ICELAND KR200 · NEW ZEALAND $3.00 · SWEDEN.KR15 · UK £1.00 · U.S. $1.50 INSIDE Captured spy. ship is emblem of sovereignty in north Korea THE -PAGE9 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 66 NO. 19 MAY 13. 2002 Chocolate Vote in France deepens workers walk out at crisis of bourgeois parties BY GREG McCARTAN The vote for Jean-Marie Le Pen, an Hershey's ultrarightist who came in secqnd in the first Thousands march in Montreal round of voting for president of France, has· BY GEORGE CHALMERS deepened the crisis ofthe bourgeois parties to support Palestinian struggle . HERSHEY, Pennsylvania-Workers at in the country. The capitalist Gaullist party two ofHershey Foods' largest plants walked of President Jacques Chirac and the social off the job April 26 and rallied along East democratic party of former prime minister Chocolate Avenue in front of the plant along Lionel Jospin are more and more seen by with hundreds of cheering co-workers from working people as co-responsible for the otper shifts. They held up signs reading, antilabor offensive at home. Offering no "The sweetest place on earth went sour," solutions to the economic hardships millions "Stop the Greed, Share the Wealth," and face on a daily basis, they face collapse. "Local 464 on Strike." The unionists also In 1997 the Gaullists were heavily de erected a giant inflatable rat and christened feated at the polls after mass working-class it "Lenny," in reference to the company's mobilizations defeated plans under the hated Chief Executive Officer Richard Lenny. Alain Juppe to carry through wide-ranging Hershey Foods Corp., the nation's larg austerity measures. Socialist Party leader est candy maker, is demanding that work Jospin was swept into power, promising to ers accept an increase in co-payments in bring down unemployment and attend to the health insurance benefits. This is the first needs of working people. Now Jospin has strike in 22 years at the 108-year-old com met a similar fate as his predecessor, pushed pany. out of office after millions of workers and The 2,700 members of Chocolate Work farmers, fed up with continued assaults un ers Local464 have been working without a der the "co-habitation" of the two major contract since November. The two plants, parties, either stayed away from the polls as well as the nonunion Reese's plant, make or voted for right-wing outfits or small cen chocolate bars, Hershey's Kisses, and trist parties. chocolate eggs, which are also produced at In the first round of voting for p:r;esident, 12 other plants owned by the company. the ultrarightist candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen Workers are fighting a company drive to edged out Jospin for a place in the second increase the amount union members pay on round runoff by a margin of 195,000 votes. health insurance premiums from 6 to 12 Le Pen received 16.86 percent of the total percent over the course of.a four-year con vote to Jospin's 16.18 percent. With JosP.in tract. This would wipe out proposed wage eliminated, Le Pen will face the Gatillr'St increases amounting to around 2.6 percent Chirac in the second round on May 5. a year. On April 23 union members voted The massive defections from the main by a 7 to 1 margin to reject these conces capitalist parties led to the conservatives sion demands. losing a total of 4.5 million votes, while . "It makes us feel good that the public is Jospin lost close to 2.5 million compared with the last presidential election in 1.995. Continued on Page 4 Some 28 percent of voters stayed away, the Above, demonstration of more than 7,500 in Montreal. In South Africa some highest level of abstention in French history 10,000 people participated in a rally April21. Other actions have occurred through in a national vote. Chirac came out ahead out the Mideast, Europe, and the United States. See articles on pages 10 and 11. with just under 20 percent of the vote, the MayDay Continued on Page 8 actions in U.S. demand equal Workers in New York respond to first steps rights. for by mayor toward imposing massive cuts BY JACK WILLEY health-care benefits that the Metropolitan ridden plan is near bankruptcy. immigrants ANDLAURAANDERSON Transit Authority (MTA) has-threatened to Roger Toussaint, president of TWU Lo NEWYORK-A number of struggles by take away. The rally was organized outside . call 00, told the crowd that the MTA should BY JANICE LYNN union members and workers are breaking MTA headquarters by Transport Workers "cut from the bosses, not the folks who move out here as Mayor Michael Bloomberg is Union Local 100, which represents 34,000 several million people every day." WASHINGTON-Chanting in Spanish, workers who operate and maintain the city Workers in blue union jackets and hats "What do we want? Amnesty! When do we preparing massive cuts to the city's budget that will have a devastating impact on work subways and bus lines. Under the last union took up half of Third Avenue for a number want it? Now!" more than 200 people gath contract, the transit authority promised im of blocks as union officials and supporters ered in the Upper Senate Park, adjacent to . ing people. More than 5,000 transit workers rallied provements in health care. It has since of their fight addressed the crowd. The city the Capitol here, for a rally for immigrant underfunded the health plan and the debt- rights. in midtown Manhattan April 24 to defend Continued on Page 4 The May 1 action, sponsored by the Na tional Legalization Movement, called for "Labor Rights for all Workers" and "Legal 'Militant' asks working people to Also Inside: ization for all Undocumented Immigrants." Abel Rubio, who works construction jobs Chavez assures Venezuelan and in the tobacco fields, was part of an 11- contribute to six-week fund drive rulers he will 'make changes' 2 person delegation from Dudley, North Caro BY PATRICK O'NEILL have shown a keen interest In the news ar lina, that carried the red flags of the Farm NEW YORK-:-Tre Militant and ticles and editorials telling the truth about 'Militant' supporters prepare Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). This Perspectiva Mundial have launched a six the imperialist war on working people at for target week in sales drive 5 was Rubio's first rally. "The more people week drive to raise funds for the two social home and abroad, why the Israeli state must who come out to things like this, the better ist periodicals and are encouraging working be overthrown and replaced with a demo May 11 event in Miami w.ill our chance for legalization," Rubio said. people, youth, and working farmers to make cratic and secular Palestine, and the need to celebrate accomplishments of "We hope all workers in this country will a contribution to make it possible to continue chart a course of independent working-class workers' rights fight 6 fight for their rights and not kneel down," to publish a socialist weekly paper in English political action against the bosses and their stated Julio Gonzalez, who came from New and monthly magazine in Spanish. governments in order to begin to take on York for the rally. Originally from Guate Supporters of the two publications can and confront the deepening crisis of capi Militancy of support for Pal mala, Gonzalez told the Militant, "We have organize contributions to the drive along talism. estinian resistance worries come to work We are human beings and side the international subscription cam Socialist workers and young socialists Mideast regimes 10 deserve the same respect as anyone else." paign. The Militant and PM are producing selling the two periodicals over the past Twenty-one-year-old Roxana Zuniga, a a flyer to use at street tables, on the job, and weeks report new readers are ·attracted by Seattle action protests cop student from Rochester Hills, Michigan, with subscribers to the paper to solicit funds. the international breadth ofthe paper's cov killing of Black truck driver -13 came to Washington because "every human In the first two weeks ofthe subscription erage. Just in this issue there are datelines Continued on Page 5 drive, working people and young fighters Continued on Page 4 ST. VlNCENT h Chavez assures ANDTHE /'"' GRENADINES Venezuelan rulers·he GRENADA /)BARBADOS will 'make changes' BY ROGER CALERO efit of the doubt right now. The question that After being returned to power by a mas remains is whether he is willing to redefine sive working-class mobilization April 13, his revolution or not. We need to see actions, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has not words." taken a conciliatory stance towards the capi talist class and military that removed him Backs off appointments to oil company in an April 11 U.S.-backed coup. From the moment he regained power "Many people tell me-and they are Chavez backed off his appointment of a new right," Chavez said in a speech April 28, president and seven new members to the "don't forget that you are the president of executive board at Petroleos de Venezuela all Venezuelans, of the upper class, the (PDVSA). The bosses at PDVSA opposed middle class, the lower class." He promised Chavez's appointments and a law aimed at to "make changes, and I'm starting with my getting more of the income for oil sales into economic team, revising economic poli the state treasury, calling these moves a COLOMBIA cies." threat to the "independence" of the state The president announced the removal of owned company. Diosdado Cabello as vice president and the After announcing his appointees had re appointment of Defense Minister Jose signed, Chavez gave the presidency to Ali Vicente Rangel to the post as a first step in Rodriguez, the secretary general of the Or BRAZIL complying with demands by the Venezuelan ganization of the Petroleum Exporting ruling class to change his cabinet and anum Countries and someone considered an ac ber of laws adopted over the last year. ceptable candidate by the bosses. 0 100 200Jcm Following the defeat of the reactionary Although Venezuela nationalized its oil coup, Chavez appointed Rangel to meet with industry in the 1970s, steps to bring the in 100 200mi representatives of the opposition, including dustry under complete state control have representatives of the country's main never been carried out. When the operations bosses's association, Fedecamaras, and of of Royal Dutch/Shell and other foreign com Citco's refineries and 13,000 gas stations, The State Department says it is carrying ficials from the Venezuelan Workers Fed panies were made state property, the new continues to be organized from the wellhead out an investigation into the propriety of the eration (CTV), the main labor union fed company, Petroleos de Venezuela, left the to the gas pump to meet the needs of the actions of the National Endowment for De eration. entire structure of the imperialist-owned U.S. rulers rather than the interests of work mocracy, an agency created and financed by CTV officials have restated their support operations in the hands of the same bosses. ing people in Venezuela. the U.S. Congress, in handing funds to for a demand by opposition political par With 40,000.employees and $50 billion groups that participated in the coup. The ties for a referendum to "accelerate" a year in sales, oil sales by PDVSA provide Washington tries to cover its tracks press has maintained silence over the ex Chavez's exit from the presidency, By call 80 percent ofVenezuela's export revenue. Since the coup, U.S. government officials tent of CIA involvement in the events. ing for general strikes and denouncing poli The privileges and wealth that come with and the big business press have been work cies of the regime, the union officials played the positions help show why any moves to ing to cover Washington's tracks in connec Class divide a key role in giving popular cover to the make the oil bosses accountable run into stiff tion with the military coup. The coup and working-class mobiliza bosses's reactionary drive against the resistance. For example, PDVSA's president Rear Adm. Carlos Molina told the press, tions against i.t helped bring to light the deep · Chavez government. is believed to make up to $20,000 a month, however, that despite. U.S. denials, he be class divisions in Venezuela, a country of Leading congressmen in Venezuela's a salary I 0 times that of the minister of lieved he was acting with the support of the 24 million people. Despite the country's vast National Assembly, which is controlled by mines and energy who is supposed to be his U.S. government when he helped lead the economic resources, 80 percent of its popu Chavez supporters, said they would act to superior. coup. The Pentagon has acknowledged hav lation live under the official poverty line, change at least 17 of 49 laws passed last Executives and top functionaries at the ing held meetings with Venezuelan generc with half the workforce unemployed or un year which raised the hackles of the wealthy company also have access to chalets in the als in the months leading up to the coup. deremployed. landlords and capitalists in the country, as Andes that are maintained at PDSV's ex Among those who met with Pentagon offi "All of them are oligarchs," Ramon well as of the U.S. imperialists. pense with small contributions from the cials was Gen. Lucas Romero Rincon, Rodriguez said of the coup leaders. Rod One person identified as a "leading in bosses' salaries. The bosses make sure that Venezuela's chief of the high military com riguez, a street vendor in the Catia neighbor dustrialist" by the New York Times said, "We the company, which is the third largest sup mand who announced Chavez's ~'resigna hood in Caracas, added, "Couldn't they have have no choice but to give Chavez the ben- plier of oil to the United States and owns tion" in the early hours of the coup. Among appointed one person like us? The rich people the U.S. officials who met with General underestimated us. We are committed to him Rincon was Rogelio Pardo-Maurer, the [Chavez] because he is committed to us." deputy assistant secretary of defense for The Spanish daily El Pais reported that Western Hemisphere affairs, and Gen. Pe during the working-class mobilizations ter Pace, ):he vice chairman of the Joint against the coup, demonstrators went out in THE Chiefs of Staff. the streets, yelling, "The same thieves are MILITANT Contrary to statements made by U.S. back," and "the cream of the crop is back," State Department officials, denying the pres mobilizing others to join the actions and ence of U.S. military personnel at the Fort showing their class hatred towards the capi Keep up with workers' resistance today Tiuna military base during Chavez's deten talist elite. tion, Venezuelan government officials have The deep racial divisions that exist in Chocolate workers oli strike in asserted that two military officers were Venezuela are a dominant feature of poli Pennsylvania. Transit workers ahd present at the base with high-ranking Ven tics there. Economic and political power teachers protests, along with a ezuelan officers until it became evident that is concentrated in the hands of the capital the coup had failed. State Department offi ist class, which is white. Some 67 percent clerical workers walkout in New cials claim that the two U.S. officers drove of Venezuela's population is mestizo, 10 York. Cablemakers in New near the base but never got out of their ve percent are Black, and 2 percent are indig Zealand and naval base workers hicle. enous. in Scotland. Anti-police brutality protests from Washington State to New Jersey. Just in this issue. above address. By first-class (airmail), send $80. The Militant Asia: send $80 drawn on a U.S. bank to above address. VoL 66/No. 19 Canada: Send Canadian $75 for one-year Closing news date: May 1, 2002 subscription to Militant, 1237 Jean-Talon est, Editor: GREG McCARTAN Montreal, QC. Postal Code: H2R 1WI. 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2 The Militant May 13, 2002 ------~-- Cops kill worker having epileptic seizure
BY NAOMI CRAINE justice in another case, where police officer BLOOMFIELD, New Jersey-"Bloom Joseph Krantz injured five children while field police, you can't hide, what you did supposedly shooting at a dog. This hap was a racist crime," chanted some 75 people pened in 1999, and "he didn't miss a pay who picketed the municipal building here check. There's a lot of compla\nts against at midday April25. The demonstration was the cops in Bloomfield, but we can't get called to protest the police killing of access to the records," she said. Santiago Villanueva, a garment worker Claudio Garcia, a Dominican youth who originally from the Dominican Republic. is in a work training program, said he'd been The majority of the demonstrators came to other protests against police brutality but on a chartered bus from the Washington this was the first one in New Jersey. "The· Heights neighborhood in New York City, police figured they were the bosses in the where Villanueva lived. Among them was situation. He [Villanueva] was sick and they Romero Palacio, who said, "Every time the started arresting him. The cops think they cops commit a racist crime the community rule the world." has to respond." He noted that while the cops Several Black ministers held a news con were assaulting Villanueva "everyone was ference in BloomfieldApril26, wherethey explaining he had epilepsy. It's the same called for a thorough investigation into word in English and Spanish." · Villanueva's death, and said the cops should On April 16 Villanueva suffered an epi have better medical training. In response, leptic seizure while working at the Quick Bloomfield Police Chief Jack McNiff de Cut garment plant in Bloomfield. The po fended the actions. of the officers and as lice arrived before the paramedics. Accord sured reporters that two of the cops involved ing to co-workers and the factory owner, were trained as emergency medical techni who saw what happened, the four cops in cians. sisted Villanueva was on drugs, threw him Meanwhile, the protests are continuing. to the floor face down, handcuffed him, and More than 100 people joined in celebrating jammed. their knees into his head, neck, and Villanueva's life and protesting his death in back. Washington Heights April 28. Several mu They kept Villanueva handcuffed when Protesters picketApril25 at municipal building in Bloomfield, New Jersey, demanding sicians who had played with him in various he was put in an ambulance. He was dead justice for Santiago Villanueva, who was assaulted at work by cops. They ignored pleas bands provided music, including a song in within half an hour. An autopsy found the from his co-workers telling them Villanueva was an epileptic. He died a half hour later. Spanish with the refrain, "Yes, it was the cause of death to be "mechanical as cops who killed him." phyxia"-that is physical pressure that Nina Paulino, who had known Villanueva stopped him from breathing. gunned down Diallo. said a week or so ago the cops came to her since he moved to New York from the Do "I need to see these people indicted," said Young said sh~ came to the protest in home with the wallet of her dead son. minican Republic nine years ago, spoke Lisaann Villanueva, Santiago's wife, in an Bloomfield because "they are killing all briefly about the fight. She said that the interview. "There's no room for police of these young men or putting them in prison. Other police brutality cases Bloomfield authorities have thus far refused ficers like this. They need to be taken off They say things are getting better but they NabeelahAbdul-Ghafur, who is active in to release his body so that it can be flown to duty before they hurt someone else." She are not, they are getting worse. There have the North End Coalition, a community his native land for a proper burial. She urged added, "How could this happen at a man's been five killings by the cops in the past six group in Bloomfield, was among the first to everyone to come to Bloomfield for another. place of work?" and noted it would likely months. The police have been harassing my arrive for the protest. She said residents in protest at the municipal building the follow- not have happened if he wasn't Black. family because I go to these protests." She the Black community have been seeking ing week. · A musician and teacher Villanueva, 35, was known by many in Washington Heights as a musician and vol Congress proposes new agencies to unteer teacher of Dominican folk dancing. More than 100 people rallied at a public school in New YorkApril23 to plan the pro- • deepen assault on immigrant workers test in Bloomfield. Among them were Margarita Rosario and Iris Baez, both long BY BRIAN WILLIAMS for immigration affairs at the Justice Depart In proposals presented to Congress in time fighters against police brutality whose In a move aimed at strengthening the fed ment. February, President George Bush is seek sons were killed by the New York cops in eral immigration police, the House of Rep- Reversing its stance, the Bush adminis ing an increase of $1.2 billion in the next the mid-1990s. Villanueva "was treated like . resentatives voted 405-9 onApril25 to abol tration, which had opposed this bipartisan fiscal year for INS operations. Funds would a criminal like my son was treated like a ish the Immigration and Naturalization Ser bill up until two days before passage, has be used to double the number of border pa criminal" by the police, Rosario told the vice (INS) and replace it with two newagen now announced its backing for it. trol cops and develop a massive computer crowd. cies. The Senate is expected to vote on a simi monitoring system to keep tabs on the move Maurice Williams, the Socialist Workers One is couched as an "immigrant ser lar bill that would also break the INS into ment of the 330 million noncitizens who Party's candidate for mayor in Newark, New vices" bureau and will supposedly be more two bureaus, but place them within a new enter the United States each year. Jersey, attended the rally and expressed his responsive to "legitimate" requests by im organization "similar to the Federal Bureau Since September 11 the INS has indefi support for the fight. "We need to demand migrants for legal residence, for citizenship, ofliivestigation," noted the New York Times. nitely detained hundreds of individuals who that the killer cops be jailed:' he said, to and around other legal matters. For work Also under discussion is a proposal put were rounded up for overstaying their visa, applause and chants. ing people this part ofthe INS is today sim forward by Thomas Ridge, the director of and have not been charged with any crime. The April 25 picket at the Bloomfield ply a hopeless bureaucracy; years behind in homeland security, who wants to create a In early April, the INS announced sev municipal building was lively and loud, de processing even the simplest documents. new border cop agency that would take over eral additional steps to restrict immigrants' spite a steady rain. Juanita Young from New The other will be responsible for the tra the police operations ofthe INS, Customs rights. Most tourist visas will now be good York City said, "My son was killed by the ditional role of the hated Ia migra, such as Service, and Coast Guard. · for only 30 days, down from six months. police on March 1, 2000.He was shot point victimizing workers already in the United Since passage of the 1996 Illegal Immi Undocumented workers who have been or blank in the head. States through immigration raids, roundups gration Reform and Immigrant Responsibil dered to tum themselves in to the INS as The medical examiner ruled that his death on the border, and jailings of individuals ity Act under the Clinton administration, the part of a deportation process must now do was homicide. He was killed less than a called "enforcement" by officials in Wash INS has been built into the largest federal so within 30 days or lose their ability to ap week after the New York cops were acquit ington and something the agency is already police force with 15,000 officers carrying ply for legal status for 10 years. In addition, ted for killingAmadou Diallo." Ferguson, a quite efficient at. weapons and authorized to make arrests. -individuals planning to study in the United 23-year-old Black man, had been charged Under the House bill both bureaus would The agency currently has 37,000 employ States will only be able to receive student with resisting arrest the previous week at a report to a new associate attorney general ees and an annual budget of $6.2 billion. status if they notify the agency about their protest of the acquittals of the four cops who study plans prior to entering the United States. The INS has also started up a com puterized database to track the estimated Rulers in Europe threaten tariffs on U.S. products 500,000 people who travel to the United . States on student visas. BY BRIAN WILLIAMS commission's planned retaliatory actions. from the U.S. market. The Justice Department has drafted ale gal opinion that would expand the opera Trade tensions are on the rise as Euro The European Commission is demand Washington for its part has condemned tions of state and local police agencies to pean Union-member (EU) governments ing that Washington compensate EU coun the EU-member nations for threatening to. include the enforcement of immigration ready retaliatory sanctions in response to tries for lost steel sales resulting from the take prompt countermeasures to its steel tar laws, something they are currently prohib Washington's decision in March to impose U.S. trade restrictions. It has drawn up an iff. "Legal disputes have to be resolved in ited from doing. A pilot program along these up to 30 percent tariffs on imported steel. even broader list of $2.1 billion worth of ths dispute settlement process in the WTO," lines in which cops not only help INS agents Plans under consideration by the Euro U.S. exports upon which retaliatory sanc opined an unnamed U.S. trade official tions can be imposed, if the World Trade quoted by the Financial Times. "The EU with logistics but actually carry out immi pean Commission include wide-ranging gration raids is already in effect in Florida san<;:tions in the form of 100 percent tariffs Organization rules against Washington's wants to be the judge and jury. This strikes and South Carolina. on selected imports from the United States, steel tariff. A decision in this case, however, at the heart of the multilateral process." worth about $300 million annually, which is not expected until at least mid-2003. One U.S. official told the paper that the would start on June 18. Items on the list In an interview with the Financial Times, EU moves represent a "unilateral escalation that could be targeted include fruit, textiles, Pascal Lamy, the EU trade commissioner, by assuming the roles of contestant, judge, steel products, and firearms. To go into ef lashed out at the U.S. steel tariffs. "There is and jury," adding that if "countries start to fect this proposal needs to receive majority no way it cannot be seen in Europe as 'You go down the path of retaliating without wait SUBSCRIBE TO backing from the 15 EU-member states. can go to hell,"' he said. ing for a WTO decision, we will have that PERSPECTWA MUNDIAL On the top of the list for possible retalia option too." In a speech in New York in mid-April, A Soanlsh-lanwage socialist magazine ·Gordon Brown, the United Kingdom chan tory duties is the $600 million worth of steel A number of other governments, includ cellor, called upon Washington to drop these products exported to European Union coun ing in Japan, south Korea, and China, have Special offer for new readen: tariffs as a step toward breaking down trade tries by the United States. The EU has also condemned the U.S. steel tariffs, and are $&for 4 months barriers with the EU. Some other EU states, set up trade barriers of its own, in the form considering joining the EU in filing a com Send your order to Perspediva Mundial, reports the Financial Times, such as.Germany . of quotas and tariffs on steel imports that it plaint before the WTO. Tokyo, like the EU, 410 West St., New York, NY 10014 and the Nordic countries, have expressed -says are needed to protect the European is seeking $160 million in compensation concern about the implications of the market from a rise in imports now barred from Washington. May 13, 2002 The Militant 3 Unionists in N.Y. protest as m~yor plans massive cuts
Continued from front page On April 30, hundreds marched to the government mobilized hundreds of cops for mayor's office demanding approval of the action, surrounding the protest with a INTRO 38, city legislation that would re wall of blue uniforms. quire social service agencies to provide A week later thousands of puplic school translators for immigrant workers applying teachers demonstrated May 1 to demand a for unemployment benefits or financial aid. contract with a pay increase and the hiring The marchers also called for access to health of more teachers. They were joined by stu services, housing, education, and employ dents and parents who support the teach ment. ers' fight. United Federation of Teachers One marcher carried a sign that read: (UFT) members have worked without a con "Bloomberg, we demand equality." tract since November 2000. They are de- . Another, Nilda Morales, from Se Hace Several thousand New York City transit workers rallied outside the Metropolitan Trans manding a pay increase that brings their Camino al Andar, said that immigrants' portation Authority's office April 24 to defend their health-care benefits. salary closer to teachers in the suburban "rights are not being respected-they are schools. Several rally participants also being abused, deported, and even blamed pointed out that thousands of teachers are for what happened on September 11." retiring and class sizes are growing. UFT Since mid-April, 1,172 clerical workers members will take a strike vote on May 7. across the city have been on strike against The protests by transit workers and teach Group Health Incorporated (GHI). ers are part of a series of actions by public "We are clerical workers, our job is to employees against layoffs and attacks on provide benefits for unionized workers, and their social wage. here we are fighting to keep our own," said The up-tick in workers' resistance comes Willie Fiallo, a member of the Office and as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg Professional Employees International Union . plans to slash jobs, squeeze concessions from Local153, on strike at the company. the trade unions, and cut social s~rvices in The company wants to roll back health the city. Bloomberg presented a proposed care and pension benefits-the same ben budget in February, which projected receiv efits that workers at GHI dispense to union ing funds from the state and federal govern members and those receiving Medicare. ments and winning deep concessions from Fiallo, with 33 years at GHI, said that one the city's public employees' unions. OnApril of the benefits the bosses want to cut is the 17, he announced a "contingency plan" with week's leave of absence that employees re further proposed measures. ceive when a family member dies. Bloomberg's "contingency plan" calls for Annie Randall said many picketers fought eliminating the Emergency FoodAssistance a company lockout in 1976 and are once Program, which distributes food through again determined to beat back the company homeless shelters and food banks, closing demands. 15 senior citizen centers, eliminating medi Sanitation workers, Con Edison workers, cal services in homeless shelters, scaling teachers, and Teamsters Local 100 have of back garbage pickups, eliminating some fered support to the strikers. Clerical workers; members of Office and Professional Employees International Union youth programs, and cutting a further $115 Locall53, on picket line April 28 outside Group Health Incorporated in Manhattan, million in education. The mayor also plans Arrin Hawkins, Sarah Katz, and Ron New York. The workers have been on strike since mid-April in response to moves by to raise the cigarette tax by an additional - Richards contributed to this article. the company to cut health and pension benefits. $1.42 per pack. Bloomberg's original budget proposal called for a total of $500 million in cuts to pensions and other benefits from the public 'Militant' launches six-week fund drive employees unions. Continued from front page the finances of the papers. McCartan. "We can tap into the interest and The mayor has warned union members from Paris, Pyongyang, Auckland, Glasgow, For this ·new fund, supporters of the pa support from co-workers and those who at to accept the cuts, saying, "The alternatives and Sydney, as well as many cities in North per in cities around the world will be dis terid Militant Labor Forums. People who are contingency cuts, and the contingency America, for example. cussing local ~oals with the aim of raising know the two periodicals through literature cuts include layoffs."' His "contingency" In the last year,. teams of worker corre $50,000 by June 15. tables in working-class districts and at plant calls for putting 2,600 positions on the chop spondents have traveled to Argentina, Cuba, The fund will help to cover the substan · gates will also want to help, which is a good ping block and making an additional $64.9 and Korea to bring firsthand reports of im tial costs of producing and distributing these reason to have a donation box on every table." million. in unspecified "head count cuts." portant working-class struggles and big po publications. From printing costs, rent, staff Supporters will want to waste no time in Bloomberg, who was a Democrat but ran litical developments. salaries, travel, office expenses, shipping, organizing special Militant Labor Forums as a Republican, is making his anti-worker The Militant and Perspectiva Mundial phone calls, and upkeep of editorial re to launch the drive in their area and to gain proposals with a lack of vindictiveness or a don't receive any funding from capitalist sources, the month-to-month expenses of pledges and contributions. Over the next partisan edge, and with the cool efficiency businesses or advertisers, but have relied for the two publications run far beyond income week partisans of the socialist publications of a chief financial officer of a corporation. 7 4 years on contributions from workers and received from sales of the Militant and PM. will discuss and adopt goals for the fund in And the proposals have run into little resis fllrii1ers who need and rely on the publica The editors of the two publications are . their areas. If you want to help, see page 12 tance so far from Democrats on the city tions. encouraging all readers to contribute to the for information on how to contact council. Supporters responded magnificently to fund and to join the broader effort. "Whether Militant supporters near you. Contribu Clerical workers, immigrants fight back last's year's special appeal for readers to. large or small, all pledges and donations will tions can be sent to the Militant at 410 West As public workers stand up to oppose the send in the Bush government's tax refund, be welcome," said Militant editor Greg St., New York, N.Y. 10014. mayor's proposed budget cuts, other work sending in a total of $25,000 in the second half of last year, providing a real boost to ing people have also turned to the streets. Chocolate workers walk out Continued from front page The company also appears to be orga behind our decision," Christine Baltimore, nized for a fight. Analyst George Askew of a Hershey's worker for 10 years, told the Legg Mason said the company has $30 mil Changing Face of U.S. Patriot News after seeing the response from lion more in inventory than it needs at this Politics passersby to the strike. Baltimore drew time of year and a cash balance or' about What Is To Be Done? Working-Class Politics cheers when she came to the picket line $220 million. Hershey Foods has also hired "The Social-Democrat's ideal should not and the Trade Unions dressed as an orange M&M, a product of an antiunion outfit to position thugs around be the trade-union secretary, but the by Jack Barnes Hershey's competitor M&M Mars Inc. the struck plants. "They can pay these goons tribune of the people, who is able to react A handbook for workers There is no reason why they should have from other states, but they can't pay us our to every manife~tation of tyranny coming into the factories, to bear highet costs for health care, said the benefits," said union picket Jimmy Kline. and oppression ... " mines, and mills, as they strikers, pointing out that the company can The wage scale at Hershey's starts at react to the uncertain life, afford it despite its argument that health in around $15 an hour and tops out at close to turmoil, and brutality of surance costs are increasing at a fast pace. $20, said a worker at the hall. A short dis Imperialism: The capitalism. It shows how. Hershey's posted $87 million profit in the tance down the road, Hershey's pays work millions of workers, as first quarter, 10 percent more than a year ers at the Reese's plant 80 cents an hour Highest Stage ago. "This company is making money hand more for the same labor grades. The com of capitalism political resistance grows, will revolutionize themselves, their over fist and there is no reason it can't be pany has put guards with video cameras "I trust that this pamphlet will shared," Frankleen Gibson, an air-condition outside the nonunion factory. help the reader to understand unions, and all of society. $19.95 ing laborer, told the Lebanon Daily News. Sterling Gernert, 40, who walked the the fundamental economic "We're ready and we're going to stand picket line during strikes in 1972 and 1980, question, that of the economic tough. We're not going back in a week or told the press that he sees more solidarity essence of imperialism," Lenin two." this time than in the last two struggles. "The wrote in 1917. "For unless this is Workers at the union hall, located one people are more riled up than ever. I'm ready studied, it will be impossible to understand and block from the factory, are organizing mem for this strike. We'll stay out as long as it appraise modern war and modern politics. bers to sign up shifts on the 24-hour picket. takes." $3.95 The union is also posting pickets at the company's 23 other locations, including the Bob Stanton in Philadelphia contributed to Reese's plant. this article. 4 The Militant May 13, 2002 'Militant' supporters gear up for target week
BY MAURICE WILLIAMS among other areas. Eva Braiman, a meat packer in Cleve neighborhood who is preparing to attend medical school in Impressive results in a number of cities kept the sub land, wrote, "We are off to a strong start largely due ton!-. Cuba. The student said she thought getting the PM and the scription drive for the Militant slightly ahead of schedule sponding to world politics by reaching out in the working book would be necessary reading before traveling to the this week, as supporters of the socialist press gear up for a class district where our bookstore is located. We sold four country."· target week in the campaign. From May 4-12, partisans of subscriptions to the Militant, a copy of Cuba and the Com Meanwhile, across the Atlantic the sales campaign is also the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial are planning to orga ing American Revolution, and other books at a table in front going strong. At a recent demonstration in Glasgow, Scot nize an intensive 10 days of sales door-to-door, on street of a popular Arab market nearby. · land, socialists set up a literature table where they sold· eight comers, on the job, and at protest actions to get ahead of "Two workers who live in the area bought PM subscrip copies of the Militant, two subscriptions, three copies of schedule on all aspects of the drive. tions from us when we visited their homes. On campus Israel's War Againstthe Palestinian People, as well as titles Reports from a number of areas show that socialist work tables at Cleveland State University and Case Western Re by Malcolm X and Cuban revolutionaries Che Guevara and ers, young socialists, and supporters of the communist serve students engaged us in lively discussions on the Mid Victor Dreke. movement continue to get enthusiastic responses from east, U.S. imperfalism, and the Jewish question that led to Participants in the circulation drive are gearing up for workers and youth who are interested in the socialist publi- five of them buying copies ofCuba and the Coming Ameri- the May 4-12 target week by stepping up political discus can Revolution," Braiman added. sions and sales to co-workers on the job, and planning more Henry Hillenbrand in Tampa said they sold ou~ sales activities in working-class neighborhoods. A strong of papers while participating in a march and rally push for Cuba and the Coming American Revolution is of 400 people on April 28 in Orlando, Florida, needed since sales ofthat title are slightly behind schedule. that called for support to the Palestinian people In Birmingham socialists are helping to point the way for against the Israeli military offensive. They sold ward by selling three copies of the book, including one to a 10 Militant subscriptions, 12 copies of the paper, young textile worker. "She recently bought a number of 2 copies ofCuba and the Coming American Revo Pathfinder books, including Malcolm X Talks to Young lution, and other Pathfinder titles at the demon People and On the Jewish Question," said Jeanne stration. FitzMaurice. "The other night she had the Malcolm X book on her machine and remarked, 'Ifthe rest of the books are Sales at plant gates as good as this one, I'm in for a real good time."' Organizing regular sales at plant gates is a good way to strengthen the circulation of the Militant/Perspectiva Mundial paper," said Barbara Bowman from the New York Garment Dis Subscription Drive trict. "We sold a PM subscription April 13-.June 23 (vveek 2) to a seamstress from Lima, Peru, who was on her way to work. . ·Militant We've been having a lot of luck selling PM to workers at plant cotmtrf. Goal' Sold gates," she said. ~· SoCialist workers and young 13 7 J-4% I 8: .. socialists organized a sales team ·~~·~~Stockllolm... 10 3 30% 3 5 ~; in the anthracite coal mining re ·~·Total 23 10 43% " 5 :13 gion in eastern Pennsylvania ;:~t .~Zealand ''>:_' \0 where they sold a Militant sub Aucklamt 10 3 30% 1 6 scription in Minersville, and four "~ }:.:>, · Christchurch 8 2: 25~ 1. 3 ', ~,, ,: > '~(' '" copies of the paper in Girardville. N~tatal 18 5· 28% 2 8 'i;' Workers in Minersville talked 'United States about the industrial pollution · BroWnsville 4 4 '110% 3 1 .. caused by sludge dumping and its Las Angeles 36 21 '60% •15 5 1tf effect on the environment, includ .. l·: W~bingtan .. 25 1~ 48% ,12 2 is ing on crgps. 'f;;. Allentown 13 7 :ali% 5· 2 .. : !1:~ "We also sold eight copies of · NY Qarmem Dist; 80 .31 40 . :~S,Q·• ~~" the Militant and a copy Qf Pales Seattle 30 1t .. 12 2. <:tf ·· cGl' tine and the Arabs' Fight for Lib -~ 40 '14 ta '4 a> ··A.~· eration to students at Penn State ! Miami 30 10 33% 15 1. 15. :)} University in State College, Penn 25 6 24% 5 1 20' 'IF sylvania," wrote a supporter in 25 . 24% 10 3 15 ·L eastern Pennsylvania. ' ·TWttteltieS=~ ..•• .50 12• 24%·· ·2f· 6 '25 ~- ~-~,:~ "Being involved in the political Militant campaigner promotes circulation drive at LosAngeles book 4S 10, 22% 5 .20. life of the region is helping us to ·:i~ .·~~··· fair where participants at event purchased 200 Pathfinder titles. 20 ··4 20%·· 2 .10 : keep on target in Newark, New ·a~~itUhabi •·. 8 ..•. 55 11. 25: 6 <.. 36 Jersey," said meat packer Dean Hammond. ~ 1· cations and Pathfinder titles. We're getting more midweek 45 8 1ao<4 .36 7 36 : . 1:. "A journalism student we met at a teach-in ··::4:: orders for ex~a papers from supporters who sell out their ~en 25 . 4 1~% 6 )2' • on Palestine at Rutgers University in New .. bundle and urgently need more. . 9. ·1·:; Brunswick mailed in her money for a Mili t>es:MdifiEJs 40 6 '16:% as:· ·at The subscription drive was bolstered by hefty sales at 50•' .40· tant subscription after telling us how it was :~fA;int1attan 75 11 '15o/• 8 ·2:'.: the April 27-28 Los Angeles Times Book Fair where parti . fiCUStcin ·. ·~ : hard to get the Palestinians' side of the con 30 4 13% ·1'~. .. 2() 7'. sans of the campaign sold 17 Militant subscriptions, 4 PM 36 4 11%' ·····oo·· .3 25 subscriptions, and 200 Pathfinder books and pamphlets flict by relying on the capitalist media. She ·cti~ao· a· · said she liked our explanation of the need 18 2: 11% 7 1 :to .1: worth $2,000. "There was a constant flow of visitors to our =~y 9 j 11% 15 1 10 .. ,.....• booth," wrote Elizabeth Lariscy, a garment worker. "The for a revolutionary struggle for a democratic, . 18 2• 11% 8 12 Palestinian struggle was a center of our discussions at the secular Palestine as the key to peace in the 3 100/o 18 15 .. event as we sold 44 titles on the Middle East and the Jewish Middle East." so r" 40 8% 2 3Q· question. We also sold 50 books and pamphlets on the Cu Hammond said socialist workers in New 3.~ 1.~ .3'.• ban Revolution.': ark sold two PM subscriptions at an event ... so 1 3% 15 2 20. F 1 Lariscy said the best sellers were 11 copies of The Com commemorating the life of musician and 5 .0% garment worker Santiago Villanueva, who 882 511 munist Manifesto, 10 of Israel's War Against the Palestin .~~~~· .. · 208. .2~ 420 78 ian People, 9 of The Working Class and the Transformation was assaulted on the job by cops while he .:QniWd-~· 35 8 ~· 12 .. 2 20 ofLearning, 8 of From the Escambray to the Congo, 6 of was having an epileptic sei:zllre. They also ·.¢a,~······:· ...... Fascism: What It Is and How to Fight It, 6 of How Can the sold a PM subscription and a copy of Cuba ·.T.ta- 25 9 .·:36% 6 15 1 Jews Survive? and 5 of Capitalism's World Disorder. and the Coming American Revolution to a .Mol:ltfeaf. 15 2 13% '5 .2 •16 6. The Militant sent extra papers to Cleveland and Tampa young person living in a working-class VancDU'!ter. 30 1 3o/o ·.6 20 2. 'GaAadatOtal 70 12 170!& '17. 2 51 9 ·~~.. 20 3 15% 4 2 12 2 May Day rally demands amnesty· 6 Oo/., 1 4 ·. 11)54 .246 461 84 .•• 619'•.•• m "~;' ,, -\ -,., Continued from front page Brief remarks from the stage were made 1060 .210 20% .460 ~- ~ 1~ by numerous speakers representing the vari a~. being is entitled to have equal rights no matter what country IN 1'tlE UI'IONS they come here from." Originally from El Salvador, Zuniga ous groups sponsoring the rally. In addition ::ut.... joined delegations earlier that day visiting legislators to ex to Velasquez, the Latino Workers Center, Na
BY CHRIS HOEPPNER refusing to allow hard-won gains to be taken MIAMI-Supporters of workers' rights away by the U.S. rulers without a fight. are building a May 11 meeting here to cel After he was fired ltalie went right back to ebrate the accomplishments in the fight by the plant gate at Goodwill during the shift Michaelltalie and his supporters, who, since change to let his co-workers know about the last October, have campaigned across the firing. He and his supporters held a press United States to oppose company and gov conference that received widespread cover ernment assaults on working people. age in the Miami press. And he pledged to "We have spoken to thousands of people, expand the fight to demand reinstatement to collected thousands more signatures, and his job in order to make Goodwill think twice joined with others standing up to political before firing someone else. In an interview firings and intimidation by the bosses and here Michael ltalie reviewed the accomplish their government," said Italie in an interview. ments ofhis six-month long free speech fight, Italie was the only candidate for mayor which centered on an 18-stop tour, traveling of Miami last fall to oppose U.S. imperial to more than 40 cities across the U.S. and ism's war against Afghanistan and acceler Canada. "I have joined with meat packers ated attacks on the rights of working people fighting for a union in Nebraska and coal at home. After a televised candidates debate miners from Colorado," said Italie, "Pales . where he explained his position, as well as tinians whose jobs are threatened because defended the Cuban Revolution, he was they speak out against the Israeli occupation fired from his job as a sewing machine op of their land, and high school and college stu Bailey erator by his employer, Goodwill Indus dents angry about police brutality and U.S. Michael Italie joins pickets against Forever 21 clothing company Dec. 21, 2001, in Los tries of South Florida on October 22. imperialism's war in Afghanistan." Angeles in support of their fight for back wages. Goodwill bosses told ltalie, who was on Italie said the campaign has "scored im the ballot as the SocialistWorkers Party can- · portant victories," such as· "exposing to deny me my unemployment benefits," ex political gains that have been won in the didate, that ''because of your views of the U.S. Goodwill's treatment of myself and other plained ltalie. In mid-March the Goodwill course of this free speech fight." government, which are contrary to those of workers in the plant, shining a light on this bosses filed appeal of Italie's eligibility for "My firing occurred at the height of the this agency; you cannot work here any more." 'nonprofit' company's miserable working benefits, demanding that the sewing machine imperialists' prowar, patriotic hysteria;' Italie Goodwill is a major contractor of uniforms conditions and undemocratic actions. Thou operator be cut off from his $1 77 weekly un stated, "But a key lesson I have learned in and flags to the U.S. military and a notorious sands have learned how capitalist class jus employment benefits and be forced to repay my fight is that workers and farmers continue antilabor outfit that pays many of its employ- tice is organized against working people. the value of the benefits he had received over to use the political space we have won over Unless we mobilize our collective strength the previous four months. But just days be generations to advance our struggles. While workers have no freedom of speech or other fore the hearing to decide on its appeal, Good we are bringing the fight against my firing to rights under capitalism." will withdrew its challenge. a close, the struggle continues for workers' More than 2,000 workers, youth, and oth Italie concluded that "the company made rights wherever working people refuse to give ers who learned about Italie's fight signed a politicai decision. They knew that every in to the bosses' attacks on our rights and petitions and sent letters to protest the firing, action they took against me would be met living conditions. Another lesson of this fight as well as contributing financially to the cam with a fight. They surrendered in this battle is that only by relying on our own power, paign. A former Goodwill worker from Con because they did not want to face a new independently of the Democrats and Repub necticut sent a letter of support explaining round of press conferences in front of the licans, can working people organize to rid that companies like Goodwill "want to tum factory, and more petitions and letters from the world of capitalism and its war, racism, the workplace into a 'no-speech' zone." across the United States." injustice, and economic oppression." "Many workers and farmers linked my The Committee to Defend Freedom of fight to their own," said ltalie. Eight meat Young people joined fight Speech and the Bill of Rights will be the packers involved in a union organizing drive Young people have played an important sponsor of the victory celebration May 11 in Omaha invited Italie to .a house meeting role in this fight for workers rights and were in Miami. The meeting will be an opportu to share experiences about their common central to arranging speaking events at three nity to discuss this fight in the light of the struggles, as did others in Minneapolis and high schools and eight college campuses. evolution of U.S. and world politics since Detroit. "Youth I talked to were outraged by my this campaign was launched six months ago. "I explained that these firings and com firing," said Italie. "Twenty-year-old. "I look forward to starting a job soon," ltalie pany efforts to break the unions are not iso Heather Paige in Miami took the lead in the said, "and bringing the lessons, experience, lated incidents," added Italie. "The capital days after I was fired Qy going right up to and strengths of this fight along with me as Supporter of Italie's campaign passes out ist class as a whole, and its government in the company gate to hand out flyers to work part of building the communist movement. flyers to his co-workers at Goodwill gar Washington, D.C., is driven to speed up pro ers leaving the plant in support of my fight. "In the wake of September 11 the U.S. ment plant in· Miami where he worked. duction, cut wages, and intensify racist and A new Young Socialists member almost rulers tried to make working people at home sexist attacks on workers and farmers single-handedly organized a program at and abroad believe they should be given free ees below the minimum wage. around the world." tended by 30 people in Brownsville, Texas. reign to send their military on brutal missions, In the wake of September 11, the U.S. Jus Italie was also able to use the platform Young fighters at Ball State University in to militarize U.S. society, and erode the rights tice Department stepped up its arrests and vic gained in his fight to explain the stakes for Muncie, Indiana, organized a program that of workers and farmers," Italie said. "In face timization of hundreds of working people, working people in opposing Washington's attracted 35 students and resulted in inter of their show of power they hoped we would police conducted widespread roadblocks and brutal treatment of 300 men captured in views with both the campus TV station and end our resistance to their assaults. But intrusive checks, Congress passed legislation Afghanistan and elsewhere who are being newspaper. There are similar examples from Washington's post-September 11 momentum giving the cops greater powers to spy on and held in cages on its illegally held naval base New York to Ohio, where I will be speaking is spent. From the struggle of the Palestinian detain individuals, and employers tested how in Guantanamo, Cuba. this week." people, to mobilizations by workers and peas far they could go in firing workers whose Italie shared platforms with and spoke to Youth leaders from 15 organizations ants in Latin America, to strikes and protests views or union activity they did not like. Italie other fighters and working people who faced around the world endorsed the campaign here in the United States, our class is show and his supporters launched what was the first firings or jail since U.S. president George against the political firing of Michael Italie. ing its determination to fight for a world free nationwide fight in to oppose this acceler Bush launched his "war on terrorism" after Many endorsed when learning about the fight from exploitation, oppression, war, and rac ated assault on workers' rights. September 11. These included Ahmad from representatives of the Young Socialists. ism," Italie said. "That is what our campaign A number of workers, union officials, and Daniels, forced o~t of his job as Minority at a December 2001 meeting of the World was about from the very start. Everyone who others who did not agree with ltalie 's oppo Affairs Director in Mecklenburg County, Federation ofDemocratic Youth in Athens, joined in this effort will be able to build on sition to Washington's war on Afghanistan North Carolina, for a letter to the editor on Greece. These included leaders of the Viet the fight we waged together in these continu signed up to support the fight and sent mes the U.S. war against Afghanistan; and a nam Youth Federation, the Union of Young ing struggles." sages condemning the firing. The case be number ofPalestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, Communists in Cuba, the Western came one way class-conscious workers were such as Alia Atawneh in San Francisco. Sahara liberation youth organiza- not on1y able to explain to co-workers and Atawneh was fired by Macy's because she tion, the National Union ofEritrean From Pathfinder fellow unionists how the U.S. rulers use their stood up to anti-Arab abuse from customers. Youth and Students, and others. wars to get workers to put off strike action, Italie met with Sami Al-Arian, a Palestinian In addition, leaders of the fight ease up their resistance to the increased pace professor at the University of South Florida to shut down the U.S. naval base Washington•s 50-year of work and declining safety on the job, or whose job is being threatened because he is in Vieques, Puerto Rico, joined in Domestic Contra racist attacks and murders by cops of work an outspoken supporter ofPalestinian rights. the effort. Carlos Zenon, president Operation ing people. It also set an example of stand "At every meeting I was able to explain of the Vieques Fishermen's Asso by Larry Seigle ing up to these imperialist war pressures and Washington's frame-up of the five Cuban ciation, and Ismael Guadalupe, a in New revolutionaries who were in this country to spokesperson for the Committee help learn about attacks against Cuba by for the Rescue and Development International counterrevolutionary organizations based in ofVieques, both endorsed Italie's No.6 the United States. They were railroaded to fight. Also includes The second Defend Workers' Rightsl jail on charges of conspiracy 'to act as an In the course of his tour Italie eTheSecond assassination of unregistered agent of a foreign power,' 'to had over a dozen media inter Assassination Maurice Bishop Celebrate the tJySitweCiatk commit espionage,' and 'to commit murder.' views, including one in Decem of Maurice Michael ltalie The capitalist class is working overtime to ber from New York with Amy Bishop by Steve Free Speech Fight split us off from fellow fighters," said ltalie, Goodman on her nationally syn Clark "and to break our will to resist. It has been dicated radio program "Democ Land, labor, and the aim of my fight to tell the truth about e Land, Labor, Speakers: Michael ltalie, gar racy Now." iJJMiclltiDI!orfi the Cuban Revolution and the international Throughout his tour Italie ex and the Cana- -- ment worker who was the so n..so..,...- cialist candidate for mayor of struggle against imperialist domination. plained that the courts and laws dian Revolution -·-b'/l.lfllSeitlt Miami when he was fired by "I count it as a big success," the socialist under capitalism are stacked by Michel Dugre -- worker said, "when a meat packer in Omaha against workers. "The courts, all e Renewal or Goodwill Industries; Ray Taseff, told me that while he at first supported the the way up to the Supreme Court," Death: Cuba's civil rights attorney. U.S. government's 'war on terrorism,' that Italie noted, "have ruled consis he now opposes Washington's war moves tently against workers fired for Rectification Process Saturday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. after having read Pathfinder literature and · their political views. It is in this Two Speeches by Fidel Castro. $15 8325 NE 2nd Ave., Miami discussing it through with socialist workers context that no attorney has on the job." stepped forward to take on this For more information: (305) 724-5965 Available from bookstores, "It was the support I have won which fight on the legal front. What is including those listed on .,. 12. forced the company to retreat from its efforts most important, however, are the 6 The Militant May 13, 2002 Cuban youth leader speaks to unionists, students in Australia BY RON POULSEN collaborating with families to solve a range AND ALASDAIR MACDONALD of social problems, Rivero said. These and SYDNEY, Australia-"Cuba is going other youth organized by the UJC recently through a great 'Battle ofldeas"' leading to arranged a series of house visits across the a "transformation among the Cuban people," country to discuss and evaluate ·questions Otto Rivero, the revolutionary government's such as housing, the quality of services, and minister of youth and the first secretary of what television programs are useful. the Union of Communist Youth [UJC], told Over the past several months the youth a packed audience of more than 120 people have been able to visit all households that at Trades Hall, Sydney on April 18, include children ofup to 15 years of age, of The meeting was organized by the Aus whom there are some 2.5 million. In the tralia-Cuba Friendship Society, and spon same period, 20,000 university students vis sored by a number of unions and political ited all dwellings in the capital of Havana, a organizations. In his four-day visit, Rivero city of more. than 2 million people. Two also spoke at a New South Wales (NSW) weeks ago, in just five days, 545,000 retired Militant Revolutionary social workers from province of Holguin. This developing force of young parliamentary reception, at the University people across the country who have monthly people are visiting homes across Cuba to discuss with families how to solve social prob ofNSW, and at similar events in Melbourne. incomes ofless than 100 pesos were visited lems, health threats such as dengue fever, and how to advance education. The Battle of Ideas is a wide-ranging in their hoJileS. political and educational effort, he ex · Some 120,000 people between tlie ages plained, through which the leadership in of 17 and 29 years are neither working nor rica, he said. It is still reflected today, as trade and aid. with the Soviet Union and Cuba aims to advance the proletarian course studying, Rivero said. Many of these are more than 2,000 Cuban doctors are serving countries in Eastern Europe by passing of the revolution. This is a political battle to being asked to study in computer science "in some of the most inaccessible regions "laws to tighten the blockade and impose it win new generations of youth to help lead and English while being paid a salary. "So of the world." on third countries," said Rivero. He was re the struggle to deepen the revolution and to long as Cuba doesn't have work for them, In answer to questions about solidarity sponding to a question about U.S.-Cuba re confront the imperialist ideological drive their job is to study," he explained, The goal with Cuba and defense of the five Cubans lations. The economic embargo has been that promotes capitalism and its individual of the revolution is to have "no young per imprisoned in U.S. jails, Rivero responded imposed on the Cuban people by U.S. im ist, "dog-eat-dog" values. son in Cuba who is neither working nor that the "communist youth of Cuba" are perialism for more than four decades with The Battle ofldeas, he said, aims to make studying." helping to lead the international movement the goal of strangling the revolution. education and culture more widely acces to free the five. These revolutionaries have At a time when the U.S. rulers are striv sible to all generations in Cuba. Rivero ex 'Internationalist spirit' been framed up on conspiracy charges. They ing to "become the lords of the world," plained that it grew out of large mobiliza At the University of NSW lunchtime were in the United States working tci alert Rivero said, revolutionary Cuba is "ready tions in 1999. and 2000 protesting the re meeting, in response to a question about Havana of attacks being organized by right to continue on the same road to defend our fusal of the U.S. government to return Elilin Ernesto Che Guevara, the outstanding Ar ist counterrevolutionary outfits. "The best conquests and our independence, and ready Gonzalez to Cuba. gentine-born leader of the Cuban revolution, gesture of solidarity is to participate in this to defy this great enemy." · This effort is based on the "indispensable Rivero emphasized the "universal impor battle," he said. condition of the first literacy campaign that tance of the internatiqnalist spirit inherited Over the last decade the U.S. government Ron Poulsen is a member of the Maritime enabled all Cubans to read and write," said from Che." This is expressed in the Cuban had tried to exacerbate the economic hard Union ofAustralia. Alasdai7- MacDonald is Rivero. At the time of the revolution's tri missions to aid liberation struggles in Af- ships in Cuba resulting from the collapse of a member of the Young Socialists. umph in 1959, one in four adults was illit erate. In 1961, more than 200,000 mainly high school students were mobilized into even the remotest parts of the country, de Cuban tours New Zealand to build support spite murderous counterrevolutionary at tacks, to teach a million people to read and· write, while participating in the labor offarm for jive revolutionaries held in U.S. prison_s and home. These and ongoing advances in educa BY JANET ROTH rorist organizations it backs." exporting revolution. "You can't export tion were part of a "mobilization ofhuman AUCKLAND, New Zealand-The four To help learn about and defend Cuba from revolution," the Cuban representative said, resources" by the country's revolutionary city tour of New Zealand by Fernando such actions carried out by counterrevolu "put it in a jar and sell it. But ideas go government, said Rivero. The Cuban gov Duque, an official of the Cuban Institute for tionary groups based in the United States, around. If you're in a country and poor, and ernment is presently working toward a goal Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), was an "we had to infiltrate these terrorist organi you see the government is not working for of one teacher for instruction in all courses opportunity for many working people and zations," Duque explained. "We had the you but for big business, you look at what up to grade nine, and no more than 20 stu youth to learn about the five Cuban patriots right to do so because we reported their ac you can do to overthrow the government. dents per teacher. framed up and jailed in the United States tivities to U.S. authorities and they did noth "You might get to meet a Cuban doctor and to learn about the Cuban Revolution. ing." For this information-gathering, five in your country, who will tell you honestly Revolutionary social workers In a one-week visit inApril, Duque spoke Cuban revolutionaries have now been jailed about all the shortages and problems in Cuba Rivero cited the results of a recent at public meetings inAuckland, Wellington, in the United States for between 15 years but also about its accomplishments.And that UNESCO study of Latin American educa Christchurch, and Hamilton; at university and life, framed up on a range of "con is what these Latin American governments tion standards which placed Cuba, with meetings in Auckland and Wellington; and spiracy" charges. "This was a frame-up," get upset about. Cuba has never sent troops more than 90 points out of 100, well ahead at a community education class in Duque stressed. "It was established they did to impose itself on other countries." of second-placed Argentina, which scored Christchurch. He also had a number of me nothing against the United States." just over 70 points. dia interviews. Some 260 people took the Duque mentioned the mass rallies and Rebecca Broad, a member ofthe Young So At the time ofthe revolution, said the youth opportunity to hear him speak. televised political discussions held in Cuba cialists in Christchurch, contributed to this leader, "there were three universities; now Duque pointed to the long history of ag to campaign for the release of the five pris article. Janet Roth is a meat worker and there are 72." Today 1 million students are gressive acts by successive governments in oners. He wged his audiences to join in cam member ofthe National Distribution Union. placed in 9,000 primary schools, half a mil the United States against Cuba, leading to paigning for their release and to write to lion are studying in some 1,000 lower sec thousands of Cubans being killed, injured, them and their relatives. A common question asked of Duque at ondary schools, and 405,000 are enrolled at and disabled. "In 1961 there was .an inva ?~P~ around 1,000 upper secondary schools. By sion which we defeated in just 72 hours," his meetings was the Cuban government's September, the government will have opened he said. The U.S. government and counter stance toward the U.S. naval base at TO SPEAK THE TRUTH 82 new primary schools and all schools will revolutionary groups based on U.S. soil have Guantanamo in Cuba and about the prison have a video player, a television set, and a "organized terrorist acts like bombing em ers from the Afghan war that Washington is Why Washington's 'Cold War' computer for each class, he said. bassies, destroying crops, introducing bio holding in brutal conditions at the base. against Cuba Doesn't End "A developing force of young people" logical pests, and so on. The first plane ever Duque said the U.S. government illegally who are revolutionary social workers are hijacked was a Cuban plane," he said, a hi occupies the base against the wishes of the Fidel Castro and carrying out projects on a community level, jacking "invented by the CIA and the ter- Cuban people under a lease signed in 1903, CheGuevara which was "an imposed agreement." Since the triumph of the socialist revolution in In historic 1959 the Cuban government has repeatedly speeches before requested Washington vacate the facility, the United Write to the five Cuban revolutionaries "but they won't accept that. It would be stu Nations and UN pid ofus to take military action against them, Rene Gonzalez Sehwerert, Reg. #58738-004, FCI McKean, P.O. Box 8000, bodies, Guevara because they are looking for an excuse to and Castro Bradford, Pennsylvania 16701 violently react. We can not give them that address the excuse, so we just watch over the border." Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez, Reg. #58741-004, USP Florence, P.O. Box 7500, He said his personal opinion was that workers of the Florence, Colorado 81226 Washington's transfer of the prisoners from world, explain Afghanistan to Cuba was a "provocation" ing why the U.S. government so Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo (Man).lel Viramontes), Reg. #58739-004, USP and was done without warning the Cuban hates the example set by the socialist Lompoc, 3901 Klein Blvd., Lompoc, California 93436 government. revolution in Cuba and why Audiences also asked a range of questions Washington's effort to destroy it will Fernando Gonzalez Llort (Ruben Campa), Reg. #58733-004, FCI Oxford,· about Cuba's social policies and trade rela fail. $16.95 P.O. Box 1000, Oxford, Wisconsin 53952-0505 tions, and about the attempted military coup in Venezuela, which was unfolding as the Please place your order online at pathfinderpress.com, or contact the book Ramon Labafiinb Salazar (Luis Medina), Reg. #58734-004, USP Beaumont, tour began. At the Auckland University meeting, a stores listed on page 12. When ordering by P.O. Box 26035, Beaumont, Texas 77720-6035 student said he'd heard that some Latin mail, please include $3 for shipping and American governments accused Cuba of handling. · May i3, 2002 The Militant 7 Vote deepens crisis of bourgeois parties
Continued from front page euro, the common currency of the European lowest tally of a front-runner since the foun Union. The French ruling class hid behind dation of the Fifth Republic in 1958. the criteria for the European Monetary Union Since the results were announced, vir (EMU) as a cover to press for further auster tually all trade unions and organizations as ity measures. According to the Maastricht sociated with the Plural Left, the outgoing treaty, governments entering the EMU must government coalition of the Socialist and have budget deficits of no more than 3 per Communist parties with two openly pro cent, prompting moves to slash social spend capitalist parties, the Greens and the Left ing. Subsidies to farmers were also cut. Radicals, have concentrated on mobilizing Given this course by the bourgeois par for a vote for Chirac in the second round. ties, the voting results should have been This, they claim, will "build a dam against expected, as they continued a trend of the fascism," as they portray the vote for Le past several years. Pen in terms of a resurgent fascist threat. In the 1998 elections for regional coun Socialist Party Finance Minister Laurent cils and council presidents, a record 42 per Fabius has called this an "anti-Le Pen ref cent of voters stayed away from the polls, erendum." up from 31 percent in 1992. In five regions, Addressing the Central Committee of the Chirac's Rally for the Republic (RPR) and French Communist Party, party leader Rob the Union for French Democracy (UDF) ert Hue said, "there is only one thing in made last-minute alliances with Le Pen's France that matters: the mobilization of ev National Front to win seats. The national ery militant, and I mean every single mili leaderships of the RPR and UDF officially tant, to get out the vote for Jacques Chirac." One of the many rallies in France after first round of presidential voting. These actions opposed the deal. The National Front in Parts of his speech were broadcast on na focused on getting out the vote for capitalist candidate and current president Chirac. creased its vote in several regions hard-hit tional radio. Many working people abstained from the vote, disgusted with both major parties. by unemployment and industrial layoffs. Nearly 2 million working people, youth, Last year large numbers of workers again and others took part in May Day actions in spite of immense pressure, still refuse to government's reactionary anti-immigrant either abstained from voting or cast their across the country that were held in the accept that a vote for the right-wing Gaullist policies and for the right to work and stay ballots for small centrist groups that have framework of opposing Le Pen and his Na candidate can aid working people. with their families in France. the image ofbeing more combative than the tional Front party and supporting a vote for Campaigns among France's 3 million governing Plural Left coalition. In the mu Chirac. The mobilizations succeeded in tak Bankruptcy of two parties unemployed broke out in 1998, with work nicipal elections the vote for the French CP ing the focus off fighting the employers and As the capitalist economic crisis has ers sitting in government offices to demand plummeted as workers became increasingly their parties who are responsible for anti gripped Europe, the Gaullist and Socialist jobs, decent levels of unemployment ben dissatisfied with the policies of the govern immigrant legislation and assaults, attacks parties have shared responsibility for orga efits, and benefits for youth under 25. Later ment. on the unions, and attempts to impose aus nizing successive rounds of assaults on that year hundreds of thousands of students terity measures. workers and farmers. A wave of public took to the streets to call for more teachers, Fascist demagogy The week before, demonstrations involv workers' strikes and mass demonstrations fewer students per class, and better study Le Pen has capitalized on the fact that both ing hundreds of thousands of people were against the attacks on social benefits by conditions. the Socialist and Gaullist parties have car capped by an action April 27 "for equal Juppe in November and December of 1995 In 2000, working farmers, 66,000 of ried through an assault on working people at rights, against racism and to defeat Le Pen," marked a noticeable upturn in working-class whom were driven off the land between a time when unemployment remains persis called by trade unions, left political parties, struggles in France. 1993 and 1996, organized blockades against tently high. He has also taken advantage of and other organizations. The upturn came after a successful cam skyrocketing fuel prices and devastating opposition to austerity measures and attacks Among workers in factories across the. paign led by youth against a sub-minimum conditions in the countryside. And last year carried out under the banner of France's par country who are discussing whether or not wage in 1994, and was itself followed by 300,000 workers took to the streets in de ticipation in the euro zone. to vote for Chirac, a minority remains battles of undocumented immigrants for le fense of their right to retire at 60, while Le Pen says that if elected his govern strongly opposed because of the policies his gal status. In 1996 and 1997, French truck 120,000 mobilized to demand a wage in ment would quit the European Union and government has pursued. Television news ers struck and blocked roads for better work crease from the Jospin government., abandon the euro as its first act, restoring programs show daily debates between So ing conditions, a shorter workweek, and an the franc as the French national currency cialist ana Communist party activists, dis increase in wages. Undocumented immi The euro austerity drive and reestablishing protectionist cu!)toms tributing leaflets in marketplaces calling for grant workers formed the Sans Papiers Both the Socialist and conservative par barriers. He would amend the constitution a vote for Chirac, and some workers who, (Without Papers) coalition to fight the ties have campaigned for France to adopt the . to adopt a policy of"national.preference" that is, preference for French citizens in al locatingjobs, housing, and social benefits combined with stepping up legalized dis Chronology ofcrisis ofbourgeois parties in France crimination against immigrants. The fascist has taken advantage of moves Below i~ a chronology, based on reports currency. Also backing the EMU, SP leader Union plan to sell off state-owned railroads. by the major capitalist parties to severely in the Militant, of some major events in Jospin calls for shorter workweek to gener 11,000 rail workers strike demanding state limit legal immigration, and Chirac's "law France over the last seven years. ate 700,000 new jobs for youth. run railway hire 6,000 more workers. Thou and order" campaign, to bolster his own •Throughout the year, immigrants stage sands demonstrate against plant closures. scapegoating of immigrants for the social 1995 •Temporary jobs leap by 51 percent and economic problems faced by working protests opposing restrictions and deporta people under capitalism. He advocates lim •A plan announced by the RPR Prime tions, and demand full legal status. within two years. Nearly one worker in 10 iting the right of immigrants to become Minister Alain Juppe to gut social security, is on temporary contract. French citizens, along with an even sharper known as the "Juppe Plan," along with other 1997 curtailment of legal immigration through attacks on education and health services and •Transit workers in 60 cities strike for a 1999 steps such as putting an end to family workers' rights, sparks an explosion of la •September-October, 25,000 employers regroupment. bor actions, centered among public work 35-hour workweek with no loss in pay. and their supporters rally against a proposed ers, and student protests, starting in Octo Unions call national days of action in Janu Geographic spread of vote ary and February. law that would nominally cut the workweek ber. to 35 hours, with the stated intent of creat Le Pen's National Front and an associ Demonstrations reach 700,000 people in • In the June parliamentary elections the ing jobs. Tens of thousands of working ated split off received 5.5 million votes, al November and 1 million in December. SP trounces the conservative RPR, winning people hold protests against layoffs and de most 1 million more than in the last presi Twenty-four days of nationwide strikes are 25 percent of the vote in the first round and manding jobs. dential election seven years ago. The vote spearheaded by rail workers. Forced to 241 of the 577 parliamentary seats in the registered the fact that the parties are no abandon the Juppe Plan, the government final voting. The CP vote also increases. The •Thousands of farmers hold series of ac longer a regional movement centered in the continues its austerity course. National Front's Jean-Marie Le Pen takes tions protesting declining farm income fol Marseille area but have spread to the indus 15 percent in the first round. lowing a steep drop in prices of agricultural trial north, the working-class suburbs around 1996 products. • InNovember, truck drivers strike for five Paris, and the Alsace region in the east. • Unions call a national day of action May One new characteristic shown in the .re days to demand wage increases. 2000 23 for a shorter workweek. Teiecommuni cent elections was the emergence of a base •August-September, Fishermen, truck of support for the National Front in the coun cations and rail workers, teachers, and other 1998 public employees organize strikes and ers, and farmers block every French port and tryside, where Le Pen received around 18 marches against threatened cutbacks and •December 1997-January, 1998: Jobless blockade 100 oil refineries protesting ris percent of the working farmers' vote. Some layoffs. workers occupy dozens of offices across ing gas prices. Protests denounced by main 31 percent of working farmers abstained. •In October, nearly 2 million public work France. Jospin announces $165 million in trade union federations and main parties in Traditionally, the majority of farmeFs have supported the Gaullist party, but this year ers join a one-day strike, and hundreds of emergency funds. January 17, 50,000 par the workers movement, but the actions ticipate in "day of action" calling for increas maintain widespread support among work-: Chirac received only 33 percent of the thousands march against Juppe's plans to farmer vote. freeze state workers' pay and cut jobs as ing minimum unemployment benefits and ing people. Government agrees to reduce the minimum wage. fuel taxes by 15 percent. The Green party, part of the governing preparation for entering European Monetary coalition, has been the most openly anti Union (EMU). Unemployment stands offi •In March, 30,000 demonstrate against 2001 farmer party seen in many years. Their re cially at 12.6 percent; in reality, say union National Front. actionary attacks include blaming working officials, the figure is more like 20 percent. •500,000 high school students, out of a •In January, 300,000 workers hit the farmers for bad food quality, environmen The agriculture ministry announces that streets of Paris, Marseilles, Toulouse and tal pollution, and "mad cow disease." In 66,000 family farmers have lost their farms total of2.3 million, demonstrate in 350 cit ies October 15 demanding more teachers, some 75 other cities opposing the employ accusing working farmers of since 1993. ers' confederation's decision to stop pay~ "productivism"--concentrating on produc Truck drivers barricade roads for 12 days, fewer students per class, and better study conditions. Teachers unions back the rallies. ments into a retirement fund. The boss con tion rather than quality-they shift the demanding and winning a retirement age of federation demands the unions agree to raise blame off the normal workings of the capi 55. •In November, demonstrations across the number of years necessary for private talist market and the rents and mortgages •In December, President Jacques Chirac France demand that 60,000 undocumented sector workers to retire from 40 to 45 years. system dominated by the banks and hails a European Union summit, which pa workers slated for deportation be given pa Five days later, 120,000 public workers agribusiness. At the demand of the Greens pers over French-German and other con pers. Rail workers stage simultaneous ac demonstrate for a wage increase that keeps the Jospin government adopted a special tax flicts, as progress toward a single European tions across Europe protesting European pace with inflation. Continued on Page 14.
8 The Militant May 13, 2002 Seized U.S. spy ship is emblem to Korean national sovereignty
BY OLYMPIA NEWTON its crew, claiming the Pueblo was a research PYONGYANG, north Korea-The USS vessel on the open seas. But the ship was Pueblo spy ship, seized in north Korean equipped with two .50-caliber machine guns waters by the Democratic People's Repub in the front and back, seven antennas, and a lic of Korea (DPRK) on Jan. 23, 1968, is room full of cryptographic equipment used now docked here as a museum and a monu to send messages directly to U.S. bases in ment to the resolve of the people of this the area. country in face of Washington's imperial Handheld weapons were also captured arrogance. when the ship was seized. Along with the The Socialist Workers Party and Young spying equipment, they are on display in the Socialists leadership delegation of Steve Pueblo itself as well as in the Museum of Clark, Jack Willey, and Olympia Newton, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War in who visited north Korea for two weeks in Pyongyang. April, toured the ship while here. The del egation was in north Korea to stand in soli U.S. threatens retaliation and war darity with the Korean people in the con The U.S. government demanded an emer l Above: Col. Kim Joong Rok, the com text of the U.S. government's continuing gency session of the United Nations Secu mander of north Korea's first boarding threats, including president George W. rity Council to condemn the attack on this Bush's slander of north Korea earlier this "civilian" vessel. The Johnson administra party in the Pueblo incident, stands in front of the ship, berthed in Pyongyang. year as part of an international "axis of evil," tion threatened retaliation, including war if Right: the ship at the time of its seizure in and the Pentagon's "leak" of the Nuclear necessary, to gain the return of the Pueblo 1968. The ship had violated north Korean Posture Review, which includesthe DPRK and its crew. as one of seven potential targets of Washington immediately deployed the sovereign territory some 17 times before Washington's massive nuclear arsenal. The nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to it was seized. SWP and YS leaders took part in activities waters off Korea. On January 25, Johnson surrounding two national celebrations while called up almost 15,000 members of Air Korean territorial waters by the spy ship, and Hornet, and the battleship New Jersey. in north Korea. National Guard, Air Force reserve, and Navy apologize for the incursion, and issue as Several hundred bombers were flown into The guided tour of the Pueblo tells much reserve units. In the weeks to come the surances that no further such provocations south Korea and placed on alert. of the history of U.S. imperialism's provo White House put together a task force from would occur. If those conditions were met, The U.S. government once again backed cations and the DPRK's subsequent capture the U.S. Navy's Seventh (Pacific) Fleet that the north Korean government said, then it down, however. It ended its most provoca of the ship, events which took place at the included several other aircraft carriers, three would consider expelling the 82 captured tive aerial spying probes not only against same time that Washington was carrying out cruisers, 18 destroyers, a nuclear-powered crew members. Otherwise, it would put the DPRK but for several decades against a brutal war against the people ofVietnam. submarine, and several supply ships. Wash them on trial for crimes with sentences of the People's Republic of China as well. ington also beefed up U.S. Air Force task up to life imprisonment or execution. After Washington ignored repeated warn Floating monument ings from the DPRK to stop incursions by forces in Osan, Kusan, and other areas of The resolve and preparedness of the Ko the spy ship into its waters, north Korean south Korea. rean people stayed Washington's hand. Af The DPRK refused to return the Pueblo naval forces captured the ship near Wonsan, Today nobody, including the U.S. gov ter refusing for months to agree to a docu itself in 1968, keeping it as a floating mu a city in the southeast of this country on the ernment, gives credence to Washington's lie ment submitted by the DPRK placing re seum documenting the Korean people's firm coast of the Sea of Japan. The ship had vio that the Pueblo was a marine research ship. sponsibility for the incursion squarely on stance. In the late 1990s, the ship was moved lated north Korean sovereign territory some The U.S. Navy web site explains that in Washington and apologizing on behalf of from north Korea's eastern coast to its cur I 7 times before it was seized. November 1967 the ship had "departed to the U.S. governmeni, Maj. Gen. Gilbert rent location in the country's capital city. It Eighty-two crew members, including six the Far East to undertake electronic intelli- Woodward signed the statement on Dec. 23, is now docked near the spot on the Tae Dong - -officerS',' W"ere·captured'in.-tlie 'SeiZ'Ilre; One ~. •gence,cellcction ..and-other duties,•: lt-had . -196&, and the crew .members were released River where another U.S. warship, the Gen U.S. crew member was killed and four were spied on north Korean naval vessels as well and expelled from north Korea. eral Sherman, went down in flames at the injured. The captured sailors were held in as key radio and radar stations. hands of Korean patriots in September 1866. U.S. spy plane shot down north Korea for II months. The north Korean people and government Since the Pueblo andEC-121 events more refused to be intimidated by Washington's Just four months after the release of the than three decades ago, the U.S. government Disguised as marine research slJ.ip threats. The Korean People's Army and ci Pueblo crew, onAprill5 1969, the manned has largely stayed out of north Korean wa When confronted by north Korean forces, vilian defense guards prepared for wartime U.S. spy plane EC-121 violated north ters and ceased overflying its air space. As the Pueblo's commanding officer, Lloyd mobilizations. On February 8 DPRK presi Korea's air space. The government of the such, the Pueblo stands as a monument to Bucher, initially avoided pursuit. The Ko dent Kim II Sung responded to the Johnson DPRK responded by firing a guided mis the fact that the only way for peoples any reans then fired on the ship; bullet hOles are administration's threats, saying the Korean sile at the plane, shooting it into the sea and where in the world to hold off U.S. still visible on the ship's exterior. government was prepared to "answer any killing the crew. imperialism's war moves and assaults on According to the tour guide, the ship was 'retaliation' with retaliation" and to "meet U.S. president Richard Nixon dispatched national sovereignty is to stand their ground flying no U.S. flag, in line with its thin dis all-out war with all-out war." an aircraft carrier task force to north Ko in face of Washington's threats, as the Ko guise as a civilian marine research ship. In The OPRK demanded the U.S. govern rean waters; including the USS Enterprise, rean people and government did in 1968- face of the Korean gunfire, the guide ex ment acknowledge the violation of north the aircraft cariiert Ticonderoga, Ranger, 69 and continue to do today. plained, an officer of the Pueblo raised the flag and asked that as a civilian vessel it be allowed to return to port. Strikers in Wales press fight against concessions\ The Korean &oldiers refused, boarding the ship, lowering the U.S. flag, and raising the BY PAUL DAVIES a manufacturer ofcar parts. Parry, along with brought by the government's Health and flag of the DPRK. When the Koreans cap CAERNARFON, North Wales-"We're other workers who are fighting to win back Safety Executive against Friction Dynam tured the vessel, they found crew members building support around the country for our their jobs, had just returned from meetings ics bosses, after one of the scab workers lost burning papers. first anniversary rally" on June 8, said at the Scottish Trade Union Congress to win several fingers in an unguarded machine. U.S. president Lyndon Johnson expressed Gerald Parry, one of the locked-out work support for their struggle. Continual hoot The magistrates court decided to refer the public outrage at the capture of the ship and ers on the picket line at Friction Dynamics, ing ofhorns as motorists pass the picket line case to a higher court where it is possible to reflects the high level of local support for award larger compensation payments to the the union members. injured worker. From Pathfinder The workers are members of the Trans "Safety in the plant has gone right down port and General Workers' Union (TGWU). since the dispute started," said Jones. "Re Capitalism's World Disorder They were locked out last April when they cently we've heard about some of the scabs WORKING-CLASS POLITICS AT THE MILLENNIUM fought the drive by the bosses to cut wages, breaking their bones in accidents. They have hire contract workers, undermine union rep also run out of scab labor from Caernarfon Jack Barnes resentation, and extend working hours. The and are having to recruit from further afield." The social devastation, financial panics, political turmoil, police fight has importance for workers across the The replacement workers are hired on 10- brutality, and military assaults accelerating all around us are the region where unemployment remains high. week contracts. According to the pickets, inevitable forces unleashed by capitalism. But the future capi "Where else will we work?" asked David many do not return after their first contract talism has in store for us can be changed by the timely solidar Jones, one of the pickets. "At a nearby is up. ity, courageous action, and united struggle of workers and farm meatpacking plant which has a constant turn Another sign of the company's weakness ers conscious of their power to transform the world. Also avail over of workers, where the hours suit the is phone calls 12 of the locked-out workers able in French and Spanish. $23.95 bosses not yourself?" · · received from Smith, who asked them to Friction Dynamics boss Craig Smith was come back to work. Gerald Parry related In New International no. 11 able to lock the union members out after how Smith was "flattering us about our work • Two programmatic documents of the Socialist Workers putting them on an enforced holiday for and pleading with us to come back. He also Party: U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War by Jack eight weeks. The antilabor move came af badmouthed the union. No one has re ter the government had changed laws to sup sponded to his pleas. He thinks he can deal Barnes and The Communist Strategy of Party Building posedly make it harder for bosses to do ex with each of us alone, but he is dealing with Today by Mary-Alice Waters actly what Smith did. "This dispute is an the union," he explained. • Socialism: A Viable Option by Jose Ramon Balaguer embarrassment for the Labour government For further details of the June 8 rally, con • Young Socialist Manifesto $14.00 and its laws," said Jones, "they want us to tact Tom Jones at the TGWU office, 17 In English, French, and Spanish go away, but that is not going to happen. Segontium Terrace, Caernarfon, North We have to win this fight." Wales. Or call: 01286 672102. Available from bookstores, including those listed on page 12; write On April 22 workers from the picket line Pathfinder, 410 West St., New York, NY 10014. Tel: (212) 741-0690; or visit www.pathfinderpress.com. Please include $3 for shipping and handling. attended a magistrate's court to hear a case Paul Davies is a meat packer in London.
May 13,2002 The Militant 9 Palestinian struggle thwarts U.S. attempts to 'settle' .Mideast- BY PATRICK O'NEILL and elsewhere. The depth of support among workers and The impact of the deepening Israeli-Pal peasants in the Mideast for the determined estinian conflict on the Middle East, and the and increasingly effective resistance of the solidarity it is winning among workers and Palestinian people has been registered in farmers of tl;le region, is also registered in several recent developments, including a other ways. In late April a group of 120 visit to the White House by a governmental Saudi scholars and writers issued an open delegation from Saudi Arabia. Collaboration letter condemning U.S. and Israeli policy, between Washington and Riyadh has be and calling on the Saudi government to come part of a renewed imperialist push to "make the American administration feel that try to force the Palestinian leadership to its huge interests in the Arab region are also reign in the resistance. ~ threatened." As the Lonpon-based Econo Such efforts have been thwarted by the mist magazine commented, "That is about combativity ofthe Palestinians, who have as direct a call as is possible in the kingdom Showing her solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, a young woman chants slogans in steadfastly refused to reconcile themselves for the closure of America's military bases demonstration in Cairo, Egypt, which called for closure of Israeli embassy. to their permanent dispossession by colo there." The Pentagon maintains a dozen nial-settler Israel. New reports from the "Is bases and 30,000 troops in theArab-Persian The meeting followed discussions by raeli occupied territories of the West Bank Gulf. The U.S. air force alone operates from Bush over the previous week with the kings at this stage," said New York Republican and Gaza Strip indicate a deepening of ac bases in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, of Jordan and Morocco, and the prime min Congressman Peter King several days be tions and determination to fight, especially Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. ister of Lebanon. fore Abdullah's visit. "I think perhaps it's by younger generations of the Palestinian In the Syrian capital of Damascus, where Following the Saudi visit, the Times re time to consider actually stopping immigra population. hundreds of thousands of people have ported that a "division of labor" had been tion from countries which harbor terrorists In a case of the tail wagging the dog, the mounted daily demonstrations against Is established, with U.S. officials talking to and countries which do not fully comply Israeli government continues to escalate its raeli and U.S. policy, the U.S. Consul was Israeli prime minister Sharon about "break with us on terrorism," he said in a radio in attacks, in defiance of Washington's calls banned from one upmarket restaurant. The ing the psychology of violence," whiieArab terview. "That would include most of the for "restraint." On April 29 Israeli tanks owner told him, "your presence does not officials would "do the same at a meeting Arab states, quite frankly." rolled into Hebron, the only West Bank town honor us as a representative of the Ameri with Yasir Arafat." In a April 19 piece, published in that was spared the earlier sweeping mili can government that adopts pro-Israeli po "Arab leaders," continued the report, "are townhall.com, entitled "U.S. should not take their eye off Iraq," longtime Washington Post tary incursions. The latest Israeli ~ssault has sitions. You are persona non grata and you expected to press Mr. Arafat to accept an taken at least nine Palestinian lives, while should leave." unprecedented level of supervision, assis columnist Charles Krauthammer described 150 Palestinians have been arrested. Fearful of the unrest and destabilizing tance and guidance in rebuilding the Pales Washington's involvement in the Mideast In spite of an Israeli cover-up, facts con impact of the protests by working people, tinian Authority, whose security forces will diplomacy as a "distraction." tinue to emerge on the extent of the battle representatives of Middle Eastern govern be instructed to crack down on terrorists and "It muddies the very principles of the waged by Palestinians in the Jenin refugee ments have expressed concerns at the openly cooperate with Israeli and Western intelli Bush Doctrine," he wrote, to call for Israeli camp against the tank- and bulldozer pro-Israeli stance of the U.S. government, gence in preventing terrorism." withdrawal in the middle of its "decisive equipped Israeli armed forces. Israeli sol- and have appealed to Washington to use its Commenting on a proposal for a Wash counterrattack." ington-dominated international "peace con "Time is running short" for an attack on ference" involving a number of imperialist Iraq," wrote Krauthammer. "This idea that powers, as well as Russia, Egypt, Jordan, we cannot fight Iraq without a consensus of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Morocco, Prince Arab states behind us is absurd. We need Sayud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, two countries, Kuwait in the south and Tur said that "good things are happening for a key in the north," he wrote. change." The Times claimed that the con Veteran New York Times columnist Will ference would aim to fulfill "the vision of_a iam Safire was also dismissive of attempts Palestinian state." to construct a "coat-holding coalition ofcra Two days earlier the White House had an ven caliphs" in preparing to overthrow Iraqi nounced that the Israeli government had president Saddam Hussein. "We have al agreed toArafat's release from his Ramallah ready had to begin abandoning our bases in offices, where he has been trapped for a Saudi Arabia. Joining us in liberating Iraq" month. Tel Aviv agreed on condition that four -i.e. pulverizing the country and its people members of the Popular Front for the Lib with imperialist airpower, tanks, and artil eration of Palestine (PFLP) accused of as lery-"will be Brits, Turks, and Kurds." sassinating Israel's tourism minister would Exhaustion of war fever be held in a Palestinian prison with U.S. and British guards. A Palestinian Authority mili In also bemoaning the loss of momentum tary court convicted the four of the killing. in the imperialist war drive at home and "Chairman Arafat is now free to move abroad, but speaking in defense of the White around and free to lead, and we expect him House's current course, one administration diers, 23 of whom were killed in the fight influence to "settle" the conflict. With young . to do so," said Bush. official noted the exhaustion ofthe war fever ing, have "expressed grudging admiration people giving their lives to battle the Israeli whipped up by the U.S. rulers after Septem for a mostly unseen eneniy that had meticu regime, the capitalist governments in the Dissent among Bush supporters ber 11. "The lesson of the past month," said lously planned for the assault, stockpiling Mideast are having an increasingly hard The White House's deepening involve the functionary, "is that September 11 was ammunition, food and medical supplies as time justifying to workers and farmers their ment in the Palestinian conflict has so horrific that it made for easy choices, al well as crude bur effective bombs," reported own inaction. prompted growing criticism among promi most all of which are behind us. And every the April 26 Washington Post. "Where is the pressure from the U.S. on nent conservative and right-wing support thing ahead-Israel, the Palestinians, Iraq, One reservist told the Post that the Israeli [Israeli prime minister Ariel] Sharon?" said ers of the administration and the Republi even dealing with our fair-weather friends in troops were told to "put a bullet in each [Pal Amr Mous&11, the secretary general of the can Party. A number argue that this course Europe-doesn't fit that templat~." estinian] window." The big-business paper Arab League, onApril30. "Why should the weakens the position of the Israeii rulers and As part of administration efforts to' an reported "a lack of preparation by Israeli Arabs put pressure on [Palestinian Author undermines Washington's preparations for swer the criticisms of its supporters, and to reservists. They were hastily mustered from ity leaderYasir] Arafat without equal pres an assault on Iraq. They express fear that prepare public opinion for an offensive civilian life less than two weeks before, and sure being put on SharonT the U.S. rulers' "war on terror"-the ban against Iraq, a Defense Department official were told to expect a Palestinian surrender Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak used ner attached to attacks on workers' rights told theApril28 Times that plans have been within three days." One reservist said, "We his May Day speech to criticize the Bush inside the United States and to military ag drawn up for a "heavy air and land assault" were told specifically that once the Pales administration for legitimizing Tel Aviv's gression· abroad-has lost momentum. in 2003. The blueprint in chides "rough num tinians see the tanks, they'll give up." "comparison between the U.S. war on ter "This is not the time for peace missions bers of troops, ranging from a minimum of Another soldier admitted that "I can't be rorism in Afghanistan and Israel's war and negotiations," wrote Jeff Jacoby in the about 70,000 to 100,000 ... to a top of contemptuous of them. Somebody there had against unarmedPalestinians who are resist April 24 Conservative Chronicle. "The way 250,000 .... Other than troops from Britain, thought very much what to do and how. to ing occupation." The New York Times noted to end the war in the West Bank is not to no significant contribution of allied forces fight and succeeded for 10 or 11 days against that the leaders of Egypt and Jordan have make Israel retreat but to let it fight its way is anticipated." a very big army!' "resorted to lowering their pub1ic profiles" to a decisive victory." in the face of growing criticism of the "peace The Wall Street Journal editorialized on Protests throughout region treaties" they have signed with Israel. April 17 that "since Mr. Bush entered the FROM PATHFINDER Working people and youth in nearly ev Palestinian bazaar to restrain Israel two Israel and the ery country in the region, inspired by the Visit by Saudi Arabian officials weeks ago, his own standing has fallen with Arab Revolution Palestinian resistance in the occupied terri This was the context for theApril25 talks all parties." Such efforts, argued the paper, tories, have taken to the streets in solidarity. between U.S. president George Bush and a would only be justified if they were able to Fundamental Principles of In a number of countries, such as Jordan Saudi delegation that includedAbdullah, the "calm Palestine long enough to get on with Revolutionary Marxism and Saudi Arabia, marchers have defied country's crown prince. Abdullah reportedly the main business of Saddam." GUS HOROWITZ police assaults and standing prohibitions on warned of "grave consequences" if Wash Lamenting the administration's "foray $7.00' demonstrations. ington failed to curb the ongoing Israeli mili into peace-processing," the editors of the Palestinians have also taken to the streets tary campaign in the Palestinian territories. National Review stated May 6, "The admin in many other countries, including the Failure to accomplish this, he said, accord istration has leaked away prestige and cred United States, where they led off protests ing to the Times, would mean "an intense itability with nearly every new statement, Available from of some 75,000 on April 20 in Washington spiral of violence that would result in a com and has bent to the logic of the Arab world, bookstores, includ and 20,000 San Francisco, the largest-ever plete collapse of security and stability in the which is that nothing can ever be done in ing those listed on such mobilizations in U.S. history. Protests region"-code words for the regimes' in the Middle East without bullying Israel page 12, or visit have been reported in Indonesia, many Eu ability to keep working people under con first." ...______~ pathfinderpress.com ropean countries, Canada, New Zealand, trol. Saudi Arabia is "really almost an enemy
10 The Militant May 13,2002 Palestinians and fight for national liberation Reprinted below are excerpts from the of the leadership of the Palestinian move unfolded. These cumulative developments are 159. lead article in New International no. 7, ment has shifted to the occupied West Bank, have altered the class character and caliber This political independence was not "The Opening Guns of World War III: toGaza, to Jerusalem, and to inside Israel's of the leadership necessary to ta:ke the next granted by the imperialist colonizers out of Washington's Assault on Iraq," by Jack pre-1967 borders-especially since the be steps in the struggle against imperialist the goodness of their hearts. Independence Barnes, who is national secretary of the ginning of the intifada more than three years domination, semifeudal oppression, and was conquered through struggle-by the Socialist Workers Party. The issue was ago. More of the leadership is being taken capitalist exploitation. peoples oflndia and Iraq to throw off Brit published a few months after the end of by those who are pressing forward the fight Only fifty years ago, with the outbreak ish rule; by the Indochinese, Algerian, and the 1990-91 Gulf war. The excerpt is for land, for equality, for national self-de of World War II, a great movement for Syrian peoples against French rule; by the copyright © 1991 by 408 Printing and termination, for a fully sovereign Palestin decolonization began to sweep the world. Filipino people against U.S. colonial rule; Publishing Corp., reprinted by permis ian state, and who in doing so are helping At the opening of that war, the vast major by the Indonesian people against Dutch sion. Subheadings are by the Militant. 'to change the world.. :, . ity of what are today independent countries imperialism; by the Congolese people Footnotes are in original. The battle for national liberation has gone · were colonies. When the United Nations was against Belgian colonialism; by the peoples through a particular evolution and impor launched at the close of the war in late 1945, of Angola and Mozambique against Portu- BY JACK BARNES tant changes as the twentieth century has it initially had only 51 members; today there Continued on Page 12 Communists have no trouble in recogniz ing the need for unconditional solidarity with an oppressed nation against imperial ist attack, regardless of the class character of its government, as we've proven once Actions across globe back Palestinians'fight again during the Gulf war. At the same time, communists and other vanguard fighters for · South Africa: 10,000 true national independence and sover eignty-whether in Iraq or anywhere else rally in Cape Town in the region-must recognize and act on the fact that there are conflicting classes BY OMARI MUSA within these oppressed nations. PITTSBURGH-Nearly 10,000 people The Palestinians are among the biggest participated in a rally denouncing the Israeli victims of the fakery of the bourgeois gov government's war against the Palestinian ernments in the region, all of which falsely people in Cape Town, South Africa, April claim to speak and act in their interests. 21. A month earlier, the Palestine Action These blows were dealt to the Palestinians Group (PAG) organized a protest of more not just by the treacherous Egyptian, Syr than 1,000 demanding the South African ian, and Saudi regimes-or by the desper government sever diplomatic ties with Is ate King Hussein of Jordan, who will turn rael by recaJling its ambassador. his guns on the Palestinians again, ifhe finds The PAG also called on the South Afri it expedient, just as he did in September can government to institute sanctions against 1970.1 No less damage was done by there Israel and end all arms deals with Israel, and actionary demagogy of Baghdad, which investigate South Africans being recruited postured as the champion of the Palestin into the Israeli Defense Force. ian, Arab, and Muslim peoples, while in . The April 21 demonstration was orga practice it sapped their c.apacity for anti nized by the Rally for Palestine Commit imperialist struggle. Baghdad cynically tee. It includes the Muslim Judicial Council called for "linkage" of Iraq's partial with (MJC), the Islamic Unity Convention, and drawal from Kuwait with the Palestinians' the Muslim Youth Movement and Qibla. demands for national self-determination. Among the speakers at the rally was Rally in Montreal drew wide participation and official union endorsement The leadership of the Palestine Liberation Ronnie Kasrils, anAfrican National Congress Organization also did great harm to the Pal (ANC) leader and minister of water affairs Justice Not War. The demonstration was a eration ofNational Trade Unions (CSN) and estinian struggle by endorsing this dema and forestry. Others included ANC Western confident and vocal expression of support for the Quebec Union Central (CSQ), as well as gogic, after-the-fact linkage. This tailing af Cape leader Ebrahim Rasool, Congress of the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli inva the Muslim Council of Montreal, Solidarity ter Baghdad left PLO leaders politically dis South African Trade Unions general secre sion of Palestinian towns and refugee camps. for Human Rights in Pale§tine, the Quebec armed to explain the real linkage that does tary for the Western Cape Tony Ehrenreich, The tone was set with the arrival of a contin Women's Federation, and Palestinians and exist with the Palestinian struggle; the press and MJC leader lhfaan Hendricks. gent from Glasgow's Southside. Led by Jews United Against the Occupation. ing need for action in solidarity with Iraq in Kasrils has come under heavy atta:ck fre5tn young women wearing the "hegheb;' aMos After gathering at the Israeli consulate, the face of imperialist assault; the reaction supporters of the Israeli offensive. He has lem head-dress, they were welcomed with participants marched through downtown ary character of Baghdad's brutal invasion spoken at various rallies and protests against cheers as they marched up to the assembly Montreal to a federal building. The action of Kuwait; and the fight against imperialism the assault on West Bank areas. In a state point at George Square chanting, "Allah al was the fruit of efforts by a new layer of throughout the region and the world. ment distributed at a December 28 vigil, Aqbar" and "Victory to the Intifada." Palestinian activists over the past few years The failure ofthe PLO to chart such a revo Kasrils called on Israel to immediately with Other popular chants on the march were, to win support for their struggle from wider lutionary course is a reflection of its grow draw from occupied Palestinian areas and to "No justice, no peace" and "Tony Blair: ter layers of the population in Quebec. Pales ing bourgeoisification. This evolution was recognize Palestine as a sovereign indepen rorist! George Bush: terrorist!" Many people tine was colonized by the United Kingdom revealed more clearly by the U.S. aggression dent country that has the right to exist side carried placards demanding an end to the Is and most Palestinians· speak English as a in the Gulf, but it was not caused by the war. by-side with its neighbor. Kasrils is Jewish. raeli occupation and opposing the war against second language. Alongside the Palestinian The political retreat by the central PLO lead South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, Iraq. A number of contingents displayed the and Lebanese flags, the next most popular ership has been under way for some time. has also drawn fire from the South African Scottish flag alongside the Palestinian flag. national flag at this march was Quebec's. Jewish Board ofDeputies. Mbeki was quoted Fighters inside 'Greater Israel' The marchers sat down for several min The slogans and speeches were in French, on SouthAfrican television as describing the utes in front of the recruitment center for the English, andArabic. One of the popular slo A political toll has been taken over the past attack on. Yasir Arafat's headquarters in Armed Forces on Queen Street. Soldiers from gans was Quebec-Palestine, solidarite! ten or fifteen years by the continued disper Ramalla:h as "an attack on Palestine by Is Scottish-based units like the Royal Marines Elinia Cielo, who is a member of the Chil sion of the Palestinian people. A whole layer rael." Board chairperson Russell Gaddin 45 Commando are currently deployed as part ean Committee for Human Rights, carried a of Palestinian youth have grown up outside stated, "We are appalled at this one-sided call. of the imperialist occupation ofAfghanistan. Chilean flag and explained that she had just the historic lands. of Palestine. A PLO appa We believe that, unaccompanied by a simi At the end of the march speakers ad returned from Chile where she had partici ratus has been built up throughout countries lar call by the president to end the unbridled dressed a rally in George Square. Many of pated in demonstrations in solidarity with the in the Middle East and North Africa hosted acts ofterror against the Israeli civilian popu those listening most attentively were young Palestinians.A sticker worn by many march- - and financed by the bourgeois regimes in the lation, Mr. Mbeki compromises South people who had come along to express their ers read "Today we are all Palestinian." region. A few factions of the PLO hllVe be Africa's officially stated policy ofevenhand opposition to the Israeli occupations and Abdel Salam Men'yawi, representing the come willing tools in the hands ofthese gov edness in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." their solidarity with the Palestinian fighters. Muslim Council ofMontreal, acknowledged ernments. The blows dealt to the PLO forces The rally passed a resolution for the with~ A young man carrying a PalesJ:inian flag told the broader participation in the demonstra in Lebanon over the past decade by the Is- · drawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian ar this reporter they were present to oppose tion. "Thank-you, merci, for coming out in raeli regime, by the Syrian regime, and by eas. Like other protests, it also called for an "Bush and Blair going into Iraq when they spite ofthe massive disinforrnation campaign the various Lebanese bourgeois political international force to "protect Palestinians." feel like it. It's like Palestine. You have to against the Palestinians." He added, "It was forces-these have had an additional disori The Congress of South African Trade raise your voice to give support." not right that Canada voted against the UN entingand demoralizing impact on layers of Unions (COSATU) released a statement The loudest cheers from young people at resolution condemning Israeli crimes" a.nd the leadership, turning ~eir eyes further away April 25 that said the "South African gov the rally came when Aamer Anwar, of the demanded that the government "stop erod from the ranks of the Palestinian masses in ernment should cut ties with Israel immedi Chhokar Family Justice Campaign, explained ing our freedoms and civil liberties." side and outside Israel. The gap has grown ately." It also called for a "boycott of all Is the answer he gives to people who express Bruce Katz, from Palestinians and Jews between the PLO apparatus and the young raeli goods." COSATU secretary general doubts about the Palestinian fighters known United, said that thousands of Jews around Palestinian fighters inside the borders of Zwelinzima Vavi noted, "We are asking our as "suicide bombers." Anwar said he explains the world, including in Israel, denounced the "Greater Israel," where the liberation fight members to refuse handling goods from Is that "when all you have left is your life then occupation of Palestine. He explained that has been centered more and more. rael." The union official said COSATU that is what you will sacrifice." anti-Semitism is a form of racism like any But this is not a finished process. The PLO would also organize demonstrations at the Participants were encouraged to join a other, such as that practiced against the Pal remains a revolutionary-nationalist move Israeli embassy in South Africa until the march on the Scottish Parliam_ent May 1, to estinians in Israel. ment with a predominantly petty-bourgeois ambassador is recalled. back the demands: ."Stop Israeli state error: Also speaking were Marc Laviolette, the leadership. The outcome of the PLO's po~ End the 35-year occupation now." president of the CSN; Daniel Lachance, vice litical evolution remains intertwined with the Actions in Scotland· president of the CSQ; and V-ivienne Barbot, living struggle of the Palestinian people; president of the Quebec Women's Federa who have not been'cowed or defeated. More BY REBECCA HUTCHINSON Union federations tion. Many of the speakers called for United GLASGOW, Scotland-Demonstrations Nations troops to be sent to the region to in solidarity with the Palestinian people con protect the Palestinians. But in the opinion 1 ba~k Quebec protest In ·September 1970, King Hussein's army, demning the brutal Israeli assault on the of a number of young demonstrators such with the support of Tel Aviv and Washington, West Bank are taking place across Scotland. BYJOANNEPRITCHARD as GeorgesAbajewho goes toBrebeufCol launched an all-out attack on Palestinian refu Protests involving 3,000 people have been lege, "That's not going to work. The UN is gee camps and communities in Jordan, aiming MONTREAL-More than 7,500 people to blunt the growing militancy ofthe Palestinian organized in Aberdeen, Dundee, and marched here in solidarity with the Palestin controlled by the United States and they freedom fighters and maintain stable relations Edinburgh in recent weeks. ian struggle April27. The protest was orga support Israel." with Israel. More than eight thousand Palestin On April 27 more than 1,000 people nized by the Coalition for Justice and Peace ians were killed in the assault, a massacre that marched through the city center -here in an in Palestine. The coalition includes two ma Joanne Pritchard is a member of .United has become known as "Black September." action called by the Scottish Coalition for jor Quebec union federations, the Confed- Food and Commercial Workers Local500. May 13, 2002 The Militant 11 Palestinians and fight for national liberation Continued from Page 11 workers' and peasants' governments. ing capitalist classes, either directlyto pri to find themselves today the debt slaves of guese rule; and many others. The victories of the decolonization move vate owners or indirectly through the neo imperialist banks. Only to find themselves If you don't count Hong Kong as a ment gave an impulse to a second set of colonial regimes they controlled. Once still subject to the dictates of the great oil colony-and I don't anymore; its rapid in conquests in the struggle for national lib again, the conflicts that culminated in the cartels, the giant merchants of grain, and tegration into China is not only a foregone eration--ones that were often intertwined nationalization of these former imperialist other imperialist interests. conclusion, but actually running ahead of with the anticolonial fight itself. This was properties were carried through largely by The imperialist enemy can no longer be the scheduled 1997 formalities-then the the struggle to wrest back from direct own bourgeois and petty-bourgeois leaderships fought successfully in the same ways as in largest colony left in the world today is ership by imperialist interests the most ba and without the establishment of workers' past decades. Colonial independence has Puerto Rico. If anything, this fact increases sic resources and infrastructure-the na and peasants' regimes. been achieved in most countries. The national the importance of the anticolonial struggles tional patrimony--of countries in the Third The most pressing tasks that confront patrimony of land and other mineral re that remain to be settled, particularly of nu World. These struggles marked much of the workers and peasants in most of the Third sources has been nationalized in many cases. merous islands in the Caribbean, the Pacific, 1950s and '60s, and continued even into the World today, however, require a different In the most direct and immediate sense, the Indian Ocean, and so on. But the scope late 1970s with the Iranian revolution. class character and caliber of leadership if the problem for the toilers is not that the of the post-World War II decolonization con they are to succeed. The tasks of national bourgeois and petty-bourgeois parties and quests is impressive. Workers and peasants press struggles liberation, of carrying through to the end organizations are ineffective as instruments While in each case there were landlords, In 1956 the Egyptian government headed the liberation of the toilers from imperialist in the struggle for socialism; that's always merchant capitalists, and other indigenous by GamalAbdel Nasser took back the Suez domination and superexploitation, cannot be true. But the social reality that above all exploiters who collaborated with the colo Canal from British and French finance capi advanced short of a struggle against the lo poses the demand for working-class lead nial powers to the bitter end, the tal, for example. Regimes throughout the cal capitalist and landlord classes, whose ership is that the bourgeois ruling classes decolonization movements nonetheless Middle East, Latin America, and elsewhere interests are completely intertwined with have become the main prop of imperialist mobilized broad united fronts behind the nationalized oil fields and mineral rights. those of the imperialists. Thus, the political domination of these countries at this point fight for national independence. Represen Class lines in these battles were drawn more challenges before national liberation move in history, even if in great conflict with this tatives of different classes, with directly sharply than in the decolonization battles ments in tackling this next set of historic or that imperialist power for periods of time. counterposed social interests, carried sub themselves, since layers of native exploit tasks require greater political clarity and So it is impossible to carry through to stantial weight in these battles. ers had economic interests that were directly working-class leadership. completion the struggle for national libera Independence struggles were fought and tied to major imperialist-owned banks and That's the road forward to lasting eco tion under their leadership; they have to be led to victory under leaderships that were monopolies. Workers and peasants often nomic and social development. That's how fought against and replaced .... often bourgeois or petty bourgeois both in took advantage of these confrontations with to rid these countries of social structures and The kind of struggle necessary to take on program and social composition. The work imperialism to press demands on the neo institutions that ensure their permanent sub the next tasks of national liberation requires ers and peasants were the most self-sacri colonial regimes for land reform and labor jugation to imperialism. That's the only way the organization of the workers and peas ficing fighters, the courageous battalions rights, and in the process won some greater to prevent the gains from even limited eco ants politically independent of the capital . without whom the battle could not have been space to organize and practice politics. nomic and social development from ending ists and landlords, who block the progr~ss won. But the dominant politicalleaderships But in the big majority of cases these re up in the hands of a thin layer of capitalists, and development of the nation. It requires a were nat proletarian or communist in the sources taken from the direct domination the government bureaucracy, and the mili strong worker-peasant alliance. It requires vast majority of cases. Most of the regimes and exploitation of the imperialists were tary officer corps, while the vast majority of the fight for political space to organize and that came to power were bourgeois, not transferred to the domination of local, ris- workers and peasants are driven into deeper engage in struggles. impoverishment and brutally repressed when It requires an internationalist orientation they resist. That's the only way to carry toward the battles of other toilers, not only through land reforms that are thoroughgo elsewhere in the Third World but in the im -MILITANT LABOR FORUMS ing and that don't-through the mechanism perialist countries and throughout Eastern ALABAMA of Australasian Meat Industry Employees' of the capitalist rents and mortgages system, Europe and the Soviet Union. It requires an Birmingham Union. Sun., May 12,4:00 p.m. and domination over credit, marketing ar anticapitalist program and proletarian lead rangements, and sources of agricultural ership. Al)d it requires the fight to replace Free the Five Cuban Revolutionaries Held in The Crisis in Australian Health Care. Speaker: U.S. Prisons. Speaker: Brian Taylor, Socialist Joanne Kuniansky, Communist League, mem equipment and supplies-simply end up re the current neocolonial bourgeois regimes Workers Party, member, United Mine Workers ber, Australasian Meat Industry Employees' producing massive landlessness and class with workers' and peasants' governments. Local 2133. Fri., May. 10, 7:00 p.m. 3029-A Union. Sun., May 19, 4:00p.m. differentiation in the countryside. This is why we are convinced (I) that Bessemer Road. Donation: $4. Tel: (205) 780- Both events: 1st floor, 31281-287 Beamish St., struggles to carry through national libera 0021. Campsie. Donation: $4. Tel: (02) 9718-9698. Crisis of the imperialist system tion to the end will be a stronger, not a These pressing tasks confronting anti weaker, force in world politics in coming NEW JERSEY CANADA imperialist fighters in most semicolonial years; and (2) that in the great majority of Newark countries today are the product ofthe crisis these countries, to be an effective revolu Defend Immigrant Rights and Workers' Toronto· of the imperialist system itself, of the fail tionist today and tomorrow is to be a com Rights. Justice for Santiago Villanueva. Vancouver ure of capitalism. It is capitalism that has munist. Over the past three decades we have Speak(!r: Sarah Harris, Socialist Workers Party. Boycott the Anti-Native Referendum. Fri., May robbed workers and peasants the world over seen how such leadership can and will de Fri., May 3, 7:30p.m. 506 Springfield Ave., 3rd 10, 7:30 p.m. 2645 East Hastings, 2nd Floor. who fought courageously-and at great sac velop in the course of revolutionary Floor. Donation: $4. Tel: (973) 643-3341. Tel: (604) 872-8343. rifice-for their national independence, only struggles against national oppression. NEW YORK Brooklyn -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP The Meaning of the Elections in France. Speaker: Paul Pederson, Socialist Workers Party. Where to find Pathfinder books and MINNESOTA: St. Paul: 113 Bernard St., Campsie, NSW 2194. Mailing address: P.O. Fri., May 3, 7:30p.m. distributors of the Militant, Perspectiva West St. Paul. Zip: 55118. Tel: (651) 644- Box K879, Haymarket, NSW 1240. Tel: (02) Roots of the Crisis in the Catholic Church. Mundial, New International, Nouvelle 6325. E-mail: [email protected] 9718 9698. Speaker: Angel Lariscy, Socialist Workers Party. Internationale, Nueva Internacional and E-mail: [email protected] Fri., May 10, 7:30p.m. Both events at 372A 53rd NEW JERSEY: Newark: 506 Springfield Ny International. St. (at 4th Ave.) Donation: $5. Tel: (718) 567- Ave. 3rd floor. Zip: 07103. Mailing address: BRITAIN 8014. Riverfront Plaza, P.O. Box 200117. Zip: UNITED STATES London: 47TheCut. Postal code: SEl 8LL. Garment District 07102-0302. Tel: (973) 643-3341. · E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020-7928-7993. U.S. Navy Out of Vieques. Speaker: Ellen ALABAMA: Birmingham: 3029A E-mail: 101515 [email protected] Brickley, Socialist Workers Party. Fri., May 3, Bessemer Road. Zip: 35208. Tel: (205) 780- NEW YORK: Brooklyn: 372A 53rd St. 7:30p.m. 0021. E-mail: [email protected] (at4thAve.) Mailing address: PMB 106.4814 CANADA The Meaning of the French Elections for CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: 4229 S. Working People. Speaker: Bill Schmidt, Social 4th Ave. Zip: 11220. Tel: (718) 567-8014. E Montreal: 1237 Jean Talon E. Montreal, ist Workers Party. Fri., May 10, 7:30 p.m. 545 CentralAve. Zip: 90011. Tel: (323) 233-9372. mail: [email protected] Garment QC. Postal code: H2R lWl. Tel: (514) 284- 8th Avenue, 14th Floor. Donation: $4. Tel: (212) E-mail: [email protected] District, 545 8th Ave. Mailing address: P.O. 7369. E-mail: [email protected] 695-7358. San Francisco: 3926 Mission St. Zip: 94112. Box 30. Zip:l0018. Tel: (212) 695-7358. Tel: (415) 584-2135. E-mail:sfswp E-mail: s wpny gd @a ttg lob al. net; Toronto: 2761 Dundas St. West, Postal Upper Manhattan @hotmail.com Upper Manhattan: 599 W. 187 St. #lA code: M6P 1Y4. Tel: (416) 767-3705. End U.S. Aid to the Israeli Regime; For a . E-mail: [email protected] COLORADO: Craig: 6 West Victory Way. Zip: 10033. Tel: (212) 740-4611. E-mail: Democratic, Secular Palestine. Speaker: Emily [email protected] Vancouver: 2645 E. Hastings, Room 203. Fitzsimmons. Fri., May 3, 7:30 p.m. Dinner at Zip: 81625. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1539. Zip: 81626. Tel: (970) 826-0289.E-mail: NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte Area: Postal code: V5V 1Z5. Tel: (604) 872-8343. 6:00p.m. 599 W. 187th Street, 2nd Floor. Dona E-mail: [email protected] tion: $5 each for program and dinner. Tel: (212) [email protected] 2001A N. Cannon Blvd. Kannapolis Mailing 740-4611. FLORIDA: Miami: 8365 NE 2nd. Ave. address: P.O. Box 5624, Concord. Zip: 28087. FRANCE #206 Zip: 33138. Tel: (305) 751-7076. E-mail: Tel: (704) 932-0821. E-mail: PENNSYLVANIA [email protected] Tampa: P.O. Box [email protected] Paris: Centre MBE 175, 23 rue Lecourbe. 16002. Zip: 33687. E-mail: Postal code: 75015. Tel: (01) 47-26-58-21. E Philadelphia OHIO: Cleveland: 11018 LorainAve. Zip: mail: [email protected] Korea: the Fight for Reunification. Fri., May TOC [email protected] 44111. Tel: (216) 688-1190. E-mail: 10, 7:30p.m. GEORGIA: Atlanta: 2791 Lakewood Ave. [email protected] ICELAND The Fight for Equal Rights for Immigrants. Zip: 30315. Mailing address: P.O. Box PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia: 5237N. Reykjavik: Skolavordustig 6B. Mailing Fri., May 17,7:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:00p.m. Both 162515. Zip 30321. Tel: (404) 763-2900. 5th St. Zip: 19120. Tel: (21'5) 324-7020. E address: P. Box 0233, IS 121 Reykjavik. Tel: events at 5237 N 5th Street. Donation: $5 each E-mail: [email protected] for forum and dinner. Tel: (215) 324-7020. mail: [email protected] 552 5502. E-mail: [email protected] ILLINOIS: Chicago: 1212 N. Ashland Pittsburgh: 5907 Penn Ave. Suite 225. Zip. Suite 20 l. Zip: 60622. Tel: (773) 342-1780. 15206. Tel: (412) 365-1090. NEW ZEALAND AUSTRALIA E-mail: ChicagoPathfinder@co,mpuserve.com E-mail: 103122. [email protected] Auckland: Suite 3, 7 MasonAve.,Otahuhu. Sydney IOWA: Des Moines: 3720 6th .Ave. Zip: TEXAS: Houston: 619 West 8th St. Zip: Postal address: P.O. Box 3025. Tel: (9) 276- Release the Guantanamo Prisoners. Speaker: 50313. Tel: (515) 288-2970. E-mail: 77007. Tel: (713) 869-6550. E-mail: 8885. Linda Harris, Communist League, and member [email protected] swphouston@ev l.net E-mail: [email protected] MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: 12 WASHINGTON, D.C.: 3437 14th St. NW Christchurch: Gloucester Arcade, 129 Bennington St., 2nd Floor, East Boston. Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 387-1590. E-mail: Gloucester St. Postal address: P.O. Box 13- -CALENDAR- Mailing address: P.O. Box 261. Zip: 02128. [email protected] 969, Tel: (3) 365-6055. Tel: @517) 569-9169. E-mail: WASHINGTON: Seattle: 5418 Rainier E-mail: [email protected] PENNsYLvANIA [email protected] Avenue South. Zip: 98118-2439. Tel: (206) Philadelphia MICHIGAN: Detroit: 4208 W. Vernor St. 323-1755. E-mail: [email protected] SWEDEN First Contract Signed: Celebrate Victory by Mailing address: P.O. Box 441580 Stockholm: Domargrand 16, S-129 47, Kaolin Mushroom Workers. Sat., May 11,4:00 Zip: 48244. Tel: (313) 554-0504. AUSTRALIA Hagersten. Tel: (08) 31 69 33:E-mail: p.m. Kennett Square. Tel: (856) 881-2507. E-mail: [email protected] Sydney: 1st Fir, 3/281-287 Beamish St., [email protected] 12 The Militant May 13, 2002 -GREAT SOCIE1Y------Organic living-The Los Ange on the century-old tenement build stated by up to $24 billion. So, while which is rated one of the two low programs, according to the U.S. La les limes's real estate feature "Home ing on New York's Lower East Side, the "assets" figure is a crock, one est in the USA. The money will be . bor Dept. By 1998 that percentage of the Week" chose a house said to which has been doing nicely as a figure remains hard-5,600 Enron used to hire experts to remedy what had slipped to 50 percent. In 1999 be "free offormaldehyde, fiberglass tenement museum. In fact it's been employees have been booted out. the Nuclear Regulatory Commis or 2000 the contribution ofwork doing so well that the owner is try sion says are repeated problems ers to retirement plans ... surpassed ing to expand the museum by tak ..• meanwhile--" ... critics say the with emergency preparedness." company payments."-Omaha ing over the twin building next first ofthe post-Enron pension mea News item. World-Herald. door. There, 15 apartments are each sures to reach the House floor ac yielding $1,600 a month in rent. tually opens up fresh loopholes. Let 'em learn to swim-"Dav Shrewd guess-The number of (Astounding? Not in New York.) Some of the bill's provisions would enport, Iowa-A study by the U.S. people in Iowa receiving food Understandably, the owners don't lead companies to seek to reduce Army Corps of Engineers says stamps increased 12.1 percent last want to sell. The museum owner is the number of employees covered· Davenport's water treatment plant year. Officials blamed it on a "weak working to get the building de by pensions and give proportion is the only feasible candidate for economy." clared in the public domain so she ately larger pension benefits to the permanent flood protection.- Pro fumes, pollutants, particulates, mold can gobble it up, evict the residents, most highly paid executives." tecting the rest of downtown isn't Thought for the week-''The and other toxins .... Potable water is and double the museum capacity. New York Times, AprillO. worth the cost, according to a draft war on terrorism is the full employ filtered for bathing and laundering report."-News item. ment act for these guys."-D.B. as well as for drinking." Asking Oops-The Enron mega-swin Didn't start with 'experts'? Des Roches, Pentagon agent for the price: $6.95 million. dlers tried to look a bit embarrassed "The Nebraska Public Power Dis Greed unlimited-"In 1989 mercenary force being assembled when they 'fessed up that their trict approved nearly $4 million to companies contributed 70 percent to take over training the U.S. se Not quite organic-We reported claimed assets may have been over- improve its CooperNuclear Station, of new money going into retirement lected Afghan forces to be. Seattle action protests cop killing of truck driver BY ERNEST MAILHOT borhood, approached the truck. He was in cell phone in Thomas's hand and thought it defended the cop, others· have said that he SEATTLE-Two hundred people who civilian clothes and demanded they ·drive was a gun. regularly harasses people who park on the had attended the funeral of Robert Lee Tho off. Thomas k, not knowing he was talk The big-business media in Seattle joined road and local residents ifhe thinks they are mas, Sr., a 59-year-old African-American ing to a cop, asked for Miller's name. Ac in the police campaign to criminalize the playing music too loudly. truck driver, marched from Mount Zion cording to Gina-Marie Munnell, Thomas victim of this latest police killing of a Black On April 18 Charles Mandigo, head of Baptist Church to the King County Court Jr.'s girlfriend who was in the back seat, the working person here. On April 11 the Se the Seattle FBI office, announced that the house where the Sheriff's offices are located. cop then said, "One chance is the only attle Post-Intelligencer printed a front page federal cop agency would be investigating Thomas was gunned down by off-duty King chance you have. Take it up the street." story titled, "Man killed by officer had the police killing of Thomas. Indirectly re County deputy sheriff Melvin Miller only Miller then drew his gun and fired three criminal history." The article refers to run ferring to the anger in the Black commu daysbefore. On their way to the courthouse times into the truck killing Thomas Sr. and ins with the police and an assault convic nity over the killing, Mandigo said the FBI's marchers entered Interstate 5, tQ.e main high wounding his son in the hand. Thomas Jr. tion against Thomas, the latest of which is "public acknowledgment of its pending in way through downtown Seattle, and blocked and Munnell said Miller didn't identify him from 1984. vestigation was made in response to intense rush-hour traffic for almost an hour. self as a cop before he killed Thomas Sr. The police claimed Thomas was part of a public interest." Thomas, his son, and his son's girlfriend Miller claims he was forced to shoot af biker gang and that the three in the truck Anger in the Black community here has were driving in a new pickup truck to a ter the elder Thomas aimed a gun at him. had been partying and on drugs the day that been fueled by a series of police killings of friend's home for breakfast April 7 when The cops claim to have found in the truck a Thomas was killed. Relatives and friends Blacks in the city. In the past year this has they got lost in a predominantly white sub gun, which had not been fired and had pre point out that Thomas Sr. was a motorcycle included Shawn Maxwell, who cops gunned urb just south of Seattle. Thomas and his viously been reported stolen. Both Thomas enthusiast who belonged to the Magic down claiming he threatened them with a son are Black and his son's girlfriend is Jr. and Munnell deny that Thomas Sr. pro Wheels Motorcycle Club, a Seattle group. sword. Last May Aaron Roberts was shot to white. Thomas pulled over to the side of the duced a gun. At a press conference onApril They also point out that both Thomases as death by police who claimed the unarmed road to get his bearings. 18 Bradley Marshall, the Thomas family's truck drivers face regular drug testing and man was using his car as a weapon. Several Supposedly alerted by a neighbor who attorney, suggested the gun the cops say was do not use drugs. · protests occurred after the killing of Roberts. didn't like the truck and its occupants being found in Thomas Sr.'s hand could have been The first articles in the press after the Larry Dean, who with his. two sons was in the area, Miller, who lives in the neigh- planted and that the cop might have seen a murder of Thomas said that no drug para in the protest march after. the Thomas fu phernalia had been found in the truck. Days neral, pointed to the racist nature of the po later, without reporting the contradiction lice killing ofThomas and others. "If [Tho writer~ with previous reports, the press reported that mas] was a white man, he [Miller] talks him High court rejects Texas appeal drug items had been found in the truck. · down. There is no problem. There is no BY STEVE WARSHELL Three days after the cop killing of Tho gun." Marchers in the protest of Thomas' HOUSTON-The United States Supreme mas, the Seattle police arrested Gina-Marie murder vowed to continue their demonstra Court on April 15 ·refused to hear the ap Munnell on an outstanding warrant as she tions. peal of freelance writer Vanessa Leggett of was on her way to the Mount Zion Baptist her 168-day imprisonment on contempt of Church to make funeral arrangements for Ernest Mailhot is a meat packer and mem court charges for refusing to obey a grand Thomas Sr. _ ber of the United Food and Commercial jury subpoena to reveal confidential sources While some of Miller's neighbors have Workers Local81. · for a forthcoming book. The court made no comment in rejecting the case. Leggett was jailed in the Federal Deten -25 AND 50 YEARS AGO-- tion Center in Houston last July on a civil contempt charge after she refused to pro vide the grand jury with her notes and tapes THE MILITANT of interviews conducted over the course of THE MILITANT PU.LISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE four years of research into the 1997 shoot A SOCIMtSt NlWSWEfilY/J'UaJSH£0 IN lHE 1Nf£1UlS Of tHI WOIIING PEOPlE NEW YORK, N.Y. FIVE (5) CENTS ing death of Houston socialite Doris . Angleton. May 13,1977 May 12,1952 Leggett's attorney, Michael DeGeurin, President Carter unveiled his welfare re argued that she was protected by a reporter's form plan May 2. Rather than the compre May Day in Bolivia, three weeks after the constitutional privilege against revealing hensive reorganization he had promised, he revolution that overthrew the pro-Washing confidential sources, but two federal courts delivered a dozen "goals." ton military dictatorship in that country, pro "There should be incentives to be honest disagreed. vided additional proof of the continuing The writer was released January 4 when and to eliminate fraud," the president pon conflict between the workers, whose mili the grand jury's term expired. Shortly after tificated in goal number ten. "The programs tancy made the revolution successful,- and should be simpler and easier to administer." the new government, which is dominated her release from jail, a new grand jury in Leggett was im·nri.,nwu•.t But behind the vagueness and platitudes, by the conservative leaders of the National dicted Robert Angleton for murder-for-hire days on contempt charges for refusing to the thrust of Carter's program is reaction Revolutionary Movement (MNR). in the death of his wife. Angleton has al turn over to a grand jury confidential ary to the core. As last week's Militant showed in detail, ready been cleared of murder charges by a sources for a forthcoming book. state court. A hearing is pending in federal Goal number one: ''No higher initial cost the MNR leaders (President Victor Paz district court on Angleton's motion to dis than the present systems." This means no Estenssoro and Vice President Heman Siles miss the charges. apply the law unequally, resulting in dispar additional aid to the poor. With inflation, it Zuazo) are fundamentally pro-capitalist in According to a report from the Reporters ate treatment for news gatherers across the means a cut in real aid. outlook and reluctant to nationalize the for The average state pays out $275 a Committee for Freedom of the Press, U.S. country, her appeal said. She also argued eign-owned tin mines. However, they are Solicitor General Theodore Olson argued to that the subpoena, which sought all copies month-$3,300 a year-to a family of four under powerful pressures to carry out this the Supreme Court that Leggett's release of her research, would leave her unable to enrolled in Aid to Families with Dependent and other measures of social transformation from jail made her appeal moot. But Leggett work on her book. As such, a grand jury Children, the main welfare program. That's from the anti-imperialist masses, still armed countered that she could be subpoenaed to subpoena amounted to an unconstitutional way below even the. official government with 10,000 rifles arid machine guns and a testify at Angleton's trial, and would face prior restraint, the appeal said. poverty level of $5,500. resurgent labor movement (Central Organi another contempt citation and more jail time TheAprill5 Houston Chronicle reported Goals two, three, four, five, and seven are zation of Bolivian Workers), led by Juan if she did not comply. that the grand jury asked Leggett to disclose all roundabout ways of saying that people Lechin, Minister of Mines and Petroleum Leggetf's appeal urged the Supreme any conversations she had with certain po on welfare must accept whatever job the in the MNR cabinet. government offers. This is demagogy aimed Court to clarify the law . surrounding a lice officers, prosecutors, anq others. Rob The May Day event brought to the sur journalist's First Amendment privilege to ert Angleton's lawyer, Michael Ramsey, has at whipping up racist sentiments against face more of the differences between the Paz "welfare bums." But of the 11.2 million protect confidential sources. Federal courts reported rumors that the grand jury was governmentandtheiaborrnovernentandled looking for evidence of law enforcement people in the main welfare program, all but Edward A. Morrow, N.Y. Times correspon "leaks" about the investigation rather than 700,000 are children or their mothers. And dent in La Paz, to conclude that Paz appears for information about any crimes stemming the overwhelming majority of the rest are to be "facing a strong and constantly increas directly from Doris Angleton's shooting disabled or old people. ing opposition to his comparatively mild l THE MILITANT death. What might Carter's plan mean in prac political and economic objectives." According to the January 5 Houston tice? In Milwaukee, welfare recipients are Speaking to the May Day marchers, till ((,;e Chronicle, FBI agents had offered to hire forced to work for the county at two dollars Lechin said, "It was foolish to thirik the revo Leggett as a paid, confidential informant. an hour. After taxes and job-related ex lution was ended by the taking ofth~ Presi vvvvvv. themilitant.com Leggett refused and was eventually arrested penses, they take home less than forty-five dential Palace. It has only begun," he as- and jailed. dollars a week. serted. May 13, 2002 The Militant 13 -EDITORIALS-~------Crisis of French The fight against N.Y. cutbacks bourgeois parties . Continued from Page 8 levied on working farmers to pay for their supposed pol ·A fight is shaping up in New York City as Mayor The projected cuts in education will accelerate the physi lution of the environment. Michael Bloomberg and the city council prepare measures cal dilapidation of the already overcrowded schools and Another source of electoral support for Le Pen has been to slash social programs, cut thousands of jobs, and the general decline in the education system in the city. the unemployed and workers on part-time or temporary squeeze some $500 million in concessions out of the public The labor resistance and social protests taking place contracts. Estimates are that some 30 percent of all un workers' unions,.taking his original "share the pain" bud from rallies by teachers to transit workers to immigrants employed people and 25 percent of employed workers get proposal another step further. demanding translators for public services-stand as the voted for Le Pen. Many in the latter category are on tem The mayor is using threats of putting the city under a main obstacle in the way of the bipartisan attempt to iun porary contracts called "interim," which have become financial control board, which in 1975 carried through a roughshod over working people under the guise of a "bud extremely important in many French factories. Interim massive assault on working people in the city by cutting get crisis." The actions help point the way for other work workers have no union rights and can have their contracts tens of thousands ofjobs along with a range of social pro ers to organize and collectively fight to defend our hard terminated without cause. Unemployment has remained grams. won gains. at or above the 2 million mark for 20 years and the num With a matter-of-fact efficiency, the new mayor is prov The transit workers' battle to maintain their health cov ber of'\interimaires" has mushroomed. ing he is the man for the job the capitalist rulers of New erage should be championed by all working people. The York City need to get done. With neat charts and tidy lists, bosses use every possible means to try to whittle away at New assaults being prepared he hopes to lead the city government to methodically cut any temporary gains wrested from them by working Chirac has been using his supposed "tidal wave of sup program after program-with devastating consequences people-in this case claiming the plan is near "bank port" to prepare new attacks on the working class. for entire sections of working people in New York. ruptcy." Health care remains a basic right that is denied to The president has called on all the conservative parties The crisis comes after years of deteriorating conditions millions of people across the country, including in New to dissolve into a single party under the direct control of for millions of working people in the city, who face the York City itself. the president. There would be a single list of conservative combination of assaults by the employers and attacks from The fact that the attacks by the superwealthy rulers are candidates in the legislative elections and all candidates the federal, state, and city governments. occurring on a city, state, and federal level helps point to would pledge to be part of the same parliamentary cau 0 The drive by the Clinton and Bush administrations to the need for a political fight on a national level against the cus, voting according to the president's dictates. eliminate whole sections of the Social Security Act and depredations of capitalism. First and foremost is the battle "We need Jacques Chirac," said Alain Juppe following begin tearing apart the social safety n~t that millions of to demand Social Security be expanded so every single per a planning meeting for the new party, "to restore the au workers and farmers depend on was backed by the Giuliani son in the United States is provided cradle-to-grave health thority of the state and effective political action ... against administration. It has forced thousands onto fake care coverage, workers compensation, and old age pensions. a state-oriented and undisciplined culture that has devel- "workfare" programs. In the face of layoffs and unemployment, working people . oped over recent years. We must free businesses by low Bloomberg's plan to slash services to the homeless, end can fight for full union-scale unemployment benefits and ering their taxes .... Finally, we need Chirac to ensure our medical services at shelters, and eliminate food programs measures to force the government and employers to create European engagements and the international influence of come as a record number of children and adults are being jobs, such as launching a massive public works program our country." admitted to the city's homeless shelters. and shortening the workweek with no cut in pay. Chirac says his government would adopt "a new social and economic policy," the first step of which would be easing the restrictions of the 35-hour workweek and the "reform of the retirement system" through measures such as raising the retirement age and reducing benefits. In a Equal rights for immigrants recent television interview, Chirac said he would accept strikes only in "exceptional circumstances" and proposed The entire labor movement should stand behind de accept the second-class status the employers and their adopting an obligatory "minimum service" in the case of mands for equal rights for immigrants; to end INS raids, government hope to foist onto them. strikes in public services such as railroads and other forms jailings, and deportations; against moves by the govern-. Instead of allowing themselves to be relegated to a of public transportation and heaith care. ment to implement a national ID card; and to limit visi superexploited layer without legal protection and rights, Chirac says he would reduce state income by 30 billion tors' visas to the United States. immigrant workers are taking the moral high ground in euros, largely by reducing the social taxes paid by em The assaults by the Bush administration over the past defense of workers' rights and social entitlements won ployers that cover the retirement fund, public health care, six months build on the course carved out under the Clinton by through massive struggles. unemployment insurance, and family benefit plans. He administration. These include indefinite detentions of At a recent demonstration in New York the message would increase public spending by 20 billion euros for immigrants rounded up by INS cops, pushing forward was clear. "Bloomberg. We demand equality," said dem· the police and the army. The difference would be made plans to establish a national ID card, FBI questioning of onstrators to the city's billionaire mayor, Michael up by a "budgetary redeployment"-that is, by taking thousands of immigrants from the Middle East, snooping Bloom,berg, as they demanded equal access to social ser · money from other items such as education. on students and others in the United States on legal visas, vices and jobs. These struggles can only strengthen other and plans to beef up the INS. labor battles resisting the assault on wages and working Protest votes The actions in cities around the country by supporters conditions by the city government. Millions ofpeople voted for small centrist parties in of the rights of immigrant workers on May 1, which raised Under the guise of "national security" concerns and addition to the National Front. Not only did the two fas demands for the legalization of alL undocumented work the "war on terror," the Bush administration, with biparti cist parties get close to 20 percent of the vote, but three ers and their families, the right to unionize, equal protec san support, is seeking to "improve" the effectiveness of parties that call themselves Trotskyist, seen by a layer of tion under the law, and equal access to social services are its immigration enforcement agency by doubling the num working people as being more militant than the Commu in the best traditions of solidarity that can be celebrated ber of border patrol cops and developing a tracking sys nist and Socialist parties, received almost 3 million votes, on International Workers Day. tem of noncitizens entering the United States. or 10.44 percent of the total vote-three times that of the By joining actions like those in Washington May 1, Workers and farmers in this country can join with oth- · French Communist Party. working people can become part of the battle to unite the ers in the demand to end all raids and deportations of air Arlette Laguiller, the candidate of Lutte Ouvriere working class in face of the bipartisan assault at home. port workers and others aimed at intimidating workers (Workers Struggle), received 1.6 million votes, 5.72 per The superwealthy ruling class seeks through divide-and born abroad. cent of the total. She has refused to support a vote for conquer tactics to defend their power and make workers The demand for equal rights for all workers-regard Chirac, calling on voters to cast a blank ballot in the sec and farmers bear the brunt of the world capitalist eco less of their legal status-helps to point the road forward ond round. nomic cns1s. to overcome the divisions promoted by the capitalist rul The candidate of the Ligue Commmuniste In pursuing their anti-labor drive, the U.S. ruling class ers. It opens up the chance to see our brothers and sisters Revolutionnaire (Revolutionary Communist League) re keeps running into the growing combativity of vanguard from other countries as part of the working class and as ceived 4.25 percent of the vote. After a week of vacillat layers of immigrant workers who refuse to be silent and indispensable allies in a common struggle. ing and contradictory statements, the party's central com mittee met and decided by a large majority to call for a vote for Chirac, casting it as a vote "against Le Pen." The press and radio have given prominence to the statement, pointing out that Arlette Laguiller is now the only candi- · date who refuses to call for a vote for the bourgeois can- Irish leader says 'no' to summons didate, Chirac. · The French Communist Party (PCF), part of the gov Continued from Page 16 are assertive, and they know where they are going. And the erning coalition for the last five years, received only 3.37 attack a peaceful representative group and inflict serious reason they•have that confidence is because of the leader percent of the vote. 0 injury with a view to undermining" the negotiations. ship provided by young men and women who were ready Despite these efforts, Irish republicans continue to press to stand up and say 'we are not prepared to accept second Socialists lose teacher support forward with their fight. An event in DublinApril13 was class citizenship in our country.' So our message to the For the first time in recent memory, the Socialist Party attended by 2,500 people, predominantly families of re British government and the unionists is that those days are did not receive a majority vote amongst teachers, one of publicans who had died in the fight to overturn British gone and they are never coming back." Unionists are sup their traditional bastions of support. Many abstained while rule over the last 30 years. porters of British rule in northern Ireland. others voted for parties such as the Greens. During its Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness told participants Meanwhile, in England and Scotland supporters of the five years in office, the Plural Left government has at that "nationalist people are up on their feet like they have fight to end British rule are holding marches May 5 in tacked the national education system through major bud never been up on their feet before; they are confident, they Glasgow, May 25 in London, and June 8 in Edinburgh. getary cutbacks, provoking wave after wave of strikes and protest actions. Claude Allegre, the Education Minister and member of the Socialist Party, was forced to resign from the government by such actions. Similar austerity measures in the state-run health-care system produced a wave of strikes and demonstrations by hospital workers, another traditional stronghold of SP support.
Nat London in Paris contributed to this article.
14 The Militant May 13, 2002 Ned Turman: 'He died fighting for democracy' Printed below is an excerpt from Fight ful of Negro military police. He saw that ing Racism in World War II by C.L.R. most of the MPs were deliberately recruited James, George Breitman, Edgar Keemer from among the most backward, prejudiced, and others. This is. one of Pathfinder's southern whites-men who. were accus Books of the Month for May. The item tomed to treating Negroes as so much dirt. quoted is titled "The Case of Pvt. Ned There is no question that he, like the thou Turman: He Died Fighting for Democ sands of other Negro draftees, resented the racy." Written by Albert Parker, it origi way Negroes were being treated. In civilian nally appeared in the Aug. 23, 1941, issue life, Jim Crow is unbearable enough. But of the Militant. Copyright© 1980 by Path when he was being trained to die for de finder Press, reprinted by permission. mocracy, he must have thought to himself many times that he would like to have a little BY ALBERT PARKER of it himself, tliat he might just as soon die Ned Turman, Negro draftee, died like a fighting for it here as anywhere else. hero, fighting for democracy. He did not have August 6 was payday for the men in Ned a hero's burial, but he joined the long list of Turman's regiment, Battery C, Seventy fighters for Negro freedom and equality who sixth Coast Artillery. With many others, he were not afraid to risk everything, even their went to town that night, to "celebrate" in lives, in the struggle against oppression. Fayetteville, to go to a Jim Crow movie Like thousands of other young Negroes, house, to walk around and see the sights in Ned Turman was drafted into the United the windows. When Turman returned to the States Army and told he would be given bus later that night, he was perfectly sober. by the on movement in 1942 to protest Witnesses of what followed, who knew him; the execution of Waller, a Black sharecropper in Virginia who was victim of a reported this to newspapermen from the frame-up and legal lynching that year. Fighting Racism in World War II tells the story Pittsburgh Courier and the Afro-American. of fight for Black rights in the army, factories, and on the streets. BOOKS OF Turman entered the bus and sat down near the front. The bus driver refused to start back Hargraves began to club him over the famers. But at the same time they must real to the fort because he claimed that some of head. At the same time an MP outside the ize that while bravery and self-sacrifice are THE MONTH the men, colored and white, had been drink bus began to strike at him through an open necessary in the struggle against discrimina ing and were too boisterous. lie demanded window. And the other MPs advanced to do tion and segregation, they are not enough. MPs and the soldiers didn't like this. their share. . Jim Crowism cannot be overthrown by military training to prepare him to help save They argued with him until seven or eight Suddenly Turman broke away and pro individual acts, justified though these acts of the world for democracy. MPs showed up. They entered the bus and duced a revolver. The Pittsburgh Courier protest may be. One man may be able to in But once he got into the army, at Fort told the men to shut up. One of them, Pvt. reports that he cried out:"I'm going to break spire others, but only a mass movement will Bragg, North Carolina, he found that the Mack C. Poole, continued to talk and the up you MPs beating us colored soldiers!" actually destroy racial discrimination. And democracy he was being trained to defend MPs began to savagely beat him over the Those were his last words. He began to do it, a mass movement must have the was not supposed to include him. head with their clubs. "It looked like the shooting. Hargraves was killed, two other proper program. He found that as a Negro he did not have whole side of his head was caved in," one MPs wounded. When Turman's gun was This program must be based on unity of the same rights and standing that other sol of the soldiers said later. empty, an MP who entered the bus from the Negro and white workers in struggle against diers had. He found that he was not good Ned Turman spoke up, said that Poole back shot him dead. the creator of Jim Crowism, the system of enough to sleep in the same barracks that was in need ofhospitalization, that he should A night of terror followed. All the five capitalism itself that is also responsible for white soldiers used. He was not allowed to be taken care of."Hospital, hell!" said the thousand Negroes at Fort Bragg were war and fascism and unemployment. To eat in the same mess hall. He could not drink MP sergeant, E.L. Hargraves ofTexas. "I'm rounded up, cursed, beaten, and driven by achieve this unity, it must fight for full so soda in the same post exchange. He was for going to take him to jail." MPs armed with sawed-off shotguns out of cial, economic, and political equality for the bidden to play checkers in the same recre Evidently Turman repeated that he thought the camp to another nine miles away. Negro people. It must also demand military ation hall. Poole needed medical attention. "Talking All friends ofequality for the Negro people training under control of the workers them ·He was good enough to serve as cannon back" is what they call it in the South when a will honor the bravery of Ned Turman and selves to put an end to the Jim Crow prac fodder like white soldiers, but not together Negro tries to say something to a cracker. defend his action against his Jim Crow de- tices now employed by the officer caste. with them. He was segregated from the Hargraves told him to shut up and struck whites, shunted off on the side. He saw that him roughly on the shoulder. Turman threw there were practically no Negro officers, and up his hands to ward off the blow. In the none of these few could command white South such an act is unpardtmable. Crack -LETTERS soldiers, while most of his own command ers don't like Negroes to lift their hands to a Cuban revolutionaries coup by US. president Bush and White ing officers were white. He ~aw only a hand- white man, even in self-defense. A few weeks ago the Militant ran an ap House spokespeople, as well as the fact that peal to its readers to write to the five Cuban top U.S. officials collaborated with leaders revolutionaries imprisoned in U.S. jails. I of the short-lived regime both before and sent a brief letter of solidarity to each of during the events. The U.S. government, them, following which I received personal along with many big-business newspapers, ;tt~y BOOKS OF THE MONTH responses within a matter of a couple weeks. backed the coup from the start, even though It was obvious from the response that get- they never called it a coup. . ting mail is extremely important for them, * * * * Pathfinder Readers Club $PEciAI::s. both to remind the prison authorities that L.A. airport protest . 25% . these brothers have supporters on the out There are a few points I want to add to the Fighting Racism in World War II . DIS.CO.UN1' side, and to boost their morale and that of Militant's coverage of the March 28 action C.L.R. JAMES, GEORGE BREITMAN, their friends and families. at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) EDGAR KEEMER, AND OTHERS Mindy Brudno to protest a series of INS raids at Terminal!. Troy, New York The protest was ringed by police, in uniform A week~by-week account of the struggle against racism and and plain clothes, as well as federal police. racial discrimination in the United States from 1939 to 1945, April 20 action The fact that more than a few of the several taken from the pages of the socialist newsweekly, the Mili I liked your article on·the April 20 dem hundred marchers were undocumented, in tant. $21.95, special price: $16.50 onstrations in Washington and San Francisco, cluding an immigrant without "papers" who but I don't understand why I did not see any began the news conference, underscored the courage of these demonstrators. America's Revolutionary Heritage articles in the Militant leading up to the dem onstrations and urging people to mobilize for It should be noted LAX, like other U.S. Marxist Essays them. These demonstrations were very im airports, remains militarized. The breadth, EDITED BY GEORGE NOVACK portant given the war footing of the Demo discipline, and security of the union-based Explanatory essays on Native Americans, the first American cratic and Republican parties and their com protest offered adequate protection for these revolution, the Civil War, the rise of industrial capitalism, and plete and tight control of the media. workers, including a contingent of the first wave of the fight for women's rights. $22.95, special They helped create a little more space for jornaleros---day laborers who contract their services at area hardware and building sup price: $17.00 us to organize and take advantage of the new radicalization that many are seeing on the ply stores. campuses, high schools, communities, and The most powerful chant was raised by Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Spain work places around the country and, there a vocal contingent of Janitors for Justice, FELIX MORROW fore, warranted more mention by the Mili members of the Service Employees Inter national Union, who have won widespread A contemporary account of the revolution and civil war in Spain tant. Joe Lombardo support for their inspiring and victorious in the 1930s in which the proletariat, betrayed by its Stalinist Albany, NeW York struggles for union organization here. Led social democratic, and anarchist leaderships, went down to by a union member with a bullhorn, they defeat under the blows of an armed fascist movement. $19.95, U.S.-backed coup? continuously chant "Ia clase obrera no tiene special price: $15.00 I read Maurice Williams's article on Ven frontera (The working class has no border)." ezuela this morning and have to ask ... what The protest had a positive impact on many evidence do you have of the U.S. backing of my co-workers in the International Asso i Que lejos hemos llegado los esclavos! this coup? I know the U.S. doesn't like ciation of Machinists, especially those who NELSON MANDELA AND FIDEL CASTRO Chavez. He has been a disaster from the are immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Available from outset. But I really do not see any evidence and other LatinAmerican countries, who saw Speaking together in Cuba in 1991, Mandel a and Castro discuss bookstores, including that the U.S. somehow backed the action coverage of the demonstration in the media. the unique relationship and example of the struggles of the South those listed in page 12. Jon Hillson African and Cuban peoples. $10.95, special price: $8.00 taken by the generals .. The accusations are made but not backed Inglewood, California up by any facts. I'm curious ... can you shed some light on The letters column is an open forum Join the Pathfinder Readers Club for $1 0 this? Hard evidence, not rhetorical theory. for all viewpoints on subjects of interest E. A. to working people. and receive discounts all year long bye-mail Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please · ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.PATHFlNDERPRESS.COM Editor's note: Williams reported the pub indicate if you prefer that your initials lic statements of support for the military be used rather than your full name. May 13, 2002 The Militant 15 THE MILITANT Irish leader declines U.S. summons BY PETE WILLSON charged ·that the committee's request "may DUNDEE, Scotland-Sinn Fein presi be an attempt to use the proceedings of this dent Gerry Adams told a Belfast press con committee for blatant electioneering and to ference on April 23 that he had declined a pursue a domestic party political agenda." summons to testify the following day be A general election has been called for the fore a committee of the U.S. Congress. Irish republic for May 17. The London Sinn Fein is the party leading the fight to Times observed that Sinn Fein may well in unify Ireland and end British rule in its crease the number of seats it holds from one northern part According to the Financial to six in the voting. Times Adams was to be questioned a,bout In his letter Adams asked if the foreign ''what three IRA [Irish Republican Army] affairs committee had "ever discussed RUC members were doing last summer in Colom and British Intelligence Services operational bia." The three have been charged with links with loyalist death squads." The RUC teaching bomb-making to opponents of the is the British-run Royal Ulster Constabulary pro-imperialist regime in Colombia and are police force in Northern Ireland. being held in jail waiting trial. Washington The Sinn Fein leader challenged the com and London assert the IRA and Sinn Fein mittee over whether or not it had ever dis are two wings of the same organization, a cussed the massacre, known as Bloody Sun claim denied by both groups. day, of 14 civil rights marchers by British In a letter to Henry Hyde, chair of the troops in 1972, as well as the involvement House International Relations Committee of British forces in bombings by pro-Brit that directed Adams to appear before it, the ish loyalists in 1974 which killed 33people. Sinn Fein leader said he was "particularly "Have you ever invited the British govern concerned at the way anti-peace process el ment to meet the committee on these mat ements in Britain and Ireland have seized Part of the 40,000-strong crowd attending a march on the 30th anniversary of Bloody ters?'' Adams asked. upon the hearings to damage the peace pro Sunday, Feb. 3, 2002, in Derry, Northern Ireland. At an April 13 event in Dublin, Sinn cess itself. I also have serious concerns about Fein leader Martin McGuinness said that "nationalist people are up on their feet like Campaign of disinformation the arrest of three Irish citizens in Colom they have never been before." Protests have recently occurred against arrest and beating Meanwhile, Sinn Fein member of parlia bia and the way these arrests are being of Peter Caraher, a leader of the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee. ment Pat Doherty, referring to negotiations brought into a wider agenda in that region." with London, warned of"a concerted effort At the Belfast press conference-Adams said The report; which received prominent cov explained that the three men "have become to scupper the entire peace process." The that he thought the committee hearings were erage in the capitalist media in the United pawns in a much bigger game," and added Irish movement is facing a "massive scale "essentially about the relationship between States and Britain, alleges that 15 IRA mem that the report "vindicates the view of the of disinformation, inspired leaks, rumors, the U.S.A. and Colombia." Such matters, he bers have traveled to Colombia over the last men's solicitors that the hearing itself could and downright lies," he said. argued, were "for the governments of these four years to train members of the Revolu be prejudicial to their possibility of getting The Irish Republican Army has also re two countries." He explained that Irish· re tionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). a fair trial." jected allegations leveled against it over the publicans "have no desire t!J interfere in the The report charges the IRA with being "part past weeks of organizing a break-in at the internal affairs of other countries." ofa global terror network in Colombia, train 'Blatant electioneering' Special Branch headquarters in Castlereagh, Confirmation that these hearings were ing members of the guerrilla group FARC Along with this move in the United States, having a hit list of leading. Conservative being used by Washington to deal a blow to alongside Iranian and Cuban officials." Adams was also suminoned to appear be Party politicians, and buying arms last year Irish republicans and interfere in the sover The committee took testimony from Gen. fore the Irish Republic's Dail (parliament) from Russia. eignty of Colombia camewhen, on the day Fernando Tapias, commander of the Colom foreign affairs committee to answer ques This offensive against Irish freedom fight Adams was to have testified, a report was bianArmed Forces, who claimed he knew of tions about tM "relationship between Sinn ers has also been used as a smoke screen by released by the House committee titled, seven IRA members "involved in training Fein and 'international terrorism,"' accord the British rulers to step up raids and arrests "Summary of investigation ofiRA links to FARC." ing to the Irish republican newspaper An aimed more broadly at opponents of Brit FARC Narco-Terrorists in Colombia." Responding to these allegations, Adams Phoblacht. Iri declining to attend, Adams ish rule. Peter Caraher, a leader of the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee, was one such victim. Over the last months he has been in the forefrmit of protests call Naval base workers in Scotland fight job cuts ing for the removal of British military bases Jody Friels, an administration worker, four bases traveled to London to hand in a in his area. Caraher was arrested after Brit BY CAROL BALL ish forces smashed their way into his home said, "It's disgusting how people are being petition against the expected privatiz~tion. HELENSBURGH, Scotland-Marching treated .... Whole families don't know if they April 18. Along with Jim Cleary and Philip behind a banner reading ''No job cuts for Workers at Portsmouth and on the Clyde are going to have a job or not." · took part in hour-long walkouts in early O'Rourke, he was forced into a helicopter profit" and led by two pipers, 400 workers The unionists have good reason for their March to raise awareness of their problem. and taken to an interrogation center at and their families at the Clyde Naval Base concerns. Babcock Naval Services, the com The government called the announcement Crossmaglen. marched through this small town on the pany taking over the contracts at the Clyde an essential modernizing move. "We., have a According to An Phoblacht, after Caraher River Clyde near Glasgow Aprill2. That -bases, has been running Rosyth dockyard smaller fleet than we used to have-with was forced to the ground a cop at the jail day 1,000 Ministry of Defence (MoD) non in Fife for nearly 15 years. The company lesser requirements for maintenance;' said a stood on his head, "inflicting cuts to his industrial staff at the base were staging a cut 233 jobs there in 1999 and 360 last year scalp. He then placed his boot behind one-day strike. The walkout was supported Minister of Defence spokeswoman. Armed following the loss of contracts. Forces minister Adam Ingram said the Caraher's ear and twisted it round, causing by the majority .of the 2,000 industrial work The strike and march follow a campaign a gash that required seven stitches." ers who either stayed at home or refused to changes would save more than £300 million by the unions that included mass meetings [£1 =US$1.46] over the next five years, which In an April 28 press release; the South cross picket lines. and protests in December at Devonport and would be used in the "front line" of defense. Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee The trade unionists were protesting the in Portsmouth the following month. In Feb The day after the action, union leaders condemned the arrests and treatment of the decision by the government, announced ruary a delegation of employees from all held talks with Defence officials. men, which; they said, were "designed to March 25, that it will cut 750 job cuts at _ Continued on page 14 bases across the United Kingdom and con tract out 3,000 more job to private compa nies. The bulk of the jobs cuts are at the Clyde base. Others affected are Portsmouth Locked-out cablemakers in New Zealand win raise and Devonport in Plymouth, both on the BY ANNALUCIA VERMUNT the Press he would not be south coast of England. The Clyde base CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand on the picket line if he houses Britain's fleet of nuclear missile sub Cablemakers at the General Cable factory earned NZ$46,000 marines and has a civilian workforce of won their pay dispute after being locked out (NZ$1 =US 45 cents). nearly 3,000, some 1,735 of which are slated for 10 days by the company. On April 9 In face of the lockout, to be contracted out. Workers at the Ports workers rejected a 2 percent pay offer plus workers set up a picket mouth and Devonport bases have also de a one-time signing bonus by the company line outside the factory · cided to hold a strike ballot. and threatened to ban overtime and stage gates as General Cable "I can't remember a similar action," said rolling stoppages. Workers were demand continued to send out one worker who stopped to talk to Militant ing a 4 percent raise. cable. A picket told this reporters with his wife, a chef at Faslane. The company responded by locking out reporter that one freight He said he could not give his name as he is the 250 workers, members of the New company refused to subject to the Official Secrets Act. "All the Zealand Engineering, Printing and Manu cross the line but others industrial unions walked out at 10:30 a.m. facturing Union. The bosses sent the union were coming in to move in our support, and they're having a ballot a letter stating the workers would remain the cable. on industrial action soon. The march had a locked out until they accepted the The company made a great reception," he said. "We're trying to company's pay offer. second offer ofa 2.6 per l I I get the MoD to change its mind. This is just Defending the company's actions, the hu cent pay hike to the about cutting costs." man resources manager said wages at the union April 17 but this Workers at General Cable walk the picket line Another worker said union members plan · plant are in "the upper quartile for the mar was rejected by an even to begin a work -to-rule campaign next week. ket and [we] are simply trying to manage the greater majority than the original offer, and and a NZ$320 one-time payment. Workers "The main issue is that we don't want any trend away from that." Responding to com the lockout continued. approved this contract proposal. compulsory redundancies," she said. "We're pany claims that workers average NZ$46,000 Two. days later the bosses came forward also worried it will have an effect on wages income a year with superannuation (govern with a third offer of2. 7 5 percent pay rise now, Annalucia Vermunt is a member ofthe Meat and pensions." ment pension) and overtime, one worker told another 1.25 percent increase in nine months, Workers Union in Christchurch.
16 The Militant May 13, 2002