STRUGGLE. SELF-DETERMINATION SOCIALISM

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R ffiffi i,ffi 9/11 0ne Year later: "And We're Not Going Back!" Full-Spectrum Entropy: The thoughts of a NYC Paramedic 5 I m mig ra nt Wo rke rs Re bu ild Special 0perations in by James Creedon M ove me nt fo r Le g a lizati on 12 a Special Period 2A by Bill Gallegos by Stan Goff Gampus Workers in Knoxville, TN Stand Up Colombian Defend Jose Maria Sison! "With the Union We Can Play Trade Unionists: As the US Targets An Unending Slaughter a Part in lur 1wn Destiny" 7 15 the Philippines 24 tett by Chad Negendank by Cro:b) by Doug Wordell

Building a Union from Scratch: An lnteruiew with

The Struggle to 0rganize Comandante Raril Reyes' : U nive rsity H o use ke e pe rs ol the FARC : . 18 in North Carolina 10 by Chip Smith

SPEGIAT $=GTIOIU ffiffiwffiffiw ffiffiwffi Max Elbaum's EDITORIAL LOGOMOTTOTU Revolution ln the Air As We Face a New War, "Remember To Let's Not Forget the Kick lt Over" 40 The Fire Last Time: Lessons of the Old Wars by Scott MX Turner A New Geseration Reads BAGK IIU THE I'AY Bevolation in the Air PRISOIUER OF 42 by Christopher Day The Chicano Moratorium rHE ISSUE by Dennis O'Neil Jos6 Solis Jordan and GULTURE ?s State Repression Today leessegp,1gq4tpflMa.qigry, .".,: : 38 The Switch (a short story) 40 by Khalil Has$ah by Michelle Foy by Terry Bisson

They Wanted to Serve The ?eople; Chicanos asd the Fight against EDITOR TRANSLATION SUBSCRIPTION INFO Natioml 0pptession in the Eric Odell iohn A. For subscription information or to New Gommunist Movement 34 Bruce H. learn more about the Freedom DESIGN Road Socialist Organization, visit by Biil Gallegas Lizet R. Doug Wordell our web site. Daniel D. Two Veterans of the STAFF Josd N. WEBSITE New Communist Eric Odell Zancudo www.freedomroad.org Doug Wordell Movemenl Look Back SPECIAL THANKS EMAIL by Paul and Vicky Dennis 0'Neil Ajamu Dillahunt f reedomroad@f reedom road,org Juliet Ucelli Martin Eder Dianne Wright ADDRESS Stan Goff Freedom Road Bruce H. P0 Box 1 386 Doug Monica Stuyvesant Station New York, NY 1 0009 Chip Smith Zancudo

COVER PHOTO Jon Levine

@ sB3 al tat AS WE FACEA NEW WAR, LET'S NtlT Reading the Possibilities Properly

FORGETTHE LESSONS OFTHE OLDWARS The common and natural tendenry for people fighting today against a new attack on Iraq is once again to proclaim s we go to press, the US remains based on an error of philosophical ideal- that we face a new Vietnam in the poised on the brink ofattacking ism-of underestimating the role of Middle East. But we should look at the Iraq. Although they face grow- conditions out in the world and overesti- first Gulf War as a much closer parallel ing worldwide resistance and dissenting mating our own limited abilityto change to the situation we face now. To do oth- voices even within the ranks of the ruLing those conditions. Despite a major split in erwise could once again have disastrous class, the Bush administration seems the movement and the errors in overem- consequences for us down the road. If heedless of all this in their march toward phasizing potential US casualties, we Bush and his junta are unlucky, the sit- war. built a big movement and built it fasq uation after an invasion and occupation This is one of those historical however, in retrospect there was no way could well degenerate into something a moments that have greatly heightened we were going to stop that war no matter whole lot messier, but the initial war is repercussions. Decisions made and what we did. If the movement had likely to look more like 1991 than 1971. actions taken during the next few spread a summation based on this Let's not set ourselves up for despair months will shape the terrain of the left realiry the movement during the '90s once again. for years to come. Organizations that might have come out a little healthier. Despite the fact that opposition to misread the situation and take a wrong \Mhy didn't the movement develop a the war is broader than a decade ago, we turn will be pushed back into (greater) more accurate summation of the first face a regime hell-bent on attacking irrelevance, and others that choose cor- Gulf War? It didn't have the opportuni- Iraq. And despite all the (accurate) rect strategies will gain new footholds. ty. There were few vehicles to spread a jokes we make about what a dim light common summation, rooted in a dialec- bulb Dubya is, his regime filled with A New Vietnam. or a New Gulf War?

As someone who cut my political teeth in the first Gulf War, I remember the melancholy many existing progressive Whatever happens in the upcoming weeks and months, groups were stuck in after the slaughter in the Iraqi deserl in the winter of 1991. the single most important thing we can do is to learn from It took years for much of the movement to climb out of its Gulf War Syndrome the battles we fight and strive to fight even hetter the next and begin to build again. A certain mea- sure of this was probably unavoidable, time around. but a lot of it might have been avoided had more activists properly grasped the objective conditions we faced. The war was going to be horrible and tical materialist outlook, of the people with visionary plans for geopo- bloody for the US, we warned. It would experiences of the movement. The Iitical control of the main oil-producing be a new Vietnam; thousands of GI's Guardian, the much-missed newspaper region of the world, and they're willing were going to be brought home in body of record for the Left, was in the process to take much short-term political dam- bags. (This emphasis was partly based of falling apart. The internet was only in age to carry out those plans. That's not on the lie propagated by the ruling class an embryonic stage. There were (and to say that they won't have it all blow up that the movement against the war in are) no large left parties. The Soviet bloc in their faces a few months from now. Vietnam had spit on GI's rather than was falling apart and the US ruling class But the fact is that our limited forces uniting with their resentment and rebel- was declaring the end of history leaving can only have a limited impact at this liousness.) Then the US attacked and many left groups confused and disillu- point. We should certainly all be work- only 133 US troops were killed. Once it sioned. The combination of all these ing as hard as we can against the war, started, the masses in the US swung factors left the movement subject to peo- but we also shouldn't have any illusions behind the president, and the anti-war ple's spontaneous emotional responses about this fact. The thing we should movement dried up and blew away. The rather than clear-headed analysis. keep in mind as we organize is the like- overwhelming summation within the Iihood of imperial overreach down the movement was one of failure. road. We may not stop this war, but we This summation was wrong. It was can prepare to make the most of the

FREEDO M ROAD ln This lssun fallout from it, because there could be a (The development of the global justice lot. North Korea has already given them movement during the '90s is probably As we build a movement against an a good taste ofit. one of the main reasons for this imperialist attack on Iraq, we can't lose Build 0rganization, advance.) We should do what we can to focus on the countries the US is lining Build rhe United Front spread anti-imperialist politics far and up to target next. Two of the chief wide within the movement. Rhetoric- countries of concern are Colombia and Another lesson to take from our limited Iaden ranting and raving, though, is not the Philippines. This issue of Freedom strength is that we desperately need a substitute for an anti-imperialist mes- Road has an article on page 15 by leff more organization. More mass organi- sage spoken in a language people will Crosby about the mass killing of trade zations in local communities, in understand. We must also avoid union leaders going on in Colombia, neighborhoods, on campuses. More demanding that a pure anti-imperialist along with an interyiew on page 18 with sectors of the population. More nation- outlook be the basis of unity for any Raul Reyes, a member of the secretariat al networks and alliances. Bigger and coalitions or alliances we build. Our of the central command of the FARC, stronger revolutionary organizations. task is to build a united front, bringing the largest guerrilla organization in All these take time, to develop, of together all those forces that can be Colombia. course; there are no secret shortcuts. united against the Bush regime's war We also have a piece on page 24 by There is only the demand that we be drive. United for Peace and fustice, a Doug Wordell on the need to defend relentless at building organization, on broad national network of a broad Iose Maria Sison, the intellectual leader all these levels. range of groups working against the of the Philippine revolutionary move- The movement against the war has war, is one model we can learn from ment. Sison is in exile in the been slow to build in oppressed nation- and hopefully develop further. Netherlands, and the US wants to extra- ality communities in particular for a Beino Good al Lcarninn dite him here despite the fact that he variety of reasons. But those activists hasn't been charged with any crime. who do step forward are finding a very A dialectical materialist outlook teaches Stan Goff, author of the book positive reception. For example, when us that people learn from practice: from Hideous Dream: A Soldier's Memoir of the People's Organization for Progress efforts to try to change the world we the US Invasion of Haiti, has contributed in New Jersey, a group based mainly in learn what works, what doesn't, which a valuable article, on page 20, for those the Black community in Newark, decid- ideas seem to be right, which wrong. trying to understand the difficulties the ed to hold an anti-war picket, some Today's anti-war movement has already US faces in its current military adven- members were afraid it would derail absorbed some of the lessons of previ- tures. Stan argues from first-hand their police brutality work. But the ous anti-war movements: Big demos are experience that the military doctrines event went offbetter than even the pro- insufficient without local organizing. the US has developed since the Vietnam ponents had expected, and it convinced We need institutions of mass commu- War are creating increasingly difficult the group to turn anti-war work into nication for the Left like War Times, swamps for US forces and that Iraq will one of its main focuses. email lists, Indymedia, Common likely present more of the same. It is more important than ever that Dreams. New forms of organization like Finally, this issue of Freedom Road different forces on the Ieft dispense with Racial Justice 9-11 and US Labor features a whole section of articles, sectarianism and be on their best behav- against the War are important. We starting on page 26, on Revolution in the ior. One of the ironies of the present should avoid declaring that the slcy is Air, the notable recent book by Max moment is that groups like the falling. Connecting the war to the polit- Elbaum on the history of the New Revolutionary Communist Party and ical and economic effects at home is Communist Movement, the collection Worker's World Party, which have been key. We should base anti-war organiz- of Third World-oriented revolutionary known to have difficulty working well irg on the needs of particular Marxist organizations which grew with other groups, are getting along communities. And so on. directly out of the movements of the while traditional peace groups which Whatever happens in the upcoming '60s. The reader of this magazine may think of themselves as nonsectarian weeks and months, the single most not be shocked to learn that one reason have too often tended to re-fight old important thing we can do is to learn for such a close look is because the battles with forces to their left. from the battles we fight and strive to Freedom Road Socialist Organization One of the potential strengths of the fight even better the next time around. comes out of this scene. For more infor- movement this time around is that anti- That's the only way we can become mation on this history, including a imperialism is more widespread than in strong enough to defeat this monster family tree of the New Communist 1991, when many groups leaned more we're up against. Movement, you can click on "who we toward social chauvinism-valuing our are" al our website freedomroad.org. own people more than those of Iraq. Odell, Editor -Eric

4 FREEDOM ROAD I ilc anrl Jloath Ohnines n the morning of September pebbles, then rocks, then girders. All of llth, I awoke to the now- us ran for safety, some diving under fire "How could they jump?" I was asked. famous image of the Twin trucks and ambulances, others running An hour earlier, they were, say, prep Towers burning on my television screen. towards the nearest building. As I ran, cooks at Windows on the World, trying As a NYC-911 paramedic, I had been my helmet was knocked off my head by to make a decent salary to feed their trained over and over again for different a piece of debris. Then came the shock- families and make a life for themselves. tlpes of disasters-bombings, chemical wave, throwing each of us through the And now they had to choose between spills, building collapses. And growing air. And then the blackness.:. burning to death, or jumping. Innocent up under Reagan and Bush, I was accus- I was breathing through my shirt, people, caught up in something so tomed to seeing images of violence on gasping for air, each breath bringing much larger than themselves, but my TV-Nicaragva, Panama, the Gulf more dust and ash into my lungs. The forced to make the decision nonethe- War. But on that morning, every line sound of falling girders was tremen- Iess. "How could they jump?" became blurred and every image came dous, as was the roar of burning On October 9,2001, George W. Bush together into the most deeply affecting ambulances. People all around were began bombing Afghanistan. Within a day of my life. crying for help, and I urged them to stay few days he destroyed a food warehouse As I put on my uniform, geared up calm. As black turned to brown, we of the Red Cross, a marketplace full of and drove to downtown Manhattan, I linked arms with each person we found innocent civilians, and an office where could see the plumes of smoke billow- and walked by the light of the fires. We four United Nations workers were ing out towards the sea. "We're under had to wash out eyes, get oxygen and coordinating efforts to de-mine attack," said the radio. America was bandages to the wounded, move those Afghanistan-the most heavily mined under attack. Innocent people were who could walk away from the area. I country in the world. In a week, he had dying, and no one could understand was carrying a young girl in my arms, driven the majority of humanitarian aid why now, why here, why us. ready to load her onto a police boat, agencies out of that country. To counter I arrived on scene, and quickly found when the North Tower came down. We criticism, he pointed to his small pro- my Lieutenant. We started setting up a all ran south for safety, I with a little girl gram of food drops, widely criticized by treatment station a few hundred feet in my arms, and a mother somewhere these same agencies. from the South Tower, trying to help balancing her fear for her life with her And so there came a choice for the people move away from the area. trust in me to take care of her child. people of Afghanistan-starve to death ,{lready, we could hear the sound of September 1lth was a long day. I was without markets and food supplies, or falling bodies hitting the ground. hurt in the collapse, but wanted to keep risk being blown up by a land mine in Already, we could see the remains of peo- working. We had four men from our an attempt to reach the (very) few food ple on the pavement around us. But we squad who were in those towers and packages that were dropped into dan- had to stay focused; we pushed aside our were unaccounted for. Another had gerous areas. Just weeks earlier, these own fears for the sake of helping others. been dug out ofthe first collapse only to people had been working each day, try- And then the air changed, and our barely escape the second. And still oth- ing to feed their families and get a better hearts stopped: looking up, we saw a ers were like me-hurt, but unwilling to life. And now, their lives were being giant black cloud reaching out over us speak up for fear that they would take turned upside-down by a war they knew and starting to rain stone. First it was us away from the site. little to nothing about.

FREED t] [/I ROAD Takino lJn Resnonsihilities Our Name" and "Our Grief is Not a Cry giving birth to children with birth After the North Tower collapsed, I for War." defects due to the radioactive weapons found myself with this small child in my In each place, people from an incred- used by the US. And I hear about arms, but no mother in sight. I couldn't ible array of backgrounds came together increased aid to Colombia and the possibly take care of her myself-there to take on responsibility for stopping Philippines in the "War on Terror," were so many people hurt, so many injustice where they saw it: in Bush's while hundreds of thousands of peas- other tasks to be done. And so I called War on Terrorism. Even as they were ants and workers struggling against into a crowd of people, huddling in a cautioned by White House Press poverty and sickness are seeing their temporary shelter we had set up: "Can Secretary Ari Fleischer that they should leaders massacred. someone take care of this child?" Out of "watch what they say," they said it loud With every bomb I read about, every the crowd came an older woman, and and clear. In some places, this growing weapons sale that is revealed, I see took her from my arms. How long movement found rejection and resent- Ground Zero. In every "accidental" would she have to take care of her? How ment. But in many others, the reality of killing of people in a wedding party in would she find the mother? How would popular opinion became clear: many Afghanistan, or "unfortunate" destruc- she protect both herself and the child? feared to speak out against the war, but tion in Palestine of an apartment But for her, there were no questions of with a growing movement came a building fulI of children, I see Ground race, or gender, or class, or religion. She growing number of voices. Without Zero. never asked me for a reward, her face hesitation, even as our own prospects September llth taught us many never made the papers as a hero. She were uncertain, we came together to lessons, and the struggle over what stepped up and took on responsibility struggle against the killing of more those lessons are and how they should for the life of someone else, in a context innocent people-and we discovered be put into effect will continue on. But I where her own prospects were uncertain. that we were not alone. There were no can speak most honestly from my own And she did it without hesitation. questions of "How long will we have to experience when I see the deaths of Within hours of the attacks, people do this?" or "Can we really challenge innocent people being reported on tele- began to gather in Union Square. By these policies?" First came the deeper vision. In one hour, I saw three nightfall, there was a growing vigil. And impulse, the desire to stop injustice and thousand people die. And on that day I by the next day, a scene of flowers and to take up responsibility in that strug- vowed "never again." Neither here, nor candles, music and tears, stories and gle. First the commitment, then the in any other country. knowing glances. Soon, signs for peace questions of how. Now is the time for us to redouble began to be posted. People started hold- "War Facino Realitv our efforts against the on Terror." ing vigils in their communities, in their We must bring together all those who churches, in their veryhomes. And out of As I write this, almost one year later, I believe that another world is possible. this came the beginnings of an anti-war can still remember every instant of that We must continue to put pressure on movement. Jews started volunteering to day, and of the weeks of searching that those in the government who are push- walk with both Muslim and non-Muslim followed. I remember when they identi- ing this war forward, and must use Arabs to ensure their safety on the streets. fied the bodies ofour fallen brothers and every means at our disposal to change Vietnam veterans began to talk about sisters, one as recently as a few weeks their course. their experiences with those of my age, ago. And I still feel deeply the waves of One year later, I will have a time of who were just entering high school as the pain, loss, confusion, rage, and sorrow silence to remember the thousands of Gulf War was happening. Organizations that went through me after 9/11. I still innocent people who died that day, and that had never before heard ofeach other, see it in the eyes of other paramedics who have died since. And then I will or who had long-standing tensions, who were there with me, and in the faces join the millions of people around the began to work on projects together- of the families and friends of people who world who proudly proclaim "This sometimes because the personal loss died because of those two explosions. silence is ours, and we end it as we overwhelmed political differences. On television I see that Palestinian began it-with a commitment to the Before any of us knew it, we were a ambulances are being shot at, that para- global struggle for justice and peace." movement. And we could feel ourselves medics just like me are being killed by growing as a movement. Tens of thou- Israeli soldiers, even as they have asth- James Creedon is a former student activist in the City sands in Washington, and again in matic children in the back needing University of New York system and is currently study- Times Square. And more importantly, urgent treatment. I read that Bush ing medicine in Cuba. hundreds of small events in towns and wants to invade Iraq, against the opin- cities throughout the country, with ion of even most US allies and the UN, words that still ring clear, like "Not In knowing that women in labor there are

6 FREEDOM ROAD 'With the Union We Can Play a Part in [)ur ()wn Destiny' Gampus Workers in Knoxville, TN

Stand Up Campus rallies make normally "invisible" service workers impossible for the administration to ignore.

By CHno Nrcruonrur Thc llCW wanted to go into denial out an organzatlon to protect their about losing my job, but |oel's experience is just one example of interests for the long term, the adminis- the union helped make it workers at the University of Tennessee tration could take back any promised obvious what was happening," says loel coming to a sense of their own power. concession. Person by person, depart- Burnette, University of Tennessee van Since March 2000, workefs from the ment by department, UCW members driver for the last four years. Van service Iibrary, dining services, the physical and volunteer organizers have taken to at UT's flagship Knoxville campus was plant, and other areas have joined the worksites to spread the word, fight in the process of being contracted out the United Campus Workers, an for workers' rights on the job, and in behind the scenes, and loel felt he had a independent union of hourly and non- the process build the union. duty to alert the other drivers that they managerial employees based on the Southern Worker Solidarity were being lied to by their bosses. "The Knoxville campus. union gave me the courage and ability The UCW emerged from a campus Tennessee is a right-to-work state- to tell my co-workers that we were Iiving wage campaign that began in Fall, what's worse, state law forbids collective about to lose our jobs and that we had 1999. That campaign was originally led bargaining for public sector employees, to act." After Ioel began to talk to his co- workers day and night and his union, United Campus Workers, began to Unlike many others across the country, the campaign at publicize the threat, the administration retreated. They were forced not only to UT from the outset had a goal that workers should be the tell the truth, but also to give the drivers eight months to transfer to another leaders of their own struggle. job-a new chapter in history for the University, whose past is filled with examples of kicking people to the street by students and community supporters including those who work in the state without warning. who had been active in pushing for liv- university system. At UT Knoxville "There's nothing worse than hope- ing wage legislation in the city of many employees continue to live below lessness, when someone else is Knoxville as a whole. However, unlike the poverty level. Building the union in completely controlling your fate," says many others across the country, the this terrain is difficult, and many Burnette. "Now, by joining with the campaign at UT from the outset had a claimed that it could not be done. But union and seeing more and more what goal that workers should be the leaders models such as UE Local 150 and Black is happening around me, I feel there is a of their own struggle. Workers For Justice in neighboring way for me to play a part in my own While winning a living wage remains North Carolina, emphasizing worker destiny-to have at least some control, a top priority for the UCW, many UT solidarity and organization in the some say, over my life." workers have come lo realize that with- South, have inspired the union to keep

FREEDO M ROAD students. The UCW has built an impor- demonstrated that organizing and col- tant relationship with the Progressive lective action, with workers in the lead, Student Alliance, the student organiza- could win. tion that established the Worker Support Similar campaigns have led to other Brigade two years ago to help with orga- concrete victories. These include nizing efforts. reforming UT disciplinary policies, Tom Smith, the current chair of the fighting off privatization threats, win- Brigade, remarks, "The struggle has ning unjustly fired members' jobs back, become more and more important to ending forced overtime in Housing, and Even though Tennessee public employees have me because of the relationships have no legal right to unionize, the UCW has won a I pushing the bottom pay level up an series of concrete victories for campus workers. built with members of the union. And I unprecedented seventeen percent. see that the greatest resource students Although none ofthis can be guaran- up the fight to build a statewide public can bring is more free time to help orga- teed as permanent benefits without a sector workers union in Tennessee. nize-to do what some full-time contract, these wins have given the UCW has become a sister union with workers can not get done during the union hope and will to push on. UE150, and the skills and knowledge workday." Affiliation passed on from its leadership have been But he admits that the patience need- invaluable. Saladin Muhammad, orga- ed for effective organizing is not the Without afly paid staff or other nizer for UE150, has helped to lead easiest thing for students, who generally resources to make a campus-wide orga- trainings and speaking engagements on want to see massive change within the nizing drive a success, the question of the strategic importance of organizing few years they are on campus rather affiliating with a larger national union the South. An early visit by Barbara than to spend the time necessary to help came into focus after two years of orga- Prear, a UNC housekeeper and presi- build a union from the bottom up. nizing and only holding a relatively dent of UE150, was a Iarge factor "I think that there hre always class small minority of the workforce in helping rank and file members, espe- contradictions in student-labor coali- membership ranks. Although numbers cially our base of African American tions-sometimes students want it to have not hampered the union's ability to women, to find the courage and deter- go a certain way, to integrate a radical push forward and win demands, ulti- mination to get involved. tendency that the workers may not be mately they are what the union must The University of Tennessee living ready for in the beginning. I think the have to seriously challenge the power of wage campaign pubJished a "wage study" best way to overcome that is to be the university and the state government. 2000 in that revealed what the workers deeply involved with the union as Rodney Pardue, husband offood ser- already knew-there are great inequities opposed to just acting-to get in there vice worker Sherri Pardue, thinks in the pay scale, with women and African and get to know the people, and to meet numbers are important: "We need to be Americans the most negatively affected. them where they are at. more powerful. There is power in This pushed the union to recognize "Some students only have a short numbers, and that's what a larger orga- racism and sexism as primary targets in period of time to be campus activists. nization might be able to help us with. the struggle for justice on the UT campus and they want to contribute something. But we have taken the search for help and across Tennessee. It has motivated But patience is key if working folks are slowly and carefully." workers to challenge discriminatory to lead their own struggle." There is also a long history of anti- supervisory practices and highlighted the Victory union sentiment at UT and in the South need for Black and female leadership in in general. This comes from a combina- the union. Despite the "whiteness" of One of the problems that came up in the tion of the old Southern tendency to some of the current union leaders and of early months of the campaign dealt with think ofthe union as the "outsider" and the allied student organizers, conscious health and safety issues. Custodians were right-to-work's strong roots in white efforts are being made to transform this at risk of coming into contact with supremacy, not to mention more spe- reality through an ongoing staff hiring hepatitis B from their work cleaning cific and immediate examples of process, through organizing the lowest- dorm showers and bathrooms. UT's union-busting at the university. Present paid workers, and through consistent refusal to pay for hepatitis B vaccinations legal obstacles around right-to-work educational effofts to undo the deep-set quickly became a focus for the union. and the lack of collective bargaining oppressions of mainstream society. After months of educating co-work- rights for the public sector make cam- The Role of Slrdcnts ers about the issue, petitioning, and pus organizing in the South one tough holding protests, the university agreed battle, especially for an international The organizing drive thus far would not in lune 2000 to provide free vaccina- union considering making an offer of have been possible without the help of tions to custodians. The UCW had

I FREEDOM ROAD assistance to a small but militant orga- the small union to face the public and lenging the status quo on a more signif- nization of workers. raise hell in the name of all UT staff. A icant level. Without the resources A long-term relationship with recent shutdown of the University due needed to build the membership base local staff. and activists of the to the Tennessee state budget crisis put and to reach out to other state workers, Communication Workers of America a scare into many hourly employees. the UCW would remain a small but still has proven to be the best connection for Only "essential" employees were to effective and meaningful force. Union affiliation, through which the union can report to work during the state shut- members like Ioel Burnette know that increase its power and presence on down-leaving the "non-essential" affiliation and larger numbers will make campus and eventually across the state. Hugh Wolfe, organizing coordinator for CWA District 3, voices his enthusi- asm for working with the union through this uphill struggle. "We've been keeping up with the work of the UCW and recognize the need for resources in fighting this battle-a pub- lic sector battle which CWA is committed to assisting in whatever way possible. Government workers in Tennessee, including those working on the UT campus, are funded by taxpayer money, and as taxpayers and workers, we have the right to help decide where the money goes and how the go.vern- ment treats its employees." Recognizin g the strategic importance of the public sector, CWA has voiced its commitment to the goal of transform- ing the United Campus Workers into a statewide union of all public sector workers-a long and hard process, but Building on their successful organizing over the last three years, the UCW has affiliated with the Communication one for which it's worth fighting. CWA Workers of America, bringing new resources to the struggle is presently building non-majority pub- lic sector unions in the South with workers out of work for an undeter- still greater advances possible exactly noticeable success, specifically in mined amount of time. because they've seen the power that even Mississippi, Texas, and at the University An impromptu picket was planned a small group of people can have on the of Virginia-a recent affiliate with for the first day back on the job at the fight for social and economic justice: whom the UCW has been in contact. end of the three-day shutdown, and "For once in my life, I'm a part of this After months of discussion with hundreds of emails and phone calls communiry-l'm really giving some- other CWA locals and activists, the were used to spread the word to the thing. The union makes me feel like I UCW voted last fall to formalize this workforce and to the media. Within am a contributor." relationship through affiliation with the hours, the university met the demand of Communication Workers of America. back pay for all furloughed workers! Chad Negendank is a history major at the University The pending agreement allows the "This is a huge victory for the of Tennessee and makes his living fillng maps as a UCW to maintain its democratic cul- union," proclaims Linda McMillan, UT Student Library Assistant He was formerly the chair ture and provides for full-time staff and secretary and UCW member. "It shows of the Worker Support Brigade of the Progressive other resources-the resources neces- how big an impact a small group of Student Alliance sary to push this battle forward, deeper dedicated folks can have on a huge For more information on the people need into the power structure of the universi- number of working who UCW-CWA Local i865, check out: ty and the state government. some form of representation." http : / /www.konnet. o rg/ ucw Maiar Challonnae Other members echo these same sen- timents, and it is clear that this is just The big issues facing state workers con- one step towards the ultimate goal of tinue to shake up the campus and force building real worker power and chal-

FREEDO M ROAD BUILIDING A UNION FROM SGRATGH: The Struggle to 0rganize University

Housekeepers in North Carolina By Curp Srurrt

uring the summer of 1989 a normal demands that are part of raising shift to become a trade union. Letters small group of housekeepers a family and the travel time required to went out to several national unions, met at the University of North come to work from well outside the among them the AFl-ClO-affiliated Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hilt. Today upscale university area, and you begin unions AFSCME and UFCW. As it that core has grown to become a to have a sense of the basic conditions turned out, the independent United statewide union-the North Carolina of life of low-wage African American Electrical and Radio Workers of Public Service Workers Union-with workers in the South. America gave the warmest response. UE several thousand members. Their union, In the early part of the'90s, the UNC brought in organizers and with the help United Electrical Workers Local 150, is Housekeepers Association held periodic of students and other non-union on the cutting edge of organizing the rallies and focused on demanding a supporters they "blitzed" the university South, here in a right-to-work state with grievance procedure tlrat served the system during 1998. The result the smallest percentage of unionized workers' interests. Crucially the associa- was chapters made up of housekeepers, workers, at3o/o, of any state in the union. tion pushed a legal suit against a pattern maintenance workers, and grounds- But as new workers are steadily of harassment by university supervisors keepers on 11 of the 16 campuses. In added to the membership rolls, the and higher management. Grants 1999 the founding convention of problem of consolidating an internal allowed a full-time organizer to build UE150 formally established the new structure led by the workers themselves the organization not only at UNC, but or ganization, including organizational has become increasingly urgent. The at North Carolina Central University in forms for graduate students (UE150A), three-person staff is struggling with Durham and North Carolina A&T in Durham city workers, and employees in how to balance new organizing against Greensboro as well, over a three-year the Department of Health and Human servicing the needs of the current mem- period ending in 1996. Support from Services (DHHS). bership, which is spread across the faculty and students was high, and the Growing Pains entire state. Meanwhile the unpaid, organization raised thousands of dollars statewide rank-and-file leadership is from periodic fundraising activities. Overall this development into a statewide working step by step to build the inter- In 1997 the legal battle resulted in a $l union unleashed new energy and brought nal structures, cohesion and million out-of-court settlement. More whole new sections ofthe workforce under organizational culture that already importantly, the court compelled the the UE150 banner. Still, these gains did not established unions tend to take for university to "meet and confer" regularly come without costs for the original house- granted. with the Housekeepers Association over a keeping unit at LINC. With the shift to three-year period. The Realities of 0rganizing The president of the berng a union, the anti-union climate in Low-wage Workers university system, Molly Broad, issued a NC took its toll even among progressive letter stating that workers throughout the forces. Support among faculty members The effort required to move everything university system have the right to join a and foundations dropped off sharply. forward is monumental. Take the con- union. A separate statement recognized Moreover, once the consent degree ditions that housekeepers, the core of their right to be accompanied by an enforced by the courts expired in the the university division of UE150, have organizational representative during year 2000, the various separate universi- to deal with. This overwhelmingly grievance proceedings. ty administrations one by one reverted female workforce must often work During 1997 the housekeepers' lead- back to their former management more than one job to make ends ership summed up where the styles-putting up roadblocks to meet- meet-or struggle to get by on near- organization stood in light of the legal ings, clamping down on union leaders' poverty wages. Then factor in the victory and decided to make the major movement outside their work areas,

10 FREEDOM ROAD and stonewalling on the grievance conditions. "There's a long history of whelming. The staunchness of the mechanism. housekeepers' organizing-there was workers and the organizers under these One of the union's victories has had a even a union back in 1932. When the conditions is truly remarkable and double edge. The winning ofdues check- new budget is announced, workers will deserves our admiration, solidarity and off from the state has provided a steady see once again how important the actlve support. flow of limited funds-dues are just union is." Organize the South and Southwest! $l0/month for housekeepers-to help Up until 1972 the only job that a Build UE150! maintain the organization. But the Black woman could hold at UNC was demands on staff time together with the housekeeping. If you weren't a house- Chip Smith is the director of a workers'center and an minimal level of administrative support keeper, you weren't even allowed on anti-war activist in Eastern North Carolina, has resulted in complaints from some campus. In some ways, not much has housekeepers along the lines of, "What changed. Prear talks about how bad she are they doing with our dues monel, feels for the young people who start arryway?" working in housekeeping with the The best answer is "organizing"-but hopes of being able to move up. One that's not always satisfoing for someone promising young woman commented facing harassment and feeling strangled that when she put in for a position that by a tight personal budget. Over the past was posted, the administrators would- year UE150 has pushed into new institu- n't even consider her application. "As tions in the mental health field, building soon as they saw I was from housekeep- on earlier victories and a core of very ing, they checked off 'unqualified."' active workers at the flagship state men- "There's just this stigma to the job," tal hospital, Dorothea Dix. Also, each commented Prear. The young worker spring the union mobilizes members has since moved on, as have many oth- from its three state worker divisions- ers over the years. the university system, DHHS, and With a new part-time administrative Durham city workers-to lobby the staff and the regularizing of monthly state legislature around pay increases contact among the executive board and working conditions. members, the rank-and-file leadership Last year the union helped fight off of UE150 is moving to tighten up its the state's threat to close down mental internal functioning. Leadership train- health hospitals and the School for the ing has targeted the development of Deaf as the governor moved to balance new layers of leadership, so far being the state budget on the backs ofthe poor drawn mainly from the DHHS division. and infirm. A decade of tax cuts for busi- Over the past year the organizing in ness and the wealthy in NC has resulted DHHS has paid off in new forces that in repeated cuts in education, health can help shift the balance of power supports, and other human services. The toward frontline workers in the state union has been a major force in working system. At the same time, there is pres- to shift the tax burden back onto those sure not to leave behind the with the ability to pay. With North hard-pressed workforce on the univer- Carolina, like states around the country, sity campuses-stretched near the facing budget crisis, the impact of the breaking point by the harsh conditions current round of cuts on pay scales and of employrnent in "progressive," Black workloads look increasingly ominous. Belt North Carolina. Increasing numbers of activists Young Wofters and the across the country see organizing low- Need {or New Leadership wage workers in the South as central to Barbara Prear, the president of the Iabor's revival nationwide. The argu- statewide UE Local 150 and a twelve- ment for this strategic perspective is year full-time housekeeper at UNC, sees compelling. Up close, however, the upcoming budget decisions as likely to practical work of turning this vision have a strong impact on workers' job into reality can at times seem over-

FREEDt) M ROAD ne of the most critical social grant workers and their supporters took ties. Even march organizers from issues sidelined by political to the streets to celebrate May Day and the Multiethnic Immigrant Workers fallout from 9/11 has been demand legalization and other rights Organizing Network (MIWON) were immigrants' rights. Prior to that day, for immigrants, " iQud queremos?' surprised by the incredible turnout. The immigration had emerged as a key ("What do we want?") shouted hoarse high number of attendees (much larger national issue in US politics. The move- march monitors through the mega- than the previous year) suggests that ment seemed poised to win a relatively phones. "iLegalizaci6n y lusticia!" immigrant workers will not be intimi- expansive legalization program from ("Legalization and justicel") roared the dated by the new anti-immigrant the Bush regime, which was eager to marchers in response. ";Cudndo lo political atmosphere. make inroads into the growing Latino queremos?' ("When do we want This event was both a political affir- electorate and to politically shore up the it?")' |AHORA|' ("NOW!") demanded mation of their determination as well as new Fox government in Mexico. the marchers, shouting their defiance of a collective psychological victory for The "War on Terrorism," however, has dramatically altered the scene. Immediately following 9/11 the federal government rounded up thousands of As usual, race and class are at the core of new anti- Arabs, Arab-Americans, and Muslims, holding them for indefinite periods immigrant attacks, as it is primarily dark-skinned workers without formal charges or right to counsel. The Bush regime has also from the Third World suffering the brunt of them. reversed its previous tepid support for immigrant legalization, opting instead Traditionally, Mexicans and Central Americans have been for increased repression of immigrant workers, such as the firing and/or at the top of the immigrant-bashing list, but since 9/11 detention of hundreds of immigrant airport personnel and the detention of Arabs, Arab-Americans, and Muslims have been the almost 500 Iranians in Los Angeles who responded to an Immigration Service principal targets of the new anti-immigrant hysteria. requirement for "registration." Clearly, a low-intensity war is raging against immigrants, waged by the Bush regime as a component of its overall efforts to intimidation with the chant" iAqu{ esta- communities still suffering enormous repress any possible opposition social mos! iY no nos vamos!" ("Here we are! "collateral damage" from Bush's War on movements. And we're not going!"). Terror. Not that immigrant bashing is "miracle" A May Day Miracle The was in the size, com- confined to the Republicans. Post-9/11, position, and militancy of the march. the Democratic Party has dropped Last May lst, a "miracle" took place in It occurred in the wake of rampant legalization efforts as if they came Los Angeles. On a typically balmy post-9/11 anti-immigrant ("terrorist") straight from Osama Bin Laden. The Southern California day, an atypical hysteria and growing systematic harass- Democratic retrenchment on the issue is mass action enveloped the streets of ment, round-ups, detentions, and a significant loss because, before 9/11, downtown LA. Twelve thousand immi- deportations in immigrant communi- they had finally begun to promote the

12 FREED(]M ROAD A new network, MIWON, has played a key role in uniting different immigrant groups. concept of a broad-based legalization who were fired from therr platform. This shift was largely because jobs for union activity of pressure from Latino communities were not entitled to back and the AFL-CIO, which has come to pay even though it was see immigrant workers as the best hope illegal for the company for growth, and hence a reinvigorated to fire them for union and politically relevant labor movement. organizing! While the ruling does Arabs and Muslims at Center of Nnw Anti-lmminrant Hvslcria not eliminate immigrant workers' rights to organize and join contingents of Latinos, Koreans, and As usual, race and class are at the core of unions, it is clearly meant to weaken Filipinos. If the decision not to invite new anti-immigrant attacks, as it is pri- such efforts. Meanwhile, right-wing Arabs and Muslims to participate in the marily dark-skinned workers from the Republicans (the "family values" peo- march was made on the basis that Third World suffering the brunt of ple) have introduced legislation that significant Arab participation might them. Traditionally, Mexicans and would make it even more difficult for alienate potential support from Central Americans have been at the top immigrants to bring over family mem- Democrats, or from organized labor, of the immigrant-bashing list, but since bers, and would severely limit student then that decision was wrong. 9llI Arabs, Arab-Americans, and visas. Such is the hysteria that The failure to include Arabs and Muslims have been the principal targets Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein Muslims in the May Day March reveals of the new anti-immigrant hysteria. As has floated the idea that the US should an immigrant rights movement that has mentioned above, thousands have been stop issuing any student visas at all for a not yet recognized potentially impor- rounded up by federal authorities as "temporary period." tant new allies in the Arab and Muslim potential terrorists or terrorist support- These political attacks have created a communities and the need to confront ers. Yet, in spite of these highly pervasive climate of fear in immigrant the fear and political opportunism ofits publicized pogroms, only one personhas communities. In response, thousands of allies among the Democratic Party even been charged with any crime relat- immigrant homes and cars have sprout- politicos and the trade union leader- ed to terrorist activity. Islamic mosques ed the US flag in an effort to challenge ship. This is just one of a number of and charities have also been harassed, racist images of brown immigrants important questions that the movement raided, or shut down by Attorney transporting bombs across the border. needs to address ifit is to beat back the General Ashcroft. In a perverse illustra- The Democratic Party's virtual aban- Bush-Ashcroft assault and win any seri- tion of the link between domestic and donment of the immigration issue has ous expansion of immigrants' rights. world politics, civil rights violations also caused many immigrants' rights Here are some thoughts on some of against the US Arab populations have advocates to become more cautious those questions, and on how to build also flared up since Israel has intensified about advancing a broad human rights and advance the immigrant rights its destruction of the occupied territo- agenda for immigrants. Their caution movement in this period. ries in the West Bank and Gaza. was also influenced by the AFL-CIO First, the movement needs to stand Arabs in the US are not the only leadership's initial uncritical support up for the rights of Muslims, Arabs, victims of inflamed anti-immigrant for Bush's foreign and domestic war and Arab Americans. The attacks on practices. For instance, the Immigration policies. these communities and the situation in and Naturalization Service (INS) has Palestine have impelled them polit- What ls thc Wav Forward? into instituted a draconian new border ical motion, challenging repressive crackdown to try and prevent crossings The Los Angeles May Day march high- policies at home, and US war policies at the Mexican border. Thanks to this lighted some of the complicated issues abroad. If the immigrant rights move- militarized "Tijuana Wall," border facing the movement as it struggles to ment should represent anything, it crossings have dramatically fallen off. determine the best way to advance. As Meanwhile, INS raids at factories and great as the march was, there was a glar- job sites have significantly increased, ing absence from among its ranks of resulting in hundreds of workers being immigrant workers and supporters. terrorized, driven from their jobs, While the march included supporters of jailed, and deported. US courts have the Palestinian struggle wearing the also joined the anti-immigrant frenzy. Arab kaffiyeh in solidarity, there were The US Supreme Court ruled in April almost no Arab Americans or Muslim that undocumented immigrant workers immigrants marching with the large

While politicians backpedal, immigrant FREEDO M ROAD youth are pushing foruard. The struggle of immigrant workers will be a decisive factor in decades to come.

should be a consistent spirit ofinterna- the roundups, arrests, and detentions of tionalism and solidarity. What's more, Arabs, Arab Americans, and Muslims; the repressive policies being used an end to the harassment and firing of against Arabs and Muslims can easily airport workers; an end to INS factory be turned against other immigrant and community raids; and opposition communities (and non-immigrant to any laws that make immigration and communities) who might later be family reunifi cation more difficult. demands to end racial profiling and the considered a risk to "national security." The movement also needs to address police brutality that so horribly mirrors To their enormous credit, the Bush regime efforts to divide the INS the terror that immigrants face from the lapanese-American community in Los into a "service" wing that processes nat- Border Patrol. Angeles-drawing on the experience of uralization, and an "enforcement" wing Another important issue facing the their own World War II internment that patrols the border and immigrant movement is its relationship to orga- by the US government-has been communities. This initiative provides nized labor and the Democratic Party. outstanding in showing political sup- an opportunity to demand that the It is critically important now to build an port and solidarity with Arabs and Border Patrol be completely disman- independent immigrant workers move- Muslims. As past experience suggests, tled, with all the resources being ment that allies itself only strategically excluding Arabs and Muslims from the directed to helping workers process (rather than generally) with the AFL- immigrant struggle is not likely to move their documents for legalization, resi- CIO and the Democrats, being mindful Democratic politicians to champion the dency, and citizenship. At the very least, how easily those two forces can co-opt cause of legalization anryay. the movement should demand that the the movement and/or sell it out by Second, the demands of the move- majority of INS resources be directed to compromising with the Bush regime. ment should go beyond iegalization to the "service" component, and that the One model is the Multiethnic include the new issues raised post-9/l 1. Border Patrol be subject to civilian Immigrant Workers Organizing Network Without seriously challenging the new oversight and control. (MIWON) in Los Angeles, a coalition Bush-Ashcroft attacks on immigrant Third, the immigrant rights move- led by the Korean Immigrant Workers ment should make special and Advocates, the Garment Workers concerted efforts to unite with the Center, the Pilipino Workers Center, African-American community. It's no and the Coalition for Humane secret that fairly serious divisions exist Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Each between African Americans on the one of MIWON's member organizations is hand and Asian and Latino immigrant building a base among immigrant communities on the other, and that workers around workplace issues as well these divisions weaken our struggles. as community ones, such as housing, These divisions are largely due to com- health care access, and educational petition for scarce jobs, educational rights. It is only through building these resources, and health care and social kinds of independent worker organiza- services, as well as to the narrow nation- tions that the movement can challenge alism of many of the mainstream any effort to hand the movement over leaders in these communities. to the Democratic Party leadership. The immigrant rights movement can While safeguarding its indepen- Having labor on board has given a big boost to the help to oyercome these divisions by dence, the immigrant rights movement immigrants' rights movement. supporting issues important to the should strive to build unity with partic- Black community. The movement ular labor unions, such as the Hotel workers, the struggle for legalization itself should, for example, pressure the trade Employees and Restaurant Employees will be weakened, as thousands of unions to pay special attention to orga- (HERE), the United Farm Workers immigrants lose their jobs, are harassed nizing Black workers even as it steps up Union (UFW), and the Service in the community, are indefinitely efforts to organize immigrant workers. Employees International Union (SEIU). jailed without charge. A failure to stand In particular, the movement should HERE and SEIU have thousands of up to this repression will ultimately challenge the AFL-CIO to finally keep immigrant members and are focused on demoralize the very forces that need its long-delayed promise to organize the organizing many thousands of others to be mobilized to win a legalization South, especially African-American and in campaigns such as "fustice for program. For these reasons, the Latino workers. Solidarity should also movement should demand an end to include support for African American Continued on page 39

l4 FREEDOM ROAD GOLOMBIAN IRAIDE UNIONISTST AN UNENDING SLAUGHTER

By Jrrr Cnosey

he 35-member Witness for Union leaders a Prime Target union. Just this year Oscar Daro Soto Peace delegation in which I par- The meetings with union leaders were Polo, another Coca-Cola union leader, ticipated in January of 2002 the focus of our visit. The crisis for was assassinated as he walked his included union members, students, labor leaders in Colombia continues daughter to school. We met with anoth- teachers, religious activists, and envi- to worsen. One hundred seventy-one er leader who had narrowly escaped ronmentalists. In Colombia I visited the union members were assassinated assassination but had been "displaced," cities of Bogot6 and Barrancabermeja, in 2001, with 30 more attempted moving with his family three times as and part of the delegation traveled to assassinations and 79 union members the paramilitaries discovered his loca- the rural province of Putumayo. In a "disappeared" or kidnapped. This was tion. At the time we met him in an packed schedule, we met with many an increase over the 157 trade unionists unmarked union office in Bogot6, he union leaders, women's organizations, murdered in 2000. Arrests and trials for was sleeping in the union hall with his representatives of the Colombian the murderers are unheard, of. It does wife and five-year-old daughter, and Armed Forces, human rights organiza- not happen. was about to move again. He told us he tions, the US Embassy, a Bishop, We met with union leaders whose was not afraid, but the hardest part was the Barrancabermeja Chamber of organizations had been directly affected the fear for his family. (During a recent Commerce, Afro- Colomb ian or ganiza- by the slaughter. The Mineworkers visit to the US, a leader of SINAL- tions, and academic experts on the Union leaders, for example, asked if any TRAINAL updated me on the Colombian economy, history, and the of us were from Alabama. Many of their Coca-Cola workers we met with in "drug war." members work for the Drummond Bogotii. One has applied for political Coal Company, which has laid off coal asylum in the US and the other is miners in Alabama to import coal from underground after a failed assassination Colombia. The president we spoke to attempt.) was the third to hold the position with- Armed Forces and Paramilitaries in a year. The first two had been in CIose Cooperation assassinated. The miners had asked Drummond to be allowed to sleep in The only people we talked to who the mine after their lives were threat- argued that the Colombian armed ened, but were refused, and were forces were not working in concert with subsequently pulled from a company the right-wing paramilitaries were the bus and murdered. The miners met Colombian Army itself (we met with with the US Embassy and asked for an them trvice) and the US Embassy. In a investigation of Drummond's practices, two-hour meeting, embassy spokesmen Luis Cardona (l) and William Mendoza (r), leaders of but had not received any response as of said there is no coordination between SINALTRAINAL, the union of Coca-Cola workers in our visit. We promised to raise their the Colombian Army and the paramili- Colombia. Cardona escaped an assassination attempt and plight when we met with embassy offi- taries "at the command level." Yet in has since been brought to the US by the AFL-CI0 Solidarity Center for a year to work with US unions and cials at the end of our stay. Barrancabermeja the paramilitaries to talk about the situation in Colombia to American audi- A leader of SINALTRAINAL (the operate openly, and can be identified by ences. Mendoza has gone into hiding in Colombia, and food and beverage workers union) even a casual observer on the streets. his four-year-old daughter barely escaped a kidnapping in described the murder of several union For example, the paras always wear Banancabermeja. The United Steelworkers of America and SINALTRAINAL have filed suit in the U5 to prove that leaders at Coca-Cola. In 1996, Isidro loose shirts over their pants to cover Coca-Cola was a knowing collaborator in the murders of Segundo Gil was assassinated inside the their guns. They followed our van dur- at least six Coca-Cola union leaders in Colombia. factory after refusing to resign from the ing our tour of the city.

FREEDO M ROAD l5 "Jesus of the 0il Fields" in Banancabermeja Oil lndustry Center. Colombia has many resources and developed industries Enron, Occidental, BP, and other U5 and European oil companies own most of the profits. The U50 oilworkers union in Colombia has suffered some of the most brutal attacks, kid- napping and tortures at the hands of the right- wing, US-supported paramilitaries.

"community mothers union" of home day care workers. Since the women don't work for traditional employers, they are not legally eligible for the state health care program. The CUT is work- ing to change the law. The leader of the "community mothers union" died after she was shot thirteen times. The Coca-Cola workers told us, "We insist upon representing our members," despite the repression. Temporary workers are replacing the permanent The Embassy pointed out that the tured or killed. A human rights worker workers, making them ineligible for new Colombian Army battalions suggested that when we meet with the union membership. And the paramili- trained by the US for the "war on Colombian Armed Forces we ask how taries demanded written resignation drugs" have not been accused ofhuman many of the paramilitaries who were from the union in one plant, to be rights violations. But the part of our "captured" were actually tried signed on forms printed by Coca-Cola. delegation that traveled to the rural area and imprisoned. Colonel Ibarra of the Since the paramilitaries had the run of of Putumayo was stopped at a paramii- Nueva Granada Batallion in the plant, everyone resigned. itary blockade only a quarter of a mile Barrancabermeja told us his forces had There is so much more, story after from the base camp of one of the new "captured" 86 paramilitaries in the last story. Yet I left Colombia inspired, not anti-narcotics battalions. And peasant year. I asked him how many had been just saddened and angry. When we arrived in Barrancabermeja, a town controlled by the death squads, we joined a party given by a community- One young woman led us in learning salsa dancing- based women's organization, the Organizaci6n Feminina Popular. One trust me, she was a very patient person. The next day young woman led us in learning salsa dancing-trust me, she was a very we learned she had been kidnapped and released by the patient person. The next day we learned she had been kidnapped and released by paramilitaries only three days earlier. the paramilitaries only three days earli- er. A mobilization by the OFP had secured her release. organizers, environmentalists, church jailed. He replied, "Oh, 30 were released Some leaders of unions and other workers and others continue to be mur- immediately for lack of evidence, and I groups appeared exhausted and carried dered and displaced from the area. The don't know what happened to the oth- haunted expressions. Others seemed to slaughter has simply been "outsourced" ers." Later we were told that Colonel be full of joy, humor and peace, despite in traditional corporate style. Ibarra himself had founded a paramili- living each day in the face of death. The military lists the numbers of tary death squad in the 1980s when they A leader of the Coca-Cola union, right-wing paramilitaries they have cap- were temporarily legalized by the gov- who never slept in the same place twice ernment. and only traveled armed and with body- guards, was asked (eeping 0n in the Face of Terror how he could keep doing his union work in these circum- In the face of all of this, the Colombian stances. He responded with a smile, unions continue their work. The main "This is how I make sense out of life. federation (the CUT) has started a Tell the North Americans that people

Members of Organizacion Feminina Popular (0FP) sing their anthem in Banancabermeja to the visiting dele- gation from Witness for Peace "lf your children, hungry, don't even have clothes to wear to school, it is not because of the rich, but because of those who refuse to fight! " go the words. Several leaders of the OFp have been murdered or kidnapped by right-wing paramilitaries since they hosted wfp in January of 2002. down here are not walking around with Many of the unions and other groups Colombian union leaders to the United machetes killing each other. We want to told us they expected that after 9i 1 1 the States for protection and training. live. That's all." left-wing guerrillas in Colombia would Difficult Prospects for Peace The Deen lnunlvcmnnt nf rhe llS be equated with the Taliban, and the US would use the moment as an excuse to The road to peace and justice in There is no way to look at the relation- increase military aid to Colombia. This Colombia is extremely difficult. The ship between the US government and is exactly what is happening. The trade guerrillas have twice in the last fifteen the Colombian military without con- unions and human rights organizations years put down their arms and entered cluding that the US government is will be the ones that suffer the most. electoral politics under negotiated peace arming a force that is aiding the physi- The paramilitaries and Colombian agreements with the government-and cal destruction of the Colombian trade army do not seek and are not capable of on both occasions been slaughtered by union movement, something from large confrontations with the guerrillas. the thousands for their commitment to which US corporations will benefit. Colombian analysts such as econo- peace. They are understandably not The "drug war," which is the excuse mist and human rights activist Hector likely to declare a cease-fire without for the US intervention in Colombia, Mondragon see the US aid package government action to disarm the mur- derous paramilitaries-and there is no prospect of that whatsoever. In fact the Colombian government A Ieader of the Coca-Cola union was asked how he could and military seem confident that in the post-9/11 world the US will continue to keep doing his union work in these circumstances. He increase military aid to Colombia regardless of the human rights atrocities responded with a smile, "This is how I make sense out of life." of the paramilitaries. Also, it is hard to imagine the Colombian ruling class, with decades of has failed. Cocaine is as available as "Plan Colombia" as the military side of blood on its hands, ever actually negoti- ever. Coca production in Colombia is the US corporations' effort to totally ating the future economic and political growing, even according to the US gov- dominate Central and South America structure of Colombia with the FARC ernment, and is spreading back to Peru through "free trade" agreements like the (the Iargest guerrilla group), as was theo- and into Ecuador as the chemical spray- "Free Trade Area of the Americas" retically on the agenda for the peace ing and violence spread. As long as treaty against which we protested in process that was aborted earlier last year. there is a multi-billion-dollar demand Quebec last Fall. And they point to a Some Colombian trade unionists are at for cocaine, and starving farmers who regional pattern such as US threats to least syrnpathetic with the goals of the have no other means to live, the sturdy Argentina, the effort to destabilize the rural-based FARC and the smaller ELN. coca plant will be grown somewhere in government of Venezuela, the recent Others are convinced that no armed route the world. coup and attacks on unions in Ecuador, to a just Colombia can ever succeed, and and assassinations of labor and elected are critical of the wide-scale kidnappings officials in Brazil as examples of a which fund the guerrillas, drive the mid- region-wide crisis. dle classes to the right, and gave the The Colombian Coca-Cola workers government cover in its inevitable aban- came to Atlanta in |uly to present their donment ofthe peace process. information at Coke headquarters, and Whatever the developments in have asked that US unions support their Colombia, our task is two-fold: specific defense against the death squads. The solidarity with Coca-Cola and other Teamsters helped with a protest at the Colombian unions and popular organi- Coca-Cola stockholders meeting. My zations, and a broader fight against US own union (CWA District 1) has intervention and military aid to accepted a proposal that the 195,000 Colombia-the military aspect to the members of Aurora (left) and her two daughters-in-law all lost the District take up solidar- extension of "globalization" to South husbands to paramilitary massacres in Barrancabermeja. ity with the Colombian labor America. The three have started a shoe-making store with the movement as an international project. help of a local economic development organization that The AFL-CIO is working through their Jeff Crosby is president of the North Shore Labor works with survivors. That group (funded in part by the Solidarity Center Council in Lynn, Massachusetts. World Bank) has itself suffered at least three murders at to bring threatened the hands of the paramilitary death squads,

FREEDO M ROAD 11 An lnterview with

Comandante Raril Reyes

of the FARC

others who fight social justice, ask- different he FARC (Fuerzas Armadas for members killed for having ing the government and the FARC to thoughts traditional Liberal Revolucionarias de Colombia), than the continue to look for ways to overcome and Conservative Parties-for seeking in spite of sauage repression by difficulties and make peace with justice armed struggle, for the Colombian goyernment, death squads solutions without a priority, as Colombia requires, know- seeking a better Colombia than we have and the US military, continues to wage the longest continuous guerrilla insur- ing war only brings destruction and today. death, backwardness and misery to the In this last year more than 100 trade gency for national liberation in the woild. people. For us this is very assassinated without In a FARC-controlled zone of Colombia important unionists were because our struggle is for socialjustice, finding a single responsible person. And last year, Martin Eder interyiewed a independence, sovereignty and dignity there are the campesinos and the people major leader of the group for Freedom for the poor of this country, pri- Road magazine. who die anonl.rnously, including Do you see a contradiction between mary and secondary school teachers Thank you for your time in the middle an armed stuggle which wants to and workers, because theywant to con- of this national crisis. Tell us what is justice, transform the society and your stated tribute to social so they are your role and position within the goal of seeking peace? assassinated. The problem is that politi- FARC? cal rights are eliminated. This has made In Colombia have been there very many it so people who want to struggle for I am a member of the Secretariat of the attempts to reach the objective of polit- social justice have no choice but to do it Central Command of the FARC, peace, even political ical through through armed struggle. But none of us responsible for the dialogues with the representation and even in the execu- government, and head of foreign rela- tions for the FARC. From your viewpoint how could the international community help lurther First recognize that the FARC is a puehlo, a people in arms; the peace process in Golombia? the FABG is a revolutionary political organization with The international community has been involved. We have had help from programmatic goals for the struggle, precisely because France as well as a representative ofthe UN's Kofi Annan, who want to the Golombian state does not protect the rights of citizens. continue as facilitators to prevent the Iiquidation of the process by the ene- mies of peace who would like the see the dialogues ended. tive branch, the but majority of those who are in the FARC carrying arms do What could those of us who struggle have who attempted this have been war, because we for social justice and human rights so because we like but assassinated. Most recent is the example have been left no other alternative contribute to the peace etfort? Patriotica of the Union [a legal left means of struggling for those objectives. ideas political party which successfirlly ran AII and efforts are healthy. We The foundation of our cause is to reach many and have received expressions of support candidates whose presiden- a real and defined peace, which the assassinated-Ed.]. from many organizations, NGOs and tial candidate was country wants. The UP had close to 5000 of its

FREEDOM ROAD Now that Colombia figures as one oI then follow the other results-the viola- work with mutual respect and recipro- the countries where human rights have tion of international human rights. cal respect. This is the proposal we offer been violated more than in any other One of the big problems of Colombia the government and the one we are part of the Ailericas, what about those is the falsity, the manipulation of the advancing and is the basis of the twelve people who point and say, "[ook, the media where they fail in their ethical points we have been discussing with the FABC are certainly no example of duty to inform, being partisan and con- government for three years. human rights"? Understanding that no fusing the people. The media our in What do you make of President human is perfect or no struggle is per- country-because they are part the of Pastrana seen firing machine guns, fect, what would you say to people principal economic power of the coun- showing off new American weaponry, who have huge doubts about the way try and belong ex-presidents who to mobilizing the Air Force and giving rts the FARC has conducted the struggle very few exceptions come with out of hours notice ol invasion? for social change? office having benefited themselves, then they get to be charge the media One of the big problems of this govern- First recognize lhat the FARC is a in of networks-comply ment is they think that they can pueblo, a people in arms; the a with the direction FARC is intimidate the FARC. It is what they revolutionary political organization set by the owners. So one ofthe serious have always done, the use of psycholog- with programmatic goals for the strug- problems of our country is the lack of ical terrorism to frighten the people so the people will not ask for a living wage; yet, on the contrary, the people keep One big problem of this government is they think that they struggling. If all the money spent on the machinery of war had been used to ben- can intimidate the FARC. lt is what they have always done, efit the people, to create employment, used for the children dying ofhunger or the use of psychological terrorism to frighten the people for those who want to study or for all the teachers who have to strike to get so the people will not ask for a living wage. paid or for the hospitals that are closing because there is no government sub- sidy, it would be a different thing. We are aware that there are 30 million gle, precisely because the Colombian Colombians who are suffering in pover- state does not protect the rights of citi- an independent press, genuinely ethical, tp these people are waiting for those zens. In Colombia many people die which is not part of party politics but who will resolve their problems. The big from hunger, children from malnutri- which informs. monopolies are the ones who want war. tion, many kids are in the streets What type of solution, what program you without education or food, and the gov- does the FARC have for developing a What message would send to ernment couldn't care less. Thus the new society, for those who aspire for those who work to end Plan Colombia and peace primary violator of human rights is the a society with social justice and a seek and social iustice? government. They should protect all change of systems, What are your The FARC is wholeheartedly in defense human beings from birth to death. platfoms now and for the future? of the rights of the poor of Colombia. We have elderly in the streets with- a FARC, since 1993 during its eighth con- We struggle for peace, we fight for out work or who have worked all their new against ference, produced a program which is economic order, neo-liber- lives without retirement benefits. still valid for a new government: patri- alism, against Plan Colombia, because it People who organize in unions or are in otic, pluralistic and democratic with is ruining not only the social environ- the leadership of community groups or national reconciliation, which looks ment, but the ecosystem too. Plan in any groupings are repressed the by more than anl,thing to democratize the Colombia is a plan for war and our security apparatus ofthe state. Since the country to give participation to all struggle is for peace. And we would say government does not comply with pro- workers, the intellectuals, the indige- to the people of the world, especially to tection of the human rights the of nous people for all the people to help the North American people, that the people, the situation generates many construct the country which we all FARC is not against any people but different forms of struggle, and one want. It is characterized as patriotic instead an admirer of the American form is armed struggle. because Colombia should be sovereign, people. We have observations and polit- Clearly in carrying out our armed independent, with self-determination. ical criticisms of the American struggle there are mistakes anew. is It This does not imply that we have to government. involuntary but there are errors and break relations with any other state but

FREEDO M ROAD n trying making sense of the post- 9/11 state of Infinite War in which the Bush administration has embroiled the country, I find myself reflecting a great deal on the experience of Somalia, where I participated as a member of the ill-fated Task Force An inherent Ranger in 1993. This debacle, now lion- President, the weakness for ized and r,nythologized by Columbia Secretary outside forces in ;; Pictures in'the hugely successful propa- of Defense, and this situation is the ganda piece Black Hawk Down, can the National Security necessity to develop Advisor). One of the fixed installations, dominant tendencies then supply thern; within the military that has The airport had to be emerged out of that mix is secured to maintain an air- called the Powell Doctrine. head. The roads from the airport to Sword Base (the main installation), Somalia: The Powell Doctrine at Work a good forty-minute drive by armored The UNOSOM mission to Somalia, convoy, past a miniature Maginot line Operation Restore Hope (ORH), set the of 10th Mountain Division 1ro#t$g ;, stage for the famous defeat in the bunkers (each one I'ulnerable,to snra]I Bakara market district of Mogadishu, attacks), went all tfie way around

20 implicit component of the Powell the primary difficulties for the US mili- centerpiece of its doctrine, and had Doctrine) only increases the loss-of-ini- tary, for example, in Haiti (where I been raised under a regime that con- tiative vulnerability. This not only participated in "Operation Restore structed its doctrine around its drains resources and decreases flexibili- Democracy"), was that Haiti's porous technology (instead ofthe reverse). And ty, it is very hard on troop morale. borders allowed swarms of uncon- the political context-political science There is a way out of this dilemma trolled international reporters loose being a different "course," you see, than from a strictly military perspective, and across the country. Not so in Iraq, and military science-was very poorly that is to regain the initiative through not so in Afghanistan. These actions understood. audacious, aggressive, and sustained were sifted, sanitized, and packaged for We had a little warning at a lraffic ground action against a specified mili- public consumption. With the release of circle on one of the raids just before I tary organizalion. But the Powell Black Hawk Down, we have seen the was "sent home." Doctrine is one that seeks to avoid retroactive application of this policy to I was with a vehicle strong point out- ground combat engagements, unless past operations. side a stadium adjacent to the traffic there is overwhelming technical superi- circle, and it was pitch dark. The Delta The Blunders oI Task Force Ranger ority and a low likelihood of American teams were inside the target, a building combat casualties. For the ground tacti- I was part of Task Force Ranger (TFR), two blocks away. The supporting MH- cal commander, ever mindful of the though I was sent home after a conflict 60 "little bird" gunships had pulled off priorities of his or her superiors, that with a dim-witted captain named Steele to avoid drawing fire. Then out of translates into a powerful reluctance to several days prior to the Bakara defeat nowhere, we were probed with close engage in decisive combat, or to even (a blessing in disguise, perhaps). Several range machine gun fire, very close-like risk combat, and an inordinate empha- of us, veterans of Special Ops blunders right across the street. The SNA knew sis at every level of command on force like the Grenada invasion, informally where the outer edge of our security protection. complained to one another about the was, based on observation of prior Audacious, aggressive, sustained way we conducted the series of raids raids, and they had come right to us. offensive operations against a singular Ieading up to the Somali National The fire was directly in front of me, enemy organization will yield tactical Alliance (SNA) ambush that trapped and I shot the machine gunner, firing victories, but it will inevitably cost TFR on October 3rd. around ten rounds oftracer to designate "friendly" lives, and thereby risks losing Our complaints centered on the exe- the target for the rest of our strong-point the unseen but essential element in all cution of one raid after another, using defense team. The Rangers on the strong military operations-the support of the the exact same template, which we were point had .50 caliber machine guns, MK- civilian population at home. This is a convinced was giving the SNA and oth- 19 40-mm automatic grenade launchers, systemic contradiction. ers an opportunity to analyze that and a phalarx of small arms, and they A key and integral part of the Powell template and prepare counter-mea- cued on the tracer fire, pouring an Doctrine is information/spin control. sures. Each time we raided another ungodly volume of ammunition into the The US population is fed "information" target, we would simply go back to the stadium wall. Then we received fire from not to inform, but to gain their acquies- airport and hunker down for a day or the opposite direction, further off, and cence for a military action. They tend to two until we did it again-the same way. without tracers, so we couldn't orient on remain quiet until American bodies Our little group of malcontents were it right away. \\rhen the Somalis took one begin to be flown home; then they start saying that we should fire up the coffee of the helicopters under fire with tracers, to ask questions. So regaining the tactical pots, and launch one raid on top of we identified their position and opened initiative depends on a tFpe of action- another, using a different template each up again at a lit- one with a higher probability of time, as fast as ,inrtatf \nf} _ we could re-arm and tle StrUCtUre On . . . "friendly" casualties-that could threat- refuel, until we were dropping out from a low hill, filling otua,i,l soiii,i : ,.d.*'{ ;d u"'-o'i ?". en domestic acceptance of the military exhaustion, then sleep for six hours and . the night with a Ti,lEEil i action. This is one reason the Bush- t e start again. But, alas, we were not in wild arcing river q&r$ :8, 9o. Rumsfeld regime is warning the public charge. : ;six$d1e r rud, ClJffld;el so much about "the costs" of the Infinite The Powell Doctrine mandated As it turned ELACK SEA War. We are being inoculated in order to "force protection" and overwhelming out, the fire give the military more tactical flexibility. offensive action. The Special into the stadi- Controlling the public's perceptions Operations commanders were a genera- um, which was of operations is as important a part of tion removed from an earlier Special filled with .m06A DI 5flU military operations, under this doc- Ops establishment that made the sol- homeless peo- .r:A{€ trine, as logistics or intelligence. One of dier, the team, and creativity the ple in raggedy 164 !&'-

FREEDO M ROAD

oa cloth huts, killed quite a few civilians in only from a tactical standpoint, in the Afghanistan will too. No one can predict addition to the two or three who fired same simple-minded way it was all the how, but we can predict tharit willhap- on us, and our fire at the hill arced way back in Vietnam. The political pen. The k.y similarity between across Mogadishu and rained down on measure and the critique of the system, Afghanistan and Somalia is the lack of US Sword Base. We had a couple of as opposed to technical problems, are political coherence and the existence of wounded, and I had to hold a glowing absent. I eliminated one threat with the multiple, well-armed, potentially war- green Chem-lite in my teeth, a nerve- shots that hit the machine gunner and ring factions. The Bush folks know that, wracking experience, to start an suppressed whoever might have been and that's why they are making such a intravenous infusion on one of-them. with him. But I probably recruited 100 vain and ridiculous effort to cobble When we got back to the airport, we new militia with the civilians I (and the something together as a government. found a .50 caliber bullet hole in the rest of us) killed and wounded behind This is a tar baby for them, because once door of one of our vehicles. We had the him. And our technology, far from together, it is the American military that only 50s out there. affording us an advantage, was becom- will have to take ultimate responsibility According to the Powell Doctrine, of ing a danger to ourselves. for maintaining it. The Turks and others course, we did the right things (though Even had TFR pursued a more tacti- are being brought in to take up the slack we could have prevented our minor cally sowd course of action-sustained for now, but the US will be back. The bases have already been built. An indigenous force fighting a for- eign invader or an existing state can use Full-spectrum dominance means "the ability of US forces, a military action as a first course of action, as a catalyst, as the centerpiece operating alone or with allies, to defeat any adversary and of its political struggle, because it is not fighting lo retain economic and politi- control any situation across the range of military cal control, but to disrupt or prevent that control by another force. Military operations." lt did use the word "any" twice, making it actions are intrinsically better at creat- ing instability than stability. perhaps the most grandiose hallucination in US military The US militaryis an instrument, and it is subordinated to a foreign policy that history, in contrast to the semi-conscious caution inherent is first and foremost about investments and, thus, stability. The fact that it is in the Powel! Doctrine. being used at all is generally an indicator that the US has gotten itself economical- ly and politically cornered. Somalia was casualties by carpet bombing, I ground operations against Aidid-a a sideshow that came center stage for a suppose). We responded with over- tactical success against the SNA would few weeks, then receded again. The US whelming force to ensure force have only strengthened one or more felt relatively secure politically and eco- protection. We also reacted to a probe other factions relative to them. The nomically, and Somalia was an anomaly. and drew the SNA an even better pic- fundamental problem would have But the US is now in the throes of a ture of our operational template. remained. In the absence of long-term, political crisis (masked for the time This raid was called a success, sustained ground actions-with being by the chauvinist fervor being because we pulled a couple of SNA significant US casualties-the non- whipped up around September 11), a Ieader Aidid's lieutenants out of the pri- indigenous (US/UN) forces, battened national recession that is synchronized mary target. The impact of the dead down in their fixed installations, remain with a global recession, the collapse of civilians was never factored in. The dan- a static target, ceding the initiative to Argentina foreshadowing a generalized ger to which we subjected Sword Base the more flexible, mobile, and variable Latin American crisis, the slow implo- was never factored in, nor was the fail- forces that surrounded them... with no sion of |apan, trade war with Europe, ure of coordination. But most of all, no such misplaced sentimentality about and a rising tide of anti-American senti- commander stopped and said, "Hey, it the necessity of risking casualties. ment around the world. Latent in these looks like they have figured out this turbulent and sullen winds is the poten- Drawing Lessons plan. Let's change it." tial for the "perfect storm." That's partly because success is mea- The occupying forces in Somalia were If ever there were a propitious time for sured technically, not politically, and destined to come to harm. Those in people around the world to rebel against

22 FREEDOM ROAD It's hard to believe they made a Hollywood movie out of a defeat as shocking and complete as the Somalia intervention.

the diktat of the US, Dominance, are both being employed, ther alienating and enraging the various it is right now. to one extent or another, in factions throughout Afghanistan. Then Because the floun- Afghanistan. Media conftol and high- the US will have to intercede again with dering and desperate altitude indiscriminate bombing are ground operations. Bush Administration Powell Doctrine stand-bys. The attempt Morale of the Troops and the Masses would not be able to to coordinate the mass (foreign) casual- handle tlvo, three, a ty tactics of the Powell Doctrine with When military planners evaluate the hundred Somalias. Special Operations troops employed in "enemy situation," they take five mate- The greatest risk, ofcourse, but one that various styles of low-intensity warfare rial categories into account: size, is there whether it is thinkable or not, is runs into conflict on the ground. They location, composition, disposition, and that Bush might listen to Wolfowitz, the are each myopic doctrines on their own strength. But included in that evalua- Dr. Strangelove ofAmerican politics, and accounts, and they are absolutely tion is a sixth category. Morale. It is consider the use of tactical nuclear incompatible when employed together, something difficult to quantify and weapons in the quest to restructure the when a significant part of that "full operationalize, as the positivists would planet's political geography. spectrum" is Special Forces work. say. And it doesn't correlate well with But as the Haitan proverb goes, ifyou The attempt to combine massive material well-being. I've seen a highly don't say good morning to the devil, he destruction of lives and property provisioned, well-cared-for Special will eat you. lf you do say good morning through high-altitude carpet bombing Forces A-Detachment turn into moping to the devil... he will eat you. There is no with rapport building and military adolescents, and I've seen troops in option but to fight imperialism. cooperation among the population was protracted and gruelingly austere tried once before by the US-in conditions imbued with a wild fighting Full-Spectrum Dominance lFSlll llnntrinc Vietnam. And the attempt to co-exist as spirit. Consider the conditions of the a (foreign) military force in an essen- NLA in Vietnam or the Cuban revolu- "Full-spectrum dominance" is the key tially stateless combat milieu, with tionaries, whose morale seldom flagged. term in "Ioint Vision 2020," the ethnic and clan-based warlords making Morale at home is also a factor, and Department of Defense "blueprint" and breaking alliances with each change as the de facto American rulers continue issued under Henry Shelton, Full-spec- of the political wind was also tried once to reconstruct the world by dint of trum dominance means "the ability of before by the US-in Somalia. arms, the economic costs, then the US forces, operating alone or with allies, To date, Afghanistan has been an social costs, will rekindle the political to defeat any adversary and control any unmitigated military bust. Every inde- crisis that was temporarily quenched by situation across the range of military pendent source available (the US the 9-11 outburst of chauvinism. But operations." It did use the word "any" corporate press is not remotely inde- the official story is becoming more dif- twice, making it perhaps the most pendent) confirms it. The Evil Genius ficult to sustain each day. It persists now grandiose hallucination in US military has not been captured or killed. The only because of the grandest of history, in contrast to the semi-conscious Taliban has simply gone to ground American appetites: denial. Even that caution inherent in the Powell Doctrine. around Afghanistan and Pakistan to can't last forever. And when it does end, "Full-spectrum" refers to three things: wait for the US to become more deeply this administration can add a legitimacy geographic scope, level of conflict, and submerged in the growing quagmire. crisis to their lengthening list of woes. It technology. This doctrine implicitly aims The poppy harvest will be the best in a may be this crisis, at the end of the day, at world military domination, taking on decade. Pakistan proper has become that is their undoing. everything from street riots to ther- destabilized to the point of risking monuclear war, accomplished with a nuclear war with its neighbor, India. Stan Goff also participated in Operation Restore blank check to weapons developers for The potential fossil fuel pipeline ease- Democracy (in Haiti), and he provides an extensive an array of highly (some would say ments still cannot be secured. And the critlque of Special Forces and the US mllitary there in overly) sophisticated gadgets. Rumsfeld, collateral damage inflicted by bombing his book, Hideous Dream: A Soldier's Memoir of the possessing a breathtaking faith in this and bad intelligence, combined with IJS lnvasion of Haiti (Soft Skull Press, 2000). Hope last, is devoted to the doctrine. This support for the corrupt and inept was not restored in Somalia. Democracy was not explains his selection of military medioc. Karzai regime, turns ever-larger seg- restored in Haiti. rity Air Force General Richard Meyers, ments of the population against the Stan wrote this piece in Summer, 2002. Since then, who shares Rumsfeld's techno-religiosi- Americans each day. The Turkish his collum "Military Mafters" has appeared frequently ty, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Army, well known in Turkey for their at wvwv.freedomroad org. Check it out. These two doctrinal tendencies, the brutality, can be expected to handle it Powell Doctrine and Full-Spectrum for a while with their usual aplomb, fur-

FREEDO M ROAD AS THE US TARGETS TH E PH ILIPPIN ES: DEFEND JOSE MARIA

srsoN! Bv Douc WonorLL

ith the US nal armed conflict). The CPP/NPA, far poised to attack from being terrorists, undertake popu- Iraq, another lar campaigns to mobilize the Filipino .t,, US military operation is people for land reform, public educa- :'": ",r. underway and it's tion, literacy, health and sanitation, and ,: I :: I largety under the radar of cultural activities. Both organizations the larger anti-war move- operate in the larger National li , ment. Currendy, the US Democratic Front of the Philippines : I armed forces have thou- (NDFP). Despite the crackdown against sands of troops stationed in the NDFP, this movement is growing the Republic of the Philippines, rapidly. A broadening layer of Filipinos supposedly to battle the reactionary understand the need to fight against bandit group Abu Sayyaf. As many their government's capitulation to the observers had predicted, these US US that has left most of the Filipino troops are now beginning to target the people, especially in the rural areas, in popular insurgency led by the deep poverty and misery. Communist Party of the Philippines In sharp contrast to the forces ofthe (CPP) and its military wing, the New NDFP, the Government of the Republic People's Army (NPA). Under the guise of the Philippines, acting as a client of fighting terrorism, the US is assault- state for US interests in the Philippines, i.g the revolutionary left and has consistently sponsored right-wing progressive forces around the world. death squads and terrorized its own The Bush administration is using the people. The Abu Sayyaf have provided Philippines as a test case to see how an excuse for the Philippine and US much aggression it can get away with. militaries to target activists and other On August 9, 2002 the CPP and the innocent people. The decision of NPA were put on the US government's Philippine president Gloria Macapagal- list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Arroyo to go along with Bush's "War even though both organizations have on Terror" has the Philippines on the strict policies of upholding human brink of a return to martial law. In just rights and have always abided by the the past year, 23 leaders of the legal Geneva Conventions and Protocol I opposition political party Bayan Muna (international law in situations ofinter- have been killed in an undeclared war

FREEDOM ROAD no doubt that progressive Filipinos will The GPP/NPA, far from being terrorists, undertake popular be facing stepped up and coordinated repression, not only in the Philippines campaigns to mobilize the Filipino people for land reform, but also in the US and the other nations where millions of them have moved, public education, literacy, health and sanitation, and fleeing repression and poverty. Sison will not be alone. cultural activities. Activists in the US should be actively preparing for this crackdown-and sooner rather then later. It is also essen- on all progressive Filipinos. One target strategic importance to the rulers of the tial that we organize to demand that the of this war is the exiled revolutionary US as a military and economic staging CPP and the NPA be removed from US leader, Professor lose Maria Sison. area for reaching all ofEast Asia, espe- and European "terrorist" lists. In par- Who is JoMa Sison? cially China. If we want the current ticular, we must demand an end to the wave of anti-war sentiment in this harassment of IoMa Sison and the Sison, the founder and the first chair- man of the CPP and a continuing consultant to the NDFP, is being target- ed for extradition to the US-even Delending the movement in the Philippines has to he firmly though JoMa, as he is popularly known, has not been charged with any crime. on the agenda of our own movement, and it is the task of Sison, jailed and tortured under the Marcos dictatorship for nine years, has progressive FilipinOs and their supporters to put it there. been the target of subsequent US- backed regimes in the Philippines. He and his family have been living in exile for the past fourteen years in the country to develop the momentum and broader Filipino left internationally. To Netherlands. Now, as of October 28, staying power required to take on the extent that the US government is the European Union, under healy US Bush's whole endless, borderless "War allowed to paint national liberation pressure, has also added Sison and the on Terrorism," it will have to be more organizations as terrorists in the NPA to its own list of "terrorists." This than a peace movement. It will have to Philippines, they can-and will-do it decision was made with no discussion become an anti-intervention move- elsewhere. A victory protecting Sison or due process. ment. and getting the CPP/NPA off the US The Dutch government has put the Defending the movement in the government's hit list will be a profound whole Sison family in its crosshairs. The Philippines has to be firmly on the victory for the left internationally. Sisons have lost the housing and the agenda of our own movement, and it is allowance for food and other basic the task of progressive Filipinos and To get more information or to support Sison and the necessities that the Netherlands extends their supporters to put it there. There is Left in the Philippines, contact www.defendsison,be to political refugees. In addition, foMa has also had his bank account frozen. In response, a worldwide campaign is developing to stop the harassment and extradition of Sison. Tasks Before the Movement

While Iraq clearly has center stage in the anti-war movement at present, we need to develop a broader movement- one that can also respond to the assault going on right now in the Philippines, Palestine, and Colombia and can begin to roll back the advances of global imperialism. The Philippines in partic- ular is being targeted because of its

JoMa sison became a,*r:I..:ilij :T[r,ff: .1'

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nly months after its release, Max Elbaum's study of the US New Communist Movement of the 1970s, Revolution in the Air: Sixtia Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che (Yerso,2002), has become required reading for veterans of that movement and up-and-coming young activists alike. For the old-timers, it seems almost miraculous to have someone fhe Fire Last fime A New Generation Reads Revolution in the Air

By CunrsropurR Dny

he past few years has seen the ment? And what are the most appropri- of the global justice movement. emergence of a new genera- ate forms of organization for Revolutionary-minded young activists tion of radical activists. After accomplishing all these things? looked many places in their search for a an initial upsurge represented by the Those who are quick to offer simple coherent theory or ideology to answer anti-WTO actions in Seattle, many have answers to these questions are usually these questions. Many white radicals begun to ask themselves hard but unaware of the history of previous embraced varieties of anarchism and important questions about what it efforts to answer them. In the late 1960s Trotskyism. Many activists of color means to fight capitalism and to make the civil rights movement and the turned towards forms of revolutionary revolution. Questions like: What tactics movement against the war in Vietnam nationalism. Many women took up rad- and strategies actually work? How can radicalized millions of young people of ical feminism. But the trend that we build effective unity, especially all colors, leading many to become con- captured the allegiances of the largest across lines of nationality? How do we scious revolutionaries who sought to section revolutionary minded young respond effectively to state repression grapple with the same sorts of questions activists was what was broadly called while remaining a democratic move- now confronting the more radical wing Third World Marxism.

26 FREEDOM ROAD linked aspiring U.S. revolutionaries to revolutionary party. (Instead it resulted the parties and leaders who were proving in a dizzyng alphabet soup of collectives, that "the power of the people is greater parties and "pre-party than the man's technology": the formations"-the Vietnamese and Chinese Communist RCP, CPML, C}\,?, BWC, LRS, LOM, parties; Amilcar Cabral and the Marxist- RWHq, PUL, and many more.) led liberation movemerts in Africa; Che, Revolution in the Air describes the ambi- Fidel and the Cuban Revolution... Third tious organizing work of these groups World Marxism... promised a break and how they were ultimately tripped up with Eurocentric models of social change, and also with the political cau- by a rising tide of dogmatism and sectar- tion that characterized Old Left groups, ianism that overwhelmed the initial communist and social democratic alike. spirit of their projects. It pointed the way toward building a multiracial movement out of a badly seg- A Jliflnrcnt Vicw nl fhn Ncrnr I cft regated U.S. left. Revolution in the Air challenges what I recently finished reading Revolution E1baum calls the "good '60s/bad '60s" in the Air in a study group made up view of history that condemns the turn mainly ofyoung activists of color in and towards revolutionary politics and the around the Student Liberation Action attempt to build serious disciplined Movement (SLAM) at Hunter College. organizations as a betrayal ofthe values While we disagreed on many things, of participatory democracy that animat- After decades building people's movements and everybody in the study group was ed the movement in its earlier years. revolutionary socialist organization, Max Elbaum agreed that this is a very important Revolution argues persuasively that the spent the '90s making a different contribution-a book for young activists to be reading. turn towards Third was historical study designed to be useful to activists. World Marxism As it turned out, several similar study a maturation of the movement in the In his new book, Revolution in the groups have also been pulled together face of real developments in the world. Air, Max Elbaum describes the process: to read the book in other cities. It's not Experience had taught a generation of Between 1958 and 1973 layer after layer hard to see why. Revolution in the Air is idealistic activists that the US was an ofyoung people went in search ofan ide- the story of how large numbers of radi- imperialist power and that attempts to ological framework and strategy to bring calized young people in the United reform it could not change its worst fea- that revolution about. Inspired by the States came to embrace the distinctive tures. Experience had also taught them dynamic liberation movements that Marxism represented by revolutionary that the loose organizational style that threatened to besiege Washington with "two, three, many Vietnams," many movements in Africa, Asia and Latin prevailed through the '60s was very vul-

Bevolution in the Airis the story of how large numbers of radicalized young people in the

United States came to embrace the distinctive Marxism represented by revolutionary

movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America and then attempted to build serious multi-racia!

revolutionary organizations based on those politics.

America and then attempted to build nerable to repression and disruption. decided that a Third World-oriented serious multi-racial revolutionary orga- Tighter forms organization went version of Marxism... was key to build- of ing a powerful left in the U.S., within the nizations based on those politics. hand in hand with the commitment to "belly of the beast." Elbaum describes how Third World actually making revolution. Marxism inspired the creation first of Third World Marxism exercised a Elbaum continues with an explana- local collectives and then of national particularly strong pull on radical tion of Third World Marxism's appeal: organizations that identified themselves activists of color. Black, Puerto Rican, "New Third World Marxism put opposition to as part of a common Communist Chicano and Asian activists came to racism and military intervention at the Movement" that they hoped would understand the struggles of their own heart of its theory and practice... It quickly cohere into a large and serious communities against racism as part of a

FREEDO M ROAD 21 NCM activists led many of the most important stu- dent struggles of the '70s. Here Kent State University students and supporters celebrate break- ing through fences and police lines to occupy the land where the university planned a gymnasium to obliterate the site of the 1 970 massacre of four stu- dents by the Ohio National Guard.

worldwide struggle of colonized peoples against imperialism. This was a pro- foundly liberating realization. People of color no longer needed to view them- selves as minorities fighting for recognition in a white-majority coun- try. Rather they were part of the global majority fighting against the global domination of a besieged white minori- ty. Third World Marxism upheld the struggles of each group while promot- ing unity and solidarity between them Thousands of young people, laryely chance to really make a revolution, but as well as with white progressives. from middle-class backgrounds, only if a serious and disciplined revolu- It is tempting to dismiss the New immersed themselves in the life of the tionary organization able to mobilize all Communist Movement for its consider- working class by taking jobs in factories sectors were in place. With the benefit able failings. The movement became and moving into working class commu- of hindsight it seems easy to see where progressively more doctrinaire and nities. They dedicated themselves to they miscalculated. As the country sectarian as the '70s progressed and its organizing for revolution, often sacri- moved to the right in the late '70s the influence shrank. It was charact erizedby ficing their own health,and well being New Communist Movement remained convinced that big upheavals were just waiting to explode. rvVhen they didn't, the movement found itself isolated Those who want to build a serious revolutionary from the more moderate struggles that actually were taking place. But it is to movement in the United States today cannot afford to Elbaum's considerable credit that he is able to recapture the mood and events ignore this book. Only a fool would want to mechanically that led so many to think that revolu- tion really might be around the corner. copy the experiences of the New Communist Movement in Drawinn fcssnns frnm the NCM

the 1970s. But only a bigger foo! would imagine that there In the concluding chapter of the book, Elbaum offers what he considers to be are not important lessons to be learned from carefully the lessons of the New Communist Movement. In addition to warning studying those experiences. against the dangers of dogmatism and sectarianism, he identifies several posi- tive lessons as well. These include the a high degree of machismo and, with and risking beatings and arrests in order importance of having an analysis of the some important exceptions, a particu- to build serious organizations of role of US imperialism in the world, the larly backwards attitude towards the oppressed people, organizations that strategic centrality of the fight against newly emergent gay and lesbian libera- could really fight. More than any other racism in the US, and the importance of tion movement. Attempts to follow the trend coming out of the '60s, the New developing trained organizers and disci- twists and turns of the foreign policy of Communist Movement sought to build plined organizations able to actually the Chinese Communist Party led many and sometimes succeeded in building carry out the work of building a revolu- groups to increasingly bizarre and genuinely multi-racial organizations. tionary movement. These are lessons indefensible positions. Elbaum is unsen- The young revolutionaries viewed from which most of the global justice timental in his criticism of these failings. the upheavals of the '60s as a dress movement could still reallv benefit. But he is also appreciative of the move- rehearsal for an even greater social con- ment's considerable accomplishments. flict that they hoped might offer the Continued on page 44

28 FREEDOM ROAD ARD RITIGAL

SES NT OF d

But neither conyersion into joint-stock companies and trusts nor conyersion into Revolution in the Air, it is critical to state property deprives the productive forces oftheir character as capital. This is clarifl, terms, and better understand the Maoist political tendency. obyious in the case of joint-stock companies and trusts. But the modern state, too, is It should be added at the outset that only the organization with which bourgeois society provides itself in order to main- Elbaum collapses most of the problems of the New Communist Movement into tain the general external conditions of the capitalist mode of production against his notion of the errors of Maoism. encroachments either by the workers or by individual capitalists. The modern state, With this thesis, I am in fundamental disagreement The New Communist whatever its form, is an essentially capitaliit machine, the state of the capitalists, the Movement, a movement that, as ideal aggregate capitalist. The more productive forces it takes over into its possession, Elbaum correctly noted, arose out ofthe progressive social movements of the the more it becomes a real aggregate capitnllst, the more citizens it exploits, The '60s and attempted to rebuild a revolu- workers remainwage-workers, pro.letariarrs" The capitalist rclationship is not ahol- tionary current in US politics, died due to an ultra-leftism that crossed political ished; rather it is pushed to the limit, But at this limit it changes into its opposite, currents, a fact that Elbaum grudgingly State otmership of the productive forces is not the solution of the conflict, but it con- pgps :t$ r*cqqpt, albeit in contradiction t{Fr.his itmiii lriJume nt. tains within itself the formal means, the handle to the solution. ,: .,This ultra-leftism was grounded less ,-- Frederick Engels, So Utopian and Scienffi ..' iii traditional dogmatism and a slavish ,, : - {Peking: Foreigr L PresS, 1975), ppg0;l r . support for the ruances of the foreiga . policy of the Peop1e's Republic. of of that period, At the sdrn€ t!me, the, :,Qhina, ahd more in semi-anarehist Bv KuaLt Hnssnnr .its harsh arisumptions and praeticesl voluntarism ex Elbaum:s Revalutrtn in tendeffy . (at rhe levels of theory and practice); Nhe Air:'siirfes Radicak principal" ' artd: a searih for a mlthological ortlroji': Twrn ta Lenin, Maa frild Che problem, of the' ievblutionary teft,: dox communist heritage.. Underllng all offers the revotrutionary Left an oppor- offers us a moment to begin a reessess- of this, howeler, was t'he critical error: tunity for' .4 lpng,needsd, seJfiexhm- ment of the political tendency that the failure of the.newrevolutionary Left ination. A weJ{ writtgn and thoughtfi* came to be associated with the late .to recognize and comes to grips with the itr teri6u_s,t1r book, exrmia=es,mrrchl o{ Chairman of ttre Communist Farttrr of . .'. ,er,!ii isz, a crisis that weirt baqk China- to th era in the former Soviet The following essay presents a series Untan. bur eollectiv,e'failure to under- of theses toward such a reassessmenl A sland the: crigiq.,oi"socialiom and its much more in-depth look is warranted, implicatiorrs.waslirrked to a social prac- tul rn lighto{ th; discussion that.has tice of ultra-leftism. :as{.ompdnied i'tha: publicaiion ,;of,

FREEDO M ROAD 2$.' Maoism and the Grisis of Socialism did so in a contradictory manner in that independence against imperialism. it represented both a It is, therefore, fitting that one should political critique of While class struggle in the imperi- the actions begin a reassessment of Maoism by of the Soviet Union post- alist countries would remain Stalin, as addressing the crisis of socialism. In its well as an often-implied important, and the struggle on the theoretical critique fundamentals, what came to be known ofthe Stalin period. part of the socialist camp against As such, contained first as "Mao Zedone Thought", and within the broad imperialism could be invaluable, rubric of Maoism were sub-tendencies later by many as "Maoism," was an by implication Maoism saw both or alliances that shifted effort led by forces within the over time. Thus, ofthe latter as being relatively within Maoism one Communist Party of China (CpC), and could find those weak compared with the former. who sought justification for their analy- later in other communist and revolu- (5) The Communist International tionary movements sis based, ironically, on Stalinism. At the and parties, to (Comintern) had been a disaster address same time one could find those that the crisis of socialism. In this and undermined the sovereignty regard, to narrow more overtly critiqued the Stalin period an understanding of of revolutionary movements and Maoism to and the approach to socialism that it the specifics of China's for- their ability to develop revolution- eign policy represented. (Elbaum does acknowledge misses the mark entirely. ary strategies that fit their the sub-tendencies within Maoism, but concrete Foreign policies of any country, regard- conditions. tends to represent this Rather than the less of rhetoric, are driven by various as some haphaz- ard united Comintern's serving as a body to forces, including class front. See p.la0.) forces, ideologi- coordinate revolutionary strategies cal pulls, historic tensions, All that said, I would argue that the perceived developed indigenously, the national interests, and key elements of Maoism that made it on and on. Comintern was seen as imposing Maoism, on the more than an amalgam of ideas are as other hand, represent- strategies from without. Flowing ed a political tendency, follows: and a complex from this was the notion that one at that. certainly ( 1) It reaffirmed Marx and It contributed to Lenin's while there needed to be support the foreign policy people's proposition that socialism of the v/as not of revolutionary movements and Republic a mode production of China, but it was not iden- of but repre- parties, the internal contradiction tical with it. sented a transitional period within each social formation must between capitalism and commu- What can we say were some of the be the decisive measure of the nism during which elements of elements of Maoism? To borrow from character of a reyolutionary move- both modes of production would ment. exist (and by implication, be in struggle). (6) That a broad united front against imperialism was necessary, includ- (2) Given point #1, and that there ing within it a variety of middle would continue to classes, be class forces that were not in and of struggle would continue during themselves revolutionary. socialism, but this struggle would take different forms than had exist- (7) That the worker-peasant alliance ed under traditional capitalism. was critical in the advancement of any revolutionary process in the (3) Classes, including antagonistic so-called Third World. classes, could in fact re-emerge during socialism. Socialism, there- (8) That the Soviet Union had degen- fore, was not a period in which erated into a capitalist state, and there could be no reversals. The was, in effect, an example of social consolidation ofcapital under the imperialism. rubric of state property-to bor- The Communist Party of China's break with the row from Engels-was insufficient There are, of course, in addition the Soviet Union was rooted in the critique of guarantee points and elaborations on matters of Kruschev's revisionism and marked a turning point to a transition to com- in the development of Mao's thinkinq. munism or the emancipation of philosophy offered by Mao. the oppressed. the Egyptian Marxist Samir Amin, CIass Struggle and Retreat "Maoism offered a critique of Stalinism (4) The 20th century had witnessed under Socialism from the left, while Khrushchev the rise in importance, if not made cen- It is impossible in this short essay to one from the right." Maoism emerged traliry of the national liberation take on each of the themes, but it is as a struggles and critique ofthe Soviet experience. It struggles for national worth offering some summary points.

FREEDOM ROAD This essay began with a lengthy quote would not, ipso facto,lead toward com- would make a bit of sense. As an author from Engels in order to illustrate that munism, even if a communist party were close to the Communist Labor Party from the beginning, Marxism has in command. It is in this context that it (which came to oppose the notion of attempted to grapple with the interrela- is useful to consider the quote from capitalist restoration in the Soviet tionship between the state, capital, Mao that Elbaum so frequently Union) wrote in the 1970s, the notion private capitalism and capitalist rela- ridicules: "The correctness or otherwise of capitalist restoration would be like tions. Engels offered, very presciently, of the ideological and political line humans devolving into apes. Yet it was the notion that the state could serve as decides everything." The entirety of the the possibility of capitalist restoration what he termed the "aggregate capital- quote reads as follows: that Maoism attempted to address. ist." In other words, the fundamental While Elbaum and many others may The correctness or otherwise ofthe ideo- feature of capitalism is not the existence logical and political line decides think that Maoism was completely off of private capitalists. everything. When the Party's line is cor- the mark in such an analysis, there is an Maoism, in attempting to under- rect, then everything will come its way. If interesting question one must ask If the it has no followers, then it can have fol- stand the development of the USSR, USSR was socialist, why was it that a lowers; if it has no guns, then it can have took this as a key starting point. Stalin formal restoration Western-style guns; if it has no political power, then it of had looked at class struggle as a matter can have political power. If its line is not capitalism transpired so easily? Why of military action either against foreign correct, even what it has it may lose. The was there no civil war? Why was it that aggressors or against imperialist agents. line is a net rope. When it is pulled, the cadres of the Communist Party of the whole opens (Mao Zedong, In both cases the answer was simple for net out. Soviet Union (CPSU) did not rally en "Summary of Chairman Mao's talks with him: elimination. The notion of class masse against private capitalism? How, Responsible Comrades at Various Places struggle and the possibility of the emer- during his Provincial Tour from the in other words, did the great tree gence of a new oppressive class arising Middle of August to 12 September become infested with termites? Short of from both small commodity produc- 1971," in Stuart Schram, editor, a conspiracy theory that places all the tion and from within the socialist state Chairman Mao Talks to the People: Talks blame on a cabal of a small group of and Letters: 1956-1971 (New York: and party itself were simply not the besides on Pantheon Books, 1974), p.290.) leaders, there are few answers table. For Stalin, as for many of his fol- getting to the root of actual class strug- lowers in what came to be known as the New Communist Movement in the USA, socialism was a one way street: the only way for there to be capitalist lf the USSR was socialist, why was it that a formal restoration or otherwise backsliding was through a counter-revolutionary restoration of Western-style capitalism transpired so insurrection or an external invasion. Beginning in the 1940s some easily? Why was there no civil war? Trotskyist tendencies began exploring the possibility that there might be other ways to reverse the socialist course. (The noted Marxist C.L.R. |ames was While the point was overstated and gle as it was playing out in the former among the more prominent Trotskyists subject to the wild interpretations by an USSR. (And such conspirary theories to suggest that a form of state capitalism infantile movement that Elbaum cites, have proliferated within the interna- had emerged in the USSR under Stalin.) the critical feature of this notion is that tional Left. The Workers Party of Maoism, through its various exponents, there is no inevitability on the road to Belgium (PTB), an otherwise outstand- including but not limited to Mao, saw socialism, whether that is in the pre- ing force on the Left, retreated from a the key to proceeding along the socialist revolutionary stage or in the post-revo- semi-Maoist analysis of the USSR and road in the question of what steps were lutionary stage. The party's political and focused its analysis of the collapse of the taken to move against capitalist rela- ideological line, which Mao neyer Soviet bloc on conspiracies carried out tions and build the power of the reduced to a set of programs and by the CIA, Gorbachev and Yeltsin.) workers and peasants. proclamations, but always founded on a Was Maoism correct that the Soviet Maoism challenged the economic concrete analysis, was the battleground Union had become a form of state capi- determinism of Stalinian Marxism, in the construction of socialism. talism? I believe that it is far from clear even in its post-Stalin incarnations. It If one does not believe that a socialist what the actual social formation was. In suggested that while the development of society can move backwards short of an that regard the characterization of the the productive forces was essential, eco- insurrection or invasion, then it is clear USSR as capitalist, Iet alone social impe- nomic development in and of itself that none of what Mao elaborated rialist seems more descriptive than

FREEDO M ROAD 3l analytical, and even in the descriptive- well as actual practices. During the The other aspect of the socialist divi- ness, missed many important nuances. Stalin era the CPSU elaborated two sion oflabor concerned the relationship The debates that included such forces as important notions with regard to the between parties. Chinese suspicion and those grduped around Monthly Reuiew possibility of a supposed socialist divi- resistance to the notion of a new magazine, the French Manrist Charles sion of labor on both the political party Communist International had little to Bettelheim, Samir Amin, and others were front and on the nation-state front. In do with the pragmatism that Elbaum informative in probing this question but the early years of the USSR, the federa- implies, but rather to the actual experi- not decisive in answering the problem. tion that was to become the USSR ence of the Comintern. The Chinese Despite the disappearance of the USSR, supported the notion of self-determina- Party, specifically, had a very negative understanding what transpired remains a tion up to and including the right of experience with Comintern directives key theoretical task of all serious forces secession. Nevertheless, when forces, in which disasters unfolded due to dog- on the revolutionary Left. including communists, within many of matic and otherwise out-of-touch Actual Soviei Practice those nation-states suggested that self- direction. The Executive Committee of determination should be exercised in the Comintern (ECCI), the leading It is important in making this analysis favor of greater autonomy or outright body between Comintern congresses, of the Soviet Union and the possibility independence, they were met with held an international role analogous to of the restoration of capitalism (or the repression. This included actions in the the central committee of the commu- creation of some other sort of non- I-Ikraine as well as in what came to be nist party of a nation-state. Thus, the socialist, post-capitalist state) to ask a known as Soviet Central Asia. Comintern could dissolve a party, alter question about the international role of Coinciding with these purges was the its leadership, or change its direction. the USSR, particularly because Elbaum emergence of the notion of the so-called An example of some of the more walks very quickly around issues of "Russian Elder Brother," i.e., the Russian extreme measures included the physical Soyiet international practice while Republic playlng the leading role in the elimination of the leadership of the blasting the Chinese for each and every division of labor within the USSR. After Communist Party of Poland (and the transgression on proletarian interna- World War II this notion was further dissolving of the party) by the tionalism. Influencing both Maoism expanded to include the relationship Comintern in 1939, all carried out under the leadership of the CPSU. Thus, at the level of experience, there was a sound basis to be suspicious of Was the struggle against bourgeois tendencies in THE actual Soviet practice. To be added to this can be included Stalin's machina- communist party the only legitimate ground, or was it tions in the late 1940s to separate Sinkiang Province off from China; the possible for revolutionary forces to constitute other withdrawal of Soviet aid in 1960; the unilateralism of the USSR and the formations that, while being in support of socialism, might CPSU in its relations with other parties generally, and the CPC in particular; have a difference with the otficial communist party? and the twice-discussed/considered nuclear bombardment of China that the Maoism stepped up to the precipice and then halted. tt USSR contemplated (along with the USA). could not answer that question within the traditional It is worth mentioning these points to understand that Elbaum's notion of Marxist-Leninist parad igm. some sort of grand anti-imperialist front that the Chinese allegedly broke simply does not correspond with the actual facts. Second, that there was a and Chinese foreign policy was the between the USSR and the East relationship that the Soviets wished to question of whether there was an actual European people's Democracies as well impose on others that was very people's threat from the USSR, i.e., a threat to as the Mongolian Republic. In Eurocentric and assumed Soviet hege- china and possibly to other countries. its most extreme form this proposition mony. These facts all contributed to the In order to answer this it is important played itself out in the 196g soviet inva- development of Maoism as a political to consider theoretical propositions as sionofthethenczechoslovakia.

32 FREEDOM ROAD Whv Did Maoism Fail? trend, but also contributed to the devel- were going to continue at least to some opment of Chinese foreign policy. If Maoism was an attempt at a critique degree under socialism, and this could A note should be offered about of Stalinian Marxism from the Left, why not be eliminated quickly, particularly Chinese foreign policy. Elbaum is did it fail, possibly permanently, but at in an underdeveloped, formerly semi- absolutely correct that many in the the least for the moment? There are colonial country. Maoist movement slavishly followed Marxists far greater than I who have To the extent to which a criticism of Chinese foreign policy in much the attempted and are attempting to articu- voluntarism should be accepted (and it same way that an earlier generation fol- late an answer to this question. As a should), it could be contained in the lowed Soviet foreign policy. In both modest contribution to this discussion, tendency within Maoism to identifr cases the results were often disastrous. however, I would suggest that Maoism correctly what needed to transpire, but The failure of any party or organization emerged over time, rather than full- to assume that victory could be accom- to independently elaborate its own blown, as a critique of the Soviet plished through persistence. This international line leads to both bad the- experience. One can see, for example, in voluntarism was a response to the ory and worse practice. In the case of reading Mao's A Critique of Soviet depressing determinism of the Soviet China, there are examples, many Economics (New York Monthly Review bloc theory and practice, but it could offered by Elbaum, that almost defz Press, 1977) the beginning of an analy- and often did lead to counter-produc- explanation. The stand of the Chinese sis on the question of socialist society. tive ends. The cadre and supporters on the 1973 Chilean coup and its after- In other words, Maoism, as a body of became weary, and cynicism ended up math is certainly one example. The theory, cannot be summed up by sim- prevailing. Within cynicism, capitalism failure of the CPC to distinguish the ply looking at CPC resolutions, Chinese and capitalist relations find a fertile objectives ofCuban foreign policy from foreign poliry, or even the words of ground for growth. that of the USSR is yet another example. Mao at a particular moment. It must be Maoism represented a contradictory The withdrawal of assistance to several understood as a movement, theory, and attitude toward the question of the revolutionary movements, and in some practice over a space of time. communist party. On the one hand, the cases defaming such movements cer- Maoism attempted to critique the importance of a revolutionary parly at tainly unsettled the international Soviet experience, and by implication all stages in the revolutionary process anti-imperialist movement. Stalinian Marxism, from within the tra- was constantly reaffirmed. Maoism cor- Yet Elbaum fails to acknowledge in ditional Marxist-Leninist paradigm. In rectly identified that it was within the the same bold way that Soviet practice, a peculiar sense, Maoism attempted to communist party and the state appara- both pre- and post-World War II left both break new ground and simultane- tus that a new class of exploiters could something to be desired when it came ously cling to a certain orthodoxy in emerge, precisely because the means of to proletarian internationalism. This order to justifl, its positions. Maoism production were no longer owned pri- can include the invasion of Poland in became trapped within that paradigm vately. For this reason, Mao's calls, 1939; the division of Europe into in ways that weakened its possibility of during the Cultural Revolution, for spheres of influence; machinations successfully addressing the crisis of struggle against the party and for the against Yugoslavia; the disastrous socialism. The failure to conduct an creation of new revolutionary organiza- advice to the Greek Communists during outright demarcation with Stalinian tions represented an important World War II and the abandonment of Marxism certainly provided fertile breakthrough for Marxism. the Greek Revolution in the late 1940s; ground for a retreat. More importantly, Yet this call, and Maoism itself, Soviet support of the Argentine military it could not pave the way toward a rey- balked. The unanswered question was junta in the 1970s; Soviet support of olutionary resolution of the crisis of whether there really was a space for Ethiopia in its war to suppress the socialism. additional revolutionary parties. Was Eritrean national liberation move- Ironically, as important as was the the struggle against bourgeois tenden- ment... and the list goes on. worker-peasant alliance in Maoist theo- cies in THE communist party the only In the cases of both the Chinese and ry (and for Mao personally), steps were legitimate ground, or was it possible for the Soviets there is much that we did taken during both the Great Leap revolutionary forces to constitute other not know and do not know or under- Forward and the Cultural Revolution formations that, while being in support stand that might explain some of these that were far in advance of where the of socialism, might have a difference actions. Other actions were driven by peasantry was as a class. Certainly on with the official communist party? objectives that have little to do with ide- the positive side the development of Maoism stepped up to the precipice and ology, but a lot to do with the nuances collective farms and communes repre- then halted. It could not answer that of the national and international class sented a step to move further down the struggle. socialist road. But capitalist relations Continued on page 44

FREEDO M Rt]AD 33 THEY WANTEID TO SERUE THE PEOPLE Chicanos and the Fight against National 0ppression

By Bttt GnLLrcos in the New Communist Movement

adness seems to be on a activists and organizations ofcolor, or a defining characteristic of the New dizzing march. While the cynical anti-communism that blames Communist Movement. US economy continues to Marxist-Leninists for destroying all the The movement also insisted that chal- crumble, poverty in the country reaches social movements of the time. lenging the oppression of peoples of new levels, 41 million people lack any In contrast, Revolution In The Air color lay at the heart ofthe revolutionary health insurance, and each day brings takes a much deeper look at the condi- project, and that people of color move- new revelations of massive corporate tions and dynamics that attracted some ments-the Black freedom movement in crime, President George W. Bush pre- ofthe best leaders and activists to create particular-played a cutting-edge role in pares the Final Solution for Iraq, a and build Marxist-Leninist organiza- driving forward the democratic advance massive war of destruction opposed by tions in the sincere belief that a better of society as a whole. The New nearly the entire world community. world was truly in birth-and in the not- Communist Movement put the fight for Even as tens of thousands of activists too-distant future either. I was one of equality at the center of its politics and throughout the world work to jam up those people. I was an activist in the devoted immense attention to analyzing the US war machine, there seems to be Chicano Movement who had been the history, structures and pervasive little hope on the horizon for bringing attracted to that movernent's left wing impact of white supremacy. about peace, much less a society not (the Crusade for Iustice, Brown Berets, For many of us, these ideas were not dominated by the most voracious and La Raza Unida Party) and helped to form mainly a product of reading the works destructive capitalist system ever the August 29th Movement (ATM), the of Marx, Lenin, or Mao, but of our own known. first primarily Chicano communist orga- life experiences. We emerged from Quite a change from 1968, the nization in the US. Later I participated in communities that had suffered a history starting point for Max Elbaum's exami- the creation of the League of of slavery, annexation, racial exclusion nation and analysis of what was called Revolutionary Struggle (LRS), one of the laws, wartime round-ups into concen- the New Communist Movement of the main New Communist organizations, tration camps, and "no dogs, Negroes I960s and '70s, a movement that with probably the largest concentration or Mexicans allowed" type of segrega- attracted thousands ofactivists from all (80%) of members of color. tion. It was real. Marxism-Leninism of the major social struggles-challeng- only helped to validate our experience Capturing the Movement's ing the US war in Vietnam, and against and to explain its causes and possible Strengths and Weaknesses national oppression, racism and paths to liberation. All of us who came women's oppression at home. Elbaum I was drawn to the New Communist from these movements could identifr is no detached scholar. He is a grizzled Movement because it helped me to with Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the veteran of those years, as a member of understand the root cause of Chicano Vietnamese revolution. Ho had Students for a Democratic Society and a oppression, what Chicano Liberation described how he wept when he discov- Ieader of Line of March, one of the main could actually look like (i.e., self-deter- ered Marxism-Leninism because it organizations in the New Communist mination), what social forces could showed him how his people could win Movement. Elbaum must be credited actually achieve a revolution (the work- their freedom. Many of us wept too. with provided a compelling and com- ing class and U.S. national liberation One of the great strengths of Elbaum's plex analysis of a movement that was as struggles), and a socialist vision of an book is in identifying the strengths and varied and changing as the social move- alternative society. As a revolutionary weaknesses of the New Communist ments from which it emerged. His book nationalist madly seeking answers to all Movement. He provides some impor- is a much needed breath of fresh air of these questions, Marxism-Leninism tant lessons for today's activists-not compared to the usual genre of books was the only alternative providing not onlythe newer generation of anti-global- that examine the radical movements only political direction, but dynamic ization, anti-sweatshop, environmental, and organizations of that period and disciplined organizations to sup- and peace activists, but for us yeteranas y through the prism of a "white blind port our work. Elbaum gets it right veteranos as well: a dogmatic insistence spot," completely ignoring the role of when he describes anti-racism as a on the purity and inviolability of each

34 FREEDOM ROAD organization's own political line, uncrit- tions that adopted those positions sim- from evolving as a part of the Mexican ical subscription to the politics of the ply as groups of blind doctrinaires who nation, while racism and national USSR, China, or other socialist coun- attempted to shoehorn uncomfortable oppression had prevented them from tries, homophobic policies, and a historical facts into the National becoming part of the dominant Anglo- sectarianism that consistently placed Question mold deveioped by Joseph European nationality. In ATM's (and unnecessary obstacles in the way of unit- Stalin. From my point of view, the issue later the League of Revolutionary ing our organizations into a single group of Chicano liberation mainly got short Struggle's) view, something new was (which could have numbered more than shrift from both the Old and New born-an oppressed nation with the 10,000 members). Communist Movements. The August right to self-determination. Even as Elbaum takes a sharply critical 29th Movement was one of the few orga- ATM and LRS embraced both the look at the errors of the new communist nizations that attempted a serious broader and stricter definitions of self- organizations, he articulates their analysis. But the analysis did not start determination. As an oppressed nation, strengths in a way that should have pow- with Stalin's definition of a nation, but we felt that Chicanos had the right to erfirl resonance with today's activists: the from a look at the dynamic movement democratically decide whether to need for disciplined multiracial organi- that was taking place at the time, a move- remain as part of the United States. This zations, for sinking roots among the ment that involved hundreds of was our answer to the issue of annexa- poorest sectors of working people and thousands of people, mostly from the tion: renunciation of annexation and oppressed communities, of making anti- working class, in struggles ranging from upholding the national rights of the racism and anti-imperialism a central land rights to union rights, and from lan- annexed peoples (Native Americans and Chicanos). But ATM also practiced and supported self-determination in its more popular meaning-as the right of We emerged from communities that had suffered a history oppressed peoples to choose their own leaders, to create their own organiza- of slavery, annexation, racial exclusion laws, wartime tions, and to pursue their own path to freedom. Members of ATM were round-ups into concentration camps, and "no dogs, among the founders of MEChA, the Chicano student network; of La Raza Negroes or Mexicans allowed" type of segregation. lt was Unida Party in California, an effort to break the stranglehold of Democratic real. Marxism-leninism only helped to validate our Party politics among Chicanos; and of many other nationally specific forms of experience and to explain its causes and possible paths organization. In fact, ATM and LRS opposed the efforts of some communist to liberation. organizations to replace groups like MEChA with multiracial student orga- nizations that supposedly represented a focus, and combining theory and prac- guage equality to open admissions, and "higher form" of organization. tice. This last is important at a time when whose tactics ranged from electoral poli- While Elbaum gives props to ATM anarchist ideas-with a sharp anti-theo- tics to mass actions to armed struggle. and CASA as two of the main socialist- retical bias-exert a strong influence For the August 29th Movement, the oriented organizations working among among many younger activists. starting point for understanding the Chicano-Mexicanos during that time, Chicano National was not a he misses the important fact that both Goming Up Short on the Question Nalinnal Oraelinn somewhat obscure text from the Soviet organizations-despite their differences Union, but the historical fact of annex- on other questions-recognized that On the other hand, Revolution in the Air ation. ATM tried to address the the Chicano people have national rights. suffers from some of the same failures as determinative question: What has been ATM expressed it as the right to self- the movement it describes. As a leader in the impact on the Chicano people of determination, and CASA expressed it organizations that held-and hold- military conquest and colonial domina- as "socialist reunification" of the strongly to the view that oppressed Black tion by the US? And its answer was that Southwest with Mexico. Both organiza- and Chicano nations exist within the annexation and the subsequent colonial tions recognized that annexation borders of the US, I cannot agree with domination of the US Southwest had Elbaum's description of the organiza- forcibly prevented the Chicano people Continued on page 44

FBEEDO M ROAD 35 TWO VETERANS OF THE NEW COMMUNIST MOVEMENT LOOK BACK

Why did it make a difference to be of the Black liberation movement, but me to North Carolina to help set up a pail of a New Communist Movement also to lead popular mass struggies in district in a cotton mill town. To me, organization working in the South? the city. moving to the South was like moving to Viclcy:First of all, my grandparents were By the way, our mass organization, another country. I had to learn about its former sharecroppers. My mother's Atlanta Fight Back, kicked ass. We rent- culture, Ianguage, and history. family came from a town in rural, cen- ed a space across the street from the Vicky:He even learned to eat grease and tral Georgia that unemployment office at a time during was too small and too suck bones. I'm proud. economically disadvantaged to be seg- the early 1970s economic recession. regated, so I was raised with some Thousands were laid off but couldn't Paul: Even with the low pay of the white degree of colorblindness, unlike most get their unemployment checks. If you mill workers, I saw the worse conditions southern working class whites. Self-pro- hadn't gotten your check, you came Black workers faced. Many white work- claimed white liberals hate to hear this, into our office; we marched across the ers lived in mill houses close to but if you're white and living under street en masse and sat down in their downtown. Black workers lived on the imperialism, you are inherently racist. Iobby until they issued the check. Soon, edge of town on dirt roads in what just It's your constant struggle in this soci- they assigned someone to assist us looked like Third World conditions. ety. When I saw the map of the Black when they saw us coming so we Belt and the concept of the African- wouldn't hang around their office American nation was explained to me, and get folks all stirred up. At the it just clicked. One of the reasons I was same time, the city was illegally attracted to the OL/CP(ML) was evicting folks from a downtown because they had the right line on this housing project. We kept a "due question out of all the other organiza- process" crew there. The city would tions. Plus, they gave the best parties. move them out; we'd move them back in. That was fun! How did you build a multi-national organization in the South? Paul: I grew up in a white, middle- class suburb that had a small Black Vicky:In the Atlanta district, we tried to community "on the other side of the pay particular attention to the struggle tracks." I was fortunate to go to a against white supremacy in our mass high school on the edge of the very organizations and in developing cadre. segregated city of Chicago. Through We addressed cultural differences, school organizations, I was exposed talked about white privilege, and made to Black history and culture sure that there was minority participa- and learned more about the African- tion in programs and in leadership. It American neighborhoods in the was because of our uncompromising city. The murder of Black Panther Party attitude about challenging white member Fred Hampton by the supremacy and supporting the right of Literally thousands of young people appalled their parents as Chicago police in 1969 had a big self-determination that it made it possi- they graduated college or dropped out and took working-class effect on me. In 1977, the OL sent jobs as part of New Communist ble to not only recruit leading members the Movement.

36 FREEDOM BOAD \Altren I read Harry Haywood's Negro that someone from a middle-class back- OL/CP(ML), I never bought it. Liberation and saw the map of the Black ground can change their view ofsociety I didn't understood homophobia Belt, things fell into place. I could con- by joining the working class. was 'that I won because of experiences I had with my cretely see this was not just a to socialism as a student and under- "special aunts." My mother and sisters question ofracism as a set ofbad ideas stood the historic role of the working grew up with two women who, since but a struggle for land and political class in leading a revolution. When I their teenage years, had had a romantic power. More recently, trips to the was 19, I got a working-class job and relationship. Their own families were Georgia Sea Islands educated me about began a life-long process of learning ashamed, so my mother's family practi- land that has been in the hands ofBlack about the class and from the class. This cally adopted them. I was about ten families since the end of the Civil War. has changed me for the better, and I years old when I asked about them. My Today, the fight to hold on to that land would not regret a day of the last 28 mother told me, "Some women and continues as developers try to force years spent as a rank-and-flle worker. some men had the same relationship people off by raising property taxes or One question we have to continue to with each other as married people." steal the land with the stroke of a pen. work on is the relationship between Okay-made sense to me. By the way, "ideas" What was the difference in the way and "experience," between my special aunts recently celebrated 54 the 0UCP(MI) dealt with people who intellectuatrs and the class, and how to years together. In the OL/CP(ML), I came from working-class back- develop working-class intellectuals. The heard of some gay and lesbians being grounds and those from the middle idea of listening to what the workers are "deprogrammed" or forced to make a class? How wele wotkers empowered saying and combining that with revolu- political decision not to be gay. I knew and developed to play a Ieading role tionary theory is still correct. In the last then that sexual orientation was not a on the local level? ten years, I have done a lot of reading political choice, but in those days, it was about the history of the civil rights extremely difficult to fight a political Vicky: We had a poliry that all cadre movement and the leadership of people line that had been "handed down" by had to have working-class, proletarian like Ella Baker. She stressed'the necessi- the hierarchy. jobs. If you were already from the work- ing class you were assigned to a higher payrng factory job. If you weren't, you "! were "strongly encouraged" to work at was won to socialism as a student and understood the one of the unorganized, nastier, dirty, low-paying jobs. I liked that! Atlanta historic role of the working class in leading a revolution. Fight Back had a policy of developing working class leaders-what we now When lwas 19, I got a working-class iob and began a life- call leadership development. There was a relationship between a mass organiza- long process of learning about the class and from the class. tion and a cadre organization where you could take the most advanced that This has changed me for the better, and I would not regret a come out of the day-to-day struggles and develop them into working-class day oI the last 28 yearc spent as a rank-and-file worker." intellectuals. Mao's concept of "from the masses, to the masses" had a definite meaning to me, and I learned how to study and the importance of theory in becoming a working-class intellectual. I still believe that the working class has to lead a rev- olutionary movement because they are the most disciplined, dedicated, and staunch about their conyictions. Armed with truth and knowledge, the class becomes invincible.

Paul: One of the concepts from Mao that means a lot to me is "remolding your world outlook." To me, this meant Vicky:Eventhough it was the line of the Continued on page 44

FREEDO M ROAD 37 Cultural Center to wear wiretaps and JOSE SOLIS return to the school to provide "intelli- gence" for the FBI. Solis is now serving time in a prison JORDAIU and in Puerto Rico, after spending the bulk of his sentence in federal prisons in Florida and Atlanta. STATE REPRESSION Parallclc in Othcr Mnrromonle

In another movement and another rODAY region altogether the FBI has been taken to task for targeting activists. On Iune 11, 2002 a jury in Oakland, California found that the FBI and the n luly 7, 1999 fose Solis prisoners of war and the Puerto Rican Oakland Police Department had framed |ordan, a Professor and Puerto independence movement on and offfor labor and environmental actiyists Judi Rican independentista was ten years. In a court statement, Marrero Bari and Darryl Cherney for making sentenced to 51 months in federal himself admitted to planting the bomb and carrying a homemade bomb that prison after being convicted of bomb- at the recruitment center. exploded in their car, almost killing Bari ing a military recruiting center in Solis, in an interview with student and injuring Cherney. Chicago in 1992. Details of the case activists at Northeastern University in In a most unusual outcome, Bari and clearly point to FBI infiltration and 1999, stated that the provocateur Cherney were awarded four million provocation in Chicago's Puerto Rican Marrero "hoped his actions [within the dollars to be paid by the FBI and the communities in order to discredit movement] would creati: a spring board Oakland Police Department. struggles to free prisoners of war, for subsequent repressions against the In 1990 Bari, Cherney and hundreds against gentrification, and for Puerto Puerto Rican Cultural Center, commu- of other environmental activists were in Rican independence. nity implemented programs at the midst of "Redwood Summer," a Solis' case is only one example of Clemente High School, and the gentrifi- campaign to stop corporate lumber continuing state repression targeted at cation of the Puerto Rican community." companies from destroying old growth left movements. While Solis' conviction and incarcer- forests in Northern California. Unlike As with many politically charged tri- ation is one of the more serious many other "traditional" environmen- als, the case of the US government vs. examples of state repression against the tal organizers, Bari was making some serious breakthroughs in the environ- mental movement through concerted work with organized labor and timber While Solis' conviction and incarceration is one of the workers in Northern California. At the same time, the FBI was investigating more serious examples of state repression against the and developing plans for the disruption of Earth First and the Redwood Puerto Rican movement for self-determination in the Summer project. Following at Ieast 30 death threats against Bari, Cherney and 1990's, it is by no means the only one. other activists, Bari's car was bombed, and the outright framing and disinfor- mation campaign by the FBI began. There are very specific connections Solis was full of shaky evidence. The Puerto Rican movement for self-deter- between Bari's case, the attempt to conviction was primarily based on the mination in the 1990's, it is by no undermine the Puerto Rican indepen- testimony of two men, one a self-admit- means the only one. The Puerto Rican dence movement, and the targeting of ted agent of the FBI and the othbr a Cultural Center in Chicago has been the other movements. Noelle Hanrahan of recruit of the FBI agent. The primary target of FBI raids, propaganda cam- the Prison Radio Project notes, "In witness, Rafael Marrero, was a hired FBI paigns and grand jury investigations. In August 1985, Richard W. Held led 300 provocateur. Marrero at the time of 1997 the FBI offered to pay former stu- FBI agents and US marshals in raids Solis' trial had been working within the dents from the Dr. Pedro Albizu throughout Puerto Rico, trashing movement to free the Puerto fucan Campos high school at the Puerto Rican offices and homes and arresting scores

38 FREEDOM BOAD ofactivists. The FBI's overall operations construed as a terrorist act. For exam- We're Not Goinq Back Continued resulted in the creation of files on ple, the Communist PartY of the these unions 74,OOO individuals." Richard Held, Philippines and the New People's Army Ianitors." It was primarily to both aban- although officially dropped as a in the Philippines are now considered a that forced the AFL-CIO sanctions defendant in the case of Bari/Cherney "Foreign Terrorist Organization." (See don its support for employer to vs. the FBI and the Oakland Police the article by Doug Wordell onpage 24 (for employing immigrants) and Department, was a key figure in the of this issue for more details about this support the demand for a broad-based recently, FBI's investigation and framing of Bari FTO designation.) legalization Program. lust joined a coalition of immi- and Earth First. He also was central to In addition, the USA PATRIOT Act these unions to re-launch a many other politically charged cases, allows the government to enter a per- grants' rights advocates including the framing atd' 27-year son's home and conduct a search, take national effort to win legalization, to send one false imprisonment of Black Panther photographs, and download computer beginning with a campaign gives post cards to Congress support- Geronimo ji faga Pratt. files without notification. It also million important for the Brian Glick, an activist who has stud- the CIA power to spy on PeoPle in the ing legalization. It is unite ied and written extensively about US and imposes indefinite detention for immigrant rights movement to COINTELPRO in the 1980s, states, non-citizens who are held incommuni- with such efforts. "Considering the current political cado within the system, removed from Obviously a united front with orga- not the climate, the Iegalization of COINTEL- family as well as legal and community nized labor has many challenges, the AIL-CIO PRO, the rehabilitation of the FBI and support. And for targeting student Ieast of which is keeping the move- police, and the expanded role ofthe CIA activists, the Federal Government bureaucracy from co-opting members, resources' and military, the recent revelations leave requires all universities to provide ment to garner its connections. Nevertheless, us only one safe assumption: that exten- records of immigrant students, as well and political movement should sive government covert operations are as students who are US citizens. the immigrant rights encouraging already underway to neutralize today's The liberal ACLU recognizes the work with these unions, influence in the opposition movements before they can connection to historical repression of them to use their put the brakes on reach the massive level of the '60s." those deemed to be a threat by the state. Democratic Party to moves to sell out immigrants' rights to According to Glick, under the Pre- "AIl of this speaks to the new to mobi- tense of the "war against terrorism," McCarthyism, where political dissent is the Bush-Ashcroft forces--and national Ronald Reagan officially sanctioned the being equaled to treason," saYs Barry lize union members in a "influencing" of domestic political Steinhardt of the ACLU. campaign aimed at both stoPPing and demanding activity in 1981 for the first time in US Attorney Dennis Cunningham, who attacks on immigrants history. This was long before the cur- represented Iudi Bari and Darryl genuine legalization. focus of rent incarnation of the "war against Cherney in their case against the FBI and Finally, while the political on stopping terrorism"; however, it is clearly part of the Oakland Police Department, in dis- the movement is correctly legalization, the historical precedent for it. Previous cussing the verdict and today's climate the attacks and winning in mind the larg- to 1981, operations to disrupt social said, "Ashcroft is doing precisely the it's important to keep agenda for movements were highly secretive and wrong thing to abandon the [preexisting] er human rights includes demands for never officially declared. guidelines and let the FBI go after dissent immigrants. This with a free hand. It's clear that their immediate unconditional residency for State Bepression in a Post-9/l1 World intention is not about fighting terrorism, all immigrants, full language rights, vot- to education, Unfortunately, over the last year FBI it's about suppressing dissent. That's ing rights, and the right and state powers have onlY been what the FBI has alwaYs been about"' health care, and social services. times for the extended and further sanctioned by the These are difficult movement' But as the US Congress and the Bush regime' The Michelle Foy is a member of the Freedom Road immigrant rights MaY DaY march USA PATRIOT Act and the 1996 Socialist Organization and an organizer with the 2002 Los Angeles workers themselves Antiterrorism and Effective Death California Prison Moratorium Proiect and California showed, immigrant stand up and fight. And Penalty Act are two of the waYs that Prison Focus. are willing to Bush, Ashcroft, and la expansion is happening. their message to Migra was loud and clear. " esta- Everything from minor ProPerty |ose Solis ]ordan can be reached at: iAqui destruction during a protest to political #08-121424 mos! iY no nos vamos!' activity in solidarity with countries GUAYNABO MDC Oppressed deemed to be US enemies, or suPPort P.O. BOX 2147 Bill Gallegos is Coordinator of the for arbitrarily terrorist-designated orga- sAN IUAN, RQ00922-2r47 Nationalities Commission of the Freedom Road nizations within any nation, could be Socialist Orqanization,

FBEEDO M ROAD ,REMEMBER TO KIGK IT OUER' Bv Scorr MX Tunrurn In ballparks across the US, "God ullets are flying all over the Bless America" has replaced "Take world. For those of you forced Me Out To The Ballgame" during the cancel to your Afghani wed- seventh inning stretch. Not every- early desperation songs like the anti- ding plans due a to few over-zealous US where-Chicago and Pittsburgh are nuke "Roulette" (about a man losing bombing runs, Moscow theater outings notable exceptions. But the switch- everfthing in a Three Mile Island dis- due to someone cuttin' the cheese so ordered by Major League aster), The Rising was just one long through the ventilation systems, or Baseball-proves again that sports mid-temp bummer. The album's Baghdad oil-well hops looking for evil- and politics are intrinsically woven... "We sur-vived but we're not doin' doers, '03 here're some first-quarter and that the power structure is using anlthing to stop the madness" tone Locomotion bullets that dice rather sports as a front-line tool for pump- was a calming salve for a lot of than slice. ing up the volume for the Americans. Which is just how the . '02 saw the demise of ABC's never-to-end "War on Terror." Bush regime wants it. Unfortunately, Politically Incorrect. Host Bill Maher The Risin{s low-key response to the Speaking of baseball, last season's could be maddeningly condescend- terror attacks has been set in stone as labor war was averted in a staged, ing, but it was the only major the template for "acceptable" post- last-minute settlement that for the network TV show where political 9/ll protest music. first time has cost the nation's most opinions flowed... at least those not powerful union some of its hard-won You want a kick-ass, take-no-prison- spewed by the networks' paid pun- gains. The clich6 of "it's the million- ers singer? Forget phony gangsta dits. Sometimes three conservatives aires vs. the billionaires and the poor rhymers, angst-ridden metal-rap ganged up on a sole progressive, fans get burned in the end" is just a rebels without a clue and m.o.r.coun- sometimes vice-versa. Maher's simplistic, feeling-sorry-for-our- try singers with no roots to plant. Libertarian stance gave him a weird selves whine. Me, I blame us-the Your singer is Remitti (alt. spelling middle ground from which to pound fans-for baseball's stupid predica- Rimitti), a 78-year-old Algerian rai ideologies across the spectrum. ment of high ticket and concession singer whose unabashed declaration What's more, it was fun seeing who prices, owners who feel no compunc- of war on this man's, man's, man's, from the ranks ofCelebritydom real- tion for plundering public coffers for man's world has forced her into exile ly knew their shit, and who were taxpayer-funded stadiums, and play- in France. \{hether recording with there only because their publicists ers who're mostly out of touch with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers thought it a good career move. working people making often hun- and the Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray . Speaking of PI, The Coup's Boots was dreds of times less than they do. or issuing traditional Algerian one of the show's last controversial There's strength in numbers, fellow albums, Remitti sings of women's guests. He was one of the ganged-up- fans. If not us changing the game, political, cultural and sexual libera- ons-for being a Red and for the then who? tion. since-altered burning-WTC artwork No big recording artist has come out Englishman Attila the Stockbroker of the band's latest, excellear album fervently against Dubya's anti-evildo- has been a touring, recording, Party Music. Standing up to other ers initiative. Well, okay, one-see political- organizing, socialist, soccer- guests' childish hectoring, Boots the next-to-last item below. Many of devotee rabble-rouser for twenty declared himself a communist on the usual suspects are doing their years. Last year he completed his first national TV and succinctly got his usual yeoman's work-Midnight Oil, ever US tour, co-headlining with TV points across. It was interesting see- Public Enemy, Michael Franti, and Smith, lead singer of the London '77 ing how unnerved people get when the thousands of grassroots under- punk legends The Adverts ("Gary an eloquent Red says it loud and ground cultural activists. Bruce Gilmore's Eyes"). Both troubadours, proud. Springsteen could have with The appearing solo but for a series of New Rising but instead of the intensity of York shows with The Spunk Lads and

40 FREEDOM ROAD At 78, Remitti lays down more fire than We miss Joe. Bad any roomful of young rockers. Road stafl -Freedom

the Last Burning Embers, played low seduction of the hard-hitting sets filled with anti-glob- American Dream as work- alizationl pro - worker/counter- ing-class locals fight materialism songs. Attila and Smith mega-bucks developers on hit you over the head, but they're so Florida's Gold Coast. charming and humorous you never Last September saw the feel the welts. Their web URLs are release of the Album Most their names dot com. Likely To Cook A Guy's The best political band in England Ass But Good. The guy right now is Asian Dub Foundation. with the cooked ass is Steve From Rafi's Revenge to 2000's Earle, who continues his Community Music, ADF cranks out streak of albums packed discs that meld South Asian bhangra with integrity, strength, with bass-hea\y reggae and de la daring, soul, eloquence and Rocha-style political raps for songs politics aimed at whole about immigrant struggles in Britain, segments of US society- globalization, US bullying, racial sol- middle-American middle- idarity (I didn't say uniry), and the and working-class country fans- going or, too many struggles. struggle to free Satpal Ram, a south that no one else tries to sing lefty Strummer would be the first to say, Asian man who was beaten by cops songs for. The ass-cooking album is "Right, on with it, then." His seminal and arrested for a murder he didn't ferusalem, and it includes a breath- political punk band The Clash influ- commit. (Ram, after enormous pres- taking collection of songs aimed at enced countless activists, musicians, sure led in good part by ADF, was US malfeasance (from the "Drug kids, oldsters, beat and dub poets, freed last year after a decade in War" to the "War on Tbrror") and writers, students and workers to take prison, but the charges have yet to be includes "John Walker's Blues," a the path less chosen. Strummer did dropped.) ADF's next album, due in song that has drawn howls of protest himself, finding treasures of the heart early 2003, will include a guest spot from conservatives and other numb- and old ghost songs on paths still too from Sinead O'Connor. It should be nuts who never even heard it before coarse for most of us. He did the hard in your collection the day it's issuing their own American fatwahs. work so that we could make sense of released. Their previous albums "lohn Walker's Blues" seeks to this out-of-control world. should already be. understand the "American Taliban's" The most frustrating thing is, over motives and misappropriation of Thank Che for ]ohn Sayles, who the last few years, Strummer wasn't newfound faith, and to put a face on wrote his recent film, Sunshine State, done-he'd hit his groove again, America's current fave faceless in a fever of disgust at the outcome of putting out fabulous albums (Roc( enemy. the 2000 Bush/Supreme Court coup. Art and the X-Ray Style and Global A Ostensibly about the Florida real- For that, of course, contemporary Go-Go) that pointed a new way- estate industry, Sunshine State is a war-obsessed US citizens have called meshing punk with worldbeat, chronicle of corruption and the hol- their own jihad and want Earle's head politics and the heart, broad complex on a pike. At the same time, for those notions with singular, blistering of us who need powerful, soulful elo- stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Whe- quence telling the truth in song, ther celebrating multiculti by way of Earle's lerusalem is an empowering the dozens ofdifferent ethnic restau- act. Get the CD-for yourself and to rants around the corner from the prove that voices that dare to sing recording studio, or urging us to take songs don't just do it in a only what we could carry from our ILr"'JJ]ar past and move on to new ideas, ener- gies and dreams, Strummer was the Finally, the last and most heartbreak- ' voice that got us through. ing news of 2002: loe Strummer is dead. Maybe whole column this And now the bastard with the biggest should've been eulogy. a In a fair heart in punk rock is gone. It was that world, this whole magazine would've been a eulogy. But there's too much Continued on page 45

Asian Dub Foundation. "World Music" that doesn't go on the racks next to Enya. Drrururs 0'NtrL

anels, religious selices, exhibi- ter of that Moratorium was dispropor- County Sheriffs Department launched tions, performances, radio tionately white, reflecting the culture an attack without warning, clubbing and programs and a spirited rally of and politics of its liberal and pacifist firing massive amounts of teargas. A several hundred gave Los Angeles a organlzers. massive battle erupted as young mar- pronounced political tone last August. Chicano activists from a wide range shals were joined by other march The week of activities celebrated of community groups realized that to participants in trying to protect the chil- the anniversary of the Chicano mobilize anti-war sentiment in their dren and older community members Moratorium of August 29, 1970, a communities, they needed activities who were marching. Most marchers mighty eruption of mass anger that was that were based in the community and were able to escape, pulled into the open attacked in a police riot. addressed its particular demands and doors of homes and businesses. The bat- The Chicano Moratorium had varied struggles. Two earlier Chicano tle raged on, with Chicanos facing gas, roots. Most important was the rising Moratoriums were held, small but batons shields and gunfire, armed only Chicano National Movement, whose attracting attention each time. with sticks and bottles and fists. Police 1960s resurgence began with the strug- The August 29 Moratorium marked a cars were reduced to smoking scrap. gle of California and Texas farmworkers major breakthrough. Movement veter- Two demonstrators, Lyn Ward and for union recognition and had grown to ans looking back at it always point out Brown Beret member Angel Diaz, died a broad movement for civil rights and that Chicanos were then 6% of the pop- at the hands of the police. justice, with strong nationalist and rev- ulation, but 20o/o of the US casualties in The battle had wound down and an olutionary components-like the Black Vietnam. A long tradition of military uneasy quiet settled over East LA when Liberation Movement which helped service and cultural machismo were the worst blow hit. Ruben Salazar, a inspire it. being exploited by the rulers of this pioneering Chicano journalist who was Its immediate inspiration was the country to garner cannon fodder. The news director for KMEX-TV and a Vietnam Moratorium, the most mas- few "mainstream" leaders of Mexican columnist for the LA Times, widely sive mobilization against that war, descent had almost unanimously upheld respected as an outspoken voice for la the war on the Vietnamese people. gente, was relaxing with a beer in a joint By August of 1970, Chicanos were called the Silver Dollar Caf6 after the saying " B asta"-enough. When the 29th police rampage. An Anglo Sheriffs arrived, contingents poured into LA Deputy named Tom Wilson fired a ten- from all over Aztlan, the national terri- inch teargas projectile into the bar at tory of the Chicano people-from the point blank range, hitting Salazar in the Bay Area, San Diego and as far afield as head and killing him instantly. An Texas and Colorado. Grim determina- inquest found Salazar had been the vic- tion was matched by growing jubilation tim of a homicide-but Wilson was as thousands took to the streets, despite never charged with anythingl scorching heat. There were press conferences and Banners were everywhere. A major protests in the days that followed, but slogan was "Our War is Not in no one had any doubt, no one in the Vietnam, It is here at Home!" (iNuestra Chicano Nation and no one in the Guerra es Aqui!) Some carried flags fea- US government, that things had Tens of thousands of Chicanas and Chicanos from all turing the Virgin of Guadalupe. At least changed forever. The Chicano National over Aztl6n, the Southwest, converged on Los Angeles for the Moratorium. as many marched with the flag on the Movement came of age in the Chicano National Liberation Front of South Moratorium, and the Vietnam War and which took place in many thousands of Vietnam, concretely displaying the the system that spawned it faced a pow- localities around the country on understanding that like the Vietnamese, erful new enemy. Within Aztl6n, a October 15, 1.969. The idea of putting Chicanos were an oppressed people revolutionary vision that resonated aside the daily functions of life-school, fighting for tierra y libertad. At over with the working class majority had work, shopping, etc.-to protest gained 30,000, it was the largest Chicano come to the fore. an amazing following. The rallies, demonstration ever. La Raza knew that Readers who are good at math may marches, candlelight vigils and so on history was being made. have noticed that these weeklong proved that the people of the US were As the march proceeded on Whittier Chicano Moratorium observances prepared to stand up in the millions Boulevard, the main drag of East LA, a against the war. Still, the overall charac- police cordon started to close. The LA Continued on page 45

FREEDOM Rt]AD Bv Ttnny Brssorl

He wants to get a look at the cops and of a true believer. She watches, shaking their supporters across the road, behind her head as the Governor walks to the a grim wall of troopers. front of the prison and puts one hand They all carry signs-FRY IN HELL. on the big, spot-lighted switch. SEE YOU IN HELL. BURN IN HELL. "Grandstanding son of a bitch," she It's almost over. "How original," mutters the woman. repeats under her breath. Everything, sooner or later, is over. The reporter is surprised to see that she It's 11:57. The crowd outside the prison is get- has followed him through the crowd. It's I l:58. ting bigger and bigger, spilling across "I recognize you," she says. "You The woman's eyes fill with tears. the highway and up the hillsides. were at the trial." He nods. Unfamiliar but oddly welcome tears. It Helicopters hover overhead. Most are "Were you surprised?" has been a long long road, and there is from the networks; several are from the "I'm a newsman. Nothing surprises little left, at this point, to say. European Union, one is from the OAU, me." 11:59. She is surprised to feel the and two are pure security-US Air She ignores his arrogance. "You hand ofthe young reporter finding her Force on loan to the sovereign state of think he was guilty?" own. She squeezes back. Looking up, Pennsylvania. "Of course not. I know he wasn't. she sees his eyes, too, are brimming. Step back. Something's happening. But that was never the main thing to The crowd holds its breath. The There's an ooooh and an aaaaah as a me. The conflict between Black and woman and the reporter, the hundreds line of long sleek limos moves along the white, especially in Philly, especially in around and behind them, the hundreds road toward the front gate. Dignitaries. the '80s, especially between the cops of thousands watching on television The crowd mutters but we all fall back. and the people, had all the characteris- screens around the world. The man in "Amandlal Mandela!" somebody tics of a war. You don't look for guilt or the prison for whom the switch is about shouts. innocence in a war. Or justice." to be pulled is one of those who have "No, that was Ossie Davis." The woman thinks this over. made the world, for better or worse, a "Wasn't that Sistah Souljah with "Justice." She says with a slight shiver. smaller and closer place. /esse Jackson?" "It's ten of twelve. Imagine how he feels The whole world is watching. "In the purple hat? No that was right now." The governor pulls the switch. There Tutu." The reporter shrugs. "Individual sur- is a sharp electrical crack as the sole- It's almost twelve. "Was the Governor vival was never his main concern." noids hit. A gasp runs through the with them?" asks a middle-aged woman "Still... you can't help..." crowd, rising to a murmur, then a roar, with anxious tear-stained eyes. WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP drowning out the scattered boos, as the "Are you kidding?" A reporter They both look up as a chopper big steel door slides open and Mumia glances up from his notepad. He looks a skims low across the road and lands in Abu-Iamal walks out, blinking, into the lot like the object of all the excite- front of the wall. There's a roar, mixed unfamiliar noon sunlight. ment-the way he had looked when he, with boos and groans, as the Governor He nods to the state's first Black himself, had been a young reporter. gets out. Governor; waves politely to the waiting Cool, handsome, articulate, full of "Grandstanding son of a bitch," the celebrities, dignitaries, film stars and beans. Not to mention piss and vinegar. woman complains. heads of state; and plunges-smiling- Muyb. too cocky by half. The reporter shrugs again. "Ifyou're straight into the crowd. That girl-killing grin... going to make it an international affair, That no-bullshit, warm but sardonic you can hardly be surprised if politi- Terry Bisson has won the Hugo and Nebula Awards laugh... cians grandstand." for his science-fiction. He is also the author of 0n a Folding his notebook, the reporter Rebuked, the woman shuts up. She Move: The Story of Mumia AbuJamal(Litnwl moves toward the front of the crowd. has the tired shoulders and bright eyes

FREEDO M ROAD 43 Fire Last Time Continued Two Veterans Continued

Elbaum's book sparked some lively feeling suicidal. It's hard to be homo- with the stamp of a true democracy. We debates in our study group. One young phobic after that. I feel that the part of have to understand that "personal" Black woman wondered whether the movement that I came out of has issues cannot be separated from "politi- Marxism was too Eurocentric a founda- paid a price for depriving ourselves of cal" ones. We must figure out a new use tion for revolutionary organizing among insights and lessons from the gay and of power to replace the hierarchical people of color. A Latina replied that per- Iesbian movement. We are only now power structure that can create a"parly haps our outlook was shaped as much by beginning to appreciate some of these elite." Handling power this way ends up Iiving in the US as by being people of lessons, for example, the relationship imitating the oppressor. (This issue is "crisis color and that, at least in Latin America, between "personal" and "political," and what I believe to be part of the of Marxism was an organic part of the polit- how this false division serves the inter- socialism.") I no longer believe that ical culture. At various points people took est of the system. everyone has to be in the same revolu- issue with aspects of Elbaum's analysis- What are some of the lessons tionary organization. We need a his views on nationalism, or the Soviet organizationally from the experience federation or coalition of like-minded Union, or lesse fackson's presidential of belonging to this organization? organizations like FRSO describes in its campaigns. But of far greater interest to "left refoundation" papers. Vicky: Some people have asked me how the study group than the ins and outs of I could have been a member of such a Paul: Between my father and the the various debates that divided the New dogmatic organization. My father was Catholic Church, I was well prepared for Communist Movement, was the fact that an Army sergeant and expected my the authoritarian hierarchy of the it had existed at all-that thousands of brother and me to be good "soldiers." OL/CP(ML). Power and decision mak- young actMsts like ourselves, inspired by Belonging to a dogmatic, authoritarian ing was concentrated at the top in the revolutionary movements in Africa, Asia organization felt very comfortable, con- hands of a few. There was centralism and Latin America, had set out to build sidering the way I 'was raised. I with little or no democrary. It tookyears organizations dedicated to making revo- remember a line in the movie Seeing of therapy and study of feminist theory lutionary change in the US. More than Redwhere they asked these women who to understand patriarchy and the use of any other lesson offered by the book, this had been in the CP in the 1950s if they power to control. My guess is we re-cre- is the one that stood out: organizing for could have accomplished as much as ated in o:ur organizations imitations of revolution is possible. they did if they weren't in that type of our family and school dy.namics. It felt Those who want to build a serious disciplined organization. Their answer familiar. Black feminists like Audre revolutionary movement in the United in the movie, and mine now, would be Lorde talk about the need to deal with States today cannot afford to ignore this "probably not." the internalized oppressor we carry book. Only a fool would want to I now believe we have to have an around inside. Part of what we have to mechanically copy the experiences of organization whose purpose may be the do in the future is develop self-aware- the New Communist Movement in the same, but its culture has to be more ness so we don't repeat mistakes. We 1970s. But only a bigger fool would democratic, less rigid, and allow people have to learn and develop new ways of imagine that there are not important to have a life with the masses outside handling power, decision-making, lessons to be learned from carefully their political life. I believe that accountability and the building of revo- studying those experiences. Elbaum American socialism must be branded lutionary organizations. relates those experiences, from the appearance the first Third of World TheV Wanted Continued Marxist collectives in the late'60s to the last gasps of most of the remaining represented a historical shift in the analysis, that Chicanos were a national organizations in the'80s and'90s, and development of Chicanos and had to be minority, and not an oppressed nation. does so in a manner that is neither sen- taken as the starting point for under- Even many of those that correctly timental nor sectarian. His book is the standing the Chicano Movement. upheld the concept of an oppressed definitive account of an important Black nation seemed to feel that one The Chicano Struggle. the Sunbelt chapter in the recent history of oppressed nation the self- and the Border with right to American radicalism that until now has determination was enough, thank you been ignored or forgotten. Elbaum is not alone in his weakness on very much. this question. The New Communist As arcane as this issue might seem to Christopher Day is the director of the Student Movement gave little theoretical atten- some activists today (if it is considered Resource Center at Hunter College in the City tion to Chicano Liberation. Most at all), it is an extremely relevant issue University of New York. organizations concluded, with little that will influence our efforts to rebuild

44 FREEDOM ROAD Chi c a n o M o rato ri um Continu e d a powerful radical social movement, a Maoism, Elbaum avoids some deeper rejuvenated Left, and new socialist questions about problems within the came on the 32nd anniversary of the organizations: The Chicano struggle, Marxist-Leninist paradigm. By simply original. Although there have been located largely in the Southwest, will Iooking at those groups that subscribed observances of this historic day every inevitably play a major strategic role in to Maoism and those that did not, the year since 1971, such extensive com- any efforts to fundamentally transform striking feature was the commonality of memorations are usually limited to society. The 2000-mile border that the problems, and in many cases, practices. such anniversaries of historic events as Southwest shares with a volatile The New Communist Movement the 25th or the 30th. It is hardly an acci- Mexico, and the central importance of emerged out of a social milieu that pro- dent that this year was marked by such the Sunbelt region to the short and vided a foundation for ultra-leftism. a searching look back at the historic Iong-term survival of US capitalism, Was that ultra-leftism avoidable? events surrounding August 29, 1970- means that the Chicano Liberation Certainly. But in order to avoid that the white supremacist rulers of the US struggle, potentially embracing more ultra-leftism, our movement could have are once again driving to an unjust war than 20 million people, mostly workers, used greater help from prior generations against a Third World country, and the mostly poor, and all oppressed, could of revolutionary theorists and activists. people of the US will once again be be an Achilles'heel for an energy- and More importantly, the New Communist forced to pay a terrible price for it. We Iow-wage dependent capitalism. Movement would have needed to come will need models like the Chicano Whether or not this potential is finally to grips with the crisis of socialism. By Moratorium as we build resistance realized will depend in large part on believing that the problems of the USSR, again-like they did in East LA, back in whether progressives, radicals, and rev- other revolutionary movements, or even the day. olutionaries arc ready to give this the Communist Party USA were pri- movement the serious study and sup- marily problems of insufficient political Dennis 0'Neil has been around long enough to port that it requires-theoretically as will to move in the right direction, we remember the jolt the Chicano l\,4oratorium gave the well as practically. If there is one impor- laid ourselves wide open to fall into vol- movement against the Vietnam War. tant lesson from the New Communist untarist theory and practice. Locomotion Continued Movement that I would like to add to Maoism broke new ground in asking Elbaum's pioneering analysis, that tough questions that the international very heart that gave out at age 50. The would be it. communist movement had largely last song he wrote was a benefit raising feared facing. It offered the inspiration of awareness about AIDS in Africa. The last Bill Gallegos is Coordinator of the 0ppresed a courageous revolutionary practice-in show he did was a benefit for the strick- Nationalities Commission of the Freedom Road China as well as other countries. Yet, ing British firefighters that he paid for Soclalist 0rganization. while several of the communist parties out of his own pocket. His coffin was that made a critique of the Soviet experi- festooned with stickers saying "Question "Vinyl Maoism Continued ence from the right (e.g., the Italian Authority" and Rules." Communist Party, the French) were for A couple of years ago, Strummer was question within the traditional Marxist- their own reasons prepared to call into speaking about The Clash, but his Leninist paradigm. And, when faced question many of the fundamentals of remarks have utter relevance for the with the chaos at a certain stage in the Leninism (as transpired during the 1970s political movements some of us belong Cultural Revolution, retreated from and early to mid 1980s with the develop- to: "At least we had the suss to embrace even asking the question. This, I would ment of what came to be known as what we were presented with, and that suggest, had international theoretical "Eurocommunism"), Maoism was was the world and all its weird varieties. and practical ramifications for the unprepared to challenge Marxism- Whatever the group is, it was the chemi- development of the revolutionary Left. Leninism from the Left in ways that cal mixture of those four people that advanced revolutionary makes a group work. That's a lesson Connlrsion could have a (rather than social democratic) project. everyone should learn: 'don't mess with There is certainly much more that can Thus, and contrary to Elbaum, we owe a it.' If it works, do whatever you have to do and should be said about Maoism. This debt of gratitude to Maoism for opening to bring it forward. But don't mess with it. essay is only a minor contribution up a door through which we must now And we learned that lesson bitterly." toward that discussion. We should con- pass, even ifas a theory it could only take Slan agus beannacht, Joe. clude, however, by reiterating the the first steps. earlier point about the source of the Scott lV X Turner plays guitar with The Devil's problems of the New Communist Khalil Hassan is a long-time labor activist and socialist. Advocates and his alter-ego, Bloody Dick, does the Movement. By pinning the blame on same for the seminal punk legends The Spunk Lads LUCHA . AUTO-DETERMINACI6N SOCIALISMO

#3 !TUIERilO 2003 a muchos grupos de izquierda confun- Al Enfrentarnos a una Nueva Guerra, No didos y desilusionados. La combinaci6n de todos estos factores dej6 al movimiento sujeto a las respuestas 0lvidemos las Lecciones de 0tras Guerras espontiineas y emocionales en vez de hacer an6lisis mds objetivo de la tropas murieron, Una vez que comen- situaci6n. 26, la mayoria de la poblaci6n de Ios Analizar las Posibilidades A"*tffiix'.l?'".#xlriT Estados Unidos apoy6 alpresidente, y el Cnrrcnlemonlc Aunque enfrentan una creciente movimiento anti-guerra se esfum6. El resistencia mundial y voces disidentes sentimiento abrumador dentro del La tendencia comfn y natural de los aun dentro de las filas de la misma clase movimiento era el del fracaso. activistas que luchan hoy contra un gobernante, las fuerzas de Bush siguen Este sentimiento general cay6 en un nuevo ataque a Irak es una vez m6s en su marcha hacia la guerra. error. Estuvo basado en un error de ide- proclamar que enfrentamos un nuevo Este es uno de los momentos hist6ri- alismo filos6fico-de subestimar el rol Vietnam en el Medio Oriente. Pero cos que tiene grandes repercusiones. Las de las condiciones en que estaba el debemos ver la primera Guerra del decisiones y acciones que se tomen mundo y sobreestimar nuestra capaci- Golfo Pdrsico como algo mucho mds durante los meses siguientes determi- dad limitada de cambiar esas parecida a lo que enfrentamos hoy. nar6n la forma que tomar6 la izquierda condiciones. A pesar de que una gran Hacerlo de otra manera podria tener en los pr6ximos aflos. Las organiza- divisi6n en el movimiento y errores en nuevamente consecuencias desastrosas ciones que fallan en diagnosticar la dar demasiada importancia a las bajas para nosotr@s en el futuro. Si Bush y situaci6n y den un paso en falso ser6n estadounidenses, construimos un sus socios no tienen tanta suerte, la empujadas a una (mayor) irrelevancia, movimiento grande y 1o hicimos rripi- situaci6n despuds de una invasi6n y y las que escojan estrategias adecuadas do; sin embargo, en retrospectiva, no ocupaci6n podria bien degenerar en se afianzar6n m6s. iUn Nuevo Vietnam. o una Nueva Grerra dcl Golfn Pr6rsicn? Debemos estar pendientes de !a probabilidad de !a Yo recuerdo la melancolia en la que muchos grupos progresistas quedaron sobre-extensi6n imperialista en el futuro. atrapados despu6s de las matanzas ocurridas en el desierto iraqui en el invierno de 1991. Tom6 aflos para muchos del movimiento el poder salirse habia modo alguno para parar la guerra algo mucho mis desastroso, pero la del Sindrome de la Guerra del Golfo y no importa lo que hici6ramos. Si el guerra inicial es propensa a verse mds comenzar a construir de nuevo. En cier- movimiento hubiera esparcido un como ia de 1991 que como la de 1971. ta medida, esto probablemente era anilisis basado en esta realidad, el No dejemos que la desesperanza nos inevitable, pero mucho de ello pudo movimiento durante los '90s hubiera gane nuevamente. haber sido evitado si m6s activistas salido mejor. A pesar del hecho que la oposici6n es hubieran analizado objetivamente las lPor qu6 no desarroll6 el movimien- m6s grande que la de hace una d6cada, condiciones que enfrentdbamos. to un anilisis m6s acertado en la enfrentamos a un r6gimen aferrado a Advertimos que la guerra iba a ser primera Guerra del Golfo? No tuvo la atacar a Irak. Y a pesar de todos los horrible y sangrienta para los Estados oportunidad. Habia pocos modos de (acertados) chistes que hacemos acerca Unidos. Seria un nuevo Vietnam; Ios esparcir tal an6lisis, enraizado en un de qu6 tonto "Dubya" (Bush) es, su 169- cadiiveres de miles de soldados iban a punto de vista materialista-dial6ctico de imen est6 repleto de gente con planes ser regresados a casa en bolsas para las experiencias del movimiento. Ihe visionarios para el control geopolitico restos humanos. (Este 6nfasis estuvo Guardian, el tan extraflado peri6dico de de la regi6n productora de petr6leo m6s basado en parte en Ia mentira propaga- Izquierda, estaba por desaparecer. El importante del mundo, y est6n dis- da por la clase dominante de gue el Internet estaba en un estado de puestos a sufrir p6rdidas politicas a movimiento contra la guerra en gestaci6n. No habia (ni hay) partidos corto plazo para llevar a cabo dichos Vietnam menospreciaba a los soldados izquierdistas grandes. EI bloque sovi6ti- planes. Esto no significa que no les vaya norteamericanos, en vez de unirse a su co se estaba desmoronando y la clase a salir el tiro por la culata despuds de un resentimiento y rebeldia.). Despu6s los gobernante de Estados Unidos estaba par de meses. Pero el hecho es que nues- Estados Unidos atacaron v s6lo 133 declarando el fin de la historia, dejando tras fuerzas limitadas pueden tener s6lo

2 FREEDOIVI BOAD un impacto limitado en este momento. bien. Una de las ironias del momento que podemos aprender y que ojal6 Es seguro que debemos trabajar tan actual es que los grupos como el Partido podamos desarrollar mas adelante. podamos (Revolu- duro como para frenar la Revolucionario Comunista Sar Ruonnc Ecftrdianloc guerra, pero tampoco debemos tener tionary Communist Party) y El Partido grandes ilusiones de poder lograr esa de los Obreros del Mundo (Worker's Un andlisis dialdctico-materialista nos meta. Sin embargo, mientras que orga- World Party), que han sido conocidos ensefla lo que la gente aprende de la nizamos debemos estar pendientes de Ia por tener dificultad en trabajar bien con prictica: de los esfuerzos por tratar de probabilidad de la sobre-extensi1n impe- otros grupos, esten ilevdndose bien, cambiar el mundo aprendemos qud rialista en el futuro. A lo mejor no mientras que los grupos pacifistas tradi- funciona y qu6 no, cu6les ideas son podremos parar esta guerra, pero nos cionales que se pueden considerar a si acertadas y cudles otras no 1o son. El podemos preparar para aprender lo m6s mismos como no sectarios, tienden a movimiento anti-guerra actual ya ha que se pueda sobre ella porque puede pelear muy frecuentemente de nuevo absorbido algunas de las lecciones de los haber muchas mds. Corea del Norte ya viejas disputas con las fuerzas de la previos movimientos anti-guerra: Las Ies ha dado una buena muestra de esto. misma izquierda. manifestaciones grandes son insufi- Uno de los potenciales puntos fuertes cientes organizaci6n local. Gonstruir 0rganizaci6n, sin la del en esta ocasi6n es que Construir un Frenle lJnido movimiento Necesitamos instituciones de comuni- el anti-imperialismo est6 mucho mds caci6n masiva para la izquierda, tales Otra lecci6n para aprender de nuestras propagado que en 1991, cuando como el War Times (Tiempos de fuerzas limitadas es que de veras necesi- muchos grupos se inclinaban m6s por el Guerra), listas de correos electr6nicos, tamos mucho m6s organizaci6n. Miis chauvinismo social-yalorando m6s a Indymedia, Common Dreams (Sueflos organizaci6n de gente en las comu- nuestra propia gente que a Ia de Irak. Comunes). Nuevas formas de organi- nidades locales, en las colonias, en las (El desarrollo del movimiento por la zaci6n como Racial Iustice 9-11 escuelas. Mds sectores de la poblaci6n justicia global durante los '90s es prob- (Justicia Racial 9- I 1) y US Labor integrados. M6s alianzas y redes ablemente una de las principales Against the War (Sindicatos nacionales. Organizaciones revolu- razones por tal situaci6n). Debemos Estadounidenses contra la Guerra) son cionarias mds grandes y miis fuertes. Todo esto necesita tiempo para crecer, por supuesto; no hay f6rmulas secretas. 56lo hay una demanda que seamos Pase lo que pase en las pr6ximas semanas y en los implacables en el construir organi- zaci6n, a todos los niveles. pr6ximos meses, !a cosa m6s importante que podemos El movimiento contra Ia guerra ha sido particularmente lento en desarrol- hacer es aprender de las batallas que peleemos y larse en las comunidades de nacionalidades oprimidas por diversas esforzarnos para pelear aun meior la pr6xima vez. razones. Pero aquellos activistas que dan un paso hacia adelante estdn encontrando una buena respuesta. Por hacer lo que podamos para esparcir el importantes. Debemos evitar caer en ejemplo, cuando "La Organizaci6n andlisis anti-imperialista a Io largo y declarar que el mundo est6 por Popular por el Progreso" (People's ancho del movimiento. La ret6rica acabarse, Conectar la guerra a los efec- Organization for Progress) de Nueva despotricada y desvariada, sin embargo, tos politicos y econdmicos que tenemos lersey, un grupo basado principalmente no es buen sustituto por un lenguaje en casa es clave. Debemos basar nuestra en la comunidad afroamericana de que la gente ya a entender. Adem6s, organizaci6n anti-guerra en las necesi- Newark, decidieron protestar contra la debemos evitar el demandar que un dades particulares de cada comunidad. guerra, algunos miembros temian que anilisis puro anti-imperialista sea la Y asi consecuentemente. esta actividad los desviara de su labor base de la unidad para cualquier tipo de Pase 1o que pase en las pr6ximas sem- contra la brutalidad policiaca. Pero el coalici6n o alianza que deseemos con- anas y en los pr6ximos meses, la cosa evento estuvo mejor de 1o que los mis- struir. Nuestra tarea es Ia de construir m6s importante que podemos hacer es mos proponentes esperaban, y eso un frente unido, conjtntando todas las aprender de las batallas que peleemos y convenci6 al grupo de hacer de este fuerzas que sea posible unirse contra el esforzarnos para pelear aun mejor la tema uno de sus enfoques principales. r6gimen de guerra de Bush. Unidos por pr6xima vez. Esa es la rinica manera en Es mds importante que nunca que las la Paz y Iusticia, una red nacional de que nos podemos volver 1o suficiente- diversas fuerzas izquierdistas dejen de una amplia gama de grupos que traba- mente fuertes para derrotar a este un lado el sectarismo y que se lleven jan contra la guerra, es un modelo de monstruo con el que estamos luchando.

FREEDO M ROAD n la maflana del 1l de ramos nuestros temores para poder hacia el sur para alejarnos del peligro, Septiembre, me despert6 con la ayrrdar a los dem6s. yo, con la nina entre mis brazos, y una ahora famosa imagen de las tor- Despuds el panorama cambi6, nue- madre que estaba tratando de balancear res gemelas incendiadas en la pantalla stros corazones se detuvieron, el miedo por su vida, y confianza en mi de mi televisor. Siendo un paramddico volteamos hacia arriba y vimos una para cuidar de su nifla. de emergencia de la ciudad de Nueva enorme nube negra cubri6ndolo todo, y El 11 de Septiembre fue un dia muy York, he tenido extensa capacitaci6n y comenz6 a llover piedra. Primero largo. Cuando la segunda torre se entrenamiento para actuar ante diver- fueron guijarros, luego rocas, luego colaps6, me heri, pero queria continuar sos tipos de desastres y bombardeos, columnas de hierro. Todos corrimos al.udando. Habia cuatro hombres de derrames quimicos y derrumbes de para protegernos, unos nos ocultamos nuestro escuadr6n que estaban en esas construcciones. Creci en la era de bajo camiones de bomberos y ambulan- torres y que ahora estaban desapareci- Reagan y Bush, y estaba acostumbrado cias, y otros corrieron hacia el edificio dos. Otro habia sido rescatado del a ver imdgenes de violencia en la t.v.- m6s cercano. Mientras corria, mi casco primer derrumbe cuando ya tenia que Nicaragua, Panam6, la guerra del Golfo. se me cay6 al ser golpeado por un peda- escapar del segundo derrumbe. Otras Pero esa maflana todo eso se torn6 bor- zo de escombro. Inmediatamente personas estaban como yo, heridos, roso, y cada imagen que presenci6 se despu6s lleg6 la ola impactante que nos pero sin decir nada por temor de que se convirti6 en lo que ha sido el dia m6s lanz6 al aire, seguida de una absoluta los llevaran de la zona cero por estar profundamente doloroso de mi vida. oscuridad. heridos. Mientras me ponia mi uniforme, Estaba respirando a travds de mi Decisiones de Vida o Mrcrlc recogia mi equipo y manejaba al centro camisa a punto de asfixiarme, cada de Manhattan, podia ver las espesas respiro llevaba m6s polvo y cenizas a "1C6mo pudieron saltar?" me pregun- nubes de humo negro avanzando hacia mis pulmones. El sonido de columnas taron. Una hora antes, ellos eran, el mar. "Estamos bajo ataque," decia la de hierro cayendo era tremendo, tal digamos, cocineros en las Ventanas al radio. Am6rica estaba siendo atacada. como el rugido de las ambulancias Mundo, que s6lo intentaban tener un Estaba muriendo gente inocente, y incendiadas, toda la gente a nuestro salario decente para alimentar a sus nadie entendia por qud ahora, por qud alrededor gritaba pidiendo asistencia, familias y hacerla de algtin modo. Y aqui, por qu6 nosotros. yo les pedia que permanecieran tran- tuvieron que escoger entre quemarse Llegu€ al lugar de los hechos, y ripi- quilos. Tan pronto como lo negro se hasta la muerte, o saltar. Personas atra- damente encontrd a mi Teniente. convirti6 en marr6n, unimos nuestros padas en algo mucho m6s grande que Comenzamos a hacer una estaci6n de brazos con cada persona que encon- ellas mismas, pero forzadas, sin embar- tratamiento a unos cien pies de la torre trdbamos, y caminamos iluminados por go a tomar esa dura decisi6n. ";C6mo suri intentando ayrdar a la gente a ale- los incendios. Tuvimos que lavarnos los pudieron saltar?" jarse de la zona. Podiamos ya oir el ojos, dar oxigeno yvendar a los heridos, El 9 de Octubre de 2001, George W. sonido de los cuerpos que caian y que y movilizar a los que podian caminar Bush comenz6 a bombardear goipeaban el piso. Podiamos ver los fuera del 6rea afectada. Yo llevaba a una Afganistiin. Y unos dias mis tarde, restos de gente en el pavimento a nue- ninita en mis brazos para trasladarla a destruy6 una bodega de alimentos de la stro alrededor. Pero nos teniamos que un bote de rescate, cuando Ia segunda Cruz Roja, un mercado lleno de civiles concentrarnos en nuestra labor, e igno- torre se derrumb6. Todos corrimos inocentes, y una oficina donde cuatro

4 FREEDOM ROAD trabajadores de las Naciones Unidas "Union Square." Al anochecer habia bien nuestros propios prospectos eran estaban coordinando esfuerzos para una vigilia creciente. Y al dia siguiente, inciertos, tomamos la lucha contra la quitar minas en Afganist6n, el pais m6s habia una escena de flores y velas, mrlsi- matanza de m6s gente inocente-y des- minado del mundo. En una semana, 6l ca y lilgrimas, historias y miradas de cubrimos que no est6bamos solos. No habia logrado que la mayoria de agen- reconocimiento. Prontamente hubo preguntas sobre ";Por cu6nto cias de ayuda humanitaria se vayan de aparecieron simbolos d,e paz en las tiempo tendremos que hacer esto?" o ese pais. Y para contrarrestar las criticas, paredes. La gente comenz6 a reunirse ";En realidad podemos cambiar estas Bush puso en marcha su diminuto pro- en sus barrios, iglesias, casas. De esto politicas?" Primero vino el m6s profun- grama de asistencia alimenticia, la cual surgi6 el comienzo del movimiento do impulso, el deseo de parar tanta ha sido ampliamente criticada por las anti-guerra, judios empezaron a vol- injusticia y tomar Ia responsabilidad en propias agencias humanitarias. untarear, a acompaflar a musulmanes y la lucha. Primero fue el compromiso de Entonces lleg6 el momento en el cual a 6rabes que no eran musulmanes para hacerlo y luego las preguntas de c6mo los afganos tuvieron que tomar una garantizar su seguridad en las calles. hacerlo. decisi6n: Morirse de hambre: sin mer- Veteranos guerra de la de Vietnam Fnfrcnlando la Realidad cados, fuentes de alimentos, o bien, comenzaron a compartir sus experien- arriesgarse a ser dinamitados por Ia cias con gente de mi edad, quienes Mientras escribo esto, casi un aflo minas en su intento de alcanzar o apenas est6bamos entrando en Ia despu6s, puedo afn recordar cada locaTizar los escasos alimentos que les escuela secundaria cuando acontecia la instante de aqu6l dia, y las siguientes arrojaron en las zonas de peligro. Unas Guerra del Golfo. Organizaciones que semanas de brisquedas. Recuerdo cuan- semanas antes, esta gente estaba traba- nunca se habian conocido entre si, o do identificaron los cuerpos de nuestros jando diariamente, intentando que habian tenido tensiones entre ellas, hermanos y hermanas caidos, uno de alimentar a sus familias y mejorar sus comenzaron a llevar a cabo diversos ellos tan reciente como hace unas pocas vidas. Y ahora sus vidas estaban siendo proyectos juntas. Muchas veces esto se semanas. Y sigo sintiendo el mismo alteradas, por una guerra de la cual no debia a que las p6rdidas personales eran dolor, p6rdida, confusi6n, rabia, y pena sabian nada. mas poderosas que las diferencias que senti en esos instantes. Todavia lo politicas. Acatando Responsahilidades veo en los ojos de otros param6dicos Antes de que cualquiera de nosotros que estuvieron ahi conmigo, y los ros- Despu6s de que la torre norte se der- lo supiera, 6ramos un movimiento. Y tros de las personas que perdieron a sus rumb6, yo me encontr6 con la nina en nos sentlmos crecer como un familiares y seres queridos a causa de las mis brazos, pero su madre ya no estaba. movimiento. Decenas de miles en explosiones. No era posible que yo me hiciera cargo Washington, y tambi6n en Times En la televisi6n veo que las ambulan- de ella, habia tanta gente herida, y Square. Y m6s importante afn, cientos cias Palestinas son atacadas, que muchas mds cosas que hacer. Me dirigi de eventos pequeflos en pueblos y ciu- param6dicos, iguales a mi son asesina- hacia un grupo de gente que se habia dades a lo largo del pais, con una dos por soldados israelies, aunque congregado en un refugio temporario consigna clara, "No lo hagan en nuestro lleven en sus espaldas a niflos asmdticos que habiamos instalado. "2Hay alguien nombre" y "Nuestro dolor no es una que necesitan asistencia inmediata. Leo que pueda cuidar a esta nifla?" Del petici6n de guerra." que Bush quiere invadir Irak, contra la grupo de gente sali6 una seflora de edad En cada lugar, gente de muy diversas opini6n de la mayoria de los aliados de y la tom6 de mis brazos. ;Por cuinto nacionalidades se unian para detener la Estados Unidos y de la ONU, sabiendo tiempo tendria que cuidar de ella? injusticia donde la vieran: la Guerra de que las mujeres est6n dando a htz a ;C6mo se protegeria a si misma y a la Bush contra el Terrorismo. Arin cuando niflos con malformaciones fisicas nifla al mismo tiempo? fueran advertidos por el Secretario de debido a las armas radioactivas usadas Para ella, no existian dilemas de raza, Prensa de la Casa Blanca, Ari Fleischer, por los Estados Unidos. Y oigo de la de g6nero, clase o religi6n. Nunca me quien les dijo que "mejor se fijaran en lo "ayuda" de armas cada vez mayor a pidi6 algo a cambio, su rostro nunca se que estaban diciendo." En algunos Colombia y a las Filipinas en la "Guerra vio en los peri6dicos como una heroina. lugares, este creciente movimiento contra el Terror," mientras miles de EIla simplemente se present6 y tom6 la encontr6 resentimiento y rechazo, Pero campesinos y obreros que luchan con- responsabiJidad de cuidar una pequena en muchos otros, la realidad de la tra Ia pobreza y \a enfermedad ven vida en una situaci6n en la cual su opini6n priblica mostr6 su verdadero masacrar a sus lideres. propia seguridad corria peligro. Y 1o rostro: Muchos tenian temor de hablar En cada noticia que leo sobre un hizo sin titubear siquiera. contra la guerra, pero con el crecimien- nuevo bombardeo, con cada nueva Despu6s de unas horas de los to del movimiento pro paz se hicieron ataques, la gente empez6 a reunirse en oir muchas voces mds. Sin dudar, si Continuado en la pdgina 1l

FREEDO M ROAD Entrevista Exclusiva c0n

el Comandante Raril Beyes

der FARC

a FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Todos los esfuerzos e ideas son buenos. do-Ed.) La UP tuvo cerca de 5,000 de Reyolucionarias de Colombia), a Hemos recibido expresion es de apoyo sus miembros asesinados por el hecho lpesar de la salvaje represi1n por por parte de muchas organizaciones, de pensar diferente que los tradicionales parte del gobierno Colombiano, los ONG's y otros que luchas por la justicia partidos liberales y conservadores-por escuadrones de la muerte y las fuerzas social, pidiendo al gobierno y a las FARC buscar soluciones sin recurrir a la lucha militarcs de los EE.UU., sigue haciendo la que continrien buscando maneras de armada, por buscar una Colombia insurgencia guerrillera de mds duraci6n sobrepasar sus diferencia s y hacer la paz mejor que la que tenemos hoy. En 6ste para la liberaciln nacional en el mundo. con justicia una prioridad, como que riltimo aio, m6s de 100 sindicalistas En una zona de Colombia controlada por Colombia proclama, sabiendo que la fueron asesinados sin encontrar la FARC, Martin Eder entrevist1 uno de guerra s6lo traerf destrucci6n y muerte, siquiera un solo responsable. Y hay los lideres principales del grupo en el afio pasado para la revista Camino de Libertad. gente Gracias por blindarme su tiempo en Primero, reconocer que las FARC es un pueblo, con medio de esta crisis nacional. Diganos cual es su papel y posici6n con las armas, las FARG es una revoluci6n, una organizaci6n fuerzas armadas? politica Gon metas trazadas para la lucha, precisamente Soy miembro secretarial del comando central de las fuerzas armadas, respons- porque el Estado Golombiano no protege los derechos de able de los didlogos con el gobierno y cabeza de las relaciones externas de las los ciudadanos. fuerzas armadas. Desde su punto de vista, c6mo podria Ia comunidad internacional ayudar en retraso en la soberania y pdrdida de dig- campesinos y gente que muere an6ni- el proceso de paz a Golombia? nidad para los pobres de este pais. mamente, incluyendo maestros de primaria trabajadores, Ve Ud. AIguna contradiccir6n entre una y secundaria, y La comunidad internacional ha estado lucha armada, para transformar la por el hecho de querer contribuir a la involucrada, hemos tenido ayuda de sociedad y meta encontrar lapaz? paz social, son asesinados. El problema Francia y tambi6n una representante de es que los derechos politicos son elimi- la OtN Cofee Anah, quienes quieren En Colombia ha habido muchos inten- nados. Esto ha ocasionado que gente continuar como facilitadores para pre- tos para alcanzar el objetivo de la paz que quiera luchar por la justicia social venir el t6rmino del proceso por parte de politica, atn a trav6s de representaci6n no tenga otra opci6n m6s que seguir la los enemigos delapaz, a quienes les gus- politica y arin por parte del Ejecutivo, lucha armada. Pero ninguno de taria que estos diiilogos no siguieran miis. pero la mayoria de los que lo han inten- nosotros los que estamos en las FARC, 0u6 podriamos hacer nosottos que tado, han sido asesinados. De los cargamos una arma porque nos guste luchamos por los Derechos Humanos ejemplos m6s recientes estii el de la estar en la guerra, sino porque no (un para contribuir al proceso de la paz? Uni6n Patri6tica partido legal, de hemos encontrado otra alternativa para izquierda, que gan6 muchos votos pero luchar por nuestros objetivos, El funda- su candidato presidencial fue asesina- mento de nuestra causa es alcanzar la

FREEDOM ROAD paz real, la que el pais quiere. hay errores que conllevan a otros resulta- que hemos estado discutiendo con el 0u6 diria ahora que Colombia figura dos-la violaci6n de derechos humanos. gobierno durante 3 aflos. Uno de los grandes problemas de como uno de Ios paises donde Ios i0u6 piensa de que el presidente Colombia es la falsedad, manipu- derechos humanos han sido violados la Pastrana d6 ordenes de ataque, haga laci6n de los medios de comunicaci6n, miis que en cualquier otro Iugar de las priblico que hay nuevo armamento mil- donde no son dticos en lo absoluto, Am6ricas-qu6 dirias a la gente que son itar estadounidense, y movilice las parciales y confunden a la gente. Los sefiala y dice: "Mira, Ias FARC no son fuerzas armadas a6reas, y anuncie una medios en nuestro pais pertenecen a ex un buen ejemplo de derechos pt6xima invasi6n en 48 horas? humanos-entendiendo que ningrin presidentes quienes, salvo contadas sel humano, ni Iucha son perfectos- excepciones se benefician a si mismos, y Uno de los mayores problemas de 6ste pero que le dirias a aquella gente que para esto toman a cargo el manejo de gobierno es que ellos piensan que tiene dudas sobre e! camino que las los medios-cumplen con ordenes de pueden intimidar a las FARC. Eso es lo FARC han seguido para luchar por el los propietarios. Asi que, uno de los que siempre han hecho-el uso de ter- cambio social? serios problemas de nuestro pais es la rorismo psicologico para atemorizar a falta de prensa independiente, con 6tica la gente, para que la gente no pida Primero, reconocer que las FARC es un que no sea parte de partidos politicos, aumentos salariales-muy al contrario, pueblo, gente con armas, las FARC es que realmente informe a la poblaci6n. la gente sigue luchando. Si todo el una revoluci6n, una organizaci6n i0u6 tipo de soluci6n, que programa dinero gastado en armamento de guer- politica con metas trazadas para la siguen Ias FARG para desarrollar una ra hubiera sido utilizado para alimentar Iucha, precisamente porque el Estado nueva sociedad, para aquellos que a los ninos muriendo de hambre o para Colombiano no protege los derechos de Ios que quieren estudiar, o para todos aspiran a una sociedad con iusticia los ciudadanos. En Colombia mucha social y un cambio de sistema? los maestros que tienen que luchar para gente muere de hambre, niflos por mal- que les paguen, o para los hospitales que iGu6les son sus plataformas para el nutrici6n, hay muchos niflos en la calle presente y el futuro? estdn cerrando porque no hay subsidio sin educaci6n o comida, y al gobierno del gobierno, las cosas serian distintas... no le importa. Asi que el primer vio- Durante su 8u conferencia las FARC sabemos que hay 30 millones de colom- lador de derechos humanos es el produjieren un programa el cual sigue bianos que est6n sufriendo en la gobierno. Ellos deben proteger a todos teniendo validez para el nuevo gobier- pobreza, este gente esperando por Ios seres humanos desde su nacimiento no, patri6tico, pluralista y democr6tico alguien que resuelva sus problemas. Los a su muerte. Tenemos ancianos en las con una reconciliaci6n nacional que grandes monopolios son los que quieren Ia guerra.

iOu6 mensaje enviaria a aquellos que trabaian pala que se termine el Plan Esta situacion genera muchas lormas diferentes de lucha Golombia y buscan paz y iusticia social? y una de ellas es la lucha armada. Las FARC estin en cuerpo y alma por la defensa de los derechos de los pobres en calles sin trabajo, o quienes han trabaja- busca m6s que cualquier otra cosa la Colombia. Luchamos por paz, do todas sus vidas sin obtener ningrin democratizaci6n del pais para dar cabi- peleamos por un nuevo orden beneficio para jubilarse. La gente que se da a la participaci6n de todos los econ6mico, contra el neoliberalismo, organiza en sindicatos 6 est6n en el lid- trabajadores, Ios intelectuales, los indi- contra el Plan Colombia-porque estd erazgo de grupos, o en cualquier genas, para que toda la gente ayrde a destruyendo no s6lo el ambiente social, agrupaci6n, est6n reprimidos por los construir el pais que todos queremos. sino tambi6n el ecosistema. El Plan aparatos de seguridad del Estado. Estd caracterizada como patriota Colombia es un plan pro-guerra y nues- Si el gobierno no cumple con la pro- porque Colombia debe ser soberana, tra lucha es por la paz. Y nosotros tecci6n de derechos humanos de la independiente, con autodeterminaci6n. diriamos a la gente del mundo, especial- gente, esto genera muchas formas difer- Esto no implica que tengamos que mente a la de Norteam6rica que las entes de lucha y una de ellas es la lucha romper relaciones con otros estados FARC no esten contra la gente ameri- armada. pero que trabajemos con respeto cana, sino contra los que apoyan la Ciertamente hay errores en nuestra mutuo. Esta es la propuesta que ofrece- politica de Estados Unidos contra nue- Iucha armada, involuntariamente, pero mos al gobierno y en la que estamos stro pais. Tenemos observaciones y avanzando y es la base de los 12 puntos criticas hacia el gobierno americano.

FREEDO M ROAD no de los m6s criticos asuntos Angeles. En un dia tipico para el sur de ciente y sistemdtica represi6n, deten- sociales dejados en la sombra California en una acci6n no tipica se ci6n, y deportaci6n de personas de las por lo del 9 de septiembre ha arras6 las calles en el centro de la ciu- comunidades inmigrantes. Afn I@s sido los de los derechos de I@s inmi- dad. Doce mil trabajador@s inmi- organizador@s de la Red Organizadora grantes. Antes de aquel dia, la grantes y sus apoyadores tomaron las Multi6tnica Pro-Trabajador@s Inmi- migraci6n ha surgido como el asunto calles para celebrar su dia y demandar la grantes fueron sorprendid@s por Ia nacional clave en la politica de los Iegalizaci6n y otros derechos para l@s enorme cantidad de personas que par- EE.UU. El movimiento pareci6 ser inmigrantes. "liQue queremos!?" gri- ticiparon. Esta cantidad tan grande preparado para ganar un programa de taron I@s lideres y organrzador@s por (mucho mds que Ia marcha del aflo legalizaci6n relativamente amplia del sus micr6fonos. "llegalizaci6n y justi- anterior) indica que I@s trabajador@s r6gimen de Bush, cuya politica fue de ganar la influencia en el creciente elec- torado Latino y a reforzar el nuevo gobierno Mexicano de Vicente Fox. Gomo siempre, rcza y clase est6n en el centro de los Pero la "guerra contra el terrorismo" ha arrestado miles de Arabes, nuevos ataques anti-inmigrante, asi que son primeramente Arabe-American@s, y Musulmanes, deteni6ndol@s por periodos indefinidos l@s trabajador@s moren@s del Tercer Mundo los que se sin cargos formales o el derecho de rep- resentaci6n legal. El r6gimen de Bush ha encuentran en el blanco. Tradicionalmente, son l@s revocado su anterior "apoyo" para la legalizaci6n de 1@s inmigrantes, y Mexican@s y Centroamerican@s que se han encontrado entonces tom6 la decisi6n de ampliar la represi6n contra l@s trabajador@s en primer lugar de estos ataques, pero desde el ll de inmigrantes, tanto el despedir y/o detencion de cientos de personas inmi- septiembre son l@s Arabes, Arabe-American@s, y grantes que trabajan en los aeropuertos, y la detenci6n de casi 500 Iranies en Los Musulmanes que son los blancos principalesde la nueva Angeles que respondian al requisito de los Servicios Migratorios para la "regis- histeria anti-inmigrante. traci6n." Esta claro que se esta haciendo una guerra de baja intensidad contra I@s inmigrantes, llevado a cabo por el cia!" respondieron con furia l@s inmigrantes no ser6n intimadad@s por r6gimen de Bush como un componente militantes de la marcha. "2lCuando lo el nuevo ambiente politico anti-inmi- de sus esfuerzos para reprimir todos queremosl?" ";AHORA!" ell@s desafia- grante. posibles movimientos sociales oposi- ban mientras gritando ";Aqui estamos, Este evento fue una afirmaci6n tores. y no nos vamosl" politica de su determinaci6n y adem6s El "milagro" fue las proporciones, la para Un Milagro en el Dia de I@s una victoria psicol6gica colectiva composici6n, y la militancia de Ia Trahaiador@s-El Primer de Mayo mar- Ias comunidades sufriendo por los cha. Ocurri6 detrds de la ola de la enormes "daflos paralelos" causados En el Dia de l@s Trabajador@s del aflo histeria anti-inmigrante ("terrorista") por la Guerra Contra el Terror de Bush. pasado se hizo un "milagro" en Los despuds del 11 de septiembre y el cre- Esto no significa que los ataques contra

I FREEDOIM ROAD Una nueva red, MlWON, ha jugado un papel clave en el proceso de unir diferentes grupos inmigrantes. l@s inmigrantes es cosa s61o de los son l@s rinic@s republicanos. Despu6s del 1l de sep- victimas de la tiembre, el Partido Dem6crata dej6 sus politica anti- esfuerzos para la legalizaci6n como si inmigrante. Por fueran dirigidos directamente por ejemplo, la Migra Osama Bin Laden. La disminuci6n de ha puesto en los Dem6cratas en este asunto es una marcha una p6rdida significativa porque, antes del nueva campana 11 de septiembre ell@s habian empeza- en la frontera con do a promover el concepto de una M6xico. Gracias plataforma amplia sobre la legalizaci6n. al nuevo "Muro Este cambio fue el resultado, sobre de Tijuana," los entrecruzamientos de migraci6n por parte del Partido todo, por la presi6n de las comunidades M6xico han disminuido dramdtica- Dem6crata tambi6n ha causado Latinas y la AFL-CIO, que consideraron mente" Mientras tanto, Ias incursiones much@s defensor@s de l@s inmigrantes l@s trabajador@s como la mejor esper- en las fibricas y sitios de empleo han a ser mds caut@s en cuanto su agenda anza para el crecimiento, y por eso un aumentado bastante, creando un ambi- amplia de los derechos humanos para movimiento laborista miis pertinente. ente de terrorismo, y much@s han sido l@s inmigrantes. Su prudencia fue corridos de sus trabajos, o detenid@s y influida tambi6n por el apoyo inicial de L@s Arabes y Musulmanes en el deportad@s. tribunales los las politicas extranjeras y dom6sticas de Centro de la Histeria Anti-lnmigrante Los de EE.UU. tambi6n han unido al arrebato Bush por parte de Ia direcci6n de la Como siempre, raza y clase est6n en el anti-inmigrante. EI Tribunal Supremo AFL-CIO. centro de los nuevos ataques anti-inmi- de los EE.UU. declar6 en abril del aflo aGu6l Es El Camino Hacia Adelante? grante, asi que son primeramente l@s pasado que l@s trabajador@s no-docu- trabajador@s moren@s del Tercer mentad@s que fueron despedid@s de La Marcha en el Primer de Mayo en Los Mundo los que se encuentran en el sus trabajos por sus actividades sindi- Angeles subray6 algunos de los asuntos blanco. Tradicionalmente, son I@s calistas no tienen el derecho de recibir complicados enfrentando el movimien- Mexican@s y Centroamerican@s que se sus sueldos anteriores iaun cuando los to mientras que luchemos para han encontrado en primer lugar de patrones violaron la ley por haberl@s determinar el mejor sendero hacia ade- estos ataques, pero desde el I I de sep- despedido! lante. Tan magnifico que fue Ia marcha, tiembre son l@s Arabes, Arabe- Mientras que la decisi6n no elimina hubo una ausencia muy obvia desde American@s, y Musulmanes que son los Ios derechos de l@s trabajador@s de adentro de los trabajador@s inmi- blancos principaies de la nueva histeria organizarse e ingresar en los sindicatos, grantes y sus apoyador@s. Habian anti-inmigrante. Como mencionado est6 claro que la intenci6n es tratar de vari@s apoyador@s de la lucha de l@s arriba, son miles que sido arrestad@ por debilitar sus esfuerzos. Mientras, los Palestin@s, no habian casi nadie de las autoridades lederales como terroris- Republicanos derechistas (la gente de inmigrantes Arabe-American@s ni tas potenciales, o apoyadores de "valores familiares") han presentado Musulmanes marchando con los terroristas. Pero a pesar de estos pogro- una legislaci6n que haria mds dificil el grandes contingents de Latin@s, mos altamente publicados, solo una intento de l@s inmigrantes de traer a Korean@s, y Filipin@s. Si la decisi6n de persona ha sido arrestado por cualquier sus familias, y limitaria severamente las no invitar l@s Arabes y Musulmanes a crimen relacionado a las actividades de visas estudiantiles. Tanto es la histeria participar en la marcha fue tomada a terrorismo. Las mezquitas Isldmicas y que la Senadora Dianne Feinstein sugir- base de que su participaci6n pudiera agencias de caridad tambi6n han sido i6 la idea de que EE.UU. deje de aislar el apoyo potencial de l@s acosadas, atacadas, o cerradas por el conceder todaslas visas para l@s estudi- Dem6cratas, o de Ia labor organizada, Fiscal General Ashcroft. En una perver- antes por un periodo temporal. sa ilustraci6n del nexo entre la politica Estos ataques politicos han creado un dom6stica y la del mundo, las viola- ambiente de miedo en las comunidades ciones de los derechos civiles contra las de inmigrantes. En respuesta, miles de poblaciones de Arabes en los Estados hogares de inmigrantes ahora se ven Unidos tambi6n han llameado desde con la bandera de los EE.UU. como un que Israel ha intensificado su destruc- intento de cambiar las imagines racistas ci6n de 1os territorios ocupados en el de que l@s inmigrantes moren@s est6n West Bank y Gaza. pasando bombas por las fronteras. El L@s Arabes de los Estados Unidos no abandono virtual del asunto de

Mientras que los politicos van para atr6s, FREEDO M ROAD l@s j6venes inmigrantes siguen adelante. La lucha de l@s trabajadores inmigrantes ser5 un factor decisivo para el futuro.

pues la decisi6n estuvo mal. campamentos de El hecho de no invitar a l@s Arabes y concentraci6n de Musulmanes en la Marcha del Primer los EE.UU. durante de Mayo muestra que el moyimiento la Segunda Guerra pro-inmigrante no ha reconocido los Mundial-ha sido potencialmente importantes aliad@s en destacada en su Ia comunidades Arabe y Musulman, y la apoyo politico y su necesidad de enfrentar el temor y opor- solidaridad con l@s tunismo politico de sus aliados en el Arabes y Musul- Partido Dem6crata y la direcci6n de los manes. Como sugieren las experiencias residencia, y la ciudadania. Por lo sindicatos. Esto es s6lo uno de las del pasado, es dudoso que el excluir l@s menos, el movimiento debe exigir que importantes cuestiones enfrentando el Arabes y Musulmanes de la lucha de l@s la mayoria de los recursos de la migra movimiento si el intento es de resistir el inmigrantes convencerd a los politicos sean dirigidos al componente de "servi- asalto de Bush-Ashcroft y ganar Dem6cratas a promover la causa de la cio," y que el Border Patrol sea sujeto al cualquier aumento serio en cuanto los legaTizaci6n de todas formas. control de l@s civiles. derechos de I@s inmigrantes. Segundo, las demandas del Tercero, el movimiento pro-inmi- Primero, el movimiento debe estar movimiento deben llegar mris alli de la grante debe hacer esfuerzos especiales a firmemente para los derechos de l@s legalizaci6n para abarcar a los nuevos unirse con la comunidad Afro- Musulmanes, Arabes, y Arabe asuntos pos-l1 de septiembre. Sin un Americana. No se ningrin secreto las American@s. Los ataques contra estas desafio serio de los ataques contra l@s divisiones serias que existen entre l@s comunidades y la situaci6n en Palestina trabajador@s, inmigrantes, la luchq Afro-American@s por un lado, y las l@s ha propulsado a la acci6n politica, para la legalizaci6n seria debilitada, comunidades Latinas y Asiiiticas por el desafiando las politicas represivas en la mientras que miJes de inmigrantes sean otro, y que estas divisiones debilitan a naci6n, y las politicas de Guerra en el despedid@s de sus trabajos, acosad@s nuestras luchas. Estas diyisiones son exterior. Si el movimiento pro-inmi- en sus comunidades, y encarcelad@s debidas, sobre todo, a la competencia grante significa algo, debe ser un por periodos indefinidos sin cargos. En para los trabajos escasos, los recursos fin de cuentas, el hecho de no enfrentar educativos, y los servicios de salud y 6sta represi6n se desmoralizaria las sociales, asi como el nacionalismo cer- meras fuerzas que se necesita movilizar rado de much@s de l@s lideres para ganar un programa de legalizaci6n. convencionales en estas comunidades. Por 6stas razones, el movimiento debe El movimiento pro-inmigrante exigir un alto a los arrestos y deten- puede ayudar a superar 6stas divisiones ciones de l@s Arabes, Arabe- por el hecho de apoyff los asuntos American@s, y Musulmanes; un alto al importantes en la comunidad Negra. El acosamiento y despidos de l@s traba- movimiento debe de, por ejemplo, pre- jador@s de los aeropuertos; un alto de sionar los sindicatos a organizar los los ataques de la migra en los sitios de trabajador@s Negr@s afn cuando este empleo y en las comunidades; y la dirigiendo mayores esfuerzos con l@s oposici6n a todas las leyes que hacen trabajador@s inmigrantes. En particu- m6s dificiles Ia inmigraci6n y unifi- lar, el movimiento debe desafiar al Tener labor con nosotr@s nos ha dado un mayor empuj6n caci6n de las familias. AFL-CIO a quedarse con la promesa al movimiento pro-derechos de l@s inmigrantes, Este movimiento tambi6n necesita sumamente demorada a organizar al espiritu consecuente de internacionalis- enfrentar a los esfuerzos de Bush a Sur, especialmente a l@s trabajador@s mo y solidaridad. Adem6s, las politicas dividir el INS en dos departamentos: Afro-American@s y Latin@s. La soli- represivas usadas contra l@s Arabes y uno que sea un "servicio" que procesa la daridad tambi6n debe incluir el apoyo Musulmanes pueden ser utilizadas con- naturalizaci6n, y uno de "acci6n coerci- para las demandas Afro-Americanas a tra cualquier de las comunidades de va" que tratraja sobre la frontera y en as parar con el detenciones por color inmigrantes (y comunidades no-inmi- comunidades de inmigrantes. Esta ini- (raza) y la brutalidad policiaca que tan grante) que luego pudieran ser ciativa da una oportunidad de exigir horriblemente parece el mismo terror consideradas un riesgo a la "seguridad que se desmantele el "Border Patrol," que l@s inmigrantes enfrentan con el nacional." A su enorme cr6dito, Ia con todos recursos dirigidos a ayudar a Border Patrol. comunidad |apon6s-Americana -por l@s trabajador@s a procesar sus docu- Otro asunto muy importante que el su experiencia de ser internad@s en los mentos para la ).egalizaci6n, la movimiento enfrenta es su relaci6n con

10 FREEDOM ROAD la labor organizada y el Partido inmigrantes para lanzar de Nuevo un 9/ll Continuado Dem6crata. Es critico ahora formar un esfuerzo nacional paru gar.ar la legal- movimiento' independiente de traba- rzacion, comenzando con una campana venta de armamento que se revela, veo jador@s inmigrantes que se une solo de mandar un mill6n de tarjetas 7a Zona Cero. En cada masacre "acci- estrat6gicamente (en lugar de general- postales al Congreso pidiendo que ellos dental" como ocurri6 en una boda en mente) con el AFL-CIO y los apoyaran a la legalizaci6n. Es impor- Afganist6n , o en una "desafortunada" Dem6cratas, tomando en cuenta siem- tante que el movimiento pro-derechos destrucci6n en Palestina de un edificio pre que tan f6cilmente estas dos fuerzas de l@s inmigrantes se una con tales lleno de niflos y niflas, veo la Zona puedan aprovechar al movimiento y/o esfuerzos. Cero. venderlo a trav6s de movidas con el 169- Obviamente, un frente unido con la Septiembre 11 nos ensefl6 varias lec- imen de Bush. Un tal modelo es el labor organizada significa muchos ciones, y la lucha para discernir cueles Multiethnic Immigrant Workers desafios, tanto el asegurar que Ia buroc- son esas lecciones y como llevarlas a Organizing Network (MIWON) en Los racia de el AFL-CIO no logre la fuerza cabo continuard. Pero yo puedo hablar Angeles, una coalici6n dirigida por la de aprovechar a sus miembros, sus con toda honestidad de mi propia expe- Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates, recursos, y sus conexiones politicas. Sin riencia cuando veo reportajes en t.v. el Garment Workers Center, el Centro embargo, el movimiento pro-derechos sobre la muerte de gente inocente. En de l@s Trabajador@s Pilipino, y la de l@s inmigrantes debe buscar la forma una hora vi tres mil personas morir. Y Coalition for Humane Immigrant para poder trabajar con estos sindicatos, ese dia jur6: Ya no quiero ver m6s Rights de Los Angeles. Cada una de las y animarlos a usar su influencia dentro muertes. Ya sea aqui o en cualquier otro organizaciones de MIWON esta hacien- del Partido Dem6crata a frenar las pais. do creando una base con l@s movidas para vender los derechos de Este es el momento para redoblar trabajador@s inmigrantes a trav6s de los l@s inmigrantes a las fuerzas de Bush- nuestros esfuerzos contra Ia "Guerra asuntos en sus sitios de trabajo tanto los Ashcroft-y a movilizar l@s miembros contra el Terror." Debemos juntar a asuntos comunitarios, como lo de las de l@s sindicatos en una campana todos aquellos que creen que es posible viviendas, acceso a los servicios de nacional dirigida a parar los ataques otro mundo. Debemos continuar pre- salud, y los derechos a la educaci6n. Es contra l@s inmigrantes y exigiendo una sionando a aquellos en el gobierno que solo por la formaci6n de estos tipos de genuina legalizaci6n. est6n impulsando esta guerra, y debe- organizaciones independientes de tra- Finalmente, mientras que el enfoque mos usar todos los medios posibles para bajador@s que el movimiento pueda del movimiento es (correctamente) de cambiar su rumbo. desafiar las movidas de entregar el parar a los ataques y ganar la legal- Un aflo despu6s, guardard un movimiento a Ia direcci6n del Partido izaci6n, es importante mantener en momento de silencio para recordar a los Dem6crata. mente la agenda mas grande para los miles de inocentes que murieron aqu6l Mientras guardando su independen- derechos humanos de l@s inmigrantes. dia, y paru los que han muerto desde cia, el movimiento pro-derechos de l@s Esto incluye las demandas para Ia entonces. Y luego me unir6 a los mil- inmigrantes debe intentar a formar la inmediata residencia incondicional lones de gente alrededor del mundo que unidad con particulares sindicatos, para tod@s inmigrantes, derechos com- orgullosamente gritan "Este silencio es tanto el Hotel Employees and pletos de idiomas, derechos para votar, nuestro, y lo terminamos tal como lo Restaurant Employees (HERE), la y el derecho para la educaci6n, salud, y iniciamos, con el compromiso de luchar United Farm Workers Union (UFW), y servicios sociales. por la paz y la justicia global." la Service Employees International Estos son tiempos dificiles para el Union (SEIU). HERE y SEIU tienen movimiento pro-inmigrantes. Pero James Creedon es un ex-estudiante activista en la miles de miembros inmigrantes y est6n como mostr6 la marcha en el Primer de Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York y actual- enfocados en organizar muchos miles Mayo en Los Angeles, l@s trabajador@s mente estudia medicina en Cuba. mes en campaflas como la "Iustice for inmigrantes son preparados para Janitors." Fue principalmente estos quedarse firmes y a resistir. T su men- sindicatos que forzaron al AFL-CIO a saje para Bush, Ashcroft, y la Migra abandonar su politica de apoyo para las qued6 fuerte y claro: ";Aqui estamos! iY sanciones del patr6n (por contratar a no nos vamos!" l@s inmigrantes) ya apoyar la demanda para un programa amplia para la legal- Bill Gallegos es Coordinador de la Comisi6n de las izaci6n. Hace poco, estos sindicatos Nacionalidades Oprimidas de la Freedom Road unieron con una coalici6n de defen- Socialist 0rganization (0rganizaci6n Socialista del sores para los derechos de l@s Camino a la Libertad).

FREEDO M ROAD