'Minibrigade' movement in Cuba TH£ A speech by Fidel Castro International Socialist Review, pages 9-18

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 52/NO. 4 JANUARY 29, 1988 $1.00 Coast-to-coast de01onstrations will protest U.S. aid to contras Nicaraguans 75 cities press fight plan events for peace on Jan. 25 Opponents of the U.S .-sponsored and fi­ BY LARRY SEIGLE nanced war against the people of Nicaragua MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Jan. 20 - and Central America need to organize mas­ The Sandinista government has lifted the sive, visible, and broadly sponsored pro­ country's state of emergency. This step tests now against the Reagan administra­ creates better conditions. for the workers tion's proposal for tens of millions of dol­ and peasants to organize and fight to carry lars more in aid to the contras. the revolution forward . Protest actions are already scheduled to All constitutional guarantees - includ­ take place in Washington, D.C., San Fran­ ing the right to demonstrate and the right to cisco, and 75 other cities on January 25 strike - are now in effect. when Reagan delivers his State of the At the same time, the government has Union address to Congress. Central Amer- announced a series of concessions to Washington in an attempt to help bring an end to the contra war. EDITORIAL These measures include agreement to negotiate directly with the contras about ican solidarity groups in Washington are terms for a cease-fire. Previously the San­ also organizing a march and rally at the dinistas had agreed only to indirect discus­ Capitol on February 2, the day before Con­ sions through an intermediary . .· gress is expected to vote on the contra aid. The government is also prepared to im­ The contras, whom President Reagan mediately release about 1,800 convicted ·calls "freedom fighters," are in reality a contra prisoners. The only condition is that band of mercenaries and murderers. They Washington or some other non-Central include notorious butchers who were mem­ Militant/Harvey McArthur American country take them in. They will bers of the National Guard of former dic­ Nicaraguan garment workers at November 5 pro-Sandinista march be free to return to Nicaragua with full civil tator Anastasio Somoza. The U.S.-sup­ - •• rights when the war ends. ported Somoza tyranny was overthrown in These initiatives were announced by a popular revolution led by the Sandinista Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega during National Liberation Front in 1979. Israeli regime intensifies ·the summit meeting of Central American ·· For six years now the working people of presidents in Costa Rica January 15-16. Nicaragua have resisted the efforts of the They resulted in a renewed agreement U.S . government to destroy their revolu­ among the five countries to continue peace tion. Thousands have paid with their lives. repression of Palestinians negotiations. The presidents reaffirmed The contra war has resulted in 50,000 Nic­ their call for a halt to all outside aid "to ir­ araguan casualties. More than 25,000 Nic­ BY HARRY RING copied territories, Yitzhak Rabin, minister regular forces or insurgent movements," araguans have been killed, most of them Driven to desperation in its savage ef­ of war, declared that relief agencies could which includes the contras. women, children, and poor farmers. This is forts to crush the Palestinian uprising, the not ship food or clothing into the Gaza The agreement in Costa Rica dealt a staggering figure for a country of 3.5 mil­ Israeli government declared East Jerusalem Strip and West Bank refugee centers until another political blow to Washington. The lion people. under police rule. At the same time it protest strikes were ended. Reagan administration had brought consid­ vowed to intensify its drive to starve out Nearly a quarter of a million Palestinians The war has drained $3 .5 billion from erable diplomatic and economic pressure to Palestinian refugee centers in the occupied in the refugee camps have been under the Nicaraguan economy that could have bear on Honduras, El Salvador, Gua­ Gaza Strip and West Bank. round-the-clock detention curfews for sev­ been used for schools, hospitals, and other eral weeks. temala, and Costa Rica. social needs. As Nicaraguan President East Jerusalem is the Palestinian sector Daniel Ortega explained, "More United of the city of Jerusalem. It was grabbed by Those who defy the curfew risk being Washington's emissaries warn~d against shot, beaten, or jailed. any agreement with the Sandinista govern­ States aid to the contras can only mean Israel in its 1967 war against neighboring more war, more death and destruction - Arab countries. In 1980 the Israeli parlia­ Medical care, even for serious illness, is ment. The administration's goal was to tor­ Continued on Page 4 Continued on Page 6 more totally unnecessary and unjustifiable ment declared the entire city the capital of suffering." Israel. A big blow to the contra war was regis­ Under the emergency rule, declared Jan­ tered on Aug. 7, 1987, when the presidents uary 19, striking Palestinian shopkeepers Haitians boycott sham elections of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, can be ordered to open their doors and, if Honduras, and Guatemala unanimously they refuse, can be ordered shut for a long adopted an accord for ending the military period. Police rule will also permit impo­ BY SUSAN LaMONT Emile Gloaguen, a Catholic priest from conflicts in Central America. This agree­ sition of curfews in the Palestinian quarter The overwhelming majority of Haitians the town of St.-Marc, told a reporter from ment was made possible by defeats dealt to and the roundup of suspected youth protes­ answered the fake election held in that the New York Times that the army had country January 17 by honoring the boycott threatened people in the countryside in the contra forces by Nicaragua's armed ters. and strike called by opponents of the mili­ order to force them to vote . forces. The Israeli rulers were jolted when pro­ tary-dominated government to protest the The KNG, which had not announced the Initially the U.S. government attempted test erupted in East Jerusalem December election. results of the "election" as of January 20, 19, less than two weeks after the outbreaks to dismiss the accords. Unable to torpedo Opposition leaders and journalists report reported that the voting had "taken place the peace agreements signed by the Central in Gaza and the West Bank. Jerusalem that very few Haitians took part in the vot­ well and beautifully." youths defied the police with flaming street American presidents, the administration ing. It was scheduled after the November - The four leading opposition candidates now gives lip service to the pact while con­ barricades and smashed windows at four election was canceled by Lt. Gen. Henri who helped initiate the boycott did not Israeli banks. tinuing efforts to keep the contra war alive. Namphy, head of the National Council of therefore participate in the election. With the ultimate aim of driving the San­ Shortly before Christmas, Palestinian Government (KNG), following a murder­ Of the 11 candidates who did take part, shopkeepers in Jerusalem began shutting dinista government from power, the ous assault on voters by Tontons Macoutes the front-runners are reported to be Leslie Reagan administration has sought at every down in solidarity with the protests. Since and government soldiers. The Macoutes Manigat, a political science professor who January 7, the store shutdowns have been step to use the accords to wrench more con­ served as ex-dictator Jean-Claude Duva­ lived in exile in Venezuela for many years, cessions from Nicaragua. continuous. lier's private police force. whom journalists report to be the favorite In a move that intensified Palestinian The small amount of voting that did take candidate of the army; and Gerard Philippe­ Reagan argues that the Sandinistas can­ rage, Israeli cops invaded the Dome of the place was characterized by massive fraud August. Several of the other candidates not be trusted to fully comply with the ac­ Rock and AI Aqsa mosques January 15, and abuses: lack of voter registration lists, threatened to challenge the election results cords. But Nicaragua has done more to im­ teargassing and clubbing those attending multiple voting, no secret ballot, payment -if they are not declared the winner. plement the provisions of the plan than any prayer services. for votes, soldiers stationed at polling On January 19 the State Department is­ of its other signers. And Nicaragua has . Escalating the starvation drive in the oc- places, unlocked ballot boxes, and so on . Continued on Page 21 Continued on Page 22 Youth campaign for subscription renewals

BY NORTON SANDLER member David Anshen. The Young Socialist Alliance is en­ Anshen has been involved in protests couraging its members to participate in our against CIA recruitment and in other polit­ subscription renewal campaign. ical activities on campus. With this in mind, distributors are or­ Most buy a single copy of one of the ganizing their renewal efforts to maximize periodicals, Anshen explained. But he the participation of these young fighters. pointed out that some anti-apartheid and In many cases, this will mean organizing Central America solidarity activists are teams to campuses where YSA members subscribers. and supporters attend school. The renewal campaign is aimed at ex­ "Sometimes I'll be talking about Nicara­ panding the long-term readership of the gua and someone will say, 'We don't get Militant, the Spanish-language magazine coverage about what is going on there in Perspectiva Mundial, and the Marxist the mainstream press.' I'll show them an magazine New International. article or speech by a Sandinista leader in It is a follow-up to our circulation drive the Militant," he said. conducted during the last months of 1987. "My own subscription lapsed for a A strength of that effort, which resulted in while. Now I'm making more of an effort. winning a combined total of more than to read the Militant regularly and to think 8,600 new readers for the publications, about what's in it," Anshen added. were the teams that traveled to outlying Keith Jordan, a student at Rutgers State campuses and factories. University in New Brunswick, New Jer­ YSA members on several campuses sey, recently dropped us a note. joined with the teams in selling subscrip­ tions. Other young people decided to be­ "I have been a member of the YSA since come YSA members during a team's visit. April," Jordan said. "I am presently in­ The renewal effort provides an opportu­ volved in the effort to build a chapter of the nity to hold political discussions with YSA YSA in New Brunswick. The process of members. It will help convince them to political understanding that led to my deci­ renew their own subscriptions and to par­ sion to join this organization of revolution­ Manuel ticipate in the process of recontacting all ary youth was greatly aided and speeded by Young Socialist Alliance was a'"ong the many groups participating in January 18 subscribers in the area. my reading of Pathfinder books and the March for Racial Justice in New York City. Winning new subscribers and renewals In a telephone interview, Neil Callender Militant newspaper." to socialist publications helps get out truth about struggle against racist violence. explained that Militant distributors from Boston joined him during the circulation drive in selling 10 subscriptions on the Brown University campus in Providence, Harassment of mural project by N.Y. Rhode Island. Half were sold to students who came to a YSA-sponsored film showing on the life of officials is target of more protests revolutionary leader Malcolm X. A few were sold at a speaking engagement for James Winfield, a national YSA leader. BY SUSAN APSTEIN people in the neighborhood to learn about been set to hear the charges on the "illegal" Callender also sold a couple of subscrip­ NEW YORK - Attacks on the Path­ the project and meet Arnoldo Guillen, a leaflets. tions to campus activists he works with. finder Mural Project by the city administra­ prominent Nicaraguan painter, who had Supporters of the mural project will use Callender said that in a follow-up discus­ tion here are beginning to meet with protest just completed two portraits on the mural. this time to step up the public campaign sion with one of the new subscribers, she by supporters of free speech and artistic that has been launched to protest the city's freedom. None of the other businesses or organi­ attacks and demand that the citations be expressed interest in the Militant's cover­ zations in the area that had also posted leaf­ age of paperworker strikes in Jay, Maine, They are demanding that the city stop dropped. harassing the painting of a six-story mural lets in the same locations were cited. The Zoilo Torres, president of the National and other cities. He said this new reader selective political harassment of the mural, also follows the coverage on the Nicara­ on the Pathfinder Building, which is in Congress for Puerto Rican Rights; Dan Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The mu­ with its huge fine, is intended to prevent Georgakas of Cineaste magazine; re­ guan revolution. Callender is looking for­ the artistic project from proceeding. ward to recontacting other subscribers. ral is being painted by renowned artists ac­ nowned artists Peter Gourfain, Rudolf tive in working-class struggles around the In a message of support to the project, Baranik, May Stevens, and Marina Gutier­ As for himself, Callender said he likes world. rez; and others will address the January 29 the Militant's news and analysis of interna­ Leslie Cagan of the Mobilization for Survi­ val noted that the citation has nothing to do speakout. It will be held at Westbeth Gal­ tional events. He mentioned the weekly Letters of protest are being sent to lery, 55 Bethune St. , in Manhattan, at 7:30 coverage provided by our bureau in Mana­ Mayor Edward Koch. A petition is being with environmental pollution. "Instead of delivering citations to the mural project, p.m. gua, Nicaragua; articles on the African Na­ circulated demanding that city authorities The growing list of sponsors of the tional Congress' 75th anniversary confer­ carry out their job - protecting the civil the city's Environmental Control Board should be tracking down corporations mural project includes singer-composers ence held recently in Arusha, Tanzania; rights of the artists and activists producing Pete Seeger, Roy Brown, and Thiago de and reporting from the Philippines as e\­ the mural, not restricting them. A January which daily pollute this city," she wrote. In a letter to Mayor Koch, attorney Mar­ Mello; poets Dennis Brutus and Sonia San­ amples. 29 "speakout" here in defense of freedom chez; Hartford 16 defendants Yvonne of expression has been scheduled. garet Winter calls on him to put a stop to A number of teams from New York the Environmental Control Board's harass­ Melendez-Carri6n and Elias Castro traveled upstate to Albany during the fall The attacks on the mural, which features ment, noting that the mural "will be a tre­ Ramos; Leslie Cagan; and William Kuns­ drive. They joined distributors there, in­ the portraits of outstanding working-class mendous cultural asset to the city when it is tler, constitutional attorney. cluding YSA members, in selling 39 Mili­ leaders whose works are published by completed." The campaign against the city's harass­ tant and PM subscriptions. Some of these Pathfinder, began in early December. ment is being organized through Pathfinder were sold to students at the State Univer­ An agent of the city's Environmental Attorney Edward Copeland of the firm Books at 79 Leonard St., New York, N.Y. sity of New York (SUNY) campus. Control Board hand delivered 35 citations of noted civil liberties lawyer Leonard 10013; telephone (212) 226-8445. Protest "Often we set up tables as a way of talk­ for "illegally" posting leaflets, which can Boudin is representing the mural project. messages should be sent to Mayor Edward ing to people about what's going on in the carry a fine of up to $3,500. The leaflets He recently won a postponement, until Koch, City Hall , New York, N.Y. 10007. world," said SUNY student and YSA announced a November open house for April, of a January 19 hearing that had Please send copy to Pathfinder Books. The Militant tells the truth Subscribe today! The Militant "The Militant has given me the best weekly Closing news date: January 20, 1988 Coeditors: MARGARET JA YKO and DOUG JENNESS coverage of events in Nicaragua of any readily Circulation Director: NORTON SANDLER Nicaragua Bureau Director: LARRY SEIGLE available newspaper. And in all modesty, I Business Manager: JIM WHITE Editorial Staff: Susan Apstein, Fred Feldman, Arthur Hughes, must say that the interview I had by Harry Cindy Jaquith, Roberto Kopec (Nicaragua), Susan LaMont, Sam Manuel, Harvey McArthur (Nicaragua), Harry Ring. Ring was timely and complete. Published weekly except one week in August and the last "For all these reasons I am grateful to Harry week of December by the Militant (ISSN 0026-3885), 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. Telephone: Editorial Of­ fice, (212) 243-6392; Telex, 497-4278; Business Office, (212) and the Militant., -David Linder 929-3486. Correspondence concerning subscriptions or changes of Subscription running out? Renew now. address should be addressed to The Militant Business Of­ 0 $4.00 for 12 weeks, new readers flce, 410WestSt., New York, N.Y. l0014. D $9.00 for 12 weeks, renewals . Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. POSTMAS­ 0 $17.00 for six months TER: Send address changes to The Militant, 4 10 West St. , New York, N.Y. 10014. Subscriptions: U.S., Canada, Latin 0 $30.00 for one year 0 $55.00 for two years America: for one-year subscription send $30, drawn on aU. S. D For $3.50 additional, send N ew International issue bank, to above address. By first-class (airmail), send $65 . No.6 with my six-month or longer Militant subscription. Britain, Ireland, Continental Europe, Africa: send £25 I Name ______check or international money order made out to Pathfinder Addrus ______David Linder, father of Press and send to Pathfinder, 47 The Cut , London SEl 8LL, City State Zip ______U.S. volunteer worker Ben­ England. Australia, Asia, Pacific: send Australian $60 to Pathfinder Press, P.O. Box 37, LCichhardt, Sydney, NSW Telephone ------Union/School/Organization ------jamin Linder slain by con­ 2040, Australia. tras in Nicaragua. Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent Send to THE MILITANT, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014 the Militant's views. These are expressed in editorials.

2 The Militant January 29, 1988 Paperworkers bring strike news to Minn.. Tour reaches unionists, Blacks, farmers

BY JANICE PRESCOTT strike and more generally about unionism ST. PAUL, Minn. - "Are you kidding? and solidarity. We were lucky to get 20 members to a Samson explained how strengthening union meeting a year ago," said Dennis the union had benefited French-speaking Couture, vice-president of United Paper­ workers of Quebecois origin, who have workers International Union Local 14 in traditionally been discriminated against in Jay, Maine. He was responding to a union Maine. As a result, these workers are member's apology for the turnout at a among the strongest supporters of the meeting Couture attended during his nine­ strike. Couture later told the Militant that day tour here. The tour's purpose was to he considered the church meeting one of build support for the paperworkers' strike the highlights of the tour. "We want to against International Paper Co. speak to as broad an audience as possible "IP did more to build the union than we -to other unionists, of course, but also to ever could have," Couture said. "Now we young people, Blacks, and farmers." have 2,000 members, family members, At a board meeting of the Wisconsin and friends attending our weekly union/ Farm Unity Alliance, Samson described family meetings." their strike and invited the farmers to visit Couture and Roland Samson from Jay Jay. He explained that he himself is a tree Militant/Tom Jaax were joined for three days of the tour by farmer, as are many of the strikers, and so Dennis Couture (right) and Roland Samson, striking paperworkers from Jay, Maine, Gerald Herwald and Terry Vanderlinden he understands something of what farmers speaking to paperworkers in St. Cloud, Minnesota. from UPIU Local 6288, which represents are going through. The Wisconsin farmers, who have do­ paperworkers on strike against IP's mill in family meeting in Jay. nated several cows to the De Pere strike, and their supporters attended a solidarity De Pere, Wisconsin. Herwald is the local Groundswell member Dolores Swoboda promised to get in touch with a sister or­ rally here January 8. president. pledged to help spread the word about the ganization, Rural Vermont, about the IP The tour went from January 5 to January paperworkers' fight through the group's UPIU Local 6288 President Gerald Her­ strike. 13 and received significant media cover­ newsletter. There was also discussion be­ wald reported that the De Pere strike re­ At a meeting with executive board mem­ age. tween the strikers and farmers about their mains solid. Only 12 of 374 union mem­ bers of Groundswell, another farmers' or­ common concern for the environment. bers have crossed the picket line since the ganization, in Wanda, Minnesota, Couture Discussion with autoworkers The tour raised some $3,500 to cover strike began June 8. He also described the heard how farmers have been arrested and Couture and Samson fielded questions tour expenses and for the two locals' strike local's stepped-up efforts to build support jailed, and that sheriffs, their deputies, and from members of United Auto Workers funds. by sending out speakers to other areas in Local2125 in Rochester, Minnesota, whose state police are used to kick farmers off Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Rep­ their land. contract expires January 20. The company is Janice Prescott is a member of Machinists resentatives from the IP strike in Jay, Couture said that farmers in the Midwest demanding major concessions. "How could Locall833. Maine, al so spoke at the rally , and repre­ you go on strike now with so many strikes "have gone through something much worse sentatives from several other unions in the being defeated?" one worker asked. for a long time now than what we are fac­ state gave greetings . Samson answered, "There were two ing in Jay." He was impressed that farmers BY DON DAVIS reasons we went out. First, we know we "are organized to fight back" and invited GREEN BAY, Wis. - More than 700 The featured speaker was Democratic can beat them. We have the local sewed up them to come tell their story to a union/ International Paper strikers from De Pere presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. solid - only 57 out of nearly 1 ,300 have crossed the picket line. And we have the support of the town and the surrounding community. Caravan '88 rallies draw 800 in Maine "Second," he continued, "we had no Some workers had questions about the choice. We offered to continue the same strike. One worker from a nonunion fac­ contract for two more years, and the com­ pany refused. They wanted more conces­ tory asked why the paperworkers had gone sions. Our human dignity demanded that on strike when they make $37,000 a year. we strike." IP has been airing television advertise­ The Jay and De Pere strikers also spoke ments attacking the strike and claiming that to two shift meetings of UA W Local 879 at workers at the Androscoggin mill average the Ford assembly plant in St. Paul and to a $37,000 a year. meeting of International Association of Bruce Stevens of Local 14 replied that Machinists Local 1833, whose members money was not the primary issue. "They work for Northwest Airlines. wanted to eliminate 500 jobs and the They addressed five UPIU locals, sev­ seniority system. They wanted to take eral of which had already been making fi­ away our Christmas shutdown. That's why nancial contributions to the strike. The we went out. They wanted to destroy the UPIU has 33,000 members in Minnesota. union." He went on to explain that while wages Discussion about P-9 at the mill were good, only a minority of Many unionists asked the paperworkers the workers got as much as $37,000. about the 1985-86 strike by members of At a meeting of 100 unionists in Old United Food and Commercial Workers Militant/Mike Shur Town, a questioner asked whether it was Local P-9 against Geo. A. Hormel & Co. , Caravan '88 rally at high school gym in Woodland, Maine, near Canadian border. possible to win, citing IP's claim that it is which took place in Austin, Minnesota, running the mill at 90 percent capacity with and is still very much on people's minds scab labor. here. Workers were interested to learn that BYMIKESHUR profits and wanted even more. We couldn't BANGOR, Maine - More than 800 accept any more concessions and we are Gary Labbe from Jay responded, "IP is Ray Rogers' Corporate Campaign, which lying when they say that. Truck drivers was hired by the meat-packers, has re­ workers attended rallies across northern standing together. I urge you to come to and central Maine in support of striking our Wednesday night meetings in Jay to who stopped on their way out told us they cently been hired by the UPIU to help build were leaving almost empty. One opened support for the strike against IP. paperworkers from International Paper's see for yourself." Androscoggin mill in Jay. Joe Langlais of Local 14 then urged the back of the truck and showed us he had Couture and Samson acknowledged the The rallies were part of Caravan '88, a workers to write letters to the board of di­ only five rolls of paper. IP had offered him debt the entire labor movement owes to the car caravan organized by United Pa­ rectors of Coca-Cola, Hershey, Avon, and a $100 bonus if he would run through all P-9 fighters . They also explained their perworkers International Union Local 14 Anheuser Busch. "These companies have the truck gears slowly as he left to make us views about some of the differences be­ and International Brotherhood of Firemen board members that sit on the board of IP . think he had a full load." tween the two strikes. and Oilers Local 256, the unions that or­ We want to let them know that we object to Joe Langlais added, "IP has lost con­ One factor that is more favorable for the ganize the strikers. More than 90 workers their participation in IP's attack on our tracts to provide James River Paper's Otis paperworkers, explained Couture, is that have participated in the caravan, which is union." mill with processed pulp and provide Time the community in Jay is not divided. Un­ cosponsored by UPIU locals across the Also addressing the events were state Magazine with coated paper because of the like Austin, where the town was sharply state and by the state AFL-CIO. legislator's , who joined AFL-CIO officials low quality of what they are producing. polarized, "the whole town of Jay supports As the strikers arrived in towns, they in urging · workers "to vote out Reagan ism Those scabs can't make quality paper." the strikers," he said. He went on to ex­ were greeted at local union halls by union­ and vote for the friends of labor." A highlight of Caravan '88 was the visit plain that Jay is not on strike alone, as was ists who joined them in leafleting mill gates In discussions at plant gates, paperwork­ by 20 striking paperworkers to the picket P-9. "There. are four mills involved here, and shopping centers. More than 40,000 ers from other mills expressed solidarity lines of railroad workers who are on strike not just one, and our International is behind flyers were distributed. with the strikers. One worker from Georgia against Guilford Transportation System us all the way ," he said. Unionists in each town provided housing Pacific's Woodland mill said they had been here in Bangor. Samson added , "This strike is being car­ and meals for the touring strikers. Dozens working without a contract for six months. After a rousing chorus of "Scabs out, ried out by the union , and the union is the of unionists helped organize events along "The corporations are trying to turn us into union in!" the striking workers exchanged membership, the rank and file . The Inter­ the l ,000-mile caravan route. These in­ wage slaves who will do anything we're experiences. One UTU member said, national hired Ray Rogers' Corporate cluded the Maine Building Trades Associa­ told. That's why it's important that you're "Half our members have crossed the line to Campaign to help us out a few months ago, tion, Maine Teachers Association, Amal­ fighting for all of us." return to work. It's good you guys stick to­ and they're doing a great job. But our real gamated Clothing and Textile Workers A millwright from Great Northern gether." strength is in our unity." Union, Operating Engineers International Nekoosa's paper mill in Millinocket said, Representatives of the caravan also Some 50 people, mostly young Blacks, Union , and many others. that his union "is weak and divided. We spoke to about 250 high school students in attended a public forum at the Zion Baptist At a rally of 200 in Millinocket, Bert have 12 locals in the two mills. We've lO classes. They addressed students in a Church in Minneapolis' Black community, Plante of Local 14 declared, "IP wanted to taken a lot of concessions. We're glad to dozen classes at the University of Maine where the paperworkers talked about their destroy our way of life. They made record see a strong union fighting back." here.

J~nu~y 29,.1988 The Mili~;mt 3 Israeli regime escalates brutal crackdown on Palestinians Continued from front page education minister ordered the emergency allies tried to bludgeon critics of its reac­ denied. United Nations clinics that nor­ mobilization of high school students to tionary policies into silence with the claim mally serve up to 400 patients a day are pick citrus fruit before it went rotten. that anti-Zionism equals anti-Semitism. As now down to the three or four who manage Workers from the occupied territories the. number of voices critical -of Israeli pol­ to make their way past Israeli troops. play an important role in the Israeli econ­ icies has grown that smear is harder to fly. Women are permitted to seek food for an omy and agriculture is particularly depen­ Also taking a bad beating is the once hour about every other day. dent on them. widely accepted myth of a "progressive" One relief worker said she had seen the Before the curfew barred them from Israel- an "enlightened," even "socialist" jet black hair of some children turning going to work, large numbers were staying Israel, an outpost of "western democracy" orange, a sign of serious malnutrition. home to protest Israeli repression. in a sea of Arab reaction. UN officials in Gaza said they were sta­ Shattering blow When it launched the June 1967 war, Is­ tioning food trucks at camp entrances to rael enjoyed broad international support protest Israeli refusal to let them deliver ur­ The power of the protest, and the brutish against the Arab countries. Among politi­ gently needed supplies. ferocity of the Israeli response, has been cal forces in this country there was a re­ The trucks will stay there "until they let broadcast worldwide by the media. This markable near-unanimity in favor of Israel. us in," an angry official declared. has dealt a shattering blow to Israel's It ranged from the extreme right to most of Meanwhile, on January 17 the Israeli image. the left. The Socialist Workers Party and a The badly battered condition of that handful of others were virtually alone in image was testified to when an official said condemning Israel's reactionary aggres­ that Israel's Foreign Ministry had prepared sion. a briefing paper titled, "Ten ways Israel is The first serious blow to the pro-Israel not like South Africa." consensus came with the 1982 invasion of For years Israel solicited world sym­ Lebanon. Protester in Nablus holds Palestine flag pathy and support as the "underdog" of the There was the horror of the bloody seige Mideast. Now, a single media photo was of Beirut, with its high civilian toll. Then press or assembly invites prison. At any enough to devastate that posture: the Pales­ came Sabra and Shatila. At these Palestin­ given time - before the uprising - 4,000 tinian boy standing up to Israeli troops with ian refugee camps, Israeli forces arranged Palestinians were in Israeli jails, suffering a slingshot. for units of the Phalange, a fascist-like the most shocking deprivation and brutal­ The clearly popular nature of the Pales­ gang of killers, to enter the camps and ity. tinian uprising has also undercut the long­ slaughter countless inhabitants. The racist humiliation is summed up on standing, slanderous depiction of the Pal­ The Israeli government is well aware of Palestinian internal passports that delare estinian people as "terrorists." how damaging television coverage of its their nationality "unidentified." Anthony Lewis, a New York Times col­ efforts to stamp out the present rebellion is. In 1947 when the UN carved up Pales­ umnist and a partisan of Israel, was re­ "This is worse than 1982," said a Foreign tine and handed the greater part to the cently moved to declare, "Young boys who Ministry official. "It's killing us abroad." Jewish settlers from Europe, the justifica­ throw stones at soldiers are not terrorists." Apart from the briefing paper on the dif­ tion offered was that a single Palestinian With increasing numbers of people com­ state would lead to the oppression of the JORDAN ferences between the Israeli government ing to realize who the real terrorists are, and the apartheid regime in South Africa, Jewish minority. another reactionary propaganda tool is Israeli officials have done little to counter That was a lie refuted by the earlier de­ being blunted. the negative image-other than restricting cades of coexistence between Arabs and For years the Israeli government and its media coverage of troops attacking protest­ Jews. But the imposition of the Israeli state ers and beating up photographers. has surely led to the most bitter oppression of the Palestinians. Challenge posed by uprising Ben Linder Construction Brigade That oppression generated Palestinian The reality is that the Israeli rulers have resistance, a resistance that was deepened little choice in the matter. They are dealing profoundly with the post-1967 annexation to begin work in Nicaragua with a problem of survival. The scope of and colonization of the West Bank and the present uprising and their inability to Gaza Strip where opposition to Israeli rule BY CRAIG STEVENS "Nicaraguans welcome U.S. citizens be­ contain it poses a very real challenge to has been unremitting. their capacity to rule the occupied territo­ PORTLAND - Thirteen volunteer con­ cause the biggest problem facing Nicara­ That resistance burst into full flame with struction workers left here at midnight Jan­ gua is the contra war. They know that, re­ ries. And the future of Israel itself is very much bound up with the fate of the territo­ the protests that have continued since De­ uary II for Corinto, Nicaragua. Together gardless of the setbacks the contras are suf­ cember 9. The savage response of the Is­ with two others already in Nicaragua, they fering on the battlefield, the war will be ries. This year Israel will mark the 40th an­ raeli regime only testifies to the depth of its will constitute the first contingent of the ended only in the United States. It will be crisis. Ben Linder Construction Brigade. ended through the efforts of people here, niversary of its founding. But growing numbers oflsraelis realize they won't have The brigade is named in honor of Port­ and those who have been to Nicaragua can play a major role in this process." a great deal to celebrate. Twenty years ago, land resident Benjamin Linder, who was with the crushing military defeat of Egypt, San Francisco protest murdered April 28 , 1987, by the U.S.­ Syria, and Jordan, Israel's future seemed backed contra mercenaries while working assured. hits Israeli repression on a rural electrification project in northern Utah tour protesting Today, that future is far from settled. Nicaragua. The group has chosen to work The Palestinian resistance is proving irre­ BY ARNOLD WEISSBERG in Corinto, Nicaragua's major port city, Aryan Nations set to pressible. SAN FRANCISCO - Four hundred because Portland and Corinto have recog­ begin January 26 When Israel grabbed the West Bank and people picketed the Israeli consulate here nized each other as "sister cities." Gaza Strip in the 1967 war, it said the oc­ January 7 protesting repression against Pal­ The volunteers will spend two weeks in­ cupation was "temporary" and the areas estinians in the occupied territories. Part of BY STEVE WARSHELL a national protest in many cities across the itiating much-needed repairs on Corinto's SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Bill would be relinquished when a peace agree­ only hospital. The first priority will be re­ ment was signed with its Arab neighbors. country, the action was built here by the Wassmuth, a Catholic priest from Coeur newly formed Emergency Committee for pairing the leaking roof. Additional work is d'Alene, Idaho, will begin a tour of Utah But that was a fiction. It was proven so needed on lighting, windows, and paint­ Palestinian Rights. January 26 to speak out against the racist by the almost immediate moving of Jewish Among the protesters were activists ing. Aryan Nations. This group is the political settlers into the occupied areas. Today Organizers of the brigade recognize that from the Palestine Solidarity Committee, arm of the Church of Jesus Christ Christian there are some 2,500 colonial settlers in the the Central America anti-intervention one two-week visit will not be enough to headed by Richard Butler and headquar­ Gaza Strip and 60,000 in the West Bank. complete all the needed repairs, so they are movement, and the anti-apartheid struggle, tered in Hayden Lake, Idaho. as well as Filipino acitivists, students, already beginning to plan for subsequent The Aryan Nations' goal is to establish a Bitter oppression contingents to go to Corinto later this year. unionists, and members of the San Fran­ whites-only state in the area encompassing For 717,000 Palestinians living within cisco Arab community. There will probably be no shortage of Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, and the borders of the Israeli state itself, life is volunteers. More than 40 people applied to Washington. Its platform states that bad enough. They are second-class citizens The following night 250 people took part be in the first group. Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Jews "are to be at best ____:. victims of racist discrimination in a teach-in and solidarity rally at which At a well-attended news conference be­ repatriated from the Republic's territory." and denied economic, social and political the featured speaker was Samih Farsoun , fore the brigade's departure, spokeswoman Wassmuth's tour is sponsored by Utahns equality. contributing editor of MERIP Middle East Against the Aryan Nations, the state AFL­ Reports and teacher at American Univer­ Susan Leo commented, "We are like the But any notion that they are ready to ac­ tens of thousands of others across the coun­ CIO, the Western Foundation for Racial sity in Washington, D.C. Farsoun outlined cept their lot indefinitely was jolted with the cruel treatment Palestinians have re­ try who were inspired by the example of Equality, and many other organizations. the historic all-Palestine general strike De­ Speaking engagements have been organized ceived from Israel in the occupied territo­ Ben Linder. Thousands stepped forward cember 21 in which those within Israel in Salt Lake City and Price and at Brigham ries and placed this at the center of the after his murder to join protest activity joined hands with those in the occupied Young University at Provo. reasons for the uprising. against the U.S. war in Nicaragua, to join areas. The high point of the tour will be a meet­ volunteer projects like this one in order to And now, the need for the first time to The meeting was chaired by Catherine ing sponsored by the AFL-CIO at its hall in see Nicaragua for themselves, and to take impose police rule in East Jerusalem under­ Cusic of the Nicaragua Information Cen­ Salt Lake County. Ed Mayne, Utah state action in solidarity with the Nicaraguan lines that reality. ter. Other speakers included Maudelle people." AFL-CIO president, will chair. Wassmuth Shirek of the Berkeley City Council , Appearing at the send-off news confer­ will share the platform with Merle Hansen In Gaza and the West Bank nearly 1.5 Leticia Pefia of Noticieros Palestinos, and ence along with the 13 volunteers were of the North American Farm Alliance, Cur­ million Palestinians have endured 20 years Hilton Obenzinger of the Palestine Solidar­ Portland Mayor Bud Clark; Jim Duncan, tiss Sewell of the National Association for of police-state rule. They can be jailed ity Committee. chairperson of the Portland-Corinto Sister the Advancement of Colored People, and a without trial or banished from their coun­ Messages of support were read from the Cities Association; and Miriam Linder, spokesperson for the National Organization try . Their land has been stolen from them Colorado chapter of the American Indian Ben Linder'.s sister. for Women. The meeting will also be a sa­ and industrial development blocked to in­ Movement; John George, a leader of the Reporters questioned what kind of re­ lute to Martin Luther King, Jr. It will be held sure Israeli capitalists a big pool of cheap Bay Area Free South Africa Movement; sponse U.S. citizens might get from the January 26, 7 p.m., at the Labor Center, labor. and Nancy Walker, a member of the San ·Nicaraguan people. Linder explained, 2261 Redwood Road in West Valley City. Exercising the rights of free speech, Francisco Board of Supervisors.

4 The Militant January 29, 1988 Protests expose 'amnesty' in El Salvador Death squads condemned by unions, church officials, rights groups

BY FRANCISCO PICADO Increased terrorist attacks by El Salvador's government-sponsored death squads have been met by protests in El Sal­ vador and internationally. Anger has been further fueled by the decision of the U.S.­ backed regime of President Jose Napoleon Duarte to decree an amnesty for all the mil­ itary officers and death squad members re­ sponsible for murder and other human rights violations. When Duarte was elected in 1984, he promised he would prosecute army and police killers linked to the hated death squads, which are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Salvadorans. Yet not one army officer has ever been prose­ cuted. While the number of killings had de­ creased in the past few years, the paramili­ National Union of Salvadoran Workers contingent in 1987 San Salvador march against repression. Labor federation says tary gangs continued to carry out attacks on death squads continue, despite government denial. unionists, human rights activists, and others. The resurgence of death squad activity is tance to the Salvadoran judiciary. Such as­ in a sermon at the metropolitan cathedral The UNTS sent a letter on December 23 part of the right wing's response to the fail­ sistance, however, only amounted to a lit­ on January 3. to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica, re­ ure of Duarte's crisis-ridden government to tle more than 1 percent of the $608 million The National Union of Salvadoran questing a meeting with him. Arias is cred­ crush the armed popular movement in the that the U.S . government gave Duarte in Workers (UNTS), El Salvador's largest ited with initiating the regional peace pact. countryside or to head off the revival of a fiscal year 1987. trade union federation, recently affirmed The letter described 18 cases of human powerful urban protest movement with a In a move to avoid a national and inter­ that the death squads were never disman­ rights violations suffered by those bearing large labor component. national outcry, a Salvadoran judge in the tled, as the Duarte government claimed, the brunt of government repression - city of Zacatecoluca refused to amnesty and that "they are still closely linked to the trade union, farm cooperative, and peasant Amnesty five National Guardsmen convicted of the army." The UNTS condemned telephone leaders. The amnesty was enacted under the 1980 rape and murder of three nuns and a death threats Rivera y Damas received in The letter also pointed out "the suffer­ guise of complying with the Central Amer­ lay worker. Judge Consuelo Salazar jus­ December. Rivera y Damas' predecessor, ing, hunger, extreme misery, and hardship ica peace accords, which Duarte signed last tified her decision, which goes against the Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, was of workers" in El Salvador as a result of the August along with four other Central grain of the sweeping amnesty, by arguing murdered by a death squad in 1980. U.S. -organized counterinsurgency war. American presidents. that the killing was not political. The blanket amnesty law, in effect since Rights situation worsens November 5, calls for amnesty for all polit­ ical crimes. Some 480 political prisoners In a phone interview, a spokesperson for Canadian brigadista's death have been freed to date. Most of them were Amnesty International, a U.S.-based hu­ people the government claimed were sus­ man rights organization, commented on pected of having links with the Farabundo the amnesty, saying, "Those responsible stirs debate on Nicaragua Martf National Liberation Front (FMLN), for human rights violations should be held the revolutionary organization leading the accountable for their crimes." BY ROGER ANNIS gua is. And while it may not be illegal, it freedom struggle in El Salvador. Another human rights group, Americas TORONTO - The death in Nicaragua certainly verges on the immoral." The real purpose of the amnesty law, Watch, "objected to the amnesty very on December 25 last year of Canadian vol­ Worthington has turned the truth on its however, according to opponents of the strongly." Spokesperson Anne Manuel unteer worker Jennifer Green has received head. It's the contra war that's illegal and government, is to ratify Duarte's refusal to said Americas Watch opposed the new Jaw wide attention in Canada. There were immoral, . not those in Nicaragua and prosecute powerful army officers accused "because we do not think the Arias [Central front-page newspaper articles and frequent around the world who are · determined to of human rights abuses. American peace] plan was ever intended to radio and TV reports in the week following defeat it. That's why there are indeed A broadcast over the FMLN's Radio include a sort of self-amnesty, an amnesty her death . Eight hundred attended her fu­ "thousands of Jenny Greens" open to join­ Venceremos condemned the new law as a for the military and the paramilitary forces. neral here. ing the brigade movement to Nicaragua. blatant maneuver in which "the govern­ We think that this amnesty legalizes the Green died in an accident in Matagalpa Like her they are inspired by the Nicara­ ment declares itself pardoned of horren­ impunity that these forces already had to involving a hand grenade. The accident guan revolution as a beacon of hope for the dous crimes committed against the commit gross violations of human rights." also took the life of Nicaraguan soldier Lt. oppressed and exploited around the world. Salvadoran people in exchange for freeing The Federation of Relatives of Political Roger Mendez. Eleven days before her death, Green some people who should have never been Prisoners, the Disappeared and Assassi­ .This event has brought home to explained in a postcard from Nicaragua to a in jail to begin with." The same broadcast nated of El Salvador stated in its report to thousands of working people in Canada the friend, "These people have their priorities also said that out of an "approximate I ,000 the international verification commission consequences of the U.S. -organized contra in the right place: free education, free med­ political prisoners inside the government's for the peace accords that the human rights war against the people of Nicaragua. ical care. The revolution is working but not jails, more than 900 are not related in any situation in El Salvador is worsening. Members of the coffee-picking brigade without sacrifices or struggles. The unjust way to the FMLN." Since last August, it told the committee, in which Green was participating issued a war is the real drain, but there is no way "we have had 30 disappearances [and] statement before their return to Canada. this country is going to give up." On December 19, under the terms of the more than 57 murders at the hands of the They said, "Jenny's enthusiasm for, and amnesty, the government released Jose security forces by way of the death love of, the Nicaraguan people provided an Dimas and Santiago Gomez, the National squads." Among those arrested recently example we all tried to emulate. Her pas­ 'Washington Post' Guardsmen that confessed to the 1981 mur­ are six members of the National Associa­ sing brought home to us the reality of der of two U.S. advisers working for the tion of Salvadoran Indians . People killed senseless death that Nicaraguans face hits moves to deport · American Institute for Free Labor De­ while in custody include Gerardo Hernan­ every day. Lieutenant Mendez' attempt to velopment. AIFLD is an AFL-CIO outfit dez and Jesus Araujo Torrez, both political save Jenny at the expense of his own life Margaret Randall funded by the CIA. prisoners at the Mariona penitentiary, five .demonstrated the selflessness and bravery The Washington Post has called on the Eduardo Avila, one of the military offi­ miles outside San Salvador. that has come to typify for us the Nicara­ U.S. government to drop its effort to de­ cers connected to the AIFLD killings, was The independent El Salvador Human guan spirit." Following her death the port author Margaret Randall because of released earlier on a ruling by ,the Supreme Rights Commission (CDHES) also re­ brigade renamed itself the Jenny Green her political views. Court of El Salvador, where Avila's uncle ported to the peace accords committee that Brigade. Randall, born in the United States, gave sits as a judge. the human rights situation "has been de­ Green's example was also addressed by up her U.S. citizenship in favor of Mexican In response to their release, the AFL­ teriorating to alarming levels, qualitatively Winnie Ng, speaking on behalf of the To­ citizenship in 1967 in order to make it CIO has asked the U.S. government to sus­ and quantitatively." ronto Labour Council at a December 30 easier to get a job. She returned to the pend all military aid to El Salvador, which news conference. The widely condemned killing of Her­ United States in 1984 and has applied for totaled $116.5 million last year. Green was a member of the Canadian bert Ernesto _Anaya, president of the permanent residency. In a December 30 statement, the U.S. CDHES and well-known critic of govern­ Union of Public Employees. She had embassy in San Salvador said Washington ment-sponsored terror, had the stamp of worked as an English-language instructor Randall is the author of Women in Cuba, would consider cuts in its economic assis- the death squads and put a spotlight on in the language classes for immigrant Sandino' s Daughters, and other books. their increased activity. This murder was workers sponsored by the labor council. The government ordered her deported met by large street protests in San Sal­ Ng explained that Jenny's commitment to under a U.S. law that bars immigrants February 6 protest in vador. the fight for a better world Jed her to join a "who write or publish ... knowingly circu­ New York to hit Anaya was murdered on October 26. volunteer work brigade in support of the late, distribute, print or display .. . or have The government approved the amnesty law Nicaraguan revolution. in their possession for the purpose of circu­ the following day. Since then, Rene Car­ lation, distribution or display, any written repression in Haiti Opponents of the Nicaraguan revolution denas, the eastern provinces' director of or printed matter . .. teaching the econom­ in Canada are seeking to use her death to the government's human rights commis­ ic, international and governmental doc­ NEW YORK-The Committee Against further their reactionary aims and slander sion, was gunned down in the same way as trines of world communism or the estab­ Repression in Haiti has issued a call for a her heroic example. A column by Peter Anaya. lishment in the United States of totalitarian demonstration on February 6 in Brooklyn, Worthington in the January 4 Financial dictatorship." where much of New York's large Haitian On December 23 the Salvadoran Associ­ Post, a national weekly business newspa­ "These are acts clearly protected by the community lives. ation of Telecommunications Workers per, attacked the unions, church organiza­ First Amendment in the case of American blamed the government for the murder of The demonstration will begin at I :00 tions, and others that support tours and citizens," the Post editors pointed out Jan­ p.m. with a rally at the corner of Nostrand union member Medardo Ceferino Ayala. brigades to Nicaragua. uary 7. Avenue and Eastern Parkway, and then The Catholic church hierarchy of El Sal­ Worthington charged that a statement "The law is not just an anachronism, it is march to Grand Army Plaza. vador has called for abolition of the death made at the news conference that there are a disgrace," the editorial continued. "The For more information, contact the Com­ squads. They "undermine the consolida­ thousands of Jenny Greens waiting to go to case ought to be dropped .. .. She has mittee Against Repression in Haiti at (718) tion of true democracy," said .Arturo Ri­ Nicaragua "is both cynical and callous, and never committed a crime, and her writings 434-3940. vera y Damas, archbishop of San Salvador, indicates what the purpose of aid to Nicara- pose no threat to the republic."

January 29, 1988 The Militant 5 Nicaraguans press fight for peace

Continued from front page negotiations with the contra command pedo any possible obstacle to its campaign have been extracted by force. The toll of for more funding for the contras. the U.S.- organized war in human and eco­ nomic terms is immense on this small "Deepen people's democracy" country. The immediate response of the San­ As long as the war continues, the San­ dinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) dinistas' goal of starting to develop the to the new openings has been to call on country and improve the living conditions working people to mobilize to fight for of the working people must be postponed. peace and to deepen the revolution. A The FSLN has no choice but to cede major demonstration has been called for some ground in an attempt to take advan­ January 22 in Managua. tage of the divisions within the U.S . ruling Carlos Gallo, an FSLN leader in the Ma­ class over Central American policy and nagua region, told the daily Barricada that win a cutoff of contra aid. Additional Jhe demonstration will "bring to bear the moves in this direction may also be neces­ power of the majority of the fighting sary. people" here, as the U.S. Congress pre­ The Nicaraguan people have inflicted a pares to vote on renewed contra funding strategic defeat on the contras. The contra February 4. forces do not pose a military challenge to The people have to "take to the streets," the Sandinista armed forces . But this does MilitanVHarvey McArthur Gallo added, "because the suspension of not mean the U.S. hired guns are no· longer Two leaders of the Nicaraguan peasants' organization were killed in the contra am­ the state of emergency means we must capable of inflicting substantial harm on ci­ bush that destroyed this jeep in December. deepen the democracy, the power, and the vilian targets. initiatives of the people." As long as the contras are supplied by The lifting of the state of emergency Washington, and as long as they are able to was able to get through Congress, the mer­ the importance of the time between now marks a step forward for the workers' and use bordering Honduras and Costa Rica as cenaries have proven unable to make a mil­ and the first week in February, when the peasants' revolution because it creates the staging grounds with impunity, they can­ itary breakthrough. And there is no consen­ congressional vote is scheduled, for all op­ best ground for defending and advancing not be wiped out. Although Nicaragua has sus among the rulers of the United States ponents of U.S. intervention in Central their interests against their class enemies. It strategically defeated the contras in the on an alternative road to overthrowing the America to act. is a step that has been made possible by the field, it has not defeated their masters in Nicaraguan revolution. Thus, following military blows delivered against the U.S.­ Washington. That is why an end to the war the Iran-contra exposures in late 1986 and 'Not one penny more!' financed contra forces . under current conditions can only come the opening of peace negotiations among This is a moment when decisive action Emergency regulations have been in ef­ with substantial concessions by the San­ the Central American countries last Au­ by defenders of Nicaragua's right to self­ fect since 1982, when the war began. They dinistas. gust, a big blow was dealt to the Reagan determination can affect the outcome of the were lifted temporarily during the presi­ The initiatives announced by Ortega in administration's policy. struggle. dential election campaign in 1984, and Costa Rica have sharpened the tactical This is the framework within which the "We urgently appeal to the peoples and reimposed in 1985 . When the new con­ crisis for Washington's policy. The root of Nicaraguans are seeking to advance their the governments of Latin America and the stitution went into effect in 1986, some of this crisis is the strategic defeat of the con­ goal of winning a cutoff of funding for the Caribbean," said President Ortega January its guarantees of civil rights and liberties tras. contras. 16 . were suspended. Until the past year, the Reagan adminis­ "We urgently appeal to the American These emergency powers were a re­ tration had some wind in its sails in its Such a victory could buy essential people, to the European Economic Com­ sponse to the war imposed on Nicaragua by drive to overthrow the Nicaraguan govern­ breathing space for the revolution. It could munity, to Canada, and to all the peoples Washington. The Nicaraguan government ment and in leading the rightward-shifting allow the workers' and peasants' govern­ of the world to multiply their efforts im­ had the power to censor the news media, bipartisan consensus around this goal. ment to strengthen itself for the next round mediately, so that the U.S. Congress does deny permits for street demonstrations, and But even with the direct U.S. govern­ in the battle with U.S. imperialism. not approve one penny more for the merce­ suspend the right to strike. ment backing of the contras that Reagan The Nicaraguan government is stressing nary forces." Police were authorized to conduct war­ rantless searches where counterrevolution­ ary activity was suspected. They could also detain people accused of crimes against na­ Canada conference a big success tional security or public order without pres­ sing charges against them. MONTREAL, Canada - The meaning Mundial; and Barbara Graham, a leader of However necessary such measures may Steele linked increasing the circulation of the October 1987 stock market crash, the Young Socialists of Canada. Greetings be in wartime or other specific cir­ of Socialist Voice and Lutte Ouvriere to op­ the rectification process in Cuba, and the were read from Peter Mahlangu, the repre­ cumstances, the use of administrative and portunities to reach more Canadian work­ counterrevolutionary coup in the West Af­ sentative in Canada of the South African police measures to deal with political op­ ing people with the Militant and Perspec­ rican country of Burkina Faso were themes Congress of Trade Unions. position carries an overhead price for the tiva Mundial. He also stressed the pos­ of a Socialist Educational Conference held workers and peasants. Silencing opposition sibilities for widening the readership in here January 1-2. RWL leader John Steele told the rally voices- whether they be the capitalist and that this year, Socialist Voice sent corres­ Canada of New International and its Attending were nearly 90 workers and landlord opposition groups or currents pondents to Burkina Faso, Haiti, and other French-language edition, Nouvelle lnter­ youth from across Canada, including within the working-class movement - Caribbean countries, and that the paper's nationale, as well as Pathfinder books. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and sev­ avoids having to answer their arguments. editor, Michel Prairie, had just left on a eral other cities. The entire conference was More than $2,000 was raised at the rally Administrative moves merely drive such major reporting trip to New Zealand, Aus­ conducted in three languages - French, toward a Socialist Publication Fund, which arguments into indirect channels- such as tralia, New Caledonia, and Tahiti . English, and Spanish - reflecting the has now gone over the $16,000 mark. rumor mills - where they are harder to composition of the Canadian working deal with. This makes it more difficult to class, which includes workers born in both . educate working people about what is nec­ English- and French-speaking parts of essary to advance the revolution. Socialist youth blast Supreme Court Moreover, as some FSLN leaders have Canada, but also a growing number of im­ pointed out, administrative measures have migrants from Latin America, the Carib­ decision upholding censorship sometimes substituted for political persua­ bean, Africa, and Asia. sion and careful listening to criticisms. Participants heard a talk by-Mary-Alice Waters on the rectification process that is NEW YORK- In a 5-to-3 majority the nancy , contraception, and abortion rights; This has created additional obstacles to U.S. Supreme Court on January 13 upheld the U.S. contra war against Nicaragua and winning over those who are confused, dis­ mobilizing workers and peasants in Cuba to deepen the revolution's communist censorship of a high school newspaper. the U.S . role in the Persian Gulf; and re­ oriented, or alienated from the revolution­ The case was brought by journalism stu­ cruitment activities by the CIA and the mil­ ary process. course. Waters is a leader of the U.S. Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and co­ dents at Hazelwood East High School in a itary in the schools. Growing numbers of Restoring full democratic rights editor of the Marxist theoretical journal St. Louis suburb. youth in the United States are responding strengthens the classes that are the driving New International. The case was sparked by the principal's to developments in world politics. " force of the Sandinista revolution: the The October 1987 coup in Burkina.Faso, rejection of two pages of the Spectrum in The statement cited several recent exam­ workers and peasants. which resulted in the assassination of Pres­ May 1983, after he saw the page proofs of ples of violations of First Amendment "Having constitutional rights fully in ident Thomas Sankara, was the focus of a stories on teenage pregnancy and the chil­ rights that students are fighting at univer­ force really will help the revolution, and talk by Margaret Manwaring, a national dren of divorce. sities across the country. concretely, will help the working people," leader of the Revolutionary Workers A statement issued by the National Ex­ The YSA urged, "All students and youth Damaso Vargas told the Militant . Vargas is League (RWL) of Canada. ecutive Committee of the Young Socialist the secretary-general of the Sandinista need to unite in defense of our rights. Jack Barnes, national secretary of the Alliance on January 16 condemned the Workers Federation in the Managua re­ Every one of these attacks on freedom of SWP, spoke on the stock market crash, the court ruling as a violation of "the First speech and academic freedom should be gion. U.S. -Canada "free trade" agreement, and Amendment rights of student newspaper "They are rights that we won, and so we answered." Cuban President Fidel Castro's call for a staff members , and of the students, are preparing to make full use of them to The statement noted, "In the course of new international ordering of economic teachers, and members of the community defend our power, to achieve peace, and to fighting to end the U.S. war against Viet­ and trade relations. who read the paper." continue deepening the transformations in nam, students also expanded democratic The conference closed with a rally to Nicaragua," Vargas added. "The right of free speech is crucial to the rights at home . In 1969 the Supreme Court celebrate the 1Oth anniversary of the revo­ The January 22 demonstration called by ability of youth to learn the truth ," the YSA ruled that students 'do not shed their con­ lutionary newspaper Socialist Voice and its the FSLN will be the beginning of a cam­ stated. "Newspaper articles, speakouts, stitutional rights to freedom of speech or French-language sister paper, Lutte Ou­ paign of "street demonstrations and debate and other forums are part of learning how expression at the schoolhouse gate.' " vriere, both published biweekly in Canada. in different forums, including in rank-and­ to see for yourself, listen for yourself, and In light of the court's recent ruling the Speakers included Mohamed Ghieh, think for yourself. file assemblies and in the National Assem­ YSA pledged to join with other youth in from the Palestine Liberation Organiza­ "High school youth," the statement con­ bly," Vargas explained. defending and exercising the right to free tion; a trade union leader from Haiti; Cindy tinued, "have earned the right to discuss speech. "What we do will have an impact The Sandinistas' concessions relating to Jaquith, former director of the Managua and debate questions that have a direct on how the Supreme Court decision will be the release of contra prisoners and direct Bureau of the Militant and Perspectiva bearing on their lives , like teenage preg- interpreted and implemented."

6 The Militant January 29, 1988 How U.S. economic, military role in Haiti aids regime

BY SUSAN LaMONT House for about 100 top executives of (The first of two articles) major U.S. corporations, encouraging When Haiti's military-dominated Na­ them to invest in Haiti. tional . Council of Government (known in The briefing paper prepared for the Haiti by its Creole initials, KNG) assumed meeting said, "With improvement in polit­ power nearly two years ago, Washington ical stability in recent weeks and a sobering was quick to give the new regime its seal of realization among workers that unrealistic approval - despite the opposition of the wage demands result in the closing of fac­ overwhelming majority of Haiti's people to tories and the loss of jobs, both Haitian and the council and their demand for a civilian, foreign businessmen are showing growing popularly elected government. confidence in Haiti as a place to invest." In The KNG was actually appointed by ex­ fact, less than 20 percent of Haiti's workers dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, who had his earn the $3-a-day minimum wage. term as "president for life" cut short when Shultz's encouragement went along with he was driven from power in February a massive effort by the Agency for Interna­ 1986 by a powerful national movement of tional Development, which oversees the the Haitian people. Hours before he disbursement of U.S. government aid, to boarded the U.S. military plane that would further open up Haiti's economy to foreign take him to a life of luxurious exile in business. France, Duvalier drew up the appointments AID set up a staff of 170 in Haiti, a to the KNG. Lt. Gen. Henri Namphy, country of only 6 million people. Its oper­ Duvalier's army chief of staff, is the most ation was bigger than some ministries of public figure of the body, and acts as its the Haitian government. Militant/Harvey McArthur spokesperson. Working hand in glove with Haiti's new Protest last July demanded that Haitian military rulers step down. While criticizing The U.S. government has helped keep minister of finance, Leslie Delatour - a Namphy dictatorship's bloody suppression of elections in November, U.S. govern­ the KNG afloat with economic aid - some U.S. -educated economist who used to ment continues to follow policies that prop up military-dominated regime. $110 million in 1986 alone - until the work for the World Bank - AID pushed KNG's moves against the elections in for policies that have further prostrated likely get much benefit from these "sav­ later reversed, many people think of Haiti November forced Washington to take some Haiti 's economy. These helped drive up ings." ' as rampant with the disease. distance from the military junta. unemployment, which was already 50 per­ In reality, such World Bank and Interna­ Included in this aid was at least $1.6 mil­ cent or higher when De Iatour took office in tional Monetary Fund-inspired austerity Threat of U.S. intervention lion for the military, supposedly for "non 1986. programs are designed to squeeze pay­ On top of the long history of U.S. domi­ lethal" equipment such as trucks, boots, These measures included adoption of an ments out of indebted countries, not set up nation of their affairs - including direct and tear gas. Also provided were military austerity budget and cuts in government efficient governments. Haiti, like other military occupation by the U.S. Marines advisers sent by the Pentagon to instruct expenditures. Two government-owned en­ countries in the Caribbean and Latin Amer­ from 1915 to 1934 and support for the 30- the Haitian army in "riot control." Similar terprises - a sugar refinery and a vegeta­ ica, owes millions of dollars to U.S. and year Duvalier dictatorship - the Haitian aid was provided in 1986, rushed in shortly ble oil plant - were closed, laying off other imperialist banks - some $859 mil­ people again face the threat of U.S. mili­ after the KNG took over. hundreds of workers. Tariffs were cut and lion in 1983. tary intervention in the guise of a "peace Many years ago, U.S. marines had been import quotas eliminated, allowing the keeping" force . dumping of cheap imported goods. Quasi-government agencies intervene brought in by Fran~ois "Papa Doc" Following the cancellation of the U.S. imperialism's presence in Haiti in­ November 1987 elections and leading up to Duvalier, Jean-Claude's father, to train Especially hard hit were Haiti's peas­ cludes other government agencies, such as Haiti's army; and in 1971 Washington ants. For example, the flood of cheap im­ the fake January 17 voting, such calls were the Peace Corps. In addition, some 400 pri­ helped set up, train, and arm the elite ported "Miami" rice was a disaster for made by several members of the U.S. Con­ vate voluntary organizations, such as gress, including District of Columbia Dele­ "Leopard" battalion, a "counterinsurgency" Haiti's rice fanners, who saw the prices for CARE, function there, often with big unit. their rice drop by 50 percent, while they gate Walter Fauntroy and Sen. Daniel staffs. While Duvalier and now the KNG Moynihan, and several influential Over the past two years, this U.S.­ still had to pay exorbitant rent, taxes, and leave it to these organizations to carry out interest - not to mention feed and clothe capitalist newspapers, including the New trained and outfitted army has attacked, some humanitarian functions, such as themselves and their families. York Times and Miami Herald. wounded, and killed Haitian workers, emergency food relief, they are often peasants, students, and others who have or­ While the lifting of tariff restrictions funded by and linked with Washington and These supporters of U.S. imperialism ganized strikes, demonstrations, and pro­ caused prices of some goods to fall, it also its policies. Many of these outfits are cloak their calls for intervention in the tests to fight for their demands. led to the growth of a huge contraband church-affiliated, and Haiti's toilers are rhetoric of support for the Haitian people's trade, in which merchants, ship owners, awash in missionaries. According to democratic rights. Effect of U.S. economic policies and speculators - not Haiti's toilers - Michael Massing in the Dec. 3, 1987, New Such intervention, whether by Washing­ Less known outside Haiti is Washing­ have been the main beneficiaries. York Review of Books, of 6,000 U.S. citi­ ton directly or some multinational force, ton's role in promoting economic policies In addition, nothing has been done to zens in Haiti , as many as 5,000 are mis­ would constitute a big blow to the Haitian designed to turn impoverished Haiti into make up for the loss of some 14,000 jobs, sionaries. people's struggle to gain control of their even more of a showcase for "free enter­ caused by the departure of foreign com­ Haiti's workers have also been hard hit own affairs, move ahead in the fight to prise" than it was under Duvalier. panies that have left Haiti since Duvalier's by the virtual disappearance of the once­ bring down the KNG, and overcome the Beginning in the early 1970s, "Baby ouster. important tourist industry, largely as a re­ legacy of Duvalierism. Doc" Duvalier began encouraging U.S. While Washington portrays Delatour's sult of the U .S.-promoted AIDS scare. In The next article will look at some of the and other foreign corporations to open up moves to cut government spending as a 1982 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control accomplishments in that direction made by factories in Haiti, using the country'-s re·. step away frqm -the widespread corruption labelled Haitians as a separate "risk group" Haiti's toilers since Duvalier's overthrow. pressive, union-free condition, low wages, of the Duvalier era, Haiti's toilers will not for AIDS. Although this designation was (To be continued.) and long-term tax exemptions as lures. As a result about 240, mainly U.S., com­ panies set up assembly plants in the area of . Port-au-Prince, the · country's capital and · Caricom meeting lets Namphy off easy largest city. Some 60,000 workers, mostly women, were employed making clothing, electronic equipment, sporting goods, and BY SAM MANUEL the Caribbean masses whose sympathy lies cratic electoral practices," such as the right other items. Seven heads of governments of the with their Haitian brothers and sisters." to a secret ballot. But it stopped short of Caribbean Community group (Caricom) Rojas explained that the course adopted condemnation of the elections or action Besides the actual jobs, however, the met on January 6 in Bridgetown, Bar­ by the Caricom meeting, .. clears the way against the Namphy regime. presence of these plants was not much bados, to adopt a stance toward the poli_ti­ for these Caribbean governments to accept­ With a twisted sense.of logic, Seaga told help economically for the Haitian people. cal situation in Haiti. The Caricom confer­ the outcome of the rigged election held reporters, "Sanctions would affect the gov­ The companies paid no taxes for up to 15 ence rejected a proposal to withold dip­ yesterday, and to recognize the resulting ernment that is elected, not the [Namphy] years, used raw materials and components lomatic recognition of any Haitian govern­ regime in Haiti as legitimate." government that you are seeking to brought in from outside Haiti, and faced no ment resulting from the rigged elections or­ Rojas, who was Prime Minister Maurice penalize. That's imposing sanctions on the restrictions on taking their profits out of the ganized by the junta of Gen. Henri Nam­ Bishop's press secretary before Grenada's wrong people." country. The finished products, moreover, phy. Those elections took place January revolutionary government was overturned, Seaga had previously led a smaller group were shipped for sale elsewhere. 17. Caricom also rejected an appeal by a noted, "Many of those participating in the of Caribbean heads of state, calling itself six-person delegation from Haiti to impose meeting, such as Jamaican Prime Minister the Concerned Caribbean Leaders, to Haiti State Department intervenes a trade embargo on the Haitian regime. Edward Seaga and Dominican. Prime on Dec. 10, 1987. Following their meeting The presence of these plants did, how­ Representatives of only seven of the 13 Minister Eugenia Charles, are the same with General Namphy, Seaga welcomed ever, help prepare the ground for the types member countries of Caricom attended the people who at the behest of Washington the call for the rigged January 17 elections. of economic policies Washington wanted meeting. They were from Jamaica, St. justified and joined in the U.S. military in­ He expressed doubt that the army was com­ the KNG to undertake in the post-Duvalier Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Gre­ vasion of Grenada in October 1983. plicit in forcing the cancellation of the pre­ era. nada, and the Bahamas. Haiti is not a "We strongly reject any proposal to send vious election. Seaga said that "one or two In June 1986 Secretary of State George member. a 'peace keeping' force to Haiti. Such talk units might have been involved, but that Shultz held a briefing on Haiti at the White The actions of the Caricom meeting have has always preceded U.S. military aggres­ does not make the army as a whole culpa­ been strongly condemned by many in the sion in our region." ble. Caribbean. A January 18 statement issued The Caricom communique, which was The statement by Rojas explained. "The This publication is available in microform from llniversity by Don Rojas, a spokesman for the Anti­ drafted by Seaga, mildly criticizes the Hai­ Barbados meeting was a dirty stain on the Microfilms International. Imperialist Organizations-of the Caribbean tian junta for appointing an election com­ image of our Caribbean- the Caribbean-of Ce ll toll-free 800-521 -:1044. Or meil mquiry to, and Central America, called the meeting a mission that is "not independent of the gov­ the oppressed majority- and clearly dem­ University Mir:rofilms International. 300 North Zeeb Road. Arm Arbor. Ml 48106. "betrayal of the demands and aspirations of ernment," and for ·issuing an election law onstrated the political bankruptcy of the the Haitian people, as well as a betrayal of that "contravenes some important demo- neocolonial ruling elites in the region."

January 29, 1988 The Militant 7 Soviet gov't seeks way out of Afghan war

BY FRED FELDMAN The assertion in Pravda that the begin­ Soviet troops could begin to withdraw ning of a pullout might be imminent came from Afghanistan by May 1, declared a re­ days after Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard port by the political commentator in the Shevardnadze declared during a visit to Af­ January II issue of the Soviet daily ghanistan on January 6: "We would like the Pravda. "If it becomes possible to sign the year 1988 to be the last year of the presence Geneva understandings by March I - and of Soviet troops in your country." the Afghan side is by all appearances in­ He said that "virtually the entire package tending to aim for that - then the starting of the necessary arrangements has already date for the withdrawal could be May 1." been agreed upon" during the previous He was referring to the next round of rounds of talks between the Afghan and talks scheduled for February between the Pakistani governments. Afghan and Pakistani governments in A settlement, he said, depended upon Geneva, Switzerland. The talks have been the U.S. agreeing to "stop aid to armed mediated by United Nations Under Secre- groups conducting military operations tary General Diego Cordovez. . against the people's power m Afghani­ The Pravda commentator stressed, how­ stan." ever, that the withdrawal date was contin­ While Shevardnadze was in Afghani­ gent on an agreement by Washington to stan, U.S. Under Secretary of State cease "aid to armed groups waging military Michael Armacost was in Pakistan meeting operations in Afghanistan against the law­ with Pakistani officials, insurgent groups, ful government. The withdrawal of Soviet and others involved in the war in Afghani­ stan. He said the goal was to accelerate the search for a settlement of the war. The talks were "very productive," Ar­ macost said. "As the war enters its ninth year, it is clear that the bloodshed and sac­ rifice have gone on too long," he declared. Washington's policies, however, have helped keep the blood flowing . The Reagan administration, with overwhelm­ ing bipartisan approval in Congress, has supplied rightists combating the . Afghan government with $600 million in arms and Afghan President Najibullah greets government troops. Soviet government's military other support in 1987, including sophisti­ intervention aimed at stabilizing Afghan government, but spurred more opposition. cated antitank and antiaircraft missiles. In Washington poured in massive aid to rightist-led opposition. 1986, U.S. aid to the rightists totaled $470 million. the inclusion of some PDPA figures . The tions with headquarters outside the coun­ Since 1982 Washington has provided rightist leaders must "realize the need for try, in political discussions aimed at "the more than $3 billion in military and eco­ pragmatism," Pakistani President Moham­ creation of a government of national nomic aid to the military regime in Paki­ med Zia ul-Haq recently told the New York unity." stan, which provides the rightists with Times. He said the inclusion of PDP A lead­ In an effort to appeal to the Islamic bases near the Afghan border and other ers is "not much of a price in my opinion" hierarchy, sections of which have been troops will start precisely with the coming support. Last year, Congress approved a for getting the Soviet troops out. supporting the U.S. -backed insurgents, into force of this obligation." six-year program to provide another $4 bil­ Najibullah proclaimed Islam to be the state lion. A significant portion of this assistance So far, the opposition groups have pub­ Tens of thousands of Soviet troops licly rejected the proposal. "Out of the religion. poured into Afghanistan in December is used to fuel the bloody war across the border. question," said Yunis Khalis, who is pres­ 1979 in an effort to prop up the govern­ ident of the seven-party alliance forged by Afghan government weakened ment headed by the People's Democratic Coalition government the rightists. These moves were unsuccessful. The Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which faced One stumbling block to an accord on the The Pakistani regime, which has up to seven main opposition groups rejected the a growing rightist-led insurgency and was cease-fire and, with stepped up U.S. sup­ tom by bloody factional conflicts. withdrawal of Soviet troops has been dis­ 3.5 million Afghan refugees living on its agreement over the composit~:m of the in­ territory, is under heavy pressure to reach port, the fighting intensified. Providing the terim regime that is to govern Afghanistan an agreement with the Soviet Union. The Afghan rightists with U.S. antiaircraft mis­ Washington arms rightists while the withdrawal is carried out. war and the massive influx of Afghans siles has enabled them to shoot down a sig­ More than 100,000 Soviet troops are Soviet officials have reportedly pressed have spurred unrest in the border regions nificant number of Soviet planes. now stationed in Afghanistan. The Soviet for the inclusion of figures from the PDPA. and elsewhere. In December large-scale operations by military intervention in the civil war, far Najibullah, who became head of the party In his January 6 comments, however, Soviet and Afghan forces were required to from rolling back the insurgency, enabled in 1986, was chosen president of Afghani­ Foreign Minister Shevardnadze strongly open the road to Khost, a town near the it to win more popular support. In this stan in September. hinted that Soviet withdrawal might take Pakistan border that the rightist forces had context, Washington and its allies vastly Pakistani officials are pressing the coali­ place, even before there was a political set­ surrounded. increased their aid to the rightist groups. tion of antigovernment forces to agree to tlement of the civil war between the gov­ Other aspects of the government's polit­ ernment and the insurgents. ical campaign were equally ineffective. According to a report by the Soviet news While hinting that the Soviet govern­ agency Tass, only 110,000 Afghan refu­ Subscribe to 'Perspectiva Mundial' ment might not wait for an agreement on an gees have returned. Tass claimed that interim government before beginning to 40,000 rebels had laid down their arms. withdraw, Shevardnadze also called, in an Whatever the actual figure, significant Changing face of working class interview with an Afghan newspaper, for numbers of heavily armed antigovernment forging the "broadest" possible coalition insurgents remain in the field. As a reader of the Militant government. The war has had a devastating impact on you are familiar with our Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev Afghanistan, an underdeveloped country weekly coverage of the strug­ suggested last May that Mohammad Zahir of 17 million people. In addition to the mil­ gles of working people around Shah, the former king of Afghanistan who lions who have fled , hundreds of thousands the world. was ousted and went into exile in 1973, have died or been maimed in the course of might play a prominent role in the govern­ the war. If you can read or are study­ La mujer en Nicaragua ment. UN officials reportedly met with Estimates of Soviet soldiers killed have ing Spanish, there is a com­ Zahir Shah in December. ranged up to 12,000. Revoludon enciende profunda debate sobre plementary monthly magazine Although no significant public protests como mejor impulsar los derechos de Ia mujer pping the ante? for you: Perspectiva Mundial. U in the USSR against the sending of Soviet PM is a Spanish-language so­ On December 14, Under Secretary of troops into Afghanistan have been re­ li.NGO~ l State Armacost reported that Gorbachev cialist magazine that carries · i~~::r;~ I ported, a growing body of evidence indi­ su guerra ' had been assured during the summit talks cates that rising casualty figures and the many of the same articles you imperialista that Washington would stand by commit­ fact that the war has dragged on for more read in the Militant. CUBA ments to end arms shipments to the right­ Fidel habla than eight years, with no end in sight, has sobre lucha ists when Soviet troops begin their with­ made the war unpopular. The January issue of Perspec­ por avanzar drawal. socialisrno . · . 1 Those sentiments have been allowed a tiva Mundial includes an article __j Following Shevardnadze's recent state­ little more expression in the Soviet press about the changing face of the ,-----·· ------·-···------ment, however, Secretary of State George since February 1986, when Gorbachev de­ U.S. working class as a result LLa c~:~~~- de Reagan y Gorbachov Shultz indicated that Washington might up scribed the Afghan war as a "bleeding of immigration . the ante. Shultz stated that Washington ex­ wound" and promised a stepped-up effort pected not only the withdrawal of Soviet to end it. The article explains that the Subscriptions: $9 for one year; troops, but the cutoff of all Soviet military Pravda published a letter from one image of the middle-aged white $5 for six months. Introductory aid to the Afghan government. reader complaining of the "thin, irregular, male born in the United States offer, $3 for five months. The stepped-up diplomatic activity and at times unrealistic" portrayal of the has never been the "typical comes in the wake of the failure of the war. One veteran complained in the Soviet D Begin my sub with current issue. American worker." Today it's latest efforts to stabilize the PDPA govern­ weekly Moscow News that rebels are con­ less so than ever. · Name ______ment. On Jan. 15, 1987, Najibullah's gov­ stantly shown on TV "laying down arms," ernment proclaimed a unilateral, six-month Address ______but "the number of heavily wounded A century ago, 90 percent of cease-fire, an amnesty for draft resisters, [Soviet soldiers] is not decreasing." A re­ immigrants came from Europe. City/State/Zip ______and other measures aimed at spurring an cent Soviet Jelevision program conceded end to the war and the return of the millions that the Afghan government had "alienated Today's immigration is mainly Clip and mail to PM, 410 West St. , of Afghans who have fled the country since part of the peasantry" and that the situation Asians and Latinos. New York, NY 10014. the war began. had been further worsened by "dissen­ Najibullah pledged to involve all Islamic sions, feuds, and bloody clashes within the and political groups, including armed fac- ruling party."

8 The Militant January 29, 1988 International Socialist ~e~ie~------s=u~p~p=Ie=m=en=t~to~th~e~M~n~it=an:t~~J~a~n:ua~r~y~t9~8~8 Volunteer

work and to chart the path of the Cuban economy. Introduction This has meant stepping up the party's attention to the education and mobilization of the Cuban working class. This issue of the International Socialist Review is de­ In his speech Castro points to important signs of this voted to a speech by Cuban President Fidel Castro deliv­ deepening proletarianization. One example is the recent ered at the close of the City of Havana provincial meeting brigades decision to raise the wages of farm workers, hospital of the Communist Party of Cuba on Nov. 29, 1987. Cas­ workers, and others of the lowest-paid sectors of the tro is first secretary of the Central Committee of the working class. party. He also explains the importance of the decision to This is the sixth issue in the past year in which the ISR build all the day-care centers that the city of Havana has featured a major speech or interview with Castro. We needs, with 50 having been completed this year. want to keep our readers abreast of the historic develop­ Another aspect of the deepening proletarianization of ments taking place in Cuba today. lead Cuban the revolution that Castro emphasized was the involve­ "Never before has a regional or provincial party event ment of doctors and other professionals in the volunteer aroused so much interest, so much expectation," said construction brigades. Castro at the beginning of his talk to the Havana meeting. "What a lesson in modesty: a party member, a surgeon The elected national party leadership, as well as leaders or some other highly professional person working day from every province, attended the event. Nearly 460 pro­ revolution and night with the bricklayers, the carpenters, as assis­ vincial delegates participated. Delegations from the tants, as assistants! What a lesson in modesty! This only Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Sandinista happens in a revolution, but not just any revolution- but National Liberation Front of Nicaragua were also pres­ in an extremely profound revolution. And what a lesson ent. for the worker, how it encourages him, and how it The meeting - and Castro's summary remarks - forward teaches him when he sees the surgeon working as his gave the party an opportunity to evaluate the progress of modest assistant." the "rectification process" launched at the December At the heart of the Communist Party's response to the 1986 Deferred Session of the Third Congress of the Fidel Castro speaks bureaucratic practices that were developing has been the party. reestablishment, on a mass scale, of the volunteer mini­ This rectification process was initiated by the party brigades. They carry out housing construction and other leadership in response to the realization that the revolu­ important social development projects that couldn't be tion had begun veering off a communist course. Corrup­ to Havana meeting accomplished any other way. tion, privileges, depoliticization, demoralization, and Involving tens of thousands of industrial and office bureaucratic and administrative approaches to social workers, doctors and technicians, students, housewives, problems were starting to grow up and even beginning to of Communist Party and retirees in this mass vanguard movement has made affect the party. possible the building of thousands of new units of hous­ Key among the "errors" and "negative tendencies" the ing and other projects, which Castro reviewed in his Cuban leadership has pointed to that afflicted the revolu­ speech. In addition, it has changed the spirit in the coun­ tion was the notion that the mechanism of the economic try and the attitude toward work. planning system would, on its own, provide the motor Castro pointed out that previously, when a person power of the advance toward socialism. Voluntary labor asked the party to solve their housing problem or day care by the Cuban people to resolve the pressing need for problem, party members couldn't help them. With the housing, day-care centers, roads, schools, and hospitals, reestablishment of the minibrigades - which had existed as well as higher quality consumer goods, a greater vari­ in the early days of the revolution but had languished be­ ety of food, and more efficient and courteous services, cause they were considered contrary to economic plan­ was replaced by the notion that the plan itself would au­ ning- "Now the party has an answer. Now the party has tomatically solve all these problems eventually. something to say to the citizens, to anyone who comes to Castro pointed out in his speech to the Havana meeting ask for anything .... that the party was negatively affected by these problems. "I would say that in this process of rectification the two It was becoming an apparatus to administer the economy most impressive things are the people's reaction and the as opposed to the working-class vanguard of the revolu­ party's impressive work." tion that educates, mobilizes, and increases the involve­ ment of the workers and farmers in running their country. * * * Communist politics and education were taking second place to material incentives and reliance on the plan. The following speech is reprinted from the Dec. 13, Three weeks after this speech was given, the Sixth 1987, English-language Granma Weekly Review. The Central Committee Plenum of the party was held in the subheads are by the Militant. Palace of the Revolution in Havana. It also discussed the rectification process. According to a report on the meeting in the December Fidel Castro 19 issue of the daily Gran rna, the Political Bureau had set up a commission, headed by Raul Castro, minister of the Comrades: Revolutionary Armed Forces and second secretary of the Our voluntary work today is about to end. I really Central Committee of the party, to examine Humberto shouldn't have much to say. I've spoken many times dur­ ing these past three days, giving my opinions, views, Perez's responsibilities for the problems dealt with by the rectification process. Perez headed the Central Planning ideas on almost all the things we discussed. I think that Board and was vice-president of the executive committee our people have also participated in a way through the of the Council of Ministers. Until 1985, he presided over television in the remarks and ideas that have been dis­ the commission management and planning system. cussed here. And since three days can't be summed up on According to the December 19 Granma, the plenum the news, which lasts just a few minutes, I imagine that made a "unanimous criticism of his stand based on jus­ on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the television and, tifications and formal acceptance of secondary errors of course, the press will give our population the broadest while trying to avoid responsibility for basic issues under coverage of our meeting. his direct jurisdiction or which he shared with other None of us who have taken part in this event for three days can hide the fact that we're leaving here fully satis­ cadres and officials." The meeting decided to remove him from the Central fie~ and with the highest opinion of our party's work, which was the subject of analysis in this meeting to draw Committee. The results of the rectification efforts to date have been a balance sheet. This is not unfounded satisfaction or a "revolution within the revolution," Castro reported in something simply subjective; rather it stems from the his speech to the Havana provincial meeting . conviction that we're working better, that we're really The Cuban Communist Party places at the center of the rectifying our mistakes, that we're moving ahead. revolutionary process the only force that can drive for­ _Comra?es from all the provinces have been present at ward the transition from capitalism to socialism - the this meetmg. We put a lot of emphasis on the idea of hav­ working people , themselves, imbued with a communist ing the first secretaries of the party of every province and consciousness and mobilized to take increasing control Gianfranco Gorgoni the special municipality of the Isle of Youth take part in over the administration and leadership of their own state Fidel Castro . Continued on next page

January 29, 1988 The Militant 9 International Socialist Jte\fie~------Ja_n_ua_r_y ___Is_R __ /2

Continued from previous page we're going to adopt what some people are calling- and of those values and principles we defend, it is in that trust it, of having the largest possible number of Central Com­ we must beware of abusing some terms - a triumphant in man, in the people, in our party, in its members. It is mittee and Political Bureau members present, of having attitude. There are those who abuse that term. Sometimes the satisfaction of listening to the representatives of our the state leaders and practically all the ministers here. the term indeed has a meaning, but it can also become a party members and our excellent workers, whether from If any of them were absent, it was because either they swearword for there are those who are sorry to see the the bathroom and kitchen fixtures factory or the meat­ had to leave to meet an unavoidable international com­ rectification process and long for the total negation of packing plant, the Casa Blanca dry docks or the Enrique mitment or they were out of the country. I know of some every success or bit of progress made by the people. Varona enterprise, the Vanguardia Socialista plant or any who arrived today before dawn, and when morning There are those who perhaps instinctively realized that of the many and, above all, important workplaces that came, they were present at the meeting. And many others the mistakes or negative tendencies would gradually used to be bastions and then began to go off course, to be­ didn't want to miss it for any reason. Some had to leave weaken our people's revolutionary awareness, gradually come deformed. For our discussions have centered not on and said it was painful for them not to be able to attend weaken the revolution. There are those who imagined workplaces where we were doing well or relatively well the meeting. Never before has a regional or provincial that the mistakes and negative tendencies would usher in but above all in workplaces where we were doing badly, party event aroused so much interest, so much expecta­ petty bourgeois tendencies and possibilities, anti­ ,, ______tion. socialism and anticommunism possibilities, and even re­ We've also had the great honor of having with us here actionary and counterrevolutionary possibilities, given a delegation from the Communist Party of the Soviet the fact that while there may be those who think they are There is a new style, a new spirit, Union, [Applause] presided over by Comrade Ribakov, revolutionaries and are not, there are also those who are who is taking part for the second time in one of our meet­ reactionaries and don't know it, those who act on sheer there is a new attitude. There is ings. The first time was the Playa municipality meeting instinct. what we could call a revolution where he was so interested in our debates, in the meeting, There are some gusanillos [maggots] around who think in the contents of our discussions that I invited him again. that this process of strong criticism and self-criticism sig­ ______within the revolution . • ,, I extended an invitation asking him to please come and nals the time to start to intervene in the name of bourgeois take part with us in this provincial party meeting. or liberal ideas, or in the name of petty-bourgeois [Applause] dreams, or the time when the gusanos [worms], reaction­ really badly, and they were becoming a symbol of defor­ In spite of the distance and the fact that he had to fly for aries, and counterrevolutionaries ought to take part in our mation, mistakes, and negative tendencies. nearly 30 hours to come to Cuba and return to the USSR, debate. That's why it is very much in order to make clear It isn't that people have changed, it is that our ideas we had the great satisfaction of learning that he indeed that this debate, this criticism and self-criticism, is only and work style have changed. This explains why many of was coming. He did come and participate. open· to revolutionaries acting from revolutionary posi­ the delegates said, "They're the same people, the same Another highly symbolic thing is that we've had with tions [Applause]; to Marxist-Leninists acting from Marx­ workers," those from the bathroom and kitchen fixtures us a delegation from a revolutionary party and a country ist-Leninist positions; to socialists and Communists act­ factory, with their big successes in such a short time; or so dear to us: representatives of the Sandinista National ing from socialist and communist positions. And let's from the dry docks; or the Enrique Varona enterprise; or Liberation Front of Nicaragua. [Applause] make it clear that reaction, counterrevolution, and the the electronics factory, all of them now making great They've come as our guests, not so much to observe petty-bourgeois spirit have nothing to participate in here. strides in the rectification process. They are the same our meeting but I'd say to take part as our close brothers, It's good to make this point clear, to make clear what workers from, say, the electronics factory where out of as members of the same family. [Applause] we are doing and from what positions. I ,900 men only one volunteered to cut cane in the sugar I was telling Comrade Ribakov that if this meeting had Naturally our successes are painful to them: instinc­ harvest, while now hundreds of them stay after work to been held 18 months ago - I was telling him this as I tively to those who don't know they are reactionary and do voluntary work. Comrade Lazaro Vazquez reminded us of the time when tens of thousands of workers in the capital left for months at a time to work in the harvest in Camagiiey, Ciego de Avila, and all those other places, the senior high school students who left for many months to work in the harvest in the province of Matanzas, at a time when we didn't have a single harvester to cut and load cane, when we had to mobilize 350,000 workers to make the harvest. Amazing! And only one man would volunteer among I ,900 workers! At that rate the day might have come when we'd have one volunteer in 2,000 teachers to go.on an internationalist assignment in Nicaragua, or one in 2,000 workers not on an internationalist assignment to teach, but to fulfill internationalist missions with great sacrifice and great risk thousands of kilometers from home. If we'd traveled such an alienating course, such a dis­ torting course, a course of individual selfishness, a course along which our values were being discarded - and along with our values, we were discarding our spirit of internal solidarity, our spirit of fraternity, both domes­ tic and international, in a people such as ours, so en­ thusiastic, so militant, so full of patriotic and revolution­ ary virtues- we wouldn't have gone very far.

Voluntary work had languished Voluntary work had languished, it had become some­ thing of a pastime for adults and youngsters, a formality, not like what we see today, this impressive phenomenon, this forcefulness, this miracle that is manifest in every­ thing; in all of these things, precisely those that we are so proud of today, now that our attitudes have changed, and as the leader of the FEEM [Federation of Students in In­ Cuban workers repairing trains. At party congress, delegates described big strides forward in rectification pro­ termediate Education] expressed, whose next congress is going to take place December 5-6, when she said: "If cess in those workplaces that had been symbols of depth of problems facing Cuban revolution. they give us materials, we'll repair the buildings our­ selves. If they give us the resources, we won't need any­ explained to him some of the subjects, some of the char­ in bad faith to those who are consciously reactionary, to one to go there and do it." acteristics of this meeting, what we were discussing and those whose skin shows a kind of allergy in large welts And perhaps, at this time, someone will have to go why- it would have been very tough, extremely tough, caused by everything that smacks of true socialism, true there to explain how the job is done, but soon they won't because we would have had to analyze the myriad of communism, true Marxist-Leninism. It causes them pain need anyone, because they're going to learn as much as things going badly, the myriad of things that are now re­ to see the revolution set things straight, to see the revolu­ any carpenter or any mason or any construction worker flected in our recounting of the efforts made for the past tion advancing. Of course, they would want to deny the knows; with the spirit with which the workers speak of 18 months, in our accounts of the battle waged for the revolution everything and to have the criticism be made repairing their own factories; with the spirit with which past two years, since, I would say, the third congress of from a pessimistic, defeatist angle, to have the criticism the representatives of the Salvador Allende Hospital said our party, but mainly since approximately a year and a made from a liberal bourgeois, petty-bourgeois angle. that they didn't know if they should speak when con­ half ago when the battle became more intense. But our criticism is, ought to be, and will always be struction work was being discussed or public health was In our recollections many of those things came up, and made from a revolutionary angle, for we have enough being discussed, because they had become construction I know of comrades who have expressed their amazement honesty, enough dignity, and enough courage to subject workers with the Communists at the vanguard, surgeons with these words: "We couldn't imagine how badly we others and ourselves to as much criticism as is necessary, and all. were doing things." But worse than doing things badly is no matter how harsh. But our criticism will always be I've met them myself, I've seen them wearing their doing them badly and not realizing it, doing things badly made from an optimistic angle instead of from the pes­ gloves and working eagerly, and I've felt more at ease. I and thinking we're doing alright. simistic, despicable, perfidious angle taken by those who agree with the principle Tania expressed. It would be Thus, among the things mentioned here- it would be do not believe even in man, who do not believe even in nonsense to send surgeons to work in a permanent a long list - it is enough to recall the way we felt when themselves, but instead by those who do believe in man, brigade; but the work the party is doing sending them for we learned that our workers at Mambisa Shipping Lines, who believe in the people, who believe in themselves. 10, 15 days, even a month at a time, to join the workers, who transport cargo to and from our ports, were getting It is not a criticism to make us bitter or to whip our­ not only to tum each building site into a school, but to paid in dollars - just to mention one of the many selves but to make rectifications, to make ourselves bet­ satisfy the demand for development, which in tum be­ calamities that are now becoming mere memories. ter, to move ahead, to right our mistakes, to consolidate comes a school. and make our socialist, Marxist-Leninist, communist When I've met professionals involved in construction Reaction has nothing to participate in here revolution progress . [Applause] work, I've found them happy, like someone taking a But this doesn't mean at all that we should think we're The source and essence of that satisfaction we have all break from a lifelong task to do something new; like now working well, that everything is marvelous, or that experienced in the course of these days is the awareness someone who is proud when he is able to measure up to

10 The Militant January.29, 1988. January ISR/3

a worker carrying out a difficult chore, when he is able to do physical labor, when he is able to create with his hands and not only with his intelligence. I've seen them, I've seen them looking happy, and I've said: Look at the way they learn from the workers. What modesty! What a lesson in modesty: a party member, a surgeon or some other highly professional person working day and night with the bricklayers, the carpenters as assistants, as assis­ tants! What a lesson in modesty! This only happens in a revolution, but not just any rev­ olution - but an extremely profound revolution. And what a lesson for the worker, how it encourages him, and how it teaches him when he sees the surgeon working as his modest assistant. The day I went to the Salvador Allende Hospital, to one of the building sites - the one Marcos's contingent is working on- I was a witness to this, and I stopped to reflect on this because it was really very moving. The whole business has become a school for Communists; it really develops the feelings of equality and fraternity. How proud the worker feels and how proud the intellec­ tual, the scientist, the professional feels . What is it that has encouraged us, what is it that has given us confidence and optimism? Those very things. Because what we have here is something like a revela­ tion, something clear and concrete: the spirit of solidarity or revolutionary awareness expressed in voluntary work is something more than an idea, it's something more beautiful than a feeling, it's something that makes the things one dreams of, things that seemed impossible, ... come true. Ah! But if we lose that awareness, if we lose that Prensa Latina spirit, what will we be left with? What will a small coun­ Harvesting sugarcane in Cuba. In early years of revolution massive voluntary harvest brigades helped bring in try confronted by imperialism be left with? What will a cane crop. small country trying to build socialism out of underde­ velopment, out of poverty, out of ignorance and lack of • culture be left with? What was it left with? How could it had been manufactured there, those very same workers Let me ask a question: Could anyone have imagined defend itself? How could it develop? not only work longer hours, and more hours over and that the minibrigades alone- and the minibrigade move­ The question is not just a matter of simple ideas, but of above those, but the enterprise also has such and such a ment in the country may well be made up of about very concrete matters. Here we're astonished when the productivity rate and the workers are teaching the new­ 70,000, maybe 80,000 workers at some time- would be comers, who weren 't studying or working. capable of producing 800 million? And they barely make ,, ______Miracles are starting to appear, extraordinary figures; up 5 percent of the workforce in the production sector. I cases where they used to make 400 in eight months and believe that if 5 percent of the workers in the production When I've met professionals now they're making 500 in three months. And in this sector is capable of producing 800 million, and if that way, one of the many agonies of a Third World country, style, if that spirit was to spread to the workers through­ involved in construction work, I've such as the housing maintenance problem, and so on is out the country, how many more billions would our ef­ going to be solved. And at incredibly low costs. I'm cer­ forts in this process of rectification represent? Therefore, found them happy, like someone tain that the day we figure it all out, we'll discover that it's not simply a matter of ideas and awareness. It's a case the minibrigade movement will be doing maintenance of ideas and awareness becoming facts and producing taking a break from a lifelong task work at aeost of about 10 or eight times l~s, and if you considerable concrete results. to do something new . • think I'm exaggerating, then - and of this I'm certain - I've talked about the production sector. But let us con­ ______,, at a cost of at least six times less than what that housing sider the outcome if the spirit characterizing the mini­ maintenance enterprise could do it for even though it's brigades became that of the teachers, the workers in the cut back on much of the administrative staff and in­ health sector, the workers in the services? The young comrade from the Salvador Allende Hospital says that creased productivity. comrade representing the FEEM said she's satisfied with there were so many cellars and now they've converted All that, as I was saying, adds up to hundreds of mil­ what the teachers are doing now, the pleasure of seeing them into useful facilities; when the workers from the lions and will add up to many billions nationwide. Bil­ them working nights with the students; studying, upgrad­ Bias Roca Contingent tell us they have made 50 trips per lions of pesos! I believe that nationwide, by 1990; the .ing themselves, and raising the standards of education. truck and so many hundreds of meters of terrain have minibrigades alone will be contributing approximately Imagine if this spirit were to spread to the workers in the been leveled, or they've fulfilled so many production 800 million to the gross social product. health sector - as indeed is the case - this spirit of goals with such and such a rate of productivity or at such Now, if everyone does what the dry dock, the bath­ working, solving problems, and building things, taking and such insignificant costs. Or when the comrade from room and kitchen fixtures factory, and the shoe factory care of the citizens, taking care of the sick. How could the shoe factory tells us how many more pairs of shoes are doing; if in the textile industry, the iron and steel in­ one calculate the value of the people's well-being and they've manufactured, when they tell us they've had a 26 dustry, and the professionals in the construction industry; satisfaction in monetary terms? percent increase in production with much better quality if in the agricultural sector, where the eight-hour work­ Capitalist countries calculate the economiC value of so­ and fewer workers. Or when the workers from CENIC day is divided in two shifts; the spirit of voluntary work cial services. That is, they attribute a monetary value to [National Scientific Research Center] tell us that their were to spread among the hundreds of thousands of ag­ these services. What would be the monetary value in a payroll dropped from I ,400 to 600, that they discussed it, ricultural workers, among the hundreds of thousands of developed country of the educational services we've and that the workers themselves analyzed how many industrial workers, then what would the production fig­ talked about, the health services we 've talked about, surplus workers there were, how many should remain ures add up to? which are the product of the work carried out by hundreds and how many should be given posts in other work­ It can be done with practically the same salaries, or places. ,, ______better salaries, like the ones the agricultural workers are And all this isn't accomplished according to some arbi­ going to earn as a result of a decision of the revolution, The whole business has become a trary ruling decided by management without any worker which is something absolutely fair, because we thought consultation. When they tell us that they produc.e much we could have agriculture when we were offering ridicu­ school for Communists; it really more; or when in the bathroom and kitchen fixtures fac­ lous salaries in the midst of social changes whereby men tory they tell us that they've produced millions of parts and women had every kind of opportunity. Who was develops the feelings of equality with half of the staff they had before, with the very same going to stay on the land, growing sugar, growing rice or young workers who were already there; or when the dry and fraternity . vegetables, . producing milk or meat with ridiculous ______,, dock workers tell us that they're going to produce 35 or salaries? One of the things we've accomplished during 40 million a year with only a few more additional work­ this rectification process is to raise the wages of those ag­ ers needed as construction work increases; or when in ricultural workers who were at the bottom of the scale by of thousands, the product of the efforts made by approx­ this enterprise they tell us that they' re going to export so 40 percent, just like we raised the wages of hospital imately 600,000 fellow citizens? How much would they many millions to obtain hard currency, and in another workers who play a role in patient care, those who aren't be worth if they were quality services?.If you will, let's they tell us they're going to reduce production costs. doctors or nurses but who have to do the washing, the use money as the yardstick like the capitalists do. In cleaning, and tend to the patients' basic needs. terms of quality and quantity, how many billions would Minibrigades' contribution these services be worth? In this rectification process , we've also witnessed so­ Then, when we start talking of figures, of millions, of What were we referring to when we talked of the cial justice; social justice of the kind that has corrected a billions of pesos - because Maximo said that next year health sector today? Things that would have seemed un­ certain tendency to raise high incomes to earn up to 1,000 Havana's minibrigades are going to produce approxi­ real in the past, things that seem unreal in a Third World mately 300 million pesos' worth of construction work pesos, and their wages bore no relation to their productiv­ country today, not only seem unreal but indeed are un­ ity , and meanwhile humble workers were earning 100, and that they're going to do so without spending an addi­ real! Things which indeed are unreal in many developed 102, 105 pesos. Much has occurred in this rectification tional cent on salaries, with the same salaries we were countries, in many industrialized capitalist countries. process. paying those workers in their previous posts- we some­ When we talk of the family doctor who is there to care times speak of economic miracles. And what kind of for every family, both the doctor and the nurse who are miracle is this? Without spending an additional cent on Not simply a matter of ideas practically at the doorstep of every citizen's home, caring salaries they are going to produce 300 million pesos' But I was saying that if things are done as they should for the people's health, and already hardly anyone has to worth of construction work? be, this movement can result in thousands of millions, go to the polyclinic unless it's to see a specialist. But as Or take the case of Comrade Zita, who told us that in without raising wages except in those cases that are jus­ these family doctors become comprehensive general Marianao, the same workers from that phantom enter­ tified. The money comes out of the salaries that were medicine graduates, even the visits to the polyclinics to prise, the one that was producing income only because it being earned, but we weren't producing enough; it comes see specialists will diminish. Our polyclinics will have to stole and resold the materials at the same price as if they out of correct, fair, and rational production norms . Continued on next page

January 29, 1988 The Militant 11 International Socialist JtevieVV------~Ja~nu~a~ry~~·~sR~~~

Continued from previous page be staffed by superspecialists because within a few years, the family doctors will become so qualified that the specialists in the polyclinics will no longer be needed. Obviously, each family doctor office won't be equipped with laboratory facilities and X-ray equipment, and pa­ tients will still go to the polyclinics for these technical services. What Comrade Marfa Cristina was talking about is un­ real, but not unreal in a country like Haiti or any other in Latin America, including the wealthiest nations. What's all this about? If we were to tell them about phys­ iotherapy gymnasiums, they'd ask us what we were talk­ ing about. Physiotherapy gymnasiums are a service that is provided in a polyclinic, and most likely quite soon about 400 of our polyclinics will be providing this ser­ vice. This would mean treatment for more than 200,000 patients in Havana in three months or more than 1 million people in the entire country. But here we talk about these things as if they were nor­ mal. No sooner do we hear about them than we start to think about making them available on a large scale, to make these services available to the masses, to see how many specialists in sports medicine and rehabilitation we would need, as the minister of public health said. And right away we started to calculate how many square me­ ters we'd need and whether the blueprints of the new polyclinics had space for these services, whether they should include them or provide them in an annex. All this would be nothing but a dream in other parts of the world. Just take a look at the United States - the United States, the wealthy empire - and see whether they talk in these terms, whether they discuss these things. Maybe the multimillionaires do. There are grandiose clinics for the few. But what we're talking about here are services for an entire population. Let Dotres speak up and tell us about how many operations his team did in just 13 months, how they introduced new techniques and accel­ erated the process, how they've become more efficient, how they've managed to save hundreds of lives. He wasn't talking about appendectomies, which are the kind of operations that are talked about, if at all, in Third World countries. He was talking about cardiovascular surgery on children, open heart surgery with or without extracorporeal circulation. Left, deteriorated housing in Old Havana. Right, new model housing constructed in 1980. Minibrigades are kev t The comrade from the Centro Habana Children's Hos­ pital talked about transplants and the need to form multi­ help. Cuba solved the problem, and Cuba saved their that could be too many because we have to have a highly disciplinary t.eams for transplant operations, the need to lives. Not only were their lives saved, but the doctors specialized staff on duty all the time. use heart, lung, liver, and kidney transplant techniques have mapaged to do plastic surgery on the affected areas on children. of their bodies. This has become something of a symbol I thought about it: if in Havana, with 2 million inhabit­ You realize that this is unrealistic - if we 'd discussed of solidarity, but we didn't do this for the publicity. We ants we would need three or four, in Matanzas we'd need this 10 years ago, it would certainly have seemed un­ did it because these are normal and natural occurrences in at least one and another one in Cienfuegos, one in every realistic - completely unrealistic in any other Latin .our country. province, in due time . We will have doctors. Yes, we're beginning to have ~. American or Third World country. According to what I read, one of the parents had run up And when we were told about the Ecuadoran children the doctors we want, and good doctors at that. a debt of about $10,000 in just the first few days. They As productivity increases, more citizens can go into whose lives were saved, for us it's not extraordinary. came to Cuba. Any Cuban child who suffers a similar ac­ Those children were going to die, and it occurred to the the services, and if a doctor has to be on emergency duty, cident or any other kind is immediately taken care of, and we will have a doctor on emergency duty. If we're short parents to ask for help at our embassy; actually in this this doesn't surprise anybody. It's the most natural thing case that isn't exactly what happened. Representatives of of two centers, we'll have two centers. If we can only in the world, but nobody would even dare dream of such have one for the time being, we 'll have one only, and government institutions approached our embassy, and things in other societies! one of our planes coming back from Peru stopped over in maybe ambulances; and when it's possible, we'll have Ecuador and brought the children to Havana. And you two, three, or four. But these things are discussed here · yourselves are witnesses to the excellent progress they're We will have doctors a routine way. making. Our comrade from the Centro Habana Children's Hos­ We could have talked about other programs. Dotres The parents wrote us a letter, a really touching letter, pital talks of the multiple injuries ward that we should explained the methodology and program for detecting and the final paragraph reads: "You can do what others have in the immediate future. In any other part of the congenital heart deformities that are incompatible with can't." I asked Dotres what they meant by that, and he Third World this would be talked about as a project for life or compatible with life. If they are incompatible with explained that the parents had asked many for help and the year 2025, and here this ambitious aim is proposed as life, stop the pregnancy in the first weeks, don't stop the the r~sponse was always that it couldn't be given. That something possible, and we discuss whether we should pregnancy at eight or seven months; stop it after three or sentence means that Cuba said yes, that it could provide have one, two, three, or four. And a specialist says to us: four months. We could have given news of the polyclinics with fam­ ily doctors where there's not one case of infant mortality, although cases of infant mortality don't only depend on New! medical attention. There are cases where survival is im­ possible, a polyclinic cannot save them. But the zero rate means that any child who went there got optimum atten· tion because in no one case where survival was possible Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution has a death occurred in the first year of life. Writings and Speeches of Ernesto Che Guevara I always ask in the polyclinics: How many deaths have there been, three, two, five? What were the causes? I fine that many were congenital problems, where survival wa ~ As part of the rectification process going on in Cuba today, not possible. But now these cases, where survival is im· Castro has urged a deeper study of Guevara's political and possible, and which so traum&tize the parents, whethe1 economic ideas. Published 20 years after his death, this they be congenital heart deformities or some other kind selection includes articles and speeches on the Cuban revo­ of deformity, will no longer occur, because it will be pos­ lutionary war, Cuba's efforts to overcome economic back­ sible to stop the pregnancy in time. Even this is a sophi ~ ticated program. I can assure you that many developeu wardness in the face of U. S. attacks, the task of developing a countries don't have this kind of program. new social consciousness in a society on the road to And if we see that these marvels can be achieved wit~ socialism, and Cuba's commitment to freedom struggles our work, how and with what does a Third World countr} throughout the world. achieve them? It's clear that Cuba achieves them througt work, although an important part of the necessary re· sources comes from the excellent economic relations wt: 416 pp., $11.95. Published by Pathfinder/Pacific and Asia in have with the socialist countries, especially the Sovie• Sydney, Australia. Union; but we 're not exempt from the damage caused bJ Available from: Pathfinder, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. the world economic crisis, especially with regard to al 10014 • 47 The Cut, London, SE1 8LL, England • P.O. those resources we have to import from other parts of tht Box 37, Leichhardt, Sydney, NSW 2040, Australia • P.O. world. Box 9300, Station A, Toronto, Ont. MSW 2C7, Canada. Nevertheless, how can we do these things? If we wor~ hard. If we work hard we can do what we want. If wt make optimum use of the resources we have today; bu

12 The Militant January 29, 1988 January ISR/5

Militant/Elizabeth Stone v-.rcoming Cuba's housing shortage. They project building 13,000 new units this year.

riot to be idle, to loaf, to drift, to waste time. or. four years, and that afterwards they would say: We11, place, from the factory; he doesn't become a professional We were straying from the right track, if we were ever this hospital wasn't finished, or this factory, or this or construction worker; he goes to the minibrigade for as 100 percent on it. We can't say we w~re ever 100 percent that, because we had to build a day-care oenter in long as he wants, maybe even for 10 years, but he knows right, but, indeed, sometimes more than others, without Guanabacoa. These were the methods we called

January 29, 1988 The Militant 13 International Socialist Jtevie¥v.------J_a_nu_a~ry~--Is_R_I6

Continued from previous page build 600 family doctor home-offices, what would have sure there is a technocratic, bureaucratic, reactionary happened? What do you think would have happened? concept at work. They are denying the reality of a day­ Can you just imagine the conversation? A meeting of the care center that costs 225,000 or 250,000 pesos. Now Political Bureau where a decision is taken to call the we're building them with no additional salary expenses, minister of construction and the president of People's with no salary expenses at all, with the work of the Power to tell them under the conditions existing at that minibrigades, the students, the elderly like Juana Alonso time: You have to build 600 family doctor home-offices. or Petra. Juana Alonso has 600 hours of work to her cretl­ Just that. Not to mention the crazy idea of telling them: it at the age of 75. The question of her age was clarified Listen, you have to expand the Gonzalez Coro Hospital, at lunchtime. I said: "They're always changing your age, the Neurosurgery Institute, the Cardiology Institute, so sometimes they say 70, other times it's 73, other times many beds and so on; you have to build an intensive care 76." She replied: "I was born in 1912." "On what day?" ,, ______I believe she said on June 6, 1912. So she is 75. With this citizen's work, with the work of the mini­ brigades, and without affecting production, we are now Throw voluntary work to one side, building 50. And every one of these low-cost day-care throw awareness to one side, try to centers means 210 women joining the production line or the services as highly skilled workers, or as technicians, solve everything with money and professionals, doctors, engineers, project designers - and they're young. Grandmothers don't need day-care what we'll have is Miami, not centers, young women need them. It didn't enter the technocrat's head that day-care cen­ Havana ... ters were essential to production and the services, and that housing and day boarding schools were also essential ------:------'' to production and the services, and that housing and day ward and such and such a number of operating rooms at boarding schools were also essential to socioeconomic the Salvador Allende Hospital; you have to expand this development. here and that over there; and you have to do all of this Of course, their misconceptions have been corrected. Haitian workers. For the impoverished of Haiti and now, without delay. What would have happened? What The reactionary technocrats also had trouble with their other Third World countries, Cuba's accomplish­ would those comrades have thought? ideas on other things. Everything seemed wrong to them; ments in health care, education, and housing are ex­ in fact the school-goes-to-the-countryside program was amples of what can be achieved through revolution. •We must be prepared to meet problems very wrong because it clashed with the scheme of things. So, we had led our revolution into not being able to I explained this to the Latin American economists the build even a single family doctor home-office, a single other day. 1 When they asked me what the rectification spread around the city means. Zoila is now a ric)l woman. day-care center. Is that a revolution? What kind of revo­ ,, ______When we asked how many special educational schools lution is that? Impotence, a parody of socialism. Yes, it's \ were needed, after studying the matter, the province an­ correct to make a plan - we ought to have plans, the The spirit of revolutionary swered 24. We have schools for children with visual best! -but life itself creates new problems, life is con­ problems, for physically handicapped children, children stantly creating new problems. We must be prepared to awareness expressed in voluntary with hearing problems, and schools for children with be­ meet the new problems. We can't act with a straitjacket havior problems are also needed. If a child with behavior on, we must always have reserves, of course. It is in the work makes the things one dreams problems doesn't get the proper education, he may well people where our huge reserves lie, our most important of, that seemed impossible, come become a delinquent instead of a worker like the kind de­ reserves, namely, our labor force, for work creates scribed here by the principal of the Makarenko School. wealth; yes, work creates it, and we have a huge reserve. true ... So our comrades said they needed 24 schools, and that's Naturally, we need materials. But we get materials ______,, exactly what they'll get. also from work. Work gives us the element that makes Now, tell me, without this rectification process, could the investment possible or makes the investment pay off. process was, I gave them a long explanation. And I didn't Havana have approached the Ministry of Construction We might have a shortage of certain resources to buy explain everything, I explained something of the mess we and People's Power2 and have said to them: "Listen, my something, but then we tell the workers: We must create had here. Nothing fit in with the technocrat's plans. dearest friends and comrades, for the love of God- not more resources to be able to buy this or that. You heard They'd have wound up paying youngsters piecework even for the love of Marx , Engels, or Lenin, but for the the example set by the workers of tourist hotels; penny by rates for studying and producing according to agree­ love of God [Applause] - could you please build in two penny they contributed $10,000 that can be used perhaps ments. I don't know what they would have been capable years the 24 special education schools we need?" It may to buy equipment to prepare meals for the minibrigades. of doing even with a young adolescent. well be that right at that moment they began to come to Yes, we must invest, for that alone we must invest sev­ the conclusion - and not without reason - that we had eral hundreds of thousands to equip the 245 kitchens for Minibrigades built 600 doctor home-offices all gone crazy. If we asked them for one they said no, the minibrigades in the capital in 1988. I was saying that we're now building 50 day-care cen­ they couldn't do it , they really just could not do it be­ Well, we'll use the $10,000 for day-care centers or ters, the same number they were going to build before, cause they didn't have the labor force, they had nothing. something else, maybe a therapeutic gym. We'll see how but it was going to take 50 years, because there were five They were totally demoralized. Now it turns out, when best to use the money. But those workers created a re­ we say to them that we must earn much scheduled for this five-year period, and at that rate it was we asked how many day-care centers were needed, they source there. If more from tourism- as I said at the minibrigades meet­ going to take 100 years to meet the needs of 19,500 chil­ said 100, based on the applications they had, and we told ing - if we don't have the resources, we must create dren and more. Now we have these marvelous mini­ them to build half of what they needed this year, 50; 100 brigades, and they'll build 100 day-care centers in two in two years - but not just 100 day-care centers in two them. And we have many ways of creating more re­ years and another 300 in the rest of the country in three years, 24 special education schools as well. sources if everyone works hard at their jobs, because at years. Three hundred day-care centers! That's miracu­ They were asked: "How many run-down polyclinics the bathroom and kitchen fixtures factory, for example, lous, isn't it? Three hundred day-care centers in the other do you have functioning in dilapidated houses that are we can expect to get $2 million worth of exports that we provinces, 400 in all. We'll have 84,000 mothers in the good for nothing and are now providing poor services hadn't counted on. Tourism workers can earn more for workforce in production and the services. All that in four the country by treating tourists well and working better. ,, ______Oil workers can produce more oil and agricultural work­ years, but in Havana we'll build about 100 in just two years to meet the demand. ers more sugarcane. Citrus fruit workers can produce One of the things accomplished more fruit. And everyone else in their own sphere can do And, mind you, we're only talking about one thing, the same. We can all create more resources for invest­ day-care centers. No one fainted, no one lost conscious­ during this rectification process is ments and the expenditures necessary on materials and ness,. it didn't cause a major crisis. And just in Gua­ equipment. nabacoa, three day-care centers were finished in just a to raise the wages of those few months. I asked the comrade from the party whether agricultural workers who were at All this means that we'll have to use a bit more fuel, the three would meet all the needs for next year. He told but by saving on fuel, we can obtain the amount we need. me they'd need one more. I said, "Include it, man, what the bottom of the scale . . . By working better, we can have all the oil needed for difference does one more make." We went over to Plaza ______,, those plans. In the final analysis, this means more fuel used, but not much. municipality and found out that two more were needed there. So I said to the comrade there: "Put them in the Yes, the additional 1.4 million tons of cement we'll and that lack even the most basic material conditions?" have by 1990 compared to 1986 will call for about plan, include them. If we can build 50, then we can build "Twenty." "Build them." Furthermore, we then told the 53 or 55, and that's no exaggeration." I asked her: "Have 200,000 tons of oil to produce. About 200,000 tons of oil minibrigades: "Listen, can you build 600 family doctor is the yearly increase our oil drillers are now producing. you got the manpower?" She said, "Yes." "Can you do home-offices in 600 different places in just a few months it?" "Yes!" "Then don't worry, we'll give you the mater­ A single thermoelectric power plant, the one in Matan­ for immediate occupancy by the 600 doctors who are zas, will save 70,000 tons of oil. This is what we 're sav­ ials you need to build them." That's why you saw me ar­ joining the program, or rather the 500, plus those who guing so much at the meeting about building materials, ing in a new project, provided we finish it quickly. When had joined the family doctor program before but hadn't the nuclear plant in Cienfuegos starts up, we'll be saving because that's the key issue. The materials have to be been assigned their home-office, so that they can have available. 2.5 million tons of oil. You will readily understand that if their home-offices?" "Yes." In a twinkling of an eye, 1.4 million tons of cement are essential for all these pro­ In this year alone the minibrigades have built 600 fam­ they began looking for the sites, found them, got the grams we're going to have throughout the country, pro­ ily doctor home-offices and are now building 11 special manpower organized under the leadership of the party ducing them with the dry process won't come to 150,000 education schools, and very soon they'll be working on and People's Power, using the people, using the citizens. tons of oil and in a wet process plant, 200,000 tons. It has 24. Comrade Zoila was telling us that she now had 60 lit­ Imagine if we were to say to any one of those few en­ been shown that if we don't have the resources, we can tle schools scattered around, and I can well imagine what terprises under the Ministry of Construction that never create them ourselves. And so you see all the things that 60 little schools for children with behavior problems completed anything they began - and let me tell you, can be done. it's not a problem of individuals, I really mean it, it's a When Maximo read us the program for the next year, problem of conceptions; conceptions can make men im­ we were really impressed. In essence he said: 13 ,000 l. On Nov. 23-26, 1987, the Third Congress of the Latin American and Caribbean Economists Association (AEALC) potent, incapable of solving problems- that they had to housing units; 50 day-care centers, which will end up was held in Havana at the International Conference Center, the being 55 approximately; finishing the 24 special schools, same place the City of Havana provincial Communist Party the 20 polyclinics, the 600 home-offices, which will be meeting was held. Castro held a dialogue with the delegates at 2. People's Power is the Cuban system of elected represen­ bigger; 28 bakeries - building a single one would have the closing session of the conference. tative assemblies on the local, regional, and national levels. thrown the Ministry of Construction into a crisis, and yet

14 January 29, 1988 Janu,ary ISR/7

manding of the workers at the Miguel Enriquez Hospital or Antillana de Acero Steelworks, can we or can we not build new hospitals? Can we or can we not build new fac­ tories? [Applause] If we work with the same spirit as those involved in the El Gato aqueduct, can we or can we not tackle anything? If we work with the spirit of the minibrigade workers who are putting up the 50 day-care centers, can we or can we not do anything we set our minds on? It's all up to us. Whose fault was it? Are we forever going to blame imperialism for our stupidities? Im­ perialism has a lot to be blamed for already, and we don't need to blame imperialism for our own faults, those ex­ clusively attributable to our own shortcomings. Is socialism advancing or not? Is our country developing or is it not, with this new spirit? Minibrigade workers: vanguard of movement Imagine what it'll be like when we have 30,000 mini­ brigade workers, or even 40,000- we don't know what the limit is to what we can do - with the plans that we have for the capital . A time will come when we have more than we need, or more than we have the materials for. Imagine if of the capital's 800,000 workers, the other 750,000 worked with the same spirit as the minib­ rigade workers wherever they might be; in a school, in a factory , in a hospital, in any kind of workplace. That's why I say we're only just starting. Obviously the minibrigade workers have become the Polyclinic in Havana vanguard of this movement, because of their nature, their response, their enthusiasm, and everyone joining. Now the minibrigades can afford the luxury of building 28 in years to complete. Each one of these hotels will have to look at this, the students saying, 'Give us materials, hand over the materials, we're going to build, to repair the one year. be built in 18 months , 20 months, at the most 24 months. And Maximo said that they ' ll also be working on the We have to acquire the know-how, the experience, so whole school.' And maybe we ' ll also get them building neurological hospital, the Gonzalez Coro Hospital, etc., that we can design them quickly with the help of com­ schools, not just repairing them, because some need re­ etc., etc . And he went on to say that in addition they're· puters and build them fast. pairing and others need to be built from scratch. Some working on a facility that is not often mentioned, but it is Perhaps one day we'll have to start building hotels at have to be built in the country. We already spoke to Com­ a giant, the National Exhibition Center, which will do a the same pace we're building day-care centers. It's just a rade Maximo about this, which he didn't mention when great job in illustrating to the children , illustrating to the possibility, and we should be pleased because if our he took the floor, but we're going to form about four population- and firing people's interest in- the coun­ country, with close to $600 million worth of imports ,, ______try's economic, social , scientific , and technical progress. from the hard currency area, is managing to get by this It is a big project where the minibrigades are doing a lot year, just imagine how much better we'd manage if the What would we have done if we of things and building a lot of facilities. I imagine that country had 500 million more available, I billion more, 2 next year they will be working on close to 1,500 or 1,600 billion more? I'm talking here about a dollar that's worth hadn't appealed to these mass job sites in the capital all at once. something, not that dollar which is worth less and less But what does this mean , what does it all mean? It every day . Let's say the 1984, 1985 dollar. That's the methods, revolutionary methods, if means that we can imagine the type of city we wish to dollar we use as a sort of foreign exchange yardstick .... we hadn't brought the have and say: What kind of city do we want by the year Or else, we could talk about the yen, the lira, or the 2000 - and the year 2000 is not so far ahead - how peseta but we'd go mad trying to figure it all out. We minibrigades back to life· . have no choice but to speak about hard currency in terms ______,, many dwellings do we need in the capital? I'm just refer­ ring to the capital; we must never forget, not even for a of the dollar, which has become the international cur­ second, that everything that's being done here, every­ rency. thing we began to do in 1987 is exactly what we'll begin Great possibilities are emerging. Naturally, we could brigades to build senior high schools in the countryside. We have a lot of senior high schools in the capital. to do in the rest of the country in 1988. never develop the tourist industry without this ongoing rectification process because otherwise it would be chaot­ Some of them have 2,500 students. Do you think that a Development programs for tourism ic, pure chaos! Just imagine a hotel being operated like senior high school with 2,500 students can function? Do That's why the question of building materials is so the bathroom and kitchen fixtures factory before it was you believe anyone can direct it, that a group of teachers can be efficient in those circumstances? serious, because it involves meeting the capital's demand straightened out. Can you imagine? Some 2,000 workers and that of the rest of the country. By 1990 we should be to look after some 100 tourists! What chaos, what a mess We think that the junior high school students should even in the whole country. That year will be the fourth and what total lack of productivity, etc., etc. stay in the city, but many could do their senior high school studies in the countryside. I'm not talking of send­ year of the work of the mini brigades in the capital and the If we indeed felt optimistic about developing numer­ ing them far away, to Pinar del Rio or Matanzas but to third year of their work and of similar programs in the ous sectors, we certainly felt optimistic about this one be­ Havana Province. The root and garden vegetable produc­ rest of the nation. cause we felt we had a much more organized people, tion plans for the capital have been increased by 6,710 In some provinces, if there is a surplus in the labor much more efficient, much more aware. Were we to mix hectares [ 1 hectare = · 2.47 acres], and are still increas­ force, we'll give them jobs and pay them a salary. That tourism with our former low defenses, because our de­ ing . I asked the comrades in education and agriculture to is, in the eastern provinces the minibrigades won't carry fenses were indeed dropping, we had no antibodies, we figure out how many schools will fit into an area of about the same weight at the beginning because we 'll provide were suffering from a sort of AIDS. [laughter] Our tech­ 530 hectares, an area where a school with 500 students employment for many youngsters . But we'll certainly nocrats and bureaucrats were suffering from and trans­ could be built bearing in mind the growing production need young construction workers to do other jobs. Young mitting a sort of ideological AIDS, something similar to plans we have for vegetables in the city, for all those veg­ AIDS that was destroying the revolution's defenses. ,, ______etable gardens in the capital that we're going to create Now, if we raise our defenses, can we do it or can't we? and that are going to function with computer programs­ Or are we going to allow ourselves to be bought off for a We'll build a new city- modern, as I explained- that'll indicate each item to be planted. few dollars? [Applause] Are we going to just let anybody Thirty-six schools could be built. Ah! It's because we come here and buy us off for a few dollars and corrupt functional, beautiful . need schools, because even the comrades who do their ______,, us? If we boost our defenses- and we're indeed boost­ military service, who afterwards sign up for a course, ing them- then we can make it . What with our people's need schools of this kind. And we have around 15,000 or capability, intelligence, and virtues, I'm convinced we construction workers have a lot of work ahead because 16,000 senior high school students in the capital. It's the can be gracious hosts to as many tourists as may be nec­ we have many other programs for them, including re­ only province with such a high percentage of senior high essary. gional development programs related to tourism in excel­ school students in the city. And we have excellent senior lent spots in the country, ideally suited to tourism. If there should be a certain surplus of manpower in the high schools in the countryside, but with 700 students, We're about to start developing a cay near Ciego de eastern region, then in those provinces we can train many which is too many. The Che Guevara had 700 students. Avila; Santa Lucia Beach, the beaches in the northeast­ to become construction workers. That's why I was telling The Che Guevara is the school where that young girl who em region of Oriente, and Santiago de Cuba's southern you that in the future those provinces may have to resort spoke at the Young Communist League Congress coast. In short, countless possiblities are mushrooming, to minibrigades as much as possible. We may tell them: studied, Johanna Tablada, who impressed everybody. important ones, extremely important possibilities to Look, all that labor force, made up of young people She studied at that senior high school. I visited it with a develop the tourist industry. That is, we 'll go about it by who've been recruited, let's use it to build hotels and Soviet delegation, and I found out there were 700 stu­ means of joint ventures given that tourism is a very spe­ tourist resorts. That is, it may be that at a given moment dents there, 700 in a school for 500! cial business, unlike the nickel industry, the sugar indus­ even the eastern provinces will have to resort to mini­ How many schools are needed? They say about 36. try, or the machine industry. There are foreign organiza­ brigades to the utmost to build public works because we They would all fit into Havana Province. tions that have the capital. And, besides, they have ex­ asked them to give us that labor force to build works of a Nevertheless, there's another little program I didn't perience and, above all , they control the tourist market. different nature. If we have to build them, we may well mention, nor did Maximo talk about it: we're going to or­ It's the sort of activity where setting up jointly-owned send 10,000 men to work on a cay, to build something ganize four minibrigades to build about two schools per enterprises is easy, convenient, and useful. And these there, and another 10,000 somewhere else. It may add up brigade every year in the countryside. Thus, even this lit­ possibilities are beginning to mushroom. to tens of thousands doing construction work with the tle problem will be solved. We don't yet know whether, over and above the social same spirit displayed by the Bias Roca Contingent. Obviously, they're a bit far away. The capital's senior program we 're discussing, we 'll have to quickly build You tell me. If we work with the spirit that character­ high school students can't help us to build these schools. entire hotel chains. Judge for yourselves whether or not izes the Bias Roca Contingent, or that of the men work­ They'll have to work on the ones here. But in the city, we need to go on perfecting construction work, raising ing on the Julio Dfaz or the Salvador Allende hospitals, we're going to build quite a few schools, quite a few in our efficiency, because none of these hotels I'm talking can we or can we not build hotels? Can we or can we not? the city . We're not just going to repair the ones that need about can be built like the one in El Anc6n that took 14 [Applause] If we work with the same spirit we're de- Continued on next page

January 29, 1988 The ·Militant 15 International Socialist Jte\fie~------~Ja~n~u~ar~y--~I~SR~/8

Continued from previous page Within two years we're going to solve three important needs. The ideal school- they're already working on repairing. Many have to be built, but possibly also 36 problems in the capital: all the polyclinics we need, with the design of the ideal elementary school. senior high schools in the countryside, situated in ap­ satisfactory conditions; all the special education schools proximately 6,500 hectares recently allotted for vegeta­ we need, with satisfactory conditions; and all the day­ We're going to do exactly the same with our junior bles for the city. We' II see if we look back on the days of care centers we need, with satisfactory conditions. We'll high schools. All the junior high schools in adapted the free farmers ' market3 with envy when we do things do it all. Then we'll have the work force to undertake houses are going to be taken out of there. Lezcano spoke well and in a revolutionary fashion, in a socialist fashion. other tasks. But already next year, as Maximo was say­ of approximately 350 schools, between elementary and In the capital we have important plans, not just the ing, we'll start on three swimming pool complexes. junior high schools. Perhaps there will be fewer. They're ones we 've mentioned, not those alone. And they've We're starting on the Pan American Games projects, making a survey, school by school, to find out how many demonstrated our ability to do what we want to do, sim­ with or without the Pan American Games, because we elementary and junior high schools we have to build. In ply that. build for the people. And all those facilities will last a 1989 the elementary and junior high school program will I could say more. With this movement we are creating long time. And we 're going to build them well and so that get under way, to be completed in five or six years at the the ability to do what we want when we want. You a!- they'll be useful to our citizens. We'd still build those fa­ most. I figure it'll take us five or six years if we have to cilities if tomorrow they told us: "We're taking the Pan build 50 or 60 schools a year: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, ,, ______1993, and perhaps 1994. By then we'll complete the American Games away from you." We're going to build the velodrome and all the other facilities. We're going to school building program in the capital. It didn't enter the technocrat's build them, all those multipurpose gymnasiums. And We're going to do the same thing with the bakeries, a with or without the Pan American Games we're going to complete network of bakeries. There's an exhibition head that day-care centers were build everything with pleasure. shown around here of bread for diplomatic markets and essential to production . . . By 1989, we'll start on the school programs. And our parallel markets. That's the kind and quality of bread ______,, we're going to try to make in all our bakeries. We'll have idea is to build new ones, to close down all the elemen­ tary schools located in unsuitable buildings, uncomfort­ approximately 250 bakeries! Between 80 and 90 percent able buildings with no ventilation, old houses that were of families will be able to pick up their bread while it's ready know what the limits are, but here, to everyone's still fresh out of the oven. The quality and variety of satisfaction, it was possible to find out what efforts are adapted, a classroom added somewhere. We're going to build new ones. We're only going to leave standing those bread will improve, and in three years' time, if we build being made regarding building materials production. Be­ throughout 1988, 1989, and 1990, we'll complete the en­ cause we all know, and I will say it once again, that that that are in good shape. But we 're going to go about this in a rational manner. tire bakery network. And we're going to do the same is what can stop us- not the work force, but the lack of thing with our retail stores, with similar programs. Entire materials. The meeting we mentioned here was one the ministry of­ ficials had with the most experienced school principals to networks of family doctor home-offices. When will we I spoke of maybe needing thousands of youngsters finish them? In 1992 we'll finish the entire network, and from the eastern provinces, and not to come and build in discuss the makings of an ideal elementary school. "Tell us, comrades, you who have spent so many years in edu- all the inhabitants of the capital will have their family Havana. What you have here is something like a loan . At doctor. the Antillana de Acero Steelworks and some places like ,, ______As you've seen today, we now have to begin to reflect that there are even people from Pinar del Rio, people from Sancti Spiritus, from wherever. on and analyze the problem of physiotherapy gyms, and In Siberia we have a joint enterprise with the Soviets, Our technocrats and bureaucrats perhaps we'll come to the conclusion that we need to and we're going to send 8,000 or 10,000 Cubans to work were transmitting a sort of build 70-odd physiotherapy gyms. Someone with a prob­ there. They're going to produce the wood the country lem of this kind has to go all the way to the Frank Pafs needs for building, for furniture, and other uses. There­ ideological AIDS that was Orthopedic Hospital way out in La Lisa. Imagine that, or fore we need our manpower, believe me. And the more they have to be taken there by ambulance, or they have to manpower we have, the more we can develop economi­ destroying the revolution's take a cab or a bus. Imagine someone with a serious prob­ cally and the more we can develop socially, if our plans defenses ... lem taking a bus from Guanabacoa to La Lisa, or from are intelligent. And the best thing about all this is that ______,, Guanabacoa to Boyeros, out to the Julio Dfaz Hospital. we're not cutting back on development plans at all. We'll build physiotherapy gyms. That's the idea. That"s You've seen for yourselves how we've taken out tens why we built the first one. We wanted to know how many of thousands of workers and, nevertheless, workplaces cation, who have so much experience, what should an and where, if we should build one in each municipality or are producing more and of better quality. We've seen that elementary school be like?" one in each polyclinic. It seems we're going to have to in each one of the workplaces with problems that we've We've established the goals: that they shouldn't be build one for every polyclinic. So we'll have to make looked at. They may have problems because they're short overcrowded, that children shouldn't have to walk a plans for the physiotherapy gyms as well and consider ·of a raw material, or because some particular resource is kilometer and a half or two to get to school; that the training nurses in this field and more specialized health not at hand, or because they're missing spare parts, but schools be built near the children's homes so they won't workers, too. We should also build gyms for the popula­ not because they're lacking in manpower. have to cross 10 or 12 streets to get there, let alone take tion at large. a bus. They'll be schools for approximately 450 students Not sacrificing economic development that can be well run because no one can run a school with Building sports facilities We're not going to sacrifice the country's economic 1,500 or 2,000 students. We want schools that can be run And we'll have to build a network of sports facilities development in the least with these ambitious social de­ by a normal principal, a good principal; schools with and swimming complexes. At present, Havana has one velopment plans. So we have to work intelligently. We enough room for full-day sessions; schools with sports swimming complex out in Lenin Park. And on seeing have to think carefully, plan well , plan evenly, to carry facilities; schools with dining rooms for working how 5,000 people gathered there one Sunday despite how out the ambitious economic development plans and am­ mothers' children; and space enough to enable us to use it far it is, we wondered how would it be if we built one bitious social development programs with the idea that if we want to extend full-day sessions to all children in .closer to where the population lives. At a meeting with these two matters are interrelated. Under socialism eco­ the future for after-school activities and child care. the municipal party committee in Cerro we urged them to nomic development cannot exist without social develop­ Meanwhile, we have to act according to our most urgent try it out, not for recreational purposes but as a training ment. You can't do what's done under capitalism: build two big nickel plants and only build houses for the man­ ager and 30 or 40 of his staff, while the workers build shacks, anything to be able to work and live there. We can't build the enormous 30,000-ton Punta Gorda and Las Camariocas plants, which will need thousands of workers, if at the same time we don't build thousands of dwellings. By the same token we can't build the textile plant that produces 80 million square meters of cloth in Santiago de Cuba, if at the same time we don't build the thousands of dwellings needed. We aren't living under capitalism, nor can we work as if this were capitalism. We must combine economic development with social development. Without day-care centers, how can we have women join the work force, in production, in the services. With­ out elementary day boarding schools, how can we get the women into the labor force? Without junior high day boarding schools, how can we have them join? Recently, when I was present at the opening of a junior high school, we saw some 12-year-old girls who had to go home to heat the lunches their working mothers had cooked for them the night before- 12-year-olds, adolescents, alone at home. We 've struggled for full-day sessions. We already have them in nearly every elementary school in the coun­ try . Now we have to strive for full-day sessions in the junior high schools. The comrade from San Miguel del Padron, who is the head of education there, was telling us what a school should be like- the number of students a school should have, the number of students per class­ room, how they should be run to achieve quality educa­ tion. Our plans for development in the capital and the rest of the country are ambitious.

3. The free farmers' markets were introduced in 1980. They provided individual producers and cooperatives with a place to sell their surplus produce. The markets were eliminated in 1986. Child-care center in Cuba

16 January 29, 1988 January ISR/9 facility for sports, and to transport the children from the primary schools on a number of buses to and from the Lenin Park swimming pools. By now , thousands of chil­ dren have learned how to swim thanks to a single and faraway complex and using a few buses to take them there. We're now thinking about building these complexes in every municipality. And in some there will be more than one. Imagine Centro Habana, Cerro, Diez de Octubre, and the rest of the municipalities having at least one and some even two or three complexes. Imagine having all primary schoolchildren throughout the school year learn­ ing to swim, doing exercise, and the population using them for recreational purposes in the summer. We could end up having 10,20,30,40, well, the number we need. The same thing goes for sports facilities. We already did an experiment in Cerro, which is mentioned in there­ port. The idea originated in that same meeting: how to provide all the students with a network of sports facili­ ties . We did this, and the experiment has already spread to the remaining municipalities, using simple solutions. Naturally, in the future all our new schools will be pro­ vided with these facilities regardless of where we build them, even if it's on the roof, if the school is in Centro Habana or some other similar place, or in the basement. We'll dig underground if need be, like the comrades at the Salvador Allende Hospital have done. You heard them say here: '"The ceilings were so low that we couldn't raise them, so we had to lower the floor." We'll find the space we need because we'll have dwellings. And wherever it's necessary we'll tear down a block of old houses. We'll tear it down, except in Old Militant/George Johnson Havana. And we'll do what had to be done at the Miguel "Our youth will be builders of communism and forgers of new world." Enriquez Hospital where we needed three city blocks, three blocks. Then we needed two half blocks more. And we did some negotiating to get that space. The residents dents but with their participation, and not just their par­ greater vigor, and have even made them function at a were happy for they got new homes. If they'd been living ticipation but their supervision. The residents will see to lower cost. They're better organized, better distributed in fancy houses like those in Miramar, it would be more it that the materials don't get lost. They'll see to it that a by municipality, with better ideas - no question about complicated. But since we're starting out from situations quality job is done. These are infinite, immense forces. it. But if that idea that emerged 17 years ago and led to where many people live in old, uncomfortable dwellings, thousands of buildings being built had been followed for wherever we happen to need space to build a school or a A mass movement involved in rectification the past 12 years, the situation would be different. swimming pool complex, a social facility, we 'II have no trouble getting it. Unless we can rely on all that, you tell me whether we That's why we must now make up for lost time, not could repair any homes here in the capital. If we wait for just the time the country lost under capitalism and coloni­ Then come the retail facilities. That network is also the arrival of a brand-new, superorganized, overstaffed, alism, but also, to a certain extent, the time lost under being studied to find out what kind of network of mar­ bureaucratic enterprise with 50 different forms and two socialism. That's why we say to those who are allergic to kets, supermarkets, and stores the capital needs. million papers to start repairing the old buildings, paint- strong things, to worthy things of the peoples, to the pro­ I was saying we'll have to make a better distribution of ing tenements . .. . if we wait for that, if people will swal- letarian spirit- and proletarian spirit means, first of all, certain recreational centers, stop concentrating on the low all that . . .. No! It's fine to turn Antillana de Acero work spirit and work discipline- to those who are aller­ center and move into the periphery. That's why those into a big enterprise, to have big hotel construction enter­ gic and see the welts caused by this work spirit: we want families told us they wanted a restaurant somewhere in prises, big mining enterprises, big industrial enterprises to work hard but not because of someone's whim; we of different kinds . But can we tackle these other things want to work hard but not for the sake of working; we ,, ______without the people's participation, without the masses' want to work hard because we must work hard, because participation? we're a Third World country, because we lost centuries Under socialism economic So, what will we have in our capital? I speak of the under colonialism, nearly 60 years under neocol­ development cannot exist without capital because our experience here will be followed by onialism, and we've also lost a few years under the rev­ all the other provinces. What will we have in our capital olution. We must now make up for lost time! social development . . . by the year 2000 if we go on working like this , if we work You tell me whether or not we'll be happy working; ______,, hard, if we keep improving this mass construction move­ whether or not we'll be happy making up for lost time; ment? And it's not just a mass construction movement whether or not we'll be happy creating things for this but a mass movement involved in the rectification proc­ generation and the ones that come after ours. Are we Diez de Octubre where there are very few restaurants. ess, bent on doing better quality work everywhere. What perhaps unhappy about the special education schools, the Most restaurants are around La Rampa and near the will our city look like? If we manage to control the influx family doctor home-offices we're now building, the day­ hotels. from other provinces, with 250,000 new dwellings and care centers we're building? Are we perhaps unhappy There are many things we have to do, but we'll do another 250,000 repaired, rebuilt dwellings, we'll have about the 330,000 compatriots of ours in the capital hav­ them! We'll have to rebuild the plumbing and sewage close to 500,000 adequate places to live in . I hope that by ing completed 40 hours of voluntary work, or about one networks, and we'll do it. We'll have to broaden av­ that time we wbn't have a single unhealthy neighborhood of our grandmothers having put in 600 hours of voluntary enues, which not only eases traffic and saves time but left. I believe that all the unhealthy slum pocket areas will work in a few months at age 76? We could ask this grand­ also helps us save on important economic resources. I al­ disappear long before then. There aren't all that many of mother whether doing that has made her happier or less ready explained about the avenue that the Bias Roca Con­ them, but there are still some 50,000 people living in happy. We could ask her whether doing that makes her tingent is building. them. feel healthier or less healthy. In the future we'll have to build the city subway. We Yesterday Comrade Glenda was telling us about her Let the petty bourgeoisie worry about their fears and think we'll probably start it in the 1990s. That indeed excellent impression of the work of the mini brigades in a their doubts! Our working people are not afraid of any­ takes a lot of time to do - you build a few kilometer slum area, the way they worked, their spirit. thing. Our working people are not afraid of any effort. stretches at a time and start using them. It's nearly a We know, there are 70,000 dwellings in our capital all lifelong job. We've acquired a lot of experience in mak­ braced up to keep them from falling down, 70,000 braced ,, ______ing tunnels. Our armed forces have earned a lot of experi­ up dwellings! Tens of thousands of families are living in ence in that kind of work for they've had to drill the prov­ tenement houses that have been declared unfit to live in , We'll have appro:ximately 250 ince from one end to the other. That's why we've put the unfit to live in! And they live there because there aren't Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in charge of enough public shelters or else they don't want to move bakeries. Between 80 and 90 organizing and programming all the preparatory work there. It's a very dramatic situation, and we can't force and being ready when the time comes to build the city them to move out. We constantly have to reinforce the percent of families will be able to subway. structures and do repair work. When were we ever going pick up their bread while it's still We'll build a new city- modem, functional, beauti­ to overcome all that? ful. I ask you, comrades, do you think that 3,800 new ______fresh out of the oven . . . ,, Yesterday we analyzed what the public works mini­ dwellings. per year were going to solve the problem? brigades can do. We also looked at what we needed tore­ Where were we heading? How were we going to solve pair one way or the other, rebuild, remodel , in need of those problems? Yes, it's true, the revolution solved Our working and revolutionary people are not afraid of major or lesser repairs. It would be about 25,000 dwell­ many other problems. It provided jobs, built schools, the rigor of work. And, rather than sad , our population ings every year. built polyclinics, trained doctors, built and remodeled appears to be happier on viewing the first fruits of this ef­ Does anybody here doubt that if we have the materials, hospitals and, above all, in the provinces it did a lot of fort . Our meeting is happier on viewing the first fruits of we can repair the 25 ,000 dwellings, given the informa­ things. But what kept it from solving the housing prob­ this effort at rectification. And rather than worrying tion we've received about that excellent experience and lem in the capital and in other cities? What kept it from about the excess work that might await us, we worry for the wonderful news of hundreds of young people who solving other serious problems? Even the services we had a different reason: that we don't have sufficient materials weren't working who have joined the minibrigades? This began to deteriorate: education , public health, etc., as a to work with, that we don't have sufficient blueprints to means we can perhaps have 3,000 or 4,000 of them join result of those same negative trends, that huge morass we work more, that we can 't have tens of thousands more in that task, a potential source of youngsters who can were falling into that kept getting deeper and deeper. join this minibrigade movement, that we can't have hun­ work close to home, aided by other workers who up to a We could have solved the housing problem! Seventeen dreds of thousands more students, housewives, or retired short time ago were a calamity as builders but who now years ago we invented the minibrigade formula. Had we workers helping the minibrigades in extra working hours. teach the young and are making quality repairs with the followed that road consistently, where would it have Our affliction is not caused by the fear that we're going help of residents. And not just with the help of the resi- taken us? Of course now we've reinstated them, with Continued on next page

January 29, 1988 The Militant 17 International Socialist lte~el¥.------~Ja~n_u_ar~y--~I~SR~/~10

Continued from previous page meeting. I think that this is one of the best meetings that time, if the houses being built are fewer than those that to have a lot of work. Instead, we're sorry we can't use has ever taken place. We haven't discussed everything disintegrate, when will we have houses?" Where would more people in this work stemming from the muscle and because we would have needed a week. But we have dis­ they get their explanation, from what manual, what text, blood of a strong population, a healthy population, a rel­ cussed important things, many important things, and what book? Because we had some wise men here , and atively young population, which, compared to the popu­ we 've discussed them deeply. We have become aware of who knows what damage they did, who knew the exact lation in developed capitalist countries , is a much every one of our basic problems. page, the exact phrase, the exact day on which Lenin said younger population. You have the report before you . The report will be it, in any one of the 40 volumes of his complete works. Energy is what we have in excess! The risk we run is rounded out by a series of ideas, and this report must be But in none of these quotes, on no page could the party not being able to use all the energy we're capable of like a work program for the party in the capital . member find the explanation for that family who lived in exerting. The risk we run is having to do a lot of physical We have talked very seriously and deeply, and partici­ a slum, when in practice socialism had to solve that des­ exercise in a gym or in some other place because we can't pation in general has been very serious, participation that perate mother's housing problem. do the same exercise by moving earth or shoveling or lay­ has had a great effect on all of us. Or when she said: "My son is allergic to this, my ing and hauling bricks or pushing a wheelbarrow. That's It was also particularly moving when the representa­ daughter suffers from asthma, I've got this problem, the truth. [Applause] tive of the physically handicapped came here and spoke. there's no water." Or when a mother came and said, "I'm I recently toured several municipalities, five of them But above all it was moving to hear how the party in the paying 60 pesos to a woman to look after and feed my opening day-care centers, and I was able to sense the capital in a matter of weeks responded to their requests daughter, etc., etc., I want a day-care center, or I want mood, the happiness, the basic happiness that stems from and their suggestions made in mid-August and set up 14 my son to have a quieter existence because he 's got prob­ new hope, the masses' effervescence. Let no one think workshops and gave work to more than 50 percent of lems and he's out in the street while I'm at work. He's an that I confuse effervescence or the prevailing mood with those with employment difficulties. He explained to me adolescent in junior high school. Or the children who anything else, or that I'm apt to judge the masses' effer­ that there were about 500 with work problems. He only had one half-day session and had nowhere to go and vescence or mood according to how many times they brought the album. The photos are there. went roaming the street. shout "Fidel! Fidel!" The same thing happens to me as The predominating atmosphere in these collectives of happened to Lezcano as he stood there listening to the men and women in wheelchairs participating in a work­ Today party has answer for each problem applause or shouts of our names. It embarrasses us , it shop's production can be appreciated. How many Which problems could the party solve? What answers bothers us. thousands of times more important, more noble, more could the party give the citizens who arrived to put this I judge effervescence by people's facial expressions, dignified is this than what was happening in our capital, kind of problem to them? What book, what quotation, by their faces , their eyes, what is not conveyed in words which peddlers, hawkers, and middlemen were invading what text could help the party give them an answer? but in subtleties, and the tone in which people speak, in ever increasing numbers, getting rich , even exploiting That's how the party has been working. The party had to greet us, react. the physically handicapped at times. What a difference spend years working under these conditions, waiting to I think someone made a documentary with the mater- · when the party organizes a workshop, and they can feel see if the famous mechanisms would solve the matter. ials filmed during that tour. It shows great effervescence like human beings. They can feel useful to society and Now the party has an answer. Now the party has some­ based on that spirit that is coming into being, that trust; feel they are participating in our country's development! thing to say to the citizens , to anyone who comes to ask that hope, that optimism, and that total, absolute willing­ That's what the party did in a few days. The party in its for anything. If the problem is in a slum area: let's see, ness to do things: renovated form . can do anything it wants. It can work we're going to organize a public works minibrigade, let's miracles or do things that seem miraculous. work on the public works minibrigade. And it will be Our efforts are beginning to bear fruit able to tell the students to do what they themselves asked ,, ______for: repair your school. And to the others: let's work on Our efforts are just beginning to bear fruit. And our be­ lief, our decision, our will to continue with these pro­ the school, let's work on the day-care center, let's work grams must grow along with a new way of working in the Today we have what we dido 't have on the bakery, let's work on the housing construction party - a party that is today a great party, a party that in at the beginning of the revolution, program. Today the party has a concrete, clear, precise our capital alone has more than 100,000 members and answer for each and every problem. And it has put forth 100,000 Young Communists. nor at any other time: the strength an impressive force. Today we have what we didn't have at the beginning of I would say that in this process of recification the two the revolution, nor at any other time: the strength of the of the party' the party's new work most impressive things are the people's reaction and the party, the party's new work style, the party's impressive party's impressive work. ability to mobilize through its municipal committees, its style . . . . I believe that we should all take healthy pride in such local groups; closely and permanently linked to the mass an instrument that has such strength: the party, with the organizations. ------~------'' authority it has among our workers and our people, and When anything is asked of the party, an immediate re­ How difficult the party's existence was two years ago the party members have been showing it with their sponse is given, an instantaneous response, in silence. If - what total impotence when a woman came and said exemplary conduct, this wonderful word so full of mean­ in one week 200 men of a certain kind have to be her house was falling down. And I remembered that there ing: exemplary! Exemplary conduct that is evident in the mobilized and the party makes contact with the were 70,000 houses braced up, and a braced-up house is fact that the general secretary of the party committee of municipalities, in a matter of days 200 men appear with not only ugly and uncomfortable, but there's also the Antillana tells us that he's the first to go to voluntary exactly the characteristics required. And if I ,000 have to neighbors' and tenants' fear that the house will fall down ~ work twice a week, which shows that the party members . be mobilized in a matter of days, I ,000 are mobilized, on top of them. It's something more than the discomfort will be the first to set the example in everything. And also with the qualities and characteristics, even the skills that of an old house, practically in ruins and braced up. evident in the fact that one could spend all afternoon · are needed. And if 10,000 are to be mobilized in a matter When a family came to the party to tell them about this looking for Comrade Lezcano and find him using a pick of days, the 10,000 are mobilized, in silence, not a sound problem, what did the party say, what tale did they tell and shovel or carrying sand at a workers' club, complet­ is heard. them, what story? "Take it easy, man ." Was that it? To ing his 40 hours of voluntary work . [Applause] If you arrive at any place and find such and such a con­ console them by saying "take it easy." Take it easy be­ This force and prestige is shown in these 300,000-odd tingent, the party, the Young Communists, the unions, cause we 've invented such fantastic methods, so incred­ people who completed their 40-hour pledge and in the there is a new style, there is a new spirit, there is a new ible that one day you' ll have all the houses you need. hundreds of tho~o~sands that are a few hours short and who attitude. There is what we could call a revolution within Yes, maybe in the year 3500. Maybe robots, if we had are disappointed because they weren't able to fulfill their the revolution. any , were going to build the houses. What did the party 40 hours by the deadline. The workers and residents of This is what we've been able to observe. This is what explain to them? the capital did 13 million hours of voluntary work. AU we're dealing with here, impressive things in this very And if the family said: "If there are less houses all the that legitimate satisfaction, all that legitimate hope, all that healthy pride has been reflected in this meeting with no sense of triumph, but with great optimism. And we're happy because we 're aware that this is only the first fruit. ~- C-·------·-·-1 And not so much because of what we've done, but be­ New International cause of what we're sure we're going to do. And not so .I I· · a magazine of Marxist politics and theory U--International------~ much because of"what we've built, but because of what A MMJ af IW!!itk> '""" fhtJU:.iutlon cise, clear, and brief their remarks were, especially their ll'll!itllfl. ...JI\t A Historic answers. A man can prepare a speech, a man can prepare Moment Moment'' lhe 50-Year DomestiC a sentence, but no one can prepare an answer to a ques­ TWO 5J'ffCHfS !W Two speeches by tion he doesn't know is going to be asked. contr& qx:rdtion flllt:L CAST!«) Fidel Castro I was really impressed when I said, "We might have to work for quite a while," and they immediately answered, "As long as it takes ," in a split second, or "We'll do In his addresses to 1986 Cuban Communist Party congress, Castro out­ whatever is necessary," as another one said . And to each lines new battle for revolutionary commitment and renewal, to combat question, an immediate, precise, clear, unwavering an­ depolitidzation and corruption. swer. That is confidence in the party. That's the proletar­ Please send me this issue ian spirit. [Applause] That's the revolutionary spirit. That's man's belief in himself, in his ideas. in his cause. Name ______~------That's the conviction that emanates ever more strongly Address ______~------from the rectification process: that we shall fulfill our promises, that we shall be capable of doing whatever we City tate/Zip ------­ set out to do . Clip and mail $6.50 to New International, 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. i Patria o muerte! i Venceremos! [Ovation]

The Militant January 29, 1988 18 London meeting weighs action to oppose apartheid BY DOREEN WEPLER Kenya and Nigeria as part of her "war LONDON - More than 300 delegates against sanctions." He highlighted the attended a conference organized by the Af­ plight of African countries bordering South rican National Congress in London January Africa, known as the Frontline States. 9. The purpose of 'the conference was to The release of ANC leader Govan Mbeki consider the Program of Action adopted by after 23 years in South African prisons was the international solidarity conference a victory. But Meli warned against compla­ against apartheid held in Arusha, Tan­ cency. Although the democratic movement zania, in early December and to discuss has been strengthened dramatically . since implementing the proposals in Britain. the mid 1970s, "we still are not strong Delegates came from local anti-apart­ enough to defeat the Botha regime," he heid groups, political organizations, the said. student movement, the Black community, Meli also explained the ANC's position and church groups. on negotiations. "Talks with academics Trade unions were strongly represented, and white businessmen are not negotiations including delegations from the National with the government," he said. "We talk Union of Mineworkers, National Union of with these social forces in order to detach Railwaymen; SOGA T, the printers' union; them from the apartheid system. This ap­ USDAW, the shopworkers' union; Na­ proach is not opposed to the armed strug­ Contingent of African National Congress of South Africa and South West Africa tional and Local Government Officers' As­ gle, it is an aspect of it, to broaden the field People's Organisation of Namibia in October march in London. Recent London sociation; Fire Brigades' union; and others. of struggle - to weaken the enemy, and meeting discussed action plan adopted at international anti-apartheid gathering in Solly Smith, the chief representative of ensure the victory of the armed struggle." Tanzania. the African National Congress (ANC) in "These social forces have different Britain and Ireland, opened the confer­ goals," continued Meli . "They want power ence. Thozamile Botha, a leader of the sharing so they can keep control. We are "But flexibility is not the same as selec­ Following the keynote speech, a panel of South African Congress of Trade Unions for the taking of power and the destruction tive sanctions," he concluded. "On this ANC leaders answered questions about the (SACTU), chaired the meeting. of apartheid." point we remain committed to mandatory, ANC's policies on a broad range of issues. Greetings were brought from the South comprehensive sanctions to isolate the re­ In closing the conference the chair em­ Meli also clarified the ANC's approach gime at every level." phasized, "The ANC has no fear of ex­ West Africa People's Organisation, SACTU, to cultural sanctions, first outlined by ANC and the Anti-Apartheid Movement in Brit­ Meli explained that the fight to force the plaining and discussing its policies. We President · Oliver Tambo last year. "It's Thatcher government to retreat in opposing urge all activists to consult with the ANC ain . possible," Meli said, "that Govan Mbeki's ANC National Executive Committee sanctions is not only in the interests of the and SACTU. Consultation ' doesn't create book South Africa: The Peasants' Revolt South African people. "It is part of the problems, it solves them." As a first oppor­ member Francis Meli, who also edits the may be published in South Africa this year. ANC journal, Sechaba, gave the keynote fight to rid this country of racism, which tunity of this type to do just that, the con­ We wouldn't want to boycott it simply be­ has its roots in part in the apartheid sys­ ference was seen by the organizers and par­ speech. cause it is a South African product." "There are two Britains," Meli ex­ tem," he said. ticipants as a resounding success. plained. "the Britain of Prime Minister Drawing a parallel with cultural groups Margaret Thatcher and the supporters of that have emerged from the struggle and the apartheid system, and the Britain which whose performances inspire their audi­ stands with us in our struggle against apart­ ences to take action against apartheid, Meli -WORLD NEWS BRIEFS-- heid rule ." called for "flexibility" in the movement's sion. The attackers looted the train and Meli denounced Thatcher's recent trip to approach. Mauritius wants U.S. abducted several of the passengers. island base returned The Mozambican government re­ The island country of Mauritius is ported that on the previous day an armed Raids, arrests in Ireland hit · seeking 'to regain sovereignty over its Renamo group opened fire on a public sister island, Diego Garcia, which the bus operating between Swaziland and United States has turned into a military Maputo. Three people were killed and foes of British rule in north base. Both islands are located in the In­ 14 wounded. dian Ocean off the eastern coast of Af­ A spokesman for Renamo in the Por­ BY MARC LICHTMAN with the 26-county police or army. The rica. Diego Garcia is also part of the tuguese capital, Lisbon, did not deny re­ During the last two months of 1987 the find after several weeks of scouring the Chagos Archipelago. sponsibility for the attacks but said that government of the Republic of Ireland country was a few rifles and some rounds Through an agreement signed in they had not been confirmed by Renamo deepened its collaboration with the British of ammunition. 1965, Britain, the former colonial ruler leaders in Mozambique. "It is a key aim occupation forces in repressing Irish Also on November 23, in an obviously of Mauritius, extracted control of Diego of our military strategy to cut off Maputo nationalists. At the end of November it coordinated effort, 40 nationalists were ar­ Garcia and part of the archipelago as the as much as possible from the rest of the launched a massive police search operation rested and held for questioning in early price for Mauritius' independence. That country," the spokesman said. and at the beginning of December began morning raids in the British-controlled same year the British government leased Renamo is organized, trained, armed, implementing its Extradition Act with Brit­ northeastern six counties (Northern Ire­ Diego Garcia to Washington and "relo­ and financed by the apartheid regime in ian. land). These included five Sinn Fein cated" the inhabitants of the island to South Africa. It is an instrument in On November 23, some 6,500 police elected officials. Mauritius. Today Diego Garcia remains South Africa's overall destabilization and Irish army troops began a sweep across These actions were launched during a "off limits" to its original residents. campaign of war and devastation against the southern 26 counties (Republic of Ire­ wave of anti-IRA sentiment, whipped up According to the January 3 New York the countries of southern Africa known land), raiding homes and political offices by British and Irish government officials Times, the U.S. ambassador to Mau­ as the Frontline States. and searching barns and farmland. Primary and clergy, following a bombing that killed ritius, Ronald Palmer, said the military targets were Sinn Fein members and sup­ II civilians in the Northern Ireland town of base at Diego Garcia was a very difficult porters. Sinn Fein is a revolutionary Enniskillen during a World War II Remem­ and delicate matter. "But there are good U.S. considers TV nationalist organization that works to end brance Day celebration. IRA reports stated and sufficient reasons why a U.S. mili­ version of Radio Marti British rule in Ireland's northeastern six that the remote-controlled bomb, which the tary base in this part of the world is use­ counties and for the reunification of the IRA had set for British army patrols, had ful ," the ambassador added. In December 1987 Congress appropri­ country in a 32-county "democratic so­ exploded prematurely and was not deto­ The prime minister of Mauritius, ated $100,000 for a study to determine cialist republic." It has close ties with the nated by its radio signal. Anerood Jugnauth, explained, "At all whether television broadcasting to Cuba illegal Irish Republican Army (IRA). On December 3 the government voted to international forums we have been fight­ is technically feasible, what it would Other targets included trade union lead­ implement its Extradition Act with Britain, ing for the demilitarization of the Indian cost, and the legal questions it would ers, journalists, and activists in antiextrad­ which had been adopted in December Ocean and the creation of a zone of pose. The appropriation was the first ition, prisoners' rights, women's rights, 1986. This legislation gives a go-ahead to peace as proposed by the United Na­ step towards the creation of a television and Irish cultural organizations. Most the government to hand over persons living tions. version of Radio Marti. prominent of these was a member of the in the 26 counties who are wanted by offi­ "We maintain our claim over Diego Radio Marti is part of the U.S. gov­ Irish parliament who is a vocal opponent of cials in Northern Ireland or England. Garcia and we will use all diplomatic ernment's dirty propaganda war against the Extradition Act. In the past few months, opposition to the possibilities to have the island and the the Cuban revolution. To add insult to More than 50,000 searches were carried act's implementation had been growing. surrounding archipelago handed over to injury Washington gave the radio station out over the course of the operation in this Antiextradition committees were organized Mauritius," the prime minister said. the name of Cuba's celebrated indepen­ country of 3.5 million. This typically in­ throughout the 26 counties and six coun­ dence fighter Jose Marti. Marti was a volved detectives with submachine guns ties, and rallies and debates heard Sinn resolute opponent of U.S. imperialism. surrounding homes, while police inside ri­ Fein leaders, prominent trade unionists, Mozambique contras Washington has claimed that the pur­ fled personal possessions, particularly pa­ and others speak against the act. kill 22 civilians in raid pose of Radio Marti is simply to present pers and political files. In some areas The main victims will be nationalists, "accurate, balanced, and objective news whole housing projects were searched. who when extradited to the six counties, At least 22 people were reported reports." The pretext for these raids was the Irish face a system of one-judge courts, known killed and 71 wounded when an armed Proof of Radio Marti's real purpose government's claim that up to 2,000 auto­ for their convictions on the basis of paid in­ unit of the counterrevolutionary Mozam­ was revealed when its Miami bureau matic rifles and possibly SAM-7 ground­ formants' evidence. Indeed, during late bique National Resistance (Renamo) at­ chief Hilda Inchin, resigned in Sep­ to-air missiles had been smuggled into the November and early December, the 26- tacked a passenger train on Dec. 31 , tember 1987. Inchin charged that she country. "I believe this is the biggest threat county government arrested six republi­ 1987. Most of the I ,500 passengers had been "forced to instruct my reporters the IRA has ever posed to this state," cans and is holding them under warrants were Mozambican migrant workers re­ to do intelligence gathering rather than warned Irish Justice Minister Gerry Collins from Northern Ireland police. These six turning from South Africa. simply being reporters." There can be when announcing the operation . men are former political prisoners, who es­ The travelers were attacked after the little doubt that Marti TV would be the The IRA, however, has often stated that caped from Northern Ireland's Long Kesh train was derailed by a land mine explo- same. its official policy is not to have any conflict Prison more than four years ago.

January 29, 1988 The Militant 19 -· CALENDAR----~~------~--- NEW YORK ALABAMA Workers Party, 11\ember of United Steelworkers NEW YORK Manhattan Birmingham of America. Translation to Spanish. Sat., Jan. Manhattan On the 20th Anniversary of the Tet Of­ 23. Dinner, 6p.m. ; forum, ?p.m. 6826S Stony fensive-Veterans Speak Out For Who Pays the Price? The Impact of the Stock Benefit Dance for N.Y. Nica Construction Island Ave. Donation: forum, $2; dinner, $3. Peace and Justice. Rally to call for re­ Market Crash on Working People. Speaker: Brigade. Food, music, cash bar, refreshments. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For more infor­ conciliation with Vietnam and to oppose John Hawkins, Socialist Workers Party. Sat., Sat., Jan. 23, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Taller Latino­ mation call (312) 363-7322 or 363-7136. U.S. intervention · in Central America. Jan. 23, 7:30p.m. 1306 1st Ave. N. Donation: americano, 63 E 2nd St. (between 1st and 2nd Speakers: Norma Becker, longtime peace $2.50. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For avenues). Donation: $7. For more information and justice activist; David Dellinger, au­ more information call (205) 323-3079. call (212) 475-7159. IOWA thor Vietnam Revisited; Charlie Liteky, Des Moines Veterans Fast for Life; Brian Wiiison, ARIZONA Socialist Educational Weekend. NORTH CAROLINA via specially filmed message; others. Phoenix "Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution." Greensboro . Sat. , Jan. 30, 4:30p.m. Washington Irv­ The Revolutionary Message of Malcolm X. Speaker: Raul Gonzalez, Socialist Workers Working-Class Solutions to the Capitalist ing High School, 40 Irving Place (at E The Meaning of His Ideas Today. Speaker: Party. Sat., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. Crisis. Sun., Jan. 24, Dinner, 5:30p.m.; forum 17th St.) Donation: $5. Sponsor: Viet­ Danny Booher, Socialist Workers Party. Re­ "Women and the Cuban Revolution." 7 p.m. 2219 E Market. Sponsor: Militant Labor nam Veterans Against the War. For more corded speeches by Malcolm X. Sat., Jan. 23,7 Speaker: Elizabeth Stone, representative of Forum. For more information cal: (919) 272- information call (7 18) 499- 110 I : p.m. 1809 W Indian School Rd. Donation: $2. Pathfinder recently returned from Cuba. Sun., 5996. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For more infor­ Feb. 14, noon. The Struggle for Democracy in Haiti. Sat. , mation call (602) 279-5850. "Cuba Today." Speaker: Elizabeth Stone. Jan. 30. Dinner, 5:30p.m. ; forum, 7 p.m. 2219 Sun., Feb. 14, 2:30p.m. WASHINGTON, D.C. Market St. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant South Korean People's Struggle for Real De­ CALIFORNIA Classes held at 2105 Forest Ave. Donation: Labor Forum. For more information call (919) $2 per class. Sponsor: SWP and Young mocracy. Video on the June 1987 uprising and Los Angeles 272-5996. the December elections. Speaker: Hyuk-Kyo The First Anniversary Commemoration of Socialist Alliance. For more information call (515) 246-1695 . Suh, Korean American activist. Translation to the Los Angeles Eight. Speakers: Ramsey OREGON Spanish. Sat. , Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. 31 65 Mt. Clark, former U.S. attorney general; master of MARYLAND Pleasant NW. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant ceremonies, Casey Kasem, broadcaster; featur­ Portland Labor Forum. For more information call (202) ing the seven Palestinian and one Kenyan de­ Baltimore Cuba Today: the Revolution Advances. A 797-7699. fendants in the deportation case. Translation to Solidarity With the Palestinian People. class series. Spanish. Tue., Jan. 26, 7:30p.m. Park Plaza Speakers: Najat Khelil, Union of Palestinian "A Brief History of the Cuban Revolution." WASHINGTON Hotel, 607 SPark View St. Donation: $10, $5 American Women; Ali Zaghab, American-Arab Sat. , Jan. 23 , 4 p.m. "Role of Women and for students and low income. Sponsor: Commit­ Anti-Discrimination Committee; Jesse McDade, Blacks in Cuba." Sat., Jan. 30. 4 p.m. "Current Seattle tee for Justice. For more information call (213) professor, Morgan State University; Julia Stein­ Stage of the Revolution." Sat. , Feb. 6, 4 p.m. 1988 Socialist Campaign Conference. Two 413-2935. berg, Young Socialist Alliance. Translation to "Che Guevara: How His Ideas Live on Today." talks: "World Politics Today: In the Shadow of Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution Spanish. Sat., Jan. 23. Preforum dinner, 6 Sat., Feb. 13, 4 p.m. the Stock Market Crash." Speaker: Dan Fein, Today. Two classes. "Guevara and the Cuban p.m.; forum, 7:30p.m. 2913 Greenmount Ave. All classes held at 2732 NE Union. Donation: Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. Senate; Revolution," Sat., Jan. 23, 3 p.m. and "The Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. $2. Sponsor: Young Socialist Alliance. For " 1988 Elections: A Socialist Perspective." Cuban Revolution and the Fight for Equality for For more information call (301) 235-0013. more information call (503) 287-7416. Speaker: Roberta Scherr, campaign manager, Blacks and Women," Sat., Jan. 30, 3 p.m. 1988 Washington State campaign. Sat., Jan. 23 , Given by Elizabeth Stone, visited Cuba at the MASSACHUSETTS PENNSYLVANIA I p.m. 5517 Rainier Ave. Sponsor: Socialist time of the 20th anniversary of Che's death. Workers Campaign Committee. For more infor­ Boston Pittsburgh mation call (206) 723-5330. 2546 W Pico Blvd. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Haiti: the Struggle for Freedom. A panel dis­ Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialist Paperworkers Lead Fight Against Conces­ cussion. Translation to Spanish. Sat., Jan. 23, sions and Union-Busting. Speakers: spokes­ WEST VIRGINIA Alliance. For more information call (213) 380- 7:30 p.m. 605 Massachusetts Ave. Donation: 9460. people from United Paperworkers International Charleston $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. For more Union Local 1787 on strike against Interna­ Oakland information call (617) 247-6772. An Injury to One Is an Injury to All. Join to­ tional Paper at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Sat. , gether for an evening in defense of democratic The FBI vs. the Fight to End the War in Cen­ Jan. 23. Reception, 6 p.m.; forum, 7:30p.m. tral America. Sat., Jan. 23, 7:30p.m. 3702 MINNESOTA and political rights. Speakers: Florette Angel , 4905 Penn Ave. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Mili­ National Council of Jewish Women and Block Telegraph Ave., Donation: $2. Sponsor: Mili­ St. Paul tant Labor Forum. For more information call tant Labor Forum. For more information call Bork Committee; Roger Banks, Mountain State Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution. Ten (412) 362-6767. AIDS Network; Roger Forman, West Virginia (415) 420-1165. classes on the writings and speeches of Ernesto Palestine: Growing Resistance to Israeli Oc­ Civil Liberties Union; Hector Marroquin, Polit­ Che Guevara. Mondays through March 14. TEXAS ical Rights Defense Fund; Toba Singer, labor cupation. Sat. , Jan. 30, 7:30p.m. 3702 Tele­ Choice of 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. class. 508 N Snel­ graph Ave. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Houston spokesperson for the PROF. Sat., Jan. 30, 7 ling Ave. Sponsor: Young Socialist Alliance. p.m. Reception to follow. YWCA Community Labor Forum. For more information call (415) For more information call (6 12) 644-6325. The Stock Market Crash: Its Meaning for Working People. Speaker: Greg Rosenberg, Room, 111 4 Quarrier St. Donation: $4. Spon­ 420-1165. What Ever It Takes in '88. Oil, Chemical Opening Celebration of Pathfinder Socialist Workers Party, chairperson Houston sor: PRDF. For more information call (304) and Atomic Workers Union and Miners' 345-3040. Bookstore. Speakers: John George, Alameda Union Face the Energy Bosses. Sat., Jan. 23, Young Socialist Alliance. Sat., Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. 4806 Almeda. Donation: $2. Sponsor: County supervisor; Carlos Hernandez, leader of 7:30 p.m. 508 N Snelling Ave. Donation: $2. Morgantown the 1986-87 Watsonviiie cannery workers' Sponsor: Militant Forum. For more information Militant Labor Forum. For more information Frame-up of Kentucky United Mine Work­ strike; Elizabeth Stone, Socialist Workers call (612) 644-6325. call (713) 522-8054. ers Union Members. Speakers to be an­ Party, editor of Women and the Cuban Revolu­ The Fight for Women's Equality. Speakers: nounced. Sat. , Jan. 23 , 7:30 p.m. 221 Pleasant tion. Sat. , Feb. 6. Reception, 6:30p.m.; pro­ Caroline Fowlkes, Socialist Workers Party, UTAH St. Donation: $2.50. Sponsor: Militant Labor gram, 7:30p.m. Sun. , Feb. 7. Special presenta­ member United Food and Commercial Workers Price Forum. For more information call (304) 296- 0055. tions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. 3702 Telegraph union. Sat., Jan. 30, 7:30p.m. 508 N Snelling Abortion Is Our Right: 15 Years Since the Ave., Donation: $2. Sponsor:- Pathfinder Ave. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Forum. Supreme Court Decision. Speaker to be an­ Bookstore. For more information call (415) For more information call (612) 644-6325. nounced. Sat. , Jan. 23, 7:30p.m. 23 S Carbon WISCONSIN 420- 11 65 . Ave., Suite 19. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Milwaukee FLORIDA NEBRASKA Labor Forum. For more information call (801) Upsurge Rocks Israel: What the Palestinians Omaha 637-6294. Are Fighting For. Speaker: David Morrow. Miami Abortion: a Women's Right to Choose. The Legacy of Martin Luther King: the Sat., Jan. 23 , 7:30p.m. 4707 W Lisbon Ave. The Stock Market Crash: the Crisis in the Speakers to be announced. Sat. Jan. 23, 7:30 Montgomery Bus Boycott to Howard Beach. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. Capitalist Economic System. Speaker: Larry p.m. 140 S 40th St. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Sat., Jan. 30, 7:30p.m. 23 S Carbon Ave., For more information call (414) 445-2076. Lukecart, Socialist Workers Party. Translation Militant Labor Forum. For more information Suite 19. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor The Wall Street Crash: What It Means for to Spanish. Sat., Jan. 23 , 7:30 p.m. 137 NE call (402)553-0245. Forum. For more information call (80 I ) 637- Working People. Speaker: Sandi Sherman, 54th St. Donation: $2. Sponsor: Militant Labor 6294. Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor. Forum. For more information call (305) 756- Class-Struggle Policy in the Trade Unions. Translation to Spanish. Sat. , Jan. 30, 7:30p.m. 1020. First in a series of classes on the class-struggle 4707 W Lisbon Ave. Sponsor: Sherman for NEW JERSEY policy in the trade unions based on Larry Mayor Committee. For more information call ILLINOIS Newark Seigle's article "The 50-Year Domestic Contra (414) 445-2076. Chicago Report from International Anti-Apartheid Operation" in No. 6 of the New International. Zionist Oppression and the Fight for a Dem­ Conference. Speaker: Sam Manuel, reporter Speaker: Tony Dutrow, Socialist Workers ocratic, Secular Palestine. Speakers: Ayub for Militant at conference in Tanzania. Sat. , Party. Sat. , Jan. 30, I p.m. 23 S Carbon Ave. , Subscribe to Talhami, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Feb. 13, 7:30p.m. 141 Halsey St., 2nd floor. Suite 19. Donation: $1 per class. Sponsor: Mil­ Committee; representative of Palestine Solidar­ Donation: $3. Sponsor: Militant Labor Forum. itant Labor Forum and Pathfinder Bookstore. the Militant ity Committee; Cathleen Gutekanst, Socialist For more information call (201) 643-3341. For more information call (801) 637-6294. -IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP------Where to find the Socialist Workers Party, . ILLINOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA, 6826 S. St. Louis: SWP, YSA, 4907 Martin Luther 1641 2. Tel: (814) 398-2754. Philadelphia: Young Socialist Alliance, and Pathfinder Stony Island Ave. Zip: 60649. Tel: (312) 363- King Dr. Zip: 63 11 3. Tel: (314) 361-0250. SWP, YSA, 2744 Germantown Ave. Zip: bookstores. 7322. NEBRASKA: Omaha: SWP, YSA, 140 S. 19133 . Tel: (215) 225-0213. Pittsburgh: SWP, INDIANA: Muncie: YSA, c/o Brian 40th St. Zip: 68 131. Tel: (402) 553-0245 . YSA, 4905 Penn Ave . Zip: 15224. Tel: ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, Johnson, 6191h N. Dill St. Zip: 47303. Tel: NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 14 1 (41 2) 362-6767. 1306 1st Ave. N. Zip: 35203. Tel: (205) 323- (317) 747-8543. Halsey. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. New TEXAS: Austin: YSA , c/o Mike Rose, 7409 3079. IOWA: Des Moines: SWP, YSA, 2105 For­ Brunswick: YSA, c/o Keith Jordan, 149 Somer­ Berkman Dr. Zip: 78752. Tel. (51 2) 452-3923. ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA, 1809 W. est Ave. Zip: 50311. Tel: (5 15) 246-1695. set St. Zip: 08903. Tel: (201) 828-1874. Houston: SWP, YSA, 4806 Almeda. Zip: 77004. Indian School Rd. Zip: 85015. Tel: (602) 279- LOUISIANA: New Orleans: YSA, P.O. NEW YORK: Albany: YSA, c/o Lisa Sand­ Tel: (713) 522-8054. 5850. Tucson: YSA, c/o Ursula Kolb, P.O. Box 53224. Zip: 701 53. Tel: (504) 484-6418. berg, 120 Lark St. Zip: 12210. Tel: (518)463- UTAH: Price: SWP, YSA, 23 S.CarlJonAve., Box 853 . Zip: 85702-0852. Tel: (602) 795- MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, 8001. Mid-Hudson: YSA, Box 1042, Annan­ Suite 19, P.O. Box 758. Zip: 84501 . Tel: (801) 2146. 2913 Greenmount Ave. Zip: 212 18. Tel: (301) dale. Zip: 12504. Tel: (91 4) 758-0408. New 637-6294. Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, 147 E. CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles: SWP, YSA, 235-0013. York: SWP, YSA, 79 Leonard St. Zip: 900 South. Zip: 84111. Tel: (801) 355- 11 24. 2546 W. Pico Blvd. Zip: 90006. Tel: (213) 380- MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA, c/o 10013. Tel: (21 2) 219-3679 or 925-1668. VIRGINIA: Portsmouth: YSA, P.O. Box 9460. Oakland: SWP, YSA, 3702 Telegraph David Warshawshky, P.O. Box 1383, Hamp­ Pathfinder Books, 226-8445. Stony Brook: 6538, Church land Station. Zip: 23707. Ave . Zip: 94609. Tel: (415) 420-1165. San shire College. Zip: 01002. Tel: (413) 549-4843. YSA, P.O. Box 1384, Patchogue, N.Y. Zip: WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA , Francisco: SWP, YSA, 3284 23rd St. Zip: Boston: SWP, YSA, 605 Massachusetts Ave. 11772. 3165 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. Zip: 2001 0. Tel: 94110. Tel: (4 15) 282-6255. Seaside: YSA, c/o Zip: 02118. Tel: (61 7) 247-6772. NORTH CAROLINA: Greensboro: SWP, (202) 797-7699, 797-7021. Brian Olewude, 1790 Havana St. Zip: 93955. MICHIGAN: Detroit: SWP, YSA, 501 9 112 YSA, 2219 E Market. Zip: 27401. Tel: (919) WASHINGTON: Seattle: SWP, YSA , Tel: (408) 394-7948. Woodward Ave. Zip: 48202. Tel: (3 13) 83 1- 272-5996. 55 17 Rainier Ave. South. Zip: 98 118. Tel: FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 137 NE 11 77 . OHIO: Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 252 1 Mar­ (206) 723-5330. 54th St. Mailing address: P.O .. Box 370486. MINNESOTA: Austin: SWP, YSA, 407112 ket Ave. Zip: 4411 3. Tel: (216) 861-6 150. WEST VIRGINIA: Charleston: SWP, Zip: 33 137. Tel: (305) 756-1020. Tallahassee: N. Main Zip: 55912. Tel: (507) 433-3461. Columbus: YSA , P.O. Box 02097. Zip: YSA, 11 6 McFarland St. Zip: 25301. Tel: (304) YSA, P.O. Box 2071 5. Zip: 323 16. Tel: (904) Twin Cities: SWP, YSA, 508 N. Snelling 43202. 345-3040. Morgantown: SWP, YS A, 22 1 877-9338. Ave., St. Paul. Zip: 55 104. Tel: (612) 644- OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 2732 NE Pleasant St. Zip: 26505. Tel: (304) 296-0055. GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 132 Cone 6325 . Union. Zip: 97212. Tel: (503) 287-7416. WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, St. NW, 2nd Floor. Zip: 30303. Tel: (404) 577- MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, c/o 4707 W. Lisbon Ave. Zip: 53208. Tel: (4 14) 4065. 4725 Troost. Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753-0224. Mark Mateja, Edinboro University of Pa. Zip: 445-2076.

20 The Militant January 29, 1988 -THE GREAT SOCIETY------~-- Racist? Israel??- As Israel's thing? - A Baltimore gy­ forces in 1987. Some 32 percent have been identified in the na­ from the employee, up to and in­ Hadassah Hospital prepared to do necologist was convicted of raping of th_is - $293 billion - was tion's drinking water in recent cluding physical violence." heart transplants, its director as­ a patient. He drew a five-year sus­ racked up by the U.S. of A. years. Much of the contamination sured there would be no "inter- pended sentence. The Maryland results from improper disposal of Price war- We almost dashed Commission on Medical Disci­ industrial greases, oils, solvents, off a $4 check to the Good Taste Sleep well (I) - The Environ­ pline refused to revoke his license, and plasticizers."- News item. Waste Co. of West Palm Beach voting to allow him to continue mental Protection Agency says for six designer garbage bags. But practicing so long as a chaperone there are 27,000 toxic waste sites then we learned Neiman-Marcus is is present during examinations. in the country. But the congres­ March of American culture­ offering 20 of its garbage bags· for sional General Accounting Office Available this summer, a "mood" $5. Bright red, with the N-M logo. Harry found that the actual number bathing suit. Assertedly changes They'll wow the neighborhood. See, if you're patient - New ranges from an estimated low of color with the b9dy temperature of Ring York's Radio City Music Hall has 130,000 to a high of 425,000. It the wearer. Under $100. hired the first Black dancer to per­ derived this from data submitted Let the blood flow freely - form with the Rockettes (estab­ by state officials to the EPA, Try a bullet-proof vest - "Raise rents mercilessly until your ethnic transplants," concretely, lished in 1925). Management had which didn't bother incorporating James Challenger, whose firm vacancy rate is 5 percent. When­ "none between Jews and Arabs." argued that nonwhites would mar it into its records. helps find jobs for fired execs, of­ ever your vacancy rate is beneath - Translated by Middle East Re­ the symmetry of the chorus line. fers how-to-fire advice, including: 5 percent . . . you 're not charging port from Kol Ha' ir of May 1, Sleep well (II)-"WASHING­ If you dislike the victims - enough." John T. Reed, author of 1987. The Great Peacemaker- Na.­ TON - More than 2,000 chemi­ "which is why most are dis­ How to Manage Apartments for tions of the world spent about cal pollutants, all but a few unreg­ charged" - don't let it show . It Maximum Cash Flow and Resale Think you've heard every- $930 billion on their military ulated by the federal government, may trigger "extreme reactions Value. N.Y. march of 3,000 demands end ·to racist violence Continued from back page "That's why we think it's important to par­ march "because I think anyone should be away the key!" ticipate in this kind of action." able to go anywhere in this city without A number of those in the march cited the ''I'm here to see that justice is done," being killed." Howard Beach case, as well as other recent said Cilda Howard, a shop steward in a She explained she had relatives in assaults they knew about through their own midtown hotel for Local 6 of the Hotel and Queens and relatives in Brooklyn who experience, as the reason they thought the Restaurant Employees. "Those Howard can't visit each other by the most direct demonstration was important. Beach guys should get 25 years with no route because it would mean changing "We have suffered racial injustice too," probation!" buses in Woodhaven, a white neighbor­ said Cano, a 25-year-old telephone work­ Barbara Jones, a city employee march­ hood in Queens where they are afraid to er, who had helped organize a contingent ing with her union, Communications go. Instead, they have to take an extra hour of 20 young Dominicans for the march. Workers Local 1180, said she was at the to go by subway. Ann Francis and Phyllis Meade, two or­ ganizers for Local 1199 who marched with its contingent, were proud their local had Alice Snipper: more than four helped get the march off the ground. "We came because we're members of Local decades in fight for socialism 1199 and we believe in justice," said Meade . Nick Whitaker, a cross-country bus BY JOEL BRITTON ment against the Vietnam War. Oscar driver with Greyhound, marched in from LOS ANGELES - Alice Snipper, a Coover remembers Alice's participation in Brooklyn with a banner identifying his long-time member of the Socialist Workers antiwar coalition meetings leading up to union, Local 1202 of the Amalgamated Party, died in late December of cancer. She the big spring and fall mobilizations in San Transportation Union. Whitaker is white. was 74 and had been residing in the San Francisco and others held in Los Angeles. He marched, he said, because he had come Francisco Bay Area in recent years. And Alice's special interest in helping with to realize the similarity between "the op­ Most of her 43 years of active member­ the party's literature tables at such actions. pression of poor people, Blacks, and ship in the SWP were in Los Angeles, In the fall of 1967 Alice agreed on short minorities and the stand the big companies where she joined the party in 1940. During notice to help drive a carload of young take against unions." Militant/Sam Manuel World War II she participated in the party's socialists to Washington, .D.C., for the Mae Ngai of Chinese Progressive Associ­ tum to the industrial unions, working as a march of more than 100,000 on the Penta­ Nancy Blythe and Ed Warren also contrib­ ation was among speakers at rally pre­ shipfitter's assistant in a shipyard. She was gon. Fred Halstead remembers Alice's spe­ uted to this article. ceding March for Racial Justice. a member of the Marine Shipyard Workers cial efforts to help with the. technical prep­ Union-CIO and active in the San Pedro arations of the manuscript for Out Now, his branch of the party during the war. book on the antiwar movement published Alice was part of a generation of party by Pathfinder. -10 AND 25 YEARS AGO--- stalwarts who maintained their revolution­ Jan Aragon, then a new party member, ary political bearings through the difficult remembers how in 1976 Alice led their Castro's speech began with a call for the years of anticommunist reaction in the late plantgate sales team "at various steel plants THE MILITANT end of discrimination against women . He told his audience - mostly women from 1940s and '50s. She was among the party we sold at regularly. At American Bridge Jan.27, 1978 activists who kept the organization going the best place to sell was on a narrow traffic Latin American countries, with observers so a new generation of young people in­ island near the entrance. When I first saw from Europe and Asia - that due to their Between 1 and 5 people were killed, at double exploitation, women have a double spired by the Cuban revolution could find a the layout I thought the sale wa~ impossi­ least 20 injured, and more than 130 ar­ ble, but Alice quickly proved me wrong. reason to help lead Latin American revolu­ party dedicated to helping bring working rested January 12 , when Nicaraguan Na­ people to power in this country . She went out on this narrow island and sold tions today. "The art of the revolutionary," tional Guardsmen attacked demonstrators he said, "is the art of leading the masses Known for her diligent efforts to raise several papers very quickly. This was one protesting the murder of Pedro Joaqufn money for the party, Alice pitched in year of many locations we sold at. Every time I into the fight." Chamorro. after year to insure that projects like rum­ go out on a new sale and things look rough "There have been some trite theoreti­ Chamorro, owner and editor of La Pren­ I remember Alice Snipper's tenacity on cians who have asserted that in Cuba there mage sales were properly organized. She sa, was an outspoken critic of Nicaraguan sales." took place a peaceful . change from hosted fundraisers along with her husband dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The Henry, who was also in the party for many Alice developed political and organiza­ capitalism to socialism," Castro said. He protests that were attacked took place after referred to the battle against the Batista dic­ years. tional differences with the party's political 30,000 people turned out for Chamorro's Party members and supporters here re­ course in the 1980s and joined in a split tatorship, which cost 20,000 rebel lives, funeral in Managua. and declared: "This was not any peaceful minded each other recently of Alice's keen from the party in 1983 . She retained a vi­ The day before, angry crowds burned interest in and active support for the move- sion of the socialist future. change. It was a change brought about by down five factories, two banks (including a combat, without which there would not branch of Citibank of New York), and a have been any transformation in our coun­ blood plasma firm, Plasmaferesis. try . Haitians boycott sham elections According to the Associated Press, Plas­ "Those are historical truths," he con­ maferesis is "partially owned by the tinued, "and we believe that at least about Continued from front page pending "moves toward greater democ­ Somoza family and was accused by Cham­ our historical truths we have a right to sued a statement that said, in part, "Though racy." Washington has supported the KNG orro' s newspaper of making a profit in speak and we are not going to permit that we take note of the fact that some Haitians since it assumed power following the ous­ Western Europe and the United States on certain theoreticians from a distance ... did vote, it is not possible to portray Sun­ ter of Duvalier. blood it bought from poor Nicaraguans." tell us what happened here . . .. Such false A New York Times dispatch by Alan interpretations of history tend to create that day's voting as fully free and open." How­ In Ottawa, Canadian External Affairs ever, the U.S . government, it continued, Riding reported that while Managua was conformism that suits imperialism so well Minister Joe Clark said that -the Canadian quiet on January 13, "many factories were . . . tend to create resignation . . . tend to "is gratified that these elections took place government would not recognize the out­ in an atmosphere free of violence." State closed and union leaders were urging create reformism ... . come of the election. The French govern­ workers to walk off their jobs." Department spokesman Charles Redman ment also issued a critical statement. "Such false interpretations of history do indicated that the phony election did not not square with the existing situations in pose a problem for Washington maintain­ In the days leading up to January 17, the THE the great majority of Latin American coun­ ing "relations with whatever government toilers of Haiti and the rest of the Carib­ tries where objective conditions [favor rev­ comes out of this ." Redman said U.S. gov­ bean and Central America were menaced olution] - and the imperialists have seen ernment aid to Haiti, cut off after the by giant naval maneuvers carried out by the MILITANT Publ;,hed ;" the lnte•e•h of the Wo<~;"9 People all too clearly that these objective condi­ November election, would be withheld U.S., Canadian, and other imperialist gov­ Jan. 28, 1963 Price 10c tions exist - but what is lacking are sub­ ernments. The exercises involved 41 ships jective conditions. And those subjective and 23 ,000 military personnel, and in­ conditions are created with historical truth Labor news in the Militant In one of the most important speeches of cluded a mock marine invasion of the is­ the revolution, Cuban Premier Fidel Castro and not by falsifying history ." The Militant stays on top of the most im­ land of Vieques off Puerto Rico. The January 16 made a clear call for revolutions Castro said he was not opposed to the portant developments in the labor move­ Puerto Rican people have long protested in Latin America. The speech was deliv­ peaceful elimination of exploitation but ment. You won't miss them if you subscribe. the use of Vieques for U.S. military pur­ See the ad on page 2 for subscription rates. ered to the congress of American Women that history showed no example where it poses. in Havana. had taken place.

January 29, 1988 The Militant 21 -EDITORIAI.S-:.....o...---:----~--....,.--- Volunt~ry labor· in the str,uggle_ Provocation against North Korea for ·CODlDlunism BY DOUG JENNESS Washington and the military rulers of South Korea are a victory for their efforts to prove that the regime in South A reader from Portland, Oregon, recently sent me a using the Olympic Games, scheduled to be held this sum­ Korea is "the legitimate government of the divided penin­ copy of a page from a book with a photograph of Russian mer in Seoul, as part of an aggressive campaign to isolate sula." communist leader V.I. Lenin participating in a volunteer the regime in North Korea. work brigade. Lenin, together with army cadets, was On January 11 the North Korean government reiterated shown clearing away building rubble in the vicinity of the In 1981 the International Olympic Committee selected that it would not attend the games unless both Korean KremliiJ on May I, 1920. the South Korean capital as the site for the 1988 games. governments were designated as cohosts. It offered to The occasion was the first countrywide "subbotnik." This was a provocative move, directed particularly at the hold further negotiations on this . Subbotniks ("communist Saturdays") were the voluntary government of North Korea. work carried out for the benefit of the people as a whole. On January 15, in the wake of the North Korean an­ Korea has been a divided country since the end of Our correspondent from Oregon suggested that I take nouncement, Cuba formally rejected attending the Olym­ World War II, when Japanese colonial rule collapsed and this subject up. It's particularly timely to do so, because pics unless North Korea's demands were met. U.S. military forces occupied the southern part of the an important experience with voluntary labor is taking country. After military conflict began between South and Moves are now under way to further punish North North Korea in 1950, the U.S. government launched a Korea and those who solidarize with its call for fair play full-scale war to support the capitalist regime in the south on this matter. The International Olympic Committee is and reestablish capitalist rule in the north. Despite bomb­ considering a proposal to bar any country that boycotts LEARNING ABOUT ing raids that devastated the entire country and caused the 1988 games from the 1992 events. Moreover, the massive casualties, the U.S. aggression failed and Wash­ president of the Pan-American Sports Organization has SOCIALISM ington was forced to accept an armistice. raised the possibility that the decision to hold the 1992 Pan-American Games in Havana, Cuba, will be re­ place right now in Cuba. In fact, volunteer work brigades Since then South Korea has been occupied by tens of scinded. thousands of U.S. troops. The succession of brutal and - "minibrigades" or "microbrigades" depending on the unpopular regimes there have provided a beachhead for As the campaign to isolate North Korea through the translation - are spearheading the drive in Cuba to U.S. imperialism on the mainland of Asia. Olympics moved into higher gear, the South Korean gov­ develop greater social and political consciousness and in­ ernment charged that North Korea was responsible for crease labor productivity. They are in the forefront of the The decision to hold the Olympic Games in South the November midair explosion of a Korean Air plane, in fight to advance the revolutionary process in that country Korea alone was in line with Washington's continuing ef­ which 115 passengers were killed. toward communism. fort to politically isolate the regime in the north and block This week we are publishing a significant speech by reunification of the country, which the North Korean One of the two Koreans charged in the incident report­ Cuban President Fidel Castro evaluating the place · of government has strongly advocated. edly committed suicide while in custody. The other, after these brigades in the revolution, their achievements, and more than a month in custody of the South Korean au­ The North Korean government responded to the provo­ the obstacles they face (see International Socialist Re­ thorities, made a televised public confession January 15. view in this issue) . cation by proposing that the two regimes cohost the She claimed to have carried out the bombing on the per­ games. Lenin was a champion of voluntary labor and sonal orders of Kim Jong II, the son of North Korean explained its importance in advancing the struggle for The Cuban government called for an international President Kim II Sung. The Seoul government placed its communism. As a result of the October 1917 revolution, campaign in support of North Korea's proposal. "Cuba's military forces on high alert and threatened "retaliation." political rule of the capitalists and landlords was over­ participation in the games is unthinkable" unless North "Some may wonder if yesterday's confession was turned in Russia. Korea's reasonable proposal was accepted, Cuban head coerced, a reasonable suspicion given Seoul's recent In its first three years, the new workers' and peasants' of state Fidel Castro declared in 1986. police practices," conceded the January 16 New York regime struggled to defend and consolidate its rule in the The North Korean government's demand for simple Times. Nonetheless the Times urged its readers to sup­ face of an imperialist-backed counterrevolutionary war. justice has been arrogantly rejected. The International press all such doubts and swallow the official version. Parallel to the fight working people were waging on Olympic Committee - an outfit that Castro described as On the basis of the unsupported confession, the Times the battlefront, a struggle was launched to maintain pro­ "led by the rich countries and the old colonial centers"­ proclaimed the North Korean government an "outlaw" duction and keep transportation running. The first sub­ offered only to hold all or part of five minor events in that "deserves no host's role in the Olympic Games." botniks were initiated as part of this effort in 1919 by rail North Korea. workers of the Moskow-Kazan Railway. Their example The refusal to allow the North Korean government to soon spread to other workplaces and the revolution's North Korea and its supporters have made little head­ cohost the Olympic Games is an outrageous injustice. So communist leadership sought to extend this experience way in blocking this discriminatory move. So far, 160 are the threats against Cuba for its stance in defense of throughout the country. countries, including the Soviet Union and China, have North Korea. And the use of frame-up methods by the Lenin pointed out that as hard as it is to overturn agreed to send teams, to the Seoul Olympics. According South Korean government to fuel the campaign to isolate capitalist rule it "is more difficult, more essential, more to the Washington Post, South Korea's rulers- and pre­ the government of the north is cut from the same pattern. radiCal , and more decisive" to overcome "the habits that sumably their sponsors in Washington- hail this fact as They should be opposed: accursed capitalism left as a heritage to the worker and peasant." Lenin described this as "the entire atmosphere of bickering, distrust, enmity, disunity, and mutual in­ trigue that is inevitably generated and constantly regener­ ated by petty in~,ividual economy, the economy of pri­ vate owners . ... Protest U.S. aid to contras Lenin said the work habits and broader social under­ standing developed from voluntary labor pointed the way Continued from front page But it is potNicaragua that has promoted tyranny and to breaking down the heritage of capitalism. done so despite Washington's blatant attempts to sabo­ '¥ar in Central America, and the desperate poverty of the Communist labor- that is , the labor of free men and tage the accords by continuing to finance the contras. majority. It is U.S, bankers and businessmen who women- he said, "is labor performed gratis for the ben­ The Honduran government has continued to provide squeeze working people, exploit mitural resources, and efit of society. Labor performed not as a definite duty, the contras with bases in Honduran territory in open vio- .. destroy the environment in Central America in thejr pur­ not for the purpose ofobtaining a right to certain prod­ lation of the peace accords. That goveminent is also cur~ suit of profits. And it is the U.S. government that arms ucts, not according to previously established and legally rently being tried by the Inter-American Court on charges . and finances dictat()rsh~ps , death squads, and the contras fixed quotas, but voluntary labor, irrespective of quotas. of maintaining army "death squads" that have caused the who daily maim, rape, 'kidnap, and murder civilia.ns It is labor performed without expectation of reward, "disappearances" of civilians. Two of the main witnesses throughout Latin America. without reward as a condition, labor performed because it in the case, one of them a regional director of the Hondu­ On January 16 President Ortega announced that the has become a habit to work for the common good . .. . " ran Human Rights Commission, have been shot to death Sandinista government would agree to direct talks with . Lenin noted that under capitalism working people, par­ recently. the contras in an effort to negotiate a cease-fire agree­ ticularly in rural areas, had willingly helped each other without expectation of pay. But, he said, the subbotniks Just prior to the January 15 meeting of the Central ment and also announced an amnesty for jailed contras. Reagan's proposal for more aid to the contras comes in were something new that went beyond this . "This is not American presidents to assess the progress made in im-. helping one's neighbor in the way that has always been plementing the agreement, Reagan sent national security the face of these new concessions by Nicaragua designed customary in the countryside," he said, "it is work done advisor Lt. Gen. Colin Powell on a tour of the region to to push forward the peace process begun in Central America. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater to meet the needs of the country as a whole, and it is or­ push for a hard line against Nicaragua. Powell was ganized on a broad scale. . . ." accompanied by assistant secretary of state in charge of made it clear that even if Nicaragua carried out its latest . Lenin recognized Soviet Russia in his time was far Latin American affairs, Elliott Abrams. offer, only the size and nature of the new aid requested away from making the spirit of volunteer labor a part of According to the January 13 New York Times, Powell for the contras would change. everyday life for all workers. That would require, he Congressional supporters and opponents of contra aid threatened Central American governments with econom­ said, a gigantic increase in labor productivity and elimi­ continue to split hairs over how much, what kind, and the ic and political retribution if they don't publicly back the nation of the prejudices inherited from capitalism. contras. If the contras wither, "there will not be a sudden duration of aid - or they haggle over how many conces­ But the subbotniks, he explained, represented the first surge of interest in things Central American or other sions the Sandinista government must make. steps toward communist labor. But the U.S . government has no right to interfere in kinds of aid," said Powell. "The feudal organization of social labor rested on the Nicaragua, Central America, or anywhere else in the Powell also asserted that without the constraint of the discipline of the bludgeon," he said. And the "capitalist contras, Nicaragua would represent a formidable threat to world. Nicaragua has the right to live in peace. We must organization .of social labor rested on the discipline of demand: "No to contra aid!" other countries in the region. hunger"- that is , if you don 't work, you don't eat. The communist organization of social labor, however, "rests, and will do so more and more as time goes on, on the free and conscious discipline of the workers them­ selves who have thrown off the yoke both of the landlords and capitalists." Under Lenin's leadership, participation in voluntary work became a condition for membership in the Com­ munist Party. Nothing helped so much to increase the party's political influence, he said, than for nonparty peasants and workers to see that members of the govern­ ing party were not using their positions to seek privileges; but, instead had obligations and duties. They were re­ quired to set an example to all working people .

.22 Japu;;try 29~ 1988 How capitalism makes women pay for divorce

BY MARGARET JAYKO order to get a divorce. Women and men are treated as form, it said, "was supposed to be a panacea for women Are liberalized divorce laws responsible for the im­ equals before the law. trapped in bad marriages. It has trapped many of them in poverishment of millions of women and children in the The problem is that women and men aren't yet equal, poverty." United States? economically or socially. Women workers, on the aver~ This idea is repeated by other opponents of the fight for This has become a theme of comments by both sup­ age, earn considerably less than male workers. And women's equality like Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of A porters and foes of women's equality. A look at the facts, women are almost always responsible for taking care of Lesser Life: The Myth of Women's Liberation in Ameri­ however, reveals that the root of the problem lies in the the children. Most women, therefore, are economically ca. According to Hewlett, "Many policymakers now be­ capitalist system and the oppression of women that it per­ dependent on a man to some degree or another. lieve that we need to increase the economic penalties a:t­ petuates and reinforces. Under the new divorce laws, alimony awards are often tached to divorce so that men (or women, for that matter) The women's rights movement that sprang up in the replaced by dividing up joint property and assets. But think twice before abandoning marriage and children." late 1960s championed the liberalization of the country's most couples - and this is especially true for working­ But despite the hardships that going it alone often en­ class couples - have little or no property to speak of. tails, far more women than men now file for divorce. Half of a tiny amount of assets for a 50-year-old woman Women have achieved enough economic independence who has been married 30 years and never been employed and self-confidence that many are deciding to escape un­ THE FIGHT FOR is not the same as getting regular alimony payments to happy or violent marriages - even though the price is live on until she can find a job. often very high. As a consequence of women being treated "equally" WOMEN'S RIGHTS when they are starting from further behind, women's liv­ Divorce rates more than doubled between 1960 and ing standards in California declined 73 percent within 1981 , and it is estimated that 50 percent of marriages will archaic and discriminatory divorce laws that forced many one year of divorce under the new law, while men's rose end in divorce. women to stay in unhappy or even violent marriages. by 42 percent. Almost 14 percent of the women were What Hewlett and the White House don't like is not the forced onto welfare in the first year after their divorce. dismal economic prospects that face many women who The impetus for this demand came from the same This included women who had a comfortable middle­ strike out on their own. It's the fact that women have won source as the inspiration for the movement as a whole: the class lifestyle when they were married. some degree of economic independence from men. This new needs and consciousness of women as tens of mil­ Only 15 percent of women were awarded alimony pay­ leads to demands for further rights, like affirmative ac­ lions entered the work force in the post-World War II ments, and many of them never received them. tion in hiring, government-funded child care, and equal years. In addition, many women were inspired by the Nationally, the average court-awarded child-support pay. victories won by the civil rights movement, which loudly payment today is $34 a week. In 1985 of the 8.8 million Capitalism, not divorce laws, is to blame for the grow­ proclaimed that discrimination based on physical charac­ women with children under 21 whose fathers were not ing impoverishment of a section of the working class, teristics was anathema. living at home, only 2.1 million received full child-sup­ which includes working-class women and their children. The idea that women should be forced by law to re­ port payments from the absent father. The rest either It's the Jack of jobs with adequate wages, child care and main in marriages against their will collided with the never got a child-support order from the court, or if they other social services, and affordable housing and health growing conviction that women really are equal human had one, received no money or less than the mandated care, that make it hard for single working-class women. beings with men and should be treated as such under the amount. Supporters of women's equality should support the au­ law. The government and its conservative backers like to tomatic right to divorce on the request of either partner. In 1970 California pioneered in eliminating the need to blame these problems on the divorce laws and fighters for Husbands should be legally required to provide alimony prove that one partner was at "fault" as the basis for di­ women's rights. and child-support payments. This should be combined vorce. By 1984, South Dakota was the only state that A 1986 White House report claimed, "The divorce with government provision for jobs and/or job training hadn't changed its divorce laws along the lines of epidemic not only has devastated childhood, it has for the divorced woman, and economic welfare for her California's. Now, neither partner has to prove faplt in brought financial ruin to millions of women." Divorce re- and her children. -LETTERS------Nuclear waste with learning. I am trying to for­ Residents of the rural Nebraska mulate and articulate the aspira­ countryside around Winside are tions and needs of my oppressed expressing their anger and concern brothers into a program of self over plans to place a low-level help, and I've come to learn that radiation nuclear waste dump in Malcolm X is one of the greatest their area. authorities on this subject. The citizens of this sparsely True, I am incarcerated in the populated community see beyond "house of bondage," but I would the contamination threat to their like to point out that I am only own land. As an agricultural area, being physically restrained, for the potential for contamination to my mind is "free," free to question spread is unfathomable. Nebraska and free to become as strong as it has three underground aquifers, possibly can. supplying millions with drinking A prisoner water. Other serious considera­ Rosharon, Texas tions include the use of Nebraska soil for agricultural products and Cuba the large amount of milk produc­ Not long ago a group of Cubans OUiSJDE A~I1AiOR5: tion here. Many also voice con­ in different federal jails across this cern for the threat to wildlife. country said that they, under no OPPRESSED PEOPI..£ WliO Rf.Bf.L A

January 29, 1988 The Militant 23 THE MILITANT New York march hits racist violence Protesters demand penalties for lynchers and killer cops

BY MICHAEL BAUMANN officially sanctioned racism in New York NEW YORK - Chanting "Fired up, City. won 't take no more! " several thousand an­ tiracist protesters marched through the 'Tell it like it is' streets here January 18 and rallied at City Shouts of "Yes, tell it like it is" greeted Hall. the remarks of New York Civil Liberties Union leader Norman Siegel, who pointed The demonstration, sponsored by a toward City Hall and denounced the city broad coalition, New Yorkers for Racial government for failing to protect Blacks Justice, was called in response to violent from racist violence. attacks by racist thugs and shootings of Rev. Herbert Daughtry, a leader of the Blacks by city cops. contingent that marched in from Brooklyn, The action - which coincided with ob­ drew cheers and applause when he servance of Martin Luther King Day - pledged, "Whenever racist violence rears drew some 3,000 participants from scores its ugly head, we're going to stand against of unions, high schools, colleges, and civil it." rights, women's rights, and gay rights or­ Major Owens, U.S. congressional repre- ganizations. sentative from Brooklyn, also encouraged Notable in the crowd were the large continued actions. number of young people - white, Black, "Look around you," he told the rally. Latino, and Asian - and the number of "We are the majority. The power is in our marchers carrying banners or wearing in­ hands. Our grievances are just. We have signia identifying themselves as union reasonable demands. members. A third or more of the antiracist "We should be ready with every outrage protesters were white. in our power to see that these demands are The rally and march were enthusiastic, met." despite the weather - a cold mist and rain Mae Ngai from the Chinese Progressive that fell all morning. The turnout was sub­ Association said , "The struggle of Blacks stantial even though a number of other an­ in the United States is an inspiration to tiracist actions were held in other parts of Asian-Americans." To applause from the the city that day. crowd, Ngai stated, "It's not Japanese workers or Toyota that takes jobs from Hospital workers contingent at January 18 antiracist action of 3,000 in New York The protest included a contingent of 200 U.S. workers, it's Chrysler and GM!" from Local 1199 Hospital and Health Care Hardyal Singh, a leader of the Indian Employees. Local 1199 played a big part in community :. nearby Jersey City, New Jer~ blyman Roger Green and Zoilo Torres of tice, no peace" and "Whose streets? Our making the demonstration possible, pro­ sey, was invited up from the crowd to tell the National Congress for Puerto Rican streets!" - a direct reply to racists who viding the organizers with office space. of the rash of attacks ·on Indians and Paki­ Rights, who cochaired the rally; Stanley think they can tell Blacks or anyone else The protest also included a contingent of stanis that ha~ occurred there recently. "We Hill, executive director, District Council there are parts of this city where they can't several hundred that marched into Manhat­ have to force the police to protect newly ar­ 37 of American Federation of State, go. tan across the Brooklyn Bridge. rived immigrants," Singh said. County and Municipal Employees; Man­ Marchers also invented some chants as At the rally, State Sen. David Paterson hattan Borough President David Dinkins; they marched along. One referred to the read nearly a dozen names of recent highly 'Enforce the laws' Zola Dube, representing the fighting young notorious Howard Beach case, where the publicized cases in which Blacks, and Richie Perez of the Latino Coalition for people of South Africa; and David West­ three white thugs convicted in December of members of other oppressed national Racial Justice indicated his support for new heimer of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Vio­ manslaughter faced sentencing a few days minorities have been murdered by racist legislation but added, "Laws alone are not lence Coalition. later: "Maximum time for the Howard thugs or cops. enough." A range of chants was heard along the Beach Three. Lock them up and throw As a response, he called for support for "We also have to have the will to enforce march route , Most popular were "No jus- Continued on Page 21 legislation he has proposed that would in­ these laws," he said. "This racist violence crease the penalities for such crimes and has got to be punished ." establish a permanent special prosecutor to Perez reminded the audience that those investigate and prosecute them. who fight for progress are among those Open house draws many youths Support for this legislation was part of most likely to be victims of police attacks the official call for the demonstration, and and police violence. He cited in particular BY MAREA HIMELGRIN Pathfinder Bookstore. High school stu­ most of the speakers who followed backed the case of the Hartford 16, supporters of NEW YORK- "We are proud of what dents from Bronx Science came to the it. Puerto Rican independence who are being we did out there a short while ago," said party and made their own banner, which From the crowd, the biggest response held in the United States under preventive Francisco Picado, a national leader of the they carried in the demonstration. seemed to come when speakers called for detention laws. Young Socialist Alliance, to more than 70 Among the guests at the open house more protest and zeroed in on the reality of Other speakers included State Assem- people gathered at an open house at the were nearly a dozen Bronx Junior High Pathfinder Bookstore here. The open house School students with their teacher. When followed the January 18 March for Racial asked if he wanted to be on the YSA mail­ Justice. ing list, one student responded, "You bet! Ariz. march demands King holiday, Picado continued, "We mobilized with It looks like interesting things go on here." others to let this city know that racist vio­ Meg Hall, a student at the State Univer­ chants 'King yes, Mecham no!' lence must come to an end." sity of New York at Purchase had come A huge banner carried at the demonstra­ into New York City for the second week­ BY BARBARA GREENWAY The two most popular chants were "King tion by YSA members and supporters end in a row to attend events at the Path­ PHOENIX - Led by banner-carrying yes-Mecham no!" "Hey, hey, ho, ho­ summed up the fighting perspective of the finder Bookstore. Hall told the Militant, members of the National Association for Mecham's got to go!" This was an expres­ youth organization: "Stop racist attacks; ''I'm really thinking about joining the the Advancement of Colored People, some sion of the overwhelming sentiment jail the racist lynchers and killer cops - YSA. I've had a lot of good talks here. 5,000 marchers braved high winds and rain against Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham. Young Socialist Alliance." When I talk to people in the YSA I get a lot to demand a Martin Luther King state holi­ When Mecham assumed office a year The YSA marched with other youth con­ more information than when I talk to any­ day in Arizona. ago he rescinded King Day as a holiday , tingents: SOS Racism (a high school an­ body else." Union banners and contingents repre­ sparking widespread protests. The gover­ tiracist group), Children for World-wide Picado emphasized that the more youth senting the homeless were prominent in the nor is notorious for his abusive remarks Peace, youth from the Young Korean­ in the United States are able to unite their January 18 event. about Blacks, women, Jews, Japanese, and American Service and Education Center, struggles with those of the oppressed and There were several contingents repre­ homosexuals. and representatives of Black fraternities in exploited around the world, "to that degree senting units of the American Federation of On the same day as the demonstration, New York. we will be able to get out of the dead end State, County and Municipal Employees, petitions to recall Mecham, which would Accompanied by Korean kettledrums, that capitalism offers us - racism, un­ including one from San Antonio, Texas. compel the holding of a new gubernatorial the youth reached out to Palestinian groups employment, homelessness, and war." They were greeted by applause from Arizona election, were certified by county officials. behind them, chanting, "End all racist at­ In conclusion, the Young Socialist state workers observing the demonstration Some 300,000 signatures- well over the tacks, from New York toGaza, we're beat­ leader said, "To join this international from offices along the march route. 216,000 required for recall- were valid. ing them back." And they linked up with struggle, you need an organization that Among the other union contingents were gay rights activists marching ahead of puts these struggles together and takes ac­ those from the Laborers' International A select committee of the state House of them, chanting, "Gay straight, Black white tion. I think that sums up what the Young Union, United Food and Commercial Representatives has opened hearings on - same struggle same fight." The chants Socialist Alliance is. Join us. It will be one Workers, and International Association of impeaching Mecham. A special House were taken up by the other groups and rang of the best moves of your life." Machinists. A contingent from the post of­ counsel reported January 15 that Mecham through the Wall Street area. Members of the YSA joined other sup­ fice mail handlers' union was identified by had violated several laws, including failure The favorite chant of the youth groups porters of the Militant and Perspectiva their union jackets and hats. to report a $350,000 campaign loan. was "Jail all the killer cops, racist violence Mundial in selling 96 copies of the papers Other groups in the march included the Mecham has also been indicted by a state has got to stop." and eight subscriptions. Nearly $500 in lit­ A. Philip Randolph Institute, Urban grand jury on six counts of perjury and vio­ The YSA's banner had been painted at a erature was sold at the demonstration and League, and the Black-Jewish Coalition. lating campaign finance laws . banner-making party the day before at the open house.

24 The Militant January 29, 1988