Firsthand report from THE Nicaragua's war front Pages 8, 9

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 51/NO. 46 DECEMBER 18, 1987 $1.00

Haiti strike hits Nicaragua: U.S. pilot canceling nabbed aiding contras of vote BY ROBERTO KOPEC MANAGUA, Nicaragua- A small air­ BY NORTON SANDLER plane flown by U.S. citizen James Jordan A two-day strike paralyzed much of the Denby was shot down by Nicaraguan business activity in Haiti's capital city troops December 6 after illegally entering Port-au-Prince December 7 and 8. Nicaraguan airspace and flying over a mil­ The strike was called in response to the itary zone near the Costa Rican border. November 29 cancellation of presidential Forced to land his damaged plane, Denby elections and the disbanding of the civilian was captured uninjured by Nicaraguan au­ election commission following violence by thorities, who found he had documents army troops and terrorist gangs known as linking him to the U.S.-sponsored contras. the Tontons Macoutes. The violence in­ At a December 8 press conference here, cluded shooting and hacking to death of Defense Minister Humberto Ortega re­ dozens of people around the country. ported that Denby had taken off in his The hated Macoutes were the armed Cessna 172 airplane from a Honduran air­ thugs used by ousted dictator Jean-Claude field and entered Nicaraguan airspace Duvalier to terrorize the population and to without the permit required to do so. He murder opponents. Duvalier was forced to flew 300 miles across Nicaragua without flee the country in February 1986 after sus· contacting Nicaraguan authorities or other­ tained protests against his goverment. With wise identifying himself. Washington's blessing, Duvalier appointed At 3 p.m. that day, as Denby was flying a military junta, the National Council of low over naval installations in San Juan del Government known by its Creole-language Norte, near the Costa Rican border on the initials KNG, to replace him. Atlantic Coast, Nicaraguan troops fired On December 7 and 8, stores were their rifles at the unidentified plane, boarded in Port-au-Prince and traffic was damaging its fuel tank. Already low on light throughout the city. Most factory fuel, Denby was forced to land on a nearby workers stayed off the job the first day with beach where he was captured, Ortega said. Mi Kopec some returning to work the second. Ortega also detailed evidence showing One of Nicaragua's army battalions on patrol near Pantasma. Capture of U.S. pilot The strike, which also had considerable Denby's links to the contra mercenaries. highlights U.S. government's efforts to keep contra war going. impact in Les Cayes, and Gona·ives, was Denby owns a farm in northern Costa called by four candidates from the canceled Rica along the San Juan River, which John Hull, also owns land in Costa Rica er, a State of Illinois permit to handle ex­ presidential election and by the Autono­ serves as a natural border between Nicara­ along the Nicaraguan border and is known plosives, military insignia, and a rough mous Confederation of Haitian Workers gua and Costa Rica. Ortega showed report­ to have close links with the contras and the sketch of the San Juan River area indicat­ (CATH) and two other unions. The central ers a 1984 issue of the U.S. magazine CIA. ing contra camps. demand was for reinstatement o[ the elec­ Farm Journal that featured an article on A notebook found in Denby's possesion Denby is the second U.S. citizen linked tion commiSSIOn. Protestors also de­ Denby's activities in Costa Rica. It in­ mentions a meeting between contra head to the contras captured after being shot manded the resignation of the KNG gov­ cluded a photograph of the armed mer­ Adolfo Calero and John Hull, apparently down flying over Nicaraguan territory. In ernment headed by Gen. Henry Namphy. cenaries training on Denby's Costa Rican also attended by Denby, Ortega reported. October 1986 Eugene Hasenfus was cap­ New York Newsday reported December property and reported that as many as Other documents found in Denby's pos­ tured when Nicaraguan soldiers hit a CIA 8 that 80 people had been killed in the cap­ I ,000 contras were living there at that session include numerous color photo­ plane delivering supplies to the contras. ital alone during the November 29 ram­ time. graphs of contra camps and helicopters, the Two U.S. pilots were killed in the crash. Continued on Page 2 An associate of Denby's, U.S. citizen business card of an international arms deal- In September 1984 Sandinista troops shot down a helicopter that attacked a Nicara­ guan army training camp with rockets and machine guns. The three crew members Book of Che's writings hailed in N.Y. were killed and two turned out to be U.S. Citizens, members of the right-wing paramilitary group Civilian-Military As­ Five selections have never before ap­ BY MARGARET JAYKO Also present were Clinton Adlum, first sistance. NEW YORK - A meeting to celebrate peared in English; all the others have been secretary of the Cuban Interests Section in Light planes such as Denby's Cessna the publication of Che Guevara and the newly translated to make them as faithful Washington, D.C.; Tseke Morathi, mem­ have also been used by the contras for mil­ as possible to Che's original words. The Cuban Revolution: Writings and Speeches ber of the African National Congress of itary reconnaissance and in contra bombing book includes 48 pages of photographs, a of Ernesto Che Guevara was held here De­ South Africa and of the Sechaba Singers; attacks against civilian targets in Nicara­ cember 6. Some 400 people attended the number of them never before published. and Noel Corea, director of international gua, including an attack on Managua's in­ reception and program. Waters pointed to the renewed interest in relations for the Sandinista Association of ternational airport in September 1983. The book was published by Pathfinder/ Che' s ideas because of the relevancy and Cultural Workers in Nicaragua. Represen­ As of December 8, Nicaraguan au­ Pacific and Asia, which is based in Syd­ immediacy they have for fighters for na­ tatives from Pathfinder distributors in Aus­ thorities were still questioning Denby. ney, Australia. The meeting was sponsored tional liberation and socialism everywhere, tralia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand Ortega said that he would probably be by Pathfinder in New York City. October 9 from Cuba itself to southern Africa, Cen­ Continued on Page 4 charged and brought to trial soon. marked the 20th anniversary of Che's mur­ tral America and the Caribbean, and the der at the hands of the U.S.-backed Bo­ Philippines. livian military dictatorship in 1967. A cen­ tral leader of the 1959 Cuban revolution, "One of the things that the enemies of Guevara had severed all official ties and revolutionaries always try to do as soon as Trial of Ky. Ininers exposes left Cuba to participate in the guerrilla the revolutionaries are dead is to tum them struggle in Bolivia in 1966. into harmless icons," said Waters. "One purpose of this book is precisely to reclaim fraine-up by cotnpany, gov't The evening's guest of honor was Am­ the legacy of Che Guevara, to restore him bassador Oscar Oramas-Oliva, permanent to his rightful place as one of the great BY JIM LITTLE nesses, attorneys for the miners are show­ representative of Cuba to the United Na­ Marxists of our century, as a central leader ASHLAND, Ky. -The trial of four ing that Massey security guards worked tions. The ambassador knew Che during of the Cuban revolution, who was also a Kentucky coal miners has been marked by closely with the Kentucky State Police, the the early years of the revolution. capable military strategist and a coura­ government misconduct since it began here FBI, and other U.S. government agencies Mary-Alice Waters, a member of the geous fighter." November 24. to fabricate the case. board of directors of Pathfinder, and Steve The event here was one of a series of The unionists on trial are Donnie A blatant example of government mis­ Clark, director and chief editor of Pathfind­ meetings around the world to launch the Thornsbury, president of United Mine conduct came to light in the testimony of er, co-chaired the meeting. book: six took place in Australia, three in Workers of America (UMWA) Local police "weapons expert" William McBray­ Che, said Waters, "belongs to us all, in­ New Zealand, and one in London, Mon­ 2496; James Darryl Smith; David Thorns­ er during the second week of the trial. He cluding those right here within the borders treal, and Toronto. Others are planned. bury; and Arnold Heightland. They face acknowledged during cross-examination of the United States who are fighting for The New York meeting was itself an in­ life imprisonment on federal frame-up that the government had hidden from the the kind of world that Che lived and died ternational gathering. Delegations were charges stemming from the shooting death miners' attorneys the results of tests on for." present from the Angolan, Cuban, and of scab coal hauler Hayes West during the shotguns the government had seized as evi­ Pathfinder/Pacific and Asia collaborated Vietnamese missions to the United Na­ 1984-85 UMWA strike at A.T. Massey dence. with the Jose Marti Publishing House of tions; the South West Africa People's Or­ coal mines in West Virginia and Kentucky. Havana in publishing Che Guevara and the ganisation (SWAPO) Permanent Observer Paul Smith, also a member of the mine­ Even Judge Henry Wilhoit was forced to Cuban Revolution. It is the most represen­ Mission to the United Nations; Puerto workers' union, faces the same charges but admit this was an example of government tative collection ever in English of Guev­ Rican Socialist Party; and Socialist Bloc of will be tried later. misconduct. But Wilhoit refused to declare ara's writings and speeches. the Dominican Republic. In cross-examination of government wit- Continued on Page 13 Haiti strike protests gov't-backed maSsacre

Continued from front page since the fall of Duvalier. This included minister, Col. Herard Abraham, told the fused to deny that the U.S. government is page. Army troops murdered 15 to 20 at providing the military trucks, radio . com­ reporters. considering intervention. · the Argentine School (see eyewitness ac­ munications, and riot gear. U.S. advisers Since November 29 there have been "It is wrong for Americans to act as if count page 2). were training Haitian soldiers in "crowd­ steady bipartisan demands in the United there is no government in Haiti," Abrams Haitian human rights organizations say control techniques" right up until the States for military intervention into Haiti. also added. 46 people arrested in a sweep of the work­ November 29 events. Those pressing this position argue that a "Intervention has a momentum . . . it is ing-class neighborhood of Carrefour Feuil­ In spite of this infusion of cash, the "peacekeeping" force is necessary to unrealistic to think you could have a clear, les were also murdered. The military ac­ Namphy government has gotten weaker guarantee elections and insure democracy. surgical intervention that would be short­ cused its victims of participating in defense and weaker. But what they really want is a force that can lived," an unidentified government spokes­ groups that began to stand up to the While continuing to support Namphy, "stabilize" the situation and keep Haiti's person told the Christian Science Monitor. Macoute violence in the days before the Washington has pressed for elections in the working people from getting out of hand. Canadian government spokesperson scheduled election. hope that a more stable government will The resolution adopted by the OAS op­ Monique Landry said, "Canada is studying Responding to international outrage over emerge. But the military has refused so far posed outside intervention in Haiti. The the possibility of participating in a peace the killings and the cancellation of the elec­ to relinquish control of the government. next day a New York Times editorial said, force. tion, Namphy is now saying that another "The Organization of American States was Nicaraguan Ambassador to the United The Organization of American States States Carlos Tiinnermann said his country election will be held in January. (OAS) adopted a resolution on December 7 too timid yesterday in backing free elec­ As a way of trying to legitimize the elec­ tions in Haiti without endorsing an inter­ would emphatically reject outside inte(Ven­ urging the Haitian government to call new tion in Haiti. tion, he is demanding that the eight organi­ elections. American force to guarantee the process." zations designated by Haiti's constitution U.S. ambassador to the OAS, Richard The editorial cited the example of the to serve on the election commission ap­ McCormack, said it was important that U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic point new members. But Namphy is pro­ new elections "go forward speedily." in 1965 as a "relevant precedent." U.S. hibiting members of the disbanded board troops also occupied Haiti itself from 1915 from serving, accusing them of being com­ "If these elections do not have credibility to 1934. munists who were trying to rig the election. in the eyes of the people of Haiti," McCor­ Rather than U.S. soldiers, the Times Five of the organizations have turned down mick added, "it will be an invitation to editors called for the occupation force to be Namphy's request and the other three have utter disaster." made up this time of·soldiers from Latin yet to respond. "I guarantee that the Haitian government America and the West Indies. Washington has poured millions of dol­ will transfer power [to a civilian govern­ Elliott Abrams, assistant U.S. secretary lars into supporting the KNG government ment] by February 7 ," Haiti's foreign of state for Latin American affairs, has re- Eyewitness: Haiti's election day

BY NORTON SANDLER On November 29, the day of the sched­ was shot in the leg. We had to run in every Freelance photographer Tony Savino was uled elections, Savino said he went to one direction, jumping over walls." in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from November 18 polling place "where there probably were Savino hid out for 45 minutes to an hour to December 2. In a telephone interview he 800 people lined up in a courtroom waiting before finally being able to work his way told the Militant, "When I first arrived, it to vote. back to the Holiday Inn. seemed pretty normal and relaxed. But "The people seemed to have a lot of faith Savino said the U.S. State Department then bodies began appearing on the street in the elections, and they were determined tried to cover up the role of the military in in the morning. to vote," he said. "They knew the danger. the election day massacres. "We heard a "The Macoutes started laying road­ They knew that the Macoutes had been State Department communique saying the blocks in the city. They'd put trees across threatening to come to the polling places military was actually defending the people, the road and set tires on fire to instill fear in and shoot at people. But they were very but that there weren't enough military per­ the people. proud and determined to make some kind sonnel to go around. "As we got closer to the elections," of change and were there ready to vote." Haitians line up to vote in elections that Savino explained, "they started shooting After visiting the polling place, Savino "After being fired· on by the military, we were disrupted by massacre carried out people on the street even in broad daylight. returned to the Holiday Inn where most of know that's not the case." by army and gangs of thugs. They would just drive by in a truck, some­ the press was staying. times in military uniform, sometimes not, "I spoke to quite a few members of the and just shoot a vendor or someone else on press who had been shot at by both people the street." in and out of uniform. As we were discus­ 10,000 join protest in Mianti Savino said the press "was pretty much sing this, several cars drove by and started restricted to Port-au-Prince, because the shooting the windows out of our cars with BY LINDA JOYCE artists. Several groups of unionists also Macoutes had most of the roads outside the automatic weapons." Savino said. MIAMI- Some 10,000 people-- pre­ participated. city blocked off to impede the flow of traf­ "Two fire trucks drove right by the dominantly Haitians -- poured into the Some of the slogans included "Stop mur­ fic. Their aim was to create chaos in gen­ hotel. Six carloads of journalists followed streets of Miami December 5 to protest the dering Haitians," "Down with Namphy. eral in the country and to prevent ballots them a few blocks to the Argentine canceling of the Haitian elections. Demon­ Down with KNG," "U.S. hands off Haiti," from getting out to the countryside," he School," Savino continued, "where we strators also demanded the ouster of the and "End Duvalierism." The demonstra­ emphasized. saw that there were dead bodies all over. Namphy military government, an end to all tion followed nightly meetings of several By November 23, Savino said, "the We began photographing the 15 to 20 remnants of Duvalierism, and condemned hundred that have taken place in Little population spontaneously began to or­ bodies. Three people were still ~llive. The the proposal of a U.S. or other "peacekeep­ Haiti since the elections were canceled. ganize into vigilance teams to try to put the military took away a couple of the bodies, ing force" for the island. In Boston 300 people held a vigil at the brakes on the Macoutes running around and a couple ambulances came for the Called and jointly built by the three main Federal Building on December 2, then and shooting people. people who were alive," he said. Haitian organizations active here, the dem­ marched to the Haitian consulate. In both "They actually caught Macoutes in a "Not three or four minutes later, two onstration was a strong show of unity by Creole and English the crowd chanted couple of different places. In Cite Solei!, jeeps showed up carrying members of the Miami's 50,000-strong Haitian communi­ "U.S. invasion--no! Haiti-yes!" and one of the poorest sections of the city, the military in green uniforms. They began ty. In addition to thousands of Haitian "Hey, hey, CIA, Haiti is not for sale." bodies of some Macoutes were found. shooting at the press with automatic workers, the spirited action involved stu­ They were members of a private security weapons. At that point, a Dominican jour­ dents, activists in the Central America sol­ Similar demonstrations have taken place agency." nalist was killed and a British journalist idarity and anti-apartheid movements, and in Montreal and New York. The Militant tells the truth Subscribe today! The Militant Closing news date: December 9, 1987 "What the Militant has been able to do is make the linkage Coeditors: MARGARET JA YKO and DOUG JENNESS Circulation Director: NORTON SANDLER between the struggles worldwide of workers and farmers, Nicaragua Bureau Director: LARRY SEIGLE Business Manager: JIM WHITE and explain that the same multinationals that are exploit­ Editorial Staff: Susan Apstein, Fred Feldman, Arthur Hughes, Cindy Jaquith, Roberto Kopec (Nicaragua), Susan LaMont, Sam Manuel, Harvey McArthur (Nicaragua), Harry Ring. ing people in South Africa or in Central America are doin Published weekly except one week in August and the last week of December by the Militant (ISSN 0026-3885), 410 it to workers and farmers here." West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. Telephone: Editorial Of­ fice, (212) 243-6392; Telex, 497-4278; Business Office, (212) - George Paris 929-3486. Farmer and leader of Correspondence concerning subscriptions or changes of ______Federation of Soutl)em Cooperatives address should be addressed to The Militant Business Of­ Enclosed is fice,410WestSt., NewYork,N.Y.10014. Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. POSTMAS­ 0 $4.00 for 12 weeks, new readers ~~I TER: Send address changes to The Militant, 410 West St., 0 $9.00 for 12 weeks, renewals New York, N.Y. 10014. Supscriptions:U.S., Canada, Latin 0 $17.00 for six months "'+« I America: for one-year subscription send $30, drawn on aU. S. 0 $30.00 for one year 0 $55.00 for two years bank, to above address. By frrst-class (airmail), send $65.

Name ______~ ------Britain, Ireland, Continental Europe, Africa: send £25 check or international money order made out to Pathfinder Address ------Press and send to Pathfinder, 47 The Cut, London SEt 8LL, City ______State _____ Zip _ ___ England. Australia, Asia, Pacific: send Australian $60 to Telephone Union/School/Organization ______Pathfinder Press, P.O. Box 37, Leichhardt, Sydney, NSW 2040, Australia. Send to THE MILITANT, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014 Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent theMi litant 's views. These are expressed in editorials.

2 The Militant December 18, 1987 Jay strikers·plan solidarity drive as company attacks mount

BY JON HILLSON The only way to get serious negotiations JAY, Maine - A meeting between the going, Meserve said, "is to twist their arm paperworkers' union and International and make them." Paper Co. called by federal mediators This arm-twisting, he said, is taking the failed "to produce substantial movement form of high-visibility union mobilization on the company's part," Local14 President tactics, including the union's decision to Bill Meserve reported to hundreds of work­ hire Ray Rogers' Corporate Campaign to ers who have been on strike for six months help win solidarity for the strike. (Rogers at the Androscoggin mill here. spoke to a meeting of 700 strikers and sup­ Militant/Margrethe Siem The giant paper company "will not en­ porters on December 1 in Lock Haven, along with Maine and Pennsylvania state Solidarity contingent from electrical workers' union took occasion of attendance at gage in national bargaining," company paperworkers' weekly strike meeting to swear in their newest union member. Every­ spokesperson William Greener said at the AFL-CIO presidents.) The Jay meeting also heard reports from one at the meeting was sworn in as an honorary member of the electrical workers' December 2 meeting in Washington, D.C. union. Its presence there, he explained, was only a the locals' "labor ambassadors," as their formality. outreach speakers are called. Members of the United Paperworkers A contingent of electrical workers from January 6, that will travel to 26 cities and scabs and company property not covered International Union are also on strike or half a dozen cities in Maine, representing towns throughout Maine. Participants in directly by the injunction. locked out at International Paper (IP) mills unionists at Central Maine Power, brought the caravan will speak at rallies, union and At the November hearing Brody also in DePere, Wisconsin; Mobile, Alabama; nearly $2,000 in donations. They also took community meetings, and colleges and found the company "technically" in con­ and Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Union of­ the occasion of their attendance at the high schools. The strikers plan to organize tempt of his injunction, but levied no fines ficials from those UPIU regions attended union/family meeting to swear in their similar caravans throughout New England. against it. the D.C. meeting, along with Jim Dinardo, newest local member, Derek Bryan. Also on December 2, the unions' The paperworkers' International filed District I director, who represented the Jay International Brotherhood of Electrical lawyers filed a motion against Maine suit against IP in federal court in Mobile, strikers. Workers business agent Dave Adams Superior Court Justice Morton Brody's Alabama, December 2, charging the com­ The same day, I 54 Jay strikers received swore in the entire cheering meeting as November 23 contempt of court verdict pany with "willful violation of collective notice that they have been placed on "indef­ honorary members of the union as well. "If against the unions. bargaining contracts at 17 locations across inite layoff." This move is part of the deci­ it wasn't for you people coming to us, stir­ In November Brody had dismissed most the United States." The legal action is sion announced by the company in October ring us up," he said, "we wouldn't have a of the charges against 18 union members aimed at forcing the paper company to de­ to implement its final contract offer, which quorum at our union meetings." whom IP accused of violating the court's duct voluntary dues from members' pay, a included a reduction in the work force at Chuck Fullerton, vice-president of Fire­ injunction governing strike conduct. But practice previously agreed to by IP and in­ the mill. The proposal was rejected by men and Oilers Local 246, which is also on he proceeded to fine the union locals cluded in most union contracts. The com­ union members when they struck June 16. strike at the Jay mill, reported on the warm $10,000 for being in contempt of the in­ pany is refusing to deduct a voluntary dues Currently some I ,000 scabs are working at reception he and Local 14 executive board junction. The locals' motion is aimed at re­ increase that paperworkers voted for the plant. member Dick Dalessandro received at are­ moving a series of findings made by Brody emergency assistance to striking and Meserve reported these developments to cent meeting of the Connecticut AFL-CIO that link the union locals to actions against locked-out IP workers. the I ,200 strikers, family members, and executive board. He thanked Local 14 for supporters at the December 2 weekly extending the paperworkers' strike fund to union/family meeting. The layoffs would Local 246 and stressed the importance of have no effect on union members receiving the strikers' , speaking campaign. "This Unionists rally for striking strike benefits, he said, or on their partici­ business about solidarity," he said, "is very pation in the food bank or anything else. serious. We're talking about our Jives, and This led to a discussion about the layoffs coming up, our children's lives." Wyo. and Montana coal miners and about how to respond to the company's The next big outreach project is a 50- continued stonewalling of negotiations. person statewide labor caravan, starting BY JAY RESSLER laid charges of violence, intimidation, and AND TONY DUTROW attempted murder against the UMWA. The SHERIDAN, Wyo. -More than 500 charges appeared in the November 25 strikers from the Big Horn and Decker coal Sheridan Press. mines and their supporters held a proces­ The company's latest accusations against Holiday offer for sion and rally here December 5. Many resi­ the strikers stemmed from an antiunion dents indicated their support for the strikers provocation that took place early on by raising fists and flashing "V for victory" November 22. An incendiary device set signs as the procession passed by. After the fire to part of a cabin belonging to Decker Militant readers action, United Mine Workers of America mine manager Leonard Skretteberg. locals 1972 and 2055 organized a chile According to Skretteberg, he and his son Now is the time to make sure you get every issue feed and dance. were awakened by the fire and extin­ Since October 1, UMW A Local 1972 guished it within minutes with a fire extin­ of the 11ilitant in 1988. If you buy or renew your has been on strike against Decker, just guisher and water hose. subscription for one year you can take advan­ across the Montana border, and Local 2055 "This is nothing we condone," Local tage of one of our special offers: has been on strike at the Big Horn mine 1972 spokesperson Whitey Wells told the near here. Press concerning the fire. Strikers volun­ D Share the Militant. We'll send a free 12- The march included a delegation of min­ teered to form a work party to repair the week introductory subscription to the person ers from UMWA Local 8880 in Beulah, damage, but Skretteberg refused the help. ofyour choice. North Dakota, who, are on strike against Instead, the company seized on the inci­ North American Coal. A busload of hard­ dent to smear the union as responsible. or rock miners came from a United Steel­ Decker has used charges of strike vio­ workers of America local in Rock Springs, lence to get a court injunction barring mass D New International. Get a copy of issue Wyoming. picketing at the mine and restricting pickets No. 6 of this Marxist magazine for $2.50 There were also contingents from the to four per gate. , (a $4 savings). Contains "Cuba:,A Historic United Transportation Union, International , Out of 270 Decker workers, 53 have re­ Moment," two 'speechs by Fidel Castro. Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Utility turned to work. But no workers have crossed or Workers Union of America, Brotherhood the picket line in more than a month. of Locomotive Engineers, and Brother­ Miners have been picketing Burlington Pathfinder books. D Che Guevara hood of Maintenance of Way Employees. Northern trains that enter the mines, and and the Cuban Revolution for $7.95, Cecil Roberts, vice president of the crews belonging to the United Transporta­ UMW A, and John Faunce, executive sec­ tion Union refused to cross the line. Bur­ or D the founding of the Communist retary of the Wyoming AFL-CIO, were lington Northern filed charges of illegal International, Proceedings and featured speakers. picketing with the National Labor Rela­ Documents of the first Cc)ngress for tions Board, but informational picketing by $6.95 ($4 savings). The Decker mine is owned jointly by Peter Kiewit & Sons and Nerco Coal; the UMWA members is continuing. Some rail workers are now undercourt order to take Please check box of the offer you Big Horn mine by Kiewit alone,. The com­ panies demand a wage freeze, cuts in med­ trains into Decker property. want. (Offer expires Jan. 31. 1988.) ical benefits, and the right to subcontract Members of the International Brother­ work now done by union members. The hood of Electrical Workers from Colstrip, D Enclosed is $30 for my one-year unions reject these demands and want to re­ Montana, donated five pounds of potatoes subscription to the l'fililtant. (Add place the previous one-year agreement per striker and 280 turkeys to the union for $4 if you want it sent in an with a three-year pact. Thanksgiving. Donations totaling thou­ envelope). sands of dollars have come in to help strik­ The owners are using scabs and have ers and their families. hired Baker & Associates, a professional A lot is at stake, UMWA Local 1972 union-busting outfit from Omaha, Ne­ President Larry Deeds told the Militant. Gift subscription to: braska. Baker has aided employers in 15 The lower Powder River Basin is poten­ Your Name Name ------­ labor disputes in the past decade, including tially one of the most productive coal min­ Address Address heading up Hormel' s "security" in the ing regions in the world. Presently 14 City City 1985-86 meatpackers' strike in Austin, nonunion mines operate in the basin. State __ Zip State __ Zip Minnesota. "We're a major outpost keeping wages In an attempt to undermine support for and working conditions up in the whole Clip and mail to Militant, 410 West St.. New York. N.Y. 10014. the miners, Decker Coal Co. purchased a basin. We' re fighting big multinational full page newspaper advertisement that corporations," Deeds said.

December 18, 1987 The Militant 3 BOOk of~Che's~ · writiitgS · hailed in N.Y.

Continued from front page Green congratulated Pathfinder "for the apartheid regime was killing Angolans tarian in its scope and has created such an attended. Dozens of messages were re­ having the vision; courage, and audacity to because "they have chosen to be like Che immensely warm and wonderful generat­ ceived hailing publication of the book (see continue to print the truth." . . . because they are giving support to ion of people .... box). He had also spoken at the meeting last SWAPO, ANC, and other people who are "Thank you Pathfinder Press for having January in New York to celebrate the pub­ struggling for their independence in that re­ done each and every one of us a great 'Wish you a large press run' lication of Nothing Can Stop the Course of gion of southern Africa." favor." Waters opened the meeting with greet­ -History. He ·reported that at least nine Referring to the Cuban troops that are in ings sent by Rep. Mervyn Dymally (D.­ members of his caucus had read that book, Angola to defend that nation against South Normalization of. relations Calif.), head of the Congressional Black four while visiting Cuba. Africa, Nashandi said that the people of Andres Gomez is the director of Areito Caucus and co-author of another Pathfind­ Cuba have not let Che down. magazine, the voice of Cubans in the Green said that uppermost on his mind er book, Nothing Can Stop the Course of "Let's each of us become the Ches of United States who favor normalization of while in Cuba were the wretched condi­ History, an interview with Fidel Castro. this era," she urged. relations with Cuba. He is also a founding tions facing the Black and Puerto Rican member and long-time leader of the An­ "As you prepare to celebrate the release communities in this ·country. Green repre­ "I would like to express our deepest ap­ tonio Maceo Brigade, which organizes of your new publication, Che Guevara and sents the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. preciation to Pathfinder for this important young Cuban-Americans who want to the Cuban Revolution, let me commend initiative to publish a book on the ideas and work for normal ties between the United you for making rare material of the kind it "it was in the eyes of the children, in the thoughts of Ernesto Che Guevara," Cuba's States and Cuba. represents available to an English-speaking Young Pioneers, that we realized for the Ambassador Oramas told the audience. Gomez emphasized the political breadth audience," wrote Dymally. first time the significance of the revolution "Che is alive because you are here to­ of the meeting. "The fact that we're all "I wish you a large press run." of 1959; the significance of the social transformation that had occurred there; and night to render homage to the work he had gathered here tonight, from so many differ­ The first speaker was State Assembly­ been doing for all mankind. man Roger Green, chair of the New York juxtaposed that with the conditions that our ent places, organizations, and political par­ "Che is alive because people in southern ties reflects that even though it has taken us State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative people, and particularly our children, face Africa, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and else­ some time, we too have learned the spirit Caucus. Green was a leader of protests in here in the city of New York," said Green. where are struggling against oppression of Che and have understood the necessity New York City last January against a racist The infant death rate in Cuba is 13 for and for a new world," he continued. of unity in the struggle against a most pow­ lynching in Howard Beach. He recently re­ every I ,000 live births, Green said, lower Oramas pointed to Che as'the source of erful enemy, imperialism." turned from a tour of Cuba with other state than in his own district, where it is 27. inspiration for the voluntary work brigades legislators. Green praised Cuba's support for "just that are sweeping Cuba today, building Areito was first published in Miami in revolutions abroad" such as the revolution child care centers, housing, and hospitals. 1974, but right-wing threats and pressures in Angola. "Without voluntary work it is impossible to soon forced it to move to New York, where build up the consciousness of the human it appeared until 1985. It began publishing Che's importance for Namibia being of the future," he emphasized. again this summer in Miami. So far, 7,000 Monica Nashandi, SWAPO's deputy copies of the first issue of the new Arefto permanent representative at the United Na­ 'Like talking with'Che' have been distributed in Miami. tions, told the audience it was a great plea­ One featured , speaker, Gus Newport, Gomez spoke about the current "rectifi­ sure to see people coming together to cele­ former mayor of.Berkeley, California, and cation" effort going on in.Cuba, led by the brate the publication of "the words of a co-chair of the U.S. Peace Council, was ill Cuban Communist Party. Cuba is trying to man who dedicated his life to the struggle and unable to attend. deal with the problem, said Gomez, of how of the people of Cuba . . .. His contribution He sent a message that read, in part: revolutionary consciousness can be deep­ gives us inspiration in our struggle for free­ "Reading this book was almost like having ened among a generation born since the dom and national independence." a firsthand conversation with Che Gue­ revolution that has never faced the harsh Pointing to South Africa's recent inva­ vara. It gave me a better understanding of realities of life in a capitalist society. The sion of Angola, Nashandi explained that why the Cuban revolution is so humani- rectification effort, stressed Gomez, is not Veteran Cuban leader tours New Zealand

Mirta Muniz, a veteran Cuban revolu­ throw the Batista dictatorship in Cuba, and example of what humanity is all about." tionary who knew and worked with Che met Guevara on Jan. I, 1959, the day the The Auckland book launching was Guevara, toured New Zealand in No­ insurrection against the regime ended in chaired by Don Farr, chairman of the vember to promote Che Guevara and the victory. She worked closely with Guevara Auckland Trades Council, anciMufii:l .~I1P Cuban Revolution, a newly published book in the early 1960s as he played a central Deutschmann were welcomed by Terry of Guevara's writings. It is distributed in role in reorganizing Cuba's industry and Law, president of the Auckland Cuba Mahn New Zealand by Pilot Books. led in organizing solidarity in Cuba with Friendship Society. Andres Gomez, ·director of Areito mag­ David Deutschmann of Pathfinder/Pa~ the Vietnamese liberation struggle. About 20 unionists attended a reception azine and leader of the Antonio Maceo cific and Asia, who edited the book, Muniz is now director of press and infor­ for Muniz in Christchurch. and 20 women Brigade, praised political breadth of accompanied Muniz on the tour. mation for the National Assembly of trade unionists attended a reception for her Manhattan book launch. Muniz was active in the struggle to over- People's Power, Cuba's governing body. in Wellington. The first of the meetings to launch Che "We think it was a very good idea to Guevara and the Cuban Revolution in New publish Che's writings and speeches, espe­ Zealand was attended by 100 people in cially in Engli!>h," Muniz told an inter­ Broad interest in new book Christchurch on November 16. A Novem­ viewer for the New Zealand newspaper ber 18 meeting in· Wellington drew 60 Socialist Action. "This is the first time that Many prominent political activists art­ ford defendants; Rafael Anglada-Lopez, people, and a November 20 gathering in many of these have been made available in ists, and writers attended the New York member of legal defense team for the Auckland was attended by 70 people. English. celebration of Che Guevara and the Cuban Hartford defendants and central committee "Che Guevara is one of the heroes of our "The most important thing is that it is Revolution, and many messages were re­ member of Puerto Rican Socialist Party; youth," declared Susanna Ounei, a leader Che speaking for himself. It is Che's own ceived. Next week the Militant will print Jose Martin Ramos, president, New York of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation thoughts. excerpts from some of the greetings. branch Puerto Rican Socialist Party. Front (FLNKS) at the Christchurch meet­ "What most people know of Che is The following is a list of some of the Bruce McM •.Wright, justice, Supreme ing. The FLNKS is fighting for the end of merely his image- the poster, the T-shirt guests and those who sent messages notre­ Court of State of New York; Ben Dupuy, French rule in New Caledonia. - Che the guerrilla fighter who went to ported in the accompanying Militant arti­ director, Haiti Progres and coordinator, At the Wellington meeting, Muniz was Cuba, then to Bolivia. But they don't know cle: Committee Against Repression in Haiti; welcomed by Ken Douglas, president of his deep thinking, why he acted the way he Alicia Varel, North America and Cen­ David Abdulah, education and research the Council of Trade Unions. did." tral America relations director, Sandinista officer, Oilfields Workers' Trade Union of "It is important for us to try to under­ Workers Federation of Nicaragua; Dorotea Trinidad and Tobago; Don Rojas, Havana stand the ideas and ·principles that Che (This article is based on reports published Wilson, Nicaragua's National Autonomy representative, Maurice Bishop Patriotic li ved for and finally gave his life for," in the December 4 issue of the New Zea­ Commission and Sandinista National Lib­ Movement of Grenada; Terry Mar­ Douglas said. "He is truly a magnificent land newspaper Socialist Action.) eration Front deputy in the National As­ ryshow, Maurice Bishop Youth Organisa­ sembly; Jean-Marie Tjibaou, president, tion of Grenada; Dessima Williams, Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front former representative to the Organization of New Caledonia; Rafael (Fafa) Taveras, of American States of the People's Revolu­ general secretary, Dominican Socialist tionary Government of Grenada; Mad­ Bloc and president, Anti-Imperialist Or­ nodje Mounoubai, coordinator, Liaison ganizations of the Caribbean and Central and Information Bureau of Burkina Faso. America; Solly Similane, deputy represen­ Ken Jones, Venceremos Brigade na­ tative, African National Congress Ob­ tional executive committee; George Har­ server Mission to the United Nations. rison, activist in Irish struggle; Luis Miranda, Casa de las Americas; Sandra Puerto Rican painter Juan Sanchez; Levinson, director, Center for Cuban Brazilian jazz musician and composer Studies; Bill Callahan, director of Quixote Thiago de Mello; folk singer Pete Seeger; Center and Quest for Peace; Utrice Leid Puerto Rican singer Roy Brown; Mike Managing Editor, City Sun. Alewitz, art director, Pathfinder Mural Beverly Treumann, executive director, Project; John Gerassi, author, Vence­ Nica School in Nicaragua; Hector Marro­ remos! The Speeches and Writings of Che quin, Mexican-born Socialist Workers Guevara; Gregorio Seiser, journalist and Party member who has waged 10-year bat­ author of Sandino; Jeffrey Elliot, co-au­ tle for right to stay in this country; lj:lombe thor, Nothing Can Stop the Course of His­ Brath, Patrice Lumumba Coalition; tory; Margaret Randall, U.S.-born poet Roderick Thorton, political science pro­ and author facing deportation; A. W. Sin­ fessor, Queens College; Kai Crooks, sec­ gham, author of Nonalignment in an Age retary, New York chapter, National Al­ of Alignment; Paul Sweezy and Harry liance of Third World Journalists; Pedro Militant/Ron Poulsen Magdoff, editors of Monthly Review. Caban, political science professor, Ford­ Mirta Muniz, who knew and worked with Che Guevara, toured New Zealand and Elias Castro Ramos, one of the Hart- ham University; New Americas Press. Australia to promote Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution.

4 The Militant December 18, 1987 a sign of weakness, demise, or confusion, but rather "a sign of strength and resolu­ tion." Ray Santiago, secretary-treasurer of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee in the Midwest, explained that Che's writings and speeches are an · inspiration and a beacon to farm workers. Santiago, who visited Cuba in 1979 and 1982, was struck by the contrast in the working and living conditions of farm workers in the two countries. Messages were also received from Car­ HolbnlOk Mahn los Hernandez, a leader of the 1986 can­ N.Y. speakers, left to right: State Assemblyman Roger Green, Ambassador Oscar David nery workers' strike in Watsonville, Deutschmann. California, and Javier Saucedo, organizer of the Arizona Farm Workers union. "Our role as workers' organizations is to pointed to the importance of Che Guevara Leonard Boudin, the general counsel for Revolution," Boudin said. "The contribu­ help promote and distribute" the valuable and the Cuban Revolution. the National Emergency Civil Liberties tions during Che's lifetime were very im­ material in this book. wrote Saucedo. Walsh emphasized to the audience the Committee and for the Cuban government, portant; his death was a great loss. My Since 1969, the Venceremos Brigade need to step up the fight against Washing­ also attended the meeting and his written own memories of him are personal, namely has been the largest single group organiz­ ton's restrictions on travel to Cuba as well message was read by the chair. "Pathfinder a chess match of three games at the Havana ing U.S. residents to travel to Cuba. Teresa as its denial of visas to Cubans who want to has made an important contribution in the Riviera Hotel, room guarded against in­ Walsh, from the Brigade's national office, visit the United States. publication of Che Guevara and the Cuban truders, where the result was two draws and one win for me." But, Boudin added with great modesty, "this would probably have been reversed if we had had another Cuban ambassador opens Londo~) rally round." Che: a political leader The final speaker was David Deutsch­ BY JONATHAN SILBERMAN their lives in defense of sovereignty, as power," he said, contrasting this to the goal they are doing today in Angola." of imperialist countries who want to be mann, editor of C he Guevara and the Cuban LONDON- Over 300 people attended Revolution and director of Pathfinder/ a public rally in Conway Hall December 2 African National Congress National "great military powers." Youth Secretariat member George Johan­ Benn said that Cuba was of immediate Pacific and Asia. to launch the new book Che Guevara and The Cuban publishers who worked with the Cuban Revolution. nes ·said, "Che embodied love for people, relevance for the class struggle in Britain. not just for his own people but love for jus­ It proved that imperialism can be defeated. Deutschmann on the book had stressed, he The meeting was chaired by Pathfinder/ said, that the most important contribution London representative Brian Lyons. tice, peace, and progress of people Women Against Pit Closures leader throughout the world." Betty Heathfield said, "At the time when this book could make is to help increase the The opening speaker was the Cuban am­ knowledge of Che's political ideas. bassador to Britain, Oscar Fernandez Mell. we're having to fight for the right to abor­ Jorge Lopez Suazo, a member of the In the 1960s, Che was a symbol of strug­ Fernandez had fought alongside Che in the tion, child care, health and transport facili­ Sandinista National Liberation Front of ties, we can identify with Cuba," where gle that inspired radicalizing youth. Since mountains in the struggle to overthrow the Nicaragua, is a student .leader who just then, "his image has become blurred out­ U.S.-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Ba­ women have made big strides forward. completed two years of military service. side of Cuba," said Deutschmann. tista. He was with Che when the victorious Her organization was founded by coal­ He told the meeting that Che had argued field women during the 1984-85 British There have been lots of efforts to sepa­ Rebel Army entered Havana in 1959, and that youth should be "the vanguard of all rate Che from Cuba, he said, to forget that he also fought at Che's side on an inter­ miners' strike. David Deutschmann, editor movements, the first to be ready to make he worked side by side with Fidel Castro, nationalist mission in the Congo. of Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution, the sacrifices demanded by the revolution, that he was a Marxist educator of the He paid tribute to Che the "man of ac­ also spoke. whatever they might be." Greetings were sent to the meeting from Cuban working people, that he was a tion," but emphasized that Che was much model communist, that he was a central more than this. "Together with Fidel." he Dolly Kiffin of the Broadwater Farm the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement of Youth Association, a Black rights organi­ Grenada; Angolan embassy; Vietnamese leader of the Communist Party of Cuba, said, "Che had the sharpest mind of those that he helped lead Cuba's economic de­ in the Granma landing," referring to the zation, explained how for Black youth in embassy; Faisal Aweda, Palestine Libera­ London, Che was a man who "above all tion Organization; Jaime Lopez, Far­ velopment, and that he helped to generalize boat that carried the armed Cuban revolu­ the lessons of the Cuban revolution for tionaries from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 at else said that change was possible." abundo Marti National Liberation Front­ Labour Party Member of Parliament Revolutionary Democratic Front; Gerry people all over the world. the beginning of the revolutionary war. The purpose of this book "is to let the He was not only a "courageous man, not Tony Benn said that Che and Cuba taught Adams, president of the Irish revolutionary not only the necessity of struggle but also organization Sinn Fein; Communist Party ideas of Che Guevara speak for them­ only a victorious guerrilla, but a man of selves," said Deutschmann. ideas, of advanced culture, a convinced how to build a new society. "They want to of Great Britain; and the Morning Star and make Cuba the world's greatest medical Socialist Action newspapers. Deutschmann pointed out that in a recent Marxist-Leninist." speech marking the 20th anniversary of Che spoke a lot about how to build Che's assassination, Fidel Castro had socialism in Cuba, stressing the role of urged everyone to study Che's writings, consciousness in the process. "He did not Int'l crowd at Montreal event especially his economic writings, not only rule out the use of material incentives, but in Cuba, but in the imperialist countries he advocated moral incentives, seeing the BY SUSAN BERMAN Osvaldo Nunez, a leader of the United and in the other socialist countries. new society as being associated with forg­ MONTREAL - "In 1968 I was in one Electrical Workers union who was origi­ Deutschmann also quoted Thomas San­ ing consciousness," said Fernandez. of the Palestinian bases near occupied Pal­ nally from Chile, explained Che's impact kara, former president of Burkina Faso, Bience Gawanas of the South West Af­ estine. I met a young commando, his name on the student movement there in the who was recently assassinated in a counter­ rica People's Organisation (SWAPO) said was Guevara. I asked him, 'Why did you 1960s. revolutionary coup. Che is especially im­ that Che "taught us that independence and chose that name? You don't have the beret The meeting also heard greetings from portant for the "youth thirsty for dignity, sovereignty are not god-given- they must of Guevara. You don't have the beard of Jean-Claude Parrot, national president of thirsty for courage, thirsty for ideas," San­ be fought for." Guevara. You don't even smoke the cigars the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. kara said. Gawanas spent two years in Cuba as a of Guevara.' The featured speaker was David If there's any one reason for the publica­ student at the Isle of Youth. "I have heard Deutschmann, editor of Che Guevara and tion of this book, Deutschmann concluded, "He said, 'Well, it is not the appearance, Cubans talking about volunteering to go to the Cuban Revolution. it is, as Fidel expressed it, the universal but rather it is the thought and ideas of other countries. They go as doctors, as Activists from Burkina Faso, Haiti, value of the political ideas of Ernesto Che Guevara that made me choose his name.'" nurses, as teachers, not just as soldiers. But Senegal, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guevara. A theme that has come through This is how Abdullah Abdullah, director if they go as soldiers, they are ready to give Chile, as well as representatives of the clearly in Cuba in recent months, said of the Palestine Information Office in Cuban government in Canada, attended the Deutschmann, is "that Che Guevara's time Canada, described Che Guevara's impact has come again." on the Palestinian liberation movement. meeting. Abdullah was one of several speakers at the December 3 Montreal launching of the new book, Che Guevara and the Cuban 'Che lives in rebels in El Salvador' Revolution. Seventy-five people attended the event. BY MONICA JONES rade Che, that your sacrifices were not in In her opening remarks, Pathfinder rep­ TORONTO, Canada - "Right now and vain because the faces of many Afro, resentative Carole Caron explained, "Most every day in El Salvador, Che Guevara Asian, and Latin American countries have people know Che as the guerrilla, but not lives in every combatant and militant per­ changed in favor of those who are on the really as a political leader of the Cuban rev­ son. His inspiration is every moment en­ borderline of deprivation. After tremend­ olution." This book gives readers an accu­ couraging and giving us strength, which ous sacrifices, South Africa is no longer rate view of Che, she said. brings us closer to final victory. More than surrounded by countries who are hostile to­ Rolando Gutierrez, a representative in words, Commandante Che Guevara re­ ward the national liberation movement." Canada of the Revolutionary Democratic quires from us action and our commitment Pastor Vaile-Garay, the consul general Front-Farabundo Marti National Libera­ and courage to keep going in this fight." of Nicaragua in Toronto, brought greetings tion Front of El Salvador, also spoke. Mauricio Perez of the Farabundo Marti not only from his own country but also Gutierrez explained, "To speak of Che is National Liberation Front-Revolutionary from the consul general of Cuba. to speak of Cuba." He pointed out that the Democratic Front of El Salvador spoke for Other speakers included Allison Acker, Cuban revolution opened a revolutionary the 150 people gathered December 4 to pay a longtime Central and Latin American sol­ period in all of Latin America. He said the tribute to Che Guevara and launch the new idarity activist; John Foster, past chairman experiences of the Cuban revolution are "a book Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolu­ of the Interchurch Committee on Human guide for all the revolutionary processes in tion. Rights in Latin America; and David Deutsch­ Latin America." The evening opened with music from mann, editor of the Che book. One of the most important lessons to Grupo Cayagunza. New Democratic Party Member of Par­ learn from Che, Gutierrez explained, was Solly Similane, the deputy representa­ liament Dan Heap sent his regrets, as his that he "always sought at the center of his tive of the African National Congress of plane was delayed. Written greetings were Cuban Ambassador to Britain, Oscar ideas and activities the will of the masses South Africa at the United Nations, de­ read from Jean-Claude Parrot, president of Fernandez MeU. of people to take power." clared, "We're here to assure you, Com- the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

December 18, 1987 The Militant 5 Working ·farmers See little·of . subsidies, rich get a lot

BY FRED FELDMAN same as the broiler chicken industry is The same pattern appears across the To hear the media tell it, things have now, with fewer than l 00 operators of any board. In 1985 the richest 1 percent of been looking up for farmers this year. significance," William Haw, president of farmers received 13 percent of federal sub­ "Plenty of signs point to a recovery," the the company, was quoted as saying in the sidies - $1 billion out of $7.5 billion. Wall Street Journal asserted last summer. August 4 New York Times. Haw was a Government farm programs are geared "Hog prices have been high for months. bank vice-president before moving to Na­ to strengthen the position of the richest The lower dollar has sent farm exports edg­ tional Farms. operators. Subsidies are provided per unit ing up again .... Partly as a result of fed­ Big capitalist operations, such as Na­ of production (for instance, per bushel of eral subsidies, total farm net income will tional Farms, the Times reported, enjoy com) or per acre taken out of production. hit a record this year." "advantages that are beyond the reach of So the biggest subsidies go to the biggest The facts show, however, that the upturn small producers. They can buy feed , producers. in the U.S. economy since 1982 is benefit­ supplies, and equipment at lower prices, The 1985 Food Security Act and a 1986 ing a layer of capitalist farmers, not the and they can sell at higher prices by dealing law on agricultural exports included provi­ great majority of working farmers . directly with packers rather than through sions purportedly countering this. The About 1 percent of all farmers have sales middlemen." maximum subsidy that a com producer topping $500,000 a year. In 1985 these The agriculture department reported in could receive, for example, was set at produced about one-third of the crops and June that 10 of the nation's largest rice $250,000. But millions have continued livestock and garnered more than 55 per­ farms got government payments of at least flowing to the capitalist farmers, while cent of farm profits. Less than half of 1 per­ $1 million each. The handouts were pro­ working farmers get little. cent of farms- about 1,000- have an in­ vided through a subsidy program that pays In many cases, the capitalist operators Militant/Michael Maggi come of more than $5 million a year. exporters and some rice farmers the differ­ got around ceilings on subsidies by renting Minnesota farmer protests foreclosure National Farms, a hog producer based in ence between the world price and a govern­ out their land to a number of operators. "In of family farms. Capitalist operations Kansas City, is an example of the capitalist ment set price of $7.20 for a 100-pound most cases where the fragments of big and the wealthy get lion's share of fed­ outfits that- have been gaining ground as sack. farms are being rented to new operators," eral farm program money. working farmers are pushed under. By Forty other rice farms were paid some reported the June 15 Times, "the tenants 1984 it was producing 300,000 hogs a $400,000 or more. are local business and professional people country since the early 1980s. Last year, year. It is owned by Bass Brothers Enter­ The biggest recipient was Zumwalt rather than traditional farmers, and they when programs cost nearly $26 billion, prises of Texas. Farms, a landholding company that leases commit the land to Government programs nearly 400 commercial family farms went National Farms is counting on squeezing land to 68 individuais and corporations that pay them to leave most of it idle. They out of business every day, the American smaller-hog producers out. "I'd say that who actually grow the rice. Zumwalt got then hire operators known as custom farm­ Bankers Association reported. This year within 10 years the hog business will be the $2.3 million from the government. ers to do whatever farm work the programs bankruptcies appear to be continuing at the require." same pace . . .. " One farmer-landlord told the New York Insurance companies doubled the value Times that he was receiving $20,000 an­ of their holdings of farmland through fore­ Final Fall Sales Scoreboard nual profit for each parcel rented out in this closure in 1985 and continued accumulat­ way. ing farmers' land at a brisk clip in 1986. New erspectiva Smaller growers, on the other hand, get Insurance companies now hold 4.1 mil­ Militant International Mundial Totals much smaller amounts. "As a result," ad­ lion acres of farmland. About 3.4 million subscriptions single copies subscriptions mitted the September 13 Times, "the pro­ acres are held by the government's Farm Area Goal Sold Goal Sold Goal Sold Goals Sold % Sold grams are having almost no effect qn the Credit System and Farmers Home Admin­ flood of foreclosures that have swept the istration. Cleveland 105 120 20 24 15 17 140 161 115 San Diego 85 105 25 19 40 37 !50 161 107 Los Angeles 300 354 100 75 175 180 575 609 106 Greensboro, N.c. 140 148 20 21 15 15 175 184 105 New England rail workers strike NewYork 600 614 350 375 200 217 1,150 1,206 105 BY JON HILLSON trains are in bad shape." Seattle 300 314 50 50 50 50 400 414 104 AND KATHERINE OWEN "The company was telling people they Morgantown, w.v. 130 137 25 25 5 3 160 165 103 WATERVILLE, Maine - Rail workers had to work 12 hours," one striker ex­ Omaha, Nob. 70 80 20 ll 10 12 100 103 103 in New England began a strike over unsafe plained. "They'd tell a 60-year-old worker Atlanta 120 135 35 22 20 22 175 179 102 working conditions on Guilford Transpor­ with 20 years on the railroad that he had to tation Industries rail lines after a worker work a 12-hour shift. If he couldn't do it, Iowa 27 4 175 178 102 Des Moines, 125 147 35 15 was killed on the job November 9. The they'd fire him." Boston 225 279 50 41 100 59 375 379 101 1, 200 strikers are members of United "Instead of having people do separate Phoenix 140 153 25 12 100 101 265 266 100 Transportation Union Local 1400. jobs," another striker added, "like brake­ Birmingham,"' !50 166 35 18 5 6 190 190 100 The walkout began three days after R.L. man or engineer, they're creating a job Twin Cities, '""" 180 204 75 54 20 11 275 269 9S Hopkinson, a veteran of 21 years on the called 'railroader,' " which increases the railroad, was killed when a locomotive chances for accidents. For example, San Francisco 180 185 50 30 70 72 300 287 96 driven by a young engineer crushed him as Greene explained, a conductor was ordered Austin, Mioo. 85 87 10 15 16 110 104 95 Hopkinson was trying to stop another rail to take out a 100-car train, which also had Miami 120 137 40 24 40 28 200 189 95 car. no radio equipment, or be fired. Baltimore 140 148 40 23 10 5 190 176 93 The tragedy was "the last straw," United Ignoring seniority, the company has Washington, o.c 130 132 60 40 30 30 220 202 92 Transportation Union local representative been telling new hires to do difficult work with little training or "be fired for insubor­ Price, u"" 48 47 10 4 2 4 60 55 92 Peter Greene, a conductor out of Portland, Maine, told the Militant. The young en­ dination." Detroit 200 201 35 20 25 16 260 237 91 gineer - who had had only 13 days of Milwaukee 115 119 35 24 15 7 165 150 91 training - was "traumatized" by the acci­ Portland, a... I00 105 40 30 30 6 170 141 83 dent, he said. "It was his first day at the Tax burden on Kansas City 105 100 25 6 20 15 150 121 81 throttle." SaltLakeCity 150 143 25 6 25 10 200 159 80 Since acquiring the old Boston & Maine workers goes up Chicago 225 187 50 37 75 52 350 276 79 and Maine Central railroad lines in 1981, People with lower incomes will pay Houston 200 180 50 18 40 27 290 225 78 Guilford Transportation has been on a drive against the rail unions . more taxes next year than they did 10 years StLouis 175 142 50 26 10 ll . 235 179 76 In 1986 Guilford owner Timothy Mellon ago - and those with high incomes will Newark, NJ. 350 267 75 43 125 69 550 379 69 provoked a two-and-a-half month strike by pay less. This conclusion of a recent Con­ Charleston, w.v.. 125 85 20 9 2 2 147 96 65 3,000 track crew workers in New England gressional Budget Office report will come Pittsburgh 175 98 30 24 10 3 215 125 58 by demanding a 20 percent wage cut. The as no surprise to any working person who looks at their paystub each week or worries Philadelphia 150 104 50 16 50 22 250 142 57 strike was ended by congressional inter­ vention. about taxes each spring. Oakland, Colif. !50 Ill 100 16 50 18 300 145 48 Since then, Mellon leased the B&M and The poorest lOth of the population will Albany ,Nv 20 14 14 Maine Central to another Guilford sub­ pay nearly 10 percent of their income in taxes - a 20 percent increase since 1977. Amherst, Mas.. 5 6 7 sidiary, .the Springfield Terminal Railway, The richest lOth of the population will pay Annandale, Nv 20 ll 2 13 with the approval of the Interstate Com­ merce Commission. Such a transfer allows 25 percent of their income - a cut ofmore Cincinnati 10 10 10 the new carrier - Springfield Terminal, in than 6 percent compared to 1977. The rich­ Louisville,.,. 7 6 6 this case - to tear up old union contracts, est 1 percent have had their taxes cut by al­ San Jose, c~•r 75 43 50 19 62 rewrite work rules, and ignore seniority, most 20 percent in the last decade. explained Greene. Increases in Social Security taxes and Coal Teams 39 39 the monthly premium Medicare recipients Other U.S.ar eas 33 3 36 Mellon has been advertising for scabs must pay for coverage are part of the with little success. And efforts by Mellon Australia 6 6 12 reason working people have been hit harder to blame the union for a runaway locomo­ than the rich. Britain liS 141 7 266 tive incident on November 16 backfired Canada 138 51 47 236 Not only is the tax burden for working when it came out that a Guilford supervisor people going up, but income of those in the New Zealand 33 19 52 had left the locomotive idling while he lower-paid sectors is going down. The Puerto Rico 19 19 bought a candy bar. Union workers helped CBO reports that 80 percent of families 24 bring the train to a stop before any damage Other Internat'l 16 8 was done. · will have seen their income decline since Totals 6,007 1,388 . 1,253 8,648 91 % 1977. The richest 10 percent, on the other "This [strike] is a purely safety action," hand, have seen their income increase by Drive Goals 6,000 2,000 1,500 9,500 Greene said . Mellon has cut the work force 16 percent, the top 5 percent have had a 23 Should Be 9,500 100% in half since 1981, which has meant a re­ percent rise, and the richest 1 percent have duction of mechanics and electricians, "so gotten 50 percent richer since 1977.

6 The Militant ·December 18, l987 ANC youth leader tours to promote Pathfinder mural BY SARAH HARRIS member of United Mine Workers Local MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A rally 1949. here in the coal region of Appalachia greeted a speech by Victor Mashabela of BY STUART CROME the African National Congress with a GREENSBORO, N.C.-On December standing ovation. 6 several textile workers met with Victor Mashabela is a member of the Youth Mashabela at the Highland Yam Mills, in Section of the organization that is leading Highpoint, North Carolina. the liberation struggle in South Africa. He Mashabela told of how he became in­ is touring on behalf of the Pathfinder Mural volved in the African National Congress. Project, a political effort to create a six­ He described the difficult conditions work­ story mural on the wall of the Pathfinder ers face ·under the apartheid regime and publishing house building in New York heard from Highland workers about condi­ City. The mural features the portraits of tions they face on the job. There was a rich revolutionary leaders whose writings are discussion on how to fight back. published by Pathfinder. That night, at a meeting at the University of North Carolina here, Mashabela ad­ Mashabela urged participants at the De­ dressed the need to demand U.S. govern­ cember 5 rally to get involved in an African ment sanctions and corporate divestment National Congress petition campaign to against the South African regime. The protest the imprisonment of those fighting meeting was sponsored by the Student apartheid in South Africa. There are 32 Government Association. Nicaraguan artist Arnoldo Guillen painting portrait of Carlos Fonseca, founding people currently on death row, he The day before, the 6:00p.m. edition of leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, on Pathfinder mural. explained, many of them young. Channel 2 news covered a press conference Mashabela was joined by an interna­ by Mashabela at the Pathfinder Bookstore tional panel of speakers. in Greensboro. NYC A Chilean antiwar activist explained that To become a sponsor of the Pathfinder harasses 111ural project there were no socialist bookstores in his mural project, for more information, and to NEW YORK - The project to paint a contribute financially, clip and mail the for a bookfair, theater, restaurants, towing country. His first opportunity to study six-story high mural on the Pathfinder coupon below to the project at 410 West companies, school activities and a florist Marxist classics came when he was jailed Building in Manhattan is being harassed by in Chile. The first book he read was falling St. New York, N.Y. 10014. shop. the city administration. On December 3 an The citations weren't the first harass­ apart because it had been read by so many agent of the city's Environmental Control political prisoners. ment against the mural project. A few 0 Please add my name as a sponsor of the Board hand delivered 35 citations to the weeks before, police called up the New A student from India talked about how Pathfinder Mural Project. Pathfinder Mural Project for "illegally" York City Department of Buildings to reg­ the writings of revolutionary leaders to be 0 Enclosed is a tax-deductible contribu- pasting leaflets on lampposts in the com­ ister a complaint from "a local citizen" who depicted on the Pathfinder mural had influ­ tion of $ Make checks munity where the Pathfinder Building is lo­ objected to the political character of the enced him. An anti-apartheid activist from payable to the Anchor Foundation. cated. mural. Britain said this was a good time to cele­ 0 would like copies of the According to the citations, which carry a The buildings department sent out an in­ brate the Pathfinder's mural project be­ mural project brochure. maximum penalty of $100 each, the En­ spector, who at first said permits for the cause it coincides with the celebration of 0 I would like to work on, paint, or docu­ vironmental Control Board received re­ mural's scaffolding weren't necessary. But the 75th anniversary of the African Na­ , ment the project. ports on November 24 and November 30 of he called his boss who said a citation tional Congress. 0 Please send me a catalog of Pathfinder "illegally" posted leaflets in a 14-block should be given if the permit requirements books and pamphlets. area. The leaflets advertised an open house weren't met. But a clear answer as to The rally sent a telegram of support to Name ------at the Pathfinder Building held on Novem- whether the permits were necessary was five coal miners, four of whom are cur­ Phone ------~-~----- ' ber 22. This event drew 80 people in the never given by the city. The project ob­ rently on trial in Ashland, Kentucky, and Address ______neighborhood to view the mural, learn tained permits for the scaffolding anyway. one who is to be tried soon. They are being City ------­ firsthand about the project, and talk to Alewitz indicated that a Jan. 19, 1988, held in jail without bail on a frame-up mur­ State Zip------­ some artists working on it. court date has been set to hear the charges der charge connected with the 1984-85 Signature ----'------Mike Alewitz, director of the mural on the "illegal" leaflets. strike against A.T. Massey Coal Co. The Organization/union/schoo.______project, told the Militant that the citations Between now and then, he said, "We are telegram was read by a coal miner and were "an outrage." This "clearly is a case organizing a public campaign to protest of selective harassment against the mural this violation of our rights and to demand project because of its political character," the citations be dropped." Area Goal Ple4ged Paid he said. The campaign is being organized Over the lop! Alewitz stated that a survey of the through Pathfinder Books at 79 Leonard Atlanta 3,300 3,565 3,330 Greenwich Village neighborhood where St., New York, N.Y. 10013. Telephone Austin, Minn. 1,555 1,697 1,586 the Pathfinder Building is located revealed (212) 226-8445 . Baltimore 1,700 1,700 1,600 dozens of signs and leaflets pasted next to Protest messages should be sent to Birmingham 4,000 4,310 4,130 $150.000 or near those of the Pathfinder Mural Proj­ Mayor Edward Koch, City Hall, New Boston 5,000 5,426 4,726 ect. They include, among others, leaflets York, N.Y. 10007. Charleston, W.Va. 2,875 2,958 1,928 Socia&sl Chicago 5,000 4,993 3.568 Cleveland 3,000 3,536 3,476 Detroit 2,000 4,425 3,390 Pub& cations ··Houston young socialists defend rights Des Moines 2,000 2,199 2,169 BY GREG ROSENBERG tacks on the rights of students to be politi­ Greensboro, N.C. 1,700 1,762 1,762 Fund HOUSTON -The Young Socialist Al­ cal." Houston 6,000 7,093 6,573 liance here has turned around an attempt to The YSA won immediate support from Kansas City 2,500 2,298 2,038 prevent it from engaging in political activ­ the National Organization for Women Los Angeles 15,000 15,233 15,233 This lund, launched at a rally August 13; has ity at the University of Houston. campus chapter, the General Union of Pal­ Morgantown, W.Va. 2,000 1,985 1.860 been successfully met. As of December 9, In early November the YSA was decer­ estinian Students, officers of the Black Stu­ Miami 3,000 3,053 3,053 $152,736 has been collected from 1.100 read­ tified as a student organization and the dent Union , Concilio (a Chicano student Milwaukee 2,400 2,344 1,968 ers of the Militant who responded to our ap­ campus police were harassing individual organization), the Gay and Lesbian Al­ Newark 7,000 7,285 7,035 peal for support. YSA members. Through a campaign to liance, and the Democratic Socialists of New York City 15,000 16,815 15,141 In all, $166,924 has been pledged to the fund. . mobilize the support of other students for America Youth Section campus chapter. Oakland 8.000 8,657 8,357 democratic rights, the YSA has forced uni­ Its purpose is to finance publication of the Mil­ Intimidation of politically minded stu­ Omaha 1,600 1,762 1,537 itant, the monthly Perspectiva Mundial, the versity officials to back down. dents had gone too far for one Militant sub­ Pittsburgh 2,600 2,778 2,553 Marxist magazine New International, the Attempts to force the YSA off camp'us as scriber and graduate student in the Depart­ Philadelphia 5,500 5,860 4,910 French-language Nouvelle Internationale, an organization began October 28 when ment of Philosophy. Phoenix 1,500 1,798 1,768 and Pathfinder books and pamphlets. this reporter was sitting at a YSA literature He had been speaking at a forum against Portland 2,300 2,822 2,522 President Reagan's "Star Wars" plan when I wish to help the fund, enclosed is: table at the University Center. A student Price, Utah 500 550 500 who disagreed with the YSA' s opposition an FBI agent got up in the middle of the San Diego 2,500 2,698 2,513 event, flashed his badge, and began to - $1,000 - $500 - $100 to the U.S. war against Nicaragua and the Seattle 6,000 8,255 7,700 organization's anti-apartheid stand ap­ hand out pro-Star Wars literature. San Francisco 6,000 6,240 5,930 _ $25 $ ____ other proached the table and began to scream that This student eagerly joined the fight to Salt Lake City 3,000 3,483 3,483 the YSA had no right to be on campus. defend the YSA's rights. He began to or­ St. Louis 5,500 7,145 6,890 Name ______ganize support among students and faculty. Officer Moore, a university cop, accom­ Twin Cities, Minn. 6,000 6,306 6,056 Professors and department heads started to panied by Rosie Cala, campus reservations call the administration demanding an ex­ Washington, D.C. 7,000 6,905 6,210 Address ------­ City------office manager, told the YSA to shut the planation and insisting that the YSA's rec­ Other 7,745 6,185 State Zip ____ _ table down, citing technical violations of ognition be reestablished and that the International 1,244 1.056 .Phone ______campus rules. The organization's campus harassment stop . Organization/Union------­ status was revoked. Feeling the heat, it didn't take long be­ Miki Akano, a member of the YSA and fore the assistant director of campus activ­ Mail to Fall Socialist Publications Fund, 410 a student at the university told the Militant, ities reinstated the YSA's right to function Totals 143,030 166.924 152,736 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. "When we sat down with representatives of on the campus and promised a written rep­ other groups at a meeting, we found that rimand to the University of Houston Police recently there have been a number of at- Department.

December 18, 1987 The Militant 7 With a Sandinista platoon in northern ! BY ROBERTO KOPEC tense combat, the mercenary groups had PANTASMA, Nicaragua - The sun been pushed back. The army was keeping was already blazing the morning of them on the run, he said. The contras keep November 25 when a platoon of spirited, moving, not by choice, but because they young Sandinista soldiers marched off are forced to do so by the army offensive, single file into the hills surrounding the Salvatierra explained. Pantasma valley in northern Nicaragua. Forcing the contras out of populated The platoon was part of the army's Fran­ zones and into isolated mountainous re­ cisco Estrada Irregular Warfare Battalion. gions bordering Honduras has made it pos­ Their mission was to pursue Washing­ sible for the Sandinistas to employ air ton's contra troops, to keep them on the run power to pound them without risk to civil­ and on the defensive, and- if possible­ ians. force them into an engagement. An esti­ Minister of Defense Humberto Ortega mated 400 contras were operating in the confirmed at a news conference Novem' r immediate area, about 30 miles north of 26 that Sandinista planes were heavily Jinotega. bombing the isolated area north of San The Pantasma Valley is in the heart of Andres de Bocay and the Amaka River, northern Nicaragua, which has been the near the Honduran border, where the con­ main theater of the contra war. tras were trying to establish a base. This is The platoon, one of several sent out, an area where there are no towns or eco­ marched for three days through rough ter­ nomic activity, Ortega stressed. rain in hot pursuit of a contra unit. A hand­ ful of reporters accompanied the Sandinista 'They just keep on fleeing' troops. The three-day patrol through the area The soldiers, all in their mid-to-late around Pantasma confirmed the intense teens, came from all over Nicaragua's pressure on the contra units in the region. Pacific Coast. They were confident and Peasants reported a force of 50 to I 00 eager to engage in combat. Some had been Militant/Roberto Kopec contras moving rapidly through the zone. in the army only a few months, but already A young Sandinista soldier of the Francisco Estrada Irregular Warfare Battalion The contras had forced one peasant to give had a dozen battles under their belts. takes a break during unit's pursuit of contras. them a calf, which they promptly slaugh­ The operation they were participating in tered. But they were in such a hurry thut was part of a sustained offensive being car­ they left much of the cooked meat behind. tras had begun infiltrating units into areas Nicaragua's major export, and this region ried out by the Nicaraguan army. The ob­ The platoon chasing them had veal for jective is to push the contras out of popu­ near the main population centers of Jino­ supplies two-thirds of it. , breakfast. The government offensive began in ear­ lated areas and drive them toward isolated tega, Sebaco, and Esteli at the end of Oc­ That afternoon, as the Sandinista troops regions along the Honduran border. tober, as a limited 30-day cease-fire de­ nest the last week of October. In a marched, the stillness was broken by loud In carrying out this military offensive the creed by the Nicaraguan government ran its November I meeting with war veterans in explosions and bursts of gunfire coming Sandinista government is acting on the course. The cease-fire expired November 7. Jinotega, President Daniel Ortega an­ from the direction of the Coco River, about conviction that, whatever may happen with The contras in the cease-fire zones were nounced that Sandinista army troops had an hour away. But none of the other p the Guatemala accords, every blow to the heavily resupplied by U.S. airdrops during been "fighting nonstop since October 24 toons in the area, with whom there was contras on the battlefield brings peace October. They tried to move into position against the bulk of the mercenary forces constant radio communication, reported closer. to attempt to take over towns, carry out ter­ trying to infiltrate the region." Ortega being involved in any fighting. added that "this is the most important bat­ Under intense pressure to demonstrate rorist attacks, and sabotage the coffee har­ That evening an advance force recov­ their viability as a military force, the con- vest, which is now beginning. Coffee is tle" the country is engaged in right now. ered a body from the river. A young peas­ Lt. Col. Manuel Salvatierra, comman­ ant militiaman with his face blown off by a der of the Sixth Military Region, reported rocket grenade. One soldier somberly November 21 that after three weeks of in- shook his head. "A cowardly ambush 1 U.S. vets visit areas heavily hill

BY ROBERTO KOPEC nia, who served in Panama in the 1960s; MANAGUA, Nicaragua- A group of Robert Livesy, a Vietnam veteran from U.S. war veterans recently completed a Boston; Michael Job, a Vietnam veteP'l one-week fact-finding tour of Nicaragua. and a founding member of the gay vetera11s The tour was sponsored by the Veterans organization Lavender Veterans for Peace; Peace Action Teams and the Veterans Wayne Wittman, who fought in World Peace Coalition, which organize tours to War II; and Tim Andruss, a veteran of the Nicaragua and construction brigades to 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada. help rebuild the country. The veterans visited areas heavily hit by Daniel Nunez, president of UNAG, the U.S. -organized contra war, including talked with the veterans in Managua, at a El Cua and San Jose de Bocay in the north­ meeting reporters were invited to observ · central part of the country. U.S . volunteer Nunez thanked the veterans for their ef­ worker Ben Linder was murdered by the forts on behalf of peace in Nicaragua. He contras last April near San Jose de Bocay. War veterans from the United States have been participating in construction brigades in the area for several months. Conlras specialize The brigades are coordinated with the Na­ tional Union of Farmers and Ranchers BY LARRY SEIGLE (UNAG). The veterans have rebuilt a MANAGUA, Nicaragua - More than health clinic destroyed by the contras in the anything, it is the children. village of Los Cedros, and now plan to The young victims of Washington's build a school there. "freedom fighters ." Duncan Murphy, a veteran of World Three thousand youngsters killed since War II, brought greetings from U.S. an­ the contra war began. Four thousand dis­ tiwar activist Brian Willson. Murphy was abled. Eleven thousand orphaned. with Willson and other demonstrators at Translated into statistics proportional · ' the U.S. Naval Weapons Station in Con­ the U.S. population these figures would be: cord, California, last September when a 180,000 youngsters killed, 240,000 dis­ military train ran over Willson, severely in­ abled, 660,000 orphaned. juring him and making it necessary to am­ "Those criminals killed my little boy," putate his legs. The protesters were de­ cried Luvila Rivas. Her 10-month old manding a halt to arms shipments to the grandson Domingo was among the latest contras. victims claimed by the terror squads armed Raul Valdez, a Chicano who served in and financed by the U.S. government . Vietnam, said that the veterans had been Rivas' daughter and granddaughter welt: able to see for themselves the destruction also critically injured in the predawn attack caused by the contras' attacks on civilians November 21. in rural Nicaragua. The contras descended on two peasant 'lilant!Larry Seigle settlements, "Las Palomas" and "Never Valdez is a member of Chicanos Against Nicaragua's national book distribution company, IMELSA, held a one-week book Oporta," outside the town of San fair celebrating 70 years of the Russian revolution. Participants in the November fair Military Intervention in Latin America (CAMILA), from Austin, Texas. Miguelito, in southern Nicaragua. They in Managua included publishers from the Soviet Union, East Germany, Bulgaria, murdered II civilians, among them five lit­ Cuba., Nicaragua, Argentina, and the United States. Shown here is the table of the Foster Phillips, a World War II veteran, tle boys and girls. Twenty-nine others we .~ U.S. publisher Pathfinder. Its best-selling book was a Spanish edition of speeches by called on the U.S. government to stop "all left wounded, including 15 children under African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. Other Pathfinder best-sellers in­ overt and covert operations against Nicara­ the age of 12. cluded Women and the Nicaraguan Revolution by Sandinista leader Tomas Borge, gua." The contras attacked the civilian settle­ Sandinistas Speak, The Sandinista People's Revolution, and issues of the monthly Also among the veterans in the tour were ment with heavy weapons, including rock­ magazine Perspectiva Mundial. Chris Matthews from Santa Cruz, Califor- et launchers, grenade launchers, and 81

8 The Militant December 18, 1987 ------~ ~icaragua

cowardly ambush," he said. Apparently a group of militia members from a nearby settlement had been am­ bushed while bathing in the river. "They just keep on fleeing," a young _,mdinista soldier bitterly explained. "They avoid confronting us, but when they run across a settlement or a farming cooperative, they kill as many civilians and cause as much destruction as they can." In his press conference November 26, Defense Minister Ortega blasted the U.S. government for demanding that the San- .nistas negotiate on an equal basis with the contras. The contras are "a force that does not rule, does not control any terri­ tory, and that is constantly kept on the run in increasingly isolated areas," he said. Defense Minister Ortega stressed that the Sandinista government "is taking steps toward peace" in fully complying with the _Jatemala accords. But, he emphasized, "should we not achieve peace, should the efforts of the Central American presidents fail, then let the Nicaraguan people under­ stand that the Sandinista government did all it could, and that the U.S. government and its allies will have to bear the historical responsibility." Crossing a river in Pantasma Valley Nicaraguan cattle ranchers discuss problems, gov't policies

BY HARVEY McARTHUR - who have upwards of 500 head of cattle In January 1986 the government adopted farmers and ranchers for distribution to BOACO, Nicaragua- Cattle ranchers and who rely on hired labor to tend their a law prohibiting the slaughter of cows peasants. from throughout the country met here re­ herds-as well as medium and small ranch­ suitable for breeding and limiting the The strongest complaints about land re­ .__,ntly to talk over problems they face and ers . slaughter of calves. Slaughterhouses have distribution heard at the a;sembly came to discuss government policies affecting Government representatives attended the reduced the amount of beef supplied to the from ranchers from the Boaco-Chontales their branch of agriculture. The meeting meeting to explain measures aimed at in­ domestic market and have raised exports to region, where the land reform accelerated was attended by 300 ranchers, representing creasing beef production and to listen to nearly 15 million pounds this year. Onere­ in 1986 and 1987. cattle associations affiliated with the pro­ grievances and proposals of the ranchers. sult has been still higher prices for beef and Before 1979, some 70 percent of all Sandinista National Union of Farmers and The officials also sought to win support for Jess beef served in government-supplied farm and grazing land in this region was Ranchers (UNAG). the government's land distribution pro­ cafeterias. The government hopes to com­ held by landlords and capitalist farmers and gram, which was sharply criticized by pensate for this with increased production These ·associations include big ranchers ranchers who owned more than 865 acres some of the ranchers present. of chicken, pork, and fish. each. Nearly 20 percent of the land be­ In 1979 the revolutionary government longed to Somoza and his cronies. Poor • expropriated all lands that had belonged to Complaints from ranchers peasants had only 5 percent of the land. the . dictator Anastasio Somoza and his At the assembly here, the ranchers com­ 1y mercenaries close supporters. These lands were turned plained that the prices offered by state-run The land belonging to Somoza and his into state farms or given to poor peasants to slaughterhouses are too low. They also said cronies was confiscated in I 979. Almost appealed for more veterans to come to work. The government also expropriated that government inspectors arbitrarily pre­ all such land in this region was turned into state farms , and until early I 986 little land work and live with the people of El Cua the big slaughterhouses and established a vent them from slaughtering injured cattle

December 18, 1987 The Militant 9 U.S. cOurt 1-riles mine safety violated in Wilberg disaster

BY DAVE HURST tinued mining without having the return AND FRANK PAVELKO entry open." PRICE, Utah - Nineteen union coal About six weeks before the fire, Emery miners and eight company personnel were notified MSHA District 9 that the return killed on Dec. 19, 1984, in a fire at the entry of the Fifth Right Longwall section Wilberg mine near here. (the name and location of the area being Recently, the U.S. appeals court in San mined) was blocked by a massive roof Francisco ruled that the federal Mine cave-in. Behind the union's back, MSHA Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) officials let Emery continue mining with "overstepped its bounds" by allowing only that escapeway blocked. two-entry mining in the Wilberg and Deer "With the stroke of a pen, a crucial es­ Creek mines prior to the 1984 disaster. cape route off Fifth Right was gone," the union report states. Three miners died dur­ Militant/Dave Hurst In their push for higher profits, the ing the fire in the area of the blocked es­ Memorial meeting in Orangeville, Utah, for coal miners killed in 1984 fire in nearby operators have been trying to reduce the capeway. Wilberg mine. number of entries or tunnels used to set up a longwall mining section. (Longwall min­ The report continued: "and the operators both knowingly allowed the bleeder entry to the conveyor belt as the likely area of ig­ The company's variance for two-entry ing is the newest, most productive method nition. mining at Wilberg has expired and no new of extracting coal in underground mines). to deteriorate." Bleeder entries, set up at the back of a longwall panel, are used to MSHA tried to limit its investigation to variances have been granted. But the com­ Under federal law, two-entry mining is ventilate gases from mined-out areas. Al­ the cause of the fire . "Such preoccupation pany is still carrying out a form of two­ only allowed in mines constructed prior to though not primariJy designed as escape­ [with the cause of the fire] is analogous to entry mining. 1969, or if MSHA grants a "variance." ways, the bleeders can be used that way in focusing attention on the bullet, rather than Utah Pacific & Light is also floating a The court said MSHA violated the Fed­ an emergency. Because of deteriorating the person who pulled the trigger, as the trial balloon about bringing diesel-powered eral Mine Safety Act by disregarding the roof conditions, the bleeders on Fifth Right cause of the murder," the union report shuttle cars into the mine. Diesel cars rights of United Mine Workers of America had been closed for weeks. If the bleeders states. would compound the problem of bad air in (UMW A) members when it did not include had been maintained, it is possible that The UMWA's recommendations for the mine and greatly increase the fire them in decision making on two-entry min­ some of the miners could have escaped. congressional action to "prevent more Wil­ danger. A piece of diesel equipment is bergs" include elimination of two-entry blamed for a 1983 fire at U.P.& L's Des­ ing at Wilberg. It further states that The union investigative team also found UMW A members should have been al­ mining altogether, increased gas monitor­ Bee-Dove mine. that the fresh-air intake entry on Fifth Right lowed an avenue to appeal the two-entry ing systems in ventilation entries, and in­ Meanwhile, the union continues to de­ had been mined with a bend in it to save the decision once it had been made. creased training for miners in the use of mand that those responsible for the 27 company money. The Wilberg and Deer Creek mines are self-rescue equipment. deaths in the Wilberg disaster "be brought owned by Utah Power & Light Co. MSHA concluded that the fire was These recommendations are all the more to justice." (U. P. &L.). They were operated by Emery sparked by an air compressor that had been important because two-entry mining has Mining Co. at the time of the fire. tampered with and operated without all become an issue at other area mines. At Dave Hurst is a member of UMWA Local The court findings support many conclu­ safety equipment intact. The UMWA in­ Castle Gate mine, UMWA Local 8622 1769 on layoff at the Deer Creek mine. sions contained in the UMW A's "Report vestigators, who carefully followed the members have signed a petition against Frank Pavelko works at the Wilberg mine on the Disaster at the Wilberg Mine." That pattern of heat and flame damage, pointed two-entry mining. and is a member of UMWA Local2176. report, which is a valuable contribution to the fight for mine safety, was summarized in the July 1987 UMW Journal. It was based on extensive research conducted by Meat-packers gain victory over ConAgra the UMW A International working in con­ junction with union members in UMW A BY RAUL GONZALEZ Inc., Armour's current owner. as a victory that can help push forward get­ Locals 2176 and 1769. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - "It's taken After ConAgra purchased Armour in ting the union back. The report also helps put the lie to claims over three years but we've won some jus­ 1983 it closed 12 of its 13 plants, only to Others aren't so happy. One worker, re­ by the company, the news media, and tice. Whoever goes back to work in the open them days later with a new, nonunion ferring to the former union members, said, right-wing politicians that the UMW A is to plant now has the job of getting the union work force. The suit stemmed from these "Those people were greedy, so they lost blame for the Wilberg deaths. back in." moves. their jobs; the union was too greedy, now Two-entry mining is dangerous because This is how a former meat-packer at Ar­ The meat-packer was speaking at a the job is mine." both entries are ventilated by the same air mour processing plant here described the meeting of more than 120 current and But workers who are currently against current. This creates a situation where recent victory in a four-year-old unfair former employees at Armour's Kansas the union have no love for Armour. Some smoke or deadly gases can· quickly con­ labor practices suit brought by the United City plant. Other meetings attended by of them are afraid the company will close taminate all of a mine's escapeways. Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) more than 250 meat-packers were also held the plant if the union is voted in. "This place sucks, but it's better than humping The report also cites MSHA for granting union. September 30 and October 1. The suit was brought against ConAgra hamburgers," is how one worker described "the operator a waiver that allowed con- The settlement reached on September 16 it. provides a formula whereby former union There have been three attempts to reor­ members will receive a total of $6.6 mil­ ganize the union in the plant since 1983. Subscribe to 'Perspectiva Mundial' lion in back pay. It also provides for many The first ended after only 20 percent of of the former union members to get prefe­ the new work force signed cards for the Washington's domestic secret war rential hiring rights with retroactive senior­ UFCW. ity. Another effort was launched in 1986 and As a reader of the Militant you In late 1983 ·Armour offered its workers met with more success. This time the are familiar with our weekly a contract proposal that included steep UFCW sent in a team of organizers to help. coverage of the struggles of ~~~-· ~~- :m~pecji~~d=··=·':1= ·· ·~~-- _ ..._... :.;:.~~~ wage cuts as well as cuts in medical and But the Carpenters union tried to organize working people around · the other benefits. ConAgra promised it would the mechanics in the plant at the same time. world. Nicaragua toma iniciativa de paz honor the takeback contract when it took This led to a three-way election last De­ over the company. But the pact was re­ cember, where workers could vote for the If you can read or are studying Washington jected by a 2-to-1 margin. UFCW, the Carpenters, or to keep the Spanish, there is a complemen­ hace todo lo Armour closed the doors on Dec. 16, plant nonunion. After no position won a majority of the tary monthly magazine for you: posible por 1983, but the plant opened again three days sabotear work force, a run-off was scheduled and on Perspectiva Mundial. PM is a later. Now ConAgra was the owner. Spanish-language socialist mag­ acuerdos de February 5, 94 workers voted for the azine that carries many of the Esquipulas "The aim of the whole thing," meat­ UFCW, in spite of a highly organized an­ packer Bob Flores explains "was to lower tiunion campaign promoted by the com­ same articles you read in the . ESPECIAL Militant. wages and bust the union; and that's what pany. Ninety-nine voted for no union. they did." Two weeks later workers at Armour's The December issue of PM fea­ For several years management told new­ Mason City, Iowa, plant voted to be repre­ tures an article by Larry Seigle on ly hired workers that it would protect their sented by the UFCW. Armour is challeng­ the secret war the U.S. rulers jobs and not let the ex-union members re­ ing the election results with the NLRB . turn. have been carrying out against A union representation election was also demOcratic rights working people But on September 16 this year the out­ of-court settlement between the union, Na­ held recently at the company's Nampa, in this country have won. Subscriptions: $9 for one year; Idaho, plant. $5 for six months. Introductory tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the company was reached. The company here in Kansas City cut Seigle describes a 50-year do­ offer, $3 for five months. wages for workers at the top of the pay mestic contra operation against Workers here first began hearing that a Begin my sub with current scale the day after the vote last February. unions, Black rights fighters, and 0 settlement might be in the works last issue. Since then the fight has expanded. And communists. spring. another election will be held here De­ Name -----,------cember 10. The article gives a background Instead of hiring off the street, the com­ Address ______pany began utilizing Kelly Service tempo­ Coming on the heels of the court victory, to the lawst,rit against police spy­ rary workers who were paid $4.20 an hour. union supporters believe we'll win this ing and sabotage launched by the City/State/Zip ______time around. Socialist Workers Party and Young In July a few of the former union mem­ Socialist Alliance in 1973. Clip and mail to PM, 410 West bers were rehired. The reappearance of Raul Gonuilez was recently fired from his St., New York, NY 10014. these workers in the plant and news of the job at the Armour plant in Kansas City. He settlement has provoked a big discussion. has been active in trying to reorganize the Many of us in the plant view the settlement union there.

10 The Militant December 18, 1987 Arab sUmmit dealt blow to-Palestinians BY FRED FELDMAN backed Washington's massive naval build­ The recent summit meeting of the Arab up against Iran in the Persian Gulf region. League registered important gains for the Consistent with portraying Iran rather U.S. rulers and their allies- particularly than Washington and the Israeli rulers as the government of Israel. the threat to the people of the region, the In addition to lending support to Wash­ summit authorized governments to reestab­ ington's drive to isolate Iran, the confer­ lish diplomatic relations with the govern­ ence marked a setback for the Palestinian ment of Egypt. The Egyptian government people, driven into exile or living under Is­ was suspended from the Arab League after raeli occupation, and to the Palestine Lib­ it signed a separate treaty with the Israeli eration Organization (PLO), which has government in 1979, a blow to the Pales­ fought for their aspirations. tinian struggle. The league at that time urged Arab governments to break relations Over the nearly four decades since the with Egypt, and all except three did so. state of Israel was founded through the ex­ The shift at the latest meeting stemmed pulsion of the Palestinian people from their from the Egyptian government's large­ land, meetings of Arab heads of state have scale military and other aid to the Iraqi always taken strong public stands on the war, which includes $1 billion annually in central importance of the Palestine issue. arms and many personnel to fill jobs left The main resolutions have denounced the vacant by conscripted Iraqis. Israeli occupiers, criticized Washington's Following the conference, the govern­ support to them, and promised strong sup­ ments of Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emir­ port to the Palestinian liberation struggle. ates, and other states reestablished dip­ But not at the meeting that ended lomatic ties with Egypt. November II. The demotion of the Palestinian struggle "For the first time since the Arab League to a poor second among the issues at the was founded in 1945 ," crowed Daniel summit has spurred efforts to isolate and Pipes, director of the Foreign Policy Re­ ultimately destroy the Palestine Liberation search Institute, a right-wing think tank, Organization. Palestinian youths protest Israeli occupation. At Arab League summit, their struggle "the Arab leaders agreed that the conflict The English-language version of the res­ took a back seat to supporting imperialist-backed Iraq against Iran. with Israel mattered less than something olutions adopted at the summit, evidently else: the Iraq-Iran war. ... " prepared and distributed by Jordanian offi­ "Arab governments are now working cials, dropped the reference to the PLO as with Washington in ways no one would the sole legitimate representative of the have imagined a few years ago (for exam­ Palestinian people. This reference ap­ -WORI.D NEWS BRIEFS-- ple, they are beginning to offer real mili­ peared in the Arabic-language version. tary cooperation in the Persian Gulf). The Jordan's King Hussein has been putting Kampuchea official, ratization" of the government. old stumbling block of United States back­ pressure on Palestinians both in Jordan and Of the country's eligible voters, 68 ing for Israel," Pipes wrote in a guest col­ on the Israeli-occupied West Bank to ac­ Prince Sihanouk meet percent turned out, 44 percent voted yes umn in the November 29 New York Times, cept his supporters, rather than the PLO as on the austerity proposal, and 46 percent Prime Minister Hun Sen of Kampu­ "hardly seems to matter now as, in effect, a their representatives in any Middle East on the "democratization" pledge. The chea held three days of meetings with United States-Arab alliance against Iran negotiations. law requires that more than 50 percent of former Kampuchean ruler Norodom has taken shape." Encouraged by the summit, Hussein eligible voters cast yes ballots to adopt a Sihanouk in France during the first week The main resolution adopted by the con­ hinted at a November II news conference referendum proposal. of December. Sihanouk has been on ference called for all-out support to the that PLO representation at a possible future Government officials said the auster­ leave of absence as head of a U.S.­ Iraqi government in the war it launched by diplomatic conference on the Middle East ity plan, stemming in part from the re­ funded counterrevolutionary coalition invading Iran in 1980 and all but openly might not be necessary. gime's $36 billion debt to imperialist based in Thailand, which stages terrorist governments and banks, would include attacks on Kampuchea. tripling rent and heating costs and dou­ The talks were a preliminary effort to bling prices of bread, milk, and meat. Political rights hit in moves negotiate an end to the right-wing guer­ In the port city of Gdansk a march es­ rilla war. timated by some at 3,000 people protest­ to shut pro-PLO offices in U.S. Sihanouk became hereditary ruler of ing the referendum was broken up by Kampuchea (then known as Cambodia) police. Marchers reportedly shouted, "If in 1941, when the Southeast Asian you want to starve, go and vote." Pro­ BY HARRY RING titled to operate under the protection pro­ country was a French colony. After in­ tests were also reported in other cities. In a serious blow to free speech, a fed­ vided by the First Amendment." dependence was gained, in 1954, Cardinal Jozef Glemp, head of Po­ eral judge upheld the State Department de­ How then did Shultz make his sub­ Sihanouk govern'ed until 1970, when he land's Catholic church, had indicated cision to shut down the Palestine Informa­ sequent decision to shut the PIO down? was ousted by a military coup. Washing­ support for the austerity plan. ton backed the coup because Sihanouk tion Office in Washington. Simple. He arbitrarily designated it a In the wake of the vote, officials in­ had not lined up behind the U.S. war in The PIO makes information available in "foreign mission," which assertedly gives sisted that price increases and other aus­ Indochina. this country about the struggle of the Pales­ the State Department the authority to deter­ terity measures would proceed, although The coup was followed by the May tinian people for emancipation and the ac­ mine its fate. This despite the fact that the at a slower pace than initially projected. 1970 U.S. invasion, civil war, and mas­ tivity of the Palestine Liberation Organiza­ PIO has never had, or sought, diplomatic sive U.S. bombing that devastated the tion, the central leadership of that struggle, status. countryside. Panama gov't expels Commenting on the court's approval of After the U.S. -backed regime was Meanwhile, Congress is considering a this crude maneuver, ACLU representative U.S. 'aid' agency ousted in 1975, Sihanouk briefly served broadly supported, bipartisan bill to also Morton Halperin warned, "If this decision as titular head of state in the Pol Pot re­ shut down the PLO Observer Mission to is allowed to stand, the secretary of state The government of Panama has or­ gime, which was responsible for the the United Nations. would have the unfettered and unreview­ dered the U.S. government to shut down On December 7 UN Generaf Secretary deaths of more than one million people. the operations of the Agency for Interna­ able authority to close down the office of When Pol Pot was ousted in 1979 by Javier Perez Cuellar joined representatives any group of Americans who are associated tional Development and has ordered the Vietnamese troops and Kampuchean re­ of several Middle Eastern countries in pro­ with a foreign political movement." agency's 48 U.S. personnel and their de­ testing the congressional move against the sistance fighters, Sihanouk fled. He later pendents to leave the country. PLO's observer mission. The demand to shut down the PIO was joined the U.S. -sponsored coalition, in­ The November 30 move followed the The American Civil Liberties Union, first made by Israeli Prime Minister Yit­ cluding Pol Pot and others, formed to U.S. government's cutoff of most eco­ which is representing the PIO in its fight zhak Shamir. The Israeli government has combat the Kampuchean government. nomic and military aid to Panama in persistently promoted the smear charge against the closure order, said it will appeal In preparation for the meeting, the July, and the November 19 vote in the the court ruling. that the Palestine Liberation Organization Kampuchean government issued a dec­ Senate Foreign Relations Committee to The PIO has functioned for 10 years in and those associated with it are "terrorists." laration October 8 offering Sihanouk "a end all but "humanitarian" aid to this country and has never been accused of This vile smear was echoed by senators high position in the state leading ap­ Panama, any kind of illegal activity. To totally con­ Robert Dole (R.-Kan.) and Edward Ken­ paratus" and welcomed all "individuals The U.S. government has pressed for form to all requirements, it registered itself nedy (D.-Mass.). and groups in the opposition - except the replacement of the current Panama­ with the government as the representative In their joint radio program, Dole called Pol Pot and some of his associates - nian government dominated by Gen. of a foreign organization. for closing down the PIO because, who will return to take part in the na­ Manuel Antonio Noriega, the country's "There's just no room in this great land for tional reconstruction." top military commander. Indeed, when members of Congress first international terrorists." "Following the withdrawal of the The Panamanian government says the demanded that the information office be _R esponded Kennedy: "Right on, Bob. If Vietnamese army from Kampuchea," U.S. goal is to modify or reverse the closed down, Secretary of State George the statement declared, "general elec­ 1977 treaty requiring the U.S. govern­ Shultz responded, "So long as that office the Reagan administration won't take away their welcome mat, Congress will." tions will be held with foreign supervi­ ment to give up control of the Panama regularly files reports with the Department sion, and then a coalition government Canal in the year 1999. of Justice on its activities as an agent of a The Senate bill to do this has 49 spon­ will be set up .. . ." On November 8 an article in the foreign organization, complies with all sors from both parties, ranging from ex­ The Vietnamese government reiter­ Panama City newspaper La Republica other relevant U.S. laws, and is staffed by treme right-wing t9 liberal. ated its intention of withdrawing all its Dominica/ cited 50 U.S. violations of Americans or legal resident aliens, it is en- The aim is not to deal with terrorism but troops from Kampuchea by 1990, or the treaty that indicate a pattern aimed at rather to discredit, and stifle, the views of sooner if a political settlement is preventing Panama from exercising a representatives of the Palestinian people, achieved. voice in operating the canal and dis­ This publication who are waging a just fight against the 40- criminating against Panamanian nation­ is available year Israeli occupation of their homeland. Austerity plan set in als. in microform Nor will Washington rest with trying to The Agency for International De­ from University silence the Palestinians. Other liberation Poland despite vote velopment administered $7.7 million in Microfilms movements, such as the African National aid for private firms and organizations. International. Congress of South Africa, have been tarred In a referendum held November 29, In the past, the agency has sometimes by the White House and members of Con­ the Polish government failed to win ap­ provided cover for Central Intelligence Ca ll toll-free 800-521-]044 In !Vfichigan, gress as "terrorists." The decision can proval of measures calling for an austerity Agency and other U.S. government Alaska and HAwaii CHli collect 313-751-4700. O r _pro mail inquiry tu: Universil)'' Mic rofilms lnte rnalionfll. be used as a weapon against ANC parti­ program and promising "deep democ- covert operations. 300 North ZeelJ Road, Ann ArlJor, Ml 48!06, sans, too.

December 18~ l987 The Militant 11 -. CALENDAR~- --~------,-----·San Francisco ---..., CALIFORNIA Ave. Donation: forum, $2; dinner, $3. Sponsor: ship? Speaker: representative of Socialist Work­ Celebrate publication Militant Labor Forum. For more information ers Party. Sat., Dec. 12, 7 p.m. 4907 Martin Oakland call (301) 235-0013. Luther King Dr. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Mili- · or'Che Guevara and the Classes in Socialism. The Secret Police and tant Labor Forum. For more information call the Struggle for Democratic Rights~ A class MASSACHUSETTS (314) 361-0250. Cuban Revolution' series based on Larry Seigle's article, "The 50- Boston Black and Indian Rights in Nicaragua. Speakers: Luis Flores, Farabundo Year Domestic Contra Operation" in issue No. Speaker: Hilary Shelton, participant in Martin Marti National Liberation Front­ 6 of Nt:,w International. Translation to Spanish. The Peace Process in Central America. Where Does It Stand? What's at Stake? Luther King Peace Brigade in Nicaragua; Greg Revolutionary Democratic Front of Held every Wednesday at II a.m. or 7 p.m., Preston, Socialist Workers Party. Translation to Dec. 16, Jan. 6, 13, 20. 3702 Telegraph Ave. Speakers: representative-of Comite Guatemala El Salvador; Carlos Hernandez, "Iximche"; Bob Livesy, Veterans Peace Action Spanish. Sat., Dec. 19, 7 p.m. 4907 Martin leader of the Watsonville cannery Donation: $1 per class. Sponsor: Socialist Luther King Dr. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Mili­ Workers Party and Young Socialist Alliance. Teams; Jon Hillson, Socialist Workers Party. strike; David Deutschmann, editor of Translation to Spanish. 605 Massachusetts Ave. tant Labor Forum. For more information call For more information call (415) 420-1165. (3 14) 361-0250. Che book. Translation to Spanish. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. Sat. , Dec. 12, ? p.m. Media Art Gal­ ILLINOIS For more information call (617) 247-6772. NEBRASKA lery, 360 9th St. (btw. Harrison and Chicago MINNESOTA Omaha Folsom)_ Donation: $3 . Sponsor: To Make a Revolution It Takes Revolution­ Minneapolis Rally in Defense of Political Rights. Speakers: Pathfinder bookstores of San Fran­ aries. A Socialist Educational Conference. Dan Cobos, ex-U.S. Air Force sergeant whore­ cisco and Oakland. For more infor­ "South Africa: the Coming Revolution." Education, Commemoration, and Celebra­ tion of Namibian Women's Day. Educational­ cently won conscientious objector status in pro­ mation call (415) 282-6255 or 420- Sat., Dec. 12, 2 p.m. test of U.S. Nicaragua policy; Bill Heamdon, 1165 . "United States: the Wall Street Crash and the cultural program. Sat., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. People's Center, 2000 S 5th St. Sponsor: Nami­ BLAC; John McFarland, president, United Decline of U.S. Capitalism." Sat., Dec. 12, 7 Steelworkers of America Local 8729; Bob p.m. bian Women's Day Coalition. For more infor­ mation call (612) 822-3670. Schwarz, Omaha Political Rights Defense "Cuba and Nicaragua: Workers and Farmers Fund. Sat., Dec. 12. Reception, 6 p.m.; pro­ in Power." Sun., Dec. 13, II a.m. What's Behind U.S. Intervention in the Per­ the Forging of a Revolutionary Working-Class sian Gulf? Public forum and speak-out. Tue., gram, 7 p.m. Unitarian First Church, 3114 Har­ Leadership." Speaker: Dick McBride, Socialist Speakers: leaders of the Socialist Workers ney. Donation: $3. Sponsor: Political Rights Party. Informal "Join the Young Socialist Al­ Dec. 15 , 7:30p.m. University Lutheran Church Workers Party. Sat. , Dec. 12, 3 p.m. of Hope, 6th St. SE and 13th Ave. SE. Dona­ Defense Fund. For more information call (402) "Cuba and the Struggle of Working People in liance" discussions after classes. Translation to 553-0245. Spanish. 6826 S Stony Island Ave. Donations: tion: $2. For more information (612) 827-5364. the U.S. and Worldwide." Speaker: Jim Little, $2 per class or $5 for conference. Sponsors: St. Paul NEW JERSEY SWP, member United Food and Commercial Chicago YSA and SWP. For more information Glasnost. Do Gorbachev's Reforms Mean Workers Union. Sat., Dec. 12, 7:30p.m. call (312) 363-7322. Better Days Ahead for Soviet Working Newark "Cuba Today: An Eyewitness Report." People? Speaker: Wendy Lyons, Socialist Apartheid Must Be Destroyed! Protest the Speaker: Elizabeth Stone, participant in recent MARYLAND Workers Party and meat-packer member of outlaw South African regime. Speakers: repre­ tour of Cuba by U.S. journalists. Sun., Dec. 13, II a.m. Baltimore United Food and Commercial Workers union. sentative of African National Congress; Karen Sat. , Dec. 19, 7:30p.m. 508 N Snelling Ave. Kopperud, member of United Transportation "Women in Cuba Today." Speaker: Elizabeth Cuba's Revolutionary Policy in Africa: The Union Local 800 reporting back from the Rail Stone. Sun. , Dec. 13, I p.m. Fight Against South African Aggression in Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For more information call (612) 644-6325. Against Apartheid Conference held in Britain. All events at 4905 Penn Ave. , Donation: $5 Angola. Speakers: G.L Johnson, United Steel­ Translation to Spanish. 141 Halsey St. , 2nd for conference, $2 per class. Sponsor: SWP. workers of America District 8 Civil Rights MISSOURI floor. Donation: $3 . Sponsor: 'Militant Labor For more information call (4 12) 362-6767 or Committee; Ken Morgan, Socialist Workers Forum. For more information call (20 I) 643- 661-9109. Party. Translation to Spanish. Sat. , Dec. 12, St. Louis 3341. 7:30 p.m.; dinner, 6 p.m. 2913 Greenmount Haitian Elections: Democracy or Dictator- UTAH NEW YORK Price Brooklyn Why Working People Should Oppose the Nicaragua cattle ranchers meet Oppose U.S. Military Intervention in Haiti Aryan Nations. The struggle against racism and the Haitian Military Junta. Sat. , Dec. and fascism in Utah. Speaker: Judy Stranahan, 19, I p.m. Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Ave. Socialist Workers Party, member International Continued from Page 9 "the revolution is obligated to give them an Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Sat., Dec. answer." Sponsor: Committee Against Repression in tion is committed to finding an answer for Haiti. 12, 7:30p.m. 23 S Carbon Ave., Suite 19. Do­ them." Victor Tirado, speaking for the San­ nation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For Some of the land taken over recently has dinista National Liberation Front National· Manhattan more information call (801) 637-6294. Directorate, acknowledged that redistribu­ A Report on the Howard Beach Trial: Stop Solidarity With United Mine Workers of been used to establish collective farms, Racist Attacks. Speaker: Michael Baumann, whose members are armed and organized tion of land "brings social antagonisms to America Strikes at Decker and Big Horn. Re­ Militant reporter at the Howard Beach trial. port back from Dec. 5 solidarity rally in Sheri­ to fight off contra attacks. These armed the countryside." But, he argued, without Translation to Spanish. Fri., Dec. II , 7:30p.m. dan, Wyoming. Speakers: Charlene Adamson, peasants provide protection for everyone in such changes "it is impossible to end un­ 79 Leonard St. Donation: $3. Sponsor: Militant Socialist Workers Party, member International the region, Cuadra added. derdevelopment." Labor Forum/Foro Perspectiva Mundial. For Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Sat., Dec. more information call (212) 226-8445. Cuadra emphasized that the government Tirado urged the ranchers to differen­ 19, 7:30p.m. 23 S Carbon Ave., Suite 19. Do­ is willing to negotiate compensation with tiate themselves from "the counterrevolu­ Un Saludo Navideiio. A Christmas Concert nation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For landowners in such cases. Discussions are tionary private s,ector . . . that ignores the with Roy Brown. Sat., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. more information call (801 ) 637-6294. Casa de las Americas. 104 W 14th (between 6th currently under way with several affected problems of the peasant masses ." Salt Lake City ranchers, he said. He stressed that "small, middle, and big and 7th avenues). For more information call (212) 675-2584. Celebrate A Victory for Democratic Rights. Alonso Porras, the national director of private producers have a place in the revo­ Speakers: Bill Arth, Political Rights Defense the agrarian reform, backed up Cuadra. He lution" and urged the ranchers to cooperate OHIO Fund; Nancy Jones, American Federation of said that confiscations would be carried out in defeating the contra war and developing Cleveland Government Employees Local 2199; Andrew Nicaragua's agriculture. Hunt, editorial board of University of Utah "only out of deep necessity, when there is An Evening for Art/Against Apartheid. The no other way out." But, he stressed, there "We want a new agriculture," Tirado Daily Chronicle; John Sillito, professor Weber Struggle Against Apartheid in South Africa State College. Sat. , Dec. 12, 7:30p.m. North­ are still tens of thousands of peasant said, "one that is developed on the basis of Today. Speaker: Victor Mashabela, African west Multipurpose Center, room 17, 1300 W families without land in Nicaragua, and modem technology and puts behind us [our National Congress Observer Mission to the UN, inherited] backwardness." 300 N. Donation: $2. Sponsor: PRDF. For speaking in support of the Pathfinder Mural more information call (801) 363-5380. Ranchers will have a bigger role and Project. Sun., Dec. 13,5 p.m. reception; 6 pm, New Salvadoran magazine more opportunities as the economy grows "A Third World Collage" presented by the Arts launched in the U.S. and is modernized, Tirado said, urging Network, followed by Mashabela. Spaces Art them to support the changes in land owner­ Gallery, 1216 W 6th St. Donation: $5. Sponsor: Labor news in A new magazine, Venceremos, has been ship and land use initiated by the revolu­ TransAfrica, Arts Network, Pathfinder Book­ store. For more information on this event and the Militant launched in the United States. It is an Eng­ tion. other Mashabela programs in Cleveland call The Militant stays on top of the most lish-language, bimonthly publication of the "We know there are ranchers who think (2 16) 861-6150. important developments in the labor Farabundo Martf National Liberation Front with ideas from the past," Tirado told the movement. It has correspondents who of El Salvador. assembly. "But we also know that there are PENNSYLVANIA work in the mines, mills, and shops Subscriptions and bundles can be ob­ new ideas in this sector. There are those Pittsburgh where the events are breaking. You tained by writing: Venceremos, P.O. Box who interpret the social changes with an Socialist Educational Conference. Cuba and won't miss any of it if you subscribe. See 2104, Church St. Station, New York, N.Y. eye to the future because they are con­ the Struggle of Working People in the United the ad on page 2 of this issue for sub­ 10008. vinced that the past offers no answer to States and Worldwide. scription rates. A one-year subscription costs $20. today's most pressing problems." "A Concise History of the Cuban Revolution: -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP------Where to find the Socialist Workers Party, 4065. St. Louis: SWP, YSA, 4907 Martin Luther 1641 2. Tel: (8 14) 398-2754. Philadelphia: Young Socialist Alliance, and Pathfinder ILLINOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA, 6826 S. King Dr. Zip: 631 13. Tel: (3 14) 361-0250. SWP, YSA, 2744 Germantown Ave. Zip: bookstores. Stony Island Ave. Zip: 60649. Tel: (312) 363- NEBRASKA: Omaha: SWP, YSA, 140 S. 19133. Tel: (215) 225-0213. Pittsburgh: SWP, 7322. 40th St. Zip: 6813 1. Tel: (402) 553-0245. YSA, 4905 Penn Ave. Zip: 15224. Tel: ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, INDIANA: Muncie: YSA, c/o Brian NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 141 (412) 362-6767. 1306 1st Ave. N. Zip: 35203. Tel: (205) 323- Johnson, 619 1/z N. Dill St. Zip: 47303. Tel: (317) Halsey. Zip: 07102. Tel: (20 1) 643-3341. New TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 3079. 747-8543. Brunswick: YSA, c/o Keith Jordan, 149 Somer­ Berkman Dr. Zip: 78752. Tel. (51 2) 452-3923. ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA, 1809 W. IOWA: Des Moines: SWP, YSA, 2105 For­ set St. Zip: 08903. Tel: (201) 828-1 874. Houston: SWP, YSA, 4806 Almeda. Zip: 77004. Indian School Rd. Zip: 85015. Tel: (602) 279- est Ave. Zip: 50311. Tel: (515) 246-1695. NEW YORK: Albany: YSA, c/o Lisa Sand­ Tel: (713) 522-8054. 5850. Tucson: YSA, c/o Ursula Kolb, P.O. Box LOUISIANA: New Orleans: YSA, P.O. berg, 120 Lark St. Zip: 122 10. Tel: (518)463- UTAH: Price: SWP, YSA, 23 S. Carbon Ave., 853. Zip: 85702-0852. Tel: (602) 795-2146. Box 53224. Zip: 70153. Tel: (504) 484-6418. 8001 . Mid-Hudson: YSA, Box 1042, Annan­ Suite 19, P.O. Box 758. Zip: 84501. Tel: (801) CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: SWP, YSA, MARYLAND:Baltimore:SWP, YSA,2913 dale. Zip: 12504. Tel: (914) 758-0408. New 637-6294. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, 147 E. 2546 W. Pico Blvd. Zip: 90006. Tel: (213) 380- Greenmount Ave. Zip: 21218. Tel: (301) 235- York: SWP, YSA, 79 Leonard St. Zip: 900 South. Zip: 84111. Tel: (801) 355- 11 24. 9460. Oakland: SWP, YSA, 3702 Telegraph 0013. 10013. Tel: (2 12) 219-3679 or 925-1668. VIRGINIA: Portsmouth: YSA, P.O. Box Ave. Zip: 94609. Tel: (415) 420-1165. San MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA, c/o Pathfinder Books, 226-8445. Stony Brook: 6538, Churchland Station. Zip: 23707. Diego: SWP, YSA, 2803 B St. Zip: 92102. Tel: David Warshawshky, P.O. Box 1383, Hamp­ YSA, P.O. Box 1384, Patchogue, N.Y. Zip: WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA, (619) 234-4630. San Francisco: SWP, YSA, shire College. Zip: 01002. Tel: (413) 549-4843. 11 772. 3165 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. Zip: 20010. Tel: 3284 23rd St. Zip: 94110. Tel: (415) 282-6255. Boston: SWP, YSA, 605 Massachusetts Ave. NORTH CAROLINA: Greensboro: SWP, (202) 797-7699, 797-7021. San Jose: SWP, YSA, 461/z Race St. Zip: Zip: 02118. Tel: (617) 247-6772. YSA, 2219 E Market. Zip: 27401. Tel: (919) WASHINGTON: Seattle: SWP, YSA, 95126. Tel: (408) 998-4007. Seaside: YSA, c/o MICHIGAN: Detroit: SWP, YSA, 2135 272-5996. 5517 Rainier Ave. South. Zip: 98118. Tel: Brian Olewude, 1790 Havana St. Zip: 93955. Woodward Ave. Zip: 48201. Tel: (313) 961 - OHIO: Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 2521 Mar­ (206) 723-5330. Tel: (408)- 394-7948. 0395. ket Ave. Zip: 441 13. Tel: (216) 861-6150. WEST VIRGINIA: Charleston: SWP, FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 137 NE 54th MINNESOTA: Austin: SWP, YSA, 407 1/z N. Columbus: YSA, P.O. Box 02097. Zip: YSA, 116 McFarland St. Zip: 25301. Tel: (304) St. Mailing address: P.O. Box370486. Zip: 33137. Main Zip: 55912. Tel: (507) 433-3461. Twin 43202. 345-3040. Morgantown: SWP, YSA, 221 Tel: (305) 756-1020. Tallahassee: YSA, P.O. Cities: SWP, YSA, 508 N. Snelling Ave. , St. OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 2732 NE Pleasant St. Zip: 26505. Tel: (304) 296-0055. Box 20715. Zip: 323 16. Tel: (904) 877-9338. Paul. Zip: 55104. Tel: (612) 644-6325. Union. Zip: 97212. Tel: (503) 287-74 16. WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 132 Cone MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA , c/o 4707 W. Lisbon Ave. Zip: 53208. Tel: (414) St. NW, 2nd Floor. Zip: 30303. Tel: (404) 577- 4725 Troost. Zip: 64110. Tel: (8 16) 753-0224. Mark Mateja, Edinboro University of Pa. Zip: 445-2076.

12 The Militant DeCember 18, 1987 ·-· THE· GREAT SOCIETY----:------~-

Makes ya proud - "UNITED erage only $35,000 "makes agents Decided to clean up their has yet to be demonstrated as a with standard police procedure. NATIONS (AP)- The General vulnerable." image - Hit with wide publicity hallmark of Japanese corpora­ Assembly has voted 154 to l to and protest, operators of Boston's tions." Nutrition expert - Rhode Is­ oppose an arms race in outer space The American Way (I) - plush Copley Hotel rescinded an land's manager of school food ser­ and the U.S. cast the single dis­ Maya Ying Lin, who designed the order that maids dispense with vices decided to put Twinkies on senting ballot." central feature of the D.C. Viet­ mops and scrub floors on their See, just be patient- At 98, the lunch menu for 70,000 young­ nam Veterans' Memorial, the · hands and knees. Clara Escobedo de Martinez of sters but backed off after parental black granite wall bearing the Brownsville, Texas, is the oldest objection. However he insisted names of those who died in the Theological experts - A person to gain legal residency that "there are many children out war, received a $20,000 prize Wichita, Kansas, woman, whose under the "amnesty" provision of there who need sugar." when her design was selected in a child was fathered by a Catholic the recent immigration law. She's competition, with a no-copyright, priest, is trying to get his order to lived here 60 years, and when she Harry no-royalties proviso in the award. provide adequate support since he turns 104, she'll be eligible for Reagan speaks - "I think of pleads a vow of poverty. The Re­ citizenship. this as a gigantic gas mask." - Ring demptorist Fathers, and the priest, The prez explaining the Star Wars The American Way (II) - respond that he's an "independent plan to a group of high schoolers. Frederick Hart, who sculpted contractor," not an employee of Probably so - Officials in We never did trust them - "Three Fightingmen," the ad­ the order. Chester, Pennsylvania, made a With FBI agents in New York denda to the Vietnam memorial, cash settlement with three teachers Please honk - Some recently grumbling they don't make received a $330,000 fee, plus a Culture Inc. speaks - Com­ who filed suit for being strip reported bumper stickers: "Deaver enough, an assistant director of the shared copyright which, so far, menting on Sony's decision to buy searched after being arrested for was sober enough to cash the spook agency warned that while has netted him $85,000 in royal­ CBS' record division, one platter allegedly violating an injunction checks" and "How much bull none of them as yet had become ties on the sale of T -shirts, belt company exec sniffed, "The fos­ limiting pickets in a school strike. could a bull market market if a bull foreign spies, the fact that they av- buckles, etc. tering of great artistic creativity Cops said the search was in line market could market bull?'' Cop and FBI terror used against Ky. mine family

BY DUNCAN WILLIAMS window. But we didn't hear them. Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. The moves have tice told the Militant, "Defense attorneys ASHLAND, Ky.- Most of the time, "Then they went to my 18-year-old son's been arbitrary, for no apparent reason ex­ have shown that the law enforcement offi­ up to 10 of the defendants' wives, compan­ room. They got him up and pointed a gun cept to make it more difficult for them to cers, both state and federal, have con­ ions, and close family members are attend­ at his head and told him to open the front receive visits and to confer with their ducted the investigations with closed eyes. ing the trial here. They are not allowed to door. lawyers. They had their minds made up that the touch or speak to the men. "After they were inside and we woke up, "Till the trial," Barbara Thornsbury UMW A and or its members are responsi­ they said David was under arrest. They said, "I was driving four hours every Sun­ ble, and they overlooked any evidence that One of the most outspoken is Barbara didn't show any l.D. or warrant or any­ day to Lexington to see David for 15 min­ did not lead that way." Thornsbury, of Canada, Kentucky. She is thing, they just said he had to go with utes." Dixon is a member of the UMWA's In­ married to David Thornsbury, one of· the Canada is a close-knit community and it ternational Executive Board from District defendants and a member of UMW A Local them. "There were six of them, four· FBI is solidly in support of the defendants, ac­ 30. 1440. During a lunch break at the trial she agents and two Kentucky State Police. One cording to Thornsbury. "We had a petition "It is common knowledge that com­ gave the Militant a short interview. of them just followed David around the circulated so they could get bail. Two panies create violence to make the union Five of the men were arrested on August house the whole time they were there." thousand people - almost everybody - look bad and to get court orders against the 7. "This was about six in the morning," Since the arrests, the men have been signed it. But the judge wouldn't listen." union in a strike situation," Dixon said. He Thornsbury said. "The police and FBI transferred from one jail to another in Iron­ Since the arrests the UMWA Interna­ noted that one witness for the prosecution agents said they came and banged on our ton, Ohio, and Lexington, London, and tional has continued strike benefits of $200 will reportedly be paid $40,000 to $50,000 a week and medical coverage for all the for testifying against the union members. men's families. Dixon said help is needed in raising "Moral support and community support funds for the miners on trial. He also urged is crucial right now," she added. "I know it people to come to the courtroom to attend makes a difference to them, to their spirits, the trial. when they get letters," Thornsbury said, Contributions for legal expenses or mes­ adding that messages could be sent to sages can be sent to Citizens for Justice, Da'Vid Thornsbury, Donnie Thornsbury, Box 8, Canada, KY 41519. James Darryl Smith and Arnold Height­ Send letters and messages of support to land. any one of the defendants at: Montgomery In a telephone interview, Charles "Hawk­ County Regional Jail, 751 Chenault Lane, eye" Dixon, chairperson of Citizens for Jus- Mt. Sterling, Ky. 40353. -10 AND 25 YEARS AGO--- The second reason is the big-business THE MILITANT hatred for union democracy. The industry A ~NEWIWUIG..Y...... TMflfTI:MSTIOFTte:WONGCJNQIIIU ... claims that the democratic gains of the Dec. 16, 1977 Miners for Democracy movement weak­ ened the union and brought it to the brink On December 6, 130,000 miners went of "chaos." on strike when their contract with the The other fundamental issue is the right Bituminous Coal Operators Association to strike. A cumbersome grievance proce­ expired. About 50,000 other members of dure that the coal operators have used to the United Mine Workers with separate trample on the union contract has moved contracts also walked off the job. the right-to-strike issue to the fore during lA Negotiations between the union and the the life of the 1974 contract. AT MASSEY COA l CO., IN C. ~ BCOA are reportedly still stalled. The key issues the BCOA has refused to discuss are Militant/Kathy Mickells a local right-to-strike clause and restoration Massey mine near Van, West Virginia. During 1984-85 strike, Massey hired gun of the miners' health benefits. The industry THE thugs to harass miners. Thugs are now being called as witnesses in trial against min­ is insisting on a contract provision to force ers. wildcat strikers to pay penalties. MILITANT The coal industry openly provoked this Published in the Interest. of the Wor~in9 People strike - threatening to destroy the United Dec. 17, 1962 Price Hie Mine Workers unless the union accepts the mine owners' demands for a "stable" work Nearly two years have passed since the Trial of Kentucky tniners force. Angolan people took the road of armed The coal miners are targets in the same struggle against Portuguese imperialism. It exposes U.S. gov't frante-up big-business offensive that has hit millions was not until February 1961 , with the of other workers with layoffs, strikebreak­ Luanda revolt, that the world was informed company. Also unchecked was the gun of ing, speedup, and soaring prices. of the atrocious nature of Portuguese im­ Continued from front page So far, this union-busting assault has perialism. a mistrial. Roy Lee Johnson, another scab hauler who was driving in the armed convoy with Phil­ singled out relatively weaker or isolated Hitherto a mysterious silence had sur­ Earlier, Donnie Jack Phipps, the detec­ unions, such as public employees and the rounded Portuguese colonialism, but the tive in charge of investigating West's lipp West and Hayes West at the time of the shooting. craft-divided printing trades, building sweep of the African liberation movement death, testified that he was taken to a spot trades, and rail unions. In lashing out at the inevitably penetrated the iron bars of the where several used bullet cartridges had Police and FBI agents have refused to OMWA, the corporations have escalated Angolan prison house. With the Congo's been "found" by George Snodgrass, chief gather evidence from witnesses on the their offensive - taking head-on a power­ independence in 1960, the Portuguese, of security at the Samoyed mine in Canada, scene whose testimony might refute their ful ; long-established industrial union. fearing unrest spreading across into their Kentucky. Snodgrass is a fonner military case. For example, residents of a house in The UMW A has been singled out for at­ West African colony of Angola, hastily de­ intelligence officer. plain view of the shooting were never inter­ tack for several reasons. First is the impor­ ployed their military forces to crush any re­ Company security people then directed viewed. tance of coal in President James Carter's volt. the cops to a nearby home where the guns It has also come out in court that the energy program. Having wrapped his But in February 1961 Angolan nation­ that fired the spent cartridges were Kentucky State Police put out a memoran­ energy plan in the Stars and Stripes, Car­ alists, under the leadership of the People's "found." dum during the strike telling cops to be on ter, along with other Democratic and Re­ Movement for the Liberation of Angola, Other weapons found at the site of the the lookout for "violent" activity from 11 publican politicians, will accuse miners of assaulted jails and police headquarters in killing were never checked. This includes members of the miners' union and their jeopardizing "national security" with their Luanda in an attempt to free their leaders the gun of Phillipp West, brother of Hayes supporters. Two years later, five of the 11 demands for job rights and safe working who had been rounded up over the previous West and owner of the scab coal hauling are on trial in this case. conditions. two years.

December 18, 1987 The Militant 13 -EDITORIAlS------Why 'workfare'·· is a Inodern foriD Reagan talks peace, wages war of the workhouse BY DOUG JENNESS The summit "could not come at a more symbolic mo­ down a U.S. plane over Nicaraguan territory on De­ In 1842 a young German revolutionary, who had just ment," President Reagan stated December 7, shortly after cember 6 and captured pilot James Denby. The incident turned 22, went to Manchester, England, to work as a Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Washington. Reagan, who took place, said Nicaragua's Defense Minister Humberto clerk in a textile plant partly owned by his father. The was officiating at the annual lighting of a Christmas tree Ortega, while Denby was "clearly engaged in enemy ac­ father thought that if the young man got away from Ger­ on the White House lawn, proclaimed that "[Gorbachev] tivity against our country." many he would lose interest in revolutionary politics. and I will meet in hopes of promoting peace for our Denby is the owner of a farm in Costa Rica, near t.hat Moreover, he had hopes his son would learn about com­ peoples and all the people of the Earth." country's border with Nicaragua- part of a network of merce and business management. The world has been blanketed with news and commen­ U.S.-owned "farms" used to aid the contra terrorists But the youth had other plans. In the evenings after tary about the summit meeting, much of it conveying the against Nicaragua. work and on Sundays he visited working-class neighbor­ impression that the talks will open a new era of peace. The U.S. government and its allies are also consider­ hoods, talked to many workers, and attended workers' Reagan is basking in the image of being a peacemaker, ing using military force in Haiti. The New York Times meetings. having signed the first arms control agreement to involve weighed in with a December 8 editorial calling for send­ After nearly two years in England, the young man re­ the destruction of some nuclear weapons. (The Militant ing an "inter-American force" to that country. The Times turned to Germany, not only more convinced of the need will carry further coverage on the treaty and other aspects asserted that Washington's need to restore stability jus­ for social revolution, but armed with the recognition that of the summit in forthcoming issues.) tifies "armed infringement of national sovereignty." it could only be led by the working class. Yet, even as Reagan and Gorbachev were raising wine Washington is funneling hundreds of millions of dol­ glasses to celebrate the pact, Washington was deeply in­ lars and sophisticated weaponry, such as Stinger antiair­ volved in wars and acts of aggression in Nicaragua, El craft missiles, to reactionary outfits that are fighting to Salvador, Angola, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Kampu­ topple governments in Angola, Afghanistan, and other LEARNING ABOUT chea, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, and other countries. countries. Far from bringing even a moment of peace to the The continuing stagnation of the U.S. economy, and SOCIALISM people of these countries, Reagan is using the summit to the approach of a major economic crisis signaled by the camouflage a step-up in Washington's use of military stock market crash, are intensifying the trend toward He put down his observations in a book titled, The force around the globe. more war. The U.S. rulers' economic difficulties will Condition of the Working Class in England, published In the Persian Gulf, Washington and its European im­ spur them to try to squeeze ever more out of the workers shortly after his return. perialist allies have sent a huge naval armada to attack and peasants of Asia, Africa, Latin America. This youth was Frederick Engels, who along with Karl and threaten Iran. The armada, which includes 15 ,000 Washington's use of military force will rise as it con­ Marx, first explained that communism is not a doctrine, U.S. personnel, is intervening on the side of the Iraqi re­ fronts resistance to this drive to make working people pay but a movement. Communism is the accumulated experi­ gime in the war that began seven years ago when Iraq in­ the costs of the crisis. Hard times will not lessen the U.S . ences and lessons of the working class in its struggle vaded Iran. Dozens of U.S. sailors have already lost their rulers' drive to hold on to every comer of their vast em­ against the exploiting classes. lives in the gulf conflict. pire. Although Engels' book on English workers was writ­ The intervention marks a massive escalation of one of By inundating the public with promises that the sum­ ten 140 years ago, it can be fruitfully read today. Not the half dozen bloodiest wars of the 20th century, widely mit opens the road to world peace, the administration is only to learn about the origins of the industrial working estimated to have cost 1 million lives. gaining some leeway to step up its acts of aggression. class, but to help shed light on some problems workers A grim reminder that Washington continues to press This underlines the necessity of opponents of the U.S. face today. ahead with its mercenary war against Nicaragua managed wars in Central America, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere One e xample is Engels' description of the reform of to break through the avalanche of coverage on the sum­ to redouble our efforts to get out the truth and mobilize the Poor Law. The old Poor Law , based on acts going mit. This was the news that Nicaraguan troops had shot opposition to them. back to the 1600s, started from the notion that it is the duty of the parish to provide for the maintenance of the poor. Whoever had no work theoretically received relief. It was considered a right, not a favor. But in the early, 1800s capitalists found this very dis­ agreeable. As the number of pauperized workers in­ Why profit reports are deceptive creased many of them received relief when wages were too low to live on. For a decade or more, U.S. big business has been tell­ And such decisions against expansion have been made Engels quoted a report by a commission set up by the ing workers and farmers that we were the cause of the by many capitalists. The profits they have scored during employers that found that this system, was "a check to in­ problems afflicting the U.S. capitalist economy. If we the five-year upturn in the busin~ss cycle have, for the dustry, a reward for improvident marriages, a stimulant would take lower wages, work longer hours, stop de­ most part, not been poured into expanding plants or even to population, and a blind to its effects on wages; a na­ manding safe working conditions, and let bankers or into introducing the most up-to-date technology, but on tional institution for discountenancing the industrious "more efficient" agricultural operations take over our mergers, stocks, bonds, futures , currency operations, and honest, and for protecting the idle, the improvident, farms, the economy's problems would soon fade away and other more profitable financial operations. and the vicious; the destroyer" of the bonds of family life; and prosperity for all would be right around the comer. "a system for preventing the accumulation of capital, for In the wake of the October 19 crash and near disinte­ The decline in profit rates sterns from the fact that on a . destroying that which exists, and for reducing the rate­ gration of the stock markets, the U.S. rulers have begun world scale, more steel, autos, computers, food , and payer to pauperism; and a premium for illegitimate chil­ admitting facts about their economic problems that give other goods are being produced than can be sold at a rate dren." the lie to these claims. of profit acceptable to the capitalists. The new Poor Law adopted in 1834 attempted to over­ Come the employers' objections by abolishing all relief in Under the deceptively cheery headline, "Corporate The Times asserts that since 1983 profits have been on money or provisions. The only aid offered was admission Profitability Rising, Reversing a 15-Year Downturn," a a rebound that "has brought the average back up, but only to the workhouses where horrible conditions prevailed. to 4.2 percent thn;mgh 1986." A graph accompanying the front-page article in the November 30 New York Times Today we hear the same refrain - public relief pro­ Times article, however; punctured the suggestion that a took note of one of the root causes of the difficulties .. tects the lazy, undermines the family, and increases teen­ long-term upsurge in profits may now be beginning . . The annual or quarterly profit reports issued by corpo­ . ' . . ~ . age pregnancy. Under this banner, government-financed rations are often deceptive, the Times reported. "Over the Th~ upturn iri profit rates the graph shows, was i10t ·aid programs 'have: been battered for the past 20 years. In past five years, announcements of sharply higher net in­ unique but one of several cyclical upturns that have taken terms of real buying power of the dollar, monthly pay­ comes each year have been common." ' place since the long-term decline in profit rates b~gan in ments from programs like Aid to Families with Depen- But at the same time the Times points out, the rate of the hite 1960s. The peaks of these upturns have not equal ~ dent Children have declined since 1970. profit on the capital invested in firms has been on a long­ Ied the low points of the 20 years after World War II. Liberals and conservatives used to confl ict more over term decline. "The Commerce Department says that, for public relief. Liberals tended to be for, conservatives The upturn in profits sincy 19?3 was.po ,wered in part against. But there is now a growing consensus that the corporate America as a whole, the after-tax return on its by brutal attacks on the jobs, wages, working conditions, factories, machinery, and many other holdings fell from entire concept of relief should be overhauled with making and union rights ofU.S. workers. N9ne of this, the arti­ aid contingent on doing some work in exchange as one of an average of 8 percent in the mid-1960s to about 3.5 per­ cle glumly concedes, has reversed the tendency of profit its key elements. cent in the late 1970s and early 1980s." rates to drop. Marly states have already adopted such stipulations. It is this rate of profit on invested capital that deter­ The current rates "do not demonstrate much of a · mines where profiteers put their money. And a bill is pending in Congess that would replace exist­ payoff," the article comments, "for all the plant closings, ing aid to families with a program requiring all welfare The article cites the example of the Weyerhaeuser Co. layoffs, wage hold-downs, and other cost-cutting meas­ recipients, except for those with children under three, to whose workers make wood and paper products . The ures that have reshaped American industry in recent years work. company reported a $277 million net profit last year- a -and the huge sums that have peen spent on automation This is a modern form of the workhouse. There's no 38 percent jump over the year before. and modernization, mostly in 1984 and 1985. Since then, relief unless one accepts admission into the "workfare" But this figure presented only a 5.8 percent return on. capital spending has weakened." program. But this is impossible for many women who can't afford safe and adequate child care, especially on the billions invested in the company's network of plants., Coming as the recent economic upturn appeared to equipment, and labor power.· "At this rate of retum," the the pittance paid for the jdbs being proposed for them. have passed its peak, the stock market crash signaled a And no steps to expand child-care facilities are being report stated, the company "could have earned more deep lack of confidence of the U.S .. rulers about their money if it had sold off all those holdings and invested taken. economic prospects. That loss of self-assurance stems The conclusion is clear - if the poor are unable to the proceeds in Treasury notes or bonds, which paid · from their failure , even during the current upturn, to de­ work, let them live in misery and starve. And this is what above ?percent last year." cisively regain lost ground in world c9mpetition, restore is happening. A section of the working class that is dis­ "We just don't build a $400 million paper mill at former profit rates, and roll back worldwide overproduc ~ proportionately Black is becoming chronically unem­ today's profit margins," said a company official. tion and overcapacity. ployed paupers. They don't appear in the unemployment figures . And they are increasingly joining the army of homeles·s people who live in the streets or packed into . hellish welfare hotels. Engels noted that the opponents of relief drew the wrong conclusion. We should conclude, he said, "that our present social conditions are good for nothing," not that "poverty is a crime, and, as such, to be visited with heinous penalties which may serve as a warning to others."

14 The Militant December 18, 1987 -LETTERS--~~------~~----­ From our readers behind bars The. Militant receives many have not seen the same in-depth at Attica, and the statement they letters from our readers who are · coverage by other newspapers of live by is "Remember Attica '71." in prison. Unfortunately, space the North American left. Investigations by high-ranking permits us to print only a por­ A prisoner officials amount to nothing be­ tion of these letters, and some of New York, New York cause the officers are always right, them are abridged. just as perpetuated in the Bumpurs We receive letters from pris­ Cold-blooded murder and Howard Beach masquerades. oners on a wide range of sub­ In regard to the article printed in Then we are given years in jects, from letters of apprecia­ the November 6 Militant titled longterm (solitary) confinement tion for receiving the Militant, "Georgia cops claim fourth vic­ on these alleged crimes that I and which is made possible by our tim," I am moved to comment. every other prisoner never com­ prisoners' fund, to letters from It is plain to see that two mur­ mit. prisoners engaged in struggles to ders by the notorious Atlanta cops, Everyone from the racist com­ defend their democratic rights concerning the police killing of missioner on down to the correc­ and letters describing political 29-year-old Lamar Bradley on Oc­ tional officers here are participants discussions. This week we de­ tober 15 and of Eddie Lee Calla­ in these acts. Even the courts in vote the entire letters column to han on September 10, are clearly Wyoming County are racist. They the brothers and sisters behind acts of cold-blooded premeditated have refused to let us represent bars. racial murder. ourselves in court. They refuse our The Militant special prison­ Both stories given by the killer petitions. The medical staff helps ers' fund makes it possible to cops are really an insult to the in­ cover up these attacks by not mak­ send subscriptions to prisoners telligence of the public in general ing medical reports and by falsify­ who can't afford them. Where and a direct insult and slap in the ing them. possible, the fund also tries to face to all Black people in Atlanta Recently a brother was beaten fill prisoners' requests for other and the nation. with sticks, kicked about while literature. To help in this impor­ One cannot read a newspaper handcuffed, and thrown down a tant effort, send your contribu­ without finding an article about a flight of stairs, breaking his arm. tion to the Militant's Prisoner racist cop killing of some poor And he was convicted of assault Subscription Fund, 410 West Black youth somewhere in Ameri­ and given 180 days in solitary. St., New York, N.Y. 10014. ca, and every story of how it hap­ The conditions that gave birth to pened is fabricated by the cops! the Attica uprising have not Che Guevara A prisoner changed. Rather, they have wors­ The only possible reward we Huntingdon, Pennsylvania ened. can ever give to those who are We appeal to all of you out there physically dead is the gift of not Pass it around in society for support in our strugc letting them die in vain, by con­ Just these few lines to let you gle to change the barbaric condi­ tinuing on with the cause for know. that I have been getting the tions here at Attica, especially sol­ which they gave their lives. Militant regularly and pass it itary confinement. We seek letters Thus spoke Ernesto Che Guev­ around to as many prisoners here to be sent to Warden Walter R. ara when he said, "Wherever as I possibly can. Kelly, Box 149, Attica, N.Y. death may surprise us, let it be Also, I wanted to let you know 14011-0149 and to prisons Com­ try to disrupt, discredit, and mis­ Goetz welcomed if our battle cry has missioner Thomas A. Coughlin, that I am paroling soon and will lead the American people. I am presently sentenced to 15 reached one receptive ear, and DOCS, State Office Building, Al­ not be here any longer, but I plan I hope you continue to publish years to life after being found another hand reaches out to take bany, N.Y. 12226. on getting a subscription as soon the truth concerning these and guilty of one single charge - pos­ up our arms." as I'm out. A prisoner other maneuvers. Attica, New York session in the second degree, in­ This October 8 marked the 20th A prisoner A prisoner tent to use. With regard to intent, anniversary of the murder of this Tarnal , California Pendleton, Indiana it is alleged that I merely pointed a beloved comrade, who was a van­ Youths gun, no shots fired. guard of the Cuban revolution and I really look forward to getting In Spanish Now we have the Bernhard champion of all the world's op­ the Militant every week. I pass my A great introduction I was wondering if you could Goetz case. Here we have all the pressed people. copy down to others I know who Thanks for having continued to send me your paper. Also if you facts to support intent. And he de­ Because l am in prison, I may are not afraid of the facts. send me the paper for almost six have your paper written in liberately shot these youth. Yet he never get to read the new book I met a guy in his 50s here, and years now. Spanish, could I receive it? I was only charged with possession about his political philosophies, I was shocked when he told me The first Militant I ever saw was would like to learn more about the in the third degree. Che Guevara and the Cuban Rev­ that he sold the Militant when he an April 1981 issue. I got that struggle. A prisoner olution [published by Pathfinder/ was a youth. I was shocked to paper in somewhat bizarre circum­ A prisoner Napanoch, New York Pacific and Asia in Sydney, Aus­ Bellefonte, Pennsylvania learn that your paper has been out stances. A Chicano comrade slid tralia, this year]. But I am glad all those years and I'm just learn­ the paper under my cell door and that one has finally come along so Capitalism is threat ing of it. continued on down the catwalk Working people that others won't have to wait as I'm going to see to it that as without so much as a "Here ya go Your newspaper lets me know I've read many articles in the long as I. many youths as possible can be buddy." of the working people's struggles Militant. I have no money to buy The lives of people like Che made aware of your paper. It was a great introduction! That here and around the world. In your beautiful books. Yesterday I Guevara have shown us how to re­ A prisoner issue had Martin Luther King's truth, the Militant is the best and finished George Jackson's book deem our society from the out­ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania speech attacking the U.S. war most informative paper that I ever Blood in My Eye and he spoke rages of the killings of people suc;h against Vietnam ( a radicalism I laid hands on. as Eleanor Bumpurs and Michael about Che Guevara's book Guer­ was surprised to find that MLK rilla Warfare. I would really like U.S. criminal actions Also I would like to thank all Stewart; the Bernhard Goetz men­ had). On the front page, Margaret persons who made contributions to to have this book if you could get We are trying to educate as tality; and Howard Beach at­ Winter, Malik Miah, and some make the prisoners' subscription it to me, and also the new book of many prisoners as possible on the rocities, not to mention the others were standing outside the fund possible. Che Guevara's writings ahd U.S. criminal actions and policies tragedies of places like Nicaragua, federal courthouse in New York A prisoner speeches. throughout the Americas that are Libya, and South Africa! leading us into another Vietnam. representing the Socialist Workers Midway, texas The struggle continues! I know that capitalism is a threat Party's lawsuit against the FBI's to all of mankind. A prisoner . A prisoner Pendleton, Indiana Cointelpro spy apparatus. Jamaica Jefferson City, Missouri A prisoner The print was larger then, but Dillwyn, Virginia Opened my eyes the quality of coverage is still the I am of the Rastafarian back­ same - great! ground, and I am being held cap­ Prisoners in Nicaragua Thank you for sending me your tive here in Attica Correctional Fa­ The other side newspaper. I make it possible for A prisoner I'd like to praise Harvey McAr­ Huntsville, Texas cility because of the pigmentation thur for your article earlier this I am a prisoner in the Texas De­ other brothers to read the Militant. of my skin. year in the Militant, "In Nicara­ partment of Corrections, where I This paper opened my eyes. My reason for writing is to con­ gua, human rights for prisoners is am indigent and yet seeking the A prisoner MOVE gratulate you for putting together a principle." other side from what is in the Stormville, New York The Militant has been my the best newspaper in this country. When I read your article about capitalist-printed newspapers. source of information and truth for I am from Jamaica, West Indies, conjugal visits in Nicaragua, it There seems to be something The·truth many years, and I still remember so I was wondering if you could very important missing, and I burned me up. Because prisons I would like to know if it is pos­ the time the late and great Brother· run a column on Jamaica. want to find out by subscribing to here don't have these visits, they sible for you to send me your pub­ Malcolm X said, "Whenever you A prisoner are overcrowded. the Militant. lications free. I feel that it .is very see it up here in Harlem, I would Attica, New York A female hostage in Texas, This system over here isn't important for people to know the advise you to buy it." working. It needs reform, and they A prisoner real truth as to what is going on in However, I would like to see in Will pass it on need to hire inmates once they're Gatesville, Texas America and around the world. today's Militant some articles on I'd like to join the prison sub­ out. A prisoner the MOVE Family Africa. We all scribers' program. A friend turned Prisoners in Nicaragua, you Attica . Dallas, Pennsylvania know how wrongly they were me on to the Militant. It tells the wrote, go out on furlough and We the prisoners here at Attica treated by the system. truth, and I love it and will pass it come back. Thus they can main­ would like to bring a matter to Victory against FBI MOVE must not be forgotten, on. tain a family . The beautiful revo­ public attention, to you outside the I would like to give you all ·my and we should advertise support A prisoner lutionaries have their own system prison walls, concerning the racist congratulations upon your victory for MOVE to free Ramona Africa Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania of rights, laws, and ideas of jus­ tactics being perpetuated against in the lawsuit against the FBI and · and the MOVE family, and free tice. us here by racist prison officials. other political police. I honestly Mumina Abu Jamal, who we all The letters column is an open A prisoner Such are the violent attacks feel that a victory for one is a vic­ know is on death row here in Hun­ forum for all viewpoints on sub­ Bellefonte, Pennsylvania upon us: beatings and assaults in­ tory for all . tingdon Prison in Pennsylvania for jects of general interest to our flicted on a daily basis by correc­ I am currently reading Cointel­ being an outspoken MOVE sup­ readers. Please keep your letters Very informative tional officers, and stabbings of pro: the FBI's Secret War on The porter. He was framed with a cop brief. Where necessary they will I find your paper to be very in­ prisoners by these same officers. Bill of Rights, and up until now I killing. be abridged. Please indicate if formative. The articles on Burkina These new terrorist attacks are was unconsciously aware of the A prisoner you prefer that your initials be Faso have been very interesting. I to plant fear within prisoners here tactics and maneuvers they use to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania used rather than your full name.

December 18, 1987 The Militant 15 THE MILITANT New Caledonia presses independence fight UN vote backs decolonization; French army troops bring 'reign of terror'

BY SUSAN LaMONT Caledonia, along with nearly 54,000 The small island country of New French settlers and some 30,000 immi­ Caledonia- more than 1 ,000 miles off the grants from other parts of the South East Coast of Australia in the vast South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. In Pacific - was at the center of an important 1972 the French government began en­ vote that took place in the United Nations couraging renewed immigration to New General Assembly on December 4. The Caledonia - termed "whitening" - in the vote was on whether New Caledonia face of growing pressure for independence. should remain on the UN Decolonization The treatment of the Kanaks resembles Special Commitee's list of countries that that of Blacks in South Africa. Following should be decolonized. colonization, the Kanaks were massacred, The outcome of the vote was a victory stripped of their tribal lands, herded onto for the independence movement of New small, reservations with infertile land, de­ Caledonia, and a defeat for France, which nied political rights in their own country, has ruled the island since 1853. Sixty-nine and pushed to the bottom of the economy. countries voted yes; 29 voted no; and 47 Some 50 percent of the island's un­ abstained. employed are Kanaky; of those who can On December 5 the Militant spoke with get work, most are laborers or domestic Jean-Marie Tjibaou, president of the servants. The country's wealth- it is one Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front of the largest nickel producers in the world (FLNKS) of New Caledonia about the dis­ - remains in the hands of a few French cussion and vote at the UN. The FLNKS is settler families. the organization leading the struggle for in- Meaning of UN vote "The vote in the UN signifies the non­ recognition of the results of the referen­ dum," explained Tjibaou. "The interna­ tional community considers that the ref­ Militant/Selva Nebbia erendum organized on September 13 has Jean-Marie Tjibaou, president of Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, the or­ no validity. That's the most important ganization leading independence fight on Pacific island of New Caledonia. thing. And that means that for the activists of our movement, we are correct to con­ tinue the struggle. The support of the inter­ murders Kanaks and turns a blind eye to night of the verdict [releasing the seven rac­ national community means a better situa­ anti-Kanak racist vigilantes who feel some ists]. White men have permits authorizing tion in our fight for self-determination, wind in their sales since the September ref­ hunting and thus to massacre Kanaks. which must lead to independence for our erendum. Kanaks must be fully aware of this state of country." Tjibaou described how the French army affairs and recognize that no one will come The French government's role in the UN uses tactics learned in its earlier unsuccess­ to their aid. They must organize to defend themselves .. . . " vote showed how determined it is to hold ful struggles against the colonial people of onto New Caledonia as a colonial outpost Vietnam and Algeria. "They have a policy Because of their call for self-defense in in the Pacific. Not only did the French del­ of 'nomadization,' where they send the the face of this savage repression, four egation vote against New Caledonia being army into the villages to 'help' the people, leaders of the FLNKS were charged with listed as a territory for decolonization. It to live with them, to get to know them. It is incitement to murder and violence by one dependence in New Caledonia. (Kanaky is also organized a pressure campaign di­ called 'nomadization' because the troops of the pro-France, anti-independence par­ the name of the indigenous people of New rected at countries that it formerly ruled, move around from village to village. ties in November. The FLNKS, Tjibaou Caledonia for their country.) especially in Africa, to get them to vote "They watch everywhere; they get to explained, has decided not to respond to these charges. "The courts let the criminals Tjibaou and another leader of the against the Kanaky independence forces. know everybody. So they can intervene go, so the courts can't judge anymore." FLNKS were in New York for several (See accompanying article.) very quickly, and kill people or grab weeks prior to the vote, speaking with UN Tjibaou explained, "There was discus­ people." "The French government has just representatives from many countries about sion [by the French], but above all there adopted a new autonomy status for New the struggle for independence, and why was pressure. Last year, when the same This fall , seven racists - who admitted Caledonia," following the September ref­ New Caledonia should remain on the decol­ vote was taken, we had 89 votes. This year their guilt - were acquitted in the cold­ erendum, Tjibaou explained. "They are onization list. there were only 69 votes in favor. That's a blooded massacre of 10 unarmed Kanak in­ planning to hold elections [for a local gov­ big difference, and that was the result of dependence fighters in December 1984. t>rning body] sometime in the spring, after September referendum the pressure. The number of abstentions Those killed included two brothers of Jean­ the French presidential elections. Marie Tjibaou. The UN vote took on special importance also grew, "The meaning of the UN vote for the ac­ because of the results of a September ref­ "Many countries were subject to very se­ "We can't count on the police to protect tivists of the independence movement is erendum that the French government of vere financial pressure from France. Some­ us; we have to organize ourselves to protec i that we will reject these elections. We in­ Jacques Chirac organized in New Cal­ times it was more than that, as in Chad and ourselves," Tjibaou explained. "Whene• er sist that elections run by the French have edonia to try to legitimize its ongoing colo­ other parts of Africa where the French there's the slightest incident, the pc.ice always been bad news, always brought nial domination of the island and the brutal army is present. come into the villages, and they col if .:t all misfortune to Caledonia . . .. We must oppression of the Kanak people. "What was interesting was that of those the arms possessed by the Black [J.anak] boycott these elections, as they flow di­ While a big majority of those who par­ countries that voted against us, not a single people. Not of course by the whi·.es, just rectly from the September referendum." ticipated in the September referendum one gave an explanation of why they were the Blacks." voted that New Caledonia should remain voting in support of France." The continuing violence of the French part of France, the overwhelming majority On November 6 the French occupation forces was demonstrated December 8 when of Kanaks did not vote at all in the referen­ forces murdered another Kanak indepen­ they attacked a proindependence demon­ Struggles in the Pacific dum, responding to the FLNKS' call for a dence fighter, 17 -year-old Leopold Da­ stration on the first day of the South Pacific boycott. In spite of this, France's position The struggle of the Kanak people for the wano. Tjibaou, in a statement released the Games, held in Noumea. The FLNKS and is that the referendum settled the question right to control their own country is part of next day, said, "The shooting season for other supporters of Kanak independence of independence for New Caledonia once a wave of struggles for independence, so­ Kanaks has begun. We said that on the had called for a boycott of the games. and for all. cial and economic justice, and for a nu­ More than 60,000 Kanaks live in New clear-free Pacific that have swept that part of the world in recent years. For its part, the French government tries Burkina Faso: new regime backs off ,------New York City-----. to maintain its presence in the Pacific with imperial force and violence. support for Kanak independence A Young Socialist Alliance In New Caledonia, there are 8,000 forum ... French army troops, state cops, elite para­ Burkina Faso's new regime took part in perialist revolution, and 12 aides were ex­ troopers, and riot and security police on an the December 4 United Nations vote on the ecuted. The Sankara regime, which came The Stock Market Crash island whose population is 140,000. status of New Caledonia by abstaining. to power in 1983, advanced policies in the In the countryside, the military are ev­ interests of, and worked to mobilize, Bur­ and the International Fight This was a departure from Burkina's erywhere. There are frequent roadblocks, previous solid support for New Caledo­ kina's workers, peasants, youth, and fora New Economic Order and soldiers armed with automatic nia's independence under the Burkinabe women. His regime also solidarized with weapons stationed in the bushes along the anti-imperialist struggles throughout the Hear Jack Barnes, Socialist Work-· government of President Thomas Sankara. road. Tanks and amphibious vehicles Last year, Burkina not only voted for New world, including the Kanak independence ers Party National Secretary. Sat., lumber along the country roads. Caledonia to be listed for decolonization; it movement. Dec. 19, 7 p.m. 79 Leonard St., In the capital of Noumea, police vans was a sponsor of the UN resolution. A measure of the economic and military Manhattan (5 blocks south of and buses cruise the streets. The security pressure that France put on its former col­ police patrol every block with clubs, pis­ On October 15 the government of Tho­ onies in Africa, including Burkina, can be Canal St.). Sponsor: YSA and tols, and helmets hanging from their mas Sankara was overthrown in a counter­ seen in the vote. Senegal, Chad, Ivory Militant Labor Forum. For more waists. Others stand with automatic rifles revolutionary coup led by Capt. Blaise Coast, Central African Republic, and other information call (212) 226-8445. and tear-gas equipment. Compaore. Sankara, the outstanding leader former French colonies voted against deco­ This occupation force terrorizes and of Burkina Faso's democratic anti-im- lonization for New Caledonia. - S.L.

16 The Militant December 18, 1987