy wars across North Carolina is also the least union- Concluding the press conference, Ana three dozen labor, anti-war, civil rights, an- the African continent,” said Efia Nwan- ized state in the U.S., with a Jim Crow- Maria Reichenbach, with the University ti-foreclosure, immigrants rights, student gaza, founder and director of the Malcolm era law still on the books that bans public of North Carolina-Chapel Hill chapter of and youth organizations, and many promi- X Center for Self-Determination. workers from collectively bargaining. Vir- Students for a Democratic Society, gave nent activists from across North Carolina, Nwangaza continued, slamming the ginia is the only other state with this ban. a spirited talk calling on young people the South and the U.S. have joined together Democratic Party for their “silence on the In both cases, Democrats enacted the bans to come to Charlotte this September. to initiate this coalition. depression-level, African-American un- and have done nothing about them since. “Working-class youth of this country find They are united behind demands for employment,” for taking no action to stop Donna Dewitt, president of the South our prospects of attending higher educa- “Good jobs for all! Economic justice now racist predatory lending and home fore- Carolina AFL-CIO, raised that city work- tion diminished as tuition continues to – make the banks and corporations pay closures, and for the continued imprison- ers in Charlotte have been fighting for years rise. We’re forced to go deeper into debt for their crisis!” “Money for education, ment of political prisoners. just to win the basic right of dues deduction. with student loans. “Unemployment rates are soaring and those jobs available fail to provide us with living wages. … We are rising up because WWP leader denounces racist Tea Party we have the right to a dignified life and because we refuse to be a lost generation By Bryan G. Pfeifer of jobless, uneducated people. We are ris- Milwaukee ing up because this two-party system has Milwaukee failed to meet our needs.” LeiLani Dowell, Workers World Party Following the example of other cities leader and WW managing editor, visited that have hosted political conventions, Wisconsin Jan. 20-22 to participate in the Charlotte is preparing to pass restrictive ongoing people’s uprising sparked by the new ordinances regulating demonstra- state capitol in February 2011 tions. They have denied every request by and Occupy Wall Street. the Coalition to Protest at the DNC for “We realize the occupation in Madison permits to march, and have told organiz- was a spark for Occupy Wall Street and ers that the DNC has reserved every park many of the occupations that have hap- in the city the weeks prior to, during and pened, and we’ve been inspired by all of after the convention. Coalition organizers the struggles since then. It was great to have vowed to fight the city for the right to meet some of the amazing activists, amaz- protest during the DNC. ing women who are doing things, and Organizations including Occupy move- other people in the communities who are At forum at Center Street ments across the country are already really fighting back,” Dowell told WW. Library Milwaukee; LeiLani planning to mobilize to be in the streets Dowell first participated in a women’s Dowell, second from right. of Charlotte during the DNC. For more WW PHOTO: BRYAN G. PFEIFER meeting in Milwaukee’s African-American information on the Coalition to Protest at community, meeting many women fight- After participating in the counterpro- Contact Milwaukee Workers World at the DNC and to find out how your organi- ers. From there she met numerous activ- test, a member of the Wisconsin Bail [email protected]. zation can join, visit protestdnc.org. ists and leaders engaged in many anti- Out the People Movement and a mem- capitalist, anti-racist forms of struggle. She ber of Workers World Party waded into also met leaders from the lesbian, gay, bi- the crowd to the front of the stage and One million say: sexual, transgender and queer community. unfurled a banner that read: “Stop Rac- On Jan. 21, Dowell was the featured ist Anti-Worker Assaults, Recall Walker/ speaker at a Milwaukee Workers World Jobs Now, Make Banks Pay!” that com- ‘Recall Gov. Scott Walker’ Party Forum, “Occupy For Socialist Revo- pletely disrupted the right-wing rally. lution,” at the Center Street Library, an The progressive activists were sur- African-American community institution. rounded by the racists, who tried to rip the Later on, a robust discussion took place banner and assault them, but the activists with the multinational crowd focusing held their ground for a few moments lon- on socialism and the need for oppressed ger before departing. They made the point people to have their self-determination that right-wing racists of any stripe will respected by progressive and revolution- be directly confronted wherever they are. ary movements. Many Workers World While on the sidewalk counterprotest- Party newspapers and literature were dis- ing, Dowell and another sister of African- tributed and sold. American descent resisted racist slurs by “The meeting was a great success. It is Tea Party-types. really exciting that socialism was raised Dowell and the rest of the delegation re- in the title of the event and reflects that turned to Milwaukee to visit members of people are interested in socialism now in Occupy Milwaukee, Decolonize The Hood the United States, including in Wiscon- and Occupy Riverwest, among others. sin,” said Dowell. “I’m so impressed by the people. There After the Jan. 21 meeting a delegation, is a high interest in socialism, which is including Dowell, went to Wauwatosa, great, but also a real level of openness just west of Milwaukee, to join a labor- around struggle, raising issues such as community-student counterprotest of a self-determination, and particularly the Tea Party/Republican Party rally of a few women of color we met raising their is- At Milwaukee Area Technical College Jan. 17 WW PHOTO: BRYAN G. PFEIFER thousand. The right-wing racist recruit- sues. I’m really impressed by the dia- ment rally was in opposition to the Recall logue that’s going on in Wisconsin to- On Jan. 17, after 60 days of poor the Tea Party. This blow to the right-wing Walker movement in Wisconsin. This ward building real, true solidarity. We and working people working tirelessly governor was celebrated in statewide ral- movement announced on Jan. 17 that it thank Wisconsin for the struggle. It’s so throughout Wisconsin, it was announced lies, with a thousand-strong celebration in had gathered 1 million petition signatures important, and it really motivates all of that 1 million petition signatures had been Madison and a large rally at the Milwau- to recall the union-busting Wisconsin us in New York, around the country and gathered to recall the anti-union, anti- kee Area Technical College (pictured.) governor. around the world,” Dowell concluded. worker Gov. Scott Walker, a darling of — Report & photo by Bryan G. Pfeifer Page 4 Feb. 2, 2012 workers.org Transport union ghts for fair contract

By G. Dunkel ing the first three years. The other is from tion to the press before it gave it to the were fined two days’ pay for each day they New York City the union for raises matching inflation. union bargaining team on Jan. 19. The were out, plus the wages they lost because The MTA is also pushing for major union then suspended negotiations be- they didn’t work. Transport Workers Union Local 100 concessions from the workers: five un- cause the MTA’s publicizing its position The union president at the time went represents 34,000 bus and subway work- paid vacation days; to have on staff bus violated the procedures that both sides to jail. All the elected leadership of the lo- ers who move over 3 million New Yorkers drivers who work only part time; station had set up previously. cal could have been imprisoned, although every workday. As its contract expired on cleaners working at two different pay they weren’t. Jan. 15, the union held a rally that evening rates, that is, two tiers; higher co-pays State persecuted union The International Labor Organization, to both mark the Martin Luther King Jr. for the workers’ health insurance; and In 2005, TWU Local 100 challenged a U.N. agency which seeks to protect hu- birthday anniversary and to press for a changes to overtime rules that would cost the anti-union Taylor Law, which outlaws man and labor rights, declared on Nov. new contract. workers $8 million a year. strikes by public workers, by striking for 28, that the state of New York’s treat- According to TWU Local 100’s Face- The MTA has taken the position that if 60 hours. The state government imposed ment of TWU Local 100 was a violation book page, there are only two wage pro- TWU workers want a raise in wages, they draconian penalties on the union: the of ILO Convention No. 87 on the “Free- posals on the table. The one from the boss- have to pay for it by giving up other ben- fines, prohibition of dues check-off and dom of Association and the Protection of es, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, efits. The union considers this totally un- other penalties were so severe that the the Right to Organize” and called on the offers a five-year contract with 0-0-0-2-2 acceptable. union had to sell its headquarters to pay state to rescind the penalties and make percent increases each year, that is, noth- The MTA released its bargaining posi- them; the individual workers who struck the union and its members whole. Pa. teachers strike for contract

By Joe Piette Philadelphia

Teachers in Neshiminy, Pa., returned to their classrooms on Jan. 20, ending their strike, which had begun 11 days earlier. After almost four years of fruit- less bargaining and working without any wage increases or a new contract since 2008, the 654 members of the Neshiminy Federation of Teachers had enough and began picketing. The NFT has made six contract pro- posals to the Neshiminy School District on wages, health care contributions, and teachers’ input on curriculum and class sizes in the 7,000-student district. Using union-busting tactics, the NSD has refused to bargain in good faith, even refusing sig- nificant givebacks from the teachers. Ted Kirsch, president of the American Federation of Teachers, Pennsylvania, ex- plained the union’s position, “This board has refused to take ‘yes’ for an answer on financial concessions from teachers.” WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE Striking teachers returned to work. But they’re still angry. Instead of negotiating, management terminated health insurance for the strik- Ritchie Webb “suspended, subject to According to 1992 Pennsylvania Act 88, if bargaining continues to be deadlocked. ers during the work stoppage. That cost permanent termination,” assistant bas- students are required to have 180 days of The teachers returned to work angry teachers about $450 for a single subscrib- ketball coaches Russell Selger and Bryan instruction by June 15 of each year. By re- because they’re working without a con- er to about $1,100 for family coverage. McGinty for refusing to cross picket lines. turning to work on Jan. 20, the NFT has tract. They seem determined to strike In addition, School Board president (Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 19) an option to walk out again in the spring again if necessary. ‘No 50 percent wage cut’ Rally supports locked-out Caterpillar workers

By Martha Grevatt Postal Workers, the Food and Commer- They renamed it Electro-Motive Diesel Times proclaimed “management can bring London, Ontario, Canada cial Workers, the Amalgamated Transit and in five years cut the workforce from even a union so mighty and rich as the Union and the Federation of Secondary 1,650 to 450. Then, Caterpillar’s wholly- United Automobile Workers to its knees.” Four hundred and fifty members of Ca- School Teachers of Ontario. Thousands owned subsidiary, Progress Rail Services Inside the plants, workers remained nadian Auto Workers Local 27 have been of CAW members came from around the Corporation, bought EMD for $800 mil- militant and defiant, sporting pro-union locked out by Caterpillar since Jan. 1. The province, including 600 from Windsor. lion with the support of Canadian Conser- t-shirts, hats, buttons and armbands and lockout was the company’s response when The crowd cheered for the representa- vative prime minister, Stephen Harper. chanting at work — for which discipline workers rejected demands for an immedi- tive of , which has been Caterpillar, the world’s largest earth- was frequently meted out. There were ate pay cut from $35 to $16.50 an hour, supporting the locked-out workers from moving equipment company, has a repu- eight wildcat strikes in the next two and major cuts in benefits and the gutting of day one. Local 27 President Tim Carrie tation for union busting. In the 1980s, a half years. In-plant “work-to-rule” slow- the pension plan. thanked Occupy London for being on the the company began aggressively stream- down tactics were employed with some Caterpillar, number 44 on the Fortune picket lines, helping feed the picketers lining operations. By 1991, 30 percent of success, but the company was intransi- 500 list of the wealthiest corporations, and setting up its tents outside the gates. the workforce had been cut and only one- gent. By June of 1994, the strike was on made a record $4 billion in profits last U.S. labor representatives included quarter of Caterpillar workers were still again. year and paid out a record $70 million to Roger Zaczyk, president of United Electri- members of the United Auto Workers. Production continued with salaried their seven top executives. cal and Machine Workers Local 506. UE That year, the company demanded con- employees and scabs, and in December The locked-out workers are fighting Local 506 represents workers at the Erie, cessions, including health benefit cuts 1995, the UAW suspended the second back and they are not alone. A Jan. 21 Pa., locomotive plant of General Electric. and a two-tier pay scale. In November, Caterpillar strike. Workers rejected a support rally called by the Ontario La- Zaczyk said GE tried to force concessions the workers were walking picket lines. new, concessionary agreement by 80 per- bor Federation drew 15,000 from across on the UE recently and he was in London The strike had widespread sympathy. cent. Working without a contract, work- the province and beyond. “If Caterpillar to defend good jobs for all. Support rallies drew tens of thousands. ers were frequently disciplined for minor wants a fight,” said OLF President Sid The UAW-sponsored “Adopt-a-Striker” offenses. In 1998 — after a six-and-a- Ryan, “we’re ready to go.” Caterpillar’s anti-union history program raised $1 million. Caterpil- half-year fight — workers at Caterpillar Workers from a broad cross section From its opening in 1949 until 2005, lar workers in apartheid South Africa reluctantly accepted a six-year contract. of public as well as private sector unions the Ontario, Canada, plant was part of the stopped work for an hour in solidarity. It was the first UAW contract with a per- came out for the Caterpillar workers. Electro-Motive Division of General Mo- The UAW abruptly halted the strike af- manent two-tier pay scale. Unions represented included the Steel- tors. In 2005, GM sold the distressed di- ter the company threatened to hire perma- Aware of Caterpillar’s sordid history, workers, the Canadian Union of Pub- vision to hedge funds Greenbriar Equity nent replacements. Citing that threat as workers at the Jan. 21 rally loudly chant- lic Employees, the Canadian Union of and Berkshire Partners for $200 million. “Caterpillar’s trump card,” the New York ed, “Not this time!” and they meant it. workers.org Feb. 2, 2012 Page 5 MICHIGAN LGBTQ protesters: ‘Gay families matter!’

By Martha Grevatt “We’re residents of the state of Michi- The Civil Service Commission then Colorado unconstitutional. Lansing, Mich. gan. We deserve the same rights as hetero- ruled that a state employee could choose There are at least three other bigoted sexual families,” added Curtis Lipscomb, an individual living with them — a part- bills that may be voted on this year in In Michigan, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, executive director of KICK, a Detroit or- ner, family member or housemate — to Michigan. Senate Bill 518 forces state transgender and queer community is fed ganization for LGBTQ African Americans. put on their insurance plan. A majority of universities to allow students in psychol- up. LGBTQ people are mad at right-wing Also represented at the rally were the state legislature voted against the Civil ogy and counseling programs to refuse legislators and the support they are get- LGBTQ centers from the Michigan cit- Service ruling but lacked the supermajor- to counsel LGBTQ students. House Bill ting from Gov. Rick Snyder. ies of Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, ity needed to overturn it. 4089 blocks gender reassignment surgery More than 150 people rallied outside Ann Arbor and Saginaw; the Ruth Ellis The latest bill is a mean-spirited attack in prisons and other state institutions. the State House in Lansing on Jan. 19 to Center for LGBTQ youth in Detroit; and on LGBTQ municipal and county workers Agema has introduced a new bill that deliver a message: “Gay Families Matter.” the statewide civil rights group, Equality after the right wing could not take ben- eliminates the Healthy Michigan Fund The protest was organized by a coalition Michigan. efits away at the state level. Initiative for HIV prevention and care, of LGBTQ community centers around the When Snyder exited the building, he The same state legislature refused making Michigan also ineligible for fed- state, after Snyder signed a bill making it waved but maintained his distance from to pass an anti-bullying bill to protect eral funds for these programs. illegal for any public employer to provide the rally. He was loudly booed, and so was schoolchildren from abuse based on cat- The right-wing attacks on the LGBTQ domestic partner benefits. the bill’s sponsor, Republican State Rep. egories including race, religion, sex and community are anti-union and anti-dem- Zachary Bauer, executive director of the Dave Agema. Protesters followed Agema sexual orientation. In other states, where ocratic. It is now illegal for public unions Kalamazoo, Mich., Gay and Lesbian Re- down the street, chanting “Gay families policies “enumerated” specific types of to negotiate equal benefits. The right of a source Center, explained that 60 percent matter!” Agema complained on Facebook discrimination, student complaints de- local community to ban discrimination is of the voters of Kalamazoo voted to give of being “swarmed with gay men scream- creased. threatened. domestic partner benefits to city workers. ing hate at me.” Michigan was one of five states that had Meanwhile, Michigan Public Act Four The bill overturns this progressive vote. no anti-bullying statute until a weakened allows Snyder to appoint an “emergency “They took away your voice,” said Bauer. Right wing targets LGBTQ community law passed last year without enumera- manager” to take over a city, county or “Anytime that someone works to deny Last year, the right wing failed to strip tion. The bill removed previous language school board, stripping power from elect- the rights of a group — rights that they state employees of domestic partner that actually contained an exception for ed governments. The EM can break union enjoy — they are a moral hypocrite,” said benefits. An anti-same sex marriage bill bullying driven by religious conviction. contracts, privatize schools and sell pub- David Garcia, executive director of the passed by Michigan voters was used to The LGBTQ movement in Michigan lic assets, but must fulfill debt obligations. Detroit-area community center, Affirma- try to take away these negotiated health will try to stop the state legislature from So far, most cities under receivership are tions. “I am a gay father. My son lives with care benefits. The right wing said granting passing House Bill 5039, which would majority African-American. me. I am a Mexican-American. My son is equal benefits treats same-sex relation- overturn local civil rights ordinances that Activists at the demonstration on Jan. being raised by many aunts, uncles and ships as the equivalent of heterosexual prohibit anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The 19 eagerly signed the petitions to repeal cousins. Rick Snyder is a moral hypocrite.” marriage and is therefore illegal. U.S. Supreme Court ruled a similar bill in Public Act 4. Challenges, opportunities for pro-choice movement Defending legal abortion on 39th anniversary

By Sue Davis Planned Parenthood — were not passed by the Senate. The pro-choice movement is marching On Jan. 20, the Obama administra- for reproductive justice on the 39th an- tion announced that the vast majority of niversary of the Supreme Court decision health insurance plans must provide con- legalizing abortion. But not only in the traceptives for women free of charge. It streets. also rejected a broad exemption, lobbied More than 50 national groups sup- for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic porting women’s health and rights have Bishops, which would have denied fam- coalesced behind a “Trust Women Week ily-planning coverage to all employees National Online March,” scheduled to run (regardless of their religious affiliation) at from Jan. 20 through Jan. 27. Support- Catholic hospitals, colleges and charities. ers are signing an online petition posted The National Network of Abortion by MoveOn to send a strong message to Funds, with more than 100 local affiliates members of Congress and state governors which help fund poor women’s access to and legislators that they are demanding abortion, is building a coalition to expand reproductive health, rights and justice. its fight to overturn the Hyde Amend- (moveon.org) ment. That ended federal Medicaid cov- This national tactic was adopted to erage for poor women seeking abortions WW PHOTO: JOHN CATALINOTTO in 1976. NNAF also runs the George Tiller counter the unprecedented attacks in Washington, D.C., 2004. Thousands of young women march to defend right to abortion. 2011 on legal, safe, accessible abortion at Memorial Abortion Fund, set up on May all levels of government. In a political cli- tion in 2011. Currently 19 states mandate est blow was when the anti-choice forces 31, 2009, the day the heroic abortion pro- mate where each Republican presidential preoperative counseling that includes picketed the opening day of school that vider was gunned down in his Wichita, candidate is trying to show he’s more an- false information about the health con- Stave’s 11-year-old daughter attends and Kan., church. ti-abortion than the next guy, pro-choice sequences of abortions; 25 have 24-hour were there again on Open School Night. After Tiller was murdered, his clinic supporters anticipate that 2012 will see preoperative waiting periods; and 33 was closed. But recently Julie Burkhart Fightback launched to stop attacks many more attacks. states offer no Medicaid coverage for poor — inspired by Dr. Tiller, whose motto So they’re kicking off this year with a women, who are disproportionately wom- To counter these attacks, pro-choice was “Trust Women” — set up the Trust united pro-choice message. Petition sign- en of color, young and live in rural com- legal organizations like the Center for Re- Women PAC. Through it Burkhart is rais- ers can choose various slogans to express munities. productive Rights turned back anti-choice ing $500,000 to open The Family Health their politics. Among them are “I trust Violence continues. On New Year’s laws in several states. A broad coalition, Service Center: A Trust Women Facility women and I vote,” “Reproductive rights Day, a firebomb damaged a clinic in Pen- headed by Mississippians for Healthy in Wichita in Dr. Tiller’s memory. are human rights” and “We are the 99%. sacola, Fla. Clinic providers, staff and pa- Families, stopped passage of a “person- In addition to Trust Women Week, the Fix the economy, and stop the attacks on tients — regardless of what kind of repro- hood” amendment in that state. If passed, pro-choice movement needs to join with women’s health.” ductive health care they are seeking — are it would have given all the rights of a liv- others fighting for rights for the 99% in On Jan. 22-23, pro-choice activists took subject to daily harassment. ing person to a fertilized egg — restrict- 2012. As longtime reproductive rights to real streets to express these sentiments For example, after Todd Stave, who ing all abortions, outlawing many types of journalist and activist Eleanor J. Bader and others. Demonstrations were held in owns Germantown Reproductive Health birth control and possibly criminalizing concludes in her article in the Winter New York; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Services in Maryland, hired Dr. LeRoy some complications from pregnancy. 2012 issue of On The Issues Magazine, Little Rock, Ark.; and Washington, D.C. Carhart, a longtime abortion provider in After intense pro-choice actions, both “The only solution is radical, bold action and thousands of supporters attended ac- Nebraska, to do first- and second-trimes- online and in the streets, three bills — sit-ins, civil disobedience and mass tivities in cities across the country. ter abortions last spring, the clinic was passed by the House of Representatives — demonstrations — in defense of liberty, subjected to a week-long protest by Op- one mandating that a hospital could let a justice and gender equality.” Legal restrictions mount eration Rescue in August. The condo as- woman die rather than perform an abor- Statistics are from Bader’s ar- amid violence, harassment sociation from which the clinic has rented tion, another for a federal ban on insur- ticle, “Anti-Abortion Harassment and The Guttmacher Institute tallied 92 space for 19 years was deluged with de- ance coverage for abortions, and another ­Violence­Still­Stifle­Access,”­www.­ state laws that limited access to abor- mands to cancel the lease. But the low- ending federal Medicaid payments to ontheissuesmagazine.com. Page 6 Feb. 2, 2012 workers.org DETROIT MLK DAY Women, Civil Rights and the struggle ahead By Abayomi Azikiwe the featured speakers. SNCC ing delegates to the national AFL-CIO an- paid in order to vote. Detroit was considered the most mili- nual MLK weekend conference in Detroit, “The main task of the ‘emergency man- tant organization of the period who joined in as an act of solidarity and ager’ is to make sure that the banks and For the ninth consecutive that grew out of the Southern unity. The march also had the support of bondholders get paid, period. The EM has year, the Detroit Dr. Martin struggle to end legalized segre- area students and a socialist contingent of no accountability to the citizens of the city Luther King Jr. Day Rally and gation and disenfranchisement. youth chanting anti-capitalist slogans. it manages, and citizens have no voice in March was held at the Central CELEBRATING The panel included Prof. Each year, the planning committee the decisions made by the EM.” United Methodist Church. This BLACK HISTORY Gloria House, who worked in presents an “MLK Spirit of Detroit” award Following the march, a community din- historic church, where Dr. King 2012 Lowndes County, Ala., in 1965- to deserving activists and individuals. ner, prepared by the Wobbly Kitchen, Food often spoke, remains a sup- 66 as the Black Power movement This year, the award went to the organiz- Not Bombs, the Avalon Bakery and Occupy porter of contemporary social justice and emerged; Dr. Gwen Patton, who partici- ers and participants of Occupy Detroit. Detroit, was served to hundreds of people peace activities through its leader, the pated in the Montgomery, Ala., civil rights at the Central Church. After dinner, Writer Rev. Ed Rowe. struggles; Marilyn Lowen, who worked in Voting rights under attack L. Bush, a local poet and Occupy Detroit Since 2004, the Michigan Emergency Mississippi with local communities fight- The rally and demonstration also chal- activist, presented a cultural program that Committee Against War & Injustice (ME- ing racism and disempowerment; and lenged the threat of emergency state man- included Sista Otis, Jessica Care Moore, CAWI) has set out to reclaim the genuine Martha Prescod Norman Noonan, who agement over Detroit and other majority The DDJ Trio, Markita Moore and Tracey legacy of this civil rights leader, assas- participated in various organizing efforts African-American cities in Michigan. A Morris. During the earlier rally and march, sinated in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, in Mississippi. statement from the MLK Committee en- the Mosaic Youth Choir, the Deep River 1968. What is deliberately overlooked In addition to the women from SNCC, titled, “Hard Fought Right to Vote Under Choir and the Matrix Theater made impor- every MLK Day holiday is the principled Arlene Holt Baker, the highest ranking Attack,” raised that “almost 47 years after tant cultural contributions. stand Dr. King took during 1967-68 woman within the U.S. labor movement the passage of the historic Voting Rights In addition to the Detroit MLK Com- against the United States war in Vietnam as executive vice-president of the AFL- Act of 1965, voting rights are again under mittee, event co-sponsors and endorsers and the necessity he saw in linking the CIO, addressed the crowd. Other rally attack by racist political forces in the U.S.” included Veterans for Peace, Chapter 74; fight to end racism and war with the need speakers included Aurora Harris, a com- The statement noted, “The intent of Swords Into Plowshares; the Moratorium to eliminate poverty. munity activist, poet and board member the Voting Rights Act was to enforce the NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, This year’s focus was on the role of of Broadside Press, and John Hardy, a 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Evictions and Utility Shut-offs; Advocates women in the of former Freedom Rider and activist with Constitution, which were passed after for Informed Nonviolent Social Change; the 1960s. Four women, all contributors SNCC during 1960-63. the Civil War and guaranteed the right to the Detroit Green Party; the Jamaica Proj- and co-editors of “Hands on the Freedom Under the theme, “The Struggle Esca- vote for African Americans and other mi- ect; Broadside Press; the Michigan Wel- Plow,” a first-person account on the role lates for Jobs, Peace & Justice,” a march norities. In 1964, the 24th Amendment fare Rights Organization; the Michigan of women within the Student Nonviolent through downtown Detroit enjoyed sig- was passed, which prohibited the use of Coalition for Human Rights; and other Coordinating Committee (SNCC), were nificant participation from labor, includ- the poll tax, that is, a tax that must be local organizations. Rally honors MLK’s labor legacy in Philadephia

By Joe Piette thing is wrong with capitalism as it now Philadelphia stands in the United States. We are not interested in being integrated into this Occupy Philly activists, union offi- value structure. A radical redistribution of cials and workers organized a successful power must take place.” march and rally on Martin Luther King Gwen Ivey, Philadelphia Area Local Day, Jan. 16, in Philadelphia. The activi- President of the American Postal Workers ties emphasized King’s involvement in Union, criticized a 2006 congressional act the fight for “economic justice and dignity for causing the huge deficits in post office for all” and honored his legacy of support budgets and threatening hundreds of thou- for the working class. sands of jobs. Outside the 30th Street post John Johnson Jr., president of Trans- office, Ivey linked postal workers fighting port Workers Union Local 234, spoke at this crisis to all those who are confronting a the 30th Street train station where the “system that puts profit before people.” rush-hour march began. He talked about Hundreds of participants then filled the millions of jobs that could be created the American Federation of State, County by repairing the nation’s infrastructure. and Municipal Employees District Council Occupy Philly distributed a chant list 33 hall. The diverse, standing-room-only to march participants, which featured crowd heard D.C. 33 President Pete Mat- WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE this quote by King on the back: “Some- Continued on page 7 People’s Assembly continues Dr. King’s dream

By Gerry Scoppettuolo cause of their record. The women’s prison Providence, R.I. here is overcrowded. We are forced into a future of jails, institution or death!” Strong and urgent voices of protest and Another participant, just released from plans for future organizing highlighted an 18-year incarceration, urged the assem- the Rhode Island People’s Assembly bly to remember the contributions of the Annual Martin Luther King Conference Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commit- Jan. 21 in Providence. tee and the Black Panther Party, declaring Workers World Party First Secretary that “imprisoned youth have the most rev- Larry Holmes, delivered the keynote ad- olutionary potential. We must learn from dress. He quoted one of Dr. King’s last pub- what [BPP chair] Huey Newton said: that lic statements: “What good are civil rights vanguard leadership must take its cue from without economic rights?” Holmes urged the people.” the assembly to understand the class- Martha Yager, from the American Friends struggle dimensions of the current period. Providence, R.I. Service Committee, told of the brave ac- “We must look past whatever short- WW PHOTO tions of women from comings we feel about the Occupy Wall was planning to organize what came to Mary Kay Harris, lead organizer for Di- who were currently occupying the House Street movement and understand that be known as Resurrection City in Wash- rect Action for Rights and Equality and a of Compassion, a residential program for what is happening now is part of the ington, D.C., in the summer of 1968. This longtime Providence activist, co-chaired women living with HIV in Cumberland, worldwide collapse of capitalism as more forerunner of today’s Occupy movement the conference. R.I., that’s slated for devastating cutbacks. sectors of the previously privileged work- was in response to devastating Black un- During the assembly floor discussion, (http://houseofcompassionri.org/) ing class are now experiencing what it’s employment that had not been relieved John Prince of Providence condemned The RIPA is currently organizing its an- like to have no future, ” stated Holmes. by the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act the prison-industrial complex: ”It is dis- nual MLK Unity Day April 4 at Providence In his last days before he was assassi- in law, which legally desegregated public turbing that people who are recently re- City Hall. For more infomation, contact nated, Dr. King’s Poor Peoples Campaign places, especially in the Jim Crow South. leased from prison are denied jobs be- [email protected]. workers.org Feb. 2, 2012 Page 7 Newark community group protests 205 days and counting By Dolores Cox tion. They say “no” to war on Iran. Their Newark, N.J. signs, which read “Toot Your Horn for Jobs,” draw steady streams of supportive The People’s Organization for Progress horn honking by motorists, including bus in Newark, N.J., launched its Daily Peo- drivers. ple’s Protest Campaign for Jobs, Peace, Larry Hamm, New Jersey state chair- Equality and Justice on June 27. As of person of POP, cites a U.S. Department Jan.17, the organization’s demonstrations of Labor report issued in December, re- had taken place for 205 consecutive days. vealing that the overall national unem- POP intends to continue demonstrat- ployment rate for African Americans rose ing through July 15, at which time they from 15.5 percent to 15.8 percent and will have protested for a total of 381 from 39.6 percent to 42.1 percent among days. Their protests are modeled after the Black youth. number of days the Montgomery, Ala., bus In New Jersey, one in every six Black boycott lasted, launched by Rosa Parks in men was unemployed compared to one in December 1955. 13 white men. “Trickle-down” econom- More than 150 organizations have en- ics is not working, Hamm points out. He People’s Organization for Progress is aiming for 381 straight days of action in Newark, N.J. dorsed POP’s campaign. says that the wealth is not trickling down; WW PHOTO: ANNE PRUDEN POP activists have endured extreme it’s trickling up. The protest schedule is from 4:30 noon to 2 p.m. at the corner of Broad weather conditions throughout the sum- On Jan. 17, New York activists repre- p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Fri- and Market streets. POP’s meetings take mer and winter seasons. They carry signs senting the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coali- day and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at place every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the reading “Stop Foreclosures,” “Stop Job tion (NYC), the International Action Cen- the Springfield Avenue and West Market Abyssinian Baptist Church, 224 West Cuts,” “Workers Need Higher Wages,” ter, the Take Back WBAI Coalition, the Street intersection. That’s in front of Old Kinney St. in Newark. “Bail Out the People” and “We Demand Lynne Stewart campaign and CPRMetro. City Hall and the Lincoln Monument. On See the website at www.njpop.org. Jobs for a Living Wage.” org joined POP members at their protest. Saturdays, the group demonstrates from Call 973-801-0001 for daily updates. With their megaphone, these activists strongly demand union representation, a public works program and an end to stu- dent loan debt. They also denounce char- Put the banks on trial! ter schools. POP calls for an end to the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq occupa- Continued from page 1

which is in central San Francisco on the edge of Rally honors MLK’s labor legacy in Philadephia the Asian community. The main chants included, “We thews and Father Isaac Miller, retired rec- are the people, no one is tor of the historic Episcopal Church of the illegal/¡Todos somos hu- Advocate, lead off the program. manos!” and “¡La Migra, Co-chairs were Jim Moran, founder of la policia, la misma porqu- Philadelphia Area Project for Occupational eria!” (La Migra, the police, Safety and Health, and Kamillah Fairchild, the same filth!) Among the representing the Occupy Philly Labor marchers were about 200 Working Group. from , The evening’s highlight was the electri- which brought its sound fying speech given by Anthony Monteiro, bus, a transformed Alam- Temple University professor and commu- eda County Transit bus. nity activist. He argued that if the Recon- Citibank and Bechtel struction period had not been sabotaged by headquarters were also tar- Northern industrialists and Southern plan- geted throughout the day. tation owners, “There would have been no Marchers joined the need for Martin Luther King to be in Mem- UNITE HERE picket at phis in 1968, where he was assassinated, the Hyatt Regency, where because the South would not have been the workers have been fighting preserve of the union-busters and the cold- for a fair contract, swelling WW PHOTO: BILL BOWERS blooded white supremacists.” the ranks of the picketers. San Francisco workers put Wells Fargo bank under siege. To enthusiastic applause, Monteiro After the workday ended, Movement still strong stressed, “Both sides in this presidential the crowd grew even larger. ist institutions: the banks and the politi- farce are going to talk about how they are go- Despite a heavy rainstorm, this was the This action at Wall Street West shows cians who bail them out. ing to create jobs. They’re not going to create largest Occupy action of the new year. that the Occupy movement is still going The Occupy movement’s activity in soli- jobs. The system we live under is unsustain- More than 100 Occupiers gained entrance strong, despite the centralized decision darity with immigrant workers is growing, able.” His talk ended with a call to support to the Cathedral Hill Hotel at 1001 Van of the capitalist state to use force to drive as is its direct actions to stop foreclosures political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. Ness Ave., taking over the hotel for hours. activists out of the parks and squares they on peoples’ homes, popular churches and The meeting was a show of unity of some A site of labor disputes, the hotel sits va- were using as organizing centers. More movement offices by the hated mortgage of the most active members in the Philadel- cant while 10,000 homeless people are liv- than that, the movement is still directing companies and its solidarity with orga- phia labor movement. Speakers included ing on the streets of San Francisco. its fire against the most powerful capital- nized labor. Ron Blount, president of the United Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania; Colin Flory, Service Employees health care orga- Workers, supporters ‘occupy’ NYC cafe. nizer; and Cory Ballard and Valerie Owes, UNITE HERE organizers. Also addressing the group were Audra Organizers and workers connected with the Traynham, Media Mobilizing Project and Laundry Workers Center held their first ac- SEIU Local 32BJ; Henry Nicholas, presi- tion of what they call a “Workers Led Work- dent of National Union of Hospital and place Justice Campaign” on Jan. 21 on the East Health Care Employees, AFSCME; Eileen Side of Manhattan. Dozens of people from the Duffy, school nurse, organizer of the 440 workplace, Occupy Wall Street and other pro- Campaign against layoffs and member of worker forces gathered first at a concrete park Philadelphia Federation of Teachers; and at Third Avenue and 64th Street for a short rally Mike Davis, Communication Workers Lo- where the workers’ grievances were explained. cal 13000, Eastern Region Vice President. The group then held a short march to 1201 Sec- Euware X. Osayande ended the evening ond Ave., the site of a Hot & Crusty cafe, and with a poem from his book, “Whose Amer- marched in for a guerrilla occupation, showing ica?” His call to fight against racism and all the bosses that the underpaid and abused im- forms of bigotry ended with the poem’s stir- migrant work staff had many friends. ring words: “Watch us make it free.” — Report & photo by John Catalinotto Page 8 Feb. 2, 2012 workers.org ARIZONA Anti-Mexican Studies bigots now banning books

By Teresa Gutiérrez tations of over 1 million workers. All of this is in the context of the push Another racist message from Arizona’s by the capitalist ruling class to drive down ruling class has been sent to oppressed the standard of living of all workers in this people and especially Latinos/as of Mexi- country. Education for our youth, just like can descent. That message is: Get back, a job for all, is not only not a priority, it is get down, your lives are worth nothing to not even on the to-do list. this system. In this election year, it becomes ever On Jan. 10, the Tucson Unified School clearer that only the struggle, only the District voted to suspend its Mexican- fightback in the streets, in Washington, at American Studies Program after an ad- our workplaces, everywhere is the solution ministrative law judge ruled that it violat- to a lack of education, housing and so on. ed a new state law and could lose millions In the 1960s and 1970s, the Chicano of dollars in annual aid for a particular movement fought like hell for the right to school district. study our history. It is not a right we will According to various news sources, 60 let go of. This writer was politically shaped percent of the 53,000 students in that by the writings of one of the authors who school district are Latino/a. Arizona is are now banned in Arizona, Rodolfo Acu- also ground zero for vile anti-immigrant ña. He is a hero of the Chicano people. legislation. His words quoted here are a clarion call to Reminiscent of book burnings under and upheld a state finding that it violated recent ruling, Alonso Palomino says: struggle, a call we should all rise to. Nazi Germany, immediately after the a 2010 law that bans ethnic studies classes “While the institution continues to fail Acuña eloquently writes: “From the top ruling, school officials began to gather which ‘promote the overthrow of the U.S. us, the community continues to rise. Eth- on down, Arizona officials know that their up any books that dealt with Chicano or government, promote resentment toward nic Studies is abolished inside the gates actions is causing many Latinos to be stig- Mexican-American history. Sometimes a race or class of people, are designed of our schools but not in the streets of our matized. They know that they are contrib- those books were gathered up right in primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic community. UNIDOS presents: School of uting to their dropping out of school and front of the students who had come to group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead Ethnic Studies, the first steps to reclaim- they don’t care. … class to study their history. of the treatment of pupils as individuals.’ ing our education.” “My mother would say about the gaggle “Chicano” is the term that many Mexi- In Tucson, only Mexican-American studies This response was one of many heroic in Tucson, no tienen madre. They are dis- cans born in the United States or whose classes were affected.” (Jan. 22) acts of resistance. Students walked out respectful; they don’t care about the law, or families have lived here for generations use The books in question include “500 of school for a day, and a major event is how many people are hurt by their actions. to identify themselves. It is synonymous Years of Chicano History in Pictures,” planned for Jan. 24. “I am not as nice as my mother was. with pride in one’s history and a symbol of edited by Elizabeth Martinez; “Message James E. Garcia of Phoenix is a univer- I feel much like the people in the Boyle resistance against racism and occupation. to AZTLAN,” by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales; sity lecturer and playwright. He writes, “A Heights area when the Night Stalker … As Tucson journalist Roberto Cintli Ro- “Occupied America: A History of Chica- relatively small contingent of powerful, was terrorizing Los Angeles. They put out driguez wrote, “First, the Tucson school nos,” by Rodolfo Acuña; “Pedagogy of the bigoted public officials have worked re- signs daring him to come East of the Riv- district came for the Mexican-American Oppressed,” by Paulo Freire; and “Re- lentlessly to make it happen. Why did it er, and then took care of him when he did. studies program. Now it’s come for its thinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years,” happen? It happened because the state’s Hopefully the Tea Party will come to L.A.” books.” (http://drcintli.blogspot.com) edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson, Latino population has nearly doubled in (AztlanReads.com, Jan. 16) One of those racists behind this latest as well as a reading by Shakespeare. the past 20 years and the right wing is an- From the Southwest and beyond, the attack is Arizona State Superintendent This racist attack on people’s history gry and afraid that it is helpless to stop it. message to Huppenthal and all the racist John Huppenthal. On Jan. 6, Huppenthal had an immediate impressive response In one generation, Latinos will be 50 per- reactionary capitalists must be: 500 years threatened that about 10 percent of the from individuals and organizations. One cent of the state’s population and, short of Chicano history will never be swept district’s state funding, about $15 million of those organizations was a group that of declaring martial law and deporting away with the stroke of a pen. over the course of a year, would be with- has been organizing against this assault everyone with brown skin, there’s noth- held if it did not dismantle its Mexican- for a long time. ing anyone can do to prevent that. “ (The The writer of this article was heavily American studies courses. UNIDOS (United) heroically took over Arizona Republic, Jan. 15) involved in the Chicano movement in According to CNN, that came after a De- a school board meeting in April 2011 and The dismantling of progressive ideas Texas, including membership in MAYO cember administrative law ruling stating chained themselves to board members’ in education is but one of many attacks (Mexican American Youth Organiza- that “the program was teaching ‘in a biased, chairs. sweeping the country. Demonizing peo- tion), Raza Unida Party and CASA- political and emotionally charged manner,’ In their statement, in part, on the ple’s history takes place amidst the depor- HGT. Historic strike halts Panama Canal expansion By Olmedo Beluche strong that the Ministry of Labor — which striking workers and the leaders of SUN- have Washington’s endorsement. has been so pro-business and anti-worker TRACS demand a minimum of $6 an It is under those circumstances that in Olmedo Beluche is a sociologist, pro- in other conflicts — has been cautious in hour. The Minister of Labor has proposed 1994, the Panamanian capitalist ruling fessor at the University of Panama, and its statements and has avoided repressing an increase not exceeding 5 percent of the class and its political parties, with U.S. veteran political activist in the Unity in the workers. basic wage of this decree. endorsement, imposed Title XIV of the the Comprehensive People’s Struggle The strikers have denounced all kinds The problem has become complex Constitution. This fails to give the Pana- organization (ULIP). of abuses: from unjustified firings to dis- because not only is Decree 3 obsolete, ma Canal an autonomous regime, but in- Some 5,000 workers who are building criminatory lower wages for Panamanian but it expresses the segregationist crite- stead imposes a real segregation from the two new locks for post-panamax ships in workers compared to those paid to Span- rion with which the bourgeoisie and the rest of the nation. the expansion of the Panama Canal went ish and Italian employees. This is remi- Panamanian governments have wanted on strike Jan. 16. The stoppage has been niscent of the dual salary scale based on to handle matters regarding the Panama Creates a state within a state total, both in the Pacific and Atlantic areas, ethnic origin imposed by U.S. imperial- Canal since it reverted to national sover- Among other things, Article 320 of the and joined by all categories of workers, ism in the Canal Zone, a truly racist apart- eignty in 2000. Panamanian Constitution established from assistants to low-level supervisors. heid that existed during the U.S.’s colonial Since the early 1990s, shortly after the that the ACP budget “is not part of the [Post-panamax ships are larger than presence [beginning in 1903] until 1977. U.S. invasion of 1989, Yankee imperial- General State Budget.” It is as if another the maximum-size ships that currently The workers’ demands centered on an ism demanded from the Panamanian state had been created within the Pana- move through existing locks — WW] obsolete pay scale enacted by the Pana- bourgeoisie that in order to transfer the manian state, the same as the previous A list of demands shows that a series of manian government for canal workers, canal, as established by the 1977 treaties, Canal Zone, with the only difference that abuses committed by the United for the known as Decree No. 3 of March 4, 1980. a legal special status should be estab- now it is administered by “Panamanians.” Canal Group consortium provoked the This scale has lagged behind the gallop- lished, segregated from the jurisdiction of Following that segregationist logic, Ar- strike. The consortium is headed by the ing inflation in recent years, the salary ad- the rest of the republic. ticle 322 of the Constitution established a Spanish transnational Sacyr and the main justments made in the minimum Wage Many have criticized this status. It is “special” labor system for workers in the Panamanian construction company, the Acts of 2009 and 2011, and the collective as if the Canal Zone continues to exist, Panama Canal, a system outside the na- CUSA Group. The family of the current agreement of the Sole Union of Construc- only this time administered by “Pana- tional laws and the Labor Code. Among administrator of the Panama Canal, Ger- tion (SUNTRACS) with the employers manians,” since the board of directors other things, this article prohibits strikes man Zubieta, owns CUSA. (CAPAC). of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is in the canal, which constitutes a violation The strike has lasted for a week and is Decree No. 3 fixes a maximum of $2.90 composed of senior business people from of the Constitution itself, international hitting a key sector of the economy. It is so an hour for the lower category, while the banking and construction sectors who Continued on page 9 workers.org Feb. 2, 2012 Page 9 Casualties rise as U.S.-backed armies try to subdue Somalia

By Abayomi Azikiwe nese descent was killed by a U.S. drone in districts, resulting in the death of a TFG dents involving grenades or improvised Editor, Pan-African News Wire Elasha Biyaha, located outside the capital military official. explosive devices (IEDs) occurred in the of Mogadishu. The AMISOM forces had In a video recently released by al-Sha- regions of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and During mid-January, the number of launched an offensive in the capital and bab, an alleged spy for the Central In- Dadaab, where some 463,000 people, deaths and injuries in Somalia escalated its environs aimed at driving al-Shabab telligence Agency, Ahmad Ali Hussein, mostly Somalis, are housed in the world’s as foreign military forces accelerated their supporters out of Mogadishu. confessed to being recruited by the U.S. largest refugee complex. Food prices had campaign to destroy the al-Shabab Islam- As early as Jan. 20, civilians living in the covert action organization. Hussein was also increased with local traders no longer ic resistance movement and subdue areas capital reported serious clashes between reportedly executed by his captors in late able to import goods from Somalia.” of the country under its control. TFG troops, reinforced by AMISOM, and January or early February of 2011. A former senior research analyst at the The invading troops come from Ethio- al-Shabab fighters in the Karan and He- On Jan. 21, several armed militants Foreign and Commonwealth Office in pia, Kenya and the African Union Mission liwa districts. Afgoye, a town that is the reportedly took a U.S. citizen into custo- London wrote, “Military intervention in to Somalia (AMISOM). They are financed current residence of many people inter- dy in Galkayo, located in the breakaway Somalia, whether unilateral, multilateral and backed by the U.S., Israel and other nally displaced by the war, was bombed Puntland region of the country. Somali or under the auspices of some suprana- imperialist states, which seek to prop up as well in an air strike of unknown origin. police officer Abdi Hassan Nur said that tional body, has never achieved its aims the pro-Western Somalia Transitional Hundreds of residents of the north- the gunmen had surrounded the man’s nor led to long-term peace, let alone po- Federal Government. These forces on the ern sections of the capital fled after they vehicle, forced him to exit and enter an- litical and social harmony. Current op- ground are complemented by European awoke that same morning to sounds of other car. erations conducted by the African Union, Union naval vessels that are cruising in the mortar fire. The AMISOM forces, com- During the recent fighting in Mogadi- Kenya and Ethiopia are the latest in a line Gulf of Aden, ostensibly to fight “piracy.” posed of 10,000 troops from Uganda, shu, Keysaney Hospital in northern Mog- of foreign military actions in Somalia.” Kenyan troops first entered southern Burundi and Djibouti, states all closely adishu was struck by two mortar shells on (African Arguments, Jan. 17) Somalia in October in an operation called allied with the U.S., are making a major Jan. 22. Reports indicate there were no “Linda Nchi.” The Kenyan government effort to expand their operations outside injuries or deaths from the attack. Oil drilling begins said it was responding to incursions by Mogadishu. Keysaney is one of two International In the breakaway region of Puntland, al-Shabab into its territory. However, the AMISOM troops have been restricted Committee of the Red Cross surgical re- whose leaders sought international rec- military invasion had been planned with to small areas of the capital due to the ferral hospitals in the capital. It is man- ognition independent of Mogadishu, a Washington for nearly two years. fierce resistance of al-Shabab and to their aged by the Somalia Red Crescent Society Canadian oil and gas exploration firm has In an effort to justify their latest inter- unpopularity among the Somali masses. and treated 2,000 patients with war-re- begun drilling at two wells in the Dharoor vention in Somalia, the White House and The al-Shabab fighters are carrying out lated injuries in 2011. plains, known as Shabeel-1 and Shabeel State Department have claimed repeated- a formidable resistance to the Western- North-1. Calling itself Africa Oil, the Ca- ly that al-Shabab is linked with al-Qaida. backed military units. People residing Kenya pays heavy price for intervention nadian firm is working in partnership U.S. drones have killed hundreds of So- in the capital reported that al-Shabab Despite claims that the Kenyan military with two Australian counterparts, Red malis over the last several months. ambushed AMISOM and TFG troops in is already halfway through its operations Emperor and Range Resources, hoping to On Jan. 21, a British citizen of Leba- Daynile, Heliwa, Dharkenley and Yaqshid to subdue al-Shabab in Somalia, the in- find an estimated 300 million barrels of vasion has had a serious negative impact recoverable oil. on the East African state. A report issued According to Reuters Press Agency, law and the principles of the International last straw — that the Panamanian state, by the Nairobi-based Inter-Regional In- “Africa Oil said last year it planned to drill Labor Organization. … either through the general budget or the formation Network of the United Na- up to eight wells in blocks it holds inter- We say that this strike has historical ACP, has to cover wage increases from its tions says, “Security, service delivery and ests in across East Africa, including the significance because it has hit the segre- funds to guarantee the profits of national economic activity in northeastern Kenya two in Puntland.” (Jan. 17) gationist scheme that the Panamanian and foreign entrepreneurs benefitting have deteriorated considerably since Oc- The initiation of such economic activ- bourgeoisie and Yankee imperialism have from the canal’s expansion. tober 2011, when the country’s military ity lends credence to the notion that the wanted to establish for the Panama Canal, When the debate on the expansion forces deployed in neighboring Somalia current military interventions in Somalia and it has exposed the constitutional and of the Panama Canal through a new set in an effort to eradicate the al-Shabab are not because of al-Qaida. The U.S. and legal contradictions covered under the of locks for post-panamax ships began militia, which has vowed to avenge the in- other imperialist countries are exporting ACP scheme. in 2006, those of us who were opposed cursion.” (IRIN, Jan. 13) more oil than ever from the African con- The contradictions expressed in De- argued two things, now shown to be ac- The same article points out that in Ke- tinent, with plans to expand well into the cree 3 are even more absurd and ridicu- curate. First, the work is not urgent to nya, “In December alone, at least 15 inci- first half of the 21st century. lous because the “United for the Canal world trade because the canal is far from Group” workers are not employees of the its maximum capacity, which implies in- ACP, but of a private consortium which debting the country for the benefit of in- HAITI should be governed by the Labor Code ternational shipping companies. Second, and Panamanian labor laws, such as the spending at least $5.2 billion on this work minimum wage. means transferring income from the ca- It is a double abuse at the outset to claim nal to benefit banks and builders —in- Prison guard trial ends that these workers were governed by De- come that should serve to solve the Pana- cree 3 of March 4, 1980. Therefore, these manian people’s social problems. workers have acted correctly by striking The struggle over generations for sov- in surprise conviction to demand their salary adjustment, both ereignty was so that the Panamanian By G. Dunkel Cayes and issued his verdict on Jan. 19, under the SUNTRACS-CAPAC collective people should live better, not to benefit a the second anniversary of the massacre, bargaining agreement and under the law small national and foreign business elite. he found seven of the 13 guards guilty and governing the minimum wage in Panama. That is what is happening; the wealthy On Jan. 19, 2010, prison guards in sentenced them from two to seven years in The worst of all the abuses and pay- from the United for the Canal Group are Les Cayes, a town on the southern coast prison.What was even more surprising was backs — and the one that has frozen the taking for them and the overseas elite the of Haiti near the country’s most west- that the verdict was primarily based on the negotiations aimed at resolving the strike profits from the canal expansion, while ern point, carried out a massacre of over testimony of prisoners who survived. — is that today it was learned [La Prensa, paying crumbs to the Panamanian work- 20 prisoners. Though the government Hundreds of members of the commu- Jan. 21] that there is a secret clause be- ers. That is why this strike has been legiti- charged 13 guards with murder, attempt- nity packed into the theater in downtown tween the United for the Canal Group mate and historic and has the support of ed murder and other crimes, few expected Les Cayes, where the trial was held. These and the ACP (contract clause 3.7) that all trade union and popular organizations justice to be done at the trial. people erupted into cheers over the ver- obligates the Panamanian state to pay in Panama. After the judge, Ézékiel Vaval, went to dict and jeers at those convicted. The 21 100 percent of any wage adjustment that Mundo Obrero translated this article, New York at the end of testimony, most guards and cops who escaped before the goes beyond Decree 3 of 1980. This is the which is slightly shortened here. Haitians thought the fix was in. The threats against the judge and the pros- trial started were convicted in absentia. ecutors had apparently worked, people The defense lawyers announced that thought: the guards would walk. they intend to appeal. GAZA: Symbol of Resistance The guards were so confident that they The result of the trial in Les Cayes A book of articles from WW, edited by Joyce Chediac even threatened a New York Times re- shows that the thirst for justice among the The compelling story of how Gazans withstood blockade porter covering the trial. Haitian people has not been quenched. and bombardment only to stand tall, refusing to give up The list of historic massacres carried But with a half a million families still liv- the right to determine their own lives and to choose their out against the workers and peasants of ing in ripped tents and squalid shacks be- own government; how Gaza’s courage inspired a worldwide Haiti is long. For example, the big land- cause their homes were destroyed in the solidarity movement determined to break the blockade lords that massacred hundreds of poor earthquake two years ago, with no public and deliver aid; exposes the forces behind the punishment peasants protesting in Jean-Rabel in sanitation system in all of Haiti and with of Gaza, and how a growing people’s media is breaking the 1988 weren’t even identified, much less just a small percentage of Haitians hav- mainstream media’s information blockade on this event. sanctioned. The authorities didn’t even ing access to clean water, after billions of count the corpses. dollars were raised for Haiti, much, much Joyce Chediac Available at Amazon and bookstores around the country http://gazaresistancebook.com/ But when Judge Vaval returned to Les more remains to be achieved. Page 10 Feb. 2, 2012 workers.org editorials Feb. 4 anti-war actions Elections? Called to stop imperialist Stay in the streets threats to Iran By John Catalinotto Church, Workers World Party, World Can’t s our front-page story on Oc- Carolina when he attacked Obama as the Wait, American Iranian Friendship Com- cupy Wall Street West shows, the “food-stamp president.” It was really a A broad spectrum of U.S.-based anti- mittee, Answer Coalition, Antiwar.com, AOccupy movement has made it racist attack on poor people that shows imperialist and anti-war organizations Peace of the Action, ComeHomeAmerica. very clear that hundreds of thousands who the Tea Party types really are. agreed on a Jan. 17 conference call to hold us, St. Pete for Peace, Women Against Mili- of people across the United States, from But what has the electioneering sea- coordinated protests across the country tary Madness, Defenders for Freedom, Jus- big cities on both coasts to smaller ones son got to do with the problems facing on Saturday, Feb. 4. The demands will be: tice & Equality-Virginia, WESPAC Foun- in the midlands and hundreds of towns so many tens of millions of workers and “No war, no sanctions, no intervention, dation, Peace Action Maine, Occupy Myrtle and rural areas in between, are dis- oppressed communities in this country? no assassinations against Iran.” Beach, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, tressed and angry enough at the present Will anyone in either the Republican The ad-hoc group that took part in the Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Bail Out situation to march in the rain and snow, or the Democratic party, from Obama, call decided that although there are only the People Movement. occupy banks, sleep on the ground, at- Romney and Gingrich on down to those two weeks to organize, it will invite anti- Individual endorsers include authors tend countless meetings, defy hordes of running for lower offices, put forward a war forces around the world to join in, if David Swanson, “When the World Out- cops before getting arrested, and above program to do what the people want? possible, so that this emergency action lawed War,” and Phil Wilayto, “In Defense all make their voices heard. Poll after poll shows a rising tide could develop into a global day of action. of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delega- More and more, they are reaching of anger at the very, very rich and the All agreed on the need to stop U.S. im- tion’s Journey through the Islamic Re- out to the unions and the communities, financial institutions that serve them. perialism and/or Israel from launching a public”; and U.N. Human Rights Award both to give support and to get support People want jobs or an income to live military attack on Iran. There was also a winner Ramsey Clark, a former U.S. attor- when the state clamps down and tries to on if they can’t get work. They want the consensus that the new sanctions Presi- ney general. bust them up. rich to pay a lot more taxes so that social dent Barack Obama signed into law on The list is expected to grow steadily as This is how genuine movements com- services aren’t cut while more work- Dec. 31 — with the goal of breaking the word spreads. Right now people can fol- ing from the grass-roots are born and ers are laid off. They want their money Iranian central bank — were themselves low developments on the Facebook link: grow. They are demanding change and spent on the environment and schools an act of war aimed at the Iranian people. No War On Iran: National Day of Ac- are directing their demands at the 1% and hospitals and housing, not bailouts The political activists on the call raised tion Feb 4, www.facebook.com/events/ — the very, very rich who in the sixties to the banks and endless wars. the danger of a wider war should fighting 214341975322807/. and seventies were called the Establish- Obama’s State of the Union address, break out in or around Iran. There will also be updates, giving times ment and who Marxists know as the his opening shot in the campaign, tried While the organizations involved had and places of demonstrations, at the In- ruling class. to tap into this anger when he said he varied assessments of the Iranian gov- ternational Action Center website: www. This movement gets some attention was for an economy where “everyone ernment, they all saw any intervention iacenter.org and www.stopwaronIran.org. from the corporate media now and does their fair share and everyone plays from U.S. imperialism in the Southwest Catalinotto represented Workers World then — but nothing like the day-in, by the same set of rules.” This is open to Asian country as a threat to the entire Party on the Jan. 17 conference call. day-out barrage of manufactured news, many interpretations. By the same set of region and to peace. Some commentary and opinion about the rules, does he mean an economy where of the people on the call who election process that is portrayed as the someone with $1 billion and someone are originally from Iran and most important thing happening in the with $10 both have the right to start who were in touch with fam- country. a bank? One where a rich person and ily and friends there conveyed We hear again and again about the a poor person will both be punished the Iranian people’s anger at Tea Party “movement” — a bunch of equally for stealing a loaf of bread? the recent assassination of a reactionaries and racists who heeded Capitalist politics is aimed at obscur- young scientist. the call of the super-rich Koch brothers ing the class differences that lead to There was agreement to to get right-wing Republicans elected in poverty, on the one hand, and obscene make “no assassinations” one the 2010 congressional elections. Now wealth, on the other. In this season of of the demands to show soli- they are getting much attention again, open reaction versus liberal demagogy, darity with the Iranian popu- having put some muscle into the Gin- it is what the movement does in the lation as well as to condemn grich campaign in South Carolina. He streets that will count and lay the basis the U.S. and its allies for crim- was speaking to wealthy whites in South for real change. inal activities against Iran and its people. As of Jan. 19, the organiza- tions that called the actions or endorsed later included the takes on United National Antiwar Coali- tion, the International Action Center, SI! Solidarity with Iran, the banks — and wins! Refugee Apostolic Catholic

By Dianne Mathiowetz of the small wooden-frame houses in the Atlanta neighborhood. Ferocious winds had toppled the stee- Southeast regional director of the Rain- a community organizing meeting with Higher Ground Empowerment Center ple off the church sanctuary and severely bow/Push Coalition and active partici- other distressed homeowners, within 2 is a 108-year-old church located in the damaged the building. For weeks after the pant in Occupy Atlanta. Within hours, ac- weeks, JPMorgan Chase modified her Vine City neighborhood of Atlanta, one of storm, Higher Ground provided tempo- tivists pitched tents on HGEC’s grounds. mortgage to an affordable amount. the most neglected areas of the city. It has rary shelter in other church buildings for Before a well-attended press conference Occupy Atlanta is in another struggle long been a community resource, offering many people who had lost everything in on Jan. 12, it was declared “Occupied.” with Chase Bank over the foreclosure of vital assistance, including a food pantry, the tornado. On Jan. 17, following a 3-hour con- the Pittman’s home in Atlanta. The house youth summer camps and Saturday tu- When the church’s insurance was in- tentious negotiating meeting with BB&T is in the Old Fourth Ward, the area of the torial programs to the Black residents, sufficient to make all the needed repairs, management arranged by Beasley, HGEC city where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s many of them poor, who live in this strug- it took out a $1.1 million loan from BB&T Senior Pastor Dexter L. Johnson, mem- birth home is located, and has been in the gling community. bank. However, the church was unable bers of the church, Occupy Atlanta, the family since 1953. Located just blocks from the Georgia to keep up the loan payments, as it was National Action Network and others left Chase foreclosed on the house and Dome, home to the Atlanta Falcons, the impacted by the economy’s downturn, the the bank building with the deeds to all the moved to evict the Pittmans as Dr. Elo- area has drawn the attention of specula- loss of congregants during the 18-month church properties back in hand. BB&T ise Pittman, the head of the family, died tors and developers looking for cheap reconstruction and the bank’s onerous in- had agreed to resell the church and sur- of cancer. Activists with Occupy Atlanta land and big future profits. Vacant lots terest rate. rounding land for $175,000 at 1 percent have been camped out in tents in the front and boarded-up houses can be found Despite the pastor’s multiple attempts interest on a 25-year mortgage. yard since Dec. 6. The bank has started along its narrow streets. to modify the loan, in December 2009, This is the second victory that Occupy and stopped negotiations several times. In 2008, a massive tornado swept BB&T took possession of the church Atlanta has won in recent months. Occupy Atlanta is urging supporters to through this area and continued through and the surrounding properties. The On Dec. 6, the organization came to the call James “Jamie” Dimon, the chairper- . National news bank tore down the rental buildings and assistance of injured Iraq War veteran, son and chief CEO of JPMorgan Chase, showed pictures of skyscraper hotels and small stores that had supplemented the Brigitte Walker. Her home in Riverdale, and demand a satisfactory conclusion to business towers with hundreds of shat- church’s income and leased the sanctuary Ga., a southern suburb of Atlanta, was this blatant example of predatory lending. tered windows. Yet, there was next to no back to them in an amount still too high. scheduled to be auctioned off on Jan. Call 212-270-1111 or fax 212-270-1121. coverage of the devastated neighborhood Facing imminent eviction on Jan. 13, 3. Following well-publicized press con- More information is available at www.oc- of Vine City. Falling trees crushed many church leaders contacted Joe Beasley, ferences, a neighborhood cleanup and cupyatlanta.org workers.org Feb. 2, 2012 Page 11 As Afghan soldiers rebel U.S.-led ‘coalition’ shows cracks By Deirdre Griswold Jan. 20 by just one soldier of the Afghan television. Bin Laden was living in Paki- This attitude toward Afghanistan per- armed forces, supposed allies of the im- stan, not Afghanistan, when he was killed. petuates the insults added to the injuries It was more than 10 years ago — Oct. perialists. So what’s the excuse now for the U.S. to done to this country by Western imperial- 7, 2001, to be precise — that the Bush ad- Just weeks earlier, two members of the stay in Afghanistan? ism. Afghanistan, a land at the heart of the ministration first sent troops to Afghani- French Foreign Legion had been killed, historic Silk Road linking the Middle East stan, in what it called Operation Endur- also by an Afghan soldier. Afghan soldiers take aim at ‘allies’ and Europe to China, was from its earliest ing Freedom. The name was cooked up by After the latest attack, French President A report based on a secret military days a place where many cultures came whoever in the Pentagon comes up with Nicolas Sarkozy announced that France study conducted by the “coalition” ad- into constant contact. “It was not only in such euphemisms. The only thing that has was suspending its military mission in Af- mitted there was enormous hostility in terms of trade, money and luxury goods endured is war, brutal and destructive. ghanistan, which has been training Afghan the Afghan army to the occupying troops. that the Silk Road had an overwhelming In fact, by June 2010 the invasion and soldiers. France has almost 4,000 troops “Lethal altercations are clearly not rare effect. It was also vitally important in the occupation of Afghanistan had become there; they were due to stay until the end or isolated; they reflect a rapidly growing transport of ideas,” writes Bijan Omrani the longest war in U.S. history. of 2013. The vast majority of the people systemic homicide threat (a magnitude on the website of the U.N. Assistance Mis- And unless the Obama administration in France oppose their country’s role in of which may be unprecedented between sion in Afghanistan. abandons the ambitions of the U.S. rul- the war, according to polls, and want the ‘allies’ in modern military history),” notes The people of Afghanistan are no less ing class to subdue the Afghan people and troops brought home now. The economic the report. (New York Times, Jan. 20) tolerant than any others toward outside turn their country into a strategic step- crisis in Europe undoubtedly has made The study found that between May cultures. What they cannot and will not ping stone to exploit Central and South- the people even more war-weary. 2007 and May 2011, at least 58 Western accept, however, are the atrocities and vi- west Asia, the war will go on indefinitely. Some 90,000 of the 130,000 foreign troops were killed in 26 separate attacks cious indignities that are inevitable when But perhaps not with what the U.S. troops now stationed in Afghanistan by Afghan soldiers and police. Most of the outside powers attempt to impose their government calls its “coalition partners” come from the United States. Nearly attacks had occurred after October 2009. will through military might. — other imperialist countries in NATO 10,000 come from Britain, which first at- By the end of 2011, the number was even The virtual rebellion by members of the that agreed to send forces to bolster the tempted to shoot its way into Afghanistan higher. Afghan army and police against the oc- U.S. troops there. in the middle of the 19th century, but fi- It’s bound to increase as reports grow cupying forces merely reflects the intense Every war waged by imperialist “al- nally gave up after fierce resistance by the of U.S. soldiers desecrating the bodies of hatred for these oppressors by the Afghan lies” involves secret promises to share Afghan people. Afghans they have killed, while insulting people as a whole. the spoils of war once they have won. But The original reason given by Washing- their religion and culture. According to costofwar.com, the war when victory is called into question, these ton for the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan This “coalition” report is critical of the in Afghanistan has cost the U.S. almost alliances become shaky. was the presumed role of Al-Qaida in the Pentagon’s public relations department, $500 billion. The destruction done to Af- Right now, it is France that may be destruction of the World Trade Center which has tried to belittle the problem. ghanistan and its people is incalculable. contemplating leaving the “coalition” and and the attack on the Pentagon. Last May, But the report evades the real cause of But it will take a very big struggle by the withdrawing its troops. There is an im- U.S. Special Forces killed the leader of Al- the Afghan people’s animosity toward the anti-war movement in the U.S. to force mediate reason: the killing of four French Qaida, Osama bin Laden, as U.S. military West — putting it down to “cultural in- the capitalist government to admit its de- soldiers and the wounding of 15 others on and political leaders watched on satellite compatibility.” feat and get out. Demonstrations, strikes mark anniversary of Tunisian uprising By Abayomi Azikiwe er of the former president last year. Lo- The union leader added that the banks’ ister of Social Affairs and representatives Editor, Pan-African News Wire cals in the area chopped down trees and role “in sustainable development — espe- of Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali. Abdel- used them as a barricade to prevent traffic cially in the interior regions of the country Rahim said that if, after March 30, the Long-time Tunisian ruler President from flowing through the town. — needs to be specified and emphasized. unions are not satisfied with the outcome, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his coun- One local vendor, Mounir Louhichi, The workers of the Central Bank do not “We will resume the general strike.” (Tu- try on Jan 14, 2011 for the monarchy of said: “We’re dying here, there is nothing. wish to harm the country’s economy in nisia-Live.net, Jan. 21) Saudi Arabia, where he has been granted We’re worn out by the cold and unem- any way, and will thus not hinder the op- At the 22nd Congress of the UGTT, political refuge. The uprising that began ployment. No running water, no city gas eration of their institution.” held in December 2011, more left-leaning in Tunisia 14 months ago was the first in despite being near the pipeline running As the Tunisian working class escalated leaders were elected to official positions. a series of events that have reshaped the from Algeria to Italy.” (AFP, Jan. 20) its struggles, the General Labor Union These recent developments show there debate and struggle in much of Africa and A young English teacher, Ouided Sla- (UGTT) announced a comprehensive is still a strong need for a broad-based al- the Middle East. ma, explained: “We are rebelling because strike set for Jan. 25. However, this call liance of progressive forces to ensure that Although the forced resignation of Ben it is, quite simply, intolerable.” Residents was later rescinded until further notice. the popular aims of the 2010-2011 upris- Ali was a major victory for the masses, it feel that the new government has totally Mongi Abdel-Rahim, spokesperson for ing are not lost, but are upheld as an inspi- did not resolve the growing deprivation of ignored their plight. the UGTT, said the general strike was sus- ration for deeper levels of struggle against the workers and youth. Nor did the upris- “There is no one,” noted a young man pended because of talks between the Min- neocolonialism and imperialism. ing resolve the inherently exploitative re- who drew a large question mark on the lationship between Tunisia and the impe- door of the local branch of the dominant rialist states, which still dictate the terms Islamic Ennahda party, which won 40 of its foreign policy toward the West. percent of the vote in recently held elec- Yet the Tunisian people have not given tions. Ennahda and a bloc of left-leaning up on the total transformation of their parties control the new parliament. Mou- country. In recent weeks a new round nia Laroussi, a school teacher, added, of strikes and mass demonstrations has “What we want is for the authorities to erupted in various regions of the country, come see us.” including the capital of Tunis. On Jan. 17, a strike in the north- Bank workers demand bosses resign ern farming town of Siliana shut down In Tunis, a struggle has been unfold- schools and several roads. The people in ing at the Central Bank, where employees Siliana were protesting against high un- have been protesting their working condi- employment and poor living conditions. tions. Demonstrators have demanded the Demonstrations in the northwestern resignation of the bank’s president and city of Jendouba halted traffic on a major vice president. thoroughfare. Protesters said the govern- The Deputy Secretary General of the Global Day honors ment had completely ignored the social Tunisian Bank Federation, Moaman al- and political concerns of working people. Gharbi, said the union supported the Egyptian revolution Also in the north, university students in Central Bank workers but did not have the the city of Manouba are on a hunger strike, authority to endorse their call for the res- A rally made up mostly of people of Egyptian in Canada; Melbourne and Sydney in Australia; ancestry gathered in Times Square at midday and Paris and Rome in Europe. angry over the banning of women students ignation of the executives. Al-Gharbi said on Jan. 21 to join in a Global Day of Action sup- U.S.-based groups extending solidarity in- who choose to wear the niqab, a full-face the demonstrations are based on years of porting the one-year anniversary of the begin- cluded the International Action Center, rep- veil. The students demand that the ban be frustration. (Tunisia-Live.net, Jan. 20) ning of the Egyptian revolution that removed resented in the photo by co-director Sara immediately lifted, but university officials The workers are also concerned about former President Hosni Mubarak from oce. Flounders, speaking. Just behind her is Joyce have so far refused to back down. the overall role of the Central Bank in the Similar rallies and marches took place in doz- Chediac, who delivered a solidarity message In the central region mountain town of national development of the country. Al- ens of cities around the world, including Bos- from Workers World Party to the Egyptian peo- Maktar, a general strike erupted on Jan. Gharbi noted, “Financial institutions are ton, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Washington, ple present. 13 over the lack of progress since the oust- the backbone of the economy.” D.C., in the U.S.; Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver — Report & photo by John Catalinotto Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los países uníos! Correspondencia sobre artículos en Workers World/Mundo Obrero pueden ser enviadas a: [email protected] Resistamos las amenazas imperialistas de EE.UU. contra Irán Por Sara Flounders ecer regímenes títeres estables quedaron frustrados. El plan estadounidense para Crece el temor de que por un error de una guerra económica en Irán también cálculo, una provocación deliberada o ha revelado las debilidades de EE.UU. una operación de bandera falsa [Nota de El secretario del tesoro Timothy la traducción: en jerga militar es cuando Geithner inició una gira de naciones del se ataca utilizando una bandera ajena Asia sudoriental a principios de enero para implicar al país adversario], se de- para convencer a Corea del sur, China, sate una guerra de Estados Unidos con India y Japón a que cortaran sus impor- Irán. taciones masivas de petróleo iraní y acat- La peligrosa combinación de amena- aran las sanciones. zas públicas por altos funcionarios es- China y la India — ambas grandes tadounidenses, el masivo despliegue mil- economías — se negaron directamente. itar del Pentágono, los vuelos continuos China compra un tercio de las exporta- de aviones no tripulados y el sabotaje ciones de petróleo de Irán. industrial contra Irán, proporcionan una La administración Obama dijo que Es- ominosa advertencia. Los medios de co- tados Unidos ofrecería a los países que municación corporativos han estado más soliciten una exención temporal, que que dispuestos a vitorear sabotajes in- continúen las compras de petróleo de dustriales, virus informáticos y asesina- Irán mientras estén haciendo otros arre- tos selectivos. Las maniobras de guerra de petróleo se debilite. Durante décadas, a hacer. Y mientras aumentan las tensio- glos. Un ministro de la India dijo que su con Israel, previstas para el 15 de enero Irán se vio obligado a importar petróleo nes y aceleramos los preparativos para la país seguirá haciendo negocios con Irán. de repente se pospusieron para mayo o refinado. Washington ha intentado im- guerra, la economía mejorará”. Corea del sur dijo que solicitaría una ex- más tarde. pedir que Irán importe repuestos para Tras la muerte de Broder en marzo, ención estadounidense porque planeaba El Congreso de Estados Unidos votó construir refinerías de petróleo, al igual Obama le llamó “el más incisivo y res- aumentar las compras de petróleo de abrumadoramente para incluir disposi- que ha intentado detener todo el desar- petado comentarista político de su gen- Irán. ciones vinculantes en el Acta de Autor- rollo de Irán desde la revolución de 1979. eración”. (New York Times, 9 de marzo) Los oficiales japoneses, al reunirse con ización para la Defensa Nacional y el La declaración de Broder muestra Geithner parecieron estar de acuerdo. presidente Obama firmó la legislación El mito de que la guerra estimula una mentalidad absolutamente criminal. Pero después de su partida, el ministro el 31 de diciembre ordenando el estran- David Broder, corresponsal político También muestra una ilusión peligrosa. de relaciones exteriores Koichiro Gemba gulamiento económico de Irán. Estas del Washington Post durante 40 años y Broder propuso tranquilamente el ases- se retractó diciendo: “A Estados Unidos disposiciones del AADN exigen que cual- experto de los noticieros, describió en un inato de decenas de miles de personas, le gustaría imponer sanciones. Creemos quier otro país del mundo se una a este artículo del 31 de octubre de 2010, cómo la devastación de ciudades enteras, la de- que es necesario ser extremadamente bloqueo económico de Estados Unidos Obama podría abordar su debilitada situ- strucción de toda una cultura como una cautelosos sobre este asunto”. (AFP, 13 contra Irán o se verán sancionados por ación cuando los republicanos barrieron solución económica temporera para ga- de enero) Estados Unidos. Esto en sí es un acto de con el Congreso. Argumentó que para ar- nar una elección en Estados Unidos. Rusia anunció que rechazará cumplir guerra. reglar la economía y recuperar su popu- Otros comentaristas, igualmente argu- con las sanciones. También lo hizo el Irán ha acusado directamente a la CIA laridad, la solución era obvia e inevitable: mentando fríamente con Broder decían miembro de la OTAN, Turquía. La Unión del asesinato el 11 de enero del físico Mo- “Guerra con Irán”. que una guerra con Irán no sería lo sufici- Europea insistió en que se aplace por seis stafa Ahmadi Roshan, el cual ha indigna- Broder ha tenido más de 400 apari- ente porque todas las armas necesarias ya meses, debido al temor por las conse- do a los/as iraníes. Roshan es el último ciones en el programa de comentarios existen y están desplegadas. Por lo tanto, cuencias económicas para los endeuda- de cuatro científicos asesinados selecti- políticos “Meet the Press”. Ganó incluso no resultaría en un aumento de pedidos dos países de Italia, España y Grecia. El vamente en dos años. un Premio Pulitzer. Se podía contar con militares. ¡Una guerra más grande sería gobierno griego dijo que necesita al me- Estalle o no una guerra, es esencial Broder para que reflejara el pensamiento necesaria para dar un empujón lo sufici- nos un año. echar un vistazo a las poderosas fuerzas y los planes políticos de Washington. Sólo entemente grande! El petróleo crudo de Arabia Saudita que sientan las bases para esa confla- la máquina de guerra puede sacar a Esta- En 1939, la revitalización de plantas requiere sustancialmente mayores costos gración. dos Unidos del estancamiento económi- cerradas en EE.UU. de acero, caucho y de refinación al contener más azufre que Una guerra de EE.UU. podría matar co, argumentaba Broder. textiles por los pedidos del Gobierno para el petróleo iraní el cual es más liviano. a cientos de miles de iraníes y desesta- “Recordemos a FDR y la gran depre- fabricar tanques, buques, jeeps, cascos, En un momento de recesión capitalista bilizar toda la región. Provocaría un sión”, escribió Broder. ¿”Qué es lo que uniformes y chalecos de vida para vender global, este costo añadido no es fácil de alza descontrolada en los precios del finalmente resolvió esa crisis económi- en Europa, fue un gran estímulo. La en- vender. petróleo y del gas, devastando las frág- ca? La Segunda Guerra Mundial. [Un trada de los Estados Unidos en la Segun- Hasta los leales colaboradores de iles economías de los países más pobres y enfrentamiento con los mulás] ayudará da Guerra Mundial en 1941 proporcionó EE.UU. están rechazando las exigencias desestabilizando la zona europea que se políticamente [a Obama] porque el par- un enorme aumento en la capacidad pro- de Washington. Pakistán, por ejemplo, encuentra cada vez más inestable. tido de la oposición le estará instándolo ductiva que sacó a la economía de Esta- se negó a abandonar un gasoducto para Marxistas revolucionarios como Fidel dos Unidos de una depresión económica transportar gas natural iraní hacia Paki- Castro, líderes políticos de China y Rusia, NO de 10 años. Lo que funcionó como es- stán y en el futuro incluso hasta la India. y hasta un curtido general israelí se han tímulo económico hace 70 años, antes Todo esto serían buenas noticias. Pero unido a muchos comentaristas políticos a la Guerra contra Irán de la existencia del gigantesco complejo el peligro es que el poder corporativo es- para advertir que un ataque por Estados a las sanciones, militar-industrial de alta tecnología, ya tadounidense viendo por todos lados su Unidos o un ataque coordinado con Israel pasó a la historia. decreciente capacidad de imponer sus contra Irán podrían convertirse rápida- a la intervención Hoy, Estados Unidos tiene una máqui- dictados, está cada vez más propenso a mente en una guerra mucho más amplia. a los asesinatos na militar y un presupuesto militar más imponer soluciones militares. Mientras defiende su derecho sobera- grande que el del resto del mundo combi- Esta situación está agravada por los no a desarrollar la autosuficiencia ener- DÍA NACIONAL DE ACCIONES – nado, superior a 1 billón de dólares al año reveses de EE.UU. en Irak y Afganistán gética, Teherán ha hecho todo lo posible 4 de febrero de 2012 en gastos declarados y ocultos, incluso sin que han debilitado la dominación del por desviar las acusaciones y amenazas otra guerra. Está garantizado crecer a un sudoeste de Asia por la superpotencia de EE.UU. Irán se ha sometido a años Únase a las protestas – ritmo del 5 al 10 por ciento al año. Esto estadounidense respecto a Irán. Cuanto de intrusas inspecciones de sus instala- SÁBADO 4 DE FEB. está incorporado en las proyecciones del más EE.UU. pierde su control sobre la región, más desesperado se puede poner ciones de investigación e industria para NYC 1pm – calle 47 con 7a avenida presupuesto del Pentágono incluso sin los confirmar su cumplimiento con el Trata- excedentes de presupuestos. el imperialismo y arriesgarlo todo en una Manifestación y marcha a Las misiones do de No Proliferación Nuclear. loca aventura para recuperar su posición de Israel y de EEUU en la ONU Pero Washington insiste en detener El mundo no cederá a los mandatos anterior. el desarrollo de Irán — y no sólo su de- Exigiendo: ¡NO A LA GUERRA CONTRA IRÁN! de EE.UU. Cada voz se debe levantarse en esta sarrollo de energía nuclear, para asegu- Para más información, Los planes de Washington de conquis- hora urgente contra las sanciones y la rarse de que su futuro como productora vea la sección iraní en IACenter.org tar fácilmente Afganistán e Irak y establ- guerra.