Mundo obrero • EEUU: lucha contra los bancos Bolivia: Morales contraataca 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 VOl. 50, NO. 39 50¢ $1,000,000,000,000? United mass action can Stop giveaway to Wall Street bankers By Fred Goldstein What could be done with such a princely already bloated with hundreds of billions sum? It could be used to pay for universal in assets, will stop lending unless they get Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and health care, affordable housing, afford- their hands on the Treasury’s money. Protests delay Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke able education, day care, job creation and Paulson presented Congress with a pal- have attempted to stampede Congress other basic needs. This money is urgently try three-page proposal to explain why Troy Davis execution into handing them dictatorial financial needed to deal with the real crisis of the the Treasury needs to spend the $700 bil- By Dianne Mathiowetz authority so they can carry out a $700-bil- workers and the oppressed. lion! It was virtually empty of any specif- Atlanta lion bailout of Wall Street. The bankers’ books are filled with bad ics other than the authoritarian demand in Sept. 23—Jubilant supporters of Troy The aim of the Paulson plan is for the debts. They bought up these debts thinking Section 8 that: “Decisions by the Secretary Davis gathered tonight for a celebration government to buy up the bad debts of to increase their profits through collecting pursuant to the authority of this Act are on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol banks, mortgage brokers, insurance com- interest payments from the workers. But non-reviewable and committed to agency here. panies and any other corporation that can now the gravy train of interest payments discretion, and may not be reviewed by They had been expecting to hold a be classified as a financial institution. is over, so they want the government to any court of law or any administrative death vigil for the Savannah man, believ­ These loan sharks are the same institu- come in and take the bad debts off their agency.” ed innocent by many, who was convicted tions that made huge profits trafficking in books. In this grab for unlimited financial of killing a police officer in 1989. subprime and other mortgage loans. Now Their front man is Paulson, who spent power, Paulson wants to operate unim- Even though the U.S. Supreme Court home prices are declining, adjustable-rate 32 years at the investment bank Goldman peded by any legal or constitutional had agreed to hear a motion of appeal on mortgage payments are going up, the cost Sachs and was the biggest single share- restraints. It was an attempt at a financial Sept. 29, the state of Georgia, in a highly of living is skyrocketing, and the economy holder in the company. Now secretary coup by the so-called banking fraternity, irregular move, went ahead and issued is shrinking—leaving workers with fewer of the Treasury, he is coming to their headed by Paulson. an execution order for Sept. 23. jobs and smaller paychecks. Millions can rescue. He has around him a whole team of The Supreme Court intervened less no longer pay their mortgages. former Goldman Sachs bankers. Bush’s than two hours before Davis was to be While screaming crisis, the bankers are Attempt at a financial coup White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten Continued on page 6 rushing to the front of the $700-billion Paulson tried to terrorize Congress and is also from Goldman Sachs. There’s John bailout line. the entire population into quickly giving J. Mack, head of Morgan Stanley, another If approved, the Paulson plan will raise him unlimited authority to dole out hun- giant investment bank. Paulson called on BoSSES VS. IMMIGRANtS the government’s bailout of the super- dreds of billions to the banks. He threat- him for advice on the bailout of Fannie From Tucson to Denver 6 rich to one TRILLION dollars. It has ened that the “credit markets” would Mae and Freddie Mac. And he consults already committed $315 billion to bail out seize up, leaving people’s businesses, with William Gross of PIMCO, a giant giant insurer AIG as well as Fannie Mae, jobs and lives in jeopardy. In plain lan- bond fund with $830 billion in assets. AFtER HURRICANE IKE Freddie Mac and Bear Stearns banks. guage, it means that these moneybags, Continue on page 4 What big business hath wrought 7

Foreclosure protests in Lansing, L.A., WW phoTo: AlAn polloCk Robert Pratt of UNItE HERE at Boston 3 Michigan rally to stop foreclosures.

Subscribe to Workers World Four weeks trial: $1 One year: $25

Name phONe

address email

City/state/Zip Workers World 55 W. 17 st. Ny, Ny 10011 212-627-2994 www.workers.org

Cuba, Haiti slammed by storms • Turmoil in Pakistan • Declaration on Iraq • Hands off Bolivia & Venezuela! • NATO expansion • Nigeria, oil & repression 8-11 Page 2 Oct. 2, 2008 www.workers.org

The Jesse Jackson campaign: National oppression & class conflict H In the U.S. By Sam Marcy Brooke and is not the case with any of Jackson’s rivals in Stop giveaway to Wall Street bankers...... 1 the Democratic primary. Troy Davis execution stayed for a week ...... 1 This article by the founder of Workers World Party, Movement of oppressed people WW in 1984: The Jesse Jackson campaign...... 2 which appeared Feb. 2, 1984, in this newspaper, explained why the party’s position on national oppres- What is the nature of the movement that he is leading? People tell Mich . legislators: ‘Moratorium NOW!’ . . . . . 3 sion in the United States required it to support the pri- It is a movement of the oppressed people. ‘Foreclose the war, not our homes!’ ...... 3 mary campaign of Jesse Jackson that year. The views That is the crux of the matter. ‘Bail out Main St —not. Wall St ’...... 3 Were he leading any other type of movement, let us Marcy laid out, when applied today, explain why Beware right-wingers denouncing ‘Wall Street’ . . . . . 4 say a more left-wing version of the McGovern-Hart- WWP this election is supporting the candidacy Gov’t abuse persists in Rosenberg case ...... 5 of Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente. Below Cranston supporters, were his anti-war utterances Thank you, Josh Howard...... 5 are excerpts from the original. A full version of the (which are not anti-imperialist in character) sharp- article is available at www.workers.org. er and more clearly defined, and even if he were more Arizona hospital lets ICE terrorize immigrants...... 6 We propose to discuss the propriety of a work- WW militant on labor and other social issues, his effort Muslim workers fired for protesting discrimination. . . . 6 ing class party giving support to the Jesse Jackson in1984 would merely be in the direction of a bourgeois lib- La Peña celebrates 21 years of resistance...... 6 eral movement and would not be a truly progres- primary campaign in the Democratic Party. Hurricane Ike was no equalizer...... 7 sive break from his presidential rivals. The Jackson candidacy is unique in terms of presiden- Power still out for hundreds of thousands in Ohio. . . . 7 tial elections, not only in that it is the first time that a It would merely be a 1984 version of the older populist Film star calls for release of Cuban Five...... 8 serious attempt is being made by a Black candidate to movements, which were of course bourgeois in character, run for president, but that it has aroused a truly popular notwithstanding their radicalism. ... movement of the Black people. It cannot be stressed too frequently that the Jesse H Around the world It is necessary to distinguish the Jackson candidacy Jackson movement is a movement against national Storm-wracked Cuba: Lift the blockade ...... 8 from other Black leaders who have run (some of whom oppression, the oppression of a whole people, and it is After four hurricanes, Haiti faces famine...... 8 this which makes it a qualitatively different struggle. were subsequently elected). This is necessary in order to U .S . incursions sow turmoil in Pakistan...... 9 Viewed from this perspective, his campaign is objectively isolate those particular features which are characteristic Le Feyt Declaration: Peace in Iraq is an option . . . . . 9 of his campaign. It will also enable us to deal with the directed against the capitalist establishment, notwith- Will NATO’s expansion bubble burst? ...... 10 campaign from the viewpoint of national oppression as standing that he himself may subjectively be for it. well as its relation to the class struggle in general. The very first and highly significant struggle of the Higher oil prices breed repression ...... 11 Jackson forces against the National Committee of the Unlike Brooke candidacy Democratic Party over the very important rules govern- H Editorials In 1966, Edward Brooke of Massachusetts ran for ing the primary and caucus elections fortifies our conclu- Hands off Bolivia, Venezuela...... 10 the U.S. Senate and was elected on the Republican sion only too well. ticket. He was the first Black Senator since the days of Rules issue H Noticias En Español Reconstruction. He was again elected in 1972. The rules, as they were defined two years ago, enabled EEUU: Lucha contra los bancos...... 12 Previously he had acted as Attorney General of an easy choice between the two candidates then presumed Bolivia: Morales contraataca ...... 12 Massachusetts and might have been reelected in 1978 to be the front-runners, [Ted] Kennedy and [Walter] had it not been for allegations of fraud or misconduct Mondale, by requiring that a candidate win 20 percent in relation to his divorce proceedings. This was used of the primary or caucus vote in order to receive a pro- against him in very much the same way as the charges portional share of a state’s delegates to the presidential Workers World against Adam Clayton Powell a decade earlier. nominating convention. ... 55 West 17 Street Brooke did not proclaim himself and was not during By the very nature of the rule, it works against Black New York, N.Y. 10011 his tenure in office a leader of any movement. He was a or Latin candidates. Viewed in that light, it is racially Phone: (212) 627-2994 solid member of the bourgeois establishment. He ran as motivated. Fax: (212) 675-7869 an establishment candidate. Even if we consider Jackson’s swift ascendancy in the E-mail: [email protected] Of course, he was in the forefront of the civil rights leg- polls and his rising popularity which all acknowledge, the Web: www.workers.org islative struggles in the Senate and distinguished himself 20 percent rule is clearly still an insurmountable obstacle particularly in the successful fight to block the nomina- in the way of getting the kind of primary vote for Jackson Vol. 50, No. 39 • Oct. 2, 2008 tion of Nixon’s ultra-right racist appointee for the U.S. which would reflect the strength of the Black movement Closing date: Sept. 24, 2008 Supreme Court, Harold Carswell. and such allies among Latin people, women, and whites Editor: Deirdre Griswold In every other respect, Brooke was a capitalist politi- as he might gather. Technical Editor: Lal Roohk cian identified most of the time with the liberal wing of In an effort to persuade the Democratic National the Republican and Democratic parties. Committee to lift the rule or at least compromise to some Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, How different is the Jackson campaign? Is Jackson extent, Jackson has proposed that perhaps a 10 percent Leslie Feinberg, Monica Moorehead, Gary Wilson not indeed running in the primary of a capitalist party? threshold might be acceptable. However, after a great West Coast Editor: John Parker Is he not, like former Senator Brooke, part and parcel of deal of behind the scenes maneuvering, the Democratic Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe, the capitalist establishment? National Committee rejected the compromise and stood Greg Butterfield, G. Dunkel, Fred Goldstein, If one were to judge by superficial appearances, the firm on the racist, exclusionary 20 percent. Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales, David Hoskins, answer would be yes. In reality, however, Jackson Richard Hatcher, the mayor of Gary, Ind., and the Berta Joubert-Ceci, Cheryl LaBash, Milt Neidenberg, is running against the establishment. campaign manager of Jackson, had this judgment of the Bryan G. Pfeifer, Minnie Bruce Pratt Notwithstanding the fact that he continually promotes Democratic National Committee’s rejection of Jackson’s Technical Staff: Shelley Ettinger, Bob McCubbin, a left-liberal line on most fundamental political ques- compromise offer: “We have been told repeatedly the deck Maggie Vascassenno tions, which does not distinguish him very much from was stacked against us here, the deal was cut long ago, and other liberals such as George McGovern, Gary Hart, or the vote on anything we brought up would be 35 to 1.” Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez, Alan Cranston, it is very plain that they are all part and Replying to Hatcher, the chairman of the Democratic Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Michael Martínez, parcel of the capitalist establishment which Jackson is National Committee, Charles Manatt, said this: Carlos Vargas running against. ... “Enough is enough of having somebody trying to push Supporter Program: Sue Davis, coordinator The fundamental difference, however, is that Jackson the Democratic Party around.” (Both quotes from the Copyright © 2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying is leading a movement–which was not the case with Continued on page 11 and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium JOIN US. National Office Buffalo, N.Y. Houston Richmond, Va. without royalty provided this notice is preserved. Workers World Party 55 W. 17 St., 367 Delaware Ave. P.O. Box 595 P.O. Box 14602, Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published week- New York, NY 10011 Buffalo, NY 14202 Houston, Richmond, VA 23221 ly except the first week of January by WW Publishers, (WWP) fights on all 212-627-2994; 716-566-1115 TX 77001-0595 [email protected] 55 W. 17 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10011. Phone: (212) 627-2994. issues that face the Fax (212) 675-7869 [email protected] 713-861-5965 working class and Rochester, N.Y. Subscriptions: One year: $25; foreign and institutions: [email protected] Chicago [email protected] 585-436-6458 $35. Letters to the editor may be condensed and edited. oppressed peoples— Atlanta 27 N. Wacker Dr. #138 Los Angeles [email protected] Articles can be freely reprinted, with credit to Workers Black and white, Latin@, P.O. Box 424, Chicago, IL 60606 111 N. La Brea Ave., #408 San Diego, Calif. Asian, Arab and Native Atlanta, GA 30301 773-381-5839 Inglewood, CA 90301 World, 55 W. 17 St., New York, NY 10011. Back issues peoples, women and 404-627-0185 [email protected] 310-677-8647 P.O. Box 33447 and individual articles are available on microfilm and/ [email protected] men, young and old, Cleveland [email protected] San Diego, CA 92163 or photocopy from University Microfilms International, 619-692-0355 lesbian, gay, bi, straight, Baltimore P.O. Box 5963 300 Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. A searchable 426 E. 31 St., Milwaukee trans, disabled, work- Cleveland, OH 44101 [email protected] San Francisco archive is available on the Web at www.workers.org. Baltimore, MD 21218 216-531-4004 2940 16th St., #207 ing, unemployed and A headline digest is available via e-mail subscription. 410-235-7040 [email protected] Philadelphia San Francisco, CA 94103 students. [email protected] P.O. Box 23843, Subscription information is at www.workers.org/email. Denver 415-738-4739 If you would like to Philadelphia, Boston [email protected] [email protected] php. know more about WWP, PA 19143 284 Amory St., Detroit Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y. or to join us in these Boston, MA 02130 610-931-2615 Washington, D.C. 5920 Second Ave., POSTMASTER: Send address changes to struggles, contact the 617-983-3835 [email protected] P.O. Box 57300, Detroit, MI 48202 Washington, DC 20037, Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., 5th Floor, branch nearest you. Fax (617) 983-3836 Raleigh, N.C. [email protected] 313-831-0750 [email protected] New York, N.Y. 10011. [email protected] [email protected] www.workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 Page 3 People tell Michigan legislators: ‘Moratorium NOW!’ By Bryan G. Pfeifer immediately halt foreclosures. Party, Food Not Bombs, the independent he and co-chair Kris Hamel kicked off the Lansing, Mich. The very diverse, multinational array of newspaper collective Critical Moment, rally on the Capitol steps. “We’re going to people came from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Michigan Emergency Committee Against build the people’s movement. We have to Chanting “Bail out the people, not the Battle Creek, Flint, Lansing, Ypsilanti, War & Injustice, Michigan Welfare Rights, mobilize and organize. The solution must banks,” hundreds of poor and working Adrian, Sault St. Marie and other cities Call ’Em Out, Latinos Unidos of Michigan, come from the people!” people from across Michigan converged and towns across Michigan. Many face Grand Rapids Latino Community Coalition, on the Capitol here on Sept. 17 demand- foreclosure and eviction or are already vic- Joint Religious Organizing Network for Fight, fight, fight! ing the State Legislature enact SB 1306, a tims of the home foreclosure epidemic. Action and Hope, and the Adrian Dominican Reverend Ed Rowe of Central United two-year foreclosure moratorium bill. The Dozens of UNITE HERE union mem- Sisters & Associates for Peace. Methodist Church in Detroit, one of the action was sponsored by the Moratorium bers came from Detroit on a bus sponsored After leaving buses, vans and carpools, coalition’s initiators, said, “We’re fired up NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and by the Change to Win labor federation. protesters began marching in a huge picket and ready to go. No more bailouts to the Evictions. Other unionists included United Auto line. Sandra Hines and Abayomi Azikiwe rich.” Rowe said all faith-based organiza- Protesters were outraged that the fed- Workers, Service Employees International of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition led tions should be supporting SB 1306. He eral government has pledged hundreds Union and the American Federation of chants of “We the people demand relief– pledged ongoing support to the coalition, of billions of dollars to bail out the same Teachers. Moratorium NOW!” and “A home is a whose office is in his church. Rowe worked mortgage, banking and insurance com- The Green Party of Michigan, Detroit right–We’re gonna fight, fight, fight!” The with state Senator Hansen Clarke in draft- panies that caused the foreclosure crisis. Greens and the Cynthia McKinney presi- chants echoed loudly from the Capitol and ing and sponsoring SB 1306. Clarke told Activists were serious and determined to dential campaign were represented, as other buildings in downtown Lansing. the crowd he was “outraged” over the bail- win relief by forcing the state and federal were Students for a Democratic Society, “We must have the moratorium and we outs to the banks and demanded that the governments to pass a moratorium to National Lawyers Guild, Workers World must have it now!” declared Azikiwe as Continued on page 4 Los Angeles ‘Foreclose the war, not our homes!’

Boston

Protest stopped at prison, and women inside responded by making “No war” sign with socks. WW photo: LeiLani Dowell Marta Rojas denounces bank auctions of people’s homes. WW photos: Liz Green

By Julia Morse ‘Bail out Main St.— Boston Activists from the Women’s Fightback Network, Fight Imperialism, Stand not Wall St.’ Together and the International Action By LeiLani Dowell lion, but there are more homeless. Where Center rallied in front of the Countrywide Los Angeles is the justice? This country’s taxpayers Bank in Boston’s Lower Roxbury/South demand a moratorium on foreclosures!” End on Sept. 20 to protest evictions and In the middle of a work day on Sept. 17, Sharon Black of the Ad Hoc National home foreclosures affecting thousands of more than 60 people attended a protest Network to Stop Foreclosures and people in Massachusetts. and press conference at the downtown Evictions explained the legal basis for the The protest was part of the Emergency Los Angeles Federal Building to demand a moratorium demand: “The law says that Moratorium Campaign demanding that moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. every time there is a disaster, there is sup- Gov. Deval Patrick use his executive pow- The event was organized by the Labor/ posed to be a moratorium on foreclosures. ers to declare an economic state of emer- Community Coalition to Stop Foreclosures This economic crisis is clearly a state of gency to halt all home foreclosures, evic- and Evictions, under the theme “Bail out emergency.” tions and utility shutoffs. Main Street—not Wall Street.” Marta Rojas, a member of the Service Shouting “Foreclose the war, not our John Parker, West Coast coordina- Employees International Union who homes,” the moving protest then marched tor of the International Action Center narrowly avoided the foreclosure of her up Massachusetts Avenue to South Bay and member of the Harvard Blvd. Block home this year, denounced the auctions Jail, which houses men and women serv- Massachusetts Avenue to the South Bay Association, explained that “The mort- of people’s homes taking place through- ing sentences for mostly crimes of sur- Shopping Plaza across the street from gage companies have been playing with out Los Angeles, calling them “vultures vival. The protesters stood on the street in NSTAR, a utility that recently sent out and gambling on people’s lives.” He urged: preying on the community.” The Ad Hoc front of the prison and confronted police 125,000 shutoff notices to Massachusetts “We have to change the government’s pri- National Network to Stop Foreclosures and prison staff while directing chants of consumers. At the same time they are orities by demanding what we need. They and Evictions had protested one such auc- solidarity upward to the prisoners, who endangering the poor with electricity shut- don’t count on the will of the people.” tion a week before the Sept. 17 action. heard and saw them, banged on the win- offs, NSTAR executives and board mem- Father Richard Estrada, associate pas- A representative of the youth group dows of their cells and raised their fists in bers are fattening their paychecks with tor of Placita Olvera Church, described FIST—Fight Imperialism, Stand acknowledgment. multi-million-dollar salaries and stock how many of the people who attend his Together—described how the foreclosure On the women’s side of the prison, options. According to an NSTAR income church have recently had their homes fore- crisis has extended to affect students, who women on several floors put “NO WAR” statement, stockholders have been award- closed by the banks. He told the assembled are seeing student loan offers disappear. signs in their windows, using toilet paper ed more than $900 million over the past crowd, “The only way the people will get This is occurring particularly at commu- and socks. year. All along the march, drivers eagerly through this is to stand up and march.” nity colleges, where working class youth “We stand in solidarity with you,” said accepted literature on the economic crisis Gloria Saucedo of Hermandad Nacional and youth of color often begin their higher Miya Campbell, member of the WFN and and honked their horns in support. Mexicana said: “We all know families who education. FIST. “We will continue the fight on the Activists then brought the rally to spent years saving money to pay for their Other speakers included Rosie Martinez streets because the Wall Street bank- shoppers at Stop & Shop, where, despite mortgage. Months later the banks tell and Marva Burgess of SEIU Local 721’s ers are the ones who should be in prison harassment from the cops, nearly 100 them they have to pay exorbitant interest executive board, and Caroline Hughes of and not you! Food, fuel and housing are people signed a petition to declare an rates. All they are doing are working and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation a right. They can bail out the banks for a emergency and took copies to have oth- trying to have a home for their children. of America, a non-profit community advo- trillion dollars while they throw us on the ers sign. (Copies can be downloaded from The government is giving money to the cacy and counseling agency that fights dis- streets!” Solidarity messages were also www.iacboston.org.) The protest was part rich, but what about the communities?” criminatory and predatory lending. given by FIST member Jon Regis, WFN of the campaign launched by the Ad Hoc Fernando Fernando of BAYAN-USA Dowell represented FIST at the Sept. member Rachel Hassinger and Bishop National Network to Stop Moratoriums said about the world’s largest insurance 17 demonstration. Felipe Teixeira. and Evictions (www.stopforeclosuresand- company: “AIG was bailed out for $85 bil- E-mail: [email protected] The moving rally continued down evictions.org). n Page 4 Oct. 2, 2008 www.workers.org Beware right-wingers denouncing ‘Wall Street’

By Caleb T. Maupin ing dollars from the biggest banks and with Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate ing families in this country. Meanwhile, corporations. for president. Barr’s platform calls for families of all kinds are torn up by hous- As banks fail, jobs disappear and the Dobbs and Beck often criticize big busi- complete deregulation of big business ing foreclosures and evictions, unpayable economy sinks deeper into a horrific cri- ness—but in totally distorted ways really and the abolition of every social program debts and health crises because of lack of sis of poverty and misery, the television meant to confuse workers and the middle and protection won through progressive affordable health care. What’s Barr doing channels and political campaigns have class about the source of all their pain. struggle, from children’s services to col- about that? suddenly become full of the most unlikely Dobbs rails at big business for hiring lege financial aid. Among these right-wing demagogues people denouncing “big business.” immigrant workers. But he is silent about Beck has given no airtime to the cam- who preach against big business is Ron Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck and even Sarah the way U.S. corporations, through pushing paigns of Cynthia McKinney or Ralph Paul, who held his “Rally for the Republic” Palin and John McCain have suddenly for so-called “free trade” agreements, have Nader, although they are clearly much as a counter to the Republican National become “defenders of the working people” ruined the economies of Latin America, more anti-establishment than Barr and Convention. In his speech to this seeming- against “Wall Street greed.” forcing workers in those countries to come ahead of him in some of the polls. How ly anti-establishment rally, Paul claimed Dobbs and Beck are broadcast nightly here just to survive. This is a crime of big anti-establishment can Bob Barr be? He that U.S. schools don’t teach “free market on CNN, a privately owned, corporate- business he has clearly forgiven. is author of the “Defense of Marriage” economics” any longer. He also claimed funded network. Their programs are Beck’s way of being “anti-establish- Act, which makes it seem like same-sex that the U.S. needs to stop following ideas paid for many times over with advertis- ment” was to run an hour-long interview couples are the big problem confront- like “corporatism and socialism.” Is he at all in touch with reality? Any youth who has attended school in $1,000,000,000,000? United mass action can the U.S. knows that “free market econom- ics,” not socialism, is shoved down your throat at every opportunity. And anyone Stop giveaway to Wall Street bankers who has ever been unemployed should Continued from page 1 Both Paulson and Bernanke refused to markets will “seize up.” This is the logic of know that the U.S. economy has nothing As the quintessential Wall Street repre- budge on the issue, saying that the bail- unobstructed capitalism. to do with socialism. Every socialist revo- sentative, Paulson fielded the requests of out program was voluntary and they did The working class must reject this dire lution has immediately led to guaranteed the financial industry as they lobbied to get not want to be “punitive” or the bankers choice. It is a choice posed by the boss- jobs for all. Unlike capitalism, which is in on the act. In an early draft of the pro- might not participate. The same argument es and their paid propagandists. Every totally built around providing profits for posal, security firms—i.e., stock brokers— was used to talk down a proposal made by struggling sector of society—youth and a few and needs a reserve of millions of were excluded from the bailout. In the final some senators that the government have students; Black, Latin@, Native and Asian unemployed to keep down wages, a social- version, they were included. In the early an ownership stake in any company that peoples; immigrants; women; the lesbian, ist economy is publicly owned and can version, only banks headquartered in the gets a bailout. Their reply: The bankers gay, bi and trans communities; seniors plan production to meet people’s needs. U.S. were included. The later version was would never submit to such treatment and the disabled—will be affected and While these voices that play on people’s broadened to include all financial institu- and the whole program would fail. need to mobilize to fight back. frustration are now emphasizing pseudo tions with operations in the U.S. There was endless posturing by the The bankers and the government can be anti-corporate rhetoric, they haven’t let The feeding frenzy could not be hid- senators, many of whom are millionaires made to change their tune when faced with up on their attacks on immigrants, calls den. “Even as policy makers worked on themselves, about helping Main Street, a mass struggle demanding a moratorium for militarization of the border or hatred details of the $700 billion bailout of the not Wall Street. As a popular slogan, this on foreclosures and evictions. They can be of affirmative action. financial industry, Wall Street began look- is very appealing and all the politicians pushed back by a movement demanding Beck has defended the racist Phila­ ing for ways to profit from it.” (New York used it. But the question is really not one an end to layoffs and plant closings and delphia police and gave free publicity to Times, Sept. 22) The bankers successfully of “streets.” It is a question of class. the right to a job for all workers. the hate book “Murdered by Mumia.” In lobbied to have all manner of investments It is the financial oligarchy of the capi- Housing is a right. Education and health his interview with the author, Maureen covered, not just mortgages. talist ruling class that is being bailed out care are rights. A job is a right. The only Faulkner, she was never confronted or They began to jockey for position to at the expense of the working class and way to turn back this onslaught of foreclo- challenged on her claims, all of which manage the same funds that the Treasury the middle class. The African-American, sures, evictions and layoffs, and stop the were made with the motive of having was going to take off the books of the Latin@ and other oppressed populations bailout at the same time, is to fight back in Mumia Abu-Jamal executed for a crime banks. They stand to earn hundreds are suffering the most. an organized, mass, militant way. he did not commit. How anti-establish- of millions of dollars a year in fees as The working class has debts it cannot Workers have historically found ways of ment is it to side with racist cops in their Paulson draws up plans to hire his fellow pay; the financial rulers have debts they forcing open the pocketbooks of the boss- drive to kill an innocent man? bankers—the crooks who brought on the don’t want to pay. es. Eighty years ago, no one thought the Lou Dobbs continues to spin John crisis—to advise on the bailout. The masses face poverty and hardship. law would recognize the right to organize a Birch-style fairy tales about the U.S. being Some bankers and investors face getting union, the right to Social Security, the right conquered by globalist conspiracies while Trying to sell it to Congress down to their last millions. to unemployment insurance, the right to ignoring the terrorism that the U.S. gov- Paulson and Bernanke had to testify Aid for Families with Dependent Children. ernment is committing against people in Forcing workers before the Senate Banking Committee These gains were won by struggles during countries like Iraq and Afghanistan—wars to pay bankers’ debts on Sept. 23 to try to sell the bailout. It the Great Depression of the 1930s. initiated by the Bush administration on was clear that they had overreached. The No matter how much this bailout is Faced with an organized, militant pop- behalf of the huge oil and “defense” com- senators were almost all forced to push “improved” by some minimal concessions ulation, the bosses, who had been crying panies, the one sector of the U.S. economy back. Partly it was their usual demagogy on secondary issues, such as limiting exec- poverty, finally came up with the money. Continued on page 6 and posturing meant for the benefit of utive pay—if that ever happens—or any They can do it again. n the electorate. But it was also fear that other palliative measure, the fact is that the Paulson and Bernanke did not really have working class is going to be forced deeper any workable plan. into debt to pay off the debts of the bankers Committee members also voiced skep- who robbed the workers in the first place. People tell Mich. legislators: ‘Moratorium NOW!’ ticism on the excessive demand for totally This bailout is a ruling-class solution. Continued from page 3 arbitrary authority and the complete lack Paulson’s proposal, in whatever form it by block. We need action now. Let’s fight of even the slightest gesture of concrete emerges from Congress, is predicated on moratorium bill be passed. for the moratorium. Let’s win it.” assistance to the masses. After being there being only one choice: bail out the State Representatives Gabe Leland, Juan Daniel Castro of the Grand Rapids pummeled in view of the television cam- banks or suffer a Great Depression. There Shanelle Jackson, Bettie Cook-Scott Latino Community Coalition connected eras with demands for oversight, Paulson, may well be a depression. But it will come and Steve Tobocman also addressed the the struggles of poor and working peo- who wrote the “non-reviewable” provi- as a result of capitalist overproduction crowd, as did state Sen. Martha Scott. ple in the United States to those in Latin sion, declared himself to be an advocate inherent in the profit system. It cannot Speaking from her wheelchair, Rubie America. He stated, “People united will of “oversight” and “accountability.” be stopped in the long run by a bailout of Curl-Pinkins declared, “I don’t want never be defeated. We want people’s needs Both Bernanke and Paulson stone- bankers. anyone else to lose their home. Keep on addressed, not corporate welfare!” walled the committee over any measure To fight off the effects of a depression fighting!” Her home was saved from fore- Linette Crosby from rural St. Johns to directly stop or even diminish home or any economic crisis, the workers must closure after two large, militant demon- told how her family’s 140-acre mint farm, foreclosures. When Paulson was asked have their own program and advance their strations targeted Countrywide and Bank which has been in existence since 1912, is about the 10,000 foreclosures a day going own demands. of America, demanding they accept her now in foreclosure. The bank intends to on right now, he double-talked about how After claiming for a year that the sys- mortgage repayment. Nikki Curl, Pinkins’ auction off the farm’s inventory on Nov. the plan would “eventually” lift the hous- tem was fundamentally sound, the finan- daughter, said, “When we come together 1. Crosby said some people told her not to ing market and make it easier for people cial bosses are now using the threat of an as one, we can make a difference.” speak out, but she was going to anyway. to stay in their homes—always predicting apocalyptic depression to terrorize every- Sandra Hines, whose family home of 40 “Foreclosures and evictions touch every- that without their plan, things would take one into accepting a bailout of billionaires years was seized by the bank, said, “This body. We’re not ready to give up.” an even more disastrous turn. and millionaires. This is calculated to pro- is a national fight. We’re going to force Larry Holmes of New York City, a Much time was spent on the need to mote fear, demoralization and passivity elected officials to move. We have to win leader of the Troops Out Now Coalition limit executive bonuses. It has become among the multinational working class, this moratorium.” and the Ad Hoc National Network to well known that in 2007 the bankers at which is already struggling to survive. Jerry Goldberg, people’s attorney and Stop Foreclosures and Evictions, told the Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Merrill According to Paulson and company, coalition leader, said, “We can’t wait one crowd: “When the rich want something, Lynch, Lehman Brothers and Morgan either the people give over $700 billion more day for a moratorium. We need an nothing is ever enough. When it comes to Stanley gave themselves a total of $39 bil- or risk losing their homes, jobs and retire- executive order from Governor Granholm. poor and working people, we get nothing. lion in bonuses. ment. Pay the bankers’ debts or the credit We need to stop every foreclosure block It’s an insult, a shame, a scandal, a crime www.workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 Page 5 Beware right-wingers denouncing ‘Wall Street’ Meeropol: Gov’t abuse persists in Rosenberg case

By Naomi Cohen refusing to testify before this commit- and brother) cooperated with the pros- • Created and fueled anti-communist tee. Others were forced underground or ecution in exchange for a comparatively hysteria On Sept. 12, the New York Times ran an into exile. Many more were targeted for light sentence for David, and for no • Capitalized on that political climate article based on an interview with Morton political repression, losing their jobs and charges being brought against Ruth. It by targeting my parents, then mak- Sobell, the co-defendant of Julius and livelihood in a broad FBI sweep aimed at was Ruth’s trial testimony that provided ing them the focus of the public’s Cold Ethel Rosenberg in the “atomic spy” case driving all leftists out of the labor and pro- the one, key piece of evidence that led to War-era fear and anger that led to the execution of the Rosenbergs gressive movements. my mother’s conviction. Ruth stated at • Manufactured testimony and evidence on June 19, 1953. The article gave the This was the atmosphere in which trial that Ethel typed David’s handwrit- • Hounded witnesses for their political impression that Sobell for the first time Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested ten notes describing the Atomic Bomb, beliefs and associations rather than admitted he and Julius Rosenberg were in 1950 and charged with having given the an act that would have made Ethel an about any alleged illegal activities guilty of the charges against them. “secret” of the atomic bomb to the Soviet active participant in the alleged spy ring. • Arrested Ethel simply as leverage to This is not true. A close reading shows Union. They were even blamed by the trial However, despite being a cooperative try to get Julius to cooperate with the Sobell said that, while he and Julius judge for the Korean War. In the hysteria witness trying to remain in the prosecutor’s prosecution Rosenberg had passed on military infor- created by the media, the FBI, Congress good graces, Ruth’s Grand Jury testimony • Used the ultimate weapon—the threat mation to the Soviet Union during World and the courts at the time, it was impos- included NOTHING about Ethel ever typ- of death—to try to extort a confession War II to help it repel the Nazi invaders, sible for the Rosenbergs to get a fair or ing any notes; included NOTHING about from my parents and to force them to they were not “atomic spies,” as the pros- impartial trial. Ethel even being present at the meeting name and testify against others. ecution against them claimed. Below are excerpts from a statement involving the notes. Ultimately, these new revelations have The context behind what happened is released by Robert Meeropol, a son of the (3) All that I have learned in the made me even more steadfast in my extremely important. The United States Rosenbergs, who was six years old when last week, coupled with all that I have commitment to helping those whom the was supposedly an ally of the Soviet Union his parents were executed. Meeropol is gleaned from the information already Rosenberg Fund for Children supports: in the war against Nazi Germany. Yet when now executive director of the Rosenberg available, reinforces the biggest lesson today’s families experiencing similar the Nazi armies invaded the USSR and Fund for Children, which raises money to be taken from my parents’ case—that targeting and suffering similar personal millions were dying under the assault, the to aid the children of political prisoners the U.S. government abused its power in tragedies. European and U.S. “Allies” did nothing to and targeted activists in the U.S. suffer- truly dangerous ways that are still very For Robert Meeropol’s full statement, open a second front from the West. Only ing from the same kind of repression and relevant today. Those in power who were go to www.rfc.org. n when it became clear that the Soviets would terror that he and his brother Michael involved in my parents’ case: defeat the Nazis on their own, after the bat- experienced. tle of Stalingrad, did the Allies launch the Excerpts from Robert Meeropol’s invasion of Normandy in June 1944. statement In August of 1945, the U.S. demon- strated to the world the terror of nuclear Over the last week I have read all 930 weapons by dropping atom bombs on pages of Grand Jury testimony that have Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hun- been released, and my brother has spoken to Mort [Sobell] directly to clarify Mort’s Thank you, dreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in the space of a few days. statement. Many of you are wondering After World War II ended, the U.S. and about my reaction to these revelations. European imperialists launched a broad Here are my initial thoughts after inte- Josh Howard grating the information from this last week political, ideological and economic assault By Monica Moorehead on the Soviet Union, including military with the rest of the historical record. Athletes in the U.S. are expected to keep encirclement by NATO forces—the Cold (1) Since the 1980s I have maintained their mouths shut when it comes to either War. In 1949 after the Chinese Revolution that it is possible that my father engaged questioning or criticizing any injustices athletic and fitness training.” (www.josh- drove the Japanese and Western imperi- in non-atomic espionage, but that he that exist. They are ingrained from the howard.com) alist powers off the mainland of China, a did NOT participate in ANY activities time they are born with the notion, “My Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas wild witch hunt was unleashed in the U.S. that resulted in him obtaining or passing country, right or wrong, love it or leave,” Mavericks, said that Howard had apolo- In the same year, the Soviet Union tested the “secret of the Atomic Bomb” to the like the rest of society. gized for his comments. Cuban also posted its own nuclear weapon, sending a mes- Soviets. Mort’s statement moves me to During the height of the Black libera- comments about Howard’s stance on his sage that it would not be a defenseless vic- acknowledge that it is virtually certain tion movement and the civil rights move- blog to show that he was more concerned tim of nuclear threats. that Julius did, in fact, participate with ment in the 1960s, Black athletes like about the horrendous racism expressed The anti-communist witch hunt inten- others in passing along military informa- Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John against Howard than about Howard’s sified in 1950 with the opening of the tion. But at the same time, I believe the Carlos took heroic stances against the rejection of the U.S. anthem. (blogmaver- Korean War. Trade unionists, teachers, still-evolving record makes it even clear- Vietnam War and racist oppression at ick.com) scholars, writers, actors, artists, journal- er that Julius did not “steal” or transmit home, leading to a reactionary backlash. Some of the responses on the blog urged ists and even some government officials the “secret of the Atomic Bomb,” the Today, in the absence of a mass move- Cuban to fire Howard and others stated were subpoenaed and dragged before the crime for which he was executed. ment, professional athletes are paid mil- that Howard should leave this country. congressional committee headed by Sen. (2) Ruth [Greenglass] and her hus- lions of dollars in salaries, especially Other anti-Howard messages were linked Joseph McCarthy. Many went to jail for band David (my mother’s sister-in-law basketball, football and baseball players. to hostility toward Barack Obama’s presi- At the same time, they pay a heavy price. dential candidacy. There are also positive These are high-priced “gladiators” expect- comments defending Howard. ed to just perform and willingly take any Sports commentators on Fox News and People tell Mich. legislators: ‘Moratorium NOW!’ kind of abuse from the spectators, as well ESPN have added fuel to the fire by mak- ing negative statements about that your legislators haven’t passed SB of health care, racism and other ills have as not say anything that smacks Howard’s stance. 1306. You are the working-class heroes of affected them and their families and why a of being anti-patriotic. Just the fact that Howard said today, fighting for everyone else, against moratorium is sorely needed in Michigan. This is why it is important to ww that he is “Black” is a powerful not just foreclosures and evictions but They gave heart-wrenching details take special note of the actions of commentary political statement understood cuts in jobs, pensions and wages. Keep about the criminal activities of the bank- Josh Howard, a gifted African- by so many Black and other doing what you’re doing. Power to the ers and lenders who tossed them and their American National Basketball oppressed peoples. It goes to the very people. Moratorium NOW!” loved ones out on the street. The major- Association player who is a member of heart of institutionalized racism in the Robert Pratt of UNITE HERE was put in ity had lived in their homes for years but the Dallas Mavericks. At a charity football forms of police brutality; incarceration; foreclosure when he couldn’t pay the mort- fell into dire economic straits due to such game this past summer, while the Star- lack of jobs, education and housing; and, gage after his 12-year-old son was tragi- catastrophic personal crises as losing a job Spangled Banner was playing in the back- last but not least, demonization that Black cally shot and killed. His lender refused or having a major family health crisis. ground, Howard was caught on YouTube people, especially young people, face day to work out a payment arrangement after The entire hearing was videotaped. saying that, in essence, he did not have in and day out in the U.S. So Josh Howard Pratt explained he needed to pay for funer- DVDs will soon be available from the to respect the U.S. anthem because he is should be applauded and defended for al costs. Pratt, with dozens of union mem- coalition. Organizers plan to deliver them Black. doing what he did. bers in red shirts behind him on the steps to members of the State Legislature in a This is not the first time that Howard Larry Hales, a national organizer with of the Capitol, pledged to organize to help further effort to move SB 1306 out of com- has taken a progressive stance against the youth group Fight Imperialism, Stand make the moratorium a reality. mittee and force public hearings around U.S. policies. For instance, as a senior at Together (FIST), told Workers World: Rosendo Delgado of Latinos Unidos of the state. Wake Forest University in 2004, Howard “This is great and long overdue for a major Michigan stated: “If we can get a mora- The Moratorium NOW! Coalition meets came out against the U.S. war on Iraq. He sports star to make such a political state- torium passed in Michigan, it will spread next on Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. Weekly open has also been criticized for publicly stating ment. Though he probably didn’t intend like wildfire. Therefore we must fight to staff meetings are held on Mondays at that he smokes marijuana, which so many for it to go public and he hasn’t been given make this bill a reality.” 7 p.m. at the coalition’s office at Central athletes in all sports do. His Josh Howard the chance to expound, and probably will United Methodist Church, 23 E. Adams, Foundation is “dedicated to helping to be made to apologize, I’m sure he refuses People’s hearing 4th floor, Detroit. Call 313-887-4344; improve the quality of life of economically the anthem because it implies acceptance After the rally, dozens lined up at a email [email protected]; challenged communities by utilizing pro- of the history of slavery, theft of land, people’s hearing to give testimony on how or visit www.moratorium-mi.org to send grams and services that focus on academic improvement, community outreach, and genocide and U.S. imperialism.” n foreclosures, evictions, job losses, lack a donation or get involved. n Page 6 Oct. 2, 2008 www.workers.org Arizona hospital lets ICE terrorize immigrants By Paul Teitelbaum selves and their families. The U.S. gov- Patrol, which responded to the accident one case, they handcuffed a patient to Tucson, Ariz. ernment spent billions of dollars in the and transported the victims to the closest the bed. Recently, an 8-year-old Mexican 1980s crushing revolutionary movements trauma center, UMC, where nine of them girl visiting relatives in Tucson developed The University of Arizona Medical and keeping the elites in power there. were pronounced dead. appendicitis; her parents rushed her to Center (UMC), Tucson’s only tier-one The desert areas the immigrants are The BP agents later showed up at UMC. The father, a miner in Cananea, trauma center, is working closely with funneled into are unforgiving to those UMC’s emergency room and demand- Mexico, makes $100 per week. He was the Department of Homeland Security forced to travel through them. Besides ed they be notified when any surviving told the surgery would cost $98,000 (DHS) to make life for undocumented the heat and dangerous terrain that most patients were released. UMC compliance and that UMC expected payment when workers even worse. The hospital has a immigrants are unprepared for, they face means that patients are sent from the the patient was released. The usual cost stated policy of “100 percent compliance more danger from the increasing pres- emergency room to the Immigration and of an appendectomy is around $8,000. with all law enforcement agencies.” That ence of Border Patrol agents. Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention When confronted, UMC officials said the is the excuse for engaging in a series of The Border Patrol has been engaging Center, where they are coerced into either $98,000 figure was “an outlier” and that practices that target the Latin@ commu- in high-speed chases in pursuit of vehi- signing voluntary deportation papers or only under the most extenuating of cir- nity, particularly the undocumented. cles, often ending with the chased vehicle being charged with a criminal offense. cumstances would an appendectomy cost The southern Arizona border is the losing control and crashing. One recent ER personnel at UMC—whose job is to that much. But, for a person who makes entry point for immigrants from Central incident involved 19 Salvadorans packed provide health care, not act as a repres- $100 per week, even $8,000 is an impos- and South America driven from their into a van. Border Patrol agents chased sive arm of the state—are consistently sible amount to pay. homes by extreme need and desperately the vehicle until it rolled over. The Border providing details of patient releases to the Tucson immigrant rights activists have seeking a means of subsistence for them- Patrol then notified the Arizona Highway Border Patrol. According to a worker in been advising people against going to the emergency room, doctors and nurses UMC for health care. UMC cooperation are contacting DHS on their own and vol- with Homeland Security increases the unteering information about patients. presence of ICE agents in and around the Muslim workers fired for In addition, UMC has a policy of report- ER. They are essentially denying health ing to the DHS foreign nationals who care to the Latin@ community, terroriz- haven’t paid their hospital bills. In turn, a ing them by allowing ICE agents into the collection agency hired by UMC to collect hospital and threatening to call ICE if a protesting discrimination the debts threatens to call Immigration bill isn’t paid. if a payment is not made. These threats The increased presence of ICE agents in By Larry Hales When managers at the plant reversed are made without regard to the person’s the community, at schools and hospitals, Denver their original decision, the Muslim work- ers were fired after walking out a second actual legal status. is part of the militarization of the border. Patients have also reported instances We must unite and demand that ICE get In early September, at least 100 Muslim time. of ICE agents entering their hospital out of our communities and that the racist workers at the JBS Swift meatpacking Last year Muslim workers walked off rooms and harassing them. In at least attacks and deportations end. n plant in Greeley, Colo., most of them from the job at the Nebraska plant because of Somalia, were fired for walking off their discrimination, though they eventually jobs to protest Swift’s refusal to accom- returned. modate Muslim workers during the holy James Abbi, a Somali Muslim in month of Ramadan. Nebraska, said of the sunset breaks, “We La Peña celebrates The official number of fired workers, just asked for five minutes to pray. That according to United Food and Commercial don’t hurt nobody.” Workers Local 7, is 130, while Swift says It is not unusual for workers to get time 21 years of resistance the number fired is only 100. off for special religious needs, like Catholics The workers were asking to take their on Ash Wednesday, for example. More than 150 community mem- break at sunset so they could pray and In Greeley, UFCW Local 7 filed a griev- bers, old and young, Black, white, break their fast, but the company denied ance on behalf of the Muslim workers for and Latin@, gathered at St. Mary’s the request. discrimination and wrongful termination. Park in the South Bronx on Sept. 21 Similarly, workers at another Swift The Council on American-Islamic to celebrate the 21st birthday of La meatpacking plant in Grand Island, Neb., Relations announced possible legal action, Peña del Bronx. This community were fired for the same reason. There, but Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman, said, center has fought against racism, workers put the number fired at 150, “Really, you don’t need attorneys in these gentrification, environmental pol- though plant management says it was cases. You just need a spirit of good will lution and police brutality. They only 86. and cooperation.” Citing the stubborn- dedicated the activity to amnesty In Nebraska, the workers were origi- ness of the Swift plant in Greeley, Hooper for all immigrants. nally allowed to take time at sunset to said, “Usually in these cases we’re able to La Peña was founded by two pray and break their fast. Unfortunately, come to an amicable solution.” Chilean exiles. Víctor Toro is an original performer would have to be identified in instead of exhibiting solidarity in deal- The battle is ongoing. Though Swift member of the MIR, the revolutionary advance to the police. That didn’t happen. ing with the company, hundreds of other counters that it offered a break time at 8 organization that advocated arming the Instead, the community celebrated with workers walked off the job there to protest p.m., that would have been too late for the working people in Chile to defend the music, food, dance, solidarity and the Muslim workers being allowed the break evening prayer, which is timed for sunset. social gains they won under the Allende resistance that began with its revolution- time, saying it amounted to “preferential” It is the one prayer during the day that has government. Toro’s companion, activist ary founders 21 years ago. Their struggle treatment. to be done at a specific time. n Nieves Ayress, was captured and tortured continues. during the coup against Allende spon- —Report and photo by Heather Cottin sored by the U.S. in 1973. Víctor Toro, who was declared “dead’ in Chile under the Pinochet regime, came here without Beware right-wingers Protests delay Troy Davis execution papers. Continued from page 1 Associates, the private company that pro- Under the leadership of these two, La denouncing ‘Wall Street’ killed by lethal injection. However, if the vides the medical personnel who insert the Peña became a community center for the Supreme Court justices decline to accept intravenous lines for the lethal injection. homeless, persons with HIV, the unem- Continued from page 4 the case for review on Sept. 29, the stay Also, on what was scheduled to be Davis’s ployed, youth, the elderly and the dis- still turning in huge profits. will be lifted and Georgia will again set an final day, mobile “die-ins” were staged at abled. It has consistently promoted and The Republican Party presidential can- execution date. the State Office Building that houses the protected cultural expression. La Peña didate, John McCain, and his running Nevertheless, Davis’s family, friends Georgia Pardons and Parole Board as well offers English classes, silkscreen work- mate, Sarah Palin, have been pro-big busi- and death penalty opponents around the as at the State Capitol. shops and lends its space to music, theater ness from day one and get their funding country savored the reprieve, sure that the Numerous national media outlets have and folkloric dance groups. from the same big banks and corporations hundreds of thousands of calls, letters and carried stories about the recanted testimo- Maintaining solidarity with revolution- as Barack Obama, but now they are attack- faxes to Georgia officials, as well as the ny, the lack of any physical evidence, and ary struggles in Latin America and the ing the first African-American nominee of many protests and rallies held not just in the charges of police coercion and intimi- Caribbean, La Peña members face police the Democratic Party as “elitist.” the U.S. but elsewhere in the world, had dation, all of which have made groups and federal repression. Toro was cap- Are we to believe that these folks are the registered with the ruling political circles. like Amnesty International express “over- tured in an Immigration and Customs answer to big business? The Davis case had become a lightning whelming doubts” about the guilty verdict Enforcement raid in the summer of 2007 If anything, this should prove that run- rod for mass discontent with the injustice in the Davis case. and faces deportation. Members of Rebel ning your mouth off and saying what’s system. While joy was the prevailing emotion in Diaz, a political hip-hop group that got popular, as all these forces do, doesn’t A growing number of well-known peo- Atlanta and for those gathered outside the its start at La Peña, were arrested by the mean you are really fighting against the ple—including former President Jimmy prison in Jackson, Ga., everyone was all police last summer because the artists powers that be. Carter, South African Bishop Desmond too aware that the struggle to save Troy interceded against the police in defense of If a Dobbs or a Beck or a McCain is Tutu and Georgia Rep. John Lewis—made Davis’s life and to abolish the racist and a street vendor. being paid by big business to speak against public statements condemning the death unfair death penalty continues. Until the day before the fiesta in the them, can he really be a threat to those sentence given Davis. Meanwhile, grass- For the latest information on how to park, the police were refusing a sound footing the bills? n roots activists picketed Rainbow Medical help, go to www.gfadp.org. n permit and said that every speaker and www.workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 Page 7 Hurricane Ike was no equalizer By Gloria Rubac Lenwood Johnson in Freedman’s Town at the Galveston County Courthouse, Houston in Houston. He got power turned back which sits just below the jail. Two genera- on for Houston public housing within tors were brought in so Bush could have Sept. 22—As Hurricane Ike raged ashore days after Ike hit. A week later he was air conditioning and lights. The Galveston in the early hours before sunrise on Sept. himself still without power. sheriff asked Homeland Security Secretary 13, its ferocious winds roared and whipped Michael Chertoff if the county could keep western Louisiana and 35 eastern Texas all but disbanded the PODs. People have the generators because his staff and the counties. Galveston Island and the Bolivar to turn to private businesses, food pantries prisoners had no air or lights. Chertoff Peninsula bore the brunt of Ike, but the and other local agencies. refused. storm battered communities across hun- With FEMA’s water and ice, people were Power outages in Huntsville, 70 miles dreds of miles of the Gulf Coast. given flyers telling them to call or apply north of Houston, had no impact on the The facts of the storm can be found in online for disaster relief. Online? How can assembly line of death there. On Sept. 17, newspapers and online. But the reality of people without power apply online, even if Huntsville state prison had no lights, but life for the working class is glossed over as they have a computer? the authorities found the energy to put story after story on radio, television and On one talk-radio show, people called in William Murray to death—making him the in the print media claims that people from saying that FEMA wasn’t answering calls. ninth person executed in Texas this year. all walks of life have been devastated and One man said he had called 166 times. A The total is the highest in the country. ww photo: Gloria Rubac that Ike has been an “equalizer.” woman in tears, with crying children in Around 2,000 undocumented workers Yes, everyone lost power. Everyone has the background, said she had called all seniors. Without electricity, those on oxy- live and work in Galveston. The majority tree limbs and debris in their yards. The day and never got an answer. gen, who needed dialysis or insulin, or did not evacuate because they feared that bosses and workers alike have wet carpet Local television showed police forcibly were not mobile could be in jeopardy. if they took the buses to a shelter, they and sheetrock that needs to be ripped out. removing evacuees from motels, telling He accomplished what the mayor, City would be deported. So they stayed on the But the similarities end there. them that FEMA did not have them on Council and federal government chose island during the hurricane. Now they are The wealthy have industrial-size gen- its approved list. One woman cried as she not to do. “Lenwood Johnson did more without power and water and living in erators built into their mansions or were explained that she had spent all her mon- for us seniors than the mayor or FEMA unsanitary conditions. able to buy them after the storm. But ey on gas to leave the coast and now had or anyone else in Houston,” says 88-year- Radio commentators on a Houston workers and the poor scrounged for ice nowhere to go. Another said that FEMA old Casey Davis. “He got our lights turned Clear Channel news station had the chests and coolers, then spent hours and had told her not to worry, as it would pay back on!” nerve to talk about all Houstonians com- hours looking for ice each day they were for her motel costs until she could return Less than eight hours after Ike passed ing together, including the owners of the without power. They tried to save what home. Now the cops were threatening over Houston, people in River Oaks, mobile taco trucks that are abundant food they had in their homes. arrest if she did not leave the motel. Houston’s wealthiest neighborhood, were around town. Several said how wonderful As this article is being written, almost living their lives as if nothing had hap- it was that the people with the trucks were ‘Things are never equal’ one million people in Houston still lack pened. This reporter observed lights on in serving food in Houston in the hours and electricity. A map on the power company’s “Equalizer my foot. Hell no!” says many mansions and tree trimmers work- days just after the hurricane. Everything Web site shows outages almost entirely Lenwood Johnson, a Free Man’s ing in the rain to clear the carefully mani- else was shut down. on the eastern half of the city—home to Neighborhood Association board mem- cured lawns. Women dressed in designer Ironically, this same station had been Houston’s working class, including the ber. “Ike was not an equalizer. Things are workout suits were taking their daily jog part of a racist, organized attempt by Black and Latin@ communities, as well as never equal—poor people always suffer around the neighborhood. right-wing activists and legislators to shut the oil refineries, chemical industries and after storms like this.” down the taco trucks by imposing ridicu- Prisoners left behind the pollution they create. Johnson has lived in public housing for lous restrictions on them. without lights, water Houstonians are still under curfew, decades since illness forced him out of his It will be a long time before life gets which is strictly enforced in working-class job in the petrochemical industry in 1979. Galveston, the hardest-hit area on the back to normal along the Gulf Coast. But and oppressed communities. The lucky He is still a resident of a public housing Gulf Coast, had ordered the mandatory don’t believe anyone who tells you that all are given $500 tickets—others are taken project in historic Freedman’s Town, a evacuation of its residents, but the 1,000 were affected equally. The rich will con- directly to jail. Cops occupy the poorest community built in Houston in 1865 by prisoners locked up in the Galveston tinue their lives unaffected while some of communities like Nazi storm troopers. formerly enslaved Africans. County Jail were not included. They are the poor may never survive the property It took the Federal Emergency Man­ After Hurricane Ike hit Houston, public still in jail with no power, no water and damage, the loss of lives or the psycholog- agement Agency three days to set up what housing residents were without power for no functioning toilets. They haven’t even ical terror this hurricane unleashed. they called PODs—Points of Distribution— several days. Johnson spent more than 24 been able to wash their hands since Ike hit Rubac’s own home remains without where people could line up in the hot sun hours on the phone talking with everyone 10 days ago. power. She had to sleep on a friend’s to receive two bags of ice and a case of bot- he could think of to get power restored. Five days after the hurricane, President floor and defy the curfew to file this tled water. Now, six days later, they have He was particularly concerned about the George W. Bush held a press conference story. Are layoffs to blame? Power still out for hundreds of thousands in Ohio By Martha Grevatt the affluent, losing the ability to refriger- energy industry, massive layoffs have reduced by one third in the past 10 years, Cleveland ate food is more than an inconvenience. occurred throughout Ohio. Unions have with an obvious impact on maintenance.” Elderly and physically challenged indi- blamed these layoffs for declining service. Akron-based First Energy was blamed Sept. 21—When Hurricane Ike got as viduals dependent on oxygen are in big A 2001 report by the Utility Workers Union by many for initially triggering the 2003 far north as Ohio, the media called it the danger. “Facing a fifth day without power, of America stated that “in a recent survey disaster. “remnants” or “remains” of the storm. the residents of a senior housing com- of its locals the UWUA found that its staff- The outage should have been a wake-up For millions of working-class households munity in western Ohio took to the street ing levels around the country are down 35 call, but the workforce reductions con- here, that was a poor choice of words. Friday with signs to protest the failure of percent compared to 1991. Workers are tinued throughout the industry. Recently While the suffering in Ohio cannot com- Dayton Power and Light Co. to restore worried about system reliability, their own postings on a Web site for frustrated Duke pare to Texas, the damage in 84 of Ohio’s electricity. Power outages are more than an safety, and safety of the public.” Energy employees stated that, “In 1988, 88 counties was enough for the governor inconvenience at the retirement commu- After a power outage affecting 50 mil- Duke further reduced knowledgeable to declare a state of emergency. nity in Beavercreek, east of Dayton, where lion homes in August 2003, due to a cas- workers by having its first company-wide Nearly one week later, hundreds of some residents depend on oxygen devices, cading problem with the country’s energy layoff. Over the years, Duke has tried to thousands of households are still in the 911 service and working elevators. The pro- grid, a news release from the International shove the most experienced employees out dark. The majority of those without power test seemed to get a reaction. Within hours Brotherhood of Electrical Workers charged the door by offering ‘Voluntary Separation are in the southwest part of the state. This of residents heading to the curb with their that, “In the 10 years since utility deregu- Opportunities’—paying people to retire. In includes 59,000 Dayton Power and Light placards, crews were working to restore lation was first introduced, power compa- 2007, eligible employees were enticed to and 85,000 Duke Energy customers. Duke power.” (Associated Press, Sept. 21) nies have built or updated very few new retire with a $50,000 insurance benefit.” covers the Cincinnati area but also rural transmission lines. Today demand contin- Unfortunately, a great deal of public- Butler and Warren counties, where 18,000 Profit motive drives delays ues to climb, but transmission investment ity was given to an isolated incident of residences wait for service to be restored. One would be hard-pressed to blame in 2000 was less than half of what it was an angry customer threatening a utility In addition, 77,000 in the Columbus electrical workers’ laziness for the crisis. in 1975. In general, training programs for worker. However, the bulk of public anger area, served by American Electric Power, Many around the state have been working workers have been reduced or suspend- is directed at the power companies—and are unsure when their lights will come 16-hour shifts, a schedule that increases the ed indefinitely. The work force has been for good reason. n back on. Northeast Ohio fared better, but likelihood of injury in an already hazard- it was a week before First Energy got the ous occupation. Since Ike hit, more than SEPT. 27 Foreclose the War—Not People’s Homes! power back on and a few hundred homes one utility worker has been killed working still lack service. to restore power around the country. NYC: March & Rally • Sat., Sept. 27 • 12 noon • Times Sq. – 42nd & 7th Ave. Days of school closings have posed a However, since 1992 when Congress For local actions see http://stopwaroniran.org/ For more information, call 212-633-6646 hardship to working parents. For all but voted to allow states to deregulate the NO Money for Wall Street & War – Bail Out the Workers & the Poor! Page 8 Oct. 2, 2008 www.workers.org

Storm-wracked Cuba tells Bush: ‘We don’t need your aid—just lift the blockade’ By Brenda Ryan de Estenoz, chief of the Department of assessment team” to Cuba to inspect the anniversary of their imprisonment, the New York International Relations of the Communist affected area. Cuba said no to these spies Cuban Five remain resolute and strong Party of Cuba. and instead asked that the U.S. allow the in their struggle for freedom. The next José Ramón Machado Ventura, first The recent hurricanes were the most sale of construction material to Cuba. In step in the case is to seek a U.S. Supreme vice president of the Cuban Council of destructive to hit Cuba in many years, response, the Bush administration said Court review of the 2006 ruling by the full State, spoke at a church in Harlem on causing several deaths—a rarity in a coun- this is not the time to ease the blockade court of the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Sept. 22 about the two issues hurting Cuba try with a superb system for saving lives. of Cuba. Appeals. That decision overruled a three- most now: the devastation wrought by The storms destroyed more than 60,000 “If they want to help Cuba, why don’t judge panel of the court, which said the Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and the con- homes and caused more than $5 billion in they lift the blockade?” Machado asked. five should never have been tried in Miami tinued imprisonment of the Cuban Five. damage. To ensure their safety, the gov- “They say Cuba is sacrificing its own peo- and ordered a new trial. Hundreds of people filled the Church of ernment evacuated 3 million people from ple and refusing assistance. But the most During his talk, Machado also denounced the Intercession to hear Machado speak. their homes, almost one-third of Cuba’s important issue is the blockade.” the U.S. war in Iraq, which he said has As he entered he was greeted with cheers population. Machado also pointed to the struggle killed thousands of U.S. youth and hun- of “¡Cuba sí, bloqueo no!” and “¡Viva Cuba “It is our sacred moral duty to save the being waged on behalf of the Cuban Five, dreds of thousands of youth in other coun- revolucionaria!” lives of our people,” Machado said. He whose only crime was saving Cuban and tries, and the torture of those imprisoned One of Cuba’s elder statesmen, added that neighbors and relatives took in U.S. lives from terrorist acts. He said while in the illegally occupied Guantánamo. Machado had joined the guerrillas in the those who had to flee their homes. “That’s the five—Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Machado pointed to the victorious Sierra Maestra mountain range, where he the result of the education of our revo- Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando election of Evo Morales in Bolivia and the served as a doctor and fought alongside lution, for solidarity not only to be pro- González and René González—are sub- successes of the Bolivarian revolution in Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. claimed but to be carried out,” he said. jected to harsh and inhumane treatment Venezuela. “It’s increasingly difficult for Such a high-level Cuban official has Noting that Haiti has also been devas- in U.S. prisons, real terrorists like Luis imperialism to deceive the people of the not visited New York since President tated by the hurricanes, he said it should Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch are Americas,” he said. Castro’s visit in 2000. Machado was receive as much assistance as possible. free to walk the streets of Miami. He concluded his talk with the battle joined by Felipe Pérez Roque, minister of Machado said the U.S. was deceit- Attorney Leonard Weinglass also spoke cry of the Cuban revolution: “Ever onward foreign relations, and Fernando Remírez ful in offering to send a “humanitarian at the event. He said that on the tenth to victory!” n After four hurricanes, Haiti faces famine By G. Dunkel far too low. The Haitian government has surrounding mountains. The donated en comes from a need “to stifle the anger stopped counting in order to concentrate food amounts to slightly less than one of the people, not from humanitarian- Haiti started the month of August as on repairing roads and bridges, so it can meal per person a day. ism.” Haïtí-Liberté points out that a lot of the poorest country by far in the Western get food and water to the 900,000 people In Bainet, a small city on the southern this aid is being used to compensate the Hemisphere. Then four hurricanes—Fay, who have nothing left except the clothes coast between Côte-de-Fer and Jacmel, Haitian bourgeoisie for its losses, rather Gustav, Hanna and Ike—hit the coun- on their bodies. the situation is also catastrophic. Its depu- than for the needs of the people. try, doing vast and unmeasured damage MINUSTAH, the U.N. forces that ty in parliament, Malherbe François, told In addition, the Swiss News Service to its roads and bridges, housing, econ- began occupying Haiti after the coup in the Haitian press, “We have registered reported Sept. 19 that the U.N. has received omy, crops and crop land, schools and 2004 against President Jean Bertrand 37,989 families affected by these storms. only 2 percent of the $108 million it had hospitals. Aristide—a coup financed and organized But nine rural communities, which are requested to aid Gonaïves. The country that already had the least by the U.S.—distributed 2,852,300 meals part of our district, aren’t able to make Beyond the immediate threat of famine, now has much less. and 21,710 liters of drinkable water to contact with the city.” So the Haitian gov- Haiti needs to reforest its land so that rain A map on Relief Web, a United Nations refugees in Gonaïves from Sept. 5 to Sept. ernment doesn’t really know how many from storms doesn’t produce mudslides, service, summarizes the homeless, miss- 20. Along with aid from the World Food people need aid. which killed many in the past six weeks. ing, dead and injured in Haiti. Only one Program and NGOs, this has kept people If Haiti doesn’t get substantial and Haiti’s plant cover is estimated at less of Haiti’s 10 provinces—the North East— from dying of famine. immediate foreign aid, thousands of than 2 percent. The recent heavy down- was spared significant damage. (www. But it is not nearly enough. Gonaïves is Haitians could die. pours led to severe flooding much worse reliefweb.int) believed to have 200,000 refugees. The However, Haïtí-Progrès in its Sept. than in the neighboring Dominican The figures on the number of dead are city has been inundated by mud from the 17-23 edition says the U.N. aid being giv- Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, plant cover is estimated at 30 Gerardo percent and far fewer people died. Hernández Haitian Environment Minister Jean- Nordelo, Ramón Marie Claude Germain said this process Labañino Salazar, of deforestation dates back to the coun- Rene González Sehwerert, try’s independence. Intense neocolonial Antonio Guerrero exploitation by France so impoverished Rodríguez the people that the only fuel they could and Fernando use for cooking was and is charcoal, often González Llort. sold by the handful. When the U.S. became the neocolonial master of the Caribbean, it maintained and strengthened France’s Film star calls for release of Cuban Five policies. President Aristide was demand- Actor Danny Glover sent the following message the security of the United States and to harm the American ing $20 billion in reparations from France of solidarity on Sept. 13 to the concert “Five Stars and people. before he was kidnapped from the country One Song” held in New York in support of the Cuban 5. We must bear witness and publicly denounce U.S. gov- by U.S. forces. Weeks ago, I arranged my schedule to be with you tonight ernment violation of its own laws against terrorism and its Two Haitian organizations in the New to support growing national and global efforts to free the global call to prevent terrorism. York area are collecting funds and medical Cuban five patriots who have been unjustly incarcerated We must bear witness and publicly explain to all the supplies for use by Cuban doctors in Haiti. by the U.S. government for defending their beloved fellow American people who honestly desire peace with justice that Volunteer Cuban personnel provide most Cuban citizens and their government from the heinous, mur- continued incarceration of the Cuban five undermines our of what medical care Haitians get. derous terrorist attacks launched with impunity from the nation’s credibility in the war against terrorism and tarnish- Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees United States. es our nation’s reliability as a partner and honest broker in is accepting donations and funds at 35 But, unfortunately I cannot be with you in person as my the global pursuit of justice and peace. Maple St., 2nd floor, Brooklyn, Mondays work and family responsibilities require me to remain in As freedom and justice-loving Americans committed to and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. California tonight. civil, peaceful and fair diplomatic negotiations of differ- For more information, call 718-735-4660. However, I am with you in spirit and in committed actions ences between governments, and committed to mutual and Tax-deductible donations can be sent to to right the injustice of imprisonment and isolation of the respectful exchange among American and Cuban citizens, IFCO/Haitian Relief, 418 W. 145th St., Cuban five from their families. we must bear witness to the highest ideals we profess about New York, NY 10031. We must bear witness to the courage and commitment of fairness and justice and persuade our government, our The Haitian Coalition to Support the the Cuban five to rid the world of terrorism with their heroic elected officials, and our courts to exemplify those attributes Struggle in Haiti (Kakola) is also collecting stand against the murderous plots and bloody execution in practice, not in empty rhetoric, and give just due to the funds. Checks should be payable to Komite of terrorism launched from the United States against the Cuban five by releasing them to their country, their families, Chalo Jaklen Inc. and sent to KAKOLA, nation and people of Cuba. and their fellow citizens. P.O. Box 250459, Brooklyn, NY 11225. We must bear witness and put a stop to the lies that these Let us stand forth until liberty is won for the Cuban five. For more information, call 718-629-4050. Members of both HWHR and Kakola will five Cuban patriots worked as spies to undermine or damage —Danny Glover take the aid collected directly to Haiti. n www.workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 Page 9 U.S. incursions sow turmoil in Pakistan By John Catalinotto try of 170 million people where the gov- in Pakistan, however, deny that their Tariq Ali in Brooklyn ernment possesses nuclear arms. On Sept. forces carried out the attack on the hotel. Progressive Pakistani political analyst Death and turmoil have rocked the 22 British Airways canceled its London- Amir Mohammad, an aide to a promi- Tariq Ali was in Brooklyn Sept. 20 at a Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The vio- to-Islamabad flights “in light of the secu- nent Pakistani Taliban leader, said, “We meeting of the Pakistani-U.S. Freedom lence came after Washington ordered rity situation in Pakistan.” have our own targets and we execute our Forum to introduce his new book, “The U.S./NATO forces in neighboring Pakistani officials also said on Sept. plans precisely with minimal loss of irrel- Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of Afghanistan to violate Pakistan’s sov- 22 that tribal members and the Pakistani evant or innocent people. We have noth- American Power.” He told Workers World ereignty by making attacks across the armed forces had both opened fire on U.S. ing to do with the Marriott hotel attack.” that “Zardari had to make a statement on border without Pakistani permission. In helicopters that crossed the border from (Associated Press, Sept. 22) the border crossings that agreed with his addition, the U.S. has increased its pres- Afghanistan, driving them back over the Just hours before the bombing, military leadership.” sure on the new Pakistani government to border. Pakistan’s new president, Asif Ali One of Ali’s main points to the Brooklyn use extreme repression in its areas bor- There is so much popular opposition Zardari, had made a speech before Parli­ meeting was that the U.S. policy of chal- dering Afghanistan. in Pakistan to the U.S./NATO occupa- ament promising a full attack on pro- lenging Pakistani sovereignty had the pos- An explosion, reportedly of a tion of Afghanistan that many now blame Taliban forces in what Pakistanis call the sibility of provoking a split in the Pakistani 1,300-pound truck bomb, destroyed the Washington—not the Islamic forces in “tribal areas” on the frontier. Zardari is military. This, Ali said, would “present the Islamabad Marriott hotel on Sept. 20. the border regions or the Taliban—for the the widower of assassinated Pakistani greatest danger of instability and chaos,” a Early reports said 53 people died and increased turmoil in their country. leader Benazir Bhutto. He grew extreme- threat not only to the Pakistani people but nearly 300 were wounded. An article in a London newspaper ly wealthy during the time Bhutto was also to the U.S. goal of keeping control of According to a Pakistani government asserts that “the public reaction to the prime minister, and is considered gener- Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. statement, a dinner for many high offi- bomb attack on the hotel was significant ally pro-U.S. Ali praised the movement of lawyers cials of the regime had been scheduled in that it did not roundly condemn the Bhutto was assassinated under suspi- and their supporters who marched in defi- in the Marriott dining room that day militants but reflected widespread ennui cious circumstances in December 2007 ance of the military regime of Gen. Pervaz but was rescheduled at the last minute [dissatisfaction] with America’s mili- while campaigning for election. Musharraf during the past year and who to the prime minister’s residence. Prime tary policy in neighboring Afghanistan.” Even the pro-U.S. Zardari had to pub- insisted on the reappointment of Supreme Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced (Telegraph, Sept. 21) licly insist that the Pentagon stop its Court head-judge Iftikar al Chaudhry, that the attackers were aiming to strike cross-border incursions, as did Gen. whom Musharraf had pushed out. While at Pakistani leaders and could have killed Was gov’t dinner the target? Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan’s mili- Musharraf was forced to resign in August, many. (Bloomberg News) There is press speculation that the tary chief. Zardari told the parliament, Chaudhry has not been reinstated. Washington’s intervention in the entire Pakistani government’s decision to order “We will not tolerate the violation of our “The duel,” said Tariq Ali, “is the long region from West Asia to South Asia has its army to aggressively pursue a military sovereignty and territorial integrity by struggle which has been waged by the brought nothing but misery, death and campaign against forces in the border any power in the name of combating ter- people of this country, nearly 200 million displacement to millions of people, from region supportive of the resistance had rorism.” Legislators “loudly thumped on of them, against a corrupt political elite Palestine to Afghanistan. Many fear this provoked the attack on the hotel. their desks to show their support.” (New backed by the military and the United turmoil is now entering Pakistan, a coun- Spokespeople for pro-Taliban groups York Times, Sept. 21) States now for over 50 years.” n Le Feyt Declaration: Peace in Iraq is an option

The undersigned, friends of and defend the Iraqi people’s interests resistance is the unconditional withdraw- the tremendous suffering of the aggressed Iraq from France, Belgium, the and will. Until now the United States is al of all foreign forces illegally occupying Iraqi people, the signatories to this decla- United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, blind to this reality, hoping that a “diplo- Iraq—including private contractors—and ration endorse the abovementioned prin- Portugal, the United States of matic surge,” following the military surge disbanding all armed forces established ciples for peace, stability and democracy America, Egypt, Sweden and Iraq, of effective ethnic cleansing, will secure a by the occupation. in Iraq. organized in the International government it imposes on Iraq. Regardless The Iraqi anti-occupation movement— The sovereignty of Iraq rests in the Anti-Occupation Network (IAON) of who wins the upcoming U.S. presiden- in all its expressions—in defending the hands of its people in resistance. Peace and gathered in Le Feyt, France, tial election, the U.S. can never achieve its Iraqi people is the only force empowered in Iraq is simple to attain: unconditional from 25 to 27 August 2008, have imperial goals and the forces it imposes to ensure democracy in Iraq. Across the U.S. withdrawal and recognition of the adopted the following position and on Iraq are opposed to the interests of the spectrum of this movement it is agreed that Iraqi resistance that by definition repre- declaration reflecting our commit- Iraqi people. upon U.S. withdrawal a temporary admin- sents the will of the Iraqi people. ment to a true end to the occupa- Some in the West continue to justify the istrative government would be charged We appeal to all peace-loving people tion and to a lasting, sustainable negation of popular sovereignty under the with two tasks: preparing the ground for in the world to work to support the Iraqi peace in Iraq. rubric of the “war on terror,” criminalizing democratic elections and reconstituting people and its resistance. The future of not only resistance but also humanitarian the national army. Upon completion of peace, democracy and progress in Iraq, The U.S. occupation of Iraq is illegal assistance to a besieged people. Under these tasks the administrative govern- the region and the world depends on this. and cannot be made legal. All that has international law the Iraqi resistance con- ment would disband, leaving decisions WW note: Those who developed the dec- derived from the occupation is illegal and stitutes a national liberation movement. regarding reparations, development and laration were from the BRussells Tribunal illegitimate and cannot gain legitimacy. Recognition of the Iraqi resistance is con- reconstruction to a sovereign and freely Executive Committee, Iraqi International These facts are incontrovertible. What are sequently a right, not an option. The inter- elected Iraqi government in a state of all Initiative on refugees, International their consequences? national community has the right to with- its citizens without religious, ethnic, con- Action Center, International Initiative Peace, stability and democracy in draw recognition from the U.S.-imposed fessional or gender discrimination. to Prosecute U.S. Genocide in Iraq, New Iraq are impossible under occupation. government in Iraq and recognize the All laws, contracts, treaties and agree- Weapons Committee, Iraq Solidarity Foreign occupation is opposed by nature Iraqi resistance. ments signed under occupation are Association in Stockholm, Portuguese to the interests of the occupied people, as It is evident that Iraq cannot recover unequivocally null and void. According session of the World Tribunal on Iraq, proven by the 6 million Iraqis displaced lasting stability, unity and territorial integ- to international law and the will of the Cubadebate, Rebelión and Tlaxcala, both inside and outside Iraq, the planned rity until its sovereignty is guaranteed. It Iraqi people, total sovereignty of Iraqi Spanish Campaign Against the Occupation assassination of Iraqi academics and pro- is also evident that the U.S. occupation oil and all natural, cultural and material and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOSI). fessionals and the destruction of their cul- cannot avoid accountability by trying to resources rests in the hands of the Iraqi Among the 100-plus initial signers of ture, and the more than 1 million killed. switch responsibility to Iraq’s neighbors. people, in all its generations, past, pres- the declaration were Ramsey Clark and Propaganda in the West tries to make A pact of non-aggression, development ent and future. Across the spectrum of the Cynthia McKinney from the U.S., former palatable the absurdity that the invader and cooperation between a liberated Iraq Iraqi anti-occupation movement all agree United Nations officials Denis Halliday and destroyer of Iraq can play the role of and its immediate neighbors is the obvi- that Iraq should sell its oil on the interna- from Ireland and Hans von Sponeck Iraq’s protector. The convenient fear of ous means by which to achieve this sta- tional market to all states not at war with from Germany, François Houtart from a “security vacuum”—used to perpetuate bility. In its median geopolitical position, Iraq, and in line with Iraq’s obligations as Belgium, Manik Mukherjee from India, the occupation—ignores the fact that the and given its natural resources, a liber- a member of OPEC. Eduardo Galeano from Uruguay, nobelist Iraqi army never capitulated and forms ated, peaceful and democratic Iraq is cen- The 2003 U.S. invasion was and remains Harold Pinter from Britain, Chairperson the backbone of the Iraqi armed resis- tral to the welfare and development of its illegal and the law of state responsibility of the World Peace Council Soccoro tance. That backbone is concerned only neighbors. All of Iraq’s neighbors should demands that states refuse to recognize Gomes from Brazil, Jan Myrdal from with defending the Iraqi people and Iraq’s recognize that stability in Iraq serves their the consequences of illegal state acts. Sweden and many Iraqis, including Dr. sovereignty. Similarly, projections of civil own interests and commit to not interfer- State responsibility also includes a duty Saeed H. Hasan, former Iraqi Permanent war ignore the reality that the Iraqi popu- ing in its internal affairs. to restore. Compensation should be paid Representative to the United Nations. The lation overwhelmingly, by number and by If the international community and the by all state and non-state actors that prof- complete statement including extensive interest, rejects the occupation and will United States are interested in peace, sta- ited from the destruction and plundering footnotes and all signers can be found continue to do so. bility and democracy in Iraq, they should of Iraq. at anti-occupation.org; it is available In Iraq, the Iraqi people resist the accept that only the Iraqi resistance— The Iraqi people are longing for long- in 12 languages on www.tlaxcala.es/ occupation by all means, in accordance armed, civil and political—can achieve term peace. On the basis of the 2005 campagnes.asp, where individuals and with international law. Only the popular these by securing the interests of the Iraqi Istanbul conclusions of the World organizations are invited to sign onto the resistance can be recognized to express people. The first demand of the Iraqi Tribunal on Iraq, and in recognition of declaration. n Page 10 Oct. 2, 2008 www.workers.org Will NATO’s expansion Hands off Bolivia, bubble burst? Venezuela By Sara Flounders face of overwhelming popular opposition there. s the lame-hawk Bush admin- Morales, the first Indigenous leader istration finishes its last four of Bolivia, is extremely popular and has Part II: U.S. more dependent on Collapse of a U.S. puppet military solutions Amonths, Washington has acceler- won two elections, the last one with more The dangerous escalation of NATO ated its efforts to overthrow the most than 67 percent of the national vote. Washington increasingly looks to ships in the Black Sea, the further expan- progressive elected Latin American In Bolivia, the U.S. has been backing threats of sanctions and/or military attack sion of NATO membership, the attempt governments. Local rich are involved in a scurrilous group of oligarchs and their to resolve its every problem and chal- to line up the other Western imperialist the plots, but on their own these forces racist hangers-on in four mineral and lenge. But the Bush administration finds members of NATO to impose sanctions on are weak. They depend on U.S. money, energy-rich eastern regions of the coun- it more difficult to line up its imperialist Russia, Cheney’s heavy-handed visit and advice, arms, instructions and promises try known as the “Media Luna.” The oli- allies for each new aggression. Even some the dramatic increase in aid to Georgia of future aid to keep them afloat. garchs want the four wealthy regions to U.S. puppet and client states now try to are all desperate U.S. imperialist efforts to The good news is that these plans secede. This too points to Goldberg, who distance themselves from U.S. initiatives. reinforce its position. But these measures appear to be headed for failure. A failure was a key architect of Kosovo’s reaction- Every major capitalist country com- can’t reverse the U.S.’s big setback in its for the counter-revolution can open the ary secession. peting with the U.S. looks first to its own Georgian client state. road to progress. A top official of Pando, one of Bolivia’s economic interests. Their calculations are The Georgian army had received five But the battles are still undecided. And regions or prefectures, had hired mer- that the U.S. has lost its competitive eco- years of U.S. and Israeli military training one important element in the outcome is cenaries to murder Indigenous peasants nomic edge; its financial institutions are and millions of dollars of high-tech equip- the solidarity of people in the U.S. for the participating in a demonstration. The in crisis, weakening the entire capitalist ment, along with U.S. political support and people of Latin America and against the gangsters killed at least 30 and possibly system. The overcommitted U.S. military encouragement to join NATO. Thousands reactionary and murderous plans of the 90 people. The Bolivian armed forces, machine is bogged down in disastrous of U.S. corporate-funded nongovernmen- U.S. government. operating after Morales declared a state occupations, facing long-term resistance tal organizations ran most of the state In Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela the of siege in Pando, arrested only the one movements. apparatus, keeping Georgia firmly in the state appears to have broken up a seri- prefect responsible for the massacre. As Dick Cheney visited Georgia, U.S. orbit. ous coup in the planning stage. Former Seeing a crying need for independent Azerbaijan and Ukraine in early September, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Vice President José Vincent Rangel action and self-defense, popular organi- President George W. Bush announced $1 then initiated a devastating attack on the charged that the U.S. government, a zations have mobilized to fight against billion in new aid to Georgia, describing tiny autonomous region of South Ossetia Colombian ambassador, and a few dozen the fascist gangs. Popular leaders hope it as a multi-year commitment. The U.S.- on Aug. 7, bombing its capital, Tskhinvali, Venezuelan military officers, including a to mobilize 50,000 peasants and work- controlled International Monetary Fund and the surrounding area and killing former defense minister, were involved ers to prepare to march into Santa Cruz, will open access to another $750 million many South Ossetians. in the plot. Venezuela’s government the richest town and headquarters of the in immediate aid to Georgia. Billions more Within a day of a Russian counterat- arrested four retired and one active oligarchs and fascists. in military aid are projected. tack, the Georgian military collapsed in military officers, questioned 33 others The Morales government is negotiat- Simultaneous with NATO’s aggres- utter chaos. Officers abandoned their and—this is important—expelled U.S. ing with the Media Luna prefects in the sive stance in the Black Sea is expansion posts, hijacked ambulances and fled back Ambassador Patrick Duddy. city of Cochabamba to try to resolve of U.S./NATO military raids and bomb- to the capital of Tbilisi. Units could not While the worldwide corporate media the conflict short of civil war. Bolivia’s ings in U.S.-ally Pakistan. This affront communicate. Rank-and-file soldiers then have tried to discredit Chávez’s case masses are mobilizing also in and near to Pakistan’s sovereignty has already dumped tons of new U.S. weapons on the against the coup plotters, a revealing Cochabamba to try to make sure the enflamed anti-U.S. and anti-NATO sen- roadways and also fled. taped phone conversation among retired gains promised by a new constitution timent. In a Sept. 16 statement, Pakistan A Sept. 3 New York Times article put Vice-Adm. Carlos Alberto Millan Millan, will be preserved. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called it all on technology: “Georgia’s military retired National Guard Gen. Wilfredo The Pentagon has reactivated the for an immediate halt to U.S. incursions, shortfalls were serious and too difficult to Barroso Herrera and retired Air Force Fourth Fleet to threaten South America. adding that “the sovereignty and territo- change merely by upgrading equipment.” Gen. Eduardo Baez Torrealba was broad- In return, Venezuela has decided to hold rial integrity of the country would be safe- The article, however, went on to say that cast on Venezuelan state television. The joint maneuvers with Russia. guarded at all cost.” “training and equipping new brigades, re- officers talked about a takeover and pos- The U.S. progressive movement can NATO’s bombing of a village in equipping existing forces and installing a sible bombing of Miraflores presidential be most helpful to the workers and peas- Afghanistan killing more than 90—pri- modern air-defense network could cost palace and the need to “take Chávez out.” ants of the region by doing everything marily Afghan children and civilians—has $8 billion to $9 billion,” and that this was Venezuelans didn’t doubt the U.S. possible to get the U.S. government and forced even the puppet Afghan regime to under discussion. role in the plot. But Chávez expelled its secret agencies out of Latin America denounce the attack. Duddy also as a move in solidarity with and put the new Fourth Fleet back in U.S. occupation forces in Iraq are still Only U.S. solution is more war Bolivian President Evo Morales. A few mothballs. unable, after more than five years, to The U.S. corporate ruling class is relying hours earlier, Morales had expelled U.S. U.S. hands off Venezuela and Bolivia! secure their bases or provide even the more and more on war to salvage its posi- Ambassador Philip Goldberg. most basic services of potable water and tion. This is reflected in both Republican electricity to a population that has over- and Democratic support for U.S. aid to Subscribe to Workers World whelmingly refused occupation. Georgia, along with continuing support In the midst of all this, the U.S. threats for a further expansion of NATO, troops Trial Subscriptions four weeks for $1 and leaks about a possible military attack Send me a year's subscription to Workers World for $25 in Iraq and Afghanistan, and U.S. bases on Iran continue almost unabated. Half around the world. Name______Phone ______the U.S. Navy is in striking distance of Even though the U.S. is suffering politi- Iran. cal, economic and military setbacks, the Address______Email ______At the same time, the U.S. has pushed contradiction that leads invariably to an ahead with a wild escalation: the plan to increased threat of war is that militarism is City ______State ______Zip______base anti-ballistic missiles in Poland and an endless subsidy for the dominant U.S. Clip & return to Workers World Newspaper 55 W. 17th St., 5th Fl., New York, NY 10011 radar sites in the Czech Republic in the corporations—the military corporations 212.627.2994 fax: 212.675.7869 www.workers.org email: [email protected] of Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, McDonnell Douglas and GE—along with thousands MUNDO OBRERO of contractors and subcontractors. The Bolivia. war in the Caucasus was “a bell-ringer for defense stocks.” (Wall Street Journal, Aug.16) Enfrentando ataque fascista, Evo Morales The excuses for new wars and new arms shipments are mother’s milk to these mer- Continua de página 12 ron el 12 de septiembre a la Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Bolivia y sus chants of death. comenzaran a fomentar violencia fascista. Estadounidense en la zona de Palermo esfuerzos por socavar y subvertir el pro- The U.S. military budget is already larg- Además, estos criminales no tienen respal- de Buenos Aires para apoyar a Morales, e ceso de cambio en Bolivia. Proceso que er than that of the rest of the world com- do popular ni moral en Bolivia ni en nin- insistir que Estados Unidos no intervenga beneficiará a los sectores de la población bined, and it is growing. U.S. imperialism guna parte de Latinoamérica. No obstante, en Bolivia. que han estado más oprimidos, indígena today has no solutions to the crises emerg- el Vice-Presidente Álvaro García Linera Desde el movimiento de solidaridad y afroboliviano.” ing around the globe except militarism, ha empezado discusiones con el prefecto estadounidense, el 14 de septiembre el Apoyamos la demanda de Bolivia que war and the threat of war. This makes the de Tarija, Mario Cossío quien representa Centro de Acción Internacional ha envi- el embajador estadounidense sea reti- entire capitalist system more dangerous la oligarquía de la Media Luna. ado una declaración apoyando a Morales rado, y que Estados Unidos deje de dar and more desperate. Junto a la condena por los gobiernos y el gobierno del MAS. Una parte de la apoyo al movimiento secesionista racista It is essential that the working-class latinoamericanos, los ataques contra declaración dice: “ Apoyamos la declara- y fascista de los departamentos orientales movement and progressive and anti-war Morales y el MAS han despertado indig- ción de Bolivia sobre el Embajador esta- que son ricos en los recursos que son activists oppose not just the individual nación en los pueblos. En Argentina, dounidense Phillip Goldberg como per- propiedad de todas y todos los bolivianos wars of U.S. imperialism. Opposing all cerca de 10.000 personas, muchas de sona non grata y su expulsión de Bolivia. y de los cuáles todos/as deben beneficia- U.S. wars and calling for the abolition of ellas inmigrantes bolivian@s, marcha- Protestamos asimismo la intervención rse. (www.iacenter.org) n NATO is now on the agenda. n www.workers.org Oct. 2, 2008 Page 11

Niger Delta. As U.S. imports more oil from Africa, poverty and Higher oil prices breed repression underdevelopment intensify By Abayomi Azikiwe been hit the hardest by the recent spate tives of these groups declared a “full-scale Editor, Pan-African News Wire of attacks, declared a “force majeure” war” against the Joint Task Force of the on shipments of Bonny Light, a type of Nigerian military. Nigeria is the world’s eighth-largest oil crude oil. Force majeure is a contractual An Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said west erupted into a civil war that lasted exporter. Over the last several years, the term used by oil suppliers that indicates in a press conference Sept. 17 that the from 1967 to 1970. This tragic episode in United States has increased its imports of they are unable to reach their quotas as a source of the conflict in the oil-producing Nigerian history, known as the “Biafran oil from the African continent. Some esti- result of conditions beyond the company’s Niger Delta stemmed from the failure of War,” brought devastation to the peoples mates suggest that approximately 25 per- control. the federal government to develop a sys- of this region. cent of foreign oil used in the U.S. comes Royal Dutch Shell, which drills onshore tem where the people could benefit from These regional divisions in Nigeria are from Africa. in Nigeria in partnership with the state- the large-scale extraction and production the direct result of the legacy of British Despite the growing U.S. reliance on oil managed Nigerian National Petroleum of petroleum. imperialism. The colonial policy of from the continent and the recent spike in Corporation (NNPC), has been reluctant Clark, who formerly served as an infor- “divide and rule” was used by the British oil prices on the international market, the to issue any exact figures relating to the mation minister in the government, criti- to maintain control of the agricultural and peoples of Nigeria’s petroleum-producing fall in oil production. cized the JTF for atrocities carried out later oil resources of the country. When region, the Niger Delta, have sunk deeper The oil workers’ union, Pengassan, against civilians in the region. Nigeria’s Nigeria gained independence in 1960, it into poverty and underdevelopment. has criticized the government for taking ThisDay newspaper reported on Sept. 17 was almost inevitable that these divisions In response to the disparity related to a “lackluster” approach to negotiating a that the JTF in Delta State attacked an would continue and consequently hamper the increased extraction of oil, the rising meaningful settlement with the people innocent Agge community and burnt over any real effort aimed at genuine national prices on the international market and the of the Niger Delta. It points out that, as 150 houses. unity and development. astronomical increase in profits reaped by a result of the continuing unrest in the Clark said: “We sympathized with In general the peoples of the east and the transnational oil corporations, the Niger Delta, the southwest African nation the Army when their base was attacked south have been separated economically peoples of the Niger Delta have stepped of Angola is providing an increasing por- in Bomadi by some few militants, but and socially from those of the west, while up their resistance to the exploitation of tion of oil produced on the continent and we have also observed that each time it the northern people have traditionally their land and resources. is becoming “the alternative haven of oil appears that peace will return to the area, dominated the military. Adding to this This resistance has taken on both an investors.” the JTF will always launch an attack with- crisis in governance is the dominance armed and a mass character. In recent MEND claims that it wants a greater out any reason, in order to give reason for of the oil industry and the corruption years, women’s organizations have occu- share of the oil wealth allocated for devel- their stay in the Niger Delta where most it breeds. The failure of capitalism and pied and disrupted oil production facili- opment in the region, which has been dev- of them engage in illegal bunkering”— capitalist production methods in Africa is ties to illustrate the social and environ- astated by environmental toxicity result- supplying ships with oil. most starkly illustrated in Nigeria, where mental impact of the exploitation of the ing from the lack of concern shown by there is little equitable distribution of the national oil reserves by multinational both the transnational oil companies and National unity and the struggle wealth emanating from the exploitation of corporations. the federal government toward pollution against Big Oil oil and other national resources. A guerrilla organization known as the and the residual effects of production. Not much information is available It will be absolutely necessary for the Movement for the Emancipation of the However, there is also the reality of a about the general program of MEND and trade union movement, which has an Niger Delta has also formed. The group large market in the informal sector, where other groups engaging in sabotage cam- umbrella federation known as the Nigerian has engaged in seizing employees of vari- enormous amounts of oil are stolen and paigns against the transnational oil firms Labour Congress, to link up with the ous transnational firms as well as acts sold outside recognized commercial chan- and the NNPC. However, it is quite obvi- people residing in the rural areas where of sabotage against oil installations and nels. The seizure of oil workers also brings ous that, with more than 100 million peo- oil is extracted to build a people’s front pipelines. in money for the gunmen, who are paid ple—the largest population of any country designed to take control of the production Just recently MEND claimed responsi- ransoms for the release of those employed on the African continent—Nigeria needs of oil and utilize this national resource for bility for a series of strikes against pipe- by the transnational firms. a national unity program to effectively the benefit of the people. lines, flow stations, and other oil and gas MEND is not the only organization challenge the transnational oil firms who Sectional struggles based on ethnicity facilities. This was ostensibly done in engaging in sabotage activities against work in conjunction with the federal gov- and regionalism will not be sufficient to response to what the group claimed were the foreign-owned firms. Among the ernment to rob the people of their most fight effectively against the transnational ground and air attacks against its bases by Ijaw people, a relatively small national- profitable resource—oil. oil companies and the successive govern- the military forces of the Nigerian federal ity, armed groups have developed that During the late 1960s, the contradic- ments that have been all too willing to car- government. engage in sabotage against oil pipelines tions between the peoples of the eastern ry out the bidding of these international and installations. Recently, representa- region and those in the north and the conglomerates. n Impact of attacks on oil production Officials from the Nigerian federal government have admitted that attacks The Jesse Jackson campaign: against oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have significantly curtailed production. It WW was announced that up to 150,000 barrels National oppression & class conflict in 1984 per day were lost during a week of fighting between the military and MEND forces. Continued from page 2 Probably more than any other party in the When that instrumentality, how- MEND claimed that it suspended its history of the U.S., it encompasses within ever, does not suffice, the bourgeoisie Washington Post, Jan. 21) operations as a result of pleas made by its fold the sharpest class contradictions. quickly veers to its very own alternative, So it turns out that merely demanding elders within the communities surround- On the one hand it derives its basic sup- the Republican Party, which unlike the the lifting of a scandalously racist exclu- ing the oil production facilities. A spokes- port from the working class and oppressed Democratic Party is the party of the bour- sionary rule is “pushing the Democratic man from the Nigerian Joint Task Force people. On the other hand it is controlled geoisie, whereas the Democratic Party is Party around,” and this after more than welcomed MEND’s announcement but by the bourgeoisie. the party for the bourgeoisie desperately 30 hours of palaver about reaching out to added that the group had to demonstrate It used to and still does to some extent trying to be of it. ... Blacks, Latins, and women. its willingness to refrain from attacks on contain some of the most rabid racists from The Jackson movement is one of the The rude rejoinder by Manatt is not just oil pipelines and installations. the South, such as Jesse Helms, before varieties that have developed over these a case of one capitalist politician, Manatt, MEND was held responsible for six they defected to the Republican Party. It many decades since the Civil War, such as talking to another capitalist politician, attacks over the course of one week, the is also the party of the multimillionaire the Garvey movement, the Muslim move- Jesse Jackson. This is an imperialist most intense series of attacks in sev- liberals–the Kennedys, Metzenbaums, ment, and the Civil Rights struggles of the stooge and agent on behalf of the bour- eral years. Royal Dutch Shell, which has Bradleys, Harrimans, and others. 1960s. Each of these have taken on a differ- geoisie addressing an authentic represen- On the one hand, it has within it the ent form, but each is an authentic expres- tative of an oppressed people. most rabidly anti-labor “open-shoppers.” sion of the aspirations of Black people to It illustrates what are the real, as against And then on the other hand it has virtu- finish the bourgeois democratic revolu- the surface, relationships. It tears the ally the entire organized labor movement, tion begun by the Civil War and achieve mask off the bourgeois establishment and with the exception of the Teamsters. full equality and self-determination. discloses the nature of the relationship as It is a party of not only sharp class con- The fact that the Jackson movement that of exploiter and exploited. ... tradictions, but of warring contradictory has taken on a parliamentary, that is, elec- Program, personal qualifications, N o v. 27 groupings. It is the ideal of imperialist toral form should not in any way deprive it and so on, have their place in this democracy, a broad coalition encompass- of its progressive character. It is a genuine The 39th annual Day of Mourning type of struggle, but that is not what ing divergent and contradictory class and effort to complete the bourgeois demo- will be held on “Thanksgiving” Thursday, Nov. 27 is decisive. national groupings, but one which finance cratic revolution and achieve those rights at 12 noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Mass. What is decisive are the social, capital can more easily manipulate, sup- which white people as a whole achieved A dinner/social will follow a march and rally. class, and racial relationships which porting one group at one time, still anoth- earlier. The event is being sponsored by govern the struggle. United American Indians of New England. er group at another, and pitting them We are talking of formal rights such as For more updates, go to www.uaine.org. Class contradictions of against each other most of the time. are achievable under a bourgeois democ- For New York transportation, call the Democratic Party It is the bourgeois coalition, the racy, which does not of course change International Action Center at 212-633-6646. n Here it is necessary to understand also umbrella group par excellence of the capi- the class character of the social system of the makeup of the Democratic Party. talist class. capitalism. n Mhndo Obrero ¡Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los países, uníos! Ejecuciones hipotecarias de viviendas provocan lucha de costa a costa Por Gerry Scoppettuolo tuvieron que arrestar a cuatro personas en ¡Moratoria AHORA! Exigirán que se iacboston.org/wfn. Boston la lucha que duró dos horas. Los manifes- promulgue una moratoria por dos años La Red Nacional Ad-Hoc para Detener tantes se encadenaron a la puerta trasera contra las retomas y que se introduzca en las Retomas y los Desahucios (Ad-Hoc Si sólo se leen los diarios Wall Street de la casa de Taylor después de que los la legislatura del estado. Para firmar una National Network to Stop Forclosures Journal o The New York Times, o se mira agentes de la policía fueran bloqueados petición por el internet apoyando la mor- and Evictions) envió una carta de emer- el canal noticiero CNBC, se pensaría que en la puerta principal. Jim Brooks, un atoria, ir a www.moratorium-mi.org. gencia el 16 de septiembre al Comité la crisis de endeudamiento es algo que organizador africano-americano del También el 17 de septiembre otra man- Senatorial sobre Bancos, Viviendas y solamente está pasando en Wall Street, grupo pro derechos de los inquilinos, ifestación tendrá lugar en Los Ángeles Asuntos Urbanos exigiendo una morato- a pesar de las esporádicas noticias de Boston’s City Life, había encadenado su frente al Edificio Federal comenzando ria nacional contra las retomas. “interés humano” sobre las ejecuciones silla de ruedas al balcón de la casa. Tan al mediodía, auspiciada por la Coalición La ley federal impone una moratoria hipotecarias y su impacto sobre l@s pronto se fue la policía, una delegación de Los Angeles Labor/Community, la cual obligatoria por 90 días en las ejecuciones inquilin@s y propietari@s. los manifestantes bajo el liderazgo de City incluye al Local 721 del sindicato Service hipotecarias durante un estado de emer- La verdad sobre la epidemia de desa- Life, marchó hasta la sucursal del Banco Employee. L@s manifestantes exigirán gencia declarado por el gobierno. La car- hucios por los bancos se está escribiendo de América más cercana donde continu- que se declare una moratoria en contra ta señala que la reciente toma de poder en las calles y en los bloqueos de los desa- aron su protesta. de las retomas a nivel nacional. El 20 federal de las agencias Fannie Mae y lojos y en las luchas comunitarias. Los El concejal municipal de Boston, Chuck de septiembre en Boston, activistas se Freddie Mac es de hecho, una declaración verdaderos actores en este drama no son Turner se unió al bloqueo, el cual incluía a reunirán al mediodía frente a la sede del de estado de emergencia, y que el gobi- los poderosos corredores de las acciones partidarios de Vida Urbana, Four Corners banco Countrywide en la avenida Mass erno debe cumplir con sus propias leyes o los funcionarios que manejan este mer- Neighborhood Association, el sindicato 811 y la calle Albany en una protesta orga- e implementar una moratoria obligatoria cado, sino las familias obreras—africanas- Service Employees, la (ACE), Alternative nizada por la Red de Mujeres en Lucha de las ejecuciones hipotecarias que son americanas, latinas y blancas—que están for Community and Environemnt, T de Boston. La manifestación en Boston propiedad de o estén aseguradas por estas luchando al organizar comités comunitar- Riders Union, la Red de Mujeres en es parte de una campaña de petición per- instituciones. ios y unirse a mítines y manifestaciones. Lucha, el capítulo de F.I.S.T de Boston, y manente exigiendo que el Gobernador de La Red también ha lanzado una cam- Una líder en esta lucha es Paula Taylor, el Centro de Acción Internacional. Massachusetts use su poder constitucion- paña de peticiones en el Internet dirigida cuya casa en la vecindad de Roxbury en El 17 de septiembre tres grandes mani- al para declarar un Estado de Emergencia al nuevo Conservador de Fannie Mae y Boston fue retomada por el Banco de festaciones en contra de las retomas se Económica en el estado y promulgue Freddie Mac, al Secretario del Tesoro, y América el 5 de septiembre mientras llevarán a cabo en Estados Unidos; en ordenes ejecutivas para detener los cor- a los Comités del Sistema Bancario y de un grupo multinacional de 75 personas Michigan l@s manifestantes se reunirán tes del agua y electricidad, las retomas Finanzas del Senado y de la Cámara de rodeaban su casa en lo que fue el octavo en el Capitolio de Lansing comenzando y los desalojos y reduzca los precios de Representantes demandando una mora- bloqueo contra los desalojos en este año. a las 11 de la mañana para una acción los alimentos y los combustibles. Para toria federal sobre las ejecuciones hipote- El comisario policial con una escuadra masiva auspiciada por la Coalición para más información y para bajar una copia carias y los desahucios. Para firmar, visite de 16 miembros de la policía de Boston Detener las Retomas y los Desalojos, de los volantes y peticiones, vaya a www. a www.stopforeclosuresandevictions.org. Bolivia. Enfrentando ataque fascista, Evo Morales contraataca Por John Catalinotto Convocados/as por Chávez, ocho de los reportes dicen que eran de Brasil –quienes a vigilar las calles. El prefecto de Pando, 12 jefes y jefas de estado del UNASUR se abrieron fuego contra una concentración Leopoldo Fernández, fue detenido por La lucha entre el imperialismo de los reunieron en Santiago de Chile el 15 de de gente mayormente campesina e indíge- las fuerzas armadas bolivianas la mañana EEUU por un lado y el movimiento por la septiembre. Morales dijo que había veni- na el 11 de septiembre. Treinta personas, de martes. Anteriormente, Chávez había soberanía y la autodeterminación de los do para “explicar a los/as presidentes/ todas campesinos desarmados, fueron criticado al comandante-en-jefe de las países de Latinoamérica por el otro, alca- as de América del Sur el golpe de estado asesinados cerca de la ciudad capitalina Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia General Luis nzó una nueva etapa a principios de septi- cívico por prefectos en algunos estados de Cobija. (BBC) Esta masacre fue el cri- Trigo por no actuar más contundente- embre con el uso de fuerzas paramilitares bolivianos en días recientes. Hemos visto men más patente en una serie de ataques mente contra los elementos fascistas. contra el gobierno popular de Evo Morales el pillaje, el saqueo de varias instituciones, contra edificios que albergaban oficinas en Bolivia. Esta intensificación ya ha con- atentados contra la policía y las Fuerzas del gobierno central y de organizaciones La contrarrevolución ducido a más de 30 muertes, la expulsión Armadas”, dijo. (BBC, 15 de septiembre) populares. provoca revolución de dos embajadores de los EEUU y una Al igual que el sabotaje de las instalaciones Es obvio el porqué el embajador esta- Según un artículo del 15 de septiembre reunión de emergencia entre jefes y jefas petroleras en Venezuela en 2002 que tuvo dounidense Philip Goldberg, un profe- escrito por un líder del Partido Comunista de estado latinoamerican@s en Chile. la meta de obstaculizar la economía prin- sional del Departamento de Estado, fue de Bolivia, Marcos Domich: “Se puede Algunas voces advierten que la guerra cipal del país, fueron saboteados gaso- escogido para el trabajo en Bolivia. Sus oír en algunos círculos militares que las civil que se ha estado fraguando hace ductos, temporalmente interrumpiendo credenciales incluyen dirigir la estrategia medidas tomadas fueron aplicadas muy tiempo en Bolivia ya ha brotado. El el flujo de gas al Brasil y a la Argentina. de dividir-y-conquistar que usó a la gente lentamente y sin firmeza. Esto fue perci- presidente de Venezuela Hugo Chávez, No sólo Venezuela y Ecuador, pero has- de Kosovo de origen albanés para facilitar bido inmediatamente por la población y sonó la alarma con claridad a través de ta aquellos estados considerados “mod- al imperialismo estadounidense el dividir fue la causa de mucha agitación popular.” Latinoamérica señalando la intervención erados” como Chile y Brasil, firmaron la a la Yugoslavia socialista. “Cientos de miles de manifestantes, en del imperialismo de los Estados Unidos en declaración en apoyo a Morales, prome- Así que no debe sorprender que el diversas asambleas y reuniones, especial- los recientes hechos ocurridos comparán- tiendo rehusarse a cooperar con cualquier primer paso de Morales para defender mente en los departamentos del Centro dola con el derrocamiento sangriento de régimen golpista y condenando la violen- su gobierno fuera declarar a ese agente y del Oeste, casi de manera espontánea, Salvador Allende el 11 de septiembre de cia paramilitar organizada por la derecha imperialista “persona non grata” y expul- han empezado a hablar sobre la orga- 1973 en Chile. boliviana. sarlo. En solidaridad con Morales, Chávez nización de destacamentos, brigadas u El progresista Presidente de Bolivia y expulsó de Venezuela al embajador esta- otras formaciones con un solo objetivo: su partido, el Movimiento al Socialismo, Masacre en Pando dounidense. Hasta Honduras rechazó el de prepararse para defender la integ- MAS, necesitan de toda la ayuda que Pando, Santa Cruz, Beni y Tarija son reconocer las credenciales del nuevo ridad, democracia, y soberanía nacional puedan encontrar de parte de sus veci- los nombres de los cuatro departamentos embajador de los EEUU a su país. de Bolivia, para continuar con el proceso nos y de los movimientos de solidaridad que conforman la región boliviana reac- Hay que notar que ambos candidatos de cambio progresista. El elemento de del mundo. Sin embargo, la situación cionaria conocida como la “Media Luna” presidenciales tanto del Partido Demócrata mayor importancia en este espíritu social está lejos de estar perdida. Las Fuerzas –así denominada porque el territorio como el Republicano, hicieron comen- es el patriotismo.” Armadas de Bolivia todavía no se han combinado de los cuatro estados tiene tarios hostiles sobre la legítima acción de Washington entonces exigió que el alineado a la contrarrevolución. También la forma de una media luna. Esta región autodefensa de Morales — la expulsión gobierno de Morales negociara una “con- existe el potencial de que las masas bolivi- rica en recursos minerales y energéticos de una figura clave en una conspiración cesión” con los secesionistas de la Media anas, mayormente indígenas, quienes aca- todavía está dominada por oligarquías de internacional contra su gobierno. Luna. Esto es luego de que estos elemen- ban de votar abrumadoramente a favor del origen europeo apoyadas por el imperial- El gobierno del MAS también declaró tos oligárquicos y fascistas perdieran en gobierno de Morales en un referendo revo- ismo estadounidense. un “estado de sitio” en Pando. Las fuer- un referéndum nacional — Morales ganó catorio, puedan movilizarse para defender El gobernador de Pando empleó una zas armadas federales tomaron control por más de 67 por ciento de los votos — y al gobierno y a una Bolivia unificada. pandilla de sicarios criminales–algunos del aeropuerto de Cobija y comenzaron Continua a pagina 10