May 24, 2018, Vol. 60, No. 21
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Brasil y represión 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 60, No. 21 May 24, 2018 $1 North Carolina Public education workers flood state capital By Stephanie Lormand Raleigh, N.C. Fury over Gaza massacre 3, 11 May 16 — Almost 20,000 teachers and supporters rallied today in North Carolina’s capital to defend pub- lic education. The protest closed more than 42 school districts, affected about 67 percent of the state’s public school students, and canceled classes for more than 1 million students. The North Carolina Association of Educators called for the “March for Students and Rally for Respect” with the #ItsPersonal hashtag, asking teachers to “come to the first day of the General Assembly short session.” Teachers responded by paying $50 for a legally protect- ed “personal day” and mobilizing to get to Raleigh. Though the march permit included sidewalks only, people took to the streets by the thousands. They swarmed the former Capitol building, overwhelming the statues and monuments to the old guards of white supremacy. Their numbers wrapped around both sides of the current legislative building, from the front doors around to the back. The crowd poured through the capital in a sea of red shirts, the emblem of education worker struggles popu- larized by the #RedForEd teachers of Arizona. Preced- ing today’s action were massive education worker strug- gles in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and Puerto Rico. Mainstream media focused on the supposed primary motivation of North Carolina’s movement as low teacher salaries. Low pay was certainly a factor, but both liberal and right-wing conservative politicians deliberately nar- rowed the rally into a single-line issue rather than admit- WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE ting the statewide inequities of public school funding. Protesters call for the Philadelphia Orchestra to cancel trip to Israel. These politicians ignored facts like the state spending $2,400 less per pupil than the national average. Fund- ing shortages limit student access to school nurses, counselors and other support staff, while public school WORKERS VS. POVERTY buildings continue to age with mold, termites and other unsafe conditions. Above all, the politicians’ focus on teacher pay eras- Homeless in Philadelphia 5 es the imperative to talk about how increased corporate benefits decrease money available for public education. Poor People’s Campaign 5 North Carolina has lowered the corporate tax rate from 6.9 percent in 2012 to 3 percent. That is the lowest in 6 the country, even before another planned drop to 2.5 Gig economy death percent in 2019. Nearly $3.5 billion in potential revenue will benefit corporate interests instead of education. AT&T strike? 7 North Carolina unites for public education In this “right-to-work” (for less!) state, not so subtle threats have been made against those participating in Continued on page 6 HAITIANS ON THE MOVE For rights in U.S. 4 Subscribe to Workers World 4 weeks trial $4 1 year subscription $30 For minimum wage in Haiti 8 Sign me up for the WWP Supporter Program: workers.org/donate Name ________________________________________________ Editorial: 10 Email _______________________ Phone __________________ #LongHotSummer Street ________________ City / State / Zip __________________ Workers World Weekly Newspaper workers.org KOREA 2 VENEZUELA 8 CUBA 9 FRANCE 10 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl, NY, NY 10011 212.627.2994 Page 2 May 24, 2018 workers.org Statement of Workers World Party Stop war threats against Korea! In the U.S. May 17 — Workers World Party (U.S.) condemns the eign Affairs of the DPRK, released a statement saying: N. Carolina: Public education workers flood state capitol 1 threatening moves made by the Trump administration “If the Trump administration takes an approach to the WWP: Stop war threats against Korea!....................2 and the Pentagon that have deliberately undercut the DPRK-U.S. summit with sincerity for improved DPRK- momentum and planning for a June 12 summit meeting U.S. relations, it will receive a deserved response from ‘Philly, don’t orchestrate apartheid’ .................... 3 between the U.S. and the Democratic People’s Republic us. However, if the U.S. is trying to drive us into a cor- U.S. puts stamp of approval on Israeli murder of Gazans 3 of Korea. It is the U.S. government’s actions and state- ner to force our unilateral nuclear abandonment, we will Boston: Haitian Unity Day cheered ..................... 4 ments that have called into question the planned dis- no longer be interested in such dialogue and cannot but Boston: Union Women Speak, part 2.................... 4 cussions to improve relations between the two nuclear reconsider our proceeding to the DPRK-U.S. summit.” Washington, DC: Haitians demand: ‘Trump must go!’ ... 4 powers. In the interests of the people of the U.S. and Korea, we Gentrification drives homeless camp evictions ......... 5 At this very moment, the U.S. and South Korea are call on anti-war forces in the U.S. to urgently denounce conducting joint military exercises simulating an inva- this dangerous maneuvering by the reactionary Trump Poor People’s Campaign kicks off across U.S. ........... 5 sion of the DPRK. Called operation Max Thunder, these administration. Philadelphia: ‘Pablo lives! Death to the gig economy!’... 6 exercises involve some 100 warplanes, including nucle- We must demand that the U.S. cease its hostile war On the picket line ...................................... 7 ar-capable B-52 bombers and F-22 Raptor stealth fight- “games,” sign a peace treaty with the DPRK, end its mil- Strike looms at AT&T Midwest .......................... 7 er jets. itary occupation of South Korea and bring the troops Detroit ministers host Cuban church leader............. 9 Last month, similarly threatening U.S.-S.K. military home! Seattle: Soviet victory over Nazis honored .............10 operations — Foal Eagle and Key Resolve — took place despite efforts by the DPRK to decrease tensions by Gaza massacre ignites protests..........................11 meeting with South Korean officials and inviting Presi- Around the world dent Donald Trump to a summit with Kim Jong Un. Venezuela: Maduro wins election by landslide .............8 The U.S. calls its military provocations “defensive.” Expanding Empire There is nothing defensive about them. They are taking The global war drive of big business and the forces Haitian workers march for living wage .....................8 place thousands of miles away from the U.S., on the very that will stop it Capitalism, Cuba and human rights ........................9 border of the DPRK, a country the U.S. ravaged from Paris: Railroad workers hold rolling strikes .............10 1950 to 1953. While the Pentagon killed millions of Ko- Vince Copeland’s “Expanding Toronto,: After 12 weeks, university still on strike....... 11 rean people in that war, it could not defeat the revolu- Empire” tells the story of U.S. tionary government that had liberated the north from imperialism from its beginnings in Editorial Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II. But 1898 up to the Vietnam War. The #LongHotSummer ........................................10 Washington has never agreed to end the formal state of pamphlet was written in 1969 during Noticias en Español war that continues to exist now, 65 years later. the Vietnam War and became one of Trump’s appointment of John Bolton to national se- Workers World’s most popular titles. It ‘En Brasil recrudeció la represión went through several printings. curity adviser in late March was a sign that the White y vulneración a los derechos’ ..........................12 The purpose of the pamphlet was House was moving toward greater confrontation with to show that the war was not caused the DPRK. Bolton is an unapologetic war hawk who has by any particular politician. Rather it gone on record advocating a pre-emptive strike against was a product of the capitalist system. the DPRK. Bolton has threatened the Koreans with the The same is true today. In the end, it all comes down to fate of Libya if it does not immediately denuclearize, and profits. “Expanding Empire” explains how the capitalists’ insa- Trump has repeated his words. Libya gave up trying to tiable greed for increased profit inevitably produces war. And acquire nuclear weapons on the promise of peace, but it shows how the only way to prevent future wars is to destroy Workers World instead was invaded and dismembered. capitalism at its roots. 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl. But the DPRK is not Libya. It is a nuclear power and New York, NY 10011 can retaliate if attacked. Learn more. Find it at: On May 16, Kim Kye Gwan, first vice minister of For- www.workers.org/books Phone: 212.627.2994 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.workers.org Vol. 60, No. 20 • May 24, 2018 Closing date: May 22, 2018 Join us in the fight Editor: Deirdre Griswold Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, for socialism! Kris Balderas Hamel, Monica Moorehead, Workers World Party is a revolutionary Marxist- Wages are lower than ever, and youth are saddled with Minnie Bruce Pratt; Web Editor Gary Wilson Leninist party inside the belly of the imperialist beast. seemingly insurmountable student debt, if they even make Production & Design Editors: Coordinator Lal Roohk; We are a multinational, multigenerational and multigen- it to college. Black and Brown youth and trans people are Andy Katz, Cheryl LaBash dered organization that not only aims to abolish capital- gunned down by cops and bigots on a regular basis. Copyediting and Proofreading: Sue Davis, ism, but to build a socialist society because it’s the only WWP fights for socialism because the working class Bob McCubbin, Jeff Sorel way forward! produces all wealth in society, and this wealth should re- Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe, Capitalism and imperialism threaten the peoples of main in their hands, not be stolen in the form of capital- Greg Butterfield, G.