Inside: Brian Moore 2008! * Digital Revolution * Nypd “Broken Windows” * March on Burger King * Housing and Homelessness in U.S
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Magazine of the Socialist Party USA oThecialist SVolume 33, Number 4 Winter 2007 $1.00 Screenwriters picket “The View” INSIDE: BRIAN MOORE 2008! * DIGITAL REVOLUTION * NYPD “BROKEN WINDOWS” * MARCH ON BURGER KING * HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS IN U.S. * VT IMPEACHMENT MOVEMENT * SCREENWRITER STRIKE SUPPORT The Magazine of the Socialist Party USA THE SOCIALIST 339 Lafayette Street, #303 New York, NY 10012 ocialist SVolume 33, Number 4 Winter 2007 Editor Contents Terry Williams 3 Brian Moore for President - 2008 SP-USA Nominee Introductory Statement by Brian Moore Editorial Board of 4 The Digital Revolution From a Radical Point of View The Socialist By Christian Fernandez Mary-Alice Herbert 6 On “Broken” and Other Windows James Marra By Billy Wharton Tina Phillips 7 March on Burger King Steve Rossignol Chuck Wynns By Darius Engel 8 SP-USA Statement of Support for the Screenwriter Strike Labor Commision of the SP-USA Contact the SPUSA 9 SP-USA Statement on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Greg Pason International Commision of the SP-USA National Secretary 9 International Day of Action to Shut Down Guantánamo 1/11,2008 Socialist Party USA Witness Against Torture (www.witnesstorture.org) 339 Lafayette St. Room 303 10 Housing Crisis Could Get Worse New York, NY 10012 John Reimann Phone: (212) 982-4586 [email protected] 11 Homelessness in America: A Socialist Perspective www.socialistparty-usa.org By Todd Vachon 13 Impeachment Movement in Vermont The Socialist is published by the By Mary-Alice Herbert Socialist Party USA. Unless oth- erwise noted, views expressed in 14 Life in Prison this publication are those of the By Pablo Pina authors and not necessarily of 15 Column: Why I’m a Democratic Socialist the Socialist Party. The Socialist To Wave the Red Flag by Kieran Braddock may be reprinted with permis- sion for non-profit purposes. Printed by Saltus Press, a unionized printshop Worcester, Massachusetts Subscription Rates 1-year individual • $10 1-year institution • $25 Bulk Rate No. 1: 25 copies/issue • $45 Bulk Rate No. 2: 50 copies/issue • $80 Stewart Alexander and Brian Moore - 2008 Presidential Campaign Layout: Terry Williams The Socialist is always looking for interesting, insightful, well-written material. In particular, we are looking for work that highlights the struggles and triumphs of the Cover Art: Police brutality working class. We will accept news articles and stories about organizing and pro- protest in New York. tests, but we are also looking for short fiction, poetry, and music/arts/theater/film review. Articles should be 950 to 1250 words. Please mark all letters to the editor as such and limit letters to 250 words. Submit as email attachments in text, PDF, or .doc format to [email protected], or by mail to: The Socialist, 339 Lafayette St. Room 303, New York, NY 10012. 2 The Socialist Winter 2007 Brian Moore for President - ‘08 SP-USA Nominee Introductory Statement THE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical democracy rian has been a civic activist and a deworming children in Latin America that places people’s lives under political volunteer all of his adult and Tanzania, Africa. their own control - a non-rac- life.B Brian was selected by the Socialist Brian has run or volunteered in con- ist, classless, feminist socialist Party USA, at its national convention gressional, gubernatorial and presiden- society...where working people in St. Louis in October, 2007, as its tial campaigns throughout the country official presidential nominee for 2008. over a twenty year period, many times own and control the means of Brian was also endorsed for the U.S. volunteering for minor party or inde- production and distribution Senate in 2006 in Florida by consumer pendent candidates. through democratically-con- activist and former presidential candi- Brian played college and semi-pro trolled public agencies; where date Ralph Nader. Brian also visited baseball in California and was MVP full employment is realized for Cuba during the 2006 Senate cam- his freshman year. He also has worked everyone who wants to work; paign to study the country’s health sys- as a laborer for the Southern Pacific tem and impact of the U.S. economic Railroad cleaning boxcars and as a where workers have the right embargo. carpenter’s apprentice; and spent sum- to form unions freely, and to Moore is a strong critic of capital- mers working for a metal fabrication strike and engage in other forms ism and American corporate power. company in Sacramento, California, of job actions; and where the In turn, he is an advocate of socialism, earning his way through high school production of society is used including a national health plan, guar- and college. for the benefit of all humanity, anteed annual income for all adult citi- Brian ran for city council and mayor zens; plus, worker ownership and local in Washington, DC (1980’s & 1990’s) not for the private profit of a citizen control. In his political and civic and for Congress in 2002 and 2004 few. We believe socialism and activity, Brian has consistently demon- and for the U.S. Senate in 2006, all in democracy are one and indivis- strated integrity and courage over long the state of Florida. He mostly ran as ible. The working class is in a periods of time against the powers an Independent candidate against the key and central position to fight that be. He favors equality over rugged establishment and the status quo. He is individualism, and communal respon- a tenacious warrior for equal rights and back against the ruling capitalist sibility over agressive self-interest and justice, and is as antiwar as they come. class and its power. The working greed. Brian married a widow, Peggy Espejo, class is the major force world- Brian was a U.S. Peace Corps in 2003. Peggy and Brian adopted her wide that can lead the way to a Volunteer in Latin America for three ten year old grandson, Juan Carlos, socialist future - to a real radical years and worked eight years in South four years ago. Juan is in the fifth democracy from below. The So- America in health programs for the grade. He attends a local public school. poor. He is fluent in Spanish. His The Moore’s reside in Spring Hill cialist Party fights for progres- American wife and adopted 10-year (Hernando County), Florida, approxi- sive changes compatible with a old son both have Hispanic heritages. mately fifty miles north of Tampa Bay/ socialist future. We support mil- Brian has been a long-time antiwar St. Petersburg/Clearwater and three itant working class struggles and activist; he protested the Vietnam War; miles east of the Gulf of Mexico. electoral action, independent of and since 2002 lead a local Florida Brian turned 64 years old on June 8, peace and justice coalition against the 2007, and is still physically active. He the capitalist controlled two- Iraq War, the Patriot Act and has called plays adult baseball many Sundays party system, to present social- for President Bush’s impeachment. with college-age youth, and swims and ist alternatives. We strive for Socialist Moore has been a citizen bikes almost daily. He is six feet tall democratic revolutions - radical activist for 25 years, working in inner and weighs 235 pounds. He is in very and fundamental changes in the cities to assist low-income populations, good health. structure and quality of eco- mostly in Washington, DC. Brian’s Vice-Presidential running Moore attended California Catholic mate is Stewart Alexander, a member nomic, political, and personal schools in Oakland and Sacramento, of the Peace and Freedom Party, who relations - to abolish the power the Franciscan seminaries in the was selected by the Socialist Party now exercised by the few who California Missions, St. Mary’s USA, at its annual convention in control great wealth and the College in Moraga and graduate October, 2007. school at Cal-State, LA. He earned an government. The Socialist Party MPA from Arizona State University Brian Moore for President, 2008 is a democratic, multi-tendency and worked 25 years for health main- Socialist Party USA Nominee organization, with structure and tenance organizations in California, practices visible and accessible Utah, New Mexico, New Jersey, Moore-Alexander Ticket to all members. Join us today. • Maryland, Virginia and Washington, www.votebrianmoore.com DC. He also spent five additional years for a non-governmental organization Tel: 352-686-9936 • The Socialist Winter 2007 3 The Digital Revolution From a Radical Point of View By Christian Fernandez n this day and age, Internet tech- by private corporations to enable exploitation in the nineties because nology is available to nearly all ownership, control, and profiting there was no other option. These householdsI from low income to from what was intended to be pub- companies took control of the com- middle and upper class, and to all lic and free. puters and of the virtual networks. ethnic groups and cultures across At the same time the Internet grew, The people started to attack the the world. The unlimited informa- software companies like Microsoft products of these virtual companies tion access enables self education, were born. When no one was mak- be it with viruses, virtual protests, personal development, and efficient, ing a profit out of the public Internet, or breaking the security codes that low-cost communication for every- Microsoft masterminded how to limit the new emerging informa- one. privatize virtual data. With the tion society. Unfortunately, many In only micro seconds families and advent of making enormous private people have been jailed because organizations are able to communi- profit at the cost of something that they did not conform to the soft- cate what before would have cost a was free a couple years ago, people ware occultism and excessive secracy fortune through telephone, or taken blindly accepted that this practice and monopoly of ideas by four or days with a simple letter.