Summer 2008 Labor Donated $2 ($3 Solidarity)
Iraq p. 2 Barack Obama p. 12 Brazilian May Day p. 4 American Axle p. 14 Bolivia p. 5 Stewart Alexander Interview p. 20 Green Energy p. 6 Dwain Reynolds Campaign p. 22 Commentary on the Left p. 9 The Counterfeiters Critique p. 23 Brian Moore Police Fiasco p. 10 Proletarian Poetry p. 26
______Editor: Stephen Tash A lack of submissions over these last few months has unfortunately The Michigan Socialist is the official publication of the Socialist postponed the publication of this magazine for an extra 3 months. Party of Michigan (SPMI), an affiliate of the Socialist Party USA. However, we were able to get some great articles over that time to make the wait worth your while. Socialist Party of Michigan PO Box 844 Marquette, MI 49855-0844 Our cover story, by Hugo “Alex” Hernandez, takes us back over www.spmichigan.org half to the beginning of Saddam's reign in Iraq and how the United All submissions to the Michigan Socialist can be sent through States created the brutal Ba'ath dictatorship which pulled heavily either e-mail to the editor ([email protected]) or snail from fascist ideology. I cover the ruse both the Republicans and mail to the address listed above. Democrats are trying to push through under the name of climate Articles accredited to an author do not necessarily reflect the change, all the while offering nothing to alleviate the situation. view of the SPMI. Editorial statements and official statements Matt Erard gives a scathing critique of Barack Obama's campaign of the SPMI, however, do reflect the official views of the and makes it clear exactly why he does not serve the needs of the Socialist Party of Michigan. The Editor reserves the right to edit all articles for typography, spelling, and grammar without working class, a clear majority of Americans. This is only consultation. On all matters of content, the Editor will attempt scratching the surface: we have an interview with Stewart to collaborate with authors as much as possible. The Editor Alexander, Vice Presidential candidate of the Socialist Party, may be overruled on matters by the State Executive Committee position statements, a campaign statement from Dwain Reynolds ______III and, of course, our proletarian poetry. Socialist Party USA Outline of Principles Due to expressed interest, we are also now offering a year's THE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical subscription, mailing included, to the Michigan Socialist for only democracy that places people's lives under their own control; $10. With recent publication issues, we are guaranteeing that this where working people own and control the means of production and distribution, through demo-cratically controlled is 4 full issues, so if we only publish 3 for the year, you will still committees and assemblies; where full employment is realized receive the 4 you paid for. We are also looking into other for everyone who wants to work; where workers have the right initiatives, including an article sharing program with other state to form unions freely, and to strike and to engage in other forms party publications and reminding you, the reader, that you do not of job actions; and where the production of society is used for have to be a member of the party to make submissions. the benefit of all humanity, not for the private profit of a few. We believe that socialism and democracy are one and indivisible. The working class is in a key and central position to We would also like to remind our readers that the Socialist Party fight back against the ruling capitalist classes and power. The USA 2008 National Organizing Conference is being held in Ann working class is the major force worldwide that can lead the way Arbor, MI at the ICC Education Center: 1522 Hill St; Ann Arbor, to a socialist future – to a real radical democracy from below. MI 48104. The conference is open to the public and the The Socialist Party fights for progressive changes compatible registration fee is $25. We encourage all interested parties to with a socialist future. We support militant working class attend and consider joining the party. struggles and electoral action, independent of the capitalist- controlled two-party system, to provide socialist alternatives. We strive for democratic social revolutions – radical and fundamental changes in the structure and nature of economic, In Solidarity, political, and social relations – to abolish the power now exercised by the few who control the economy and the government. The Socialist Party is a democratic, multi- Rev Cde Stephen Tash tendency organization, with structures and practices visible and accessible to all members. Editor
1 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Iraq: A Brief History and an Observation
Hugo Hernandez In 1963, the Ba'ath Party, which Saddam Hussein would later join, and officers of The Michigan Socialist the Iraqi army assassinated Kassem under the direction of the U.S. CIA. The In Iraq, where circa 3500 BCE the Ba'ath Party took control of the government and appointed Abdul Arif president world's first known civilization develo- and Ahmed al-Bakr prime minister. Later that year, Arif broke away from the ped in Sumer, today, unfathomable Ba'ath Party and, through a military coup, took control of the government. Arif carnage and brutality take place on a died in 1966 and his brother Abdul Rahman Arif became president. The Arif daily basis. But how did Iraq get to this brothers followed Socialist economic policies. In 1968, the one time prime point, aside from the obvious effect of minister, Ahmed al-Bakr, overthrew Arif and reestablished Ba'ath Party control. Al- the latest United States invasion and Bakr supported further Socialist economic reform and stronger ties with the Soviet military occupation? Perhaps it would be Union. best to start at the birth of modern Iraq. It was during al-Bakr's presidency that Saddam Hussein, who held important party and government posts, gained influence within the Ba'ath Party. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, at the end of the first world war, Britain was Even before this, Hussein had support of the U.S. government while he was still in given mandate over Iraq by the League of his early twenties. According to a former senior State Department official, in 1959, Nations. When it gained control in Saddam became a part of the U.S. plot to assassinate Iraqi premier Abdul Kassem. August of 1921, they set up a new This source stated that Saddam was moved into an apartment in Baghdad directly government and chose prince Faisal to opposite Kassem's office in Iraq's Ministry of Defense, to watch his movements. be named King Faisal I. Britain, however, This was done with full knowledge of the CIA. During the assassination attempt of remained in control of Iraq's military, Kassem, which was a failure, Saddam was shot and wounded in the leg. After the politics, finances and oil reserves. failed coup attempt, Saddam fled to Cairo, Egypt where he attended law school. It is alleged that he kept in contact with the CIA there and was actually given Finally in 1932, after eleven years of monetary assistance. After the successful assassination of Kassem in 1963, the U.S. growing calls for independence, Britain supplied the names of Communists to the Ba'ath, which rooted them out and ended its mandate over Iraq. However killed them. Saddam Hussein was brought back from Cairo as an interrogator and the Iraqi people continued to live under quickly rose in the ranks and became head of Ba'ath Intelligence. an indifferent monarchy for another twenty six years. That is until in July of Several years later, in July 1979, the Ba'ath Party movement had gradually come 1958, when army officers overthrew the under the control of Hussein, who then acceded to the presidency after the monarchy and declared Iraq a republic. resignation of al-Bakr and gained control of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), then Iraq's supreme executive body. Hussein had many of his personal and For a period of time, after the fall of King political opponents killed in a move that would ensure his grip on power for years Faisal II, Iraq was governed by a three- to come. man Sovereignty Council consisting of a Much of this was orchestrated by the CIA from Kuwait; anything to have an ally in Shiite Arab, a Sunni Arab and a Kurd. power in the oil-rich gulf state. Abdul Kassem, who led the revolution, became premier. He started land reform The war against Iran went poorly for Iraq. programs, sought to narrow the gap Luckily for Saddam Hussein, the United States came to the rescue yet again. between the rich and poor, developed Ronald Reagan sent his special envoy to the Middle East, Donald Rumsfeld, Iraqi industry and also utilized aid from offering aid to Iraq in the form of weapons, military intelligence on Iran, and “Communist” countries. allowing five billion dollars worth of loans from an international bank to Iraq. The The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 2 reason for all of this? the U.S. also sought May the U.S. Department of Commerce to destabilize Iran, as Ayatollah Ruhollah licensed seventy biological exports to Iraq Khomeini was fiercely anti-Western, had between 1985 and 1989, including at least deposed the shah who was an ally of the twenty-one batches of lethal strains of anthrax and weapons grade botulin poison. U.S. government and feared the spreading influence of the Iranian Hussein later used these biological weapons in February of 1988 during the "Anfal" campaign Revolution. The extent to which the against the Kurds in northern Iraq, killing over Reagan administration provided assis- 100,000 civilians and destroying over 1200 tance to Hussein can only be categorized Kurdish villages. During major battles, between as direct support to a brutal regime, April and August, the Iraqi military used which they, in fact, had removed from massive amounts of WMDs to defeat Iranian Rumsfeld and Saddam the list of terrorist countries. Later in troops. In the last major battle, before the end of the war, 65,000 Iranians were killed. Nerve gas 1983 a national security directive stated December 20, 1983 CE and blister agents, such as mustard gas, were that the U.S. would do whatever was attack began. U.S. coalition forces were used; all of which was in violation of the Geneva commanded by Gen. Norman Scwartz- necessary and legal to prevent Iraq from Accords of 1925 and yet by this time the U.S. kopf. On the 26th the Iraqi military fled losing the war against Iran. Defense Intelligence Agency was working very closely with Saddam Hussein in forming battle Kuwait city. Later that same month the The effects of this directive by the plans and gathering intelligence. military coalition of 34 nations, which Reagan administration can be seen in The war between Iraq and Iran came to an end consisted almost entirely of U.S. troops, several ways; among them; in October of in 1988 when both sides agreed to a ceasefire. defeated the Iraqi military and pushed
1983 the U.S. secretly allowed several The war had taken a heavy toll on both nations . them out of Kuwait. A ceasefire ending Arab states to ship American made Still, Saddam Hussein took Iraq to war again in the war took effect 8 am February 28th. weapons to Iraq. 1990 when the Iraqi military invaded and Still on March 2nd, the 24th Infantry occupied Kuwait. Division fights Hammurabi Division as it Here it may be best for us look at the During Iraq's war with Iran, Kuwait loaned flees; destroys six hundred vehicles. This U.S. involvement in helping Saddam Hussein's government an estimated $14 billion action would, in effect, break the cease- Hussein obtain weapons of mass dollars. When the war was over Iraq was unable fire signed two days earlier. Three destruction (WMDs): biological and to repay the loan. This lead to tensions between months later on June 8th a victory parade chemical, in the 1980's as one of the the two nations. Further deterioration of was held in Washington D.C. Bush administration's rallying cries for relations continued when Iraq attempted to And so Saddam Hussein had once again war against Iraq was the false belief that increase its income from oil production through OPEC's oil production cuts. However Kuwait, a brought death, destruction and defeat to the Hussein still possessed these WMDs in member of OPEC, blocked this move to people of Iraq. 2003, though by that time the weapons increase oil petroleum prices by increasing Hussein once possessed were no longer a Kuwaiti petroleum output, thereby actually Finally, after another twelve years of threat. lowering oil prices. Also Iraq coveted Kuwait's Hussein's grip on power, human rights vast oil reserves and ports that were among the abuses and oppression of his own people, In November, the Secretary of State,, most trafficked in the Persian Gulf. Taking his time as president of Iraq was drawing George Schultz, was given intelligence control of these would seemingly bring vast to a close. reports showing that Iraqi troops were economic growth and boost Iraq's prestige in The attacks on the World Trade Center using chemical weapons against the the region. All of these factors combined to make Kuwait a prime target for an Iraqi invasion gave the Bush administration the excuse Iranians daily, and yet there is no protest it needed to invade Iraq, topple Saddam by the Reagan administration. In fact in And finally in July of 1990 American Hussein and attempt to gain greater July 1984, the CIA began giving Iraq the Ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie, stated that "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab control on the nation's oil reserves. All of intelligence necessary to calibrate its conflicts" and that the U.S. did not intend "to this despite there being no evidence that mustard gas attacks on Iranian troops. In start an economic war against Iraq". Hussein no Hussein had any role in the September March 1986, the U.S., along with the doubt felt that the U.S. government would not 11th attacks. Even the allegations of Iraq government of Great Britain, blocked all take action against Iraq in retaliation for the possessing and developing WMDs were Security Council resolutions condemn- invasion of Kuwait. proven false by intelligence reports from ing Iraq's using of chemical weapons. In November UN Security Council authorized the CIA under George Tenant. Still, the Later that month, the U.S. became the use of "all means necessary" to eject Iraq from Bush administration went ahead with only nation to refuse to sign a UN Kuwait and on January 12th the U.S. congress preparations for war against Iraq. Security Council statement condemning authorizes use of force. Iran's use of these weapons. And so in On February 24th of 1991 the ground Continued on page 7
3 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 A May Day to Remember
Courtney Campbell er´s rights, with the largest being held in American culture as a state of constant The Michigan Socialist Rio de Janeiro in 1919. Rallies and amnesia. Listening to and watching what I had just a little over a month left in the protests were even held during the may be my last May Day fireworks for country that has been my home for the dangerous and oppressive years of the quite awhile, made me think of how, so military dictatorship, under the banner of often in our schemata of the dominators last five years and the region that has sheltered me for the last seven. Each day ending the dictatorship and fighting for and the dominated, of the center and the slowly became an ever-growing reservoir better wages and the right to negotiate. periphery, of the north and south, 1 st of anxiety and excitement, to-do lists and Now, May Day is celebrated throughout and 3 rd , developed and non, preparations. I decided to take advantage Brazil with a day off of work to attend industrialized and in process, the focus is of the national holiday to make some last parties, festivals, protests, or even, a day almost always on what the latter at the beach. minute changes to my dissertation and to countries could learn from the former . start organizing my apartment in Let May Day celebrations in Brazil preparation for my trip home. Should I represent what we can relearn from take this book, or donate it? Which of several other cultures of the world – our my friends should I give this shelf too? own memory. Should this sentence end in a period or a question mark? Oh no! I have a typo on the very first page! Read... A friend came over and brought with her some relaxation. We chatted between The moments of study, put our feet up and May Day Celebration – May 1, 1941 CE reveled in how wonderful it is to have a Source : Ũltimo Segundo Socialist day off of work. As darkness approached, As the election of the current president Magazine of the Socialist Party USA I prepared some tea for us and was of Brazil, Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva of the returning to the living area of the Labor Party, suggests, labor issues are apartment I rent when fireworks started never far from the foreground in this to sound throughout the city. I walked country, and for good reason. Minimum outside, looked up at the sky and smiled. wage is frighteningly low, unemployment May Day fireworks always fill me with is suffocatingly high, and class disparity emotion: satisfaction for what has been goes well beyond the simple achieved; hope that more can and will be manifestations we often see in photos of realized; contentment that at least in sprawling favelas against the backdrop of some countries May Day is recognized; high rise apartments. and yet, sadness that in the country However, this country is also rich in $ For one year where the general strikes of 1886 were labor conquests, with a mandatory extra (six issues) held, this kind of celebration is month´s salary for each worker (that is, if 10 marginalized, only recognized (or even she or he has legal working papers), a To subscribe or inquire, known of) by certain sectors of the “left”. special account held for each worker write to: guaranteeing severance pay, 30 days of The first Brazilian May Day celebrations, The Socialist Magazine organized by socialists, took place in paid vacation, and four months of paid Santos in the state of São Paulo, in 1895. maternity leave that will soon even 339 Lafayette Street, #303 In 1925, May 1 st officially became known increase to six months. In Brazil, the New York, NY 10012 struggle is alive, confronted with as the national holiday of “Worker´s Or visit us on the web at: Day”. Between these dates, however, innumerable challenges, but by all were held annual protests and marches means, fruitful and ongoing. www.sp-usa.org/socialist on the first day of May in favor of work- A friend of mine likes to characterize
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 4 SPUSA International Commission Statement on Bolivia
The Socialist Party USA expresses its er of this attempt since they have GDP, is a crucial step to neutralize the solidarity with the workers, campesinos managed to maintain key elements of resurgent right-wing, thereby securing and indigenous communities of Bolivia power from the pre-MAS era – access to the future of the Bolivian Revolution. who are struggling to create a new property, access to local state-power and The Socialist Party USA supports efforts vibrant socialist project in their country. access to external funding from US to extend the democratic-socialist proj- The possibilities of achieving such a goal sources. ect to address the historical inequities were greatly accelerated by the election which have defined class relations in However, it would be a serious mistake in 2005 of the government of Evo to see Santa Cruz as the last bastion of Bolivia. Morales, representative of the Movem- right-wing power in Bolivia. Aspects of a ent Towards Socialism (MAS) party. resurgent right-wing project are Now, two years into Morales’ first term, appearing all over the country. Because the MAS government faces serious of the manner in which it was dispersed challenges from the right delivered in the in 2003, this new conservative trend is form of a movement for “autonomy” forced to wear different colors in coming from a bastion of the old different regions. In some cases, such as oligarchy in Santa Cruz. the Santa Cruz-based Union Juvenil The historical legacy and theoretical Crucenista and its counterparts in other traditions of socialism make it difficult to cities, the right acts in an openly violent publicly declare opposition to a genuine quasi-fascistic manner. In other circum- movement for autonomy expressed by a stances, they march in urban areas under nationally-oppressed group. We reaffirm the cover of the Feminine Civic Comm- the notion that oppressed groups, ittee to defend the “family-basket” minority or majority, have, when facing against supposedly inflationary MAS oppression by a state apparatus be it policies. In the case of La Paz, a pro- capitalist or ostensibly communist, the business elite works through the right to self-determination. For example, nominally social democratic party dubb- Evo Morales claims by Aymara communities in the ed Podemos (Social Democratic Power) north of Bolivia prior to the election of which is led by loser of the 2005 the MAS government were clearly just presidential elections, Jorge “Tuto” demands for the liberation of a majority Quiroga. Taken together, these forces grouping from the shackles of a political represent a coherent attempt to re- economy directed by a thin layer of organize the right in Bolivia. “We reaffirm the notion that capitalist elite taking direction from the There is much for socialists in America oppressed groups, minority IMF/World Bank. The above definition to learn from the Bolivian Revolution. or majority, have, when has little to do with the current crisis in The mobilizations of the early 21st facing oppression by a Santa Cruz. century, the construction of popular state apparatus be it capit- The claims by the property-owning elites organs of political decision-making and alist or ostensibly commun- in Santa Cruz, commonly referred to as the ability to dispose of successive right- ist, the right to self- Crucenos, have nothing to do with the wing governments demonstrates the determination.” right to self-determination or even the capacity of the working class and determination.” desire for autonomy. They are, instead, peasantry to transform political reality. part of a concerted nation-wide effort to Confronting the elites based in Santa re-articulate a right-wing movement in Cruz, a region which produces 60% of the country capable of retaking state Bolivia’s yearly GDP, is a crucial step to power. The Crucenos are at the epicent- neutralize the resurgent right-wing yearly
5 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Capitalism and Climate Stephen Tash harnessing market forces that will bring it is unprofitable to invest in green The Michigan Socialist advanced technologies, such as nuclear technology, which is in defiance of Your car may expel significantly fewer energy, to the market faster, reduce our Silicon Valley investment firms, such as greenhouse gases in the near future; dependence on foreign supplies of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers, unfortunately this won’t slow down energy, and see to it that America leads considering green technology the next global warming. Algae blooms in the in a way that ensures all nations do their untapped market that can make them seas, consuming large swathes of carbon rightful share.” This harnessing of billionaires. Green technologies are dioxide from our atmosphere; sadly this market forces is a cap and trade system. rapidly getting to the point where they are more cost-effective and profitable won’t dent climate change either. Barack Obama is kind enough to actually than their fossil-fuel counterparts. In Wherever we look we can find the list out his policies, which include a some cases, they already are, leading to market finding solutions to the planet’s market-based cap and trade system, companies receiving carbon credits for climate problems brought about by public investment in clean energy for projects that would have happened just human industrialization. The problem is private profit, though he is luckily wise the same. The result: these companies to that none of its solutions seem to work; enough to call for second generation simply get away with polluting more. many, in fact, are actually making things biofuels rather than corn-based ethanol. worse. This should be no huge surprise The issue of climate change is no longer He also points out that a lack of though: private enterprise rarely exists to ignorable for the capitalist parties, so monitoring often allows for corporations solve problems; it exists to make profit. they try to delay real change now and to emphasize the environmental benefits Global warming, aptly renamed climate attempt to leave us with a much larger of their investments and ignore the change as warming is neither universal in crisis down the road. A clear knowledge detriments. For example, a corporation all areas nor the only effect, has finally of the basics of climate science is a vital investing in the growing of biofuels and been accepted by nearly everyone in tool for any member of the working class taking credits for the reduced net carbon United States after decades of fighting. wishing to protect their interests and the emissions from the fuel itself while Sure, detractors still exist, claiming that interests of their loved ones, born or ignoring the resulting deforestation. an increase in the Sun’s output accounts unborn. The flaws of the capitalist Companies have also recently begun for all warming, despite the fact that the parties’ plans for handling climate dumping iron into the oceans to trigger warming effects of various gaseous change are many and hold a clear private algal blooms, an immediate threat to industrial waste products (Carbon profit motive. marine life. Algae uses photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide into sugar and water Dioxide [CO 2], Methane [CH 3], Beginning with cap and trade systems, into oxygen; however, it rarely sinks to Nitrous Oxide [N O], etc) are well 2 part of the Kyoto Protocol the U.S. has the bottom and is instead consumed and known on Earth as well as elsewhere (e. thus far been unwilling to sign, the rereleased as carbon dioxide. g. Venus) and that it is unlikely that solar results in practice (such as in the warming accounts for more than 20% of European Union) are quite disappoint- A cap and trade system means that warming in the past 250 years. In all ing. The system calls for there to be corporations can bypass attempts to turn likelihood it is much less; since direct national caps on greenhouse gas emiss- back climate change for a little extra measurement of solar output began in ions; industries are given quotas and profit. They can continue to pollute at 1978, it has varied through its 11-year people begin trading in carbon credits, the same rate while merely pretending to cycle, but has not changed overall. The because the other gases have not yet offset their output. A cap and trade major party presidential candidates have been regulated. Companies who are system is not a market solution to all accepted climate change as a fact, not going to emit more than their quota are climate change, it is a market solution to a question. Still, their solutions echo the able to invest in green technology a populace trying to turn back climate ignorant howl of market interests, not projects in return for carbon credits to change. science. offset their own emissions. Fred Pearce, Another important issue to keep in mind writing for New Scientist , gave a powerful John McCain’s campaign website boasts: is exactly how clean energy is. First critique of this system. “He has offered common sense generation biofuels, made from corn, approaches to limit carbon emissions by The first issue of his I’ll bring up is that sugar cane, etc have been long touted as
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 6 a green fuel as it absorbs as much carbon course much of the Middle East. At that Iraq (cont from page 3) from the atmosphere as it releases back rate fossil fuels could be literally replen- Even before the September 11th attacks, in. Recent studies have shown that ished and reburied. We’ve spent $845 when George W. Bush took the election though sugar cane may have a slight net billion on the war in Iraq so far, a war for in 2000, the U.S. began to look for ways environmental benefit, corn ethanol is fossil fuels; with those funds we could to implement "regime change" in Iraq. actually worse for the environment than have put climate change behind us and Bush advisors, among them vice fossil fuels because of the amounts of still had enough for a single-payer president Dick Cheney, Secretary of nitrous oxide released from the fertil- universal healthcare system and other Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and izers. Though there is less nitrous oxide vital programs. Rumsfeld's deputy Paul Wolfowitz, were molecules released per unit of fuel than Economic production caused the danger long time advocates of invading Iraq. carbon dioxide in fossil fuels, it is much of climate change and capitalism failed to After leaving the Bush administration, more potent of a greenhouse gas. react properly, it is putting forward dead treasury secretary Paul O'Neil said that Furthermore, the focus on these first ends rather than solutions. American an attack on Iraq had been planned since generation biofuels have accelerated socialists have been calling for major the inauguration. deforestation in the name of farmland funding to solve our environmental and a dangerous hike in global food problems for decades, producing for the Following the September 11th attacks, prices. Second generation biofuel prod- good of the people rather than profit. president Bush spoke to a joint session of uction focuses on plants and eukaryotes Wouldn’t it have been nice to have had Congress, where he announced a new that do not require fertilizer, such as cheap fuel, fewer climactic crises, and War on Terrorism. This was followed by switchgrasses and genetically engineered avoided costly wars? Let’s take action the idea of 'preemptive' military action, algae. Though Barack Obama can be now so we don’t have to look back 30 later termed the Bush doctrine. Bush said to be aware of these pitfalls, the years from now and think the same thing would eventually seek U.N. author- exact opposite can be said of John about 2008. ization for the invasion of Iraq, while McCain who expresses an agricultural retaining the option of invading unilat- solution (read: corn ethanol). Brian Moore erally. According to President Bush and One must also be wary of misleading & former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair: marketing. Toyota markets their Prius the reasons for the invasion of Iraq were model as emitting only water vapor, Stewart "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass giving the wrongful impression that Alexander destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's hydrogen fuel is always carbon-free. The support for terrorism, and to free the truth is that hydrogen fuel is created by 2008 Iraqi people." using other energy sources. If it is creat- In October 2002, days before the U.S. ed using wind or solar power, it very well Senate vote on the Authorization for may be clean; if it is created using energy "Use of Military Force Against Iraq from a coal plant, it could be a very dirty Resolution", senators were told in a fuel. closed session meeting that Saddam There are plenty of economical solutions Hussein had the means of delivering ahead of us beyond biofuels. For biological and chemical WMDs by example, Gabriele Centi of the Univ- unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drones ersity of Messina created a solar cell that and that they could be launched from can take carbon dioxide from the 2008 Socialist Party ships in the Atlantic to attack U.S. cities atmosphere, release oxygen, and convert Presidential Ticket along the East Coast. Colin Powell stated it into hydrocarbons. A mere 5800 in his speech to the U.N. that UAV's square kilometers of desert (2240 square Liberty were transported out of Iraq and could miles) could fuel 100 million domestic Socialism be used against the U.S. In reality, Iraq vehicles. Currently, 135,000 square Peace had no offensive UAV's nor any capa- kilometers (52,120 square miles) of Opportunity bility of putting them on ships. The suitable and unused desert are available UAVs that Iraq did have were made up of in the southwest U.S. alone, not to Learn more at: a few obsolete Czech training drones. If mention vast expanses in China’s Gobi www.votesocialist2008.org the U.S. Air Force agency most familiar desert and Africa’s Sahara desert and of with UAVs denied that Iraq had any off-
7 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 ensive UAV capability. orization, which was of questionable So was the involvement of the United legality under international law. States in the toppling of Saddam Hussein Critics of the invasion have alleged that worth it for the American middle class the U.S. and the British fabricated This decision was immensely unpopular worldwide. And on Feb.15, 2003, a whose sons and daughters are the ones evidence concerning Iraqi weapons fighting and dying every day? Not to month before the invasion, there was an programs and ties to terrorism. Most mention the horrors endured by the Iraqi anti-war protest that attracted between notably: the accusation that the Bush people during five years of war. Was it not six and ten million people in more than Administration of relying on knowingly in fact the sole responsibility of the Iraqi fraudulent evidence in asserting that the 800 cities, the largest such protest in people, who had their nation devastated Saddam Hussein had attempted to human history. According to the French and destroyed by Saddam Hussein, to purchase yellow cake uranium from academic Dominique Reynié, between overthrow the oppressive Iraqi regime that Niger. However no WMDs were ever January 3 and April 12, 2003, 36 million ruled them for 24 years? people across the globe took part in discovered. In January 2005, the Iraq From the moment Hussein gained power almost 3,000 protests against the Iraq Survey Group stated that Iraq had shut he brought the Iraqi people nothing but war. In Rome, a rally of 3 million people down its WMD programs in 1991 and oppression, persecution and disastrous had no WMDs when the invasion was listed in the Guinness Book of Records war. Surly the seeds of discontent were occurred. Although some lost or as the largest ever anti-war rally. growing among the poor, the working abandoned remnants of pre-1991 prod- On March 20, 2003, the invasion of Iraq class, the intellectuals and perhaps even uction were discovered, U.S. officials by the United States, the United among moderates in the military and would confirm that these were not the Kingdom and their allies began, without government. All that was needed was for weapons for which the U.S. invaded Iraq. UN support. Major coalition military the proper conditions for these elements of In fact the invasion was opposed by some operations were once again led almost Iraqi society to come together and drive U.S. allies, including France and entirely by the U.S. military. The Iraqi Saddam Hussein, along with his hench- Germany, as their leaders argued there military was quickly overwhelmed and in men, from power. was no real evidence that Saddam April the coalition declared the invasion Then there could have been the spirit of Hussein had WMDs. With evidence effectively over. Saddam Hussein was reconciliation and solidarity among the supporting the U.S. and British claims captured in December, put on trial and self-liberated Iraqi people. And perhaps the about Hussein's WMDs and links to hanged a year later. Bringing his 24 year Sunnis, Shias and Kurds could have united terrorism weakened, proponents of the rule over the Iraqi people to an end. After to form a fairer society by choosing a Iraqi invasion shifted their argument to the invasion the nation of Iraq plunged government who had the will and the well the human rights violations of the into sectarian violence, insecurity and being of the people and the nation of Iraq Hussein regime. Human rights groups instability. And today the U.S. military's at the forefront of their actions; or the Iraqi such as Human Rights Watch have occupation may in fact be the only force people could have allowed someone just as argued that they believe human rights propping up the current government led tyrannous as Saddam Hussein into power. In any case, the choice should have been concerns were never a central by Nouri al-Malaki, which presents itself that of the Iraqi people. the choice of self- justification for the invasion. as keeping Iraq from descending into full scale civil war and thereby being torn determination. And not the unwillingness to endure more destruction and death Along with its effort in the U.N., the apart as a nation. Bush administration looked for domestic brought to them by foreign occupiers, who Five years after the 2003 invasion, close support for the invasion. And in October only sought to dominate and to strip the to four thousand U.S. troops have died 2002, the U.S. Congress passed a "Joint nation of Iraq of its wealth. or been killed and an estimate by the Resolution to Authorize the Use of organization IBC (Iraq Body Count.org) But, the U.S. invasion of Iraq did occur. United States Armed Forces Against And the occupation will no doubt continue puts the number of Iraqi civilians killed Iraq". The resolution authorized the for many years to come in one form or by violence at between eighty five and president to "use any means necessary.” another. But hopefully the key to Iraq's eighty nine thousand, with the number future will ultimately lie in the hands of In November 2002, after considerable of civilians and U.S. military deaths those who deserve it most: the Iraqi people debate, the U.N Security Council adopt- growing day by day. To make matters – through their collective struggle against ed resolution 1441 which authorized worse the Turkish military's incursion all forms of imperialism and subjugation. resuming weapons inspections and into Northern Iraq to battle the PKK, or The choices they make and the actions promised "serious consequences" for Kurdistan Workers' Party, rebels in they take, will either bring Iraq a bright and noncompliance. Bush proceeded and February of this year, only adds to the better tomorrow or destroy the hope of a decided to invade Iraq without UN auth- nations instability. fair and just society.
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 8 9 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008
Hannaford states in its Community As Americans, if we believe in the mythic If anyone would like to complain or Services FAQ: ideals of democracy and liberty, we have comment to Hannaford about the to stop trying to silence all dissident situation, you may contact them at: Our current solicitation policy gives any views. Most of the people Brian Moore interested community organizations an Hannaford Bros. Co. spoke to Sunday very well may have opportunity to solicit donations PO Box 1000 believed in these ideals, at least one did through our community giving kiosk, Portland, ME 04104 not. That individual, in conjunction with which is positioned at the front entrance For customer concerns or questions – the apathetic, at best, stance of Hann- of our stores. In addition, organizations (800) 213-9040 aford Supermarkets, was able to cause can receive bottle and can donations great disturbance in the democratic or you may contact their spokesperson, through our bottle redemption areas in process. Ballot access laws have shown Caren Epstein, and likely be ignored as those states where applicable. All the themselves to be much more disruptive well: [email protected] organization needs to do is speak to the to the process; the mass media is no store manager. better with ABC denying even a It at first seemed likely that the manager dissident member of the Big Two, misunderstood this to include common Dennis Kucinich, entrance to the “[W]ho in turn decided property and political solicitation. Democratic Party Debate. If we see more that their store policy However, that turned out to be the of the same old that we’ve been store’s official position. His attitude in complaining about for years in 2009, we overrides the Constitution trying to wrongfully enforce this policy will know who is at fault: Americans who of the United States of was far from professional. only pretend to love democracy. America. “ However, this story is not just about improper actions by a store manager nor is it about police harassment of third party candidates. This story is an upsett- ing look into how average Americans perceive the democratic process. Brian Moore noted, “How ironic that these close-by major party candidates are campaigning effortlessly, while minor party candidates face obstruction after Moore (left), Diamondstone (right), obstruction, in many states, just to gain Gorman and Kirkpatrick (center) ballot access.” Average Americans, As to Caren Epstein's decision to not supporters of the two major parties, even decline comment: to give absolut- decided to take it upon themselves not to ely no response to such an inquiry is visit us speak out against the candidacy of Brian outright disrespectful, and their disdain Moore, but rather to silence him. for the solicitors’ constitutional rights is online This reflects in ballot access laws across shown in the fact that they decided to the United States. Texas requires 74,101 take it up with their legal department at valid signatures to be placed on the (according to the police report), who in ballot; North Carolina requires 69,734; turn decided that their store policy spmichigan.org Oklahoma requires 43,913 and Georgia overrides the Constitution of the United requires 42,489. In my home state of States of America. They decided to make Michigan, where 38,084 signatures are the slanderous statement that Brian required, it is estimated that it would cost Moore was “harrassing customers und- any candidate or party $50,000 in paid uly” while being unable to offer any petitioners to get on the ballot. The state-ment of any specific example system is set up in most states for only whatsoever, as per the police report. Dan the Big Two to be able to afford to Barcomb, the store manager, was asked participate in the democratic process at the scene and once again invited to successfully. provide any example and could not.
11 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Barack Obama and the 'Disownership' of the Disenfranchised Majority Matt Erard for long been obvious to anyone with The Michigan Socialist remote knowledge of the history of U.S. By the beginning of last March, “Obama- foreign policy in the Middle East and mania” was in full force. Hillary Clinton, even vehemently stressed in the who had become increasingly tarnished numerous video-messages from bin by the aggressive mudslinging of her Laden and his associates (now former-president husband, had fallen unavailable for U.S. broadcast due to behind in the polls, Obama had thus far “national security concerns”), the won the most pledged delegates, and acceptable explanations for the 9/11 both a substantial section of the attacks within corporate political and corporate establishment and a new media discourse remain confined to the generation of progressive-minded young hijackers being evil, hating freedom, or people had enthusiastically lined up being jealous of U.S. prosperity. behind a candidate who claimed to In allowing excerpts of Wright making represent change, while consistently re- egee Syphilis Experiment, to the realities such an observation to air repeatedly in assuring the American ruling class that of institutional racism in America, an attempt to discredit Obama by he will fully represent the interests of big Wright spoke on the very issues which association, the American corporate business and imperialism if elected. the same media companies giving him so media was likely far more cynical than it The campaign that had appeared to be much air time had utterly failed to cover should have been about the current full on a nearly invincible trajectory toward in their own reporting. Rather than extent of the American public’s the White House came to a sudden risking the embarrassment of exposing ignorance toward such foreign policy impasse following ABC News’ broadcast either the systematically propagandistic realities. Although otherwise repres- of carefully spliced excerpts of sermons censorship that characterizes their enting the program of a deeply from Barack Obama’s longtime pastor reporting or bringing off-limits issues to reactionary neo-confederate constituen- Rev. Jeremiah Wright at Trinity Church light, the major media was certain to cy, the presidential campaign of Republ- in Chicago. The rest of the American limit the excerpts to Wright’s most ican hopeful Ron Paul received its corporate media and both the Clinton vociferous, but least factually illustrative unexpected explosion of support from and McCain campaigns soon centered lines. across the political spectrum directly on Obama’s association with Wright as a following the outcry from politicians and Among the statements from Wright that means to both fuel white bigotry against major media outlets over Paul’s state- had made it past the networks’ editors, the Obama campaign and to portray ment of the obvious in a Republican however, was Wright’s pronouncement Obama’s past overtures to the American debate that “they attacked us because that the September 2001 attacks on the corporate establishment as merely World Trade Center and Pentagon were, we’ve been over there.” concealing an underlying radicalism. as Malcolm X said, “the chickens coming Although highlighting Obama’s apparent Within the sermons that were broadcast home to roost.” Although Wright’s association with radicalism was primarily in constant rotation on cable news observation that decades of brutal U.S. an effort to raise questions within the networks throughout the day during the imperialism through covert overthrows ruling class about Obama’s continuously following weeks, Wright highlighted a of Middle Eastern governments, reviled promised subservience, the strategy in litany of U.S. atrocities from the most puppet regimes, genocidal sanctions, this case represented a wider embrace shocking details of Iran-Contra to the to land-grabs, and U.S.-sponsored Israeli within the media of an emerging form of the U.S.’s massacre of Cambodian terrorism led to the 9/11 attacks was demagoguery. A few political pundits on civilians, from the U.S’ past support of unquestionably accurate, the acknowled- the extreme right of the corporate media Osama bin Laden to the U.S. imperialism gment of such a fact remains a prohibited spectrum, such as Bill O’Reilly and Sean in the Middle East that led to the 9/11 topic in mainstream media and political Hannity, have made careers in recent attacks, from the U.S.-sponsored Tuske- discourse. Although such realities have years of focusing their coverage on the
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 12 on the more leftist of mainstream critics associate’s association in order to take realities as he is. Newsweek for example, of existing policy, generally widely out of every measure to exploit white racism in praisingly reported that Obama “is context, for the purposes of making them her favor. In essence, the 2008 campaign sometimes described as post-racial.” U.S. appear outlandish and questioning their of Clinton in its final efforts had no News and World Report similarly sanity. It was primarily the same analysis qualms with openly relying on the praised Obama for his “non-confront- of the 9/11 attacks on the part of former prevalence of racism as the basis of her ational post-racial approach.” University of Colorado professor Ward ticket to the nomination. While concurrently presenting the Churchill that brought O’Reilly to lead Prior to the Rev. Wright scandal, Obama potential election of the first black the campaign to have Churchill fired had determined that his best strategy president as a historical milestone, from his academic post. Although the would be to downplay, if not utterly Obama’s political strategy on the recently augmented trend among media deny, the prevalence of racism in the question of racism may ultimately result pundits to directly cover and distort left- United States. As Obama stated in his in more harm to the anti-racist struggle wing critiques may be indicative of address the 2004 Democratic National than even the past Southern strategies increasing concern within the corporate Convention and was praisefully quoted embraced by Clinton and other white elite over Americans’ decreasing level of throughout the beginning of his 2008 Democrats alike. Obama has carefully trust in official political lines, it also may campaign, “there's not a black America aimed to give white American voters the have the potential to backfire. Similarly and white America and Latino America opportunity to feel alleviated from to the unexpected support for the Paul and Asian America; there's the United confronting their own racial privilege by campaign, such distorted attacks resulted States of America.” Obama’s desire to electing a black candidate, who rejects in the NAACP, which has for long posture himself as a candidate who the very existence of such privilege, to abstained from radicalism in favor of recognizes the ‘obsoleteness’ of racism, the nation’s highest office. With an racially diversifying the American was further intensified in his soon to African American in the White House bourgeoisie, inviting Wright to be the become infamous speech at an April 6th who already views racism as something keynote speaker at its Freedom Fund fundraiser in which he stated, “when that has been primarily overcome, white Dinner on April 27th, at which Wright people tell me they’re all stressed about Americans can then point to the received thunderous applause. racial discord, well, you know, try slavery achievement of such a candidate as a While Wright’s comments on foreign for a while.” means to dismiss all remaining griev- policy were perhaps most offensive to Through his regular employment of such ances among people of color over the media and major parties’ corporate statements, Obama had precisely institutional discrimination. The under- backers, Wright’s comments on race calculated as far back as 2004 that he lying message is that the final step for were particularly exploited by both the could make a more palatable appeal as a whites to prove that racism has been fully right-wing and the Clinton campaign to black presidential candidate by fund- eradicated and the playing field made pursue a more blatant “Southern amentally differentiating his politics on equal is to elect him as the next U.S. strategy” than had been witnessed in the issue of race from past African president. decades. Portraying herself openly as a American presidential candidates such as In what was repeatedly characterized by white people’s candidate, Clinton stated Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Carol the corporate media as the most in an interview with USA Today that, “[a Moseley Braun, who made their long profound and frank speech on race ever recent AP poll] found how Senator histories of civil rights and anti-racist given by a presidential candidate, Obama Obama's support among working, hard- activism central components of their chose to use the opportunity of a March working Americans, white Americans, is campaigns. While supporting the stan- 18th speech to denounce the entirety of weakening again, and how whites in both dard Democratic Party positions on Wright’s foreign policy critique and to states who had not completed college minimal affirmative action and hate- repeat the same mantra of blindness to were supporting me." Such a comment, crimes enforcement, Obama sought to racism’s most prominent manifestation which one might better expect from the distinguish himself politically from the through its institutional character. likes of George Wallace, was not the only black presidential candidates that had Although alluding to the “complexities” example of such an effort on Clinton’s come before him by effectively denying of racism and deigning to acknowledge part. In repeatedly invoking Nation of the existing system of white privilege that, “current incidents of discrimination, Islam leader Louis Farrakhan against permeating nearly all American instit- while less overt than in the past -- are real Obama as a result of Wright refusing to utions and calling on not only white, but and must be addressed,” Obama denounce him, Clinton sought to use not particularly black Americans, to become continued to portray racism as primarily only guilt by association, but guilt by an as “transcendentally” colorblind to social Continued on page 15
13 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 MOBILIZE TO SUPPORT AMERICAN AXLE WORKERS Joint Socialist Party of Michigan/Socialist Party USA Labor Commission Statement on the 2008 American Axle Strike Socialist Party members in Michigan toward labor organizing both within Though the corporate entity known as and New York distributed a leaflet of and outside such established American Axle legally owns the means of the following statement while apparatuses, resurrecting the producing these sought-after automobile participating on the picket lines of the compelling power of organized labor in components, it is the labor of the recent American Axle Strike in the United States will necessitate workers which creates the value. Without Michigan and New York. While decisive rank-and-file rejection of all workers willing to labor there would be American Axle workers heroically kept provocations toward “sacrifice” and no production or dividends for Wall the strike going with far greater nationalism from above in favor of an Street investors. The Socialist Party fully militancy than either the company or internationally unified struggle that supports the American Axle workers' the UAW leadership had anticipated, fears neither our employers’ falling struggle to sustain their livelihoods. We the strike’s final outcome, pushed by the profits nor our fellow workers across see this conflict as another example of fear-mongering of both latter entities, national borders. The mass-based the manner in which CEOs, Boards of will result in the decimation of waging of such a collective struggle by Directors and Shareholders live off the American Axle workers’ former wages the working class to take back control of backs of workers. and living standards and the the organizations established to Thus far negotiations have provided no elimination of over one-thousand jobs represent our interests will place us avenues toward meeting the workers in just Detroit alone. Like the outcome concretely on the path toward the demands. Instead, management has of the 2008 national UAW strike on political struggle necessary to attempted to use collective bargaining as General Motors, the final result of the permanently end this escalating cycle of a means to squash the aspirations of American Axle Strike demonstrates that attacks – to use the unassailable power these workers. American Axle executives, success in defeating the continuation of of unified and directly accountable like their partners at General Motors, such attacks in the current stage of workers’ organization to lay-off not have shown little concern for the plight global capitalism will require a only the labor bureaucracy that of their employees, viewing them as grassroots movement of working people partners with it, but the ownership class workhorses rather than human beings. to re-claim control of our hard-won altogether - to take control of our own Strike and direct action is the only organs of collective working-class power workplaces once and for all. language these corporate fat-cats can and to radically transform the existing The Socialist Party USA stands behind potentially understand. structure of organized labor to represent the American Axle workers as they fight We urge striking American Axle workers both the immediate and the wider to protect the hard-won gains of the to decisively reject any contract that political interests of working people, American working class. American Axle includes cuts to wages, cuts or “cost- which the existing union establishment Corporation has attempted to reduce sharing” of healthcare or a reduction of long-ago abandoned. employee wages to $14/hour from pensions. It is rank-and-file American Such a movement must center on a $23/hour and cut retiree pension Axle workers, not UAW officials who are return to the militant tactics that led to benefits. An almost 40% wage decrease is making the financial sacrifices in this the birth of the American industrial intolerable under any circumstances, but strike, and it is the rank-and-file workers unionism, along with the added in a time of financial surplus –when through their strike committees who outreach, solidarity, and support of the American Axle is able to pay a hefty ultimately have the power to determine whole working class, both nationally dividend to its shareholders- it is simply where the strike will lead. As the current and internationally. With no faith in unconscionable. This episode is the period demonstrates, making more the existing national union leadership most recent example of the overall concessions will not stop the overall to any longer represent the interests of offensive waged by corporations against concessionary trend – it will only re- its working members nor any hesitation manufacturing workers in America. enforce it. The only way to stop the cycle
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 14 is for the American automotive industry Red Wings (cont from page 9) sustainable. We can win it! to once again feel the collective strength es) that change is possible with their 1. A hockey team from Detroit. of the working class. participation. A team that win believe 2. I've been informed recently that Bos- We further call on all workers whether they can win. They take their goals ton also likes Hockey. For those who organized or not, to actively join our seriously and go into action to meet don't know, hockey is a game played on brothers and sisters at American Axle in them. ice with sticks and is considered by many their struggle. The attacks by American To keep going through the long season, a to be a sport. Axle on its workers are one part of an winning team keep their eyes on the 4. 3. Granting it immediate importance. escalating crackdown on the living prize and sees their mission as something standards of working people by an long-term. Our mission is harder than5. 4. See Wikipedia. Search for Hero. obsolete system that puts private profit winning a championship (imagine if all Aaron Petcoff currently lives in Detroit before human need. The particular we had to do was beat the jerks in a where he studies History and Peace & struggle of the American Axle strikers hockey game!). Building a new world is Conflict Studies at Wayne State Univ- affects every worker in every industry. A an infinitely complex task, so, to build ersity. He is a member of Students for a victory in this strike would be a victory and sustain our momentum, we find Democratic Society and the Student for the whole working class. We must markers for our progress. Rather than Environmental Action Coalition and he keep the momentum going! celebrating momentary skirmishes, a would love to play hockey with you. You The Socialist Party supports this strike winning team in social change looks can find him on Facebook. He runs his own and calls for a more comprehensive toward the movement. blog at
15 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 reality… For the men and women of that the problems that we face as a Frank’s 2004 best-seller What’s the Rev. Wright's generation, the memories country are too great to continue to be Matter With Kansas, Obama only of humiliation and doubt and fear have divided, that, in fact, all across America understated a fact that has been long and not gone away; nor has the anger and the people are hungry to get out of the old widely recognized by political scientists bitterness of those years.” divisive politics of the past. I have spoken for many decades. It therefore likely and written about the need for us to all came as a surprise to Obama, who had To maintain the “post-racial” image of recognize each other as Americans, only served for three years in federal his campaign, Obama would have white regardless of race or religion or region of Americans interpret Wright as just office, that not only the rival Clinton the country.” another aging throwback to the historical campaign, but nearly every section of the American mainstream media centered its period when racism led to “opportunities A political consideration that likely political coverage on Obama’s “inflam- being systematically restricted.” From impacted Obama decision to lambaste matory” comments for the next several this line of argument, both the recent and disavow the pastor he previously weeks - even more so than on the comments of Wright and the past rem- claimed he couldn’t disown, was a new arks of Obama’s white grandmother were contrived scandal that had arisen controversy surrounding Wright. Obama equivalently racist and archaic. Obama between Obama’s first speech on racism was not alone in assuming that his stating of such a generally accepted observation was indeed careful to make the speech as and his speech to denounce Wright would not reasonably be the subject of a a whole sound ostensibly progressive, entirely. At the same aforementioned political storm of reaction. As stated by but such forward-thinking rhetoric has April 6th fundraiser where Obama made Obama supporter Mayhill Follower, who little substance when stemming from a the “try slavery” remark on the subject of fundamentally dishonest assessment of contemporary racial oppression, Obama, broke the story in the Huffington Post where we are in the present. responding to a question about reluct- with the first article mentioning the ance of some voters to support him, remarks, “we recognized it was a Following Wright’s final waive of commented that many working class politically volatile story and thought it publicity through his appearance at the voters focus their political attention on would create news. We had no idea that National Press Club and the mocking of religion, guns, and protectionist and anti- the controversy would reach this magni- Clinton’s likely perceived white entitle- immigrant notions rather than economic tude.” ment to the presidential nomination by issues due to their bitterness over Although Obama referred only once to Trinity Church guest Rev. Michael economic and political disempower- “small towns” in his response to the Pfleger (an extreme understatement in ment. question that the media quickly came to consideration of Clinton’s blatantly As detailed in works ranging from Kevin refer to as “bittergate,” he referred twice racist remarks on white support for her Phillips 1969 reactionary playbook The to voters from the “working class.” nomination), Obama had a sudden Emerging Republican Majority to Thomas Nevertheless, in nearly every subsequent change of heart. Although he predictably could still not disown the racism of his white grandmother, Obama spared no mercy in now wholly denouncing and ELECT disowning his former pastor once it became a political necessity. In a public speech on April 29th, Obama JEAN proclaimed: “[Wright’s] comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that TREACY they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of Socialist / Green the black church… They rightly offend all Americans. And they should be ststst denounced. And that's what I'm doing forforfor U.S. Congress, 1 District very clearly and unequivocally here
today…Let me just close by saying this: I www.treacy2008.org “Another Michigan is possible!”
-- we started this campaign with the idea Authorized by the Committee To Elect Jean Treacy for Congress
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 16 reference to Obama’s remarks from the individual’s skin or collar. Obama’s opinion. In his New York Times column American political and media establish- combination of the nearly forbidden on April 14 th , iconic neoconservative Bill ment, whether in Clinton’s disingenuous classification with the notion that those Kristol, a product of an inverted strain of attacks or in the commentary of main- the term describes share a political the former Marxist movement himself, stream media pundits and reporters, interest led astray by the exploitation of (see: The dialectics of neoconservatism: Obama was reported to have made such its perceived powerlessness, however, From the old left to the new right , TMS comments solely about “small-town went much farther than the ruling May 2004 issue), wrote an article voters.” A significant element of the real establishment was willing to tolerate complaining that Obama’s bitter remark, controversy that had so deeply offended without a harsh corrective. ostensibly within the climate of the the American ruling elite was that explosive Rev. Wright association, During the course of the second political Obama had made the critical mistake of sounded too much like Karl Marx’s views firestorm, Clinton appeared unphased by acknowledging the American working on religion, if not, in coming from a the contradiction of attempting to class’ very existence, and, more egregio- bourgeois presidential candidate, even portray Obama both as a black power usly, in a context of disenfranchisement. worse. As Kristol wrote, “it’s one thing radical and an aristocratic elitist. for a German thinker to assert that Although the complete lack of radicalism Although the subject of social class is not ‘religion is the sigh of the oppressed as well as blatant concessions to racism unmentionable for Democratic Party creature.’ It’s another thing for an and imperialism in Clinton’s campaign at politicians, Democrats have been among American presidential candidate to claim least spared her of any degree of the primary architects and promoters of that we ‘cling to ... religion’ out of hypocrisy in making the former the now commonly perceived mid-to- economic frustration.” accusation toward Obama, it could not late 20th Century notion that class is be more the opposite in her making of Following the cue from Kristol, Fox simply a description of income and that the latter one. While Obama grew up on News host Andrew Napolitano asked the middle class simply refers to the food stamps before becoming one of the Senator Joseph Lieberman, while a guest average of the income range. Such a poorest millionaires among recent on his “Brian and the Judge” radio show notion as been instrumental in limiting presidential contenders, Clinton, who the day Kristol’s article was published, American workers’ attention to the formally sat on the Board of Walmart whether Obama may in fact be “a irreconcilability of interests between and grew up in an affluent business- Marxist as Bill Kristol says might be the themselves and their employers by owning family, has made $109 million case?” As only one example of Obama’s leading them to broadly identify them- dollars in only the period since the end of consistent strategy of presenting himself selves as members of the same class as her husband’s administration. In a in a general sense as an anti-war their immediate bosses who enforce the political climate in which great wealth is candidate, while almost always support- dictums of those above. The final result a prerequisite to even begin a serious ing the war in the context of concrete is to separate the point of production federal candidacy, however, Clinton had decisions, Obama made sure to emphat- from perceived class divisions among the little difficulty in refashioning her image ically endorse Lieberman in the sharply American working class. Consequently, into the common people’s alternative to contested 2006 Connecticut Democratic one hears the Democrats refer to their Obama’s upper crust elitism, once focus Party primary. Lieberman, a long-time defense of “the middle class” in nearly groups indicated the utility of such a Democrat in the Senate who has never every campaign speech and advertise- strategy. even made pretensions of opposition to ment on economic issues, while rarely if the war or occupation lost the Demo- ever making reference to the working In repeating the emerging Fox News- cratic nomination for U.S. Senator in the class. style of punditry in which otherwise 2006 Connecticut Primary to nominally unmentionable left critiques are briskly anti-war candidate Ned Lamont on As the Democrats and their allied raised for the purpose of casting them account of his lack of sufficient anti-war functionaries in the corporate media into a category of absurdity, some posturing for a Northeastern Democratic would have it, the terms ‘small town’ and pundits and political figures attempted to politician. ‘working class’ would be nearly reconcile the intuitive ingenuousness of interchangeable and reserved for scarce the two incompatible caricatures of By the time of Obama’s race for the references to modest and undereducated Obama by raising the question, in no presidency in 2008, he was not, however, whites, in order to avert the danger of such direct terms, of whether Obama willing to return the favor. In response to correctly using the latter term to describe could in fact be making a challenge to Napolitano’s question on Obama’s the vast majority of the population, American capitalism’s key mechanisms alleged Marxism, Lieberman responded, regardless of town-size or the color of an of reinforcement for established public “Well, you know, I must say that’s a good opin ques 17 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 question… I’ve learned some things the working class in his victory speech in historically utilized co-optation tactic of about him, about the kind of the Minnesota primary on June 3 rd , but the past century. Obama alludes to the environment from which he came from a far more politically refined angle. increasingly perceived systemic contra- ideologically. And I wouldn’t…I’d In the speech, Obama proclaimed, dictions that make the interests of both hesitate to say he’s a Marxist, but he’s “change is building an economy that classes irreconcilable, while proclaiming got some positions that are far to the rewards not just wealth, but the work and that he, despite being thoroughly left of me and I think mainstream workers who created it. It's understand- bankrolled by the very corporate America.” Underlying both the Demo- ing that the struggles facing working structure he feigns to challenge, can cratic Party’s presumed ability to rake in families can't be solved by spending somehow overcome such a fundamental all sections of expressed anti-war senti- billions of dollars on more tax breaks for irreconcilability of interests if working ment within its ranks as well as the lack big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but people will simply elect him to office. of grounding in such convictions among by giving a the middle-class a tax break… even the politicians who most center It's understanding that fiscal respons- As with his implicit proclamations that their campaigns around them, Lamont ibility and shared prosperity can go his election to the White House can ironically, but not unpredictably, endors- hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill make institutionalized racism disappear, ed Obama for the presidency two years Clinton was President.” so, he implied, can it rectify the essential later in 2008. contradictions of capitalism. And what is Had Obama not elaborated beyond the Obama’s example for a period when such Obama was quick to correct his first line, it would have perhaps been “shared prosperity” between contending statements which led to the manufact- among the most radical and honest classes existed? The period of the ured 'bittergate’ hysteria - commenting statements ever made from a Democratic Clinton presidency – the period in which that “I didn’t say it as well as I should Party presidential candidate. In noting the income gap between rich and poor have” and taking the cue to paraphrase that it is in fact the American working grew to the largest extent since the Great his own controversial comments as class who created the wealth now Depression and in which the most referring to “folks in small towns” rather hoarded by the American corporate elite, drastic recent attacks on job security, than the “working class.” Within his Obama alluded directly to the very union leverage, and the welfare state we response to the outcry over his state- essence of capitalism: a system of face today (NAFTA, WTO, Welfare ment, Obama contended in his own exploitation in which the vast majority of reform) were enacted. Obama perhaps defense that individuals who aren’t being the value created by workers’ labor time made the same statement even more listened to take refuge in the issues that is robbed from us in the form of private bluntly in a speech to Wall Street “they can count on” and those that profits for the owning class. But Obama investors on September 17th. “From “bring them comfort.” As with the issue was this time careful not to repeat his CEOs to shareholders, from financiers to of race, Obama, in doing so, sought to past political mistake. In consciously factory workers, we all have a stake in eliminate the point of greatest potential refraining from using the term “working each other’s success because the more concern within the ruling class by erasing class” and calling for a “middle class tax Americans prosper, the more America the pretense of any notion on his part break” as a potential solution to rising prospers,” Obama sophistically asserted. that there could be any institutional basis class antagonisms, Obama insidiously for such reactionary social policies employed the standard Democratic Party Among Obama’s most flagrantly prepos- increasingly grasping the attention of lingo to conflate the class of workers with terous lines in his final speech on Wright American workers. Rather than confront- the class of their bosses. following the bittergate scandal, was his ing the intensified strategy of corporate Moreover, in calling for “shared prosp- statement that, “if Reverend Wright politicians and media to systematically erity” Obama left no ambiguity about thinks [such an expression of offense is] target immigrants, non-heterosexuals, which parties were to do the sharing. political posturing, as he put it, then he and contrived threats to guns and relig- Obama argued, in essence, that if he is to doesn't know me very well.” While ion to distract the working class from war be elected to the White House, the denying his willingness to engage in and attacks on living standards, and more interests of both the workers and the either posturing or disownership, importantly – to divide it, Obama sought CEO’s he referenced can be mutualistic, however, such political posturing and to portray the nearly unprecedented rather than marred by the antagonisms disownership of every oppressed escalation of social demagoguery as that capitalism has increasingly and constituency and every substantive call simply a natural reaction. relentlessly unleashed in recent years for the change he claims to represent is Following the outcry over his bittergate from its own systemic degeneration. In exactly what has characterized Obama’s statement, Obama addressed the issue of doing so, Obama engaged in the most campaign from its beginning.
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 18 Only further demonstrating what Obama will bring the interests of working people ering effort to persuade the ruling elite meant by the ‘shared prosperity of the to Washington, Obama has no that he can most effectively carry out its Clinton presidency,’ Obama was quick to substantive proposal to bring even a corporatist and imperialist political instruct his Chief Economic Policy remote degree of relief to the American agenda while utilizing his unique Advisor to instruct the Canadian Consul working class nor any proposal to background and identification with in Chicago that his recent attacks on transform or dismantle the U.S.-led change to reign in the growing militant NAFTA in campaign speeches, “should international institutional apparatuses opposition to existing conditions among not be taken out of context and should that have in recent years entrapped millions of dissatisfied working people be viewed as more about political American workers in a vicious cycle of and youth. positioning than a clear articulation of insecurity and desperation. Unlike even The “change” represented by Barack policy plans" a leaked memo from a Clinton in his first term, Obama opposes Obama can realistically amount to no Canadian consulate noted. single payer universal healthcare and has more than a perpetually shifting change no objections to the U.S. remaining the While posturing as an anti-war of strategy within the American ruling only Western industrialized country in candidate, Obama immediately began to class to superficially pacify mass the world without such a basic human disown the anti-war movement by indignation and rekindle the illusion of right. consistently voting to continue and democratic efficacy through a candidate expand funding for the wars even before While posturing as a candidate who will who will pursue an identical agenda to he began his presidential bid. When restore and expand civil rights and the preceding capitalist administration questioned on the reality of his stated liberties, Obama provides no proposals on nearly all issues of great substance. An ambition to end the war, Obama, like to bring substantive relief to people of essential prerequisite to the change so Clinton, refused to promise to withdraw color, whether through reparations or many millions of Americans are now troops from Iraq even by the end of his the expansion of affirmative action. demanding is the widespread realization second term in the White House, while While opposing same-sex marriage and that such change cannot be arrived at by centering his most recent criticisms of supporting Bush’s proposed guest supporting any section of, or rhetorically the war on the so-called failure of the worker program to allow capitalists to uplifting newcomer within, the constr- Iraqi government to take sufficient bring in and deport the most exploitable aints of the twin corporate parties. responsibility during the course of the labor at their whims, Obama supports U.S.’ unrelenting slaughter and the death penalty, fully supports the war occupation of its people. on drugs, including marijuana criminal- Read... Opposing any cuts whatsoever to the ization, and voted in favor of reauthor- bloated military budget, Obama’s foreign izing the USA PATRIOT ACT. policy debate with Clinton throughout Magazine of the Socialist Party of Michigan The one constituency, however, that the primary was primarily a contest over Obama cannot be led to disown by the biggest hawk toward Iran and other political pressure is the American ruling U.S. targets. Although Iran has never $ class and its corporations which finance attacked another country in its history, 10 both his campaign and the party that Obama has been no less relentless than nominated him for the highest office. For one year McCain or Bush in fabricating propag- Barack Obama first entered corporate (4 issues anda to present it as an imminent threat, party politics in the Illinois State Senate guaranteed) and is, thus far, the only presidential by successfully disqualifying every one of To subscribe or inquire, candidate to directly threaten the use of his Democratic opponents from the write to: nuclear weapons against it. As with the ballot, including the incumbent, through anti-war in Iraq and Afghanistan The Michigan Socialist bad-faith challenges to their petitions. movement, Obama, a former moderate From his subsequent establishment of a P.O. Box 844 supporter of the Palestinian struggle, reputation for being a highly charismatic showed no hesitation whatsoever in Marquette, MI 49855-0844 but politically reliable bourgeois-progr- wholly disowning it as well in favor of essive to his prepresidential campaign Or visit us on the web at: unbridled support for Israeli aggression authorship of The Audacity of Hope in www.spmichigan.org and rejectionism. order to fully establish his corporate While posturing as the candidate who credentials, Obama has made an unwav-
19 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Interview with Socialist Party Vice Presidential Candidate Stewart Alexander
Stephen Tash your view on the violation of civil The Michigan Socialist rights of other groups? Who have been your personal role Well, one of the things I realize is that I models to get where you are today? hate all forms of discrimination. I recall a customer saying, “We don't want those I would say for a large part, it has been immigrants over here! Let's take them my dad over the years. He took me to across the border!” There's only so various political activities, visiting much I can say to customer in response, politicians and campaigns; going to one but I started thinking they feel the same such event I first met Los Angeles Mayor way about blacks. I listen to some people Tom Bradley. Politically, I would say my in my family, agreeing, saying we don't dad got me interested in politics at a want immigrants here. Agreeing with the young age, which has been an influence people who don't want blacks here upon me throughout my entire life. As either. I remember when they didn't far as my personal life, my mother was the exercise of war to achieve gains in want blacks in certain businesses or on the stronger influence. that society. Because of this, I became a member. busses. I remember going an extra 10 You say that your discussions with miles to an all black school. Discrim- Kevin Akin brought you to the Your relationship with your maternal ination is wrong no matter who it is conclusion that socialism is the grandfather was strained by violence. directed toward: whether immigrants, answer. Why is capitalism unable to How has this affected your views on gays, women or whoever. I can see how solve society's problems? the use of force? it has personally affected me in life. However you label it, it's still discrim- Probably because capitalism is only for On the use of force? Well if you're ination. One of the things I'll say is that I capitalists, does not serve needs for the referring to corporal punishment, I am was very fortunate in that I was born working class. It only puts the working very much against that. It’s not import- black. Considering I was born in these class into bondage and ties them up so ant to use violence on children to enforce shoes I can see how other people, born they can be servants in society. Socialism discipline. I believe that peace is the into different shoes, have same circum- offers equity where the working class answer. We shouldn't solve our differ- stances [of discrimination]. enjoys collective benefits sharing on ences by force, something we see that out equal basis. Kevin Akin, when I met him, of imperialistic countries who use force Given your experiences, race relations presented socialism to me from the for domination over smaller forces, are a major issue for you. How far do frame of reference of my own life groups or nations. That's what domin- you think we have come and how far experience. Capitalism has not worked ation is all about; what I saw when I was do you think we have to go? for me; working hard in life doesn’t get a kid, [my grandfather] exercising his Well, Steve, we're actually going you anywhere, only to next step where domination when I was just 10. How backwards. I heard Martin L King make you work harder and that's it. What much superiority do you need over 10 a statement in Chicago that he had not Kevin did is present the platform of the year old child? I believe peace is the seen as much violence in many parts of Peace and Freedom Party. I felt it answer. I think it's important we handle the South as he saw in the late sixties offered many things that were of a strong things through peaceful negotiations right there. The two groups were benefit to working class people, such as rather than violence. The situation in charged against each other and many sharing rights. I was very attracted to Iraq is an example of imperialism; what were throwing bottles and violent that part. I felt that it was a platform that we had in Iran; that's what imperialism is towards minorities. Here we are in 2007 advocated peace rather than the about. and we're losing ground still. When I capitalist system we live in: a military How has the violation of your civil began working at this company in 2004, system which advocates imperialism and rights throughout your life affected I was the only black out of 150 employ-
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 20 ees. Now they have four blacks out of can’t pay bills, we have the largest debt and am still learning. When I found the over 100. Not only that. In Fresno a we've ever had, trade deficit is out of group I realized that this is what I was couple days ago I saw so many blacks control, everything they have done has looking for; it was a light. I can draw on the street pushing shopping carts; I failed, everything. So we need socialists from the experience of people in the couldn't believe where we're at in the in leadership positions and focus on Peace and Freedom Party. I was world today. Why are blacks doing worse homelessness. We should not have listening in St Louis. When I exchanged than they did 40 years ago? So it's not homelessness in this country, there is no information, talking to Walt Brown who how far we have gone and where we need reason why there should be any. There ran for President, Eric Chester, I'm to go; we are losing ground. Other gro- should not be anyone left hungry in this looking to draw from people like that, ups are also losing ground too. I don't society. The money we waste on being speaking people involved in a socialist want to say it's just blacks or hispanics. A the police of the world could feed movement, that's experience I'm drawing lot of it has to do with working class everyone who is hungry in the country. off right now. I'm not trying to draw people period, working class people are The money we waste in Iraq could pay from anything besides the agenda of doing a lot worse than 40 or even 10 for education for every kid who has an these two parties. I want to make sure years ago. What it comes down to is a intent to attend college. These are prog- socialism expands from coast to coast. class struggle; that is what we are dealing rams that we would be using; this is what What they have been working for is to with. Now it is not just black and white. the Socialist Party and Peace and make sure what we see is what we have It is the working class, poor people. Freedom Party are offering. What we been working towards for a hundred We're not gaining ground. It's like we're need to do is stop trying to be the years. These are the means by which I starting from square one. guardians, trying to be the leaders of can give back to society as well. Kevin You have focused on urban world, and start focusing once again on Akin has been a real mentor for me in the development issues in the past. What human needs; not just human needs Peace and Freedom Party. We haven't kind of programs do you feel have to here, working class people are every- always agreed 100%, not even today, but where, we need to focus on needs in this he has been my mentor always, be be created or strengthened to help country, Mexico, Africa, wherever they're eternally indebted to him for that. struggling urban areas such as Detroit, at. We're robbing them of hundreds of Kalamazoo, or Flint? What finally made your family decide billions of dollars; there should be no to leave Michigan? I think it's very important that we look at one hungry in Africa, the whole social issues. We have the big elephant in continent. This is where greed comes in. (Stewart's family lived in New Boston, the room that everyone has to deal with: Think about coal miners, than the mine’s MI, a suburb of Detroit from 1953 - military spending. Hundreds of billions owner, in South Dakota, his pockets are 1959) of dollars are wasted unnecessarily there. bulging while the miners are struggling Well actually, when we started to move The Democrats and Republicans, two and, living in poverty. One person who to California my dad wanted to, he names, one party owned by special owns has the wealth of several hundreds brought it up several times. For some interest groups, from the local level to or thousands of people. Top executives reason my dad thought construction the federal government. I believe we are getting retirement packages with tens work was better in California. He did a should be developing social ownership, of millions of dollars. We need to have lot of work with another contractor and democratic control, of the large programs that focus on the homeless. thought there would be more work. To corporations in our society. That's The money is there. We need direct the contrary, it was not any different in where we need to start; control the resources for the homeless, unemployed, California; not much changed other than economy and agriculture. Those are the students, veterans. But they keep voting that the conditions for my family were programs we need to focus on, where the Democratic and Republican while we're worse in California. people are in control, rather than having the ones offering programs. private individuals and enterprise control What experience do you feel you can This is a selection of the questions posed our lives. Is it going to take place over draw upon in serving as Vice to Cde Alexander. We could not include night? I doubt that seriously but would President of the United States? them all due to space constraints. To love it. Many people don’t understand read the entire interview, visit us at: Republicans and Democrats yet walk I feel the experience that I can draw upon around, with chest puffed up, screaming is personal with the Peace and Freedom “I’m a Republican” or a Democrat. A lot Party. I represent hundreds of years of www.spmichigan.org of people are seeing that their programs experience with people there. I've been a are not working, they’re all failing, people socialist all my life, knew it for a decade,
21 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Dwain Reynolds III While studying this system I came to ulum is deskilling our teachers, adding to The Michigan Socialist realize that the people running it come the overcrowding problems that already from a very different time and therefore exists, and stealing valuable knowledge Since childhood we have been told about know nothing about our schools, from our youth (such as fine arts and the “American Dream” in which anyone students or teachers and what they really even social studies). can become anything they can imagine. need. So, I figure, it is time to bring new I believe it is time to create a system in What they didn’t tell us is that most will ideas and philosophies to the forefront which everyone has the ability to make not be able to afford the education to from someone who is actually submersed the best of themselves; where everyone achieve these dreams; and the average within the system. starts out on an equal playing field. No Americans who do will be in debt for the majority of their lives. Our education is one of the most essential components of living in an ever changing, free, demo- cratic society. In its ideal form it allows all citizens to develop to their maximum potential and make informed decisions that will affect them throughout their lives. However our system is broken and affecting our society, economy, youth, households and future in various negative ways. My name is Dwain C. Reynolds III and I am running for Michigan’s State Board of Education as a Socialist/Green Party candidate in order to provide an alternative to our states deteriorating educational system. I grew up in the small town of Middleville, MI where I longer should race, gender, disability, age It is not hard to see the atrocities that are attended the Thornapple Kellogg school or wealth play a part in how much occurring within our educational system. district (2004 graduate). Currently I am education one can receive or what Michigan students are overwhelmingly working as a day care teacher for school anyone can make of him/herself. Overall deprived of essential learning supplies age kids and attending classes in order to it should only be hard work and (such as updated textbooks) and class- obtain my degree in Secondary Educ- dedication that determines how far room overcrowding has become the ation with a major in U.S. History and a someone can go and what they can norm. Our teachers are underpaid while minor in Geography. become. We need a system that is set up Post-Secondary education costs contin- to take and progress the entire nation by I have decided to run for Michigan’s ue to rise at an alarming rate eliminating educating our citizens to discover new State Board of Education because I am the opportunity for many Michigan ways to improve it. currently in the Michigan educational residents to receive a college education. system and see the problems that occur. Furthermore the standardized curric- I have a platform which includes several
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 22 23 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 relation to thinking about how best to feiting operation depicted in the film, When reminded of the apparent futility act. While Salomon attempts to weaken and was transferred to the Sachsen- of the pointless death that the discovery the economy of Germany's allied hausen concentration camp in April of his actions by the Nazis would opponents through his participation in 1944. inevitably bring on, Burger's character- the counterfeiting operation, Adolf istic response is that it would still be a refuses to use his skills for Nazi profit and worthwhile gesture , at least. A socialist, intends to sabotage Operation Burger believes in the power of symbols. Bernhard's aid to the Nazi war effort. Such a self-sacrificing gesture would not really be futile, Burger thinks, because it The American writer Joyce Carol Oates will "indicate to the people" the once wrote that “...conflict, the indestructibility of resistance, and will establishment of disequilibrium, is the inspire others to resist. impetus for the evolution of life; so is conflict the genesis, the prime mover, the Markovics (as Salomon Sorowitsch) in Quite different from Burger is Salomon secret heart of all art.” Conflict, indeed, is The Counterfeiters Sorowitsch, based partially on the real- the prime mover that drives this ethical In the film, Burger believes that the only life Salomon Smolianoff. The press question which provides this film with its ethically correct response to a power that booklet for the screening of The momentum and its pathos: a conflict dispenses oppression and injustice is to Counterfeiters at the Berlin Film Festival between two visions of how to live. confront it directly and do whatever one describes him thus: "Salomon Smolian- Literally, "to live" here means sheer can to resist it, even if the asymmetry of off, called "Sally," was a Russian Jewish physical survival, which is constantly forces is so great that doing so would artist and the most notorious forger of art under threat in the concentration camp. imply instant death and obliteration. and money in his day. He inspired the To live in such a situation inevitably Finding himself imprisoned in the lead character in The Counterfeiters, implicates having to decide how one "golden cage" of the Sachsenhausen Salomon Sorowitsch. Like Sorowitsch, should situate oneself with respect to camp, housed in relative comfort, Burger Smolianoff also landed in prison before malevolent power and malfeasant plots open rebellion and, later, sabotage. the outbreak of the war because he let a authority. The two protagonists, Salom- Much as Mario Savio was to articulate in beautiful woman keep him one night too on Sorowitsch, the "king of counter- his famous "Machine" speech on the many in Berlin." In the film, Sorowitsch feiters", and Adolf Burger, the Slovak steps of Sproull Hall in Berkeley, Burger is depicted as a survivalist who believes in communist printer and Sorowitsch's believes that it is his duty as a human keeping focused on staying alive from fellow concentration camp resident in being to stop the grinding gears of a one day to another, and does not let Sachsenhausen represent two different murderous apparatus any way he can, abstractions or high-minded ideals dis- visions of life and, by extension, of resisting with his life and with his body if tract him into noble but suicidal heroics. politics. necessary. Mario Savio, speaking about An opportunist, Sorowitsch believes that the Vietnam War in December 1964, had the most effective thing to do is to stay The real-life Adolf Burger, who is still said in that famous speech: alive and bide his time for the right alive today at the age of 91, joined the There's a time when the operation of the opportunity, and on several occasions his Communist Party in 1933 at the age of machine becomes so odious, makes you quick wit and survival instincts enable sixteen, and was a printer by profession. so sick at heart that you can't take him to talk the way out of the danger of After World War II broke out, he joined part...And you've got to put your body certain death brought on by Burgers' and the Resistance and began to use his skills upon the gears and upon the wheels, others' hot-headed idealism. as a printer to secretly print leaflets against the Nazis. When his activity was upon the levers, upon all the apparatus Who is right -- Burger or Sorowitsch? Is discovered, he was arrested in August -- and you've got to make it stop! And the right way to confront naked power, 1942, seven months after his marriage to you've got to indicate to the people who frontally and heroically while risking his wife Gizela, and, following his arrest, run it, to the people who own it -- that almost-certain failure in the short run, as the couple were deported to the unless you're free the machine will be Burger does? Or should one collude with 2 Auschwitz concentration camp where prevented from working at all! power and try to resist it incrementally ______and opportunistically, perhaps even coll- Gizela was killed later that year. After 2. A video of Savio's speech is available aborating with it most of the time, in the eighteen months at Auschwitz-Birkenau, on YouTube, at the URL interest of living to fight another day? Burger was selected to work for http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcx9 Operation Bernhard, the Nazi counter- BJRadfw . Writing a review of this film in The New
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 24 Yorker magazine, the film critic David electoral politics. Even as we speak, we Denby seems to consider this question to see the example of Ralph Nader, Cynthia be passé. He disdainfully remarks: McKinney, or the Socialist Party’s own Contribute “...the morally intransigent man who candidates Brian Moore and Stewart refuses all compromise with evil, or the Alexander, whose approach to bringing to the trimmer who partly collaborates with about change is through launching a frontal challenge to the two-party power an oppressor in the hope of keeping structure by running a third-party camp- Michigan himself and others alive? These are aign of socialist education -- and also the hardly the freshest questions in the instance of a Barack Obama, who claims world...” 3 Socialist! to stand for change but intends to bring I have to disagree with Denby here: I it about from within, by colluding with think that the conundrum posed by the the existing structure of power and ethical dilemma at the core of the film, is running as a candidate of one of the two a conundrum which we face continually. capitalist parties. It is not a question that has become jaded or passé at all. I gave the example of Mario Savio already -- in the sixties, there were those who, like Savio and other members of the Students for a Democratic Society, or the Weathermen, or the Black Panthers, tried to confront This is not only a power frontally and directly, and many mouthpiece for the indeed were crushed and destroyed in that attempt. There were others who Socialist Party of Karl Markovics (as Salomon Sorowitsch) went a less confrontational route and and Dolores Chaplin in The Michigan tried to work for change within the Counterfeiters parameters of the political establishment. The lasting impact of this film derives This is a mouthpiece for In the civil rights movement, once again, from the drama of this timeless conflict we can see proponents of direct action, Michigan's entire between two ethical visions of change as such as Malcolm X, who wanted to bring working class! represented by the world-views of Burger about change “by any means necessary”, and of Sorowitsch. The film ends by while we also have the example of civil seemingly taking sides, apparently If you have an article, a rights leaders like John Lewis or Jesse endorsing the cynical, worldly-wise, Jackson who have sought to bring about photograph, a comic hard-bitten attitude of Sorowitsch which change by working within the confines of strip, or anything else favors playing it safe and looking for the existing power structure through opportunity, and dismissing the appr- that promotes the needs oach of Burger as too idealistic and of the working class, send impulsive, and as ultimately less useful. your submissions to In doing so, the film seems to be in tune [email protected] with the rather cynical tenor of our times, which, no doubt, made it easier for it to be awarded an Oscar. To its credit, the A party of the people film acknowledges the bravery and heroism of Adolf Burger and does not try A paper of the people From left to right: Adolf Burger (August to conceal his socialist beliefs (or the fact Diehl), Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl that it is his socialism that motivates Markovics), Atze (Veit Stübner) and Dr. A future for the people Klinger (August Zirner) in The him). However, it hews to the conven- Counterfeiters tional ruling-class wisdom by dismissing ______Burger’s approach to life and politics as In the hands of the 3. Denby, David “Taking Action”, New people Yorker , March 3, 2008 hopelessly naive and utopian.
25 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 Proletarian Poetry Iraq The Other Poem Richard Monroe Richard Monroe The Michigan Socialist The Michigan Socialist People as units Napalm Fallujah for humanitarian reasons in international Drop thunder war games, prime time, As a nation falls apart cut throat Bloody hands reach for a gold ring But insist it is a dove A blood-soaked golden rule And oil men and defense contractors insist that they "The hours leading up to this explosive moment Pursue disinterestedly, altruistically had laid bare the churches deep divisions." And the objective independents, conservatives, tough Victory won't nourish rapacious souls Minds hear the truth on AM radio phantom bombardments And seal the truth, with newscasters as likely as any promised land Who echo them And suddenly Jesus is "Near the end of the communion service, The god of prosperity, neocon foreign policy, the central symbol of unity in And the good Americans and the good Americans Christianity, he felt a powerful impulse As defined by Bill O’Reilly to step toward the altar, While those living outside this godliness raise an empty ceramic chalice high Rest in hell above his head and then open his fingers"
Civil wars Past Lies and boil at all temperatures whether resisting Poverty royal criminals velvet revolutions Steven B. Smith in the Ukraine Old wonders shrink, grow tame in time hired warlords scalping Taliban zealots The new fear hangs on "What happened after the gut wrenching crash In quiet desperation, quit of desire however, turned this act of desperation into Like the shadow of a crowded one of the few symbols of hope Culture in which each in a global gathering, that by Thursday Declare their innocence had broken down into calls for schism" In straight unfocused silence The body is broken. It is there Nixon was impeached in his second term The smell of unwashed Dishes smug in the stench of our " A strong instinct to pick up those pieces, Unclean shame to place them back on the altar." Like a salesman's underbreath The impeached President left on Airforce One Fishy, stale God raptured George W. Bush The deep teal, the tiled resonance "Each one said, 'I'm a potter, may I make Of hungers on top of hungers a new chalice for you?"
The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008 26 A BILLION LITTLE GEORGE Fire With Fear WASHINGTON MUSHROOMS OR Without Fighting A BIG BONFIRE Courtney Campbell Jim D Deuchars The Michigan Socialist it's a CON TAME NATION now they put it in the water. You could stack them up like an igloo excess wrong sign redirectives You could make a billion little airplanes point us poisoned up we thought A billion little George Washington mushrooms was gravitating down the drainage A billion e pluribus unums spirals. Flush your feverish your You could play one billion dollar bill pick-up thirsty clench your quench we're Or a really boring game of go fish put upon: your DO NOT USE can You could fill a suitcase then another and another further no one's best intentions no one And another and another and keep on going noticed no one not until the next is You could line the walls of a cathedral telephonic bedspread readout You could write on them and send them to congress mucous miniatures engaged Or add vinegar and wash a billion windows entanglements of hair: the saga Or mark a billion pages of our golden skin cell microwave Or make a big bonfire enhancements neon billboard You could hang them from trees eyelash fonts for tickle-tonguing: Or mold little dollar bill bricks in our breakfast ON A STICK Or leave them next to the toilet interrupting not so news BREAKING Or keep them in the medicine cabinet - just in case! in the transit centers MUST You could buy a billion college-ruled notebooks on the sidewalks DON'T (But you couldn't write in all of them) on the highway DELAY You could build thousands of two-room schools in our parks KEEP OFF (But you couldn't study in each one) You could buy millions of turkey dinners THIS IS NOT AN EXIT (But they'd expire well before you finish) and you must not P. You could buy thousands of vaccinations (But who could take that many?) A billion chocolate bars or a billion pineapples A billion packs of gum or a billion toothbrushes You could give three dollars and thirty-two cents for every American You could give one hundred forty-nine dollars and ninety-four cents for every Paraguayan You could give fifteen cents for every living person on the planet But who needs that many people anyway? Andrew Barcode Jackson Jim D Deuchars
There's an IN GOD we trust More than God green tattooed On the back of a president's Head.
27 The Michigan Socialist Summer 2008