WfJRKERI ",IN(J(J,IR' 25¢ No. 158 20 May 1977

• • alre• MA Y 16--The supposed invasion of southern Zaire (the former Belgian Congo) may go down in the history books as the all-time classic "war that wasn't." More than any previous armed conflict. the "war" in Shaba province (formerly Katanga) resembles the movie "The Mouse That Roared." In the film, "war" is declared in order to be lost. so that a bankrupt duchy can be bailed out by "reconstruction" aid. In Zaire's real­ life version, phantom battles are "won" or "lost" in government news handouts for the purpose of pressuring negotia­ tions in Washington or Paris for increased imperialist aid. Although Western journalists hungry for a story flocked to Kinshasa, Zaire's capital. no one could ever find a front line. For weeks there was no indication whatever of invading troops, proof of alleged Angolan logistical aid and Russian weaponry, and not a single shred of evidence supporting the con- Der Spiegel continued on page 4 Moroccan troops disembarking from French transports in Zaire.

Saudi Oil, and German Reactors Imperialist Aims Behind Carter's "Energy Crisis"

On April 18 Jimmy Carter umeiled Imperialist rivalries. his program to deal with the so-called Of course, Carter's opposition to "energy crisis." "The cornerstone of our plutonium-fueled reactors allegedly policy." he said. "is to reduce demand aims at curbing the danger of nuclear through conservation." In keeping with terrorists. while fuel cost rises are his "moral" style. the U.S. president supposed to cure a nation addicted to gave the citizenry a mock tongue­ gas-gu71ling monster cars and electric lashing. inveighing in puritanical tones toothbrushes. But it is easily apparent that "ours is the most wasteful nation on that the rhetoric disguises a drive to earth." Having turned the temperature reassert American dominance within in gO\ernment offices down to 65 the Western "nuclear club" (by tighten­ degrees during the depths of last winter's ing its near monopoly on the supply of cold snap (and declaring prohibition on reactor fuel) and to assure that the hard liLJuor at the White House). Carter Pentagon will not be subjected to is pontificating like a latter-day version pressure from OPEC oil expo' ,ers in the of Cotton Mather and Carrie ~ation event of another i\ear E'.st war (by lecturing their flocks on the sins of loose lessening U.S. dependen~e on foreign living. energy sources). However. as in the case of his anti­ communist crusade for "human rights." Sacrifices for the Workers, Superprofits for the "Seven Oil rig in the North Sea. at the base of Carter's "moral" energy policy lie strategic imperialist goals. As Sisters" he put it: Echoing Richard ~ixon's ill-fated "Further delay can affect our strength "Project Independence." Carter's do­ Dp~ose and our power as a nation. AFt-CID Economic Chauvinism "Our decision about energy will test the mestic energy proposals pursue the - character of the American people and chimera ofenergy autarky in three ways. the ability of the President and the They encourage conversion to coal and Congress -to govern this nation. This fission power, force oil and gas conser­ difficult effort will be the 'moral vation through steep price increases and Protectionist Drive equivalent of war'...... taxes and provide the energy trusts with The analogy is appropriate. for behind "profit incentives" to develop domestic Threatens Trade War both his domestic energy plan and reserves. In other words, the plan offers U.S. opposition to West European the carrot to the monopolies-and the PAGE 6 plutonium-based nuclear technology is the reality of exacerbated inter- continued on page 8 AFSCME Sabotages _Letter:--. _

Anti-Arab Racism significant that the various bourgeois Atlanta Sanitation "civil rights" and "anti-racist" groups, including specially the hypocritical Jerusalem, Israel church groups, who have falsely pre­ 21 April 1977 tended to be against anti-Black racism, The Editor of the "Workers Vanguard" did not raise one little finger against the Strike anti-Arab racism, ofthe most crude and Dear Friend, Nazi-like sort, prevalent now for some Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson has ('omprehensive Employment and I want to express my pleasure and years in the USA. Such things do not succeeded in smashing the strike of the Training Act (CETA) funds to rehire satisfaction with your article "Crisis in come by "chance", they are organized city's predominantly black municipal strikers, since CETA monies are not the Zionist Bunker", of your 15 April and commanded from above for a set workers. For the courageous strikers supposed to be used for strikebreaking. issue. It was a very accurate article. end. I want however [to] add two points: who had resisted a month-long assault Yet Jackson had used CETA workers to Finally, I hope that you will be able in The first is a minor one: Under the of mass firings, anti-picketing injunc­ do struck work throughout the strike! the future to show how the Palestinian "Allon Plan" On(l' "Samaria and Judea" tions and arrests, the final blow came Their regular jobs filled by scabs, workers are being divided from the and not Gaza Strip will be placed under from their own "leaders." On April 27 many returning strikers are being put on Jewish workers by the Zionistic racism King Hussein's rule. More than that his the International office of the American temporary CETA jobs and are being and discrimination prevalent here. For "rule" will under this plan be effective Federation of State, County and Mu­ placed at entry-level wage scales, entail­ only by knowing the disease we can fight only in civilian matters, such as educa­ nicipal Employees (AFSCME) with­ ing up to 30 percent pay cuts. Local 1644 against it. I enclose one of my older tion etc. The "security supervision" and drew its support of the strike. staff coordinator Ray Reliford told WV publications, whose first article deals specifically the "right" to arrest people, This stab in the back came the day last week that of some 75 workers still with the racism in the construction will under this plan remain firmly in after strikers had sustained ten arrests in not rehired about 50 who live outside trade. hand of the Israeli government. This is a sit-in at the Mayor's office and, that Atlanta are ineligible for CETA fund­ what is meant by the phrase so often Sincerely yours, evening, overwhelmingly voted down ings and may never get their jobs back. invoked by the Israeli government, but Israel Shahak the recommendation of both the Local In addition strikers have been stripped never explained by the corrupt USA 1644 and International tops to end the of all but 30 days of accumulated sick P.S. I do hope that you are reading my press, "The Jordan river should be the strike and accept a humiliating defeat. leave which, in some cases, amounts to material sent out regularly to you. I Abandoned by the International. with five or six months' pay. security border of Israel". The word certainly read your paper from cover to "security" means in Israel both internal cover and benefit from this! and military security. Annexation (as colony, not as part of the state) was Israel Shahak is a professor of announced by the military governor to organic chemistry at the Hebrew Uni­ the Gaza town municipal council versity in Jerusalem andchairman ofthe already in February. I enclose their Israel League for Human and Civil telegram of protest (of course many Rights. He is one ofthe mostprominent others were sent to various recipients). and outspoken critics of Zionism in The second point is much more Israel and the foremost spokesman in important, in my opinion: that the defending victims of Zionist situation you so correctly describe, first persecution. from its economic aspect, secondly Dr. Shahak has carefully documented starting from the fact that Israel is the racialist and anti-democratic char­ brimming over with the most sophisti­ acter of Zionism, especially regarding cated American weapons, while the the oppression and disenfranchisement Arab states are weaker militarily than in of the Arabs living in Israel and the 1973, all this invites and presages war; a occupied territories. His publications war in which the bankrupt Israeli include the Shahak Papers. which leadership will try to attack the Arab concern the expropriation and whole­ states like in 1967 (or like in 1956 with sale destruction ofArab villages imme­ the USA playing the part France and diately after Israeli independence. and England played then). This is a very The Non-Jew in the Jewish State. strong possibility in my opinion, and the As a young boy. Dr. Shahak was a wave of anti-Arab racism so strongly victim of the Bergen-Belsen Nazi con­ UPI Atlanta cops arrest AFSCME picket outside Mayor Jackson's office during propagated in the USA from 1973-4, is centration camp. He came to Palestine sanitationmen's strike. designed to prevent, during the first after World War II, liVing most ofhis life weeks of such a struggle at least, any in Israel. and became an active anti­ popular or worker's effective opposition Zionist under the impact of the 1967 to such a war. It is, I think, very war.

strike in 1970, Jackson proved as anti­ and urged the city's (largely black and labor as any Dixiecrat. low-paid) workforce to bolster the Used to relying on liberal Democrats picket lines as the spearhead of a and civil-rights leaders for "support," militant union organizing campaign. AFSCME leaders sat dumbfounded Waiting for a "better" Democrat to bail when an alliance of businessmen, black them out, bemoaning the absence of church leaders and civil-rights groups "fair" media coverage, the AFSCME Workers' Power lined up behind Jackson's union bust­ leaders were impotent and the strike was City employees demonstrating against mayor during recent AFSCME strike. ing. Martin Luther King, Sr. led the crushed. "fire 'em!" chorus. Several AFSCME spokesmen told WV that the union The rebuilding of Atlanta AFSCME, their Local officials urging a return to The city has also refused to rehire pleaded with Coretta King to come out and progress for labor organizing work, their ranks cut to 300 by workers those arrested during the strike who in support of the strike; she refused. throughout the South, demands leaders who had already accepted Jackson's have court cases pending. AFSCME committed to a break with the labor­ "offer'" to rehire them, the strikers area director Leamon Hood told WV When asked how the strike could hating Democrats. Maynard Jackson finally threw in the towel April 28 and that while three of those arrested in the have been won, AFSCME International has proved once again that black began to return to work. sit-in had their charges dropped-when spokesman Don McClure claimed, "It honchos in the Democratic Party are no Jackson was out to break the strike no cops could be found to witness that couldn't have been won"! "The only way less the foes of black and working and the union from the start. He refused they had done anything!-additional you can win it would be to have the people than their white counterparts.• to consider any union demands, which charges have been heaped on the other newspapers give an honest accounting centered on a 50-cent per hour pay hike. workers and union officials arrested, of both sides." If that were the key to He fired every striker on the fifth day of including Hood himself. success, obviously there would be no the walkout and began hiring hundreds The strike of Atlanta's poorest-paid AFSCME at all, or any union movement Limited Edition now available: of scabs, including strikers who were and 80 percent black city workers was to speak of. The lesson of the Atlanta intimidated into going back to work. A undermined from the beginning by the strike is rather that the workers can rely Workers Vanguard court injunction limited picketing, and illusions that had been engendered in only on their own strength and not on in BOUND VOLUMES arrests were made both on the picket Jackson by the AFSCME leadership. "sympathetic" bourgeois politicians or Volume 1 includes: line and in a club-wielding cop charge Leamon Hood admitted to WVthat "we their agents within the ranks of labor. • WV nos. 1-34 that broke up the sit-in at Jackson's didn't expect that kind of anti-union The only alternative to the rout • Workers Action nos. 7-10 office. tactic [mass firings] to be administered suffered by the union, which surely will Not content with having crushed the by this administration." AFSCME had embolden anti-labor forces throughout • SUbject index strike, the liberal black mayor wants the supported Jackson in his 1973 election the South, would have been a complete order from/pay to: Spartacist last pound of flesh. He delayed rehiring as a "progressive" black mayor. But just break with the Democrats and militant Publishing Co. the strikers on the grounds that like his predecessor Sam Massell, who defense of the picket lines. AFSCME $15.00 Box 1377. GPO AFSCME's charge that he had broken received AFSCME's support in 1969 should have called on the rest of Atlanta New York, NY 10001 the strike prevented the use of federal only to try to break the last city workers labor to come out in support of its strike 2 WORKERS VANGUARD Hands Off the Teamstersl

After more than a year of intensive ing crucial publicity for the capitalist for over 20 years. They have not declaring illegal provisions in Teamster government investigation and under sortie into the'union. . "cleaned up" the union so far, nor will contracts which gave workers the right threat of federal prosecution, Interna­ The fund, widely known as the they do so now, for this is not their to refuse to handle struck goods. tional Brotherhood of Teamsters (lBT) Central States Pension Fund, has over purpose. Under the fraudulent banner Breaking union power, not "cleaning up president Frank Fitzsimmons and IBT $1.4 billion in assets, covers 450,000 of "fighting corruption," the federal the labor movement," was the real aim vice president Roy Williams, along with Teamsters in 33 states and is by far the government is out to bridle the largest of government intervention. two management representatives, were largest of some 200 Teamster pension (2.2 million members) and potentially forced to resign April 30 as trustees of funds. It is, in fact, the largest pension most powerful union in the U.S. The Nixon Connection fund in the U.S. and a major lender. It is the Teamsters' massive Central States The Nixon administration helped Pensio~ also unique because of the hitherto high Robert Kennedv went on a decade­ Southeast and Southwest prove that the government is not degree of union control of the fund. long vendetta to·"get Hoffa," which Fund. interested in honest union officials, just Jimmy Hoffa established the fund in even Chief Justice Earl Warren charac­ Under terms of the agreement with a pliant ones. Frank Fitzsimmons 1955, a~d virtually no loan could be terized as an "affront to the quality and Labor and Justice Department task avoided the legal hassles that had made without the' approval of either force and the Internal Revenue Service plagued Hoffa by maintaining close ties exchang~ Hoffa or his right-hand man and the trustees stepped down in with the White House. "Fitz" was financial consultant, Allen Dorfman. for restoring the fund's tax-exempt personal friends with Nixon, attorney­ Widely reported to be one of the status. The IRS revocation threatened general John Mitchell and his successor Teamsters' main links to organized bankruptcy for the fund and the loss of Richard Kleindienst, who, it was late; crime, Dorfman went to jail in 1971 for pensions for several hundred thousand revealed, got a $125,000 kickback for = accepting kickbacks on pension fund Teamsters. The government also agreed arranging a pension fund loan to an loans. Innumerable press accounts have to end its investigation of the manage­ insurance company while he was deputy reported millions passed to well-known ment of fund assets, although it retains attorney-general. The law offices of Mafia leaders, friends of Teamster the right to prosecute for past presidential assistant Chuck Colson officials and even trucking employers. infractions. received the Teamsters' $200,000-a-year Some of the better-known More importantly, the trustees of the business when Colson left the White investments were in Las Vegas casinos fund were forced to hand control of the House during the Watergate scandal. assets and investments of the fund over and southern California resorts, most Despite Nixon's ignominious fall, to outside firms; remaining trustees will notably the La Costa Country Club, a things might have gone along quietly for reputed hang-out for Teamster and have authority over only benefit pay­ Fitzsimmons. But the "disappearance" outs and eligibility. The Crocker Na­ underworld figures. Some 75 to 90 and certain murder of Hoffa in 1975 tional Bank of California and the percent ofthe fund's investments were in Jimmy Hoffa sparked renewed demands for federal Dallas-based Lomas and Nettleton speculative real estate. investigation of the union. Hoffa's drive Financial Corporation will now have There is no question that the fairness of Federal law enforcement." to re-enter the IBT leadership and total control of future investments. Jess Teamster leadership's gross misuse of reports that he was ready to blow the Hay, Lomas and Nettleton's chief the fund's assets has been at the expense After a long string of acquittals and hung juries, Jimmy Hoffa was sent to whistle on Teamster ties to organized executive, just happens to be chairman of the membership. Fund executive crime created powerful enemies. Suspi­ of the Democratic Party's national director Daniel J. Shannon recently told jail in 1967. What disturbed the govern­ ment was. not so much Hoffa's dipping cion now centers on Anthony "Tony finances, raised $300,000 for Jimmy a Congressional committee that the Jack" Giacalone, a reputed Detroit Carter last year and stands to reap a nice fund does not have enough assets to Into the till as the enormous power he wielded as the authoritative and popular Mafia leader, Tony Provenzano, a commission off pension fund deals. meet its commitments, and the govern­ Teamster vice president from New The federal government action in ment estimates that $400 to $700 million chief of the Teamsters. Hoffa had reached out from the Jersey, and three of "Tony Pro's" boys, ripping control of the pension fund from may have "disappeared." Shannon's Teamsters' Midwest stronghold to two of whom are Teamster business the Teamsters is an outrageous en­ aides say that in the future full benefits organize the Southwest and southern agents. A grand jury in Detroit has also croachment on the independence of the will be obtainable onlv after 30 vears' states. at a time when no other unions subpoenaed Fitzsimmons' personal and unions. It represents one of the greatest seniority instead of the 20 pre~ently could make headwav in the South. union records in an effort to determine government invasions of union affairs required. From the Minneapoli~ Trotskyists who his whereabouts shortlv before and after since the anti-labor Landrum-Griffin lJ ntil last year, the fund did not even disappearance~ pioneered the organizing of long­ Hoffa's Act was passed in 1959. And the current keep records. names or addresses on the distance trucking. Hoffa had learned With the heat on. attention once furor over the pension fund may be just Teamsters it covered' Through a maze and utilized the tactic of "hot cargoing" again turned to the pension fund. the beginning ofa new legislative assault of complex and stringent requirements. non-union cartage. By 1964 Hoffa had Empowered by the 1974 Employee on the labor movement. Teamsters arc required to prO\e their signed the first nationwide master Retirement Income Security Act Labor Senate and House leaders are calling own eligibility. In an industry with i~to freight agreement and had the po\\er to Department agents marched the for an intensified Labor Department thousands of employers. frequent bank­ tie up the country. That same year. the Chicago headquarters of the fund in crackdown and new Congressional ruptcies and mergers. Teamsters often government finail y managed to get a January 1976 and demanded all the hearings to "explore" the Teamsters work for manv different firms. Retriev­ conviction. books. Last fall, the Ford administra­ further. Scandalously, these labor­ ing records is' a staggering task; often tion conducted the first shake-up, baiters are receiving active support from even a short break in service years ago The notorious McClellan hearings forcing the resignation ofall the trustees reformist "opposition" groups in the may result in a union member being focused overwhelmingly on the Team­ except the four who just stepped down. union. such as the Teamsters for a disqualified. sters and produced the Landrum­ Carter's labor secretary, F. Ray Mar­ Democratic Union (TDU) and the Griffin Act, a sledgehammer against all shall, took over personal control of the Two Decades of Government Professional Drivers Council (PROD), unions. In addition to authorizing continuing probe when he assumed Intervention who are acting as accomplices of the sweeping government and court powers office and pushed through the final government attack. Their cries for Grand juries, congressional commit­ to investigate and alter union finances, purge, "help" from the government are provid- tees. Labor Department and FBI spies elections and other internal affairs, the have been prying into Teamster affairs act struck at the hot-cargo tactic, Reformists Cheer On Government Control With an avalanche ofadverse publici­ WORKERS ty descending on him, Fitzsimmons called 2,000 Teamster leaders to Wash­ ington, D. c., -on April 6 for a morale­ VANtilJARB TDU demonstrators boosting pep rally. But the meeting was Marxist Working-Class Weekly in Washington a public relations fiasco. With the press of the Spartacist League of the U.S. chime in with excluded, dissidents from PROD and government/ the TDU protesting outside the meeting EDITOR: Jan Norden press attack on walked away with all the publicity. PRODUCTION MANAGER: Karen Allen Teamsters Marching with such slogans as "Dump CIRCULATION MANAGER: Anne Kelley union. Class­ Fitz" and "Expel the Crooks," these conscious reformists are backing the efforts of the EDITORIAL BOARD: Jon Brule, Charles unionists Burroughs, George Foster, Liz Gordon, James capitalist state to further subordinate Robertson, Joseph Seymour demand bosses' state out of the the union. Both PROD and the TDU Published weekly, except bi-weekly in August' labor movement. parade as "democratic" and "honest" and December, by the Spartacist Publishing conduits for government meddling in Co, 260 West Broadway. New York, N.Y. Only union 10013. Telephone: 966-6841 (Editorial), ranks can. clean the union. 925-5665 (Business). Address all correspond­ out the pro­ We have no sympathy with ence to: Box 1377, G.P.O., New York, NY 10001. Domestic subscriptions: $5.00 per year. capitalist Fitzsimmons and his shady cronies, who Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. bureaucracy. have imposed one sellout contract after Opinions expressed in signed articles or another on the Teamster ranks in letters do not necessarily express the editorial addition to trying to milk the pension viewpoint. continued on page 9

20 MAY HU7 3 new air cover and supplies (()r M'obutu\ Statd [)epa~tine~t~;de's reported tha't 67 attention from the sorr\: ~tate' o( his Zaire ... lorces ag.ainst left-wing rebels. percent of the "free world" cobalt army (the former Shaba commander production. a third of the industrial was reported to have pocketed $274,000 .. (continuedfrom page 1) Battle News Flim-Flam diamonds and 7 percent of the copper intended for troop pay), Mobutu sought tention by Zairean strongman Mobutu The story of the "war" in southern supply hung in the balance. Belgium was to make folk heroes out ofa company of Sese Seko that the whole business was a Zaire to date has been manufactured in reported to be sending up to 30 several hundred pygmies, part of Zaire­ Cuban-led invasion. the government offices in Kinshasa, the planeloads 01 infantry weapons and an forces attempting to retake the On the other side, when the identity of ebb and flow of the "fighting" closely ammunition to close the breach. former district army headquarters of the rebels was finally established, they synchronized with the activities of But what is a mere million? Still not Mutshasa. The imperialist press had a turned out to be curious candidates for Mobutu's lobbyists abroad. This can be enough for Mobutu, so he hit the panic field day, featuring reports offour-foot­ the role of "Marxist revolutionaries." seen by a simple glance at the parade of button with a "leaked report": high soldiers stalking through ten-foot­ "ZAIRE COPPER CITY REPORT­ Their leader, "General" (why not) headlines in the New York Times. The high elephant grass, drilling with blow - Mbumba, was a former Katangan ED TAKEN BUT THE guns and bows and arrows. chain of events was set'off by a Kinshasa GOVERNMENT SAYS NOT YET" gendarme under the secessionist regime announcement of the "invasion" on (IH March) Meanwhile, in Washington it was of Belgian puppet Morse Tshombe, and March 10. The J:"imesreproduced this as Yet you can't keep those plucky Zairean revealed that Mobutu wanted his newly later an anti-guerrilla commando leader good coin: acquired C-130 filled with $50,000 for the Portuguese army in Angola! troops down: "ZAIRE SAYS ANGOLA 'MERCEN­ "ZAIRE FLYING TROOPS TO BAT­ worth of Coca-Cola. (After all, Idi Perhaps the only fact .to emerge with ARIES' CROSS BORDER, SEIZE TLE AREA IN BID TO REPULSE Amin has his C-130 filled up with any clarity is that Mobutu, who has TH REE CITIES" (II March) INVADERS" (19 March) Jaguars and fancy furniture on periodic proclaimed himself "the Guide" of Zaire, has scored a diplomatic success. By adroit stage-managing of news and pleas for a foreign bail-out, the self­ ­Q- aggrandizing dictator has garnered a wealth ofmilitary materiel from France, lIII .. Belgium, the United States and China. ..• In mid-April, France airlifted 1,500 Moroccan soldiers to stand guard duty ­~ ill! over "recaptured" mud-hut villages iii!II under the supervision of French and Belgian "military instructors." Also on the scene are Egyptian pilots and even a "Ugandan suicide striking force." Mobutu has won virtually unanimous endorsement from the Or­ ganization of African Unity (OAU) for "defense of the territorial integrity" of Zaire, although there is no evidence that ,.- the insurgents intend to dismember the -l!I!l country. Meanwhile, from anxious • international creditors he has reportedly .....-.. milked additional millions to cover Jill interest payments on a staggering .­ill external debt of nearly $3 billion. S! On the imperialist side there was iii initial embarrassment over coming to J!!= the rescue of such a blatantly repressive I-- "free world" regime. At a press confer­ ence last month, U.S. president Carter was asked how he could defend the l= Mobutu dictatorship as "a defender of human rights." Carter replied: 1 t "I've never defined Zaire as a defender FLNC Apesteguy/Slpa JIIF;.. of human rights. I know that there are Mobutu Sese Seko French military advisors arriving in Zaire. ~ some problems in Zaire with human rights, as there are here and many other The following day, to emphasize the And. of course, the sequel: shopping trips to London.) A State -..... countries. But our friendship and aid battlereadiness of the rag-tag Zairean "ZAIRE AGAIN APPEALS FOR Department spokesman commented -II historically for Zaire has not been U.S. ASSISTANCE" (22 March) predicated on their perfection in the army, the official news agency reported that the troops had to drink something, and the water was probably bad. Coca­ .­ dealing with human rights." that two of the "cities" were "recap­ So it went. A few weeks later 23 Cola had nothing to say, except that .- --New York Times, April tured." But lest Western capitals breathe Washington coughed up an additional ill• they were glad it wasn't Pepsi. For good Certainly not! And Carter was well­ a sigh of relief and forget about their $13 million in military equipment measure, a New York Times (13 April) advised not to advertise the Mobutu ally, it announced that the goal of the ("non-lethal," assured the State Depart­ editorial, entitled "Zaire Made Clear." l government's "defense of human "invaders" was the copper mining center ment pressroom). France supplied 14 managed to get the name of the tribe of rights," for U.S. hands are far from of Kolwezi. Mirage jets. and Zairean officials clean. The Central Intelligence Agency The State Department took the bait, announced that the aircraft were imme­ the Shaba rebels wrong (they are Lundas, not Lubas). Newsweek (25 has been funneling large sums to their and within days we read: diately pressed into service and bombed "U.S. FLIES SUPPLIES TO ZAIRE April) reported that Zairean pilots were corrupt "number one man in Africa" TO ASSIST IN HALTING INV A­ "rebel positions." Each new infusion of since the early 1960's, even before he materiel brought instant "victories," dropping their bombs from 4,000 feet, SION" (16 March) an impossibly high altitude, and hitting seized power in an army coup d'etat. It which, however, proved short-lived and A million dollars in field equipment, giant termite hills instead ofrebel supply was revealed last year that the CIA were followed by more "urgent re­ fuel, C-rations, parachutes, etc. was trains. Altogether it appears that well expended great efforts in an attempt to quests" fired off to Paris, Brussels and being rushed to the scene. To forestall under 100 people have died in this comic poison Congolese premier Patrice Lu­ Washington. criticisms from Congressional liberals, opera "war." mumba (although disingenuously the secretary of state chimed in: claiming non-involvement in his 1961 "V ANCE SAYS INVADERS IN Comic Opera Left Suckers, .. and Charlatans assassination). And in 1965, CIA­ ZAIRE THREATEN VITAL COP­ dispatched Cuban exile mercenaries PER MINING" (17 March) While Mobutu was drawing up his While Washington has been regurgi­ shopping lists, the conflict remained as tating the line spun out by Mobutu's murky as ever, with ambiguities and press agents, much of the left has been absurdities on every side. A dispatch doing the same with interviews supplied from New York Times correspondent by his opponents, the Congolese Na­ Michael Kaufman termed Zairean tional Liberation Front (FLNC). The government information "conflicting semi-Maoist Guardian (6 April), lead­ and wrong"; reports began to filter ing purveyors of "Third Worldist" through of incredibie corruption and bombast in the U.S., proclaims: disintegration in the army. Towns"lost" "The latest developments in Zaire were abandoned without a shot fired, confirm once again that the storm often accompanied by mass desertion by soldiers who had not been paid in months; battles "won" turned out to be ABONNIERT re-entry into those same villages. now hereft of population and sometimes Kommunistische bombed Vietnam-style. Korrespondenz herausgegeben von der Mobutu"s initial response was to Trotzkistischen Liga Deutschlands clamp censorship on all newspaper • Jahresabonnement - 8,50 OM accounts leaving the country. But then, (inklusive Porto) quickly shifting gears, "the Guide" • Auslandsluftpostabonnement ­ allowed handfuls of reporters to make 10,-- OM (ein Jahr) brief and carefully supervised visits to einschliesslich Spartaclst, d8utsche Ausgabe "the front." Soldiers would snap to Zu bestellen uber: The Times [London] attention for photographers, then re­ TLD lapse into lethargy. Guns were fired to Postfach 11 0647 Zaire government troops rest after being flown in to Kolwezi in Shaba 1 Berlin 11 province. supply the sounds of battle. To divert 4 WORKERS VANGUARD

• center of the people's struggle against carried a front-page hea~i1ine. "U.S. palm, just as it came to the aid of the the murderous Mobutu regime. imperialism and neocolonialism has War Danger in Africa." CIA-financed. South African-led shifted dramatically over the past In contrast to these professional couple of years to Africa." Evidently as a result of its unending FNLAi UNITA forces last year in cheerleaders for bourgeois nationalists, search for a "single-issue" gimmick to Angola. In an interview in the 29 April Interestingly, despite the "storm revolutionary Trotskyists hold that, replace the anti-Vietnam war move­ Jeune Afrique, Mobutu confirmed that center" hovering over Shaba province, "No basis exists for Marxists or the ment, the SWP has lost all sense of he has received "supplies and different two weeks earlier the Guardian had working class to take sides in the Zaire proportion. Already last year, when the materials" from Peking. written that: "Insufficient evidence cor.nict" ("Cuba in Africa." WV No. Militant proclaimed Angola a new exists at this point to say whether the American Maoist groups, 153, 15 April). At the same time we Vietnam, we pointed out that the United exiled Katanganese are now a progres­ particularly the slavishly pro-Peking sharply oppose U.S./ French/ Belgian States had no strategic interests or sive force...... But it only took a couple October League (OL). parrot the same efforts to shore up the Mobutu regime commitments in central Africa com­ of FLNC communiques calling Mobutu iine. The OL's Call (9 May) announced: and further entrench imperialist inter­ parable to those which motivated its a "fascist" and making occasional "The evidence of Soviet Cuban master­ ests in central Africa. No military or bitter-end intervention in Indochina. To references to "socialist ideology" for the minding of the Zaire invasion is exten­ "economic" aid to Zaire- no presume that 500-to-5,000 ex-Katangan Guardian to conclude that the former sive.... Two Katangans captured last imperialist-led troops or advisors for the mercenaries could trigger such a reac­ Katangan gendarmes had been "radical­ week by the Zaire army admitted that butcher Mobutu! tion, from the leading imperialist power ized" by their alliance with the MPLA in While the Maoists view such is simply absurd. they had been trained by Cubans." Angola after 1974. Some evidence! The article goes on to reactionary neo-colonial dictatorships If the aging New Left "Third The pro-Moscow Communist Party, cite Soviet T-54 and T-55 tanks "rolling as the vanguard of the struggle against Worlders" of the Guardian are taken in as could be expected, has concentrated through Shaba" and "Spanish-language Soviet "fascism"; while "Third World" by the rhetoric ofthese former mercena­ on reprinting statements by the Angolan documents ... found on the battlefield" enthusiasts hail former colonial mercen­ ries of the Portuguese army, the reform­ government denying direct involvement as well as "white soldiers... observed aries as the revolutionaries of the hour, ist, ex-Trotskyist Socialist Workers in the Zaire fighting. But the most fighting with the black Katangans" and and social-democratic reformists look Party (SWP) thinks it has spotted cynical and incredulous of all are the "6,000 boxes of Soviet-made arms and for yet another alliance with the liberals another Vietnam in the making. In the Peking-loyal Maoists. They received ammunition" allegedly captured by on a "U.S. out of..... program-­ 28 March Intercontinental Press SWP their instructions when a 19 March Mobutu's forces. Marxists point to the vital role of the leader Joseph Hansen writes, in an dispatch of the Hsinhua News Agency proletarian concentration in the copper article entitled "Zaire-Beginning of took up Mobutu's anti-Soviet diatribes: Such ludicrous reports illustrate the belt ofsouthern Zaire and Zambia. Only Another Vietnam?": "The recent armed invasion of the lengths to which the Maoists will be by mobilizing this force behind a Republic of Zaire by several thousand " ... the downfall of the dictator forced to go as the mindless mouth­ Trotskyist party-linking it to the five­ [Mobutu] could have an explosive mercenaries from Angola shows that it pieces of the Peking bureaucrats. There million-strong black proletariat of effect. unleashing forces that could not is a premeditated and planned aggres­ sion engineered by the Soviet social­ is no evidence for any of these "facts" South Africa-can imperialist toadies be repressed or contained.... except Mobutu's own press releases. like Mobutu be swept away and re­ "Carter's decision to take steps toward imperialists, another major step of the latter to intensify their infiltration and This article, and similar Maoist dia­ placed with a workers and peasants shoring up the Mobutu regime are expansion in Africa." reminiscent of those taken by Kennedy tribes against "Soviet social-imperialist government which will end tribalist at the beginning of involvement in According to the CP's Dai~v World (28 aggression in Zaire," is nothing but a conflict and imperialist oppression, Vietnam." April), China has also supplied some 30 shameless apology for U.S. and French establishing a socialist federation of The SWP's Militant (I April), in turn. tons of war supplies to grease Mobutu's imperialist intervention in support of southern Africa.•

Healyites, Messengers of Qaddafi

Something stinks in News Line, daily News Line hailed the London publica­ funds"-paid little or no attention to prescribes legal punishments such as garbage organ of the British Healyite tion of the Libyan strongman's Green Qaddafi and his so-called "Revolution­ cutting off the tongues of liars and the Workers Revolutionary Party Book as "an uncompromising rejection land." In the six months prior to its hands of thieves. At least 700 political (WRP)-and it's not simply that it of parliamentary democracy in favour collapse, we could locate only one prisoners have been reported held in continues these political bandits' unsa­ of 'the authority of the people·... Two article in Workers Press dealing specifi­ Libyan jails. Regarding one trial of 17 vorv record of sectarianism, Stalinist Labour MP's who pushed the book cally with Libya, and this was implicitly prisoners (acquitted in 1974) against gangste~ism and egregious opportun­ were taken to task for giving it "a critical of Qaddafi, reporting a protest whom Qaddafi personally intervened to ism. Ever since News Line's inception on patronizing send-off'; their praise ofthe by Libyan students in London against impose new sentences of life imprison­ I Mav 1976, it has been a mouthpiece Green Book as "challenging, stimulat­ the police slaughter of "at least 16 ment and death. Amnesty International for the megalomaniacal ravings and ing, moral" is evidently insufficiently students" at a demonstration at Libya's recently noted: "The accused were "people's democracy" pretensions of fulsome for the WRP's taste. Qaddafi's Benghazi University (Workers Press, 14 allegedly Marxists, Trotskyists, and Colonel Muammar Qaddafi of Libya. Healyite press agents complain that his January 1976). members of the Islamic Liberation Month after month articles in News "writings and his drive towards people's On 8 September 1976 News Line Party" (Intercontinental Press, 4 April Line have lauded the dictator in weirdly democracy hardly received the attention carried a centerfold spread on Tripoli's 1977).Qaddafi's 1973 "cultural revolu­ shameless fashion, hailing his "agricul­ they deserve." "anniversary celebration" of Qaddafi's tion" laid out his "Five Principles," military coup. Boasting huge photos tural revolution," his support to the The WRP has in the last year been including: and snide comments about the bour­ "We must purge all the sick people who "Arab Revolution," detailing his every making up for that with a vengeance. geois press' lack of coverage of the talk of Communism, atheism, who attack on the "high treason" of Egypt's Over 20 articles on Libya have appeared glorious event, News Line's spread on make propaganda for the Western Anwar Sadat, and so forth. in News Line, not to mention a countries and advocate capitalism. We "Libya's Day" was a sharp departure Thus a brief article in the 26 February considerable increase in "special re­ shall put them in prison." from the silence of Workers Press the ports" from Tripoli and attacks on And: year before. Something has changed, Sadat's Egypt. News Line's castigation "We live by the Koran, God's book. We and it wasn't the Qaddafi regime. of Egypt, described as "near bankrupt­ will reject any idea that is not based on cy," for its repression of leftists is it. Therefore we enter into a cultural JUST OUT! "Revolutionland" revolution to refute and destroy all completely in accord with Qaddafi's misleading books which have made feud with Sadat-and contrasts sharply We are more than happy to give youth sick and insane," with the Healyites' silence on repression Qaddafi's policies "the attention they ~New York Times. 22 May 1973 in Libya. deserve." Qaddafi is fanatical in his Qaddafi's idea of"refutation" is simple: devotion to the Koran, which sanctifies An article in the 14 October 1976 he ordered "the burning of books that the feudal enslavement of women and News Line, for instance, discussed a continued on page I" BBC television interview with Qaddafi and dismissed the interviewer's inquiry into political prisoners in Libya as one of the bourgeois media's "stock-in-trade questions," ,Vews Line smugly added, "Gaddafi was unmoved. saying that thev were 'enemies of the revolution'," Th~ Healyites praised the program for having "broken at least part of the Gaddafi enigma and answered some of the US State Department and Zionist lies," but complained that the interview was not shown on prime time: "Miss Kewley's profile rightly belonged GADDAFI PUTS THE RECORD STRAIGHT in the SSCs prestige slot, 'Panorama', "It is a measure of the censorship on television that it was squeezed into the 'religious programmes' department where it could not do justice to the ORDER NOW FROM: subject ~f Islam or its leading advocate, Spartacist Publishing Co. What is perhaps most curious is that Box 1377, G.P.O. Workers Press, the previous Healyite NY, NY 10001 daily-which folded in February 1976 with the presumption of "lack of Healyite News Line (8 September 1977) halls "Libya's Day."

20 MAY 1977 5 .- Dpp.ose AFt-CIO Economic Chauvinism Protectionist Drive Threatens Trade War The world capitalist economy has by no means fully recovered from the 1974­ 75 depression. In every major capitalist country unemployment is substantially higher than in 1973, and the rate offixed New York garment capital investment stands below that of workers rally last the 1972-73 boom. The major capitalist month joined powers have responded to the weak industry clamor for recovery from 1974-75 by two signifi­ lighter protectionist curbs on imports. cant changes in policy. One is a drive for fiscal austerity, seeking to transfer resources from government-provided Japan. Independent of American ac­ What accounts for Japan's damaged allies and the defeated Axis social services to private capital accu­ tion. the Common Market has negotiat­ extraordinary competitive superiority? powers. Entering the war from a highly mulation. The other is an increasing ed "voluntary" "orderly marketing" According to official spokesmen, it is depressed economic condition, the U.S. trend toward trade protectionism. agreements with Japan covering carbon capitalist virtue itself. The Far Eastern was able to combine a vast armaments Although the London economic steel, television sets, calculators and Economic Review (4 March) quotes an program with extensive capital renewal. summit of May 7-8 declared "the need to shipbuilding. As a leading Japanese anonymous trade official: "We work In the late 1940's it was the war­ maintain our political commitment to securities analyst bluntly put it: "Order­ harder than the Europeans, we are more damaged and more backward European an open and nondiscriminatory world ly marketing simply means, 'Cut ex­ efficient, and still they blame us for all economies which resisted made-in­ trading system" (New York Times, 9 ports'" (Business Week, 9 May). Eu­ their troubles." America free trade. The free-trade May), in reality protectionist measures, ropean protectionism against Japan This is disingenuous. Japan, Inc. is no aspect ofthe post-war American imperi­ particularly against Japan, have recent­ fosters American action and vice veLa. pillar of capitalist work ethic, free alist order was embodied in the 1948 ly proliferated. Furthermore, the Lon­ When the Common Market limits market virtue. To begin with, Japan General Agreement on Tariffs and don summit communique contains the Japanese exports of a particular pro­ strictly protects its own agriculture, one Trade (GATT), whose preamble looks usual escape clause upholding "the right duct, Japan, Inc. naturally seeks to sell area where the U.S. and West Europe toward "the substantial reduction of of individual countries under existing more in the U.S.; this, of course, both enjoy a marked competitive tariffs and other barriers to trade and to international agreements to avoid sig­ strengthens protectionist forces in the advantage. When Walter Mondale the elimination of discriminatory treat­ nificant market disruption." "Market U.S., and so on. visited Japan in early February, he ment in international commerce." disruption" is a euphemism for in­ Despite previous measures taken made a point that it was the only The first break from this liberal trade creased import competition; "avoiding" against it, Japan's international compet­ country in the world which banned most policy came in the early 1960's over it means tariffs and import quotas. itive superiorily remains overwhelming. American citrus fruit, claiming it consti­ textiles apparel. Textiles and par­ Last August the Ford administration In 1976 Japan's exports to the U.S. tuted a health hazard because of ticularly apparel are relatively labor­ forced Japan to "voluntarily" restrain increased by 41 percent and to the chemical fungicides. intensive industries using simple tech­ exports of specialty steel and then Common Market by 27 percent; her Japan has the most effective nologies. Under a rational international imposed quotas on European suppliers. imports from the U.S. and Common industrial monopolies in the world. division of labor, advanced countries This February the European Common Importing and distributing firms are would import much of their clothing Market slapped a 20 percent duty on closely linked to manufacturing and the and other textile products from back­ Japanese ball bearings, claiming that banks through great monopolistic ward countries. Japan itself imports a the Japanese were dumping, i.e., selling complexes, some, like Mitsui and substantial share of its textiles! apparel exported goods at lower prices than in Mitsubishi, stemming from the from China, South Korea and other the domestic market. Two months later nineteenth-century zaibatsu. Japan's backward Asian states. the U.S. Customs Court, in what could trading companies normally mark up Under pressure from an unholy imports far more than comparable be a landmark decision, ruled that alliance of AFL-CIO unions and vio­ domestic products. Thus Japanese rebates of excise taxes for Japanese lently anti-labor Southern textile mag­ industry protects itself from foreign television sets were a hidden export nates (like Robert Stevens), the Ken­ competition without recourse to direct subsidy. The immediate effect will be an nedy administration in 1962 forced government tariffs or quotas. additional 15 percent duty on Japanese through the so-called Long Term The paternalistic system of lifetime TV equipment. If this ruling is applied Agreement in cotton textiles, p detailed employment in Japan's major firms is an generally, it will mean major tariff market-sharing scheme. The main increases on almost all American important source of labor peace and targets were Japan and its Far Eastern imports, no doubt provoking foreign social stability. Therefore, faced with economic satellites like South Korea retaliation. falling export demand, Japanese firms and Taiwan. In 1973 the cotton agree­ While the statesmen prefer to cloak tend to cut prices rather than cut back ment was extended to all fibers and is production. The accusation that Japan­ the threat of trade war in diplomatic Neal Boenzi/New York Times now known as the Multifiber Agree­ euphemisms, the business press has not ese industry dumps·-sells in foreign Garment workers at April protec­ ment (MFA). AFL-CIO unions regard been blind to what is happening. This markets cheaper than in its more tionist rally in New York. the MFA, which allows a 6 percent past month, two of the most prestigious protected home market-is true though annual growth in imports, as too liberal business-oriented journals in the undoubtedly exaggerated. In contrast to Market increased by 1.6 and 3.5 percent and are actively campaigning to make it English-speaking world-the London protectionism, pricing exports below respectively (Far Eastern Economic far more restrictive. Economist and Business Week-have domestic products is not against the Review, 4 February)! The main industrial force behind run feature articles on the rising tide of interests of the international working The American and West European American protectionism is steel. Unlike protectionism. As the Economist (23 class. For proletarian socialists mea­ bourgeoisies will not tolerate this kind textiles apparel, steel is a capital­ April) article stated: sures to counter dumping are no more of trade imbalance. Carter's Under intensive. technologically dynamic "There is a strong whiff of pro­ justifiable or supportable than any other tectionism in the air. and the ground Secretary ofState for Economic Affairs, form of protectionism. industry. There is no rational reason is increasingly littered with tariff and Richard Cooper, sounded a veiled why foreign steel-mill products should non-tariff barriers. A grim number of threat to Japan: "IfJapan takes a policy U.S. Imperialism: From Free take an ever increasing share of the countries now want to check imports to to run a surplus, it imposes serious Trade to Protectionism American market. The uncompetitive­ protect domestic industry and fend off adjustment costs on other countries" ness of the U.S. steel industry results yet higher unemployment. ... "The protectionist pack grew in number (Wall Street Journal. 12 January). Just as mid-nineteenth-century Bri­ from monopolistic pricing and lack of and strength during the 1974-75 Feeling the heat at the London summit, tain's overwhelming industrial superior­ investment in new technology since the recession. Now it is in full cry." Japan's prime minister Takeo Fukuda, ity made it the leading advocate of free mid-1950's. In 1956 imports accounted The main target of both U.S. and likened the present protectionist climate trade at the time, so after World War II for only 1.7 percent of domestic steel Common Market protectionism IS to that of the Great Depression. the U.S. imposed free trade on its war- consumption, but by 1968 imports 6 WORKERS VANGUARD represented 16.7 percent (Thomas B. Clearly it should not have taken 30 years erous tactic attacks foreign workers, not It is an established historic fact that Curtis and John Robert Vastine, Jr., to discover this supposed legal contra­ the bosses, and fuels interimperialist trade wars lead to total wars. The The Kcnnedr Round and the Future of diction. Increased protectionist senti­ rivalries that can ultimately lead to war. attempt to achieve commercial advan­ American Trade [1971 ]). ment is the real cause of the court ruling, tage through direct state intervention In 196X the Nixon administration and behind this lies the loss of the U.S.' Economic Nationalism Versus provokes counter-intervention by the negotiated the first of its famous previously unchallenged economic Socialist Internationalism affected state. Japan "got under" the "voluntary" agreements with Japanese hegemony which had lasted since World Many workers may believe that 3ritish colonial tariff barrier when in War II. and European steel producers. The 196X restricting imports is a means to job 1941 Yamashita's 25th Army swept agreement was a compromise which left security and a floor under wages. While down the Malayan peninsula and took the U.S. steel industry dissatisfied; it Meany's AFL-CIO: Vanguard of Singapore. The U.S. acquired a strong Economic Chauvinism protectionist measures can provide wanted a detailed inter-government some groups of workers a temporary negotiating hand against German eco­ The most important political force nomic nationalism when Patton's Third market-sharing treaty. In 1972 the steel advantage, the overall economic and campaigning for extreme protectionism Army crossed the Rhine in 1944. agreement was renegotiated and made political effect on the working class is more restrictive; the allowed annual rate is the AFL-CIO. And the unions' disastrous. The final tariff negotiators are gener­ als. Those workers who campaign for of growth was cut from 5 to 2.5 percent. campaign is based on grossly chauvinist Protectionism means inflation. H igh­ tariffs and quotas against Japan today However, since the 196X and 1972 demagogy and even appeals to anti­ cr tariffs on television sets or quotas on oriental racism. Writing in the Ameri­ may find their sons fighting Japanese agreements were stipulated in tonnage, shirts and shoes lead immediately and can Federationist (January 1977), AFL­ fellow workers by very different, blood­ foreign suppliers naturally concentrated directly to higher prices for these items CIO economist Elizabeth R. Jeger ier methods tomorrow. Only socialist on the more expensive special (stainless and to a fall in the living standards ofall declares protectionism to be the highest revolution on a world scale can prevent and tool) steels. So the U.S. industry working people. The obvious contribu­ form of patriotism: the outbreak of renewed interimperialist started to scream that it needed protec­ tion of imported consumables to the "... we live in a world of managed war and the barbarism which such a tion for these products. Last August the living standards of American workers Ford administration obliged with im­ economies. among friends and foes catastrophe would bring. alike. We cannot continue to support a represents the advantages of the interna­ port quotas on special steel. laissez-faire trade policy. The multina- tional division of labor. The working-class answer to unem­ ployment and competitive wage­ Divisions Within the American slashing is not protectionism. It is the Ruling Class expropriation of American capitalism Protectionism has produced a certain 65,000 Jobs Endangered and the establishment of a planned division between industrial vested inter­ economy. An internationally planned ests, supported by the unions, and the socialist economy would not only secure more responsible representatives of byImported SpecialtySteel permanent full employment but would American imperialism. The political do so with a greatly reduced work year leaders of the American ruling class and a far higher standard of living for realize that an all-out trade war with working people throughout the Japan, necessarily having repercussions world.• in Europe, would fatally undermine the

U.S.-led alliance against the Soviet Newsweek bureaucratically degenerated workers USWA billboard is part of union's treacherous campaign for importquotas on SPARTACIST LEAGUE state. Both the Nixon! Ford! Kissinger steel. LOCAL DIRECTORY and Carter;, Vance! Brzezinski adminis­ trations have resisted industry pressure ANN ARBOR (313) 769-6376 tional corporations have amply demon­ The creation of a "",orld market is c/o SYL, Room 4316 for ever greater protectionist measures. Michigan Union, U. of Michigan strated that they have a higher calling historically one of the most progressive Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Carter's chief trade negotiator, Robert than the national interest of the United aspects of capitalist development. This BERKELEY/ Strauss, has stated, "there is no alterna­ States. Therefore, the people of the development lays the basis for rational OAKLAND (415) 835-1535 tive to free trade" (Wall Street Journal, United States must turn to their Box 23372 government to protect them in ways global economic integration, which will Oakland. CA 94623 31 March). that only a government can." come only with socialist economic BOSTON (617) 492-3928 Box 188 Congress, which is more responsive to The current vanguard of the AFL­ planning. Conversely, the twentieth­ M.I.T. Station localized vested interests, has become CIO anti-import campaign is the Com­ century tendency toward trade protec­ Cambridge. MA 02139 increasingly protectionist. The 1972 CHiCAGO...... (312) 427-0003 mittee to Preserve American Color tionism and national economic autarky Box 6441, Main PO. Burke-Hartke bill, strongly supported Television, consisting of five companies expresses the decay of capitalism and is Chicago. IL 60680 by George Meany's AFL-CIO, was the and 12 unions. Jacob S. Clayman, co­ an attack on the productive forces of CLEVELAND (216) 281-4781 Box 6765 most economically nationalist measure chairman of the committee and society. The most extreme example of Cleveland. OH 44101 since the early 1930's. It called for secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO economic nationalism was Nazi Ger­ DETROIT (313) 869-1551 import quotas on a broad range of Box 663A, General P.O. Industrial Union Department stated: "I many. The Nazis regarded foreign Detroit. MI 48232 products and also restrictions on the think there is growing awareness in manufacturers much as they regarded HOUSTON export of capital. The Nixon admini­ Congress that somewhere soon the line "foreign" Jews-as an impurity in the Box 26474 Houston. TX 77207 stration opposed Burke-Hartke and it German economic body. has to be drawn or America's industrial LOS ANGELES (213) 662-1564 was killed in committee. base will erode rapidly, and God knows In an article entitled "Nationalism Box 26282. Edendale Station However, the Trade Act of 1974 laid where that will take us" (UPI, 14April). and Economic Life" (1933), Trotsky Los Angeles, CA 90026 the basis for greater protectionism. The MADISON Clayman's television committee and pointed to the reactionary nature of c/o SYL. Box 3334 act created the International Trade similar protectionist lobbies are an fascism in economic as well as political Madison, WI 53704 Commission (ITC) whose function is life: NEW YORK (212) 925-2426 increasingly important form of political Box 1377, GP.O "to determine whether an article is being collaboration between the representa­ 'The policies ofa closed economy imply New York. NY 10001 imported into the United States in such tives of the workers and the capitalists the artificial constriction of those PHILADELPHIA increased quantities as to be a substan­ branches of industry that are capable of P.O. Box 13138 who exploit them. fertilizing successfully the economy and Philadelphia. PA 19101 tial cause of serious injury, or the threat Import protectionism is not limited to culture of other countries. They also SAN DIEGO thereof, to the domestic industry." Since imply an artificial planting of those PO Box 2034 the neanderthal Meanyite yahoos. The Chula Vista, CA 92012 its creation the ITC has been a protec­ United Auto Workers (UAW), the industries that lack favorable condi­ tions for growth on national soil. The SAN FRANCiSCO (415) 564-2845 tionist body. Its ruling on special steels closest thing to a social-democratic Box 5712 fiction of economic self-sufficiency thus San Francisco, CA 94101 in 1976 forced Ford's hand; in the past trade union in the U.S., is no less causes tremendous overhead expendi­ few months the ITC has recommended protectionist than the AFL-CIO. In tures in two directions. Added to this is TROTSKYIST LEAGUE that the television and shoe industry be early 1976 the Woodcock bureaucracy inflation.... OF CANADA subject to import controls. appealed to the lTC, claiming that all "The progressive task of how to adapt TORONTO (416) 366-4107 the arena of economic and social Box 7198. Station A major foreign auto manufacturers were The most extreme protectionist relations to the new technology is Toronto. Ontario dumping in the U.S. market. The ITC VANCOUVER (604) 291-8993 measure to date has come from the third turned upside down and is made to seem ruled against the UAW at that time, but a problem of how to restrain and cut Box 26. Station A branch of the American government­ Vancouver, B.C. UAW chief Woodcock has continued to down productive forces so as to fit them the courts. When the Treasury Depart­ to the old national arena and to the old ment ruled that excise tax rebates for beat the protectionist drums. social relations. On both sides of the The most blatantly anti-foreign and Japanese television sets were not an Atlantic, no little mental energy is outright racist campaign comes from wasted on efforts to solve the fantastic export subsidy, Zenith appealed to the the textile/ apparel unions, the Interna­ problem of how to drive the crocodile U.S. Customs Court. On the basis of an tional Ladies Garment Workers Union back into the chicken egg. The ultra­ Young obscure 1897 law, the court found in modern economic nationalism is irrev­ (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Cloth­ Zenith's favor; the Treasury Depart­ ocably doomed by its own reactionary ing and Textile Workers Union ment is appealing. character; it retards and lowers the Spartacu8 (ACTWU). For years these unions have productive forces of man." The unexpected Customs Court organized demonstrations appealing to -- Writings. /933-34 MONTHLY NEWSPAPER OF THE decision caused quite a stir in the world SPARTACUS YOUTH LEAGUE the worst kind of "yellow peril" racism. The main reason we oppose protec­ of international commerce. Treasury For example, the ILGWU recently tionism is not that it is economically Department chief Michael Blumenthal picketed department stores with its wasteful, although it is certainly that. Make checks payable/mail to: commented: members masquerading as Chinese The German Social Democrat August Spartacus Youth Publishing Co., "The decision, if allowed to stand, Box 825, Canal Street Station, would have the most serious conse­ coolies. Be.bel once said that anti-semitism was quences for all trading relationships The ACTWU adamantly refuses to "the socialism of fools." By analogy, New York, N.Y. 10013 that have been built up since World War call for a labor boycott of non-union then, trade protectionism is the "eco­ Name _ II. There is every likelihood that every products in its campaign to organize nomic planning offools," Protectionism domestic industry with import competi­ diverts the struggle for full employment Address _ tion would come in with a request for J.P. Stevens (see "Cowardly Legalism countervailing duties on all kinds of Disarms J.P. Stevens Workers," WV and higher living standards from social­ City _ things." No. 154,22 April), on the grounds that ist collectivism to competition against State Zip _ Business Week. 25 April secondary boycotts are illegal. Yet much foreign capital and labor in alliance with 158 The Customs Court ruling illegalizes an of the financial and other resources of one's own bourgeoisie. The chauvinist, important element of post-war interna­ the textile! apparel unions is used to even racist nature oT the AFL-CIO's SUBSCRIBE NOWt tional trade policy, one explicitly pressure the government to boycott the anti-import campaign arises from the $2/11 issues stipulated in Section XVI of GATT. products of Asian workers! This treach- logic of protectionism itself.

20 MAY 1977 7 can profit by producing fuel. When = "Energy prices go up. new reserves are miracu­ lously "discovered." Crisis"... -Redut.Annum En«ttgy A few examples tell the story. U.S. (continued/rom page I) domestic oil production has fallen over the last few weeks to a 12-year low of stick to the working people. -R.dlJettmport(l(J $t\at only half of total consumption. Carter For the "consumer," Carter has a tax • Reduce 1965 OUltnpor.~ ascribes this to "our rapidly shrinking penaltyI rebate scheme which would A Day T06 f resources." It is nothing of the sort. The discourage the purchase of large auto­ II long-term dependence of the U.S. on mobiles, a tax on "old" oil which would -Reduce 1<;)85 Q~uoHr< OPEC oil is due to the fact that the same eventually raise its price to the current oil companies make more profits by cost of foreign crude, tax credits on COf1~ -lncroilse'085 extracting Near East petroleum than by insulating housing and solar heating 400 Mrlhon Ton." drawing from Texas wells. In the short equipment as well as progressively term there is most likely a deliberate severe gasoline taxes if consumption of cutting back of domestic production in petroleum fails to drop to satisfactory anticipation of the promised higher levels. prices. The natural gas shortage last For the trusts, Carter's plan promises winter, for example, was the result of an incremental increase up to the full refusal by the producers to sell at the 1977 world price for oil produced by regulated interstate rate. new wells, the control of interstate and In fact, the alleged shortage of oil intrastate natural gas sales at a price tied would disappear overnight if it became to that of world crude (20 percent above profitable to extract the more than one the current controlled price), simplifica­ trillion barrels estimated to be con­ tion of nuclear plant licensing proce­ James Schlesinger details energy plan. tained in North American shale and tar dures, total decontrol of the price of sands. But the oil companies last year gasoline and myriad tax incentives and Budget director Bert Lance (a clean-air laws and an increased commit­ dropped research into extraction tech­ designed to promote conversion by Carter crony) retracted and private ment to breeder reactors. niques from shale because at current utilities and industrial plants to coal. economists disputed. Their fallback position has been to price levels they offer no profit. The officially anticipated result of this In addition, Carter promised the mount a major lobbying effort to Carter's proposals to switch to coal program is an energy growth rate ofless return of windfall tax revenues raised by increase the windfall already guaranteed and nuclear power, therefore, are not a than 2 percent a year, an increase in the program's implementation, a prom­ under the Carter plan. This includes response to any kind of final depletion annual coal production by 65 percent ise which was quickly withdrawn by pressure on Congress to raise the of fluid fossil fuels. Behind the plan is and a reduction of oil imports from 16 Schlesinger. Even the "taciturn energy controlled price of natural gas by an geopolitics pure and simple. As we million barrels to 6 million barrels per czar" was moved to philosophizing, additional 15 percent over the adminis­ pointed out previously: day. while posing with a scowl in front of a tration figure, set aside environmental "In any case, what has the imperialist Motivating the administration na­ poster calling for endless reductions and restrictions on strip mining and exclude rulers more immediately worried is the tional energy plan is the bourgeoisie's cutbacks. He exhorted Congress, "make imported cars from the fuel-efficiency prospect of a sudden drop of imported desire to avoid what Carter euphemisti­ no small plans. They have no magic to rebates. supplies, a very real prospect given the cally calls "future embarrassments," stir the hearts of men" (New York intense renewal of inter-imperialist referring to a repetition of the 1973-74 rivalrv. Times, 4 May). Behind the "Crisis" "Among the Western powers. the move OPEC embargo. Over the last decade But Carter's real selling card was not The essence of Carter's national to nuclear fission power arises out of the possibilities for such "embarrass­ quotations from William James, nor economic competition and is ultimately energy plan is conservation by cutting ment" have increased dramatically, as Schlesinger's trump the authority of part of a trend toward economic back demand through higher prices on U.S. petroleum imports have increased Winston Churchill. The administra­ autarky on the road to a new imperialist the one hand and increased domestic war." from 12 percent of total consumption to tion's ace-in-the-hole was a "secret" supply through higher profits on the "Nuclear Energy and the 46 percent in 1976. Central Intelligence Agency study Workers Movement," WV No. other. The purpose is strategic strength­ The push toward autarky, through a showing that the Soviet Union would be 146. 25 February 1977 ening of U.S. imperialism, not "living shift to increased use of coal and forced to import .15 to 4.5 million These international rivalries have within our means" or similar conserva­ uranium, reveals significant fissures in barrels of oil a day by 1985 and that 90 produced two Carter energy programs: tionist claptrap. And the "cris.is" is a the international imperialist order. As if percent of world petroleum reserves one attempts to make the United States public relations gimmick to sell super­ to highlight this point, the Carter plan would be depleted by the year 2000. independent of OPEC by increasing profits for the monopolies but the bitter doubles the size of the U.S. "strategic Thus Carter put forward the spectre of reactor construction and domestic fuel stockpile" of oil to one billion barrels, a the U.S. and USSR fighting it out for pill of "sacrifice" for the millions. production: the other attempts to make CIA experts to the contrary. "total ten-month supply. It is also notable that increasingly precious Saudi reserves. West Europe and Japan more depen­ estimated world reserves" are a very with all the talk of conservation there is There were more than a few problems dent on the U.S. for uranium fuel elastic concept. As the conservative no provision in Carter's plan for with this CIA "study." As it turns out, supplies. British Economist (23 April) put it, improved mass transit. The government the agency has been erroneously pre­ The West European bourgeoisies "World energy reserves are not running energy program resembles nothing so dicting declining Soviet petroleum were even more acutely hit by the shock out in any long-run sense of that phrase. much as the sort of"austerity" measures output regularly since 1970. The "study" waves of the 1973-74 OPEC boycott, There is a lot ofoil and gas in the ground ordered in wartime. places Saudi Arabian reserves at halfthe since the bulk oftheir oil comes from the which is thus far unpumped and This should not come as a surprise, Saudi government's own estimates, and Near East. This led to a drastic accelera­ unfound...." Under capitalism what since the whole plan is the brainchild of its figures for world reserves were based tion of plans for nuclear energy, determines available energy resources is energy secretary James Schlesinger, the on those of the oil companies. Even predicated upon the development of above all whether or not corporations former director of the CIA and Ford's Schlesinger's staff conceded that the breeder reactors which manufacture secretary of defense until he was "study" was bunk. plutonium fuel. However, within recent dumped for being too "hawkish." At Thus there was little substance to weeks Carter has called for a halt in both Schlesinger's instigation, the Defense Carter's public relations campaign to the development of breeders and the Department recently switched its retali­ "sell" his energy plan. But why should deployment of reprocessing facilities. atory policy from inflicting "unaccept­ there be? According to the rules of the As a symbolic gesture he moved to defer able" damage to achieving "a second capitalist game, the real "pitch" must be construction of the Clinch River, strike capability which can do ...["the directed at the corporations and their Tennessee, breeder reactor. enemy"}, not significant or serious, but spokesmen in the labyrinth of Congres­ Carter's stated objection is the danger virtually irreparable damage as a mod­ sional committees which will process the of proliferation of atomic weapons to ern nation and great power" (New York legislation. They certainly will not be smaller countries should plutonium Times, 15 May). This "second strike bamboozled by talk of "meaningful become too abundant. However, his capability" would in practice look sacrifices," and no program to increase NATO allies could not help but notice curiously like capability for a preemp­ the profits of the oil trusts could hope to that a result of the deferral of breeder tive first strike and is the basis for win enthusiastic public support. reactor and reprocessing plant construc­ Pentagon plans for massive increases in In fact. with the faintest populist aura tion would be to strengthen the U.S. weapons spending over the next few of eventual anti-trust action and exten­ position as the major supplier of nuclear year,. sion of regulation to intrastate natural fuels and the dominant force in the Western "nuclear club." In addition. the The CIA "Study'" gas sales, the administration had count­ ed upon an angry response from the Furopeans lear that with the abandon­ Clearly an austerit~ program which unpopular oil companies to rally sup­ ment of plutonium an lDcreasing pro­ impinges on so sacred an American port for its proposals. With uncommon portion of American-processed en­ institution as the souped-up V-~ gas candor. the Sell York Times (25 April) riched uranium would be diverted Irom ~alcs gUII!cr requires some high-powered noted that this would "divert public foreign to consumption hy domes­ salesmanship. particularly since all attention from the fact that the essence tic light \\ater reactors. opinion polls indicate that most Ameri­ of the Carter plan was higher energy cans do not even believe there is an prices." The Nuclear Tangle "energy crisis." The oil giants chose a more "subtle" These disputes over plutonium Grabbing prime-time slots on course. Rather than a broadside attack dominated both the recent London nationwide television three times in a on the Carter plan, three energy com­ "economic summit conference" of impe­ week, Carter did his best to glamorize pany executives appeared on Meet the rialist chiefs and the ongoing Salzburg sacrifice ("painful," to be sure, "but so is Press to support the program with conference of the International Atomic any meaningful sacrifice"). In the "caveats." Of course, there were more Energy Agency. process he managed to plant his foot in caveats than support. In reality, the his mouth more than once. On two "seven sisters" called for a policy, In London exchanges between West occasions he predicted a favorable codified in a Republican Party propos­ German chancellor Helmut Schmidt economic impact from his plan, a al, which calls for the removal of price Wilson/Newsweek and U.S. president Carter were de­ projection which Office of Management controls, a five-year moratorium on Sacramento nuclear power plant scribed as sharp. Schmidt had re- 8 WORKERS VANGUARD sponded to Carter's oppbsition to ri;ltives. such as a thorium-based fuel Times. A. H. Raskin. a leading bour­ plutonium with the announcement of a cycle. were rejected. as West Europe is geoIs commentator on union affairs. four-year West German energy re­ well ahead of the U.S. in the develop­ noted: Teamsters ... search budget of $2.7 billion, more than ment of plutonium breeders and reluc­ "The prospect of a long coal strike at (cofl{inued(rom paKe 3) half of it earmarked for breeder devel­ tant to junk these efforts. year's end is among the gravest threats funds dry. But the bosses' courts and opment. Accompanying this announce­ Involved in all of these machinations to fulfillment of President Carter's energy program. White House officials government agencies will not throw out ment was a statement that the Federal are strategic considerations, often di­ are already pondering what action the the pro-capitalist labor bureaucracy. Republic intended to continue exports rectly military in character. Among all Government might take to head off a The last thing the bosses want is a really of both reactors and reprocessing countries the move to nuclear power stoppage that would impede the desired democratic labor movement led by facilities, despite U.S. opposition to a flows in part from the desire to develop shift from oil to coal." class-struggle militants. If the govern­ recent deal with Brazil. an atomic weapons capability. In the While the capitalists are plotting their ment jails one corrupt labor leader. it Contributing to the tension was a case of several smaller capitalist powers strategy, however, the United Mine will only be to replace him with another naked display of U.S. muscle. Since last this is the primary motive. Thus Pakis­ Workers (UMW) is in disarray, the traitor to labor's cause. In the mean­ June all exports of enriched uranium tan wants reprocessing plants from leadership unable to organize the newly time, the government will tighten its grip from the United States had been frozen. France for one reason-to counter opened mines and Western strip mining. on the only mass organizations of the Carter continued this freeze pending ·India's development ofan atomic bomb. The UMW ranks must be prepared to working class. consideration of his plutonium propos­ The virtually inescapable consequence wage a bitter fight this year if they are to But PROD and the TDU's main als. As a result, eleven reactor stations in of the projected deployment of reactors avoid defeat at the hands of energy complaint is that the government hasn't Europe, all dependent on American by 60 countries will be widespread trusts temporarily backed by the entire intervened enough! PROD spokesmen fuel, were threatened with closure. In a nuclear arms proliferation. ruling class. castigate the Labor Department for gesture to appease Schmidt and to give The workers movement is not As for the ostensibly socialist left, its being too soft and have been meeting credibility to Carter's promise to supply indifferent to the prospect of every response has been largely in workerist with representatives of the Labor and enriched uranium to all countries tinpot dictator brandishing a nuclear terms, seeing Carter's energy plan as simply the latest bosses' scheme to Justice Departments' task force for tighten the economic screws on labor. some time to help spur on the investiga­ The Socialist Workers Party (SWP), for tions. Having learned absolutely no­ example, entitled its analysis of the thing from the bitter experience of the administration program "Higher Fuel Wagner Act, Taft-Hartley and Prices' Mean Fatter Profits" and Landrum-Griffin, PROD is urging a proclaimed: new round of congressional hearings "The real aim of the bipartisan energy and an expanded Senate probe of the campaign is to roll back environmental union, i.e.. more repressive anti-labor prot(:ction. to break union opposition. legislation. to speed up production. and to undercut An offshoot of a Ralph Nader safet\' standards." "public interest" project, PROD serves - Hilitanl. 6 May as little more than a coordinating center The semi-Maoist Guardian similarly for lawsuits against the Teamsters. entitled its article "Energy Plan Fuels Although it claims several thousand Prices, Profits." and the reformist Teamster supporters. PROD's main content could easily have been switched leader. Art Fox, is not even a member of with the ,'I1ilitant article. the union. Fox is an attornev who sues The direct economic impact of the union as a full-time job.' Carter's energy plan. its threats to the The TDU claims to be for "rank and jobs and living standards of American file control of the union." but like working people. cannot be ignored. PROD. it relies on the government to do Attempts to implement it could well the job of "fighting" the bureaucracy. lead to explosive battles, as occurred One cannot pick up an issue of the TDU when independent truckers tied up the newspaper. Convoy, without reading of Guy Mendes \few Jersey Turnpike, and West Virgi­ new court suits filed against the union. By switching back to coal Carter hopes to limit the need for imported nia miners struck against the gasoline The Detroit TDU's paper, The Rank energy. shortages and sharply increased fuel and File Speaks (April 1977), lamented prices following the OPEC boycott. accepting U.S. guidelines, the exports arsenal. but we point out that the the government's "plodding half­ The program for a militant working­ were unfrozen in time for the London imperialists, and in the first place the hearted investigations," but hailed the class struggle against the capitalist summit. But the point had been made. U. S., are the greatest nuclear terrorists removal of Fitzsimmons as a "little step energy plans is not increased regulation Not surprisingly, little progress to­ of all. What a Schlesinger threatens to toward pension reform. So far, so or a price rollback, as the truckers ward an agreement on nuclear energy do to the Soviet Union, no Idi Amin good" demanded. Wielding a complete vertical policy was achieved in London. West could ever accomplish. Several days after the Washington monopoly. from exploratory drilling to German capacity to produce nuclear The ominous dynamic of nuclear rally. WV interviewed the TDU's main sales at the pump, the oil cartel's control technology exceeds its own domestic proliferation is not restricted to petty spokesman, Pete Camarata. Already of production and distribution has needs, mandating exports to keep the rivalries among minor powers. Arms engaged in a court suit to prevent his repeatedly enabled it to escape govern­ industry viable. France, also, has hoped competition is beginning to be felt even expulsion from Detroit Local 299, mental supervision. It shifts profits to to finance its advanced breeder program within the heart of NATO. As C. L. Camarata explained the TDU's position lower-tax juriSdictions, withholds wells through exports. Thus a joint Soviet­ Sulzberger observed in a New York on the government's intrusion into the from production in order to drive up British proposal to the "nuclear suppli­ Times (7 May) column: Union: prices. engages in open price fixing ers club" to ban sales of "sensitive" "... the French are beginning to mutter "As far as what the TDU believes and where its market control is unchal­ what they think. they want the rank and equipment unless purchasers agreed to that the Germans are edging toward a lenged, wages cut-rate gasoline wars to file to put pressure on. but I'm sure constant inspection was rejected by capability of atomic arms manufacture which would attain an edge over France drive out independent distributors, they're willing to accept the government France. Similarly, U.S. attempts to intervention. And they're certainly not and add to their already ascendant purchases votes in Congress, withholds attract interest in non-plutonium alter- conventional forces, to say nothing of going to work against it. ... I think the economic and financial advantages." and lor falsifies statistics on reserves. union's so corrupt right now that you Governmental regulation of the oil need it [government intervention] for a Trotskyist League Class Series Labor and the Left monopolies is a pipe dream. Even while. at least till you get things "nationalization" of production in straightened out." Problems of World Almost universally within the left and many OPEC countries has not altered Camarata, who recently told the Revolution labor movement the fundamental impe­ the power of the real petroleum cartel, Detroit News that he is a member of the rialist aims of Carter's energy program the "seven sisters." Workers committees International Socialists, a social­ May 12 have been ignored. Instead we are must open the books ofthese imperialist democratic outfit which itself has a long Reformism Today: Social treated to a barrage of populist propa­ vultures. The profit-crazed energy trusts history of supporting court suits against Democracy and Stalinism ganda making the simple point that the must be expropriated without compen­ the unions, is merely explaining the May 26 oil giants will be making money hand sation. But the "friend oflabor" Democ­ logic of all liberals and reformists. For Marxism and the Woman over fist while the workers pay more for rats such as Henry Jackson will not them, the racist, impetlalist, strike­ Question their gasoline. carry out such a program. breaking government i~ an ally against June 9 Since Carter is seeking to find Whether couched in the "moral" the union misleaders. Acting as the cat's The National Question and common ground with the energy trusts rhetoric of Jimmy Carter or in more paw of reaction, they invite the govern­ World Revolution in higher prices for domestic produc­ naked terms of corporate self-interest ment to tighten its stranglehold on the June 23 tion, United Auto Workers (UAW) and imperialist domination, capitalist unions even more than it has already. Class Struggle and Racial president Leonard Woodcock figured programs to meet the "energy crisis" The capitalist state's constant striving Oppression he could exploit the patriotic theme by ultimately lead to war. This is the to subordinate the unions to its control July 7 joining the auto companies in opposing inexorable logic of an Irrational system is in fact the major obstacle both to Political Revolution in the tax rebates on purchases offuel-efficient based on production for profit rather union democracy and to putting the Degenerated/Deformed imported cars. than social need. A rational develop­ unions on a class-struggle course. The Workers States If UAW members are threatened with ment and allocation of energy resources government of the corporations and July 21 job losses by Carter's energy program, require the establishment of a workers banks, which fights every outbreak of The Party, the Trade Unions and mine workers are threatened by a government and socialist planning on a class struggle tooth and nail, will never the Proletarian Revolution government-backed employer offensive world scale.• be a "friend of labor." The fools and Place: Britannia Center (Senior to meet the prospect of a massive charlatans of the TDU PROD ilk who increase in coal production. This offen­ / aid the government rape of the unions Citizens Lounge). SPA RTA CIST edition franc;:aise Commercial at Napier sive will be aimed at breaking or deserve the scorn of every labor mili­ Time: 7:30 p.m., grievance to embarrass Miller. They grievance became an electioneering attempted to enforce compliance with disputes in which he was the continual had no intention ofdeclaring a national football. Predictably, Miller denounced federal court orders against wildcatting loser. About the only thing the Board strike over the issue involved and stood the strike and said that since an miners. And so also with Patrick and agreed on was to adjourn for a day so by as rank-and-file militancy dissipated. injunction had been won against Pea­ Patterson, who have consistently sup­ that Miller could meet with Jimmy At last report, only the originally struck body's absentee policy, "Therefore, ported these measures on the IEB. All Carter on May 12. All ofthe squabbling mine in Ohio was still closed over the there is no problem" (Morgantown three voted for Miller's IO-point anti­ bureaucrats are anxious to please the grievance, with one other pit striking Dominion Post, 10 May). This was not strike program in September 1975. This peanut boss in the White House. In turn, over a separate issue. Carter, whose energy program calls for the opinion of the contingent of District draconian measure provides for harsh the expansion of coal production by 6 miners who came to the IEB and Mudslinging and Strikebreaking discipline against union members who two-thirds by 1985, wants guarantees of succeeded in getting the floor to defend strike without authorization. Sparked labor peace from UMW leaders. their strike. The workers repeatedly Trying to appear as the continuation by a wildcat of 120,000 miners for the The IEB has consistently fought hooted and jeered as Miller explained of the "reform" movement, Patrick local right to strike, a vital demand Miller for control of the staff, vetoing his appointees and reinstating those he has fired. This meeting of the IEB overturned two recent Miller appoint­ ments. Louis Antal, a strong Miller supporter, had been designated to fill a Stearns, Ky... vacant IEB seat from District 5. The Board. however, voted to leave the seat (continued from page 12) vacant. put your head up above those sandbags, In another manuever. the IEB barred it was fair gdme." one member of Miller's slate from the Limited by a court injunction to just elections. Since Patterson has not eight pickets on the road leading to the fielded a full slate. only Patrick would mine. the resourceful strikers bought have had a complete list of candidates. property adjacent to the road. There The U\1W constitution requires at least they erected a small building as their two full slates or else all candidates must "local halJ." stacked up protective run as individuals. Many of Miller's sandbags and have been meeting early candidates are unknowns and dividing every morning to bolster the pickets. United Mine Workers Journal Striking coal miners in Stearns, Kentucky. them from the incumbent president While there are only eight picketers at would significantly lessen their chances the entrance, they are backed up by at the polls. However, the UMW tellers scores just across the road. who are in charge of the elections (and Reminiscent of the bitterly fought claims he was shot at the mine. The months! The indictments have been were part of Miller's 1972 slate) declared 1973-74 Brookside strike in Harlan security company's president, Bob obtained on the testimony of kill-crazy the decision void later in the week. The County, the miners' wives, mothers and Storm, claims he was beaten up at the gun thugs, who would say and do IEB voted to "discuss" the matter sisters have played a crucial role. They mine site. Blue Diamond vice president anything their employer told them to, further with the tellers. have joined the picketing and held Frank Thomas was reportedly met by a against courageous strikers simply As president and chief public protest demonstrations to bring public group of the strikers' wives outside the trying to defend their picket line and spokesman for the UMW, Miller has attention to Blue Diamond's use of gun county courthouse and left the encoun­ their lives from these scum. had to take most of the heat for the thugs, injunctions and state troopers to ter somewhat more tattered than he The United Mine Workers and the bureaucracy's repeated efforts to break the strike. arrived. entire labor movement must rally to the squelch wildcat strikes. Now that Miller The Kentucky state police are old Three of the guards say that late on defense of the Stearns strikers. The is despised by many militant miners who hands at strikebreaking. Escorting the night of April 13, as they were presidential candidates in the UMW voted for him in 1972, his equally anti­ the company goons across the leaving the mine, they were disarmed seem, however, too busy to come to the strike opponents are trying to use his picket line, they are a second wave of and given a ride around the county by a scene. Only Harry Patrick has made well-known strikebreaking actions as a armed and "legal" terror against the group of strikers in a pick-up truck. even a token appearance. Perhaps the factional club. strikers. On March 12, Sheriff Perry They were dropped off later minus their absence of Patterson and Miller can be As the IEB got under way. several stopped seven security guards from pants. When two armed and irate explained by the fact that the Stearns thousand Ohio miners from District 6 entering the mine at 3 a.m. They were guards came to retrieve their embar­ miners, who cannot get a UMW charter were wildcatting over new absentee laden with pistols, rifles and, according rassed cronies, however, they set off a until they win a contract, cannot even policies being arbitrarily introduced and to one UMW source, "enough ammuni­ gunfight, leaving the two seriously vote in the upcoming election! enforced by the Peabody Coal Com­ tion to blow up the county." But the injured. A mobilization of the UMW's muscle pany. The Peabody strike was the guards were released at the local A grand jury has indicted 31 people as is desperately needed to stop the anti­ culmination of more than two weeks of courthouse without being charged and a result of this incident, 27 of whom are union terror at Stearns and to win this separate strikes in Ohio and West were escorted back to the mine by three strikers. Each is charged with three long and important strike. The Sparta­ Virginia over company discipline, safety carloads of state troopers in full riot serious felonies: kidnapping (for the cist League and Partisan Defense violations and other grievances. By May gear. The troopers then arrested two alleged "ride"), robbery (for taking the Committee urge that donations for the 6. more than 22,000 miners were out and strikers for violating the injunction guns!) and assault. legal defense of the indicted strikers be every UMW mine in Ohio was closed. limiting picketing! These indictments are a scattergun sent to: Miners Legal Defense Fund, As many as 7,000 miners from southern But bullets and cops have not attempt to break the strike. UMW 1521 16th Street, N.W., Washington, West Virginia struck in sympathy with intimidated the strikers. Some of the spokesman Ben Elliot told WV that D.C. 20036. the District 6 workers as did 1,200 in cowardly security guards have charged several of those indicted have not even Stop the Gun Thug Terror! Drop the .., western Pennsylvania. Indictments! Victory to the Stearns i the strikers with seeking to stop their been active in the strike and that one has The Ohio strikers demonstrated bloody attacks. One gun-toting goon been in military service in Texas for Strike! • 10 WORKERS VANGUARD which was abandoned by Miller in the However, one major problem that entatives of Miss Vanessa Redgrave's 1974 contract bargaining, the new looms before the UMW is the increas­ Workers' Revolutionary Party, for ingly large section of the industry that Healyites... instance. have visited Libva three times bureaucratic sledgehammer neverthe­ in the past twelve months. Nor has it less failed to prevent a strike against remains unorganized. The output of (continued from page 5) diminished the affection of those court injunctions which spread to unorganized mines has become so countries like Malta, which feel, with include half the union in the summer of massive that it could seriously undercut contain imperialist, capitalist, reaction­ some reason, that Colonel Qaddafi has 1976. a nationwide coal strike. The expanding ary, Jewish or Communist thoughts" proved to be their only friend." Now, hoping to contain the strikes coal industry has been able to outstrip (New York Times, 18 April 1973). Malta's reasons are obvious. About they have been unable to prevent, the union by opening new mines and to be impoverished by the closing of Grotesque Miller, Patrick and Patterson have all fighting off union organization. In 1972, NATO bases, Malta is now dependent come out for a limited right to strike over 70 percent of the bituminous coal The sordid history of the Healyites is on Qaddafi's aid to remain solvent. The over local grievances when the current in the U.S. was under UMW contract. replete with examples of slavering mendicant guerrillas who flock to contract expires December 6. A Local Today, that figure has fallen to 54 enthusiasm for left-talking "Third Tripoli seeking Soviet-made arms and vote would be held at a certain stage of percent and is still dropping. World" nationalists and Stalinists. Libyan oil money reportedly have The bitter 13-month struggle to Workers Press gratuitously proffered included Muslim secessionists from the organize Harlan County's Brookside "leftist" cheerleading to assorted petty­ Philippines and Ethiopia, opponents of mine in 1973-74 required a nationwide bourgeois anti-working-c1ass forma­ anti-Qaddafi Arab regimes (Sudan, shutdown of the mines to finally win a tions, from the Maoist Red Guards to Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco), the contract. The drawn-out struggle at the Angolan MPLA. But the WRP's Provisional IRA and various Palestini­ Brookside is now being repeated in an pandering to Qaddafi is surely a new an organizations. Naturally, such even more violent conflict at Stearns' low. groups do not bite the hand that feeds Justus Mine in southeastern Kentucky Perhaps the most disgusting was a them and have accorded Qaddafi a high (see accompanying article). More and full-page "special News Line interview" place in the pantheon of "anti­ more non-union coal pours out of the with Hamied Jallud, general secretary imperialist" leaders. Appalachias. of the "Libyan trade union federation, But an even greater threat faces the eq uivalent of the British TUC" (14 Corrupt UMW from the rapidly expanding high­ September 1976). To News Line ques­ Workers Press, which folded on 14 output mines in the West. In 1975, tions about collective bargaining and February 1976, titled itself the "Daily Western coal accounted for about ten the right to strike, the Qaddafi bureau­ Organ of the Central Committee of the percent of total U.S. production. But crats replied, "The role of the trade Workers Revolutionary Party." Heavy within ten years, that figure is expected unions in socialist countries is complete­ publicity in the preceding months for to reach nearly 30 percent. Most ofthese ly different from capitalist countries"! the paper's "Crisis Fund" and dire mines are non-union. After all, "the responsibility of the trade warnings that "the future of the paper is \ Many coal operators under UMW unions is to educate the workers and in doubt" would lead to the presump­ contract in the East are operating non­ increase production"; Qaddafi's "Gen­ tion that it closed up shop for lack of union mines in the West. They are eral People's Congress" will look after funds. Yet the "Final Edition" Editorial resisting the UMW's principle ofa single the workers' interests. The WRP's .....•..•.;.....••; .. \. Roard statement does not explicitly say ::' . national contract covering all soft coal shameless presentation of Qaddafi's so; instead, the Healyites tersely an­ ._~:, mines. A strike on since last November WV Photo repression of the Libyan working class nouncethat their printing firm, Plough I at the Stansbury Coal Company in leaves no doubt of its utter subjugation Harry Patrick Press, will cease operations. Rock Springs, Wyoming, has been the before this capitalist dictator. The Healyites, normally so fond of the grievance procedure which could scene of company-inspired gunfire, and News Line hailed the "General denying inconvenient reports on the result in an authorized walkout. The scabs are resuming production. The People's Congress" held in early March grounds of their bourgeois sources, hid bureaucrats' real intention is to under­ UMW has also suffered NLRB election in Shebha, a small desert village behind an abstract and irrelevant set of mine spontaneous walkouts by isolating defeats at the hands of the Operating distinguished by Qaddafi's having gone statistics from one of the great bour­ them and, especially, to stop sympathy Engineers union, which promises the to school there. Fidel Castro was the geois interests, the British Printing strikes spread by roving pickets, a main Western miners high base wages because guest of honor as the "Congress" Industrial Federation, on "rises in UMW tactic. The tough contract of its even cheaper pension and medical renamed Libya the "People's Socialist general expenses" increasing printing language being proposed so as to insure plans. Libyan Arab Public" (sic) and kicked costs. For two and a half months no that only local strikes take place is Using the organized mines as a lever, off Qaddafi's "Third Universal Princi­ Healyite newspaper appeared. Then aimed directly at the UMW's most it is possible to bring the non-union ple" which he modestly claims solves News Line sprang to life-but not as any sacred and powerful principle-never mines (including the Western strip "the problem of democracy." kind of party organ-with a format cross any picket line. mines, many of which are owned by The Healyites have had some which included paid advertising. At Eastern coal companies) under the "problems" with "democracy" them­ about that same time Healy was Facing a National Strike UMW contract. Brookside, despite the selves; their solution has generally been replaced by Mike Banda as WRP massive bureaucratic incompetency and to beat up political opponents. Qaddafi, The election scheduled for June 14 general secretary. needless delay, proved that the power of who-unlike the WRP-holds state was moved up from the traditional early The WRP ranks have been kept busy a nationwide shutdown is the key to power, has worked out a more elaborate with the usual tn:KS across England­ December date by the last UMW organizing victory. convention. The switch was largely schema. His little Green Book explains and lately the "Children's Crusade" But none of the candidates for the that "both administration and supervi­ motivated by the desire to keep negotia­ across Europe-designed in part to keep UMW presidency want to pursue such sion become popular" through "com­ tions on the next contract out of Miller's them too exhausted to notice their militant tactics. Miller has done little to mittees everywhere"-while Qaddafi hand. Though his term will still not corrupt leaders' maneuvering. But even push Western organizing efforts. Patter­ becomes head of the "General People's expire until December, the convention a cursory look at News Line's year-long son and his IEB supporters have balked Congress" which runs everything and is stipulated that the new president-elect pandering to the oil-rich Qaddafi forces at increasing organizing funds. Patrick, so "popular" that it meets once a year. will be the union's chief bargainer. the observation that there is indeed on the other hand, is ready to scrap the The sinister meaning of this "solution" There are enormous pressures for a something very rotten in the state of nationwide contract and says the UMW comes out in the slogans pasted up national strike when the coal contract Denmark.• might even negotiate Western contracts around Shebha: "Parliaments are de­ expires December 14. The ranks are on a mine-by-mine basis. This would funct," "representation is a fraud" and restless and eager to fight. They know open the door to destroying the gains "Parties are treason" (London Guardi­ that coal prices have tripled in the last Eastern miners have achieved and invite an, 3 March 1977). five years, that the industry is booming SUSYL the coal companies to split the union in "Parties are treason"-what about and that Carter's energy program two. the Workers Revolutionary Party? In PUBUC OfFICES promises tens of thousands of new jobs Though the bureaucratic contenders this "People's Public" where commun­ in the coming decade, plus enormous Marxist Literature in the UMW will be stooping to find new ists are to be jailed and butchered and profits for the coal companies. In most muck to throw at each other in the next their books burned, ostensible leftists circumstances, this situation would month, they will not come up with would have to do some pretty peculiar BAY AREA enormously strengthen a union's hand. answers to the problems facing the things to survive-and News Line has Friday and UMW ranks. The general response of made it clear the WRP would be more Saturday 3:00-6:00 p.m. the miners to the campaigning so far, in than willing to do them. The London 1634 Telegraph (3rd floor) fact, seems to be a very understandable Times (6 September 1976) reported: (near 17th Street) Workers skepticism. Returns from preliminary "The repression ...in Libya has not, of Oakland, California sparring among the bureaucratic fac­ course, weakened the interest of left­ Phone 835-1535 tions in recent elections for officers in wing groups in other countries. Repres- Vanguard several Districts have been inconclusive, CHICAGO MARXIST WORKING-CLASS WEEKLY OF with no wing of the bureaucracy Spartacist League Forum THE SPARTACIST LEAGUE decisively defeating another. Tuesday 4:30-8:00 p.m. Soviet Dissidents and the Saturday 2:00-5:30 p.m. One year subscription (48 issues): $5­ The coal miners' often demonstrated Introductory offer: (16 issues): $2. Interna­ willingness to fight the bosses will be CIA's "Human Rights" 650 South Clark tional rates: 48 issues-$20 airmail/$5 sea squandered by support to any of the Crusade Second floOr mail; 16 introductory issues-$5 airmail. Chicago, Illinois Make checks payable/mail to: Spartacist bureaucrats seeking their votes. The • Imperialist Butchers Exploit Publishing Co., Box 1377 GPO, New York, dead-end of lesser-evilism has been Stalinist Crimes Phone 427-0003 N.Y. 10001 graphically demonstrated by the strike­ • Defend the Gains of the October -includes SPARTACIST breaking reign of Arnold Miller. A real Revolution! NEW YORK breakthrough for the union demands Name _ Speaker: George Foster the construction of a class-struggle Monday Spartacist League through Friday 6:30-9:00 p.m. Address _ leadership which can both channel the Central Committee Saturday 1:00-4:00 p.m. City _ militancy of the miners in a united fight 20 May 1977 7:30 p.m, 260 West Broadway against the coal operators and overcome Tan Oak Room • University of California State __--'- Zip _ Room 522 the parochialism and political back­ For more information call (415) 835-1535 New York, New York 158 wardness widespread in the coal fields. SUBSCRIBE NOWI The Pattersons, Patricks and Millers BERKELEY Phone 925-5665 offer only new betrayals.• 20 MAY 1917 11 W'liNEliS '1I"'UlllilJ

Wildcats in the Coal Fields Backstabbing, Strikebreaking in UMW Elections MORGANTOWN, West Virginia-As race. Miller has since discredited himself man for George Wallace's presidential Steelworkers election earlier this year, the June 14 United Mine Workers among the most militant miners for his bid. But the pickings have been slim so far. (U MW) presidential election draws four-and-a-half year record ofopposing Miller has also lost a lot of support The Miners for Miller Fund has near, a bitter dogfight is raging in the every outbreak of mine workers' mili­ from the liberals who bankrolled his accumulated only $28,000, less than a union's upper echelons. "Reform" tancy. Sensing a sinking ship, his former 1972 race and engineered the interven­ third of projected campaign expenses. president Arnold Miller is squared off supporters have deserted him left and tion of the U.S. Labor Department in Increasingly isolated, Miller has against former ally and UMW right. Patrick was a Miller stalwart in his behalf. The proliferation of wildcat resorted to petulant displays of his secretary-treasurer Harry Patrick and "Miners for Democracy" and now strikes and Miller's inability to control diminishing power, largely confined to District 23 director Lee Roy Patterson, wants the top job himself; vice president the ranks makes him a liability to his administration of UMW headquarters a longtime supporter of Miller's prede­ Mike Trbovich ran with Miller in 1972 former liberal backers. Paul Fortney, in Washington, D.C. Paranoid-prone cessor, the notoriously corrupt W. A. and now supports Patterson. Miller's new press secretary, who Miller has taken to grandiose historical "Tony" Boyle. Miller has turned increasingly to formerly worked for the Fred Harris allusions to describe his plight. "Julius The line-up of "reformers" vs. Boyle right-wingers and ex-Boyle hacks to fill and Jimmy Carter campaigns, told WV Caesar had his Brutus," he told the Wall loyalists which polarized the last elec­ out his slate. Sam Church, Miller's vice hopefully that "Rauh can unlock all the Street Journal (22 December 1976), tion has completely broken down. The presidential running mate, backed Eastern money." Joseph Rauh is the "but I've got about a hundred Brutuses." "Miners for Democracy," held together Boyle in 1969 and 1972. Another Miller cold-war liberal who was the main Rumors that Miller's secretary had by nothing but rhetoric and personal candidate, James Blair, is a retiree who conduit for liberal funds to Miller in '72 been seen talking with Harry Patrick in ambition, disbanded soon after the 1972 in 1968 was a Kentucky county chair- and for Ed Sadlowski in the United continued on page /0 Another "Bloody Harlan" at Stearns, Ky. Miners Resist Coal Operators' Gun Thugs

In the small town of Stearns in Security strikebreaking outfit were southeastern Kentucky a violent union­ brought in to break the picket line and busting attack is under way. Some 160 pave the way for scabs to reopen the pit. members of the United Mine Workers Heavy-caliber gunfire has been pour­ (UMW). on strike for nine months, are ing out of the well-guarded mine site facing a vicious assault by gun-toting ever since. It is particularly intense at thugs being imported from surrounding night, but the thugs have also opened up counties and states by the Blue Dia­ in broad daylight and have even gone mond Coal Company. "hunting" for miners. One striker was The Stearns Justus Mine was bought attacked by gunfire in his home. When up by Blue Diamond three months after he managed to drive away to seek help, the workers voted for UMW representa­ he was ambushed and wounded in the tion. Owned by Gordon Bonnyman of shoulder. Knoxville, Tennessee, Blue Diamond is "It's like a war," McCreary County one of the largest and most vicious scab sheriff Joe Perry told the U;\-HIl Journal coal companies in the country. Bonny­ (4 March 1977). "There are sandbags on man runs three Kentucky mines: the the picket side of the road leading to the Justus Mine in Stearns, the Scotia mine mine because there's been so much where 26 miners were killed in a mine shooting." In a moment of candor, rare explosion in March 1976, and the in his profession, the sheriff added, Leatherwood mine. "Men on picket lines are not carrying The UMW was broken at Scotia in guns. The guards are carrying 1965, at Leatherwood in 1964. and Blue sidearms." Diamond is determined to remain non­ Perry says he has been called to the union by breaking the strike at Stearns, mine to investigate reports of shootings which began last July as the miners almost every night since the guards attempted to get their first contract. started arriving. Striker Mike Cash After stalling for months, the company described one day on the picket line: "I broke off negotiations on January 28. A was sitting right there on the picket line letter was sent to every striker advising yesterday around noon, when they that the company would "seek perma­ suddenly cut loose. It was just like a State police escorted thugs through mine workers' picket line at Blue nent replacements" for the men. "Secu­ turkey shoot for 15 or 20 minutes. If you Diamond Coal Co. mine in Stearns, Kentucky. rity guards" from the notorious Storm cOlltinued on page 10

12 20 MAY 1977