Socialist Workers Win Round in Court to Get out the Trulh-Vour Help Is

DECEMBER 21, 1979 50 CENTS VOLUME 43/NUMBER 49

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY/PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE

Socialist Workers win round in court By Arnold Weissberg In a victory for civil liberties and a blow to Washington's war drive against Iran, a federal court has struck down President Carter's order singling out Iranian students for possible depor tation. The December 11 ruling by Federal District Judge Joyce Green came in response to a lawsuit on behalf of the 50,000 Iranian students in this coun try, filed by attorneys for the Socialist Workers Party and the National Emer gency Civil Liberties Committee. The American Civil Liberties Union had also filed a suit, which was merged with the SWP and NECLC suit. Agreeing with the SWP attorneys' arguments that Carter's order illegally discriminates against Iranians, Judge Green wrote: "May the President or the Attorney General abridge those rights guaranteed by the Constitution in order to further this country's foreign Militant/Rita Lee policy objectives? This Court thinks not." Seattle antiwar protest. Public opposition to Carter's racist deportation order set She ordered an immediate halt to the stage for court decision. deportations and to Immigration and Naturalization Service grilling of Iran ian students. She added that informa political beliefs: did they support the ter's order "would not only reject the Party candidate for president, hailed tion already gathered in questioning shah or Khomeini? most cherished constitutional precepts the decision. the students could not be used as the Carter's deportation order also applicable to all of us, citizen and alien "The Carter administration is hav basis for deportations. aimed to encourage the racist notion alike," but would also set a precedent ing a hard time convincing Americans The government announced its in that all Iranians are "the enemy" and for "future extreme assertions of execu that we must sacrifice our civil liber tention to appeal the ruling. are rightful objects of attack by red tive power." ties, our standard of living, or our lives Carter had ordered all Iranian stu blooded Americans. Whipping up such The government's m~ves against for its crusade against Iran," he said. dents in this country to report to the anti-Iranian racism is a key part of democratic rights had already gone far "The crude racism of the deportation INS by December 14 to have their Washington's efforts to win public beyond Iranian students, as city and order has especially produced opposi status checked. Failure to report would support for war. state officials tried to ban pro-Iran tion." have been grounds for deportation. SWP attorneys Shelley Davis and demonstrations in some areas. "The solution to the crisis is simple," The order was an open effort to block Margaret Winter, along with Eric Lieb The deportation order had met with the socialist candidate declared. "Send pro-Iran demonstrations and to intimi erman of the NECLC, argued that widespread protest by civil libertar back the shah. Stop the war moves date Iranian students from speaking infringement of the rights of Iranian ians, student organizations, Black and against Iran. That's what I am cam out in support of their country's de students was a big step toward curbing Chicano groups, and some unionists. paigning for. And that's a message mand for extradition of the shah. the rights of anyone who dissents from This public opposition set the stage for that American working people are Students who reported to the INS as government policies. the court's favorable ruling. agreeing with more and more each ordered were questioned about their Judge Green agreed, noting that Car- Andrew Pulley, Socialist Workers day." To get out the trulh-vour help is needed An emergency appeal By Janice Lynn With only two weeks left, the Socialist Workers 1980 presidential campaign fund needs a big boost in order to meet the extraordinary costs of getting out the truth on Iran to the American people. The $80,000 drive now stands at $58,530. To meet our goal, an additional $21,470 must be received by December 31. The SWP candidates have been campaigning from one end of the country to the other in defense of the Iranian revolution. They have appeared on radio and television and been interviewed by the daily papers-speaking out against the bipartisan efforts of the Democrats and Republicans to drag us Continued on page 3 In Our Opinion VOLUME 43/NUMBER 49 DECEMBER 21, 1979 CLOSING NEWS DATE-DEC. 12

the European workers themselves, especially The ball is being carried by Secretary of Carter escalates in France and Italy, and the national libera Labor Ray Marshall. In a special interview tion movements in the colonies and semicolo with the December 2 Los Angeles Times, nuclear arms race nles. Marshall does some fast figuring to "prove" . As we go to press a NATO conference in Today, in the face of a whole series of that if it weren't for the undocumented, unem Brussels, Belgium, is voting on a Carter ad setbacks, beginning with its debacle in Viet ployment would be under 4 percent. ministration proposal to station a new fleet of nam, Washington is striving to reassert its Never mind the profit drive of the auto and medium-range nuclear missiles throughout ability to use military might to police the steel companies that have closed plants and Western Europe. The plan calls for deployment world. And it is demanding that its imperialist put tens of thousands of workers on the street. of 572 new cruise-missiles and Pershing II partners share more of the burden for interven Never mind the deliberate efforts of the Carter missiles capable of striking Eastern Europe ing against the toiling masses wherever they administration to deepen the recession under and the Soviet Union. rise up. the guise of "fighting inflation." Just keep There is nothing "defensive" about these Meanwhile the Carter administration hopes your eye on the Mexican border. sophisticated, mobile missiles. They are de to use the Iran crisis to push through new signed for first-strike capability. escalations of the U.S. military budget. "Presi If border controls were tightened, Marshall The new U.S. war proposals have touched dent Carter has approved a five-year accelera says, and employers made liable for fines for off a wave of protests abroad, including one of tion in U.S. defense spending," the Wall Street hiring the undocumented, then Americans the largest antinuclear demonstrations in re Journal reported December 12. would be eligible for those jobs. Particularly, cent history in Brussels itself. According to this article, "The budget plan he says, "minority teen-agers, women who Under this mass pressure, the Dutch parlia places particular emphasis on increasing U.S. head families and older workers." ment voted against accepting any of the new capability to move combat troops to distant Marshall concedes the jobs held by the weapons in the Netherlands, and the govern trouble spots." undocumented are not prize-winners. ments of Denmark and Norway are said to be War against Iran . . . war against anti "They earn less money than just about considering asking for a postponement of the imperialist "trouble spots" elsewhere in the everyone else," he says. "They endure poor decision. world . . . continental war in Europe ... and unsafe working conditions . . . and little The concern of working people in Europe is nuclear war against the Soviet Union. All chance for advancement." fully justified, and is shared by American remain part of the Pentagon's global conting Marshall calls for a crackdown on the un working people as well. ency plans and military capabilities. documented because "I am convinced we are The nuclear plans for Europe are especially And for what? sowing the seeds of a serious future civil rights ominous in light of Washington's drive toward Freedom? National honor? Human rights? struggle, and we would be better off if we were war against Iran. Any U.S. military action No-for the global profit interests of U.S. to confront it now." there-on the borders of the Soviet Union corporations. For markets. For control over Marshall's target is not just the undocu could escalate into a worldwide holocaust. natural resources. For the right to wring mented. Not widely publicized in the American press billions out of the superexploited labor of "We need," he declared, "an identification is the fact that the new NATO plans include peoples around the world. system which would apply to all workers." stepped-up agreements for the deployment of U.S. workers have no interest in sustaining Assuring of his "concern" for civil liberties, conventional forces. According to the British this war apparatus, much less expanding it. Marshall adds, "But the fears of such a system Economist, "Good progress has been made in Our interests lie in demanding total disarma are exaggerated, because all workers would be stepping up the readiness of the forces in ment of the Washington warmakers. End the covered, not just Hispanics.... " Europe. The plans to get reinforcements to the war budget and put those funds to work for the It's a danger to civil liberties, you see, when central front from Britain and the United urgent social needs of humankind! internal passports are fastened on one section States have been improved." of the working class. But not if it's all the The guns of NATO are aimed not only at workers. Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. They Think about it. From the day you start are also aimed at the workers of Europe and National ID card? looking for your first job, you must carry a the toiling masses of Africa, Asia, and Latin government-issued "counterfeit-proof" ID card, America. In fact, NATO was set up in the With unemployment on the rise, the Carter registered in a central Washington computer. period immediately after World War II not administration is again trying to scapegoat Nobody has access to it-except employers, because of any military threat from the USSR, undocumented workers. And it is renewing its the FBI, CIA, INS and maybe a few other which lay devastated in ashes. The threat to efforts to fasten an internal passport system racist, labor-hating outfits. capitalist rule came from the mass upsurges of on all U.S. workers. Shades of South Africa.

Militant Highlights This Week The Militant Editor: STEVE CLARK Associate Editors: CINDY JAQUITH ANDY ROSE Business Manager: PETER SEIDMAN Editorial Staff: Nancy Cole, Fred Feldman, Jim Garrison, Suzanne Haig, Osborne Hart, Gus Horowitz, Diane Jacobs, Janice Lynn, August Nimtz, Harry Ring, Dick Roberts. Priscilla Schenk, Stu Singer, Arnold Weissberg. 4 Special subscription drive Published weekly by the Militant 5 Behind upsurge In Tabrlz (ISSN 0026-3885), 14 Charles Lane, 6 Carter's real target: Iran workers New York, N.Y. 10014. Telephone: 7 Antl-ahah protests spread In U.S. Albert Einstein Editorial Office, (212) 243-6392; Busi ness Office, (212) 929-3486. 8 Steel unionists discus• demands This month's 'International Socialist 9 Newport News ERA rally Correspondence concerning sub Review' features Albert Einstein's scriptions or changes of address 10 Agricultural Implements strike revolutionary contributions to modern should be addressed to The Militant 23 Kampuchea gains against famine science. Einstein's theories of relativity Business Office, 14 Charles Lane, 24 Nicaragua: revolution of young and quantum theory, developed in the New York, N.Y. 10014. 25 Capitalists attack FSLN policies early part of this century, transformed Second-class postage paid at New 26 FSLN: workers and peasants rights our concept of matter. They York, N.Y. Subscriptions: U.S. $20.00 a year, outside U.S. $25.00. By first 27 Boaton meeting: aid to Nicaragua demonstrated the value of a materialist class mail: U.S., Canada, and Mexico: 9 Countdown to January 13 approach to science. Einstein's greatest contribution to human culture $50.00. Write for airmail rates to all 28 In Brief other countries. was to increase our ability to 29 The Great Soc/ely For subscriptions airfreighted to London and Union Talk understand the world around us. then posted to Britain and Ireland: £3 00 for ten What's Going On? -Pages 14-22. issues, £6.00 for six months (twenty-four issues), 30 Our Revolutionary Heritage £11.00 for one year (forty-eight issues). Posted letters from London to Continental Europe: £4.50 for ten issues. £10.00 for six months, £15.00 for one 31 Learning About Social/am year. Send checks or international money order (payable to Intercontinental Press account) to Intercontinental Press (The Militant), P.O. Box 50, London N1 2XP, England. Signed articles by contributors do not neces sarily represent the Militant's views. These are expressed in editorials.

2 Hostage refutes Carter's lies By Jan ice Lynn mass audience is "not always fully • the better to assure public support for Carter would apparently prefer to see. attentive" and has "only a superficial war against Iran. the hostages gagged. knowledge of the history of Iran." Meanwhile, to drum up support from Administration officials reacted with Their real gripe is that the American the ruling circles of U.S. imperialism's outrage when Marine Corporal Wil people are too attentive to the facts allies, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance liam Gallegos, one of the fifty Ameri and are learning too much of the met with government officials through cans detained at the U.S. Embassy in history of Iran. The U.S. rulers are out Europe. Washington is openly Tehran, told television viewers how afraid the American people are start pushing for a trade blockade against "nobody's been mistreated" and "the ing to find out the truth: Iran and a worldwide boycott of Iran students here have been really good to • the truth about the conditions ian oil, backed up by the American us." inside the U.S. Embassy; warships now lurking near the Persian Since going to war on behalf of the • the truth about the murderous Gulf. ousted shah of Iran is not especially twenty-five-year reign of the shah; Just as the U.S. rulers tried to des popular among Americans, Carter has • the truth about the U.S. govern troy the economies of Cuba and Viet increasingly tried to use claims of ment's wholehearted backing for the nam with such a blockade, they now "brutal abuse" of the hostages to win shah's brutal regime and its plotting to aim to inflict hunger and suffering support for military action against overthrow the new government in upon the Iranian people in an attempt Iran. Iran; to bring down the government and In fact, on December 10, the same • the truth about the concerns mid reverse the gains. of the revolution. day as the Gallegos interview, State William Gallegos during NBC-TV Inter demands of the millions of Iranian Administration officials said they Department legal advisor Robert Owen view. workers, farmers, and students who were warning other countries "that was regaling the International Court demonstrate day after day against unless they cooperate in resolving this of Justice with tales of the "barbaric U.S. domination of their country and crisis, we may be forced . to resort to captivity" of the hostages. They have for return of the shah to face trial. arms.... " (December 10 Wall Street been "bound hand and foot, subjected his own opinions, including his desire The more the American people learn Journal). to threats of trial, been denied visitors to be home and even his faith in the truth, the more they will resist The respon~ to Vance's proposals and mail, held incommunicado, and Carter. He openly disagreed with his going to war-a war whose real pur was reported to be less than enthusias even threatened with death," he captors on some points, denying, for pose would be to crush the gains of the tic. West German newspapers told of claimed. example, that he was involved in spy Iranian working people and subject the Bonn government's "serious reser But Gallegos explained that the hos ing. them once again to exploitation by vations about trade embargos." And tages were getting enough food to eat; Moreover, Gallegos's account of con U.S. corporations. the White House lambasted Japan for were given clean clothes, toothbrushes, ditions inside the embassy is con Carter has threatened to go to war if continuing to buy Iranian oil. and combs; took daily showers; exer firmed by everyone who has visited the any of the hostages are put on trial In Japan, as in Europe, there is real cised any time they wanted; slept on hostages there-and by the public (despite a pledge by Iran that none concern about what a boycott of Iran matresses with clean linen and statements of the thirteen hostages would be executed even if they were ian oil would mean. The working peo blankets; given lots of books to read; released last month. found guilty of spying) because he ple of Japan and Europe are no more and were not interrogated. Their expressions of sympathy for fears that the truth might come out. eager than the American people to All in all, it sounded like far better the Iranian people's demand to return This is also why Carter so vehe sacrifice so Carter can harbor the treatment than most prisoners in U.S. the shah were also a big embarrass mently opposes the international com criminal shah. jails can expect. ment to Washington, which quickly mission proposed by Iran to "study the The increasing opposition to Carter's Gallegos said that although the hos steered them away from the press. dossier of U.S. crimes in Iran from the war drive at home and abroad is an tages' hands are tied with cloth, they The White House used dark hints of 1953 coup [when the CIA put the shah encouraging sign for working people are not uncomfortably bound. They "brainwashing" to explain why the back in power after a popular upsurge the world over. But so far Carter has can read and exercise without res hostages don't back up its war moves. threw him out] to the present day, and responded only with renewed threats traint. Obviously there must be something expose those crimes to the world." and provocations. The danger of war Gallegos told how "everyone is get wrong with the hostages to think their If Carter had the slightest concern remains great. ting mail-quite a bit of mail," and lives are more important than Carter's for the well-being of the hostages he There is an urgent and continuing how he telephoned his parents in Colo "principle" of giving asylum to the would extradite the mass-murderer need for educational and protest activi rado. criminal shah. shah to Iran. Then the hostages would ties to demonstrate in action the major The White House immediately tried In the wake of the interview, the go free. ity antiwar sentiment. to discredit Gallegos, suggesting he Wall Street Journal complained bit Instead, it becomes clearer each day Extradite the shah! was pressured to lie in the interview. terly that too much of the Iran crisis that Carter would much prefer to pro Hands off Iran! No economic block But millions saw Gallegos freely state has been shown on television, whose voke injury or death to the hostages, ade! No war!

With firsthand coverage from Iran beginning this r------, week, the Militant can play an even bigger role. Enclosed is my contribution of $ ... appeal Unlike the Democrats and Republicans, the so I pledge $15 $25 $50 __ Continued from front page cialist candidates get no subsidy from the Rocke $100 to the Socialist Workers into a new Vietnam-style war. At rallies, picket fellers, the DuPonts, or others of their class. We Campaign lines, news conferences, plant gates, and teach-ins depend on contributions from working people and Name ______they have been saying: "Stop the war threats-send students-people like you. Address back the shah!" The opportunities today to get a hearing for the City State __ The Socialist Workers campaign committee Pulley-Zimmermann campaign-which is the an Zip Phone printed 25,000 "Stop Carter's War Threats" posters tiwar campaign, the antiracist campaign, the cam Union/School/Org. and then another 25,000 posters documenting the paign that stands for independent labor political Make checks payable to: atrocities of the shah's regime. action-are far greater than we can meet with our Socialist Workers Presidential Campaign limited resources. We need your help. Committee, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. Our heavy artillery in the war to get out the truth 10014. is the Militant. Campaign supporters from Boston If you've already made a pledge to the 1980 to Seattle, from Miami to San Diego, are launching campaign fund, please send it in right away. If A copy of our report is filed with the Federal Election Commission and is available for purchase from the Federal a special effort to get out the Militant both on the you've already sent in your donation, try to dig even Election Commission, Washington, D.C. campuses and in the factories. The Militant cuts deeper for an extra contribution. And if you haven't A federal court ruling allows us not to disclose the names through Carter's lies and explains why it is in the yet made a pledge, now is the time to do so. of contributors in order to protect their First Amendment interest of American workers to stand in solidarity Please rush your special contribution today-it's ______rights. _, with our Iranian brothers and sisters. an investment in the socialist future of humankind.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER

Please send a gift subscription to: Send the Pathfinder gift indicated to: For every four-month (or longer) gift subscription you order, we'll send you (or your friend) a free gift Name Name from Pathfinder Press. Your choice: Fidel Castro at Address Address the UN, the complete text of the Cuban leader's ____ State __ Zip October 12 speech to the General Assembly, or City ____ State __ Zip ------City The Nicaraguan Revolution, featuring an interview Card to read from Card to read from with Sandinista leader Jaime Wheelock, speeches Enclosed is: 0 Castro at the UN by Daniel Ortega and Fidel Castro, the Statute on 0 $5 for 4 months 0 $12 for 6 months 0 Nicaraguan Revolution the Rights of Nicaraguans, and much more. 0 $20 for 1 year 0 $2.50 for 10 weeks (no gift) Just fill out the coupon at right and sent it to: Militant, 14 Charles Lane, New York, New York Also enclosed is $ __ as a donation to the 10014. Militant's prisoners fund. (Good through December 25, 1979)

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 3 'The truth about Iran is held hostage' SOCIALISTS LAUNCH SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE

By Peter Seidman prompted increased industrial sales of person who also works at Sparrows should be sent back need the facts and "This is one of the biggest opportuni the Militant and PM in some cities. Point, explained that "given rotating arguments in the Militant to feel confi ties to get out the Militant and Perspec "When I'm selling this many single shifts and the difficulty of seeing peo dent about standing up in union meet tiva Mundial that we've ever had." copies," a member of Steelworkers ple in other departments every week, ings and arguing for a position. That's how one participant in a Local 1010 said, "I'm almost automati subscription sales are the best way to There need to be discussions, teach December 8 meeting of socialist steel cally following up by asking new read guarantee that people will be able to ins, and debates under union auspices. workers reacted to the debate now ers to subscribe." read our paper." This process will make it possible to raging over Iran in workplaces all Why the need for special emphasis The socialist steelworkers all agreed get the unions actively involved in across the country. on subscription sales? Sparrows Point that when Washington started to whip opposing the war drive. Leaders of the Socialist Workers worker Norton Sandler, one of the top up anti-Iranian hysteria, "we were Party's work in the steel industry sellers nationally during last fall's really swimming against the stream," Already hundreds of people are at who came to the meeting from Chi drive, put it this way: "There's a giant as Stuart put it. tending forums and teach-ins about cago, Gary, Pittsburgh, Newport News, political tug-of-war going on in the "But this is breaking down. Now it's Iran on campuses, in churches, and at Baltimore, and the Minnesota Iron plants. getting to be inspiring to go to work Militant Forums. Many of them will be Range-all enthusiastically agreed. "Workers are open to what we have and talk politics. eager to subscribe to the Militant. They urged the party to launch a to say. And they sure don't want to get "We're becoming a pole of attraction. If you would like to join the subscrip special subscription drive as a central involved in another Vietnam in Iran. A lot of people have come to me to ask tion drive, get in touch with the branch part of the SWP's answer· to Carter's "But there is tremendous confusion. what I think about Iran." of the SWP nearest you, listed on page war moves. Some people who take good stands on The subscription drive can help us 31, or contact: Militant Circulation On the basis of their reports and other issues, or who are union mili push this discussion more into the Office, 14 Charles Lane, New York, recommendations, the SWP and the tants, say we should bomb Iran. Or union meetings. Workers who do Iiot New York 10014. Telephone: (212) 929- Young Socialist Alliance have decided they think the hostages are just inno like the war moves and think the shah 3486. to launch such a special campaign. cent victims. The drive will begin with sales of "Another thing we've noticed is that this issue of the Militant and continue nothing is settled by one discussion or until January 31. argument," Sandler said. "You may Stop Carter~s war threats! Future issues of the Militant will convince somebody one day, but then BUTTON, POSTER ON IRAN PULLEY SPEAKS OUT ON IRAN carry scoreboards reporting the sub after the government makes another The Socialist Workers Presidential WASHINGTON, D.C. scription goals branches of the SWP propaganda move or some right Campaign now has available a new U.S. Hands Off Iran! and YSA set for the seven-week drive. winger spouts off they may change poster and but Speaker: Andrew Pulley, Socialist The Militant's on-the-scene reports their mind." ton to protest Workers candidate for president "Our subscription drive will appeal from Cindy Jaquith in Iran will be an Carter's war Friday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. to the people who are talking the most attractive feature during the subscrip threats against All Soul's Church tion effort. about Iran, who watch the news re Iran. 16th St. & Columbia Rd. ports two or three times a day on TV," "We need to launch this drive now The poster, a For more information call said Stu Singer. Singer recently joined even though we've just finished a reprint of the (202) 797-7699 the Militant staff in New York after a fourteen week circulation effort," ex centerspread year and a half as a miner on the plained Geoff Mirelowitz, who works at from the December 7 Militant, docu BALTIMORE Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point Mesabi Iron Range. ments the atrocities of the shah's Socialist Workers Campaign Rally "The truth about Iran is being held plant in Baltimore. regime. Single copies free. $2 for 100. Speaker: Andrew Pulley, SWP candi "The opportunity to win new readers hostage," he added. "The TV and The button, shown above, is 50 date for president doesn't always coincide with our regu newpaper reports are so one-sided and cents, 35 cents for 10 or more. Sunday, Dec. 16 lar schedules." distorted it's hard to even read between Order from Socialist Workers Presi Reception 6:30 p.m. Rally 7:30 p.m. "People in the plants are talking the lines, like many people are used to dential Campaign Committee, 14 Steelworker Hall, 550 Dundalk Ave. politics, particularly international po doing. Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Donation: $2.50 litics, like they haven't been in a long "The role of the Militant and PM in For more information call time," Rich Stuart agreed. Stuart is a providing the facts becomes all the member of USWA Local 1938 at U.S. more important. And people need that (301) 235-0013 Steel's Minntac Mine on Minnesota's news regularly, which a subscription Paid for by the Socialist Workers Presidential Campaign Committee. A copy of our report is filed with the Federal Election Commission and is available for purchase from the Federal Election Commis Mesabi Iron Range. can provide." sion, Washington, D.C. The Iran discussion has already Barbara Bowman, another top sales- Iran and the 'Harrisburg Syndrome' By Arnold Weissberg crisis deliberately provoked by Wash licenced to operate or the ninety-four At its national conference December Using the Iranian revolution as an ington's welcome to the criminal already under construction. 7-9, the Mobilization for Survival, a excuse, President Carter December 7 shah-Carter is pushing through Iran was the excuse for voting for group that opposes both nuclear wea announced the administraton's inten higher energy prices that will add more nuclear power. "The Ayatollah pons and nuclear power, endorsed the tion to forge ahead with nuclear power. hundreds of billions of dollars to the Khomeini will certainly be delighted if planned April 26, 1980, antinuclear The U.S. "cannot shut the door on profits of U.S. oil companies. you support the Markey amendment," march on Washington. nuclear energy," Carter declared. Bid Carter is pressing the Nuclear Regu one representative declared. ding for support to his entire energy In trying to carry out its war plans MFS also called for demonstrations latory Commission to quickly end its at Immigration and Naturalization program, he asserted that "recent freeze on licensing of new nuclear around the world, the administration events in Iran have shown us the clear, faces the problem of the "Vietnam Service offices December 13 to "oppose plants. The NRC had announced last the racist deportations" of Iranian stark dangers that excessive depend month it would grant no new licenses syndrome" -the unwillingness of Amer ence on imported oil holds for our ican working people to sacrifice, fight, students, MFS spokesperson Finnegan for at least six months, and perhaps as Marsh told the Militant. nation." long as two years, until it had time to and die in a war in defense of a brutal dictator. To overcome this problem, the But the real danger to the people of digest the h~ssons of Three Mile Island. Carter's recent statements make it this country comes from the continued government hopes to whip workers clear that antinuclear groups and acti use of nuclear power. Every day, every Even this delay is more than Carter into a patriotic frenzy. vists have a big stake in joining pro single operating nuclear plant causes and the nuclear industry will tolerate. Similarly, the government would like tests against Washington's war drive cancer and birth defects. And every An even weaker measure in Con to erase the "Harrisburg syndrome" against Iran. day, more undisposable deadly nuclear gress that would have delayed con the intelligent, well-founded fear of waste piles up. struction permits for four nuclear nuclear power held by tens of millions In addition, by continuing to build But Carter's first concern is not the power plants for six months was de of people. for the largest possible turnout in health and safety of American work feated November 29 by a 254-135 vote. Despite Carter's patriotic urgings, Washington April 26, the antinuclear ing people. His first concern is the The measure, known as the Markey however, antinuclear activists have forces can play an important role in health and safety of corporate profits. amendment, would not have affected shown no sign of abandoning plans for exposing the reactionary aims of Car Under cover of the crisis in Iran-a the seventy-two nuclear plants already protests. ter's anti-Iran hysteria.

4 Behind u e in Tabriz By Amineh Sahand TEHRAN, Dec. 11-The past week's demonstrations in Tabriz, capital of the Azerbaijani people in Iran, have been presented in a deliberately dis torted manner by the U.S. news media. The coverage is designed to show that the Iranian working masses, and the Azerbaijani nationality in particu lar, are not united in the fight against the Carter administration's war threats. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Azerbaijanis-who speak Turkish-are the largest nationality in Iran after the Persians. Under the shah's dictatorship. they were denied the right to use their own language, victimized for observing their own culture, and discriminated against in employment. Unlike other oppressed nationalities such as the Kurds or Baluchis, the Azerbaijanis are a big part of the Iranian working class. Tabriz, a city of one million, is heavily industrialized. Tehran, also an industrial city, is almost half people of Azerbaijani origin. Tabriz has historically been a center of the movement against monarchy and imperialism. In the revolutionary Members of Muslim People's Islamic Republican Party at their headquarters In Tabrlz. wave that began in late 1977, Tabriz was once again in the forefront. The them sovereignty in their provinces. is leadership, it comes from the Muslim rience of the Kurdish war, which be first massive demonstration calling for In Azerbaijan, most people look to People's Islamic Republican Party, came very unpopular among Persians, the ouster of the shah took place there. Ayatollah Shariat-Madari, not Kho which is connected with Shariat has had a deep impact. In the air force Hundreds if not thousands of Azerbai meini, as their leader. Shariat-Madari Madari. barracks in Tehran, for example, no janis sacrificed their lives in the ensu is Turkish-speaking. The Islamic Republican Party, one would volunteer to go into Tabriz ing year's struggle against the shah. On December 1 a national TV broad which supports Khomeini, also has to quell the Azerbaijani struggle. cast falsely reported that Shariat forces in Tabriz, but is smaller. Even Khomeini has said he opposes Nationalist flowering Madari urged a yes vote on the consti On December 9 a crowd chanting crushing the upsurge militarily. Stat After the revolution in February tution. Some Azerbaijanis then went slogans supporting Khomeini and call ing December 10 that "Tabriz fought 1979 there was a flowering of national out and voted to approve the constitu ing for unity against imperialism for Islam ahead of anyone else," the ist expression in Azerbaijan. Discus tion. marched on the radio and TV stations ayatollah said: "We want there to be sions opened up on the need for the Shariat-Madari later made a state in Tabriz, recapturing them. Report peace. We want the country to be calm people of the province to have auto ment criticizing the constitution. He edly, Pasdaran were brought in from ... we are at the moment facing a big nomy within Iran in order to control said there was a "contradiction" be the outside to help fight for the TV enemy [the United States], an enemy their own destiny. tween articles in the constitution stations. which intends to destroy the essence of Over the late spring and summer granting the Iranian people sover Sharp clashes have continued since, Islam and wants to dominate our there were sizable demonstrations in eignty and a separate article that puts with at least six people killed in the country as it did before.... " Tabriz demanding that the govern all power in the hands of the highest fighting. ment provide jobs and halt capitalist national leader. Unity against imperialism sabotage of industry. High school stu On December 3, tens of thousands of Avoid violence How to bring peace among the na dents as well as workers lPd these· Azerbaijanis, including peasants, dem Although the city is deeply divided, tionalities and unite them in the fight actions. onstrated in Tabriz against the consti with a majority supporting the against imperialism is the big ques As inf1ation shot up, there were tution. Some demanded that their MPIRP, both sides are trying to avoid tion. major protests against food prices. "yes" vote be cancelled. violence, an eyewitness in Tabriz re The Azerbaijani masses, who have a Workers councils called shoras have Azerbaijanis also demonstrated in ports. Heated discussions are taking proven record of anti-imperialist strug developed in the oil refineries, machi Qom, seat of the Islamic Revolutionary place all through the city and its gle, want to take an equal place in the nist plants, and other factories. Council. They demanded cancellation surrounding villages over the constitu revolution with their Persian brothers This fall, the demand for autonomy of the votes cast on false information, tion, national rights, and censorship. and sisters. But this is possible only if for Azerbaijan began to be voiced more an end to censorship on radio and TV, In the working-class neighborhood they have a right to govern their own loudly in Tabriz, especially as the the same national rights as Kurds, and of Shahabad, which led the revolution affairs, choose their own leaders, and Kurdish people made gains in their freedom for Azerbaijanis who had been ary movement in February 1978, resi observe their own culture. fight for national rights. jailed in the demonstration on De dents support the MPIRP. They believe Their effort to appeal to other Iran Against this backdrop of their efforts cember 3. the argument that they are dividing ian workers has been hindered by the to extend the revolution in ·every On December 5, a small armed group the anti-imperialist movement is a failure of Shariat-Madari to lend his sphere, the Azerbaijanis responded attacked Shariat-Madari's house in cover for denying them their rights. support to the anti-imperialist struggle when students took over the U.S. Em Qom. Reports indicate that one or more Khomeini has charged that the pro here. To this date the Azerbaijani bassy in Tehran last month. As many people were killed. tests are led by "counterrevolutionar leader has not made a single statement as one million demonstrated in a sin Azerbaijanis in Tabriz reacted with ies" and "American spies." Some for supporting the fight to bring back the gle day in Tabriz in solidarity with the outrage at this attack. Large numbers ces in the central government have shah. anti-imperialist struggle. But the na poured into the streets December 6. demanded the dissolution of the This helps explain why many tional TV station did not show their They took over the radio and TV MPIRP and the banning of its paper. workers are more inclined to look to demonstration. as it had the big stations, government offices, and the The Tudeh Party, the pro-Moscow Khomeini for leadership, given his marches in Tehran. airport. Stalinist party here, said in its newspa stand of backing the U.S. Embassy This angered Azerbaijanis, who had per Mardom that the protests were takeover, and to accept some of his long felt that the central government 'Brother Kurds' "stabbing the anti-imperialist revolu charges against the Azerbaijani pro officials controlling television were The TV began broadcasting in Tur tion of the Iranian people in the back." testers. censoring their contributions to the kish solidarity messages from more After this statement appeared, demon The latest issue of Kargar, newspa · revolution. than 100 Azerbaijani villages and from strators in Tabriz burned down the per of the Socialist Workers Party The central political question on the Kurds. When some Kurds joined the Tudeh Party headquarters. (HKS), carries a front-page headline minds of workers today is the attacks demonstration, they were lifted onto The tone of some other groups has calling for "unity in the trenches of U.S. imperialism and the need to the shoulders of Azerbaijanis, who been different. The People's Mujaha against imperialism." unite to defend the revolution. Within chanted "Brother Kurds." deen issued a statement calling on all A strong front against Carter's that context, and as part of the anti Ousted prime minister Mehdi Bazar Iranians "to avoid any type of threats can be built only on the basis imperialist drive, workers are organiz gan went on national TV thatnightto clashes." It said, "The sensitivity of of full rights for every sector of the ing to control their factories. denounce the protesters as "communist the current situation . . . requires revolution, the HKS explains. It is At the same time, more and more outsiders." This only angered the Azer unity more than ever among the peo imperialism that is historically respon peasants are taking over land, includ baijanis further. ple." sible for national oppression in Iran ing in Azerbaijan. When two planeloads of Pasdaran, The Fedayeen issued a statement in and for the division of the working the Iranian national army, were flown Tehran attacking the MPIRP. But class. The fight for full national rights Constitution referendum into Tabriz, crowds refused to let them reportedly in Tabriz they have is thus an anti-imperialist fight. In the midst of this upsurge, the land at the airport, declaring that only changed their line and are supporting Realization of the just demands of central government held a referendum Turkish-speaking Pasdaran would be the movement for national rights. the Azerbaijanis and other oppressed December 1-2 on the constitution allowed in the city. The events in Tabriz have opened up nationalities will reinforce the revolu drafted by the Assembly of Experts. It It is difficult from Tehran to deter a big political discussion in the work tion and unite the working class, the was approved by a huge majority. mine the scope and composition of the ing class nationwide. HKS says. It is the best way to unite But the referendum was boycotted by mobilizations. News photos show large Persian and non-Persian workers all those who fought against the shah most of the oppressed nationalities numbers of workers and some soldiers alike are opposed to more bloodshed in the current battle against the impe because the constitution does not grant participating. To the extent that there between revolutionaries. The expe- rialist danger.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 5 Wages doubled, councils formed Carter's real target: gains of Iran workers By Janice Lynn dan oil refinery, the world's largest, The revolution in Iran has brought refused to have any part of it," the about many improvements in the lives Times reports. of Iranian workers and farmers. These Under the new schedule, they were gains are rarely reported in the U.S. supposed to report at 7 a.m. as usual, big business media, which are too busy but go home at 2 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. trying to whip up the American people Then on Thursday they were to come for war against "Islamic fanatics." in for a five-hour day. (Thursday and As the truth begins to slip out about Friday are the usual days off .in Iran.) the real struggles and gains of the An assistant general manager re Iranian masses, American workers can ported what happend, "On the first more easily see that these are our day, they started at 7 and at 2:00 brothers and sisters and that we have nobody left." no interest in a war against the Iran The workers went home at 3:00 as ian people. usual, and on Thursday only supervi Some of this information came out in sors went to work. the December 6 Wall Street Journal. "I After two weeks, the workers council am making more money than I ever did decided to stop blowing the whistle at in my life," Jafar Roshani told reporter 2:00 because some workers quit work Ray Vicker. Roshani runs a machine ing then but stood around until 3:00. that stamps out corrugated cartons at Now the whistle blows at 3 pm and Tehran's Container Corporation of nothing more is said about the six-day Iran. week. The Journal reports that many In the oil fields, the entry-level workers have had their pay doubled wages have been doubled since the since the February revolution that revolution. In addition, workers get overthrew the shah. Their rents have housing allowances or quarters, a food been cut in half. allowance, and other benefits. At the big General Motors plant The oil workers are also preparing outside Tehran, production has been Abadan oil refinery. Oil workers have resisted efforts to Impose longer workweek and themselves in case of U.S. military running eighty to ninety cars a day. are organizing defense against U.S. military threats. attack on the oil refineries, receiving (They used to consider fifty cars a day special training in how to repel an as good.) assault. The GM plant is one where workers banks, insurance companies, and at At the Suliran structural steel opera Because of the devastating economic councils (shoras) have taken increased least fifty major industrial companies tion and other plants, no layoffs can be policies of the shah's U.S.-backed re control of production. formerly owned by families that fled proposed without approval by the gime, Iran still faces high unemploy Also at GM, as in many other facto from Iran when the shah was deposed. workers council. ment, inflation, and food shortages. ries throughout Iran, the salaries of The stated goal is "to redistribute the In Abadan, near the Persian Gulf, But as these accounts show, the managers have been cut in half. ownership of industry to workers, cus the Iranian oil workers are also exert Iranian workers are organizing to de Corporate offices are rolling up their tomers and residents near the facto ing more -control over their conditions fend their gains, deepen the revolution, homemade carpets and chauffered li ries," the Wall Street Journal glumly of work. and begin to solve the economic and mousines are no longer used. reports. The December 6 New York Times social problems that remain. That's One such grandiose office has been More and more workers are partici describes the government's attempt what has earned them the undying converted into a child care center for pating in management decisions. A last August to institute a six-day work hatred of the Carter administration children of women employees. former teller, for example, now runs week. ". . .the electricians, machinists, and the big-business interests it repre The government has nationalized the whole bank. and welders in the shops of the Aha- sents. Secret files prove U.S. plotted to admit shah By Cindy Jaquith ning for months to bring the shah to ROKEE, for the secretary. review how dangerous the situation is. TEHRAN-"The den of spies." This the United States and that his admis With best regards. In either of these scenarios, we should is the name Iranian students have sion on October 22 had nothing to do Vance aim for a positive change in our position on given to the U.S. Embassy they have with medical reasons. the shah by January, 1980. If this plan is adopted it probably would not be advisable occupied here. And to prove their The documents also show that Car Henry Precht, director of the Office of charge, they have begun releasing to disseminate it beyond a close circle in the ter knew full well the serious repercus Iranian Affairs in the U.S. State De executive branch; perhaps a few key indi secret U.S. government files discovered sions that would follow if the shah set partment, on August 2, 1979. It is viduals outside might be informed so as to in the embassy. foot in the U.S. and yet went ahead. addressed to Bruce Laingen, U.S. reduce pressures for a change. Although these files have been made These documents thus give credence charge d'affaires in Tehran. readily available to the public, and to the idea that Washington may have The first part talks about "new cir especially to reporters, the American deliberately provoked the hostage si cumstances" in Iran. It predicts the big-business news media have thus far tuation in order to win public support Assembly of Experls, charged with refused to print more than a few words. for its war plans. drafting a new constitution, would be Seven HKS Why? Because they do not want The first document was sent in July elected on August 3; the referendum on American working people to know the from U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus the constitution would take place in members freed truth about the embassy's past and Vance to the U.S. Charge d'Affaires September; and the election of the TEHRAN, Dec. 10-Seven of the present role in Iran. Bruce Laingen at the U.S. Embassy in parliament and president would take fourteen members of the Iranian The students have put one set of Tehran: place in October. Socialist Workers Party who were documents in an attractive pamphlet imprisoned in Ahwaz for more with Persian translations. The front Literally Eyes Only for Charge Laingen Secret-Eyes Only July 1979 Secret/Sensitive. Planning for the shah than six months have now been cover, in red, white, and blue, shows released. the Iranian masses pulling down an Subject: Shah's desire to reside in the U.S. to come to the United States. 1. We are again considering how to re Once it is completed, we should inform The seven are: Hadi Adib, Firooz American flag and discovering a CIA spond to the shah's continuing queries to us the new government that we wish to clear Farzinpour, Kambiz Lajevardi, agent hidden behind it. through various channels regarding estab our desks of old issues on the agenda. One Mahmoud Kafaie, Ali Hashemi, The Militant will be printing ex lishing residence for himself, the Shahba of those old issues will be the status of the Mohammed Poorkavaz, and Kia cerpts from these documents in install nou, and his family in the U.S. (He can shah. We could inform the government that Mahdevi. ments beginning this week. The first remain in Mexico, at least through Oc we have resisted intense pressure to allow They were freed on bond pending series of documents reproduced proves tober.) I ·would like to have your personal him to come to the U.S. because we did not a dropping of their cases or possi that the U.S. government was plan- and private evaluation of the effect of such wish to complicate the PGOI's [Provisional a move on the safety of Americans in Iran Government of Iran] problems or our efforts ble further investigation. (especially the official Americans in the to construct a new relationship. Now with This victory for the seven anti compound) as well as on our relations with the new government firmly established and shah fighters has encouraged sup the government of Iran. accepted, it seems appropriate to admit the porters with the hope that all four 2. Would your answer to the question shah to the U.S. The new government may teen will soon be free. posed in para 1 be different if a) the shah not like it, but it is best to get the issue out renounced his claim and that of his heirs to of the way. The discussion with the new the throne, or b) he agreed to foreswear GOI should take place after it is in place, political activity of any sort and that this two to three weeks, and some few days be confirmed publicly? before the shah will come here. In the 3. We clearly understand that the key to meantime we should begin to prepare the minimizing the impact of the shah's admis Iranians by telling them of the intense sion would be in Bazargan and the govern pressures for the shah to come here ment's willingness and ability in such a pressures which we are resisting despite our situation to control and command the secur traditional open door policy. ity forces guarding our people and to min If the constitutional process does not imize any hostile public reaction against proceed and Iranian instability seriously our people or our relations. Hence, this increases, and if there is no prospect for question is being very closely held in Wash· Iran to settle down, there may be an argu ington, I would appreciate your not sharing ment for going ahead and admitting the KAMBIZ HAD I One of many documents discovered In this message with anyone else on your shah anyway to get that inevitable step LAJEVARDI ADIB U.S. Embassy. staff. Please send your reply NODIS/CHE- behind us, but it will be necessary first to

6 Activists fight banning_ orders Protests spread against U.S. war threats San Antonio ~· '+:. r By Steve Marshall ~ SAN ANTONIO-When the shah arrived at Lackland Air Force Base here, local television stations reported that he dined on caviar and cham pagne. If the "ailing" monarch watched television with his dinner December 6, his caviar was spoiled by live coverage of a picket line in front of the city council meeting. Twenty-five protesters chanted: "Fue ra con el sha!" (Out with the shah), "No war for the shah-stop the depor tations!", and "Hitler, shah, Somoza son la misma cosa" (they're the same thing). The "Get the shah out of San Anto nio" picket was organized by the So cialist Workers Party and El Pueblo newspaper, with the endorsement of several labor and civil rights activists. The action broke through government and media efforts to silence free speech in Texas. Garry Militant/Sam Chetta City manager Tom Heubner refused Demonstrations were held In San Antonio (left) and Albany despite efforts of local officials and rlght-wlngers to block pro- to grant permits for any demonstra Iranian activities. In photo at right, a few signs and flags of counter-demonstrators are visible In rear. tions on the Iranian issue, and the city council agreed. Authorities looked the other way, though, when fundamental Ron Allen, a shop steward in Inter Albany Speakers included David Crast, Am ist preachers bused a load of flag national Union of Electrical Workers By Mark Chalkley nesty International; Kern Hall, Associ waving parochial school children to Local 1013, read from a fact sheet his ation of Black Students; Prof. Robert union had published on the shah's ALBANY, N.Y.-Chase Manhattan Alamo Plaza for a "citizens' declara Bank was the site of a "Hands Off Cranfield; Marty Anderson, Socialist record on human and union rights. tion of war" rally. Iraq" picket here December 8. Workers Party; and Wale Anufa, execu Gov. Bill Clements, a longtime busi Laura Garza, a member of IUE Eighty demonstrators chanted "No tive secretary of the St. Louis Alliance ness partner of the shah, virtually Local 1019 and chairperson of the San more Vietnams" and "Bring home the Against Racist and Political Repres ordered Texans to welcome the mass Antonio Young Socialist Alliance, fleet-Send back the shah!" SIOn. murderer. To get his message across, drew applause as she called on the "This is exactly what we needed here Clements banned all anti-shah demon council to "send a message to the The Hands Off Iran Committee, a long time ago," one student com strations throughout the state and put world that this murderer is not wel organizers of the picket, targeted mented. "I know I learned a lot. The the national guard on alert. come in San Antonio." Chase Manhattan because its chair more you find out, the more you Air Force troops set up camp in the Councilperson Dan Archer, an out man of the board, David Rockefeller, wonder if the government's not just west side of San Antonio, surrounding spoken war hawk, couldn't contain played a big role in bringing the shah trying to trick us again." Kelly Air Force Base with barbed wire himself. He interrupted Garza to praise to this country. A week earlier, on November 29, and patrolling both Lackland and the shah and offered a 1960 Time Picket participation was significant opponents of U.S. military interven Kelly with machine guns. magazine article as proof of the mo considering recent attempts by city tion in Iran held a news conference. Meanwhile, military authorities narch's enlightened rule. officials and right-wing groups to in Speaking were Martha Pettit, SWP warned that hundreds of Iranians were Councilperson Bernardo Eureste sug timidate opponents of Carter's war candidate for U.S. Senate, and repre "massing in Oklahoma and Louisi gested council members read a more drive against Iran. sentatives from the American Friends ana" for a possible "armed attack" on recent Time article describing the The action-originally planned for Service Committee, Women's Interna the bases. Border Patrol units set up shah's torture chambers. December 1-had been postponed tional League for Peace and Freedom, check points to search incoming traffic When SWP candidate Gonzalez tried when police and city officials refused World Peace Council, and Alliance from Mexico. to read that 1976 Time account of the protection against threatened right Against Racist and Political Repres The big-business press went on the shah's rule, Mayor Lila Cockrell cut wing disruption. siOn. warpath too. The San Antonio Express him off. Gonzalez later said, "I just Organizers of the picket responded While expressing varied opinions News aimed its fire at Socialist tried to read it, and the mayor stopped by denouncing the undemocratic deci about Carter's handling of the situa Workers Party congressional candi me. But the shah did it, and she sion and taking their case to the me tion, all groups opposed military inter date Anthony Gonzalez, attacking him welcomed him to town." dia. The local chapter of the American vention "under any circumstances." for daring to call for the extradition of Socialist workers report that the Civil Liberties Union helped put pres the shah. shah's visit has gotten a mixed recep sure on Mayor Erastus Coming. The The siege atmosphere included an tion in their factories. Garza and Gon campaign successfully forced the city Other activities protesting U.S. war attempt by local college administra zalez say that co-workers display to provide police protection. moves against Iran were reported last tions to ban anti-shah literature distri widely varying attitudes, from prowar Fewer than forty cnunter-demon week in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, bution, sales of the Militant, and noti to support for sending the shah back. strators turned out and tried to intimi Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and ces of public forums on Iran. But the majority opposes a war, they date the pro-Iranian pickets by waving Indianapolis. While San Antonians watched the say, and as more workers learn the American flags and carrying signs city hall picket, Texas District Judge truth about the shah, growing that read "Bomb the Bastards." Peter Curry was upholding the city numbers feel he should be extradited. The Albany Times Union and three council's refusal to grant a parade A shift was noted at the Friedrich television stations reported the event. Iran meetings permit to Iranian students. Local Ku plant, where socialists find workers are Klux Klan leaders, who were also increasingly open to explanations of MASSACHUSETTS denied a permit, expressed satisfaction why the shah should be returned. BOSTON with the ruling. And union members at Tampo Man St. Louis IRAN: ANOTHER VIETNAM? A teach-in. After picketing for thirty minutes, ufacturing Company (IUE Local 1013) By Renita Alexander Speakers: representative from Embassy of I ran: protesters sent representatives to ad are distributing their union fact sheet Dr. Richard Falk, prof. of international law, ST. LOUIS-A Washington Univer Princeton Univ.: Re". Edward Rodman, minis dress the council meeting. on the shah's crimes. sity forum on "The Crisis in Iran" ter to minority communities, Episcopal Dio cese of Mass; Harvey Kaplan, immigration law drew 150 people here December 9. attorney, Nat1onal Lawyers Guild, William A week earlier, the university chan Worthy, colummst and correspondent, Balti more Afro-American; representatives from la Iranian students attacked cellor banned a similar forum spon bor and communtty organizations. Fri, Dec. By Steve Marshall rades on the airwaves, attacked the sored by the Socialist Workers Party. 14, 7 p.m. Arlington St. Church. Donation Citing "current international and com requested. Ausp: Boston Coalition Against SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 12-Two Iranians and destroyed their signs U.S. Intervention rn Iran and Iranian Student local radio announcers led a small as the city police stood by. Twenty munity tensions arising from the crisis Deportation. For more information call (617) group of Ku Klux Klansmen, mo cops then ringed the Iranians to in U.S.-Iranian relations," the chancel 262-4621. torcycle gang members, and other prevent further attacks by the ra lor stated that such a meeting "could U.S. HANDS OFF IRANI EXTRADITE THE right wingers in an assault on five cists. No arrests were made. threaten safety and might result in SHAH! NO DEPORTATIONS OF IRANIAN injuries to members of the campus STUDENTS! Demonstrate. Sat, Dec. 15, 12 Iranian students at City Hall yes After the attack, the city council noon. Assemble: JFK Building, Government terday. voted to continue its ban on anti community." Center. Ausp: Boston Coalition Against U.S. The five members of the Iranian shah demonstrations as flag The WU Student Union, Students for Intervention in Iran and Iranian Student Depor tation. For more information call (617) 262- Muslim Organization had begun a waving right wingers packed the Social Change, and the WU Mobiliza 4621. hunger strike December 10 to pro public hearing in council tion for Survival responded to this test the shah's presence in San chambers. assault on free speech by rescheduling Antonio and the city's suppression Louis Linden, attorney for the the forum under their sponsorship. NEW JERSEY of their right to free speech. Their Iranians, argued against the ban, Prof. Barry Commoner and others NEWARK protest was declared legal by the as did Anthony Gonzalez of the endorsed the meeting. The campus STOP VICTIMIZATION OF IRANIANS. newspaper, Student Life, editorialized Speakers: Shelley Davis. attorney lor victorious city manager. Socialist Workers Party. surt challenging deportation of Iranian stu Ricci Ware and Jud Ashmore of This morning the Iranians are against any further banning attempts. dents; Sima Amazad, antr-shah fighter. Sat, The university administration Dec. 15, 7:30p.m. 11-A Central Ave. Donation: KBUC radio, notorious for their continuing their hunger strike at $1.50. Ausp: Militant Labor Forum. For more anti-Black and anti-Chicano ti- city hall. backed down and approved a request information call (201) 643-3341. for meeting space.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 7 As com~anies escalate attacks Steel unionists discuss contract demands By Stu Singer organized a demonstration outside the presidents of the affected local unions PITTSBURGH-The countdown to opening of the conference. The turnout to oppose such proposals," the state the 1980 steel contract continued with of 100 people was smaller than ex ment said. a meeting of local union presidents in pected. However, the strength of unified the basic steel industry here December A majority came from Local 6787 at bargaining has already been undercut 6-7. The conference opened in the face Bethlehem Steel in Burns Harbor, Indi by the willingness of top union offi of the fiercest attack in decades by the ana, and Local 1397 at U.S. Steel cials to accept lower wages for some steel companies against the United Homestead Works outside Pittsburgh, within the Basic Steel Conference. Steelworkers union. with a sprinkling from other locals. McBride urged workers at U.S. Steel's The statement adopted by the confer Speakers included Ron Weisen, presi American Bridge division to vote for a ence noted that since the last contract dent of the Homestead local; Alice wage freeze a few weeks ago in the face some 20,000 USWA members have Peurala, president of Local 65 in Chi of company threats to close down. been hit by permanent shutdowns of cago; Bill Andrews, president of Local The conference statement includes plants or departments, and that U.S. 1010 at Inland Steel, the largest local support for the affirmative-action pro Steel just announced the elimination of in basic steel; and Roger Klander, visions of the court-ordered "consent 13,000 more jobs. president of Local 6115 at Inland decree" in steel and the union victory "Workers in general, and Steel· Steel's Minorca Mine on the Mesabi in the Weber case. It calls for more workers in particular, face an uncer Iron Range. active fighting on civil rights issues tain economic future," the statement The narrowness of the demonstra through the union grievance proce said. tion could not attract other presidents. dure. That uncertainty increased while the When the conference opened, the There is also a demand that child conference was taking place. Inland discussion on right to ratify was se care centers be established by the U%\1\l,C $1EElW0" Steel announced one- and two-week cond, following a report on the eco companies for their employees. "furloughs" for 1,860 workers at its nomic state of the steel industry by ow The statement calls for a shorter giant Indiana Harbor mill in East union researcher Ed Ayoub. Militant/Stu Singer probationary period and for a "neutral Chicago, Indiana. Participants I spoke with reported USWA President Lloyd McBride ity clause" to get the companies to stop Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel called a there was an open discussion of the their anti-union activities at unorgan special meeting for employees of its ratification procedure with speakers ized plants. Allentown mill outside Pittsburgh to recognized from both sides. Mter sev setbacks suffered by other unions complain that the workers are being eral hours a secret ballot vote was weaken the steelworker contract drive 'Wishing Book'? paid too much. taken. to start with. The Hammond Times in Hammond, And U.S. Steel's Minntac ore mine Union President McBride appointed There was discussion at the confer Indiana, in the middle of the giant some of the right-to-ratify supporters ence concerning the layoffs and plant Chicago-Gary steel complex, attacked as tellers. The result was 313 to 70 to closings, but no proposals were this program as the steelworkers maintain the present system. stressed that could stop them. "wishing book." But these proposals McBride announced that a small include demands for economic and change would be made. The local presi The conference statement does in social justice that would improve the dents will have at least twenty-four clude: "A shorter work week without lives and working conditions of steel ,hours, instead of the previous two loss of pay and without extending the workers and all working people. The hours, to read the new contract before normal day is a necessary objective in real question is how to win them. voting. Some of the presidents I spoke collective bargaining. It is essential What the companies have in mind is with said they would use the added that we create job opportunities in the not only to halt steelworkers from time to consult with mem hers of their Basic Steel Industry.... " making gains in this contract, but to locals. But the emphasis was on improved take away rights, wages, and benefits government and company funding of that were won in the past. It will take a Roll-call vote temporary benefits for workers who determined fight just to maintain what Right-to-ratify supporters had urged have lost their jobs. There was no steelworkers have now. a roll-call vote so local members would indication union officials intend to This contract program can help to know how their presidents had voted. seriously press for the shorter work inspire the membership. One step the Others pointed to the pressure on presi week in negotiations. union leadership could take toward dents of small locals by staff represen The union program for negotiations strengthening the contract fight would tatives. calls for improving the cost-of-living be to print hundreds of thousands of Militant/Kay Lewis These were both factors in the out adjustment (COLA) formula to a one copies and distribute them to all steel Local 6115 President Roger Klander at come. But some local presidents cent an hour wage increase for every workers and to other workers too. rally for right to vote on contracts. seemed convinced by McBride's argu 0.2 percent rise in the federal Consu This "wishing book," which the Membership ratification was voted down ments that in the face of the serious mer Price Index, instead of the current wealthy owners of the Hammond by conference. company attacks, the union should not one cent for every 0.3 percent. Times and their steel industry backers change the procedure. The lack of laugh at, would not be laughed at by organization by right-to-ratify support Unified bargaining union members. on the Mesabi Iron Range in Minne ers did not back up their point of view Another point dealt with company It would inspire steelworkers and sota announced it would go on a four with the necessary strength. proposals to remove some plants from their families and other working peo day week. coverage by the basic steel contract, ple. The local presidents represent about The fact is that the union will be strengthened, not weakened, by mem forcing local unions to bargain on a And when it comes right down to it, 450,000 steelworkers in steel produc plant-by-plant basis. · the only way the union can win any of tion, iron ore mining, and some aspects bership ratification. The right to vote puts the power of the union ranks more "The Basic Steel Industry Confer these demands is with the power of an of transportation and fabricating steel. ence fully supports the policy of the inspired and mobilized membership. There are even a few locals of company directly into the negotiations. In spite guards. of the outcome of this conference, this The union has established common point should continue to be made. bargaining and a single basic contract After the ratification debate, the with the nine major companies. conference took up the proposals of the Blackmail at Wheeling-Pgh. November 8-9 Wage Policy Committee Right to ratify meeting. These were adopted with no The most controversial issue at the organized opposition. conference was contract ratification. Proposed contracts are now submitted Contract Issues to a meeting of local union presidents At the closing news conference to be accepted or rejected. McBride said the union would emphas Under the Experimental Negotiating ize adjustments in pensions so retired Agreement signed in 1973, the contract steelworkers could better keep pace goes to binding arbitration if no agree with inflation. ment is reached. ENA forbids a strike He also said the union would push over contract issues. on the issue of "contracting out," the Some local union officials who had hiring of outside contractors for many been associated with the campaign of maintenance jobs that should be done Ed Sadlowski, who ran against Lloyd by steelworkers. McBride for president of the union in On the government's 7 percent wage 1977, initiated an effort to win the guidelines, McBride said the figure ~"""~~"'':tJ~~·< right of the membership to vote on the Militant/Kay Lewis would be higher at the time of contract At two specially called meetings December 8, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel VIce contract. At the September 1978 union talks, and the union would have to president Joseph Scalise complained that 'excessive' wage and Incentive rates convention the right to ratify was look at it then. He also said that while are like a 'cancer' that has made the company 'uncompetltive.' The workers will referred to this Basic Steel Industry he is still serving as a labor representa be told January 3 what sacrifices the company wants. Stockholders are not Conference for consideration. tive in Carter's pay board, he would being asked for sacrifices. They were just given a $1 share dividend after the In the fifteen months between the not participate in board discussions company got a $150 million federal loan guarantee. A local resident told the convention and the industry confer concerning the steelworkers settle 'Militant': 'The company has two sets of books-the ones they show the gov ence very little was done to win sup ment. ernment and the real ones. I want to see the real books.' Tim Oliver, an port for the right to ratify. Proposals Unfortunately McBride's participa electrician at the mill, said after the meeting: 'It looks like they want to freeze or for sending out a national mailing, tion on the board has already helped cut our wages. Are they going to freeze my gas bill or my food bill where they holding a conference, and organizing a legitimize government and company are now?' debate were dropped. efforts to hold wages at 7 percent in Supporters of the right to ratify the face of 14 percent inflation. The

8 Newport News ERA rally: 'Va. labor leads way' By Betsy Whittaker are the organizers for the mass march Winning the ERA will take a similar movement. But when these three move NEWPORT NEWS, Va.-"Virginia and rally in Richmond." effort, he said, likening it to the civil ments join together-when we turn out labor leads the way, ratify the ERA!" Newport News Education Associa rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s. A masses of workers and our allies-we was the chant that led off the first tion President Margaret Keator urged contingent of Local 8888 members will can create a movement no power on labor march for the Equal Rights participants to "double, triple, quadru lead the January 13 march. earth can stop. That's the challenge, Amendment in Newport News. ple our size and fill buses to Richmond." Antoinette D'Oronzio, co-coordinator that's what we've got to do in Rich The December 8 march and rally of Her local has contributed office space of Peninsula NOW, offered her organi mond on January 13." 135 people, of whom one-quarter were to LERN. zation's solidarity to the Newport Other speakers included USWA in Black, was organized by Labor for Jimmy Voliva, president of United News march. "We applaud labor's ternational staff representative Arnol Equal Rights Now (LERN). It was one Auto Workers Local 919 at Ford Truck effort for the ERA and we join you in Manning; Newport News city council of a series of actions around the coun in Norfolk, Virginia, announced that working for ratification of the ERA," woman Mary Sherwood Holt; Joni try building support for the January 13 his union is sending two buses to the she said. lvey, president of Newport News ERA demonstration in Richmond, Vir Richmond demonstration. At the last Virginia state LERN coordinator NAACP; Rev. Michael Battle, presi ginia, organized by LERN. union meeting the UAW Local 919 Jerry Gordon told the crowd: "The dent of the Hampton NAACP; Harietta The march began at the Fiftieth women's committee showed the film struggle for the Equal Rights Amend Eley, president of the Education Asso Street gate of the Newport News ship With Babies and Banners. ment cannot be won by the labor ciation of, Norfolk; and Jack Taylor, yard, where United Steelworkers Local movement alone, by the women's president of the United Food and Com 8888 recently won recognition. Local 8888 President Ed Coppedge movement alone, or by the civil rights men~ial Workers Union Local 233. As the march moved out, some ship linked the fight for the passage of ERA yard workers returning from their to the steelworkers' battle for union recognition. Coppedge noted that noon lunch break chanted "ERA, women make up nearly a third of the ERA" in solidarity with the marchers. shipyard workforce. The impact of Local 8888's fight and the continued effort to win a contract "What we need to say to the women for the 15,000 production workers at is that you have a right-your right the yard was felt throughout the dem guaranteed by law-that you can come onstration. Trade unionists, women, into the yard and enjoy the fruits of and civil rights activists marched be your labor as men have throughout the hind a banner that read "Local 8888 years," he said. supports LERN." Coppedge told the rally that steel Tidewater LERN co-coordinator workers won recognition by fighting Claire Moriarty, who chaired the rally, "not only in the yard, but in the termed it a "gathering of the labor streets, the living rooms, and the leadership of the Tidewater area who courts." Mormon ERA fighter to speak January 13 One of the speakers at the January 13 ERA rally in Richmond will be Sonia Johnson, the fifth-generation Mormon from Sterling, Virginia, who was excommunicated December 5 for her pro-ERA activities. Johnson is head of Mormons for the ERA She was tried by a three-man Bishops Court, reserved for hearing church cases involving women and young boys. Chief court prosecutor Bishop Jeffrey Willis, a CIA personnel officer, wrote in his decision on Johnson that "your testimony and public speeches evidence in spirit that you are not in harmony with church doctrine concerning the nature of God and the manner in which he directs his church on earth." The Mormon religion opposes abortion and birth control and expects women to cook food from scratch, can fruits and vegetables, and make the family clothes. In 1978 the church wrote that ERA "could challenge almost every legally acceptable social custom as well as every morally accepted behavior pattern in America." Johnson has been campaigning against the Mormon hierarchy's opposition to ERA ''Almost the whole strength of the church is turned against the ERA," she said. She has also exposed their attempts to give the illusion of mass anti-ERA support when in fact "it's just this little bitty group." MilitantiJon Hillson Johnson is not giving up. She's appealing her excommunication and Shipyard workers lead ERA march In Newport News, Virginia. They will also head up continuing her active support for ERA "I just can't wait to get into the January 13 march In Richmond. Missouri and Illinois. As soon as you all leave," she told the press on December 6, "I'm going to get on a plane and do everything I can." Right on Sonia! We'll see you in Richmond on January 13. Rail local endorses ERA march Ky. ·NOW builds Jan.13 Rail labor support is growing for the Equal Rights Amendment and By Amy Belvin division of American Air Filter. She January 13. LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Local union applied for the job in 1959. "It was my According to Militant correspondent Richard Haggstrom, the No leaders spoke or sent statements of first experience at factory work. I vember 28 meeting of United Transportation Union Local 50 burst into support to a spirited Equal Rights worked previously as a bank teller and applause following a stirring appeal for support to January 13. Amendment rally held here at the bookkeeper, but because my husband Harlan Stabler, speaking on behalf of a delegation from UTU Local University of Louisville. was laid off I had to find a better BOO's newly formed ERA subcommittee, stressed the importance of Sponsored by the Louisville Chapter paying job." reaching out to the ranks of labor to put the ERA over the top. of the National Organization for The company warned her about the In short order Local 50, representing over 100 rail workers, voted to Women, the rally of some sixty people "pitfalls" of factory work. "The man endorse January 13, to set up an ERA subcommittee of its own to help was held December 2 to build support ager even tried to discourage me from mobilize support, and to send a mailing to its entire membership about for the January 13 march in Rich filling out the application. But I told the January 13 march. mond, Virginia. him I desperately needed a job and I Highlights of labor support at the was hired." rally included: ERA press conference in Denver • The Kentucky State AFL-CIO en "I thought to myself," Cravens con Labor and women's rights leaders in Denver spoke out forcefully for the dorsed January 13, and several tinued, "if I can only work for six Equal Rights Amendment at a December 4 press conference to build members of their staff plan to travel to months until my husband gets back on support for January 13. Alan Gummerson covered the conference for the his feet. That was twenty. years ago." Richmond. Militant. • Pat Goodin, president and business She described how Blacks were ex "We are not satisfied to live in an ERA ratified state," said Thanna representative for United Food and cluded and women were segregated Christian of the Central Denver Chapter of the National Organization for Commercial Workers Local 445, and into particular jobs. "I was laid off six Women. "We want an ERA ratified nation. The fight in Virginia is our Mona Sima of the Kentucky Education months out of every year for the first fight too. And this march has particular significance because it is widely Association brought union backing to three years I worked there because all supported by organized labor." the rally. the women's jobs are seasonal." Norm Pledger, president of the Colorado AFL-CIO, pointed to labor's • Nelle Horlander of the Kentucky Because of these layoffs, she must role in Colorado's early ratification of the ERA and said, "I appear here Coalition of Labor Union Women work three years longer to draw the today to reaffirm our continued support for this very badly needed spoke, and her union, Communications same pension as men who were hired amendment." Workers of America 10310, sent its at the same time. Also speaking were Cheryl Porch of the Brotherhood of Railway and endorsement. Labor support at the rally was so Airline Clerks Local 270 and Scott Foreman of Local 8412 of the • United Rubber Workers Local 423 overwhelming that representatives Communications Workers of America. Pat Silverthorn of Retail Clerks spokesperson Mary Parker sent a from civil liberties and religious groups statement. spoke with pride about relatives and Local 7 read a statement from her union which concluded: "Local 7 calls Emily Cravens, president of United friends active in unions. for all unions in this region to lend their support in bringing about the Auto Workers Local 1346, told of her In addition, Lt. Governor Thelma ratification of the ERA. If 'an injury to one is an injury to all' is to ring personal frustrations as a working Stovall sent an endorsement of Janu true, then all union brothers and sisters must close ranks in a unified woman and why she believes strongly ary 13. effort to bring about passage of the ERA." in equal rights for women. The rally raised over $300 to send Compiled by Suzanne Haig Cravens works in the fiber glass Louisville buses to Virginia.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 9 Solidarity needed Striking auto workers prepare for long fight By John Studer In the face of these provocations, CHICAGO-"This strike is our long workers are hanging tough. The Har est in twenty years." This is the begin vester bargaining council voted un ning of a taped message played to all GC H! NMi,f! animously last week to retain "no callers over the weekend by United •a; s: r !!trw forced overtime" as their central de Auto Workers Local 6 in Melrose Park. mand. It describes the situation facing Local 6 is organizing weekly educa 75,000 agricultural implement and tionals for all the strikers. heavy equipment workers as they enter As we go to press, Harvester workers their fortieth day on the picket lines. are planning their second demonstra At International Harvester, no tion at the company's international further negotiations are planned until headquarters December 12. On No 1980. vember 6, strikers from Local 6 and six The 40,000 Caterpillar and 35,000 other locals picketed Harvester's corpo International Harvester workers are rate offices. facing a bleak Christmas holiday. John Truffa, president of Local 1307, Strikers receive forty dollars a week if said they may need more like it in the they are single, forty-five dollars if futUTe. they are married, and fifty dollars if The central slogan of the demonstra they have children. tion is "Forced overtime-hell no." All over the Midwest, layoffs are spreading in companies related to the Solidarity needed agricultural implements industry. Ca Because of the minimal benefits that terpillar is the largest customer for are available, UAW Region 4 has U.S. Steel in Illinois. Harvester gets its issued an urgent appeal for aid to the steel from Bethlehem, Inland, and U.S. strikers. Steel. All of these companies are lay Robert Johnston, Region 4 director, ing off. sent a letter to all local union presi Many cities throughout the Midwest dents and executive board members on are dependent on this industry. In Fort November 28. He wrote, "In addition to Wayne, the third largest city in Indi Solidarity/Syd Harris sending checks to the strike assistance ana, Harvester employs 13 percent of More than 75,000 agricultural Implement workers have shut down eleven Interna fund, I would appreciate it if you would the area's work force. tional Harvester and Caterpillar plants. Key Issue Is forced overtime. take up plant gate collections of Peoria, Illinois, a city of 125,000, has canned food and nonperishable food." been hit hard by the idling of more As Robert Tinker, president of UAW their harvests, slowing down activity than 23,000 Caterpillar workers there. Park police and a number were injured. Local 6, explained, "We don't expect· and equipment purchases until the The train went into the plant. any negotiations until January, and Takeaways next spring. The next day a judge issued a tem this solidarity can help." Caterpillar's profits were up 12.2 The October 1 contract deadline was porary injunction limiting pickets to Local 6's tape says: "International percent for the first nine months of extended by the UAW international three at all gates except the main gate, Harvester workers do have the best 1979 over the record $566.3 million officers until November 1 without con where eight could walk the line. Since contract in the UAW, and we aim to profit last year. International Harves sultation with the negotiating commit then, supervisors have been bringing keep it. Go forward, not backward." ter profits have soared 95.4 percent tees at Caterpillar or Harvester. trains in regularly. Contributions can be sent to: Region this year to $222 million. Workers had been promised that all Also, a scab trucking firm, Randy 4 Strike Assistance Fund, 5132 West These companies are going for big three companies would be struck at the Trucking, is running convoys in and Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois takeaways from the workers. The main same time. The one month extension out of the plant. 60644. issue in the strike is the companies' put John Deere workers on strike by desire to force mandatory overtime themselves. onto the workers. The workers at Har When the 23,000 workers at Caterpil vester are the only ones in the industry lar in Peoria decided they should strike Paul N. Siegel, the who have won an end to mandatory October 1 anyway, they were denied internationally known Marxist overtime in previous contract battles. benefits by the international for more Shakespearean scholar and critic, In addition to forced overtime, the than a month. This has caused some companies want to cut back eligibility hard feelings toward the international, studies in depth ten 20th-century for holiday pay, limit workers to two especially as workers see UAW Presi novels concerned with the bids a year for transfers to better jobs; dent Douglas Fraser offering union concept of social revolution, cut back on vacations; double the funds to Chrysler. analyzing them as works of art probation period; and reduce wages The companies are getting nasty. In and probing their political ideas. and benefits for new hires. Melrose Park, right outside Chicago, Siegel provides a rounded Caterpillar claims if it doesn't get CANCER WARD critical approach that gives the Harvester is trying to keep up minimal NATIVE SON these takeaways, it may. go bankrupt. production with supervisory personnel. DARKNESS AT NOON reader deeper appreciation of Harvester claims that it can't com They're making 30 engines a week on 1984 these novels as expressions of pete with Caterpillar and John Deere, MAN'S FATE an assembly line that normally turns DOCTOR ZHIVAGO 20th-century thought. the other major companies in the in out 300 a day. . IRONIIEEL dustry, unless it gets the right to On November 19, an Indiana Harbor NAKED AND THE DEAD A Monad Press Book. institute forced overtime. FONTAMARA Distributed by Pathfinder Press. Belt train approached the plant to OLD WIVES' TALE bring parts in. Strikers convinced the 288 pages, cloth $14, paper $4.45. Long strike foreseen railroad workers not to cross their /hJiwii:-~.~~-~~) Order from p·athfinder Press, 410 One reason the strike may be espe picket line. West St., New York, N.Y. 10014. cially long is that the contract expira Later the train returned, operated by (Include $.75 for postage and tion date of October 1 comes when supervisors. A hundred picketers tried handling.) demand for farm implements usually to convince them to honor the line. The declines. Farmers are wrapping up strikers were attacked by the Melrose St. Louis gas strikers facing company, gov't By Chuck Petrin members, "and could not, in the face of the context of labor's overall fight adopted a resolution backing the ST. LOUIS-Sixteen hundred an annual inflation rate of 13 percent, against big business. More and more, strike. members of the Oil, Chemical and accept a 7 percent wage-benefit in he said, it is becoming a fight against Some 5,000 people have signed "I'm Atomic Workers Union are on strike crease. The negotiations were dead the government as well as the corpora Not Paying" pledge cards, refusing to here against Laclede Gas. locked from the start." tions. Tibbs cited Carter's strikebreak pay gas bills until the strike is over. The strike began September 12. ing in the 1977-78 coal min~rs strike, On November 14 Laclede Gas Presi The company deliberately provoked As service and repair workers, the federal wage "guidelines," and the dent Lee Liberman issued an ominous the strike, refusing to discuss a cost-of OCAW members went into the strike energy swindle as examples. public letter charging union leaders living adjustment clause sought by knowing they lacked the power to During the strike, Tibbs said, the with encouraging "acts of sabotage" OCAW locals 5-6 and 5-194, expecting bring Laclede Gas to terms by means state government has done its best to against the company and "threats of that it could wear the union down in a of a work stoppage alone. Instead, the allow Laclede to operate without union violence" against the strikebreakers. A long strike. union's strategy was to expose the workers, regardless of the effect on company lawsuit filed the next day The company made a "first and company's anti-union drive as a ripoff public safety or convenience. Missouri's demanded $250,000 in damages from final" contract offer that would limit that hurt not only gas workers but all so-called Public Service Commission, the union. The union has filed a coun annual wage-benefit increases to 7 workers. with the backing of Gov. Joseph Teas tersuit for libel. percent. It suggested that the only way "We thought that if we took our case dale, has effectively suspended many On November 16 a local judge the union could get more was through to the people-if we told the truth of its service and repair regulations. handed down an injunction against "productivity" improvements. about what Laclede is up to-we could The strike has been bolstered by "crimes" which the union has never "Obviously the union would not con get the kind of support we needed to outspoken support from locals of the committed. sider selling back any of its hard-won win this strike," Tibbs told an au United Auto Workers, the Interna By mounting this slander campaign, gains," explained Robert Tibbs, chair dience at the Militant Forum last tional Association of Machinists, and Laclede Gas hopes to isolate and di person of OCAW's joint negotiating month. other unions. The St. Louis Coalition vide the union, thereby weakening the committee, m a letter to umon Tibbs put the gas workers' strike in of Labor Union Women has also strike. 10 MONTHLY MAOAZIIII SUPPLBMBBT TO TBB .ILIT.ll!

IIbert linstein ud the Revolution in Science BJ Cliff Conner

Bow to Defeat the lu lluxllan · IIJ Barrr Bin& (INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW! PAGE 2)

a front-page banner headline: "Khomeini is illiterate and cannot understand what it seeks advantage from crisis." The article by says to favor the document. Most Iranians TBBIIOITII Simon Ahmadi attempts to pass off this who do understand it are now opposed." insipid truism as an example of Marxist analy This "Marxist" analysis reeks with contempt sis. for and fear of the oppressed and exploited. INBIVIBW The I rani an masses know, however, that the The source is the imperialists in Washington struggle against imperialism is not a diver and Wall Street, and the procapitalist forces sion. Imperialist domination of Iran is the in Iran whom Ahmadi has come to view as a main cause of unemployment, poverty, and democratic alternative to Khomeini. Is the Struggle in shortages, and the key prop of national and The refusal of working people to heed the sexual oppression. "democratic," "secular" appeals of Bazargan, Iran a 'Diversion'! They also know that U.S. imperialism hates Bakhtiar, and similar capitalist politicians is The propaganda drive against Iran is a their revolution and is seeking to roll it back. not due to ignorance. The masses remember concerted attempt to shape the thinking of It took no appeals from demagogues for them how "antimonopoly" capitalists led by Mossa American working people and prepare us to to see the shah's sudden appearance in the degh capitulated to the military coup of 1953 accept war. The employing class is making United States as a signal that imperialism was that returned the shah to power. They re full use of its monopoly control over the press preparing new counterrevolutionary moves. member how the capitalists fattened off the and airwaves to spread lies and distortions on These are facts of life from which the corruption and exploitation of the shah's a scale hardly seen since the early years of Guardian editors have been "diverted" by reign. And they remember how Bakhtiar, the Vietnam War. their sectarian attitude to the Iranian revolu Bazargan, and others sought to put an end to There is strong resistance among workers tion. the mass movement and save the shah's state to the use of U.S. troops in a new Vietnam. Because Iran is still struggling against machine when it looked like the masses Many are responsive to demands that the imperialist domination, mass anti-imperialist would soon. bring it down. shah be returned home to face trial for his upheavals and clashes with Washington, such They remember that the repressive moves crimes. as the one set off by the embassy occupation, taken by the Provisional Government against But the propaganda campaign has sowed are inevitable. They would take place even if the press, against socialists and other radi confusion about what is happening in Iran. Khomeini disdained to "seek advantage." cals, and against the Kurdish people were not The media portrayals of the Iranian revolu Judging events from the narrow yardstick the work of Khomeini alone. Bazargan was tion as a bizarre outbreak of reactionary of whether Khomeini's popularity goes up the head of government and stood behind Islamic fanaticism has had an impact. Many (bad) or down (good), the Guardian misses every one of them. These moves served the working people, denied access to the truth, entirely what has taken place in the class interests of Iran's capitalists, and of their can only fall back on the well-founded suspi struggle in Iran in recent weeks. imperialist backers. cion that "there has to be more to this than Through mobilizations encompassing mil That's why Bazargan's popularity-never meets the eye." lions of people, the workers and peasants high-plummeted as the fight against these Radical currents with access to more of the have gained ground while the bourgeois repressive moves gained ground. facts have no excuse for conceding anything forces, the landlords, and the imperialists And the masses remember Bazargan's ef to the bourgeois propaganda. But their re have been pushed back. This puts Iran's forts to reforge military and economic ties sponse to the offensive against I ran has working people in a better position, not a with Washington that had been strained by tended to range from half-hearted resistance worse one, to fight for solutions to such the revolutionary upsurge. to outright capitulation. problems as unemployment and national Iran's working people are determined to An example of the latter was the article by rights. protect their newly won rights from the Diana Johnstone in the November 21 In This changed relationship of forces is capitalists and imperialists. These gains in These Times. Echoing Carter's attempts to reflected in the spread of workers committees clude the shoras (committees) which have read the Iranians out of civilized humanity, in the plants and in the new surge of strug been formed in many factories. The shoras she charged that the occupation of the U.S. gles in Azerbaijan. have raised workers' wages, lowered the Embassy "took Iran 'out of the world,' out of The Guardian views the support Khomeini bloated salaries of management, limited an internationally shared rationality." won among the Persian working people, and layoffs, and opened the books to reveal the Johnstone even blasted the "outrageous on occasion also from working people of the bosses' profit-grabbing gimmicks. In addition, demand to yank the Shah from his deathbed." oppressed nationalities, as an unmitigated peasants in many areas have begun dividing In view of the shah's Lazarus-like rise from disaster. Repelled by Khomeini, the Guardian land among those who till it. his "deathbed" and flight to San Antonio, it begins to look to deadly enemies of the Ahmadi makes no mention of the spread of would be interesting to know the source of working people as an alternative. the shoras or of the debates and struggles Johnstone's inside dope on the royal Ahmadi, for instance, puts the Iranian that have sprung up around them-an as butcher's medical condition. capitalists in a favorable light. "The bourgeoi tounding omission for a Marxist. The weekly Guardian did not go as far as In sie, represented by Bazargan and Ayatollah The working masses are far from uncritical These Times in toeing Washington's line. It Madari, was becoming extremely disturbed of Khomeini's policies and program. Contrary recognized the simple justice of the Iranian by Iran's political direction.... This class, to the Guardian's assumptions, anti-impe people's demand that the shah be sent back. which had fought against the shah and mo rialist struggle has increased their will and But the Guardian's reportage is dominated nopoly capital, could see no political stability capacity to resist reactionary moves from any by the theme that the struggle against U.S. in the country." quarter. imperialism in Iran today is a "diversion," a For Ahmadi, the fall of Bazargan becomes But no amount of "democratic" rhetoric will trick by Khomeini to prop up his regime. an occasion for mourning. "Independent left convince Iranian workers that the imperialists "Khomeini is taking advantage of this popular forces view the embassy crisis as a political and the native capitalists are anything but and anti-U.S. trend to consolidate his own diversion-first to slap down Bazargan deadly foes of the revolution. These forces political position and divert the masses from then ... to completely neutralize opposition have only one aim: to get the masses off the Iran's other difficulties," wrote a November 21 to Khomeini's fundamentalist religious rule." streets and out of politics, so that exploitation editorial. When Ahmadi tries to explain the reason and imperialist domination can go forward This dovetails with claims in the procapital for support to Khomeini among Persian without interference. ist media that Khomeini is using "the United workers and farmers, he slips into crude Millions of working people view Khomeini States" (they studiously avoid mentioning expressions of class prejudice. Writing of the and the Islamic apparatus as closer to their imperialism) as a "scapegoat" for Iran's ills. vote on the constitution, which had not yet aspirations than the Bazargans. In contrast to As the U.S. fleet maneuvered in the Arabian occurred, he writes, "Khomeini's forces are the capitalists, Khomeini relied on the power Sea, the December 5 Guardian proclaimed in counting on the 65% of the population which Continued on page ISR/12

OOITBITS Editor: Fred Feldman Editorial Board George Breitman. Catarina Garza. Cmdy Jaquith. The Month In Review ...... 2 Albert Einstein and the Bruce Levme. Omari Musa. George Novack. Dick Roberts. Cathy Sed Revolution in Modern Science How to Defeat the Ku Klux Klan WICk By Cliff Conner ...... 5 By Harry Ring ...... 3 The InternatiOnal Soc1ai1St Rev1ew ap pears 1n the Mil1tant that 1s published the f1rst week of every month

Copynght '1979 The Mil1tant

12 (DECEMBER 1979) (PAGE 31 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW)

How to Defeat thelu lluxllanBut there was no such statement in In These Times. All that appears is the two news items, both slanted against the victims. At issue is not whether the CWP followed a correct strategy in its efforts to fight the Klan. It did not. You can totally disagree with CWP strategy and politics-as we do-but the fact remains they are victims of the Klan who must be defended. This is surely a case of "An injury to one is an injury to all." Within the framework of such elementary solidarity, opponents of the Klan can have a· fruitful discussion of what is the best strategy for stamping our this racist, antilabor vermin. Clearly, the strategy employed by the CWP will not accomplish this. The CWP proceeded from the dangerous illu sion that a relative handful of determined people could smash the Klan. This strategy assumes that the Klan is also a relative handful. Which is true. But it overlooks one vitally important fact. In any confrontation between the Klan and its opponents, the whole weight of the employers and their government will be on the side of the As struggles of Black and white workers in Klan. The events in Greensboro make that clear. South Increase, employers are increasing support Does this mean, then, that the Klan is invinci to racist groups. Above, Newport News, Virginia, ble? shipyard workers on strike. Right, Klansmen get Absolutely not. arms before murdering five In Greensboro, North But it does mean that it will take the organized Carolina. might of the working people of the South-Black and white together-to smash the Klan. Any group that tries to substitute itself for the power of the working class is laying itself open to terrible victimization. It is also getting in the way of accomplishing the necessary job of mobil gation, and other modest steps Blacks have izing the workers against the Klan. By Harry Ring taken toward equality. And of course there are And the costly defeats of such adventuristic backward and confused whites who accept this. confrontations add seeming plausibility to an But the predominant trend right now is th~_op equally mistaken approach. The murder of five anti-Klan activists in posite-toward increased working-class unity of This is the strategy of relying on the govern Greensboro, North Carolina, has focused public Black and white in the struggle for unions, ment to curb the Klan. attention on the Ku Klux Klan and its increased higher wages, and so on. Central to this trend is This also avoids the inescapable need of mobil violent activity. the increased readiness of the union movement to izing masses of workers to deal with the Klan. The November 3 Greensboro murders are also defend Black rights. Union defense of affirma And it fosters the dangerous illusion that the posing again the issue of official complicity with tive action in the Weber case earlier this year is a racist, antilabor guardians of "law and order" the KKK. Backed by the local news media, prominent example. can be looked to to defeat an abomination which Greensboro officials are laying the groundwork This is not said to minimize the danger of Klan they created. for a whitewash of the Klan killers. violence. Greensboro makes clear that the KKK One group that favors the strategy of the The game plan is to pin responsibility for the and those who stand behind them constitute a government "outlawing" the Klan is the Commu killings on the victims. The racist officials and deadly threat. The rights of working people will nist Party. This is part of its general policy of media are asserting that members of the Commu not be assured until such murderous gangs are supporting "progressive" candidates of the two nist Workers Party, which initiated the anti-Klan eliminated. major parties-parties that are totally bound to action, provoked the attack. The point is that the potential has never been big business and its reactionary policies. The official aim is not simply to whitewash the greater for rallying labor's forces-and the big Because it supports capitalist politicians, the Klan but also to utilize the situation to curb majority of working people in the South and Communist Party finds it natural to look to them public protest activity by opponents of the Klan. across the country-in opposition to the Klan, its to curb the Klan. And, according to CP reason All of this underlines the need for an accurate violence, and everything it stands for. This ing, if particular capitalist politicians aren't estimate of what the KKK is and represents, and should be the starting point in discussing a ready to do so, then it simply means "better" what is the most effective way of fighting it. strategy to fight against racist violence. ones have to be supported. According to the business-controlled media, the One way not to fight racism, for sure, is to give The demand for a law against the Klan is KKK is again a growing force in this country aid and comfort to those who would whitewash echoed by the unaffiliated radical weekly, the which is making particular gains among south the kind of bloodletting that occurred in Greens Guardian. In a November 14 editorial, it de ern white workers. boro. clared: "All progressives should demand that the That's simply not true. This, unfortunately, is precisely what is done Klan, Nazis and other groups dedicated to racist From the days of its birth in the period after by one publication which claims to be socialist. violence be outlawed." the civil war, the Klan has been an instrument of The account of the Greensboro Klan attack in While arguing for this position, the Guardian the ruling class in its game of divide and con- the paper In These Times echoes the police is compelled to concede: "Relying on the govern quer. charge that the Communist Workers Party ment certainly won't accomplish much in elimi Its traditional aim has been to pit white brought the murderous attack on itself. nating racism, of course. The entire capitalist workers against Black and thereby weaken the In its issue of November 14-20, In These Times edifice of exploitation is based upon keeping the capacity of workers to fight together against the focuses on the confrontationist approach of the working class divided by promoting racism. real source of their exploitation and oppression, CWP. It emphasizes that the CWP demonstrators "But," the editorial asserts, "agitation to 'ban the employers. Black or white workers who say chanted "Death to the Klan." It claims that the Klan' would strike a responsive chord among no to this reactionary game are targeted for Klan earlier, CWP members had appeared with guns the people." terror. at a Klan rally and burned a Confederate flag. This is pretty poor reasoning. Today, unionism is making encouraging gains The paper also features an item headed "What Striking a responsive chord is essential. But in the South. Black workers are taking the lead, are they doing here?" This is devoted to the it's not sufficient. The demands also have to be and white southern workers are increasingly reported statement by the president of a com ones that correspond to the real interests of the realizing they cannot successfully organize to munity group where the Klan shooting occurred. workers, increase their consciousness and confi improve their wages and conditions except in She is quoted as saying, "I just don't know why dence, and move the struggle forward. unity with their Black co-workers. they [the anti-Klan demonstrators] would come The Guardian to the contrary, it isn't even true This change in consciousness among southern into our neighborhood." that relying on the government to fight the Klan white workers is a big blow to the Klan, under Giving prominence to this statement-without "won't accomplish much." cutting its potential for popular support. comment-can only lend credence to the cop It won't accomplish anything. It also drives the Klanners and their employer charge that the CWPers were "outside agitators," To fight the Klan effectively it is necessary to sponsors up the wall. a timeworn right-wing justification for suppress educate working people as to why the Klan is so We see an intensification of Klan violence ing freedom of speech and assembly. dangerous. And that reason is not because of any today precisely because the battle between em But perhaps, it might be argued, In These great strength that the Klan has. What makes ployers and workers is sharpening, and the Times was simply indicating its disagreement the KKK a menace is that the government, bosses are out to win by any means necessary. with CWP tactics in fighting the Klan. locally and nationally, gives it a free hand to do The employers want to foster a new resurgence Such an argument might have weight if In its deadly work. of racism, encouraging white workers in the These Times had also written some small state Can anyone seriously argue that a relative South-and nationwide-to blame their economic ment of solidarity with the slain antiracists and handful like the Klan could operate all these problems on affirmative action, school desegre- declared the need to bring the killers to justice. years if the government of the United States was

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seriously concerned with stopping it? And the government would continue to look the need to defend themselves against such a fascist Explaining this to working people in no way other way while the Klan does its bloody work. threat. means the government should be let off the hook Does this mean it is impossible to demand any But they will not be ready, in substantial on this issue. Quite the contrary. There is a government action against the Klan? Not at all. numbers, to undertake such measures of self Constitution, with a Bill of Rights, which is The government faces a contradiction. While it defense until they become politically convinced supposed to prevail in this country. does not want to act against the racists, it is that it is a fatal mistake to place any reliance on That Bill of Rights guarantees the people publicly committed to upholding the constitution. the government to do the job for them. freedom of speech, press, and assembly without If the spotlight is on it, it cannot simply brush That means the fight against such outfits as interference from anyone-including murderous aside that responsibility. the KKK must be conducted in a way that helps bedsheet brigades. It is the sworn responsibility The Socialist Workers Party, which argues to limit their ability to lash out and, at the same of government-local and national-to enforce against any reliance on the government in fight time, deepens the understanding of their in those guaranteed rights and to act against those ing racism, has demonstrated in action how the tended targets, the workers. who violate them. government's contradiction can be effectively In carrying on this kind of a fight there is The entire labor and civil rights movement, utilized in protecting democratic rights. every reason for confidence about the outcome. and all other progressive forces, should be mobil In the early 1970s, the SWP was establishing Contrary to media suggestion, the KKK does ized in demanding that there be no whitewash of its branch in Houston. The Klan opened a not have a mass following among southern white the Greensboro Klan assassins and that they be terrorist campaign to try to prevent it from workers. It is, in fact, more isolated than at any dealt with for their monstrous crime. getting started. Bullets were fired into the SWP's point in its history. In the 1920s and '30s, it was But, it will be asked, what is the difference headquarters and the place was bombed. far stronger. between demanding that the Bill of Rights be Seeking to rally public support, the SWP There is good reason for the decline of the enforced against the Klan and demanding that learned that a number of groups had been Klan. The massive southern civil rights move the government simply outlaw the Klan? victimized the same way. The local Pacifica radio ment of the 1960s broke the back of official Jim A great deal. station, which had spoken out against racism, Crow. The KKK suffered a heavy setback with It's one thing to demand enforcement of those had been bombed. So had the offices of a small that historic victory of Black people. laws that protect the rights of working people. local paper. And, equally important, there is in the South It's quite another thing to demand new laws that Not too much of an issue had been made of today the new rise of organized labor. could and would be used against them. these attacks. People assumed, rightly, that the The assassination of the five CWPers was not The demand that the government "outlaw" the cops were on the side of the Klan. They also in response to alleged "insults" to the Klan. It Klan is not as simple as it sounds. A law that assumed, wrongly, that this meant little could be was an employer-inspired response to the gains simply said the Ku Klux Klan is illegal would be done. of the Teamsters union, the Textile Workers no problem for the hooded gang. It would reor The SWP urged all of these groups to stand union, and other labor bodies in North Carolina. ganize under a different name. together, to speak out publicly, demanding that The encouraging results of the' Teamster organ The Guardian editorial implicitly recognizes the city enforce the law against the Klanners. izing drive in that state are only the beginning of this problem when it argues that ."all progres Many groups and prominent individuals came a process of labor organizing that will ultimately sives should demand that the Klan, Nazis and forward. The media focused on the issue. As the have an even more profound impact in the South other groups dedicated to racist violence be anti-Klan demands gained strength, the national than the victories of the 1960s. outlawed" (emphasis added). media began to cover the case. This is what offers such great hope for the There's the rub. The Houston city administration was put on days ahead. Southern working people-Black If such a law were in fact passed, it would be the spot. Despite its sympathetic disposition and white together-are joining in a struggle for used by the government to suppress opponents of toward what the Klan was doing, it had other common economic goals and for common aspira racist violence in the name of combatting such concerns. tions of human dignity. violence. It wanted an image of stability. Revelations of That kind of united struggle will immunize an Didn't the government and media work over Klansmen on the police force and the Klan ever growing number of white workers against time to smear Malcolm X as a proponent of carrying on bombings with impunity hardly the poison of racism. "racist violence"? contributed to the city's "image." Will this really happen? It already is. Wasn't a nationwide police drive conducted to The issue became a liability for the city admin Last spring, when cops and their dogs un destroy the Black Panthers with precisely the istration and it was forced to act. Several Klans leashed a savage attack on striking Steelworkers justification that the Panthers were "dedicated to men were indicted and convicted for the bombing in Newport News, Virginia, that was, in a sense, racist violence"? of the Pacifica station. not really news. Cops have been attacking Isn't that what the Greensboro officials and The bombings and shooting stopped. The SWP pickets ever since there were cops and pickets. media are now trying to convict the slain and other groups have been able to function by But what was new in that situation was the CWPers of? and large without that particular menace. sight of southern white and Black workers stand The worst thing about the "ban the Klan" Despite gains made in this way, however, the ing shoulder to shoulder against these club approach is that it introduces confusion into the SWP does not see such skirmishes as the end-all happy cops. struggle to unite and mobilize working people in in fighting the Klan and everything it represents. White workers fighting to build a union in defense of their rights. It allows the government As the social crisis continues to deepen in this solidarity with their Black co-workers are not and the right-wingers to portray themselves as country, it will take more than putting officials going to be recruitment fodder for labor-hating opponents of political restrictions, while the anti on the spot to stop the racist killers. outfits such as the Klan. To the contrary, such racists are left with the onus of advocating them. Racist gangs such as the Klan and would-be union workers can become the best allies of This clouds the reality-the assault on the American fuehrers such as the Nazis are the Black people in a united fight to crush the Klan. democratic rights of working people by the precursors of a substantial fascist movement And it's not a matter of waiting until unionism employers, the government, and the racists. It that the rulers of this country will try to develop triumphs throughout the South. The fight is allows the employers and the government to as their economic and political difficulties grow. under way now. Greensboro must be the imme obscure who is attacking and who is defending The target of such a fascist movement will be diate focus. A massive campaign is needed to civil liberties, who is the criminal and who is the the u"nions, the Black movement, and all other prevent a whitewash of the Klan assassins. victim. progressive and radical forces. Big, broadly organized and widely supported It can be stated as a matter of elementary It will take a big movement of united, well demonstrations are needed demanding full prose political logic that any law restricting democratic organized self-defense to smash that kind of cution of the KKK murderers. It's an elementary rights, even if passed in the name of "outlawing" menace. act of solidarity and it will be an important step the Klan, will be one more weapon in the govern Working people have to become prepared for in building the kind of movement that will ment's arsenal against opponents of the Klan. that. They are going to have to be educated to the smash racism in this country. . Dealing a Blow to thellan Can workmg people be successfully march, dwarfed by 600 counterdemonstrators. mobilized to respond to the KKK? Hundreds of cops whisked the KKKers away The same day as the Greensboro to an underground parking facility. murder, working people in Dallas pro Meanwhile, the counterdemonstration, orga vided a graphic example of what can be nized by the Coalition for Human Dignity, done with the right approach. swelled to 2,000. The following is from a report on the The city council had tried from the begin action by Alan Epstein in the 'Militant' of ning to derail the mobilization against the November 16. racists. But antiracist organizers held firm on their DALLAS-"The days of being stepped on right to march, rejecting editorials in both are through. No Klan is pushing me around!" daily newspapers to ignore the Klan. said a young Black demonstrator. The demonstration exceeded all expecta The youth was part of a November 3 demon tions. The mood was one of strength against stration of 2,000 here, called to counter a Ku the racist minority in this city. Klux Klan march in the city for the same day. Blacks and Chicanos initiated the protest to MilitanVAian Epstein While police in Greensboro, North Carolina, answer the Klan. allowed the Klan to murder five antiracist Participants· came from the NAACP, Brown Catholic and Jewish organizations. demonstrators the very same day, here the Berets, University of Texas at Austin, North The march dealt the racists a heavy blow. cops turned out in force to protect the KKK Texas State University, Socialist Workers And it gave all victims of right-wing attacks scum. Party, Young Socialist Alliance, women's and here a renewed conviction that working people Thirty-seven Klan members started their gay organizations, antinuclear groups, and in Dallas are on their side.

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Einstein's theories of relativity and quan tum theory transformed our concept of matter and demonstrated the value of a materialist approach to science. They also showed the limitations of formal logic and 'common sense,' showing the need for more advanced forms of thought.

IIbert Binstein and the ID• Seienee which stands before us like a great, eternal small in comparison with those of his predeces By Cliff Conner riddle, at least partially accessible to our in sors. Many advances of material knowledge have spection and thinking." 1 Elsewhere, he wrote: been produced by scientists who were fervent " ... the belief in an external world independent ·idealists. Isaac Newton, Einstein's titanic prede [1979 marks the hundredth anniversary of Albert of the percipient subject is the foundation of all cessor, spent as much time on biblical commen Einstein's birth.] science." 2 tary as on his researches in physics. There is a revolution in scientific understand Lenin pointed to this phenomenon in his ing going on, and it is unfolding at an acceler The central proposition of materialism, of contribution to the philosophy of science, Mate ated pace. It began in the first years of this course, is that the world "exists independently of rialism and Empiriocriticism. The book was century and has been storming forward eve~ us human beings." This is anathema to idealist written to refute the philosophical ideas of theor since, breaking down long-standing barriers to thinkers, who believe that the "real" world is in ists such as the physicist Ernst Mach, to whom human knowledge. One of the initiators of the some sense a product of human consciousness. Einstein gave credit for inspiring his own out revolution, and certainly its greatest individual As one popularizer of Einstein's ideas com look. Citing Mach, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Henri figure, was Albert Einstein. mented: "Is there not something enormously Poincare, Lenin wrote: "Not a single one of these Einstein was a physicist. Physics is concerned narcissistic about the notion that we humans professors, who are capable of making very with the frontiers of human knowledge at its with our crude little brains so recently evolved valuable contributions in the special fields of most fundamental level-the investigation into from the brains of beasts, are somehow partial chemistry, history, or physics can be trusted one the very nature of matter itself. "What is the creators of the universe? ... nothing could" be iota when it comes to philosophy."s Einstein world made of?" is obviously a question of more distant from Einstein's own humil could be added to the list without belittling in the primary philosophical interest and importance. ity.... " 3 least his scientific achievements. It was just such Physics, moreover, is "where the action is" in A knowledgeable critic might be moved to achievements that led Lenin to conclude, in spite the modern scientific revolution. That was not protest: "But didn't Einstein believe in God? How of the fact that physicists like Mach and Einstein the case in the nineteenth century when physics can a religious person be considered a material were not conscious adherents of the philosophi was largely frozen into its Newtonian mold and ist?" cal tenets of Marxism, that "modern physics is in the major breakthrough came in biology, with While Einstein did occasionally speak of God, travail; it is giving birth to dialectical material Darwin's theory of evolution. the content of his religious views was never made ism."6 Einstein's contribution to human culture was very clear. In an essay entitled "Science and Although Einstein published the first of his that he increased our ability to understand the Religion" he explained what God was not by two relativity theories in 1905 (the "special" world around us. He was a thinker, but his rejecting "the idea of God in the religions taught theory, as opposed to the "general" theory, which thought was of a certain kind. It was not meta at present" and especially "the doctrine of a came in 1915), very little attention was paid to it physical speculation; it was not based on intro personal God interfering with natural events."4 even by theoretical physicists for a number of spection or abstractions culled from common As for his positive views on the subject: years. It is understandable, then, that Lenin was sense and dressed up as "first principles." ". . . when asking myself what religion is I apparently unaware of Einstein and his theory cannot think of the answer so easily." He said in 1908 when he wrote Materialism and Empirio Einstein's Materialism that his scientific work had left him in profound criticism. Einstein was a materialist. His theoretical awe' of the regularity and order of nature and Lenin's insight into the revolution in modern thought was solidly founded in the world of that this attitude "appears to me to be religious, physics was especially remarkable in that he was material reality-on scientific observation and in the highest sense of the word." This is a viewing it right at its outset. Only one "sub experimentation. And he always insisted that the redefinition of religion that hardly resembles its atomic particle" had been discovered-the traditional content. results he produced-above all his two theories of electron-and relativity and quantum theory It can be concluded that Einstein's scientific relativity-were of value only insofar as they were in their infancy. Since the greatest advan endeavors, which produced the enduring contri stood the test of further observation and experi ces were yet to come, it is important to pursue the butions to human knowledge for which he is mentation. Einstein's theories have met that test inquiry that Lenin began; to find out if the honored, were generally guided by a consistent well. continuing acquisition of scientific knowledge Those who know Einstein only through his materialist outlook. But when he went beyond tended to further confirm or to undermine the mass-media image may be unaware of the cen science to the realm of purely philosophical outlook of dialectical materialism. In either case, trality of materialism to his scientific outlook. In speculation, his materialism was less than con the central character in the story will be Albert sistent and not fully worked out. his Autobiographical Notes, he summed up his Einstein. point of view in these words: "Out yonder there was this huge world, which Science & Philosophical Inconsistency To appreciate Einstein's contribution to our exists independently of us human beings and Einstein's philosophical inconsistencies were kqowledge of the material world, it is necessary

15 (INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW/PAGE 6) (DECE'.

to have some understanding of what it was that verification than this one. At the time he con earlier. Was the astronomer born "before" or he discovered. He is best known, and rightly so, ceived it, however, there was no way of verifying "after" the star exploded? The ordering of such for his two theories of relativity. Relativity, it-it was proven accurate twenty-five years events on a universal time-scale doesn't have however, is only one of the twin pillars at the later.* much meaning. base of the new way of looking at the universe. All these elements of relativity theory carry Einstein's theory also requires giving up the The other pillar is quantum theory. It is not so philosophical implications that are worth exam common sense notion that things can conceiva well known that Einstein was also a pioneer of ining. First, the demise of absolute space and bly go faster and faster, without limit. One of the the quantum theory and made one of the key absolute time. two basic propositions of relativity theory is that contributions to its development in 1905, the The common sense outlook, which is also the nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. same year he published his special theory of basis of classical (Newtonian) physics, sees time If that is so, the idea of "instantaneous" com relativity. and space as separate entities. Time, in this view, munication over cosmic distances is false and the Quantum theory is even more radical, and is absolute. Any given instant is a uniform, concept of simultaneity falls apart. (See box page more central to the revolution in modern physics, identical instant occurring simultaneously ISR/8.) than is relativity, and raises more fundamental throughout the universe. So events in any part of A subjective element thus seems to enter into philosophical questions. But any examination of the universe can be compared on the same time the determination of time. An "observer" riding Einstein's contributions must begin with relativ scale. For any two events, then, either one can be on the light waves from the exploding star would ity. said to have happened "first" and the other have an entirely different interpretation of the Another preliminary point is necessary. There "second," or they can be said to have happened timing of events from that of the astronomer. is a general prejudice to the effect that relativity simultaneously. Einstein showed that this subjective element was and quantum theory are "too hard" for ordinary This is all very natural to our way of thinking. inescapable. There is no "universal clock" by people (non-physicists) to understand. That is not Everything in our everyday experience reinforces which all events can be objectively ordered in so. Einstein held that a reasonably bright person it. But it turns out to be meaningless when time. with a high school education and the motivation applied to the cosmic scale-that is, to distances Likewise, Einstein demolished the notion of to learn could grasp the concepts of relativity between stars and galaxies. absolute space. On the cosmic scale, even the theory: "Most of the fundamental ideas of science concept of distance (or length) turns out to are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be Space and Time include a subjective element. Again, distances expressed in a language comprehensible to eve When an earthbound astronomer detects a star can vary according to the circumstances of the ryone."7 Another great modern physicist, Erwin explosion in a distant galaxy, he is seeing a flash observer (in particular, the velocity of the ob Schrodinger, addressing his fellow scientists, put of light that originated many millions of years server relative to the distance being measured). it even more bluntly: "If you cannot-in the long These two conclusions would seem to be devas run-tell everyone what you have been doing, tating to the materialist point of view. But that *"In 1932 at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cam· wasn't all. Einstein showed that even mass your doing has been worthless."8 bridge... individual nuclear transformations yielded which some materialists mistakenly consider to the first clear-cut verification of Einstein's formula be the essential quality of matter-can vary from The Downfall of Common Sense E=mc2-a quarter of a century after Einstein had If the concepts of relativity theory seem ab propounded it in 1907. In 1933 an even sharper verifica· stract, it is not because they are unrelated to the tion was found, with mass in this case being not material world. It is because they relate to the partially but totally converted into energy."9 material world in ways that are far removed from our everyday experience, namely over dis tances unimaginably great and small, and at speeds approaching that of light. Because the The deeper we probe province of relativity theory is well beyond the range of distances and speeds that we are famil into the microworld, iar with, its propositions often seem to violate and the farther we look "common sense." That is one of the most noticeable features of into the cosmos, the less the revolution in modern physics. Common sense has taken a terrible beating. Anyone who learns possible it becomes to even a little about relativity or quantum theory becomes better equipped to break out of the conceive of matter with mental prison bounded by the walls of common out motion. sense. That, of course, accords very well with the dialectical outlook and is an important element in any sort of revolutionary thinking, be it in theoretical physics or in the process of changing society. · Einstein's special theory of relativity tackled a paradox that had led physics into a blind alley. The problem was this: According to well estab lished previous assumptions, the laws of nature would be different for two different observers if the two were moving rapidly with respect to each other. Two or more sets of nature's laws implying the existence of two or more "real worlds" -was an intolerable situation for science, which is founded on the materialist principle of the underlying unity of reality. Einstein's 1905 special theory of relativity managed to resolve part of the puzzle. He was able to show that the laws of nature were the same for all observers who were moving at a uniform rate of speed relative to each other. This was a triumph for the materialist outlook, but it was a partial victory, for it clearly left a situation where more than one version of nature's laws could still exist for observers who were accelerat ing relative to each other. Einstein pressed forward and ten years later, in 1915, announced that he had solved the paradox of accelerated motion as well. This was the general theory of relativity. It could now be shown (although the clinching experimental evidence would only come years later) that all of the laws of nature are invariant with respect to the state of motion of any observer. Einstein's two theories demanded a heavy price in terms of common sense. The special theory did away with the notions of absolute time and absolute space, and the general theory introduced the very peculiar notion of curved space. As might be expected, both met with a great deal of resistance among physicists until the experimental evidence piled so high that their acceptance was unavoidable. One particularly important consequence of the 1905 special theory was Einstein's discovery of the equivalence of mass and energy, expressed by the well-known formula E=mc2 • Hardly any theoretical proposition in the history of science has received more experimental and practical

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observer to observer.* Space-distances-time Bertrand Russell pointed to one possible source it is an hypothesis to spur and direct further even mass-all subjective? All dependent upon of idealist confusion: "Some people think that exploration. Serious scientists are continuously the conditions of various observers? [relativity] supports Kant's view that space and probing the microworld of particle physics, at Some idealist philosophers took the bait and time are 'subjective' and are 'forms of intuition.' I tempting to answer just such questions. rushed to claim a triumph, but all they succeeded think such people have been misled by the way The idea that space-time has no existence in proving was that they had missed the whole in which writers on relativity speak of 'the apart from mass-energy is, of course, a pro point. For Einstein had shown that while time observer.' It is natural to suppose that the ob foundly dialectical conception-that matter and and space taken separately are not objective, server is a human being, or at least a mind; but "empty" space are two poles of a single reality, they could be combined into a single entity he is just as likely to be a photographic plate or a as inseparable as the two poles of a magnet. space-time-that is fully objective, and in which clock ...." 12 The refutation of a priori space and time mass and other physical properties are also objective. In the framework of space-time Ein stein was able to demonstrate that the laws of 'Matter without motion is just as unthinkable nature are independent of any observer's motion. The Englis}:l astronomer James Jeans was one as motion without matter.' of those who only understood the first part of the theory. "As the subject [relativity] developed," he -Friedrich Engels wrote, "it became clear that the phenomena of nature were determined by us and our experience rather than by a mechanical universe outside us As Russell indicates, Einstein's revelations undermines Immanuel Kant's whole theory of and independent of us."10 about the unity of space and time have particular knowledge. Kant did not deny that the material But as one author recently explained, Jeans's relevance to the ideas of Immanuel Kant. At the world exists, and exists independently of human interpretation "receives not the slightest support heart of Kant's philosophy was the notion that consciousness. But he denied that it was possible from relativity," and this point "has been forci space and time had no objective reality, but were to really know anything about the material bly made by almost every modern philosopher of a priori categories-inherent human intuition. world. In his view, there is an impassable barrier science."11 By this view, space and time are nothing more between human perception and external reality. than mental constructs that the brain uses to Idealists raised an obvious question: "If you order the data it receives from the senses. By a can't know anything about this material world *Electrons have been accelerated to more than 0.999999999 times the speed of light, whereupon they · priori he meant that they simply had to be that you claim exists, how do you know it become 40,000 times as massive as they are at more accepted as they were; it would be useless to exists?" The materialist answer, which Kant ordinary velocities. Of course, that is from your point of question the nature of space and time because could not give, was that the world not only view. if you are watching the electron go by. From the they don't have any real existence outside of exists, but is also knowable. Einstein's demon electron's point of view, its own mass has not changed, human consciousness. In essence, Kant accepted stration that it is possible to gain knowledge but your mass has increased 40,000 times. the common sense view that space and time were about space and time through observation and simply self-evident and nothing more could be experimentation provides fresh confirmation of said about them. the knowability of the material world. Special relativity completely disproved Kant's ideas about time and space. First of all, it showed The Dialectical Outlook that space and time were not at all like the Einstein's contributions to 01odern physics not common sense notions that Kant took as a priori. only establish materialism on a higher basis; Secondly, it showed that space-time had a struc they also reinforce the dialectical outlook. The ture; that is, objective reality independent of basic tenet that distinguishes dialectical mate human consciousness. And third, it showed that rialism from mechanical materialism is that the structure of space-time could be determined reality consists not merely of matter, but of through observation and experiment. matter in motion. As Friedrich Engels put it, As if that were not enough, Einstein's later "matter without motion is just as unthinkable as general theory of relativity went even further, motion without matter."13 revealing that the structure of space-time is not Yet physical science before Einstein held that homogeneous-that space "curves." Part of there was an absolute, stationary, all-pervading Kant's conventional view of a priori space was framework in the universe-the ether that served that it was perfectly described by the geometry of as a medium for the propagation of light waves Euclid. That is, that just as in our eveiyday against which all motion could be measured. experience, parallel lines in space never converge Relativity theory showed that no such stationary or diverge. The general theory showed that framework exists-that all motion is relative to Euclid's geometry does not provide a true picture other moving things. of the structure of space-time. Experimental Friedrich Engels anticipated this aspect of evidence has confirmed that electromagnetic relativity theory in 1877, when he wrote in his waves (light, for example), travel a curved path Anti-Duhring. "All rest, all equilibrium, is only through "empty" space. relative, and only has meaning in relation to one or other definite form of motion."14 'Empty' Space It is important to understand that while this The quotation marks around "empty" are used anticipation shows the compatibility of dialecti to indicate that the very notion of empty space cal materialism and relativity theory, it does not At bottom left Is an reflects a common sense prejudice (i.e., an a mean that Engels "discovered relativity" before example of macro priori view). That is, that space is nothing; that Einstein. Engels's statement reveals a correct world (New York City, space is the absence of matter; it is the nothing judgement based on a sound philosophical view 1939), the scale of ness that separates the "real" stuff of existence. point; Einstein proved or "discovered" the reality things with which we By demonstrating that space actually has expressed in the statement on the basis of experi are familiar. Above are properties, Einstein showed that space is not the mental evidence that did not exist in 1877. examples of the ml absence of anything real, but has a real existence Einstein showed that space-time is objective croworld (left, the of its own. In materialist terms, space is not the (independent of an observer's motion); he did not tracks left by elemen absence of matter, but is itself a form of the show that it was absolute in the idealist sense of tary particles In a bub existence of matter. This, of course, refutes not being featureless and changeless. To the con ble chamber) and cos only Kant, but also the narrow brand of material trary, Einstein's conception of space-time is mic scale (a detail of ism that equates matter with "substance.'' the VIrgo cluster of highly dynamic, rippling with gravity waves and Einstein tried to take this investigation even galaxies taken by a changing along with the motion of stars, galax telescope at the Cerro further, but was not successful. General relativity ies, galaxy clusters, and the explosively expand Tololo Inter-American showed that space is not homogeneous in a ing universe (or "metagalaxy") as a whole. Observatory In Chile.) gravity field; that is, that the properties of space The forward march of knowledge in astronomy The laws of 'common time are determined by the mass in its vicinity. and particle physics, made possible by Einstei sense' do not work In What he also wanted to show, in his quest for a nian relativity, has extended the range of distan the micro and cosmic unified field theory, was that matter (in its mass ces over which we can observe the material scales. energy form) determines not only the properties world. The deeper we probe into the microworld, of space but determines its very existence. That and the farther we look into the cosmos, the less is to say, after unifying space and time and possible it becomes to conceive of "matter with unifying mass and energy, Einstein hoped to out motion.'' achieve the grand unification of space-time and In the microworld, for example, "all the funda mass-energy-to show that both are interdepend mental particles of matter-the proton, the neu ent aspects of existence. tron and the electron-seem to be spinning Einstein was not able to accomplish this task, perpetually. The spinning is much like that of a nor has anybody else, although he and many top. . . . Rotation is one of their intrinsic proper others were convinced that it is possible. One ties. Each particle has a fixed spin angular speculative theory, for example, suggests that momentum in the same way that it has a definite sub-atomic particles might actually be tiny mass and electric charge." Penetrating to an "holes" in space-time produced at points where even deeper level, experimental evidence "sug the curvature of space-time approaches an infi gests that there are objects in the proton that nite value. spin very rapidly.''15 Such speculation cannot be regarded as vali This is but one form of the motion that is dated scientific knowledge, but neither can it be intrinsic to subatomic particles. In addition to dismissed as science fiction. However "strange," spinning like tops, they continually whirl in (INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW/PAGE 8)

orbits around each other. Further analysis of the nothing would remain in a fixed position rela senses is, in the final analysis, nothing but an motion of these particles becomes so complex tively to anything else. The notion of compara illusion, it follows that nothing said about it can that it becomes impossible to describe in pictorial tive stability which forms part of our ordinary lay claim to being "truth." fashion with words like "top" and "orbit." outlook is thus due to the fact that we are about • A second line of thought-developed by Kant The most modern view of the microworld is one the size we are, and live on a planet of which the accepts the existence of the external world, but of particles in a continuous process of appear surface is not very hot."ui denies its knowability. Again, no real "truth" ance and disappearance, of absorption and trans The revolution in modern science is based, about material existence is possible. formation. The existence of matter at the most above all, on a growing acceptance of the univer • A third line of thought-the mechanical mate fundamental level that has been penetrated so sal flux. rialism based on the outlook of classical far does not fit a static concept of "being" nearly Unlike earlier periods in the history of science science-holds that the material world is per as well as it fits the dynamic concept of "becom when revolution calmed down and great advan fectly knowable. According to this view, the ing." ces solidified into dogma for a prolonged period, universe and everything in it, including the Turning from the scale of the microworld to the upheavals in modern physics have followed on human brain, are nothing more than more or less cosmic scale, we find a similar picture. Far from each other's heels. Indeed, the most important complicated machines, and it is just a matter of the classical view of the universe as composed of aspect of the Einstein era has not been this or time until all of the laws of matter in motion are eternal bodies moving like clockwork in orderly, that "discovery," but a whole new scientific completely known. When science will have geometric patterns, Einsteinian cosmology has attitude: the continuous search not merely for achieved total knowledge, its mission will be revealed a cosmos in constant turmoil. Super new data and facts, but for radically new ways of complete. This idea is frequently referred to as nova explosions that could vaporize a billion interpreting reality that challenge the most Laplacian determinism, since its most straight earths, giant stars collapsing into black holes, deeply held assumptions. It is in this aspect that forward formulation was given by the French the continual creation of new stars and new modern science converges with the theory of mathematician Pierre Simon de Laplace.* galaxies in a process violent beyond imagina knowledge of dialectical materialism. On the surface it would seem that the third tion-this is how matter moves on the cosmic Theories of knowledge attempt to answer the scale. questions: "What is truth?" and "How do we Why does this seem so offensive to common attain it?" To understand how dialectical mate *Laplace wrote: "An intellect which at any given sense? Bertrand Russell provides a cogent expla rialism approaches these questions, let us first moment knew all the forces that animate nature and the mutual positions of the beings that compose it, if nation: consider the most important opposing view this intellect were vast enough to submit its data to "If points: you were as large as the sun and lived as analysis, could condense into a single formula the • One line of thought denies the independent long, with a corresponding slowness of percep movement of the greatest bodies of the universe and tion, you would . . . find a higgledy-piggledy existence of the external world. This is the heart that of the lightest atom: for such an intellect nothing universe without permanence-stars and planets of pure idealist philosophies, including religions. could be uncertain; and the future just like the past would come and go like morning mists, and If the world that we experience through our would be present before its eyes."17 Do Things Happen SimultaneousiJ! The following "thought experiment" is de measured it at 186,000 minus 100,000, or worked satisfactorily for two passing space signed to provide some insight into the contra 86,000 miles a second? This all seems perfectly ships didn't fit speeds such as that of light. dictions that Einstein sought to resolve. Get a logical, because if two airplanes are each In the first place, they were both right about pad and pencil and draw yourself a diagram traveling 600 miles an hour and they pass the timing of the star explosions. Linda did as an aid to following the argument. each other, they each see the other going by at see them simultaneously, and Jerry did not. Imagine that two people-call them Linda a rate of 1,200 miles an hour. This contradiction is neither optical illusion and Jerry-are traveling far out in space in Later, back on Earth, Linda and Jerry meet nor mental delusion-the observations could two different space vehicles. They pass each and have this discussion: have been confirmed by cameras or other other, and each can measure the speed at recording instruments. which they see the other go by. To Linda it LINDA: Remember when we passed each Furthermore, both were correct in their appears that she is sitting still and Jerry is other out yonder the other day? measurements of the speed of light from the whizzing by at 100,000 miles per second. But JERRY: Sure. explosions-but both drew a false conclusion to Jerry it seems that he is sitting motionless LINDA: Did you see those two stars explode when they took that as proof that they were and Linda is passing at 100,000 miles a se both at once? standing still. Experiments as long ago as the· cond. JERRY: Well, I saw them explode, but not late nineteenth century had indicated that no Just as Linda sees Jerry go by, she sees two both at once. One blew up directly ahead matter how fast you are going, light will flashes of light at the same time. One is of me and then, quite awhile later, always be passing you at the same speed: straight ahead of her, in the direction she is another one flared up directly behind me. 186,000 miles per second. facing, and the other is directly behind her LINDA: Oh, of course. It seemed that way to Is there any way to reconcile these paradox ical findings? Einstein began by recognizing that since you can't use measurement of the speed of light to determine whether or not you're "sitting still," then there is no way any object can be shown to be absolutely motion less. Any object's motion is only relative to the positions of other objects. Therefore, neither Jerry nor Linda can lay claim to having been still while the other was moving. This means that neither can claim to have had an absolute vantage point from which to judge the timing of the exploding s!brs. Neither point of view was more valid than the other because there is no privileged frame of reference in the universe. Another way of (she sees it in her rear-view mirror). Two you because you were going so fast. It saying this is that space is not absolute: all distant stars have apparently exploded simul took the light behind you a while to catch motion through space is relative. taneously. up with your ship, and you were heading Then how can we decide whether the star Linda happens to have some very sensitive into the light from the other one, so that explosions were simultaneous or not? Einstein meters aboard and she can measure the speed light got to you quicker. showed that we will have to abandon the of the light coming from both explosions. Her JERRY: No, I think you're mistaken. I wasn't whole concept of space-separated events hap measurements tell her that from both direc going fast at all. In fact, I was sitting still pening simultaneously. The measurement of tions the light was traveling at 186,000 miles and I clocked you going by me at 100,000 time, he discovered, varies with the motion of per second, which is the speed at which light miles a second. You see, I know I wasn't the measuring instrument. This means that always travels through space. moving, because I measured the speed of for any two events A and B that are simul From these facts, she concludes that when the light from the two stars and both were taneous to one observer, A may happen before she and Jerry passed, she really was standing moving at the same rate: 186,000 miles a B for another observer and B may happen still and Jerry was moving 100,000 miles a second. So I was sitting still, and that before A for yet another, all depending upon second. She deduces this from the fact that the means that the way I saw the two their state of motion. Therefore there is no light flashes from both directions were going explosions-one after the other-was the absolute time permeating the universe against the same speed. If she had been moving in way they really happened. which all events can be ordered. either direction, wouldn't the two speeds have LINDA: But ... how can that be? I measured The demise of simultaneity leads to a been different? the light, too, and got the same results! number of other apparent paradoxes that are If she had been moving 100,000 miles a startling from the standpoint of common second toward one of the stars, and the light What's the problem here? Was one set of sense. Many excellent popularizations of rela from that star was coming at her at 186,000 instruments out of whack? No. Was one of the tivity theory and its consequences are availa miles a second, wouldn't she have measured it space travelers lying? No. The problem was ble; two that are cited in this article are passing her at 186,000 plus 100,000, or 286,000 that they had come up against the very Bertrand Russell's The ABC of Relativity and miles a second? Likewise, the light flash paradox that Einstein confronted with his The Relativity Explosion by Martin Gardner. coming up from behind her: wouldn't she have special theory of relativity. The rules that -C.C.

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view is the direct opposite of the first two-that Einstein's physics. Einstein's relativistic me Yes, but it does not violate the higher principle "everything is knowable" is incompatible with chanics reduce to Newtonian mechanics, except discovered by Einstein: that of the conservation "nothing is knowable." But strange as it may when speeds approaching that of light are in of mass and energy combined. To knock quarks seem, the two ideas are often combined. Accord volved. Einstein did not erase Newton's knowl out of neutrons or protons (if it is possible at all) ing to this viewpoint, learning the laws of matter edge, but he showed its limitations and extended would take an enormous amount of energy in motion is merely describing the behavior of it. more than the present generation of particle the material world. You can describe and even The mutual interpenetration of the two theories accelerators can produce. That energy would be predict how galaxies or electrons or human is testimony to the underlying unity of the converted to mass in the process of "splitting" a beings will behave in any given situation, they different levels of material reality to which they neutron or proton and would show up in the form would agree, but you cannot know what these apply. The microworld, the macroworld, and the of massive quarks. things are. "What is the essence of a galaxy, cosmos are all one unified whole. In any event, if it requires adding energy to electron, or human?" they ask. And since no produce the quarks, can the quarks really be said amount of information ever finally and com Inexhaustibility of the Electron to be parts of the neutron or proton? The whole pletely answers the question, they conclude: Perhaps the most dramatic confirmation of the concept of one entity "consisting of" other enti "Then you know nothing at all." limitlessness of scientific investigation has come ties falls apart in the microworld. The common Lenin was arguing against the phenomenologi in the field of particle physics. As a holdover sense notions that we derive from experience cal theory of knowledge in Materialism and from Laplacian determinism, the idea of sub with larger objects don't help much. Empirocriticism. It exists in a number of var atomic particles as "the fundamental building The indisputable evidence that protons and neutrons have an inner 8uucture provides an iants and is part of many schools of thought: blocks of matter" persists.* But as the search impressive confirmation of Lenin's insight into skepticism, agnosticism, empiricism, positivism, continues, it becomes clearer and clearer that no modem physics. Compare, for example, the idea pragmatism, and so forth. One of the best-known such building blocks exist. expressed in his aphorism, "The electron is popularizers of this viewpoint-and also a popu First of all, the "elementary" particles are inexhaustible" with this statement made fifty larizer of relativity theory-was Bertrand Rus anything but elementary. (Nor, as we shall see, years later (but still five years before the quark sell. He concludes his ABC of Relativity with a idea was first suggested) by Werner Heisenberg, chapter entitled "Philosophical Consequences," one of the greatest of the quantum theorists: in which he discusses "what we know about the "These elementary particles [neutrons, protons, physical world." He writes: "Between bodies there are occurrences, such as light-waves; of the etc.] are therefore in actual fact the last in the laws of these occurrences we know some. chain of units of matter.... " PHILOSOPHIJE Lenin, the dialectical materialist who had a lot thing... but of their nature we know nothing."18 He called this outlook "agnosticism," from a of other things on his mind besides physics, saw NATURAL IS far more clearly into the future of modem science Greek word meaning "to know nothing."* than did Heisenberg, a giant of theoretical phys Dialectical materialism rejects this notion. The ics.* materialist aspect recognizes the external world PRINCIPIA not as illusion but as reality, about which The Wave-Particle Contradiction humans can gain genuine knowledge of the As modern physics has penetrated deeper and nature of things through their senses, thought MATHEMATICA. deeper into the structure of matter, it has discov and practice. The dialectical approach recognizes ered greater complexity at every level. For every that human knowledge itself is not static but in a question answered, a dozen more are posed.t continual state of development. According to this A.utore 1 S. NEWTON, Tri11. Col/. CtUIIab. s.t_ Mathd'eos The properties of subatomic particles them point of view, as science adva~es, human Profdfore LHctJjitUJD., & Socieraris Reg~lis Sodali. selves are so bizarre, by ordinary standards of knowledge increases. As knowledge grows, it thought, that they are completely beyond the progresses closer and closer to what might be IMPRIMATUR· realm of human imagination. They are not, called "absolute truth." But this "absolute truth" strictly speaking, particles at all: they have the S. P E P Y S, Keg. &c. P R .£ S E S. is like the horizon: the faster you approach it, the properties of continuous waves. Nor are they farther it recedes into the distance. 1•lii S· t686. waves, for they have the properties of discrete As opposed to Laplacian determinism, dialecti particles. cal materialism holds that it is not possible to How can a single entity-a neutron, for know "everything." There will be no end to LONDINI, example-be both continuous and discrete at the same time? If this idea doesn't startle you, you science; no matter how much is learned, more Julfu S>tittaliJ Ktgi~ ac Typis 1t~ftpbi Strtllltr. Proibt apud will remain to be learned. plures Bibliopobs. JIJinl1 MDCLXXXVII. don't understand it. It violates common sense. But while the unknown is limitless, human Try as you may, you cannot picture the wave knowledge likewise has no boundaries. There is particle duality in your mind. Yet it exists. It no line that can be drawn beyond which human The title page of Isaac Newton's 'Principia' represents an inherent contradiction in the struc investigation into the nature of reality cannot ture of matter at a very fundamental level. One pass. of the central principles of dialectical logic, of Put as bluntly as possible: We cannot know are they even "particles.") Every advance in course, is that contradiction is inherent in every everything, but there is nothing that we cannot knowledge about them leads to a greater appreci thing that exists. know.t Paradoxical? Of course. But it expresses ation of their complexity, not of their elementari the dialectical materialist theory of knowledge, ness. As one philosopher-physicist explained, the Matter, Substance, and Reality and is fully confirmed by the development of subatomic particle is an "infinitely complex The ephemeral nature of matter that this modem science, and physics in particular. reflection of the infinitely complex world."2I seems to suggest may bring forth the objection Classical physics, guided by the spirit of Lapla Lenin, arguing against the idea that the electron that this is not a materialist view at all. It is cian determinism, settled down into a centuries was the ultimate level of matter, expressed this necessary to understand that materialism long dogmatic period that retarded the search for' idea with a prophetic sentence that has since doesn't require matter to exist in any a priori or new knowledge. After Einstein broke through the become the watchword of Soviet particle physi~s: single form-and least of all a form based on framework of Newtonian mechanics, science not "The electron is inexhaustible."22 human prejudices and mental limitations. Mate only viewed the world differently, but began to First it was thought that atoms were the rialism merely insists that matter, regardless of view itself in a new light. The overthrow of fundamental building blocks of matter. Then it its form, exists independently of the mind. Newton's "ultimate" picture of reality led to the was discovered that atoms consist of smaller par That matter is multiform and has been found understanding that no such ultimate picture is ticles-neutrons, protons, and electrons. So per to exist in forms that are virtually impossible for attainable; oniy infinite progress toward it. This haps these are the building blocks? No, there is the human mind to picture actually argues new attitude is the key feature that distinguishes evidence that they,- too, have internal structures against idealist notions that give thought prior modern physics from classical physics. and properties that cannot be considered funda ity over the external world. The agnostics focus on what has not yet been mental. This was one of the main themes of Lenin's learned and raise it to an absolute. Einstein It is now generally believed, for instance, that Materialism and Empiriocriticism. When it was proved Newton wrong, did he not? Therefore neutrons and protons and similar particles have first learned that the electron, supposedly one of Newton "knew nothing." And might not some within them other, more exotic particles called the "fundamental building blocks of matter," future theory prove Einstein's wrong? Then quarks.t Are these, then, the building blocks we was not a hard little sphere, but instead had the Einstein "knew nothing." By extension, any have been searching for? properties of an electric field, idealist thinkers present or future theory can be surpassed, so we First of all, it would be false to say that the rejoiced: "Matter has disappeared!" all will forever "know nothing." proton and neutron "consist of" smaller entities Lenin pointed out that the new physics had The fallacy in this line of reasoning is not hard called quarks.The quarks that make up a single to see. Newton knew plenty. And whatever neutron or proton are each larger-more mas remains valid in his laws is incorporated in sive-than a neutron or proton. But how can a *On the inexhaustibility of the electron per se (al part be greater than the whole? Doesn't it violate though Lenin used the word as a metaphor for matter in general), it is interesting to see where particle theory *One of the classical statements of this viewpoint was the principle of the conservation of mass? has led. D.l. B.lokhintsev explains that "the electron is DuBois-Raymond's 1872 treatise On the Limits of the 'made up' of electron-positron pairs. . . . we are used to Knowledge of Nature. Using the Latin equivalent of considering a part less than the whole, but how can a "agnostic," DuBois-Raymond declared, "lgnora *God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, positron-electron pair entering into the composition of hard, impenetrable, moveable Particles.... "-Isaac mus!"-we do not know (the nature of things). Further an electron be less than the electron?!24 Clearly, under more, "lgnorabiinus!"-we will never know. As the Newton, Opticks. standing the electron is no "elementary" task. accidents of language have worked out, many people tA "free" quark has never been detected. There is who would proudly declare themselves "agnostic" tMysteries are proliferating faster than answers. A disagreement over whether they can or cannot exist in would deeply resent being called an "ignoramus."19 longstanding joke among physicists has it that nuclear the free state. Nonetheless, there is a great deal of particles are like onions-you strip off one layer and tLenin expresses this with more precision: " ... the experimental evidence that (1) there are subparticles there's always another one underneath. objective reality of the external world and of the laws "inside" protons and neutrons; and (2) these subparti "'Who knows, there may really be no end to it,' Dr. of external nature... are fully knowable to man but cles have the properties that have been predicted for Leon Lederman, director of Fermilab, remarked can never be known to him with finality." 20 quarks. recently."-New York Times, September 2, 1979.

19 (INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW! PAGE 10)

Left to right: Max Planck (1858-1947). Albert Einstein In patent office in Bern, Switzerland. Isaac Newton (1642-1727).

indeed dealt a blow to the rigid, mechanical During the latter part of the nineteenth cen with four distinct forces rather than two.* The school of materialism. But it was in perfect tury, however, thermodynamics and mechanics material world will never run out of surprises for harmony with the dialectical materialist outlook, were found to have a common basis. Then James those who probe its secrets. as developed with regard to natural science by Clerk Maxwell showed that light was an electro Friedrich Engels and others. magnetic wave, thus uniting optics, electricity, 'Only Equations Remain' Lenin showed that the idealists and mechani and magnetism into one unified theory. The idealist interpretation of the electron took cal materialists had given a shallow definition of Engels, in Dialectics of Nature, wrote that one particular form that Lenin summed up as matter, one which could easily be shown to have "mechanical energy, heat, light, electricity, mag "Matter disappears; only equations remain." been disproved. It was false to identify matter netism, indeed even so-called chemical energy, According to this idea (which was held by Plato with substance, or "hard stuff," or mass. "The become transformed into one another under and before him by the Pythagoreans) the ulti concept matter," he explained, "implies nothing definite conditions. " 27 mate reality is not material at all, but is mathe but objective reality existing independently of But it still remained for Einstein to ove:r;come a matical relationships, or "symmetries." In recent the human mind and reflected by it."~' The fact major contradiction separating classical Newto years this notion has been most articulately that matter takes forms on the subatomic level nian mechanics and Maxwell's electromagnetic argued by quantum theorist Werner Heisenberg: that were not predicted by classical physics theory. Relativity theory accomplished just that. "One may say that the most recent develop makes it no less material. In order to do so, barriers separating even more ment of physics has turned from the philosophy "'Matter disappears,'" Lenin concluded, fundamental categories had to fall. of Democritus back to the philosophy of Plato. In "means that the limit within which we have First was Einstein's combination of space and fact it was Plato's conviction that when we hitherto known matter disappears and that our time. Where two "immutable" categories had divide matter over and over again we finally end knowledge is penetrating deeper." stood for millenia, only one remained. up not at smallest particles but at mathematical The two Aristotelian categories "substance" objects defined by their symmetry, the Platonic The Categories and "action"-in modern terms, "mass" and bodies and the underlying triangles. The parti Beginning with Aristotle, philosophers have "energy"-were likewise amalgamated by Ein cles in present-day physics are mathematical tried to come to grips with reality through the stein into the single unified concept of "mass-. representatives of the fundamental symme device of categories. Aristotle thought all of energy." tries."2" existence could be understood in terms of ten It is not correct to interpret this kind of Lenin revealed the source of this argument (as such categories: substance, quantity, quality, unification as meaning there is "no difference" it applies to modern physics) fifty years earlier. relation, place, time, posture, state, action, and between mass and energy. What it means is that He pointed out that the deeper we probe into the passion. Einstein was able to attribute all properties of microworld, the "stranger" seem the results. Subsequent philosophers devised new systems both mass and energy to a single underlying Finally we reach a point where the language and with differing lists of basic categories. But they reality. By way of analogy, ice and water are mental pictures of our everyday experience are held in common that the categories were fixed certainly different, but both have a common no longer useful. But microphenomena can still and eternal, and the boundaries between catego molecular basis and can be transformed into be described in the language of mathematics, ries could not be crossed. For Kant as well as each other. Likewise, mass is not energy and which becomes progressively more abstract. Un Aristotle, for example, space and time were energy is not mass, but we know that they are able to imagine what the microworld "looks absolute, immutable categories. equivalent-two different aspects of the "same like,"t the theoreticians fall into the lazy mental Hegel's dialectical logic, however, treated cate thing," like the two sides of a coin. habit of imagining that the things they are gories in a different way-not as fixed, rigid Einstein's lifelong passion was a continuous studying are nothing more than the mathemati divisions, but as flexible and connected with pursuit of a single theory that could account for cal formulas that represent them. each other.* Lenin agreed: ". . . if everything all fundamental physical phenomena. As noted But where did mathematics come from in the develops, then doesn't this refer to the most earlier, having joined space with time and mass first place? Is it a pure product of human general concepts and categories of thought as with energy, he sought to further combine space thought? Not at all-beginning with the act of well? If it doesn't, that means thinking is not time with mass-energy. His quest was for a connected with being. If it does, then it means unified field theory that would give a single that there is a dialectic of concepts and a dialec explanation for the two basic forces of nature: *The two newly discovc>red forces have bt>Pn named the tic of knowledge having an objective signifi gravity and electromagnetism.* ''strong force>" and the "wc>ak forct>." Tht> stronJ? force is cance."2" He never succeeded, in spite of several decades that which binds protons and neutrons togc>ther to The history of scientific progress illustrates of effort. In the meantime, the other side of the form atomic nuclei. It also holds quarks together to form the protons and neutrons. The> weak force is that this principle well. There were five basic catego dialectical nature of categories asserted itself; that is, the creation of new categories. Research which brings about all particJP transformations known ries of investigation, for example, in classical in modern physics: for example, th(• decay of a free into subatomic particles revealed two new basic physics: mechanics, electricity, magnetism, op nc>utron into a proton, an electron, and an antinPutrino. tics, and thermodynamics. forces of nature deep inside the atomic nucleus. Theorists also now suspect the existence of a fifth foreP. So physicists who are continuing Einstein's quest for a unified field theory must now contend tit doesn't havp an ''appearanep" at all in the optical sense, since the scale of distances involved is far *Hegel, for example, incorporated two of Aristotle's smaller than the wavelength of visiblP light and categories into one of the basic elements of his logic: *Space-time and mass-energy would then presumably then-fun• provides no basis for the ref1(•ction of light the law of tra1,1sformation of quantity into quality. be shown to be aspects of the unified field. waves.

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counting, the basis of all mathematics is ab much sense to say that an electron has a trajec atom's nucleus decays. The mechanism will then stracted from the material world, however far it tory. break the vial and kill the cat. develops on its own account. "But how does it get from here to there if it Now, suppose the atom is of a kind that has a Geometry provides a good example. The princi doesn't have a trajectory?" common sense de half-life of one hour. That means that the odds ples of geometry formulated by Euclid more than mands. If, however, you have already accepted are 50-50 that it will have decayed by the end of two thousand years ago were abstracted from the that the electron is not a tiny little cannonball, the first hour. The question is: At the end of that shapes and dimensions of familiar things in the but possesses the qualities of "wave-particle hour is the cat dead or alive? human environment.* The word "geometry" duality," then it should not be surprising to learn The cat, of course, must be either dead or alive. itself meant "earth measurement." But over time that it doesn't travel like a cannonball. A wave But the Copenhagen school would disagree. If the Euclidean system seemed to take on an particle duality simply does not have a position you don't look to see, they would argue, then the independent reality of its own. Its material base and momentum in the same well-defined sense cat is neither dead nor alive, but is in an was forgotten. It was assumed to be valid that a cannonball does. indeterminate state of 50 percent probability of throughout the reaches of outer space, although This is not to say that the motion of electrons being dead. If you peek in and see a dead cat, the nobody had ever been able to check measure does not follow any rules. It does, and the rules probability that the cat is dead suddenly jumps ments between galaxies. The universal truth of can be stated mathematically. But unlike the from 50 percent to 100 percent. The eat's status Euclidean geometry was taken to be self motion of classical physics, the equations are not was made determinate) not by the cyanide, but evident-a priori. the kind that produce a single, unique solution. by the experimenter's act of looking to see. Einstein brought it back to earth. Relativity The mathematical laws of electron motion are The idea that a real eat's life could be "indeter theory revealed that other, non-Euclidean geome statistical. That is to say, the future motion of a minate" just because human intelligence is un tries would be necessary in order to "measure large number of electrons can be predicted with able to determine whether it is alive or dead is, space." great accuracy, but the motion of an individual from a materialist viewpoint, arrant nonsense. No clearer demonstration could be given that electron includes an element of probability and Again, there has been a false attempt to extend matter has priority over mathematics. The micro can only be predicted to fall within certain limits. the laws of one level of physical nature (the world, "bizarre" though it may appear to us, is This discovery was something truly new to microworld) to another (the macroworld). This material. That its moti_on can be described in science.* error is so commonplace that it has its own mathematical formulas is proof of its lawfulness, name: reductionism. its regularity, and its essential unity with the Limits of Indeterminacy But it is important not to make the same material world as a whole. Idealist philosophers (and Heisenberg was one reductionist error in the opposite direction. of them) had a field day. They interpreted inde "Schrodinger's cat" reveals a false view of cau Einstein and Quantum Theory terminacy as meaning that an electron does not sality in the macroworld, but that should not be As previously mentioned, Einstein was one of exist until it is actually detected by a measuring allowed to prejudice our view of the microworld. the key contributors to the development of quan device. Just like the sound of the old "tree falling There the basic question still remains: Is sub tum theory in 1905. The initial step had been in the forest," unless its presence makes itself atomic motion really indeterminate in principle? taken in 1900 by Max Planck, who first proposed known to human subjects, it cannot be said to Are statistical laws the best we can ever hope to that electromagnetic energy, which was known exist. achieve in answering questions such as when a to be transmitted as continuous waves, could Furthermore, they announced the end of cau particular U-238 nucleus will decay, or where a only be emitted or absorbed in certain specific sality. If the motion of the "fundamental build particular electron is going? amounts, which he called "quanta." He still ing blocks of matter" is indeterminate, then the Einstein said no. He recognized and accepted believed that energy could exist in an infinite, motion of all matter must be more or less random the great scientific value of quantum theory, continuous range of amounts. Einstein's contri and unpredictable. ("You think you can predict including indeterminacy. But he refused to ac bution was to show that the latter assumption an economic depression? Why, you can't even cept it as final. He believed physical reality to be wasn't true-that electromagnetic "waves" predict where an electron will be two seconds such that a subatomic particle must have a (light, for example) actually came in little quan from now!") precise position and a precise momentum at the tum packages (photons) and could exist no other Trying to extend indeterminacy upward into same time. If quantum theory could not account way. This was a mind-boggling conception-the the macroworld, of course, is as false as the for it, he thought, it must be an incomplete birth of the "wave-particle duality" that has previous error of trying to extend Newtonian theory. He defended this position in a decades since been found to characterize all microentities. mechanics downward into the microworld. The long debate with another quantum theory pio But quantum theory still had (and still has effect of quantum indeterminacy on cannonballs neer, Niels Bohr. today) a long path of development ahead, bring is completely negligible. ing even greater surprises. Perhaps the most The idealist interpretation of quantum theory The Nature of Motion unexpected of all was the discovery of the inde was defended by a group of prominent physicists As the evidence mounted, general opmwn te-rminacy principle by Werner Heisenberg, who centered in Copenhagen. A graphic example of among physicists sided with Bohr. The statisti cal nature of motion in the microworld seemed to be real in and of itself, and not just a function of our lack of knowledge about it. Einstein came to be regarded amotg physicists as somewhat behind the times for clinging to his old-fashioned idea of determinism. This question is still moot at the frontiers of human knowledge, and it would he presumptu ous, to put it mildly, for non-physicists to pre 'Modern physics is in judge the answer. But it is certainly legitimate to travail; it is giving birth consider the opinions of specialists in the field. P.A.M. Dirac, the quantum theorist who disco to dialectical material vered antimatter, said in 1975: "I think it might turn out that ultimately ism.' Einstein will prove to he right, because the present form of quantum mechanics should not -V.I. Lenin he considered as the final form .... I think that it is quite likely that at some future time we may get an improved quantum mechanics in vhich there will be a return to determinism and which will, therefore, justify Einstein's point of view. But," he predicted, "such a return to determinism could only be made at the expense of giving up some other basic idea which we now assume we have met twice before in this article. the Copenhagen school's outlook has become without question."'w The indeterminacy principle states that you known as "Schrodinger's cat." On the other hand, it should be noted that can determine either the position (location) of a Erwin Schrodinger noted that one conser..Juence many Soviet physicists, including conscious, microparticle or you can determine its momen of indeterminacy is that it is impossible to sophisticated dialectical materialists,* do not tum (state of motion), but you cannot determine predict the exact instant at which a radioactive consider indeterminacy to be inconsistent with both at the same time. In classical physics, you nucleus will decay. The statistical average for. materialism. can predict the future trajectory of a cannonball any specific kind of atom (say, uranium 238) is Indeterminacy clearly rules out Laplacian de if you know its position and momentum at any well known, but it is unknown whether any terminism. But dialectical materialists had re given instant. But the indeterminacy principle individual U-238 nucleus will decay within the jected that long before most physicists had. The sho.ws that you cannot predict the trajectory of, next second or ten million years from now. key question is: Why must causation be limited to say, an electron. In fact, it doesn't even make So Schrodinger made this proposal: Suppose the direct; dynamical cause-effect form we are we put a cat in a closed room with a vial of familiar with? Why can't causation also take a cyanide. Then we put a radioactive atom in a statistical, probabilistic form, as it does in the *"The historical origin of geomPtry, which goes back to detector that will trigger a mechanism when the microworld? the Egyptians, supplies one of the many instances in As one author has pointed out:" ... in discuss which intellPctual discoveries have grown from mate ing causation, the matter of predictability is the rial needs. The annual floods of the Nile which fertil *The formulation of scientific laws in terms of probabil central issue." The quantum theory "allows us to ized the soil of Egypt brought trouble to landowners: ity and statistics was not new. The kinetic theory of make definitive predictions not about individual the borderlines of their estates were destroyed every gases, for example, described statistical regularities of year and had to be reestablished by means of geometri a gas that are virtually independent of the irregular cal measurements. The gpographical and social condi motions of its individual molecules. What was new was tions of their country, therefore, compelled the Egyp that the probability of electron motion was considered *Contrary to popular opinion, dialPctical materialism tians to invent the art of survl•ying. Geometry thus to be an inherent property of individual electrons and in the Soviet Union has not been snuffed out by arose as an empirical science, whose laws were the not an "averaging out" of the motions of large numbers Stalinist hacks. It is alive and well, especially in the results of observations.""" of electrons. physical sciences. 11

21 (INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW/PAGE 12)

J -J, ~ "f ] .t•! r:,. r;, --z. r: -· 2 ~;;: u, ~ ~ tl ~ ., r""~ 1(i ~ -?(- !;~ - 2 r.", .,. - 2 """ .. ; .: - /.i I ------I -1 !;~ ::,. 2 U,.~ zt, ~ 'r;r .,. lf -u.,~ + J. " /> lA,. ~ --- 11.~ .. ~ .... 4 fr i k/fk)ct 1 .. t ~).~.:~ 1 i 'll{i)J/] !.~ I - !J

particles but about very large assemblages of approaches a definitive answer to this question particles."L' These "definitive predictions" are through further observation and experiment, we evidence of causal relationships. can be sure that Albert Einstein would have Although Einstein was motivated by his strict accepted the verdict of material reality and determinist conception of the materialist outlook would not have dogmatically clung to any meta to resist the indeterminacy principle, the evi physical principle. That would be consistent with dence as it presently stands raises the distinct In winter. In background is last page of the approach he took that revolutionized our possibility that he was mistaken. But as science calculations made by Einstein. knowledge of the physical world.

1. Quoted in The Relatiuity Explosion by Martin ' Quoted in The Relativity Explosion (see note 1 above), Science: Men, Methods, Goals, edited by Boruch Brody Gardner, Vintage Books, HJ76, p. :1. p. X. and Nicholas Capaldi. W.A. Benjamin, Inc., 1968, p. 55. 11. Gardner, The Relativity Explosion, p. xi. 2. Albert Einstein, James Clerk Maxwell: A Commemo 24. D.I. Blokhintsev, in the collection Philosophical ration. Quoted in Philosophical Concepts in Natural 12. Bertrand Russell, The ABC of Relativity, Signet, Problems of Elementary-Particle Physics, Progress Science, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1977, p. HJ;)8, p. 138. Publishers, Moscow, 1968, pp. 66-67. 13:h 1:3. Friedrich Engels, Anti-Dilhring, International Pub 25. Lenin, op. cit .. p. 268. 3. Gardner, The Relativity E»/'}losion, p. xi. lishers, 1976, p. 68. 26. Lenin, Filosofskie tetradi, Moscow, 1965, p. 229. 4. Albert Einstein, "Science and Religion," in Out of 14. Loc. cit. Quoted in Science and Philosophy in the Soviet Union My Later Years, by Einstein, Citadel Press, 1977, pp. (see note 31 below), p. 61. 21-:30. 1:1. Alan D. Krisch, "The Spin of the Proton." Scientific American, May 1979. 27. Friedrich Engels, Dialectics of Nature, Interna 5. Lenin, Materialism and Empirio-Criticism, Interna tional Publishers, 1976, p. 11. tional Publishers, 1972, p. 355. 16. B. Russell, op. cit., p. 12. 28. Werner Heisenberg, "Development of Concepts in 6. Lenin, op. cit., pp. 323-4. 17. Quoted in The Elements and Structure of the 20th Century Physics." Quoted in Philosophical Con Physical Sciences by J.A. Ripley, Jr., John Wiley and cepts in Natural Science (See note 2 above), p. 15. 7. Albert Einstein and Leopold Infeld, The Foundation Sons, 1965, p. 3H2. of Physics, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1938, p. 27. 29. H. Reichenbach, "ThP Nature of Geometry," in Cited in The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of -lH. B. Russell, op. cit., p. 142. Science: Men, Methods, Goals (See note 23 above), pp. the New Physics by Gary Zukav, William Morrow and 325-26. Co., 1979, p. 27. 19. Cited by B.G. Kuznetsov, Philosophy of Optimism, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1977, p. 12. 30. P.A.M. Dirac, Directions in Physics, John Wiley and Sons, 1978, p. 10. 8. Erwin Schriidinger, Science and Humanism, Cam 20. Lenin, op. cit., p. 191-92. bridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 1951, 31. The reader is referred to Science and Philosophy in pp. 7-8. Cited by Zukav (see note 7 above), p. 27. 21. B.G. Kuznetsov, op. cit., p. 1:3. the Soviet Union by Loren Graham.

9. Banesh Hoffman, Albert Einstein: Creator and 22. Lenin, op. cit., p. 269. 32. J.A. Ripley, Jr., The Elements and Structure of the Rehel, Plume Books, 1972, p. 200. Physical Sciences, John Wiley and Sons, 1965, p. 390. 23. Werner Heisenberg, "Planck's Quantum Theory 10. James Jeans, The Growth of Physical Science. and the Philosophical Problems of Atomic Physics," in

imperialist action is the product neither of wants to help build a revolutionary socialist ignorance nor of mass hypnosis, as the U.S. party in Iran or anywhere else. Such a party media would have us believe. will never be built by hanging back from or ... Iran It is simply a case-one among many denouncing the battles of the oppressed Continued from page ISR/2 around the world-of working people seeking because their leadership falls short of Marxist of the masses to bring down the shah. to advance their class interests under what standards. Khomeini added to his support when his ever leadership is available. The road to building a working-class lead aides voiced support for the workers commit It should not surprise the Guardian editors, ership in I ran around a program capable of tees which were being formed. These were therefore, that Khomeini has succeeded to a further advancing the revolution is the one under attack from Bazargan as bad for busi degree in "neutralizing" those "independent being followed today by I ran's Socialist ness. left forces" that made the mistake of looking Workers Party (Hezb-e Kargaran-e Sosialist And Khomeini threw his weight behind the to the Bazargans as defenders of democratic HKS). The HKS wholeheartedly supports and mass anti-imperialist movement once again rights, and contemptuously dismissed the participates in the defense of the Iranian when the embassy was occupied. popular explosion around the embassy occu revolution against imperialism. That's the Seen in this light, the readiness of many pation as a "diversion." road for people who want to build such a working people to follow Khomeini in anti- There is a lesson in this for anyone who leadership in the United States too.

22 Carter , Thai arm~ step~~ threats Kampuchea gains ground against famine By Fred Feldman Despite intense pressure from impe rialist-backed forces along the Thai border, and despite the denial of aid by the U.S. and its allies, Kampuchea (Cambodia) is beginning to make some headway in its battle against famine. Pnompenh now has markets where locally produced rice and vegetables can be obtained, according to Dr. Kirk G. Alliman, an official in the Church World Services office of the U.S. N a tiona! Council of Churches. Alliman saw rice being widely cultivated in the countryside. "The/people are far from adequately nourished, but there is a more plentiful supply of food than in the past," he said in the November 28 New York Times. The growth of agricultural produc tion reflects the ability of the Heng Samrin government to protect the countryside from raids by Pol Pot forces and other rightist groups. The scorched-earth policy adopted by re treating Pol Pot forces was a major cause of the famine. The rebirth of Pnompenh symbolizes Kampuchea's tortured recovery from a decade of imperialist bombing, civil war, and tyranny. About 70,000 people now live in the core of the city, with many more camped on the outskirts. For nearly a decade U.S. bombers rained death on Indochina. Now U.S. military personnel In Thailand are again prepar_ "Public services are beginning," wrote Henry Kamm in the November ing Thai air bases for B-52 bombers. 14 New York· Times, "there is electric ity most of the time and water two well. According to the November 27 Times, Kamm noted that most refugees The Thai regime is now threatening hours each morning and evening. Fac Daily World, the U.S. Communist in these camps "expressed a longing to to dismantle the camps of "Prince tories are preparing for resumption of Party daily, the USSR has provided go to a place where their food supply Norodom Soryavong," the rightist work, although it is acknowledged that 159,000 tons of food to Kampuchea, would be sure and medical attention Khmer Serei, and pro-Sihanouk right no raw material is available for them." barely more than famine-threatened relatively easy to obtain. . . . ists, and move the refugees to new Hunger remains the overriding dan Vietnam. "Armed men are in sufficient evi camps further from the border and ger, Dr. Nouth Savoeun, who describes dence to intimidate the refugees, who under Thai control. This reflects their himself as Kampuchea's only surviv Imperialist obstructions are undernourished, often ill and vis judgment that these forces are incapa ing pediatrician, told Kamm. He said Kampuchea needs much more help ibly terrorized." ble of effective resistance to a sus "that the state of health of the Cambo than this to establish a viable society. The situation is no better for the tens tained attack by Pnompenh forces. dian people was 'precarious.' His hos But the response of the imperialist of thousands of civilian captives in pital,· the largest in the country, has powers has been to continue to ob camps controlled by Pol Pot. Yam ada, Collaboration with Pol Pot about 600 patients and only 577 struct aid. a correspondent for the Tokyo daily beds .... The maladies of malnutri By contrast, collaboration between Yomiuri Shimbun, reported in the Nq the Thai regime and the Pol Pot forces tion are the principal illnesses, the "Humanitarian .aid" is being used as vember 17 issue on a "supply/trans has become closer. In an Associated doctor said." a cover for stepping up assistance to shipment base of the Pol Pot forces in Press dispatch from Marker 53, Thai Kamm described "constant hunger Pol Pot and his rightist allies. (The Kampuchean territory" near the Thai land, Seth Mydans reported: for civilians," and near starvation for U.S. alone has 400,000 tons of surplus border. thousands of unemployed peasants rice in storage-more than enough to Officially neutral Thailand is allowing camped in and around the city. And wipe out the danger of starvation in The first thing I observed was on the anti-Vietnamese Cambodian troops to run a Dr. Nouth Savoeun estimated that the Kampuchea overnight.) Thai side of the border: a newly built rice supply base on its territory and Thai troops food situation was much worse in parts The Carter administration is keeping storage shed with a galvanized steel roof. It are coordinating with them in activities of the countryside. up a drumfire of propaganda against was piled high with sacks of rice marked along the Thai-Cambodian border. Pnompenh. Carter charged December 6 "World Food Project." There appeared to be An Associated Press reporter and photo that "the flow of aid is deliberately more than seventy tons in all. But the grapher were taken last week on a 15-man Aid from Vietnam people guarding the shed looked like Pol Pot Thai marine border patroL ... Given the grave difficulties of life blocked and obstructed by the Vietna soldiers. . . . • The Pol Pot soldiers served as guides for today in Kampuchea, the unanimity mese and Heng Samrin authorities." For a Pol Pot contingent of at most about the Thai patrol, communicating with the with which its citizens express a Carter demanded the "opening of all 1,000 soldiers, the 70 tons of rice in the Thai captain by whistling when they preference for the present regime over routes for supplies to enter Cambodia." storage shed would constitute at least a plunged ahead into the jungle. that of Pol Pot is striking. The same five-month supply of food. This was a repetition of Carter's insist The supply camp was guarded by preference is reflected even by the ence that Kampuchea open its western There has already been criticism that much of the international relief supplies armed Pol Pot soldiers, and armed Pol thousands forced to seek refuge in border to a truck convoy from Thai Thailand by war and famine. sent here are going to soldiers rather than Pot forces were in a Thai marine camp land-a transparent cover for stepped to the masses of civilians. Such criticisms a few hundred yards away, reported "We need the Vietnamese because we up Thai-U.S. military support and aid are corroborated by what I witnessed. Mydans. have nothing else with which to coun to Pol Pot's forces. ter Pol Pot," a French educated intel Carter struck an ominous note, sug Aid diverted lectual told Kamm in Pnompenh. "We gesting that rejection of this demand Frederic A. Moritz reported in the U.S. troops have no army. Without them ...." He by Pnompenh would "feed the flames November 28 Christian Science Moni As the Thai army steps up military completed the sentence with a gesture of war." tor that medical aid supposedly in actions with Pol Pot's troops, U.S. of cutting his throat. Much-publicized visits by Rosalynn tended for refugees is similarly di military advisers are pouring into Massive aid from Vietnam has been Carter, Joan Baez, and others to refu verted: Thailand. a major factor in making possible gee camps near the Thai border have "A medical team comes to the Thai Writing from Bangkok in the De Kampuchea's bare survival. Although aimed at centering public attention border to treat what it thinks will be cember 2 Manchester Guardian, Robert Vietnam is itself afflicted with food and international aid on "saving the sick Khmer children. Instead it ends Whymant reported that "Analysts in shortages, massive malnutrition, and refugees"-in reality saving the badly up as a field dressing station for one Asian embassy here talk of Ameri scarcity of almost all goods, the gov battered military units opposed to Khmer Rouge soldiers with bullet cans arriving steadily ever since Viet ernment has provided 120,000 tons of Heng Samrin, which control many wounds. The healed go back to fight." namese forces invaded Cambodi food, 10,000 tons of seeds, and quanti camps. The United Nations and the Interna a. . . . These sources say the influx ties of medicine and agricultural imple The aid program is also intended to tional Red Cross are directly complicit includes U.S. Army, Air Force, and ments to Kampuchea. draw hungry Kampucheans into the in this aid to imperialist-backed forces, Navy personnel (in civilian attire) and Vietnamese provinces have adopted border area, where they are virtually and the denial of aid to thousands of a large contingent of CIA specialists." sister provinces in Kampuchea, donat held prisoner, terrorized, and starved refugees-not to mention the great He described the appearance of ing rice, pots, and paper and pencils to by rightist gangs. bulk of Kampucheans living under the about 100 Americans at the U Tapao help reestablish education. Heng Samrin government. and Sattahip bases in southern Thai Laos, only beginning to emerge from Rightist-controlled camps This is the primary purpose of their land. "These adjacent bases have re a brutal civil war with CIA-organized Two such camps are run by In Sak continued recognition of the Pol Pot ceived U.S. Air Force logistics and rightist armies in the northwest, has han and ''Prince Norodom Sorya regime and refusal to recognize Heng support personnel preparing ground sent $2 million in aid to Kampuchea, vong''-who is given to making the Samrin-a refusal that goes to the systems in readiness for a squadron of including .500 tons of rice. Nazi salute and issuing open calls for point of excluding representatives of B-52s." The pressure of world public opinion CIA assistance. Aid funnelled to these the Pnompenh regime from interna B-.52 bombers laid waste much of demanding help for Kampuchea has camps goes to keep their armed units tional gatherings on the food crisis in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during had an impact on the Soviet rulers as in trim. In the November 27 New York Kampuchea. the last Indochina war.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 23 Nicaragua: a revolution of the young By Jan ice Lynn try attended the November conference To anyone who has seen newspaper of the National Network in Solidarity photos or television films of Nicaragua with Nicaragua and have been partici this year, one thing stands out. This is pating in local committees. a revolution of the young. The Ann Arbor, Michigan, Commit Nicaraguan teenagers were among tee for Human Rights in Latin Amer the most heroic fighters in the over ica is one of those that has embarked throw of the Somoza dictatorship last on an ambitious campaign to send July. Even nine- and ten-year-olds took money, food, and medicine to Nicara up arms to win their country's free gua. Film showings, forums, and liter dom. ature tables on campus have raised Thousands of them were killed by several hundred dollars. An additional Somoza's National Guard and by the $230 was raised at a benefit concert indiscriminate bombing the dictator and poetry reading. used to devastate the country when he Such funds are sent to Humanitar saw his rule crumbling. ian Aid for Nicaraguan Democracy And today, the young fighters of the (HAND), which forwards all contribu Sandinista National Liberation Front tions to Nicaragua. (FSLN) are the heart of the revolution Solidarity with Nicaragua will be a ary government that is seeking to major focus of the upcoming YSA build a new Nicaragua. national convention, to be held in The courage of the Nicaraguan Louisville, Kentucky, December 29- youth is an inspiration to young people January 1. around the world. But even more in Militant/Gary Bridges There will be a major report on spiring is the example Nicaragua is Proud to be Sandlnistas. Nicaraguan youth, who took up arms to win their country's Nicaragua the first day, with discus setting of the future that can be opened freedom, are now Involved In campaigns for literacy and reconstruction. sion and workshops. In addition, a up for youth in a society that puts new slide show with commentary by human needs first, not capitalist prof Sedwick visited Nicaragua in Sep "If we can force Carter to send aid," recent visitors to Nicaragua, including its. tember to see first-hand the advances Sedwick explains, it will be that much Socialist Workers Party leader Pedro In the United States-the richest made by the revolutionary youth. more difficult for him to turn around Camejo, will be a special feature of the country in the world-young people Since then, she has criss-crossed the the next morning and send in the convention. face grim prospects. Education is country speaking out on the need for marines. And you know who would be Young socialists will also be discuss slashed in both quality and quantity massive aid to Nicaragua and showing the first to go-young people, espe ing how best to build a movement while the government squanders bil slides of Nicaragua's efforts to rebuild. cially Black, Chicano, and Puerto Ri against U.S. military intervention in lions of dollars on the military. There "For youth in the United States," can youth. Iran and in defense of Iranian stu is no hope of steady employment for Sedwick says, "there is no more impor "But our interests lie with the youth dents against racist harassment and millions of youth, especially Blacks tant task at this time than organizing of Nicaragua, with their struggle for deportation. and Latinos. And the threat of being the broadest possible campaign for social and economic justice and free If you are interested in participating drafted to fight and die for the oil emergency material aid to the Nicara dom from U.S. domination." in the YSA convention, just clip the companies' interests in the Middle guan people." YSA members from around the coun- coupon below. East is closer than ever. In Nicaragua-a small, poor country devastated by war-education and other social needs are put in first place. Nicaraguan youth are mobilizing to teach and to learn in the country's Socialist youth pledge Nicaragua aid ambitious literacy campaign. An appeal to all youth groups nized in political solidarity with the interests of the workers and The Sandinista Defense Committees around the world was issued in the Fourth International around peasants. in the neighborhoods and Sandinista November by the following so the world hail the tremendous vic We pledge to work within the led unions in the workplaces are organ cialist youth organizations: tory of the Nicaraguan people led labor, student, and women's move izing working people to run society in Young Socialist Alliance by the Sandinista National Libera ments to obtain political and mate their own interests. United States; Socialistische tion Front (FSLN) over the bloody rial aid for Nicaragua, and we call Unemployment remains high be Jonge Wacht-Belgium; Young Somoza dictatorship. on all the organizations who speak cause of Somoza's vindictive destruc Socialist Group-Hong Kong; The victory of the Nicaraguan on behalf of the workers, the youth, tion of industry and because the U.S. Socialist Youth Alliance people and the youth is our victory, and the peasants to build a united government refuses to make available Australia; Communist Youth too. front to defend the Nicaraguan the aid that is needed. But as Nicara League-Japan; Young So In the Sandinista Defense Com revolution in every country. gua struggles to reconstruct, its Bill of cialists-New Zealand; Jeu- · mittees, in the workers' unions and The youth of Nicaragua are Rights has put the right of everyone to nesses Communistes Revolu peasant associations, in the mas showing the way to liberate the a job as a top priority. tionnaires-France; and sive literacy and health cam· oppressed from the heel of tyranny Members of the Young Socialist Al Juventud Comunista Revolu paigns, in the popular militias and and social injustice. In return, liance throughout this country have cionaria-Spain. the new revolutionary army, it is youth everywhere who want to dedicated themselves to getting out the Below are excerpts. the young generation who are fight for the future of humanity truth and building support for the shouldering the greatest responsi must come to the aid and defense of Nicaraguan revolution. The revolutionary youth orga- bility for rebuilding Nicaragua in this revolution. YSA National Chairperson Cathy

19th National Convention of the Young Socialist Alliance Come to Louisville December 29-January 1 Hands Off Iran! Galt House S•turd•y, December· 29 8:00 a.m. Registration Socialist Workers Campaign Rally 12:30 p.m. Welcoming Session Hear: 1:00 p.m. Defense of Nicaraguan Reller lotion Report Andrew Pulley, SWP candidate for president 5:00 p.m. Greetings from Iran Matllde Zimmermann, SWP candidate for vice-president 7:30 p.m. ExpanslQil of the Socialist Hector Marroqufn, YSA leader fighting for political asylum Movement (slides from lran and Nlcaragu~) Sunday, December 30 9:30p.m- Olsco/Movie 8:30p.m. Sunday, December 30 Galt House, Archibald Room 9:00 a.m. Trade Union Workshops (Fourth St. at River) 11:00 a.m. Radicalization of the Ameri· Louisville, Kentucky can Working Class and Tasks of the YSA Report 8:30 p.m. Socialist Campaign Ral.ly Name D I want to join the YSA 10:30 p.m. Disco/Movie Address D Send me more information City ------on the YSA convention Monday, December 31 State ___ Zip D I want to subscribe to 9:00 a.m. YSA Support for 1980 SWP Phone ______the 'Young Socialist' Election Campaign Report ( $2 for one year) 5:00 p.m. Workshops 9:30 p.m. New Year's Eve Party Clip and mail to YSA National Office, P.O. Box 471 Cooper Station, New York, N.Y. 10003.

24 Clash looming ahead Nicaraguan capitalists attack FSLN policies By Pedro Camejo MANAGUA-As 1979 draws to a close, the Nicaraguan revolution faces a period of important decisions for the coming year. The entire cabinet has resigned to free the hand of the five-member gov ernment junta led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) to make new appointments "according to the conveniences and necessities of the Sandinista revolutionary process." A major debate in government cir cles over an economic plan for 1980 has begun breaking into the public. Much of that discussion is centering on economic prospects for the first five months of 1980. Orlando Nunez, a member of the Coordinating Commis sion of National Planning, explained in the December 7 issue of the Sandi nista daily Barricada that January to May is the dry season, when it is impossible to plant crops. Normally there is a sharp increase in unemploy ment during this period. By January the coffee crop will be entirely picked, and agricultural workers would traditionally turn to picking cotton. But this year there will be virtually no cotton crop-because planting time came during the civil war, very little cotton was sown. As a result the already extremely high level of unemployment is ex pected to climb.

Public works Militant/Fred Murphy Public works programs are now Workers of FSLN trade onion federation march In enormous nationwide rally on November 7. Nicaraguan capitalists fear under way to alleviate some of this growing organization of Sandlnista-led masses. unemployment. One of the most vis ible, involving hundreds of workers, is in the center of Managua, where the that before they can really be confident tives of bourgeois institutions and women and youth. 1972 earthquake totally leveled a large in the future, there must be a basic parties. It could have overruled junta In postponing the Council of State, area. change in policy and governmental decisions by a two-thirds vote and the FSLN has also stated that it will A huge recreation area is now being structure. issued decrees over the head of the be "restructured" to properly represent built there for the children of Mana Essentially, the capitalists want to junta by the same margin, and it was the majority-the workers and pea gua. Rebuilding the center of Managua function as full partners in the govern supposed to draw up what the capital sants. The Sandinistas have called for and the creation of new jobs is having ment. They demand a long-range com ists hoped would be a bourgeois it to be based on the mass organiza a quite profound and positive impact mitment to protect private property democratic constitution. -tions. In this, the FSLN has the over on popular morale here. and profits. The Supreme Court, whose function whelming support of the masses. The 1980 economic plan must be an They want to break the hold of the would have been to enforce this consti emergency plan to help the Nicara FSLN over governmental decision tution, was to have served as another Council of State guan people make it through a very making power and reverse the growing check on any "unconstitutional" mea This is exactly the point that the difficult period for the revolution. Nica political role of the neighborhood com sures undertaken by the FSLN, the COSEP document attacks. While they ragua is still suffering under the des mittees, unions, and other mass organ junta, or the Nicaraguan masses. concede that it is all right to allow truction left by Somoza's bombing of izations that arose during the fight If implemented, the July 9 plan representation to "those sectors that factories and other workplaces. against Somoza. would have put in place a government were traditionally without voice and These demands by the capitalist heavily influenced by a small influence," they consider it "wrong to Capitalists stall on production class were made explicit in a formal minority-the Nicaraguan bourgeoisie. excessively concentrate the power in The Sandinista-led Government of document presented to the Nicaraguan The FSLN agreed to this arrangement, one political group or party." National Reconstruction has offered government November 14 and made believing that the relationship of class By this they mean that it is wrong to concessions to sectors of the bourgeoi public by the Managua bourgeois daily forces after Somoza's departure would place power in the hands of the sie, seeking their aid in reviving La Prensa December 8. dictate such a course. workers and peasants organizations, needed production. It is presented in the name of the But the massive intervention of the which they correctly associate with the However, since the new government Superior Council of Private Enterprise Nicaraguan workers and peasants in FSLN. The document calls this "State is based on the Nicaraguan workers (COSEP), which includes the Nicara the June and July 1979 battles that Party" confusion. and peasants, and has already insti guan Development Institute, the Con toppled the dictatorship, culminating "The private sector feels it is absent tuted sweeping measures in their inter federation of Chambers of Commerce in the tumultuous July 19 urban insur from the decisions of the government," ests, the bourgeoisie is dragging its of Nicaragua, the Association of Agri rection in Managua, radically altered COSEP continues. "That situation is feet. Reactivating production inevita cultural Producers, Chamber of Indus the class relationship of forces. And prejudicial for everyone.... " bly requires new investment, and the try of Nicaragua, and the Confedera the insurgent toilers got a chance to In contrast to this opinion of the capitalists are not eager to lay out tion of Professional Associations of contrast the courage and tenacity of bourgeoisie, the main governmental large sums unless they are confident of Nicaragua. the FSLN to the vacillation and hesita slogan popular among the Nicaraguan a profit. Although much of the document is tions of the bourgeois opposition, and masses is "Workers and Peasants to As Nunez expresses it, " ... a great written in somewhat coded language, draw the appropriate conclusions. Power." There has been no ground part of Nicaragua's businessmen have it is the most important and clearest swell of support for bourgeois represen left the country, and those who stayed presentation of the position of the Mandate of masses tation; this demand is voiced only by a still vacillate before reactivating their Nicaraguan bourgeoisie to date. As a result, the FSLN became the small circle of capitalist politicians activities. All this results in less pro The document begins by complain decisive political force after July 19. It and institutions. duction." ing about the two decision-making took the mandate of the masses to In a section titled "Judicial V a Although an important part of the organs of the present revolutionary begin constructing a government in cuum," the COSEP document com economy-both in agriculture and power in Nicaragua-the five-person the interests of the major:ity, not the plains that the Supreme Court has not industry-has been nationalized, it is junta, three of whom are Sandinistas, moneyed minority. been functional. It also expresses con impossible to initiate production and the FSLN's nine-member National The convocation of the Council of cern over possible "excesses" in the simply by decree. A forced march of Directorate. Its message is that the State has now been postponed by the upcoming trials of some 7,000 Somoza total nationalization at this point FSLN has not lived up to the agree junta until May 1980, and the Supreme ist criminals-even though the defend would result in a further drop of pro ment codified in the July 9, 1979, Court's jurisdiction has been limited to ants have been guaranteed full legal duction. Program of Government, issued prior routine matters such as divorce cases. rights, including the right to appeal. While recognizing the resulting need to the fall of Somoza. It says that the While according to the July 9 pro COSEP also complains that the to grant concessions to sectors of the FSLN and junta have "unilaterally gram the new army was to have in rights of private property have not capitalist class, the FSLN-led govern altered" the original accord. cluded sections of the ousted National been accorded the treatment assured in ment has made clear that the national Guard, it is in fact based entirely on the July 9 document. economic plan must focus on the needs The July 9 program those who fought to overthrow Som of the majority, and that control of the The July 9 plan was to have estab oza. Anti-'Sandinista' broad direction of the economy must lished three governmental bodies: the Neighborhood committees, called the COSEP's document reflects an acute remain with the government. junta of five members, a thirty-three Sandinista Defense Committees (CDS), class instinct when it objects to calling member Council of State, and a Su gained in strength and confidence, institutions of the state and govern Capitalist demands preme Court. along with other mass organizations ment, especially the army and police, The capitalists are not satisfied with The Council of State was to have the Sandinista trade unions, peasant ''Sandinista." the current arrangement. They insist been largely composed of representa- organizations, and organizations of Continued on next page

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 25 FSLN insists on workers & -~--nts rights By Fred Murphy There are organizations without any fol The Sandinista-led mass organiza lowing among the masses, which express tions and trade unions in Nicaragua interests foreign to the masses and which have backed up the revolutionary gov even allow themselves the luxury of putting ernment's October 22 decision to "re obstacles in the way of our revolution. These groups-such as the Social Christian structure" the Council of State and Party, the Democratic Conservative Party, postpone its convocation until May the Social Democratic Party, and so on-are 1980. trying to demand a place in the formation In a series of statements issued in of the future Council of State. In demanding early November, the Sandinista De this place, these groups argue that they fense Committees (CDS), Sandinista were present in the struggle against the Workers Federation (CST), Field dictatorship, a struggle that they certainly Workers Association (ATC), and July embarked upon to safeguard their own 19 Sandinista Youth (JS 19J) all issued particular interests but that in the critical strong calls for the Council of State to moments they betrayed by allying them be fully representative of the Nicara selves to the imperialists and to Somoza Ism. guan workers and peasants and their interests. Thus the ATC called for the Council According to the provisional consti of State to be composed "only of those tution promulgated by the Junta of organizations that really represent the National Reconstruction on July 20, interests of the people and that are the Council of State is to "share legis involved in carrying out-whatever the lative powers" with the junta and draw cost-the tasks of the revolution and up a new electoral law and constitu the construction of a new Nicaragua." tion. It is empowered to veto junta Sandinlsta-led organizations have called for Council of State to be fully representa The same positions were expressed decisions with a two-thirds vote. tive of workers and peasants. at a November 6 news conference held Originally, as a result of agreements by leaders of the July 19 Sandinista reached between the Sandinista N a Youth. statement supporting the council's forging a new historic reality for them tiona! Liberation Front (FSLN) and postponement. They noted that "the selves, one in which mass organizations of The FSLN's overall approach to the other opposition forces prior to the fall political conditions are very different a genuinely democratic character are aris Council of State was summed up in the of the dictatorship, the Council of State from those that existed when the form ing. A new political panorama is appearing final paragraphs of a November 13 was to have been composed of thirty of the Council of State was first consi before our eyes, one that is eliminating the Barricada editorial that hailed the three representatives. The bulk of these dered." old relationship of forces that existed before growth of the ATC: were to have come from bourgeois the triumph of the Sandinista people's in "Now, more than ever," the trade parties and capitalist class organs surrection. It is on the basis of a solid nationwide unions declared, "the workers under such as the Chamber of Commerce and This new framework obliges us to revise organization [the ATC] that the farm stand that this instrument [the coun the Chamber of Industry. the role, nature, and composition of the workers and the peasantry are demanding cil] is a valid one for raising our class for the first time in the history of Nicaragua As the revolutionary course charted Council of State. demands ...." their participation in power, to defend their by the FSLN after the July 19 victory The National Commission of the The statement went on to call for own interests and not those of the dominant became apparent, the bourgeois forces giving "majority participation" in the classes, in the Council of State. And the agitated for immediate convocation of CDSs explained in a November 7 state ment that postponement of the Council Council of State to "all the mass or workers in the cities that today find them the Council of State, hoping to use it to selves fraternally linked [to the peasants] in of State "will permit us to consolidate ganizations, since these represent the put a brake on the revolution. These true interests of the heroic working that demand must strengthen their political efforts were dealt a sharp setback by all our popular organizations-the and organizational ties to the peasantry to CST, ATC, AMN [Nicaraguan people and their allies." In this way, the junta's October 22 decision. make the worker-peasant alliance a reality Women's Association], and JS19J the Council "must take on, concretely, The subsequent statements by the a true class character." in the Council of State. mass organizations reaffirm the which along with the CDSs are today opening the way in the national life as A similar statement by the ATC, the ·"With the forces of the ATC, the FSLN's intention to make the Council union of peasants and agricultural CST, and the mass organizations," of State into an institution radically the legitimate representatives of the interests of the Working People and its laborers, was printed in the November Barricada concluded, "the Council of different from what the bourgeois for 14 Barricada. The ATC addressed it State will not be a parliamentary or ces were hoping it would become. tactical and strategic allies." The CDS statement continued: self directly to the question of the gan but rather the expression of the On November 2 the CST and four bourgeois parties' presence in the power of the organized people." other union federations issued a joint The heroic people of Nicaragua have been Council of State: From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor

The document also speaks of free repression are not clearly bourgeois. and seek to crush the revolutionary dom for the trade unions-a matter Deprived of the above conditions, the process. ... Nicaragua over which the employers showed little capitalists seek other shores where A large section of the bourgeoisie in Continued from preceding page concern before July 19. They protest profit is placed before human needs, Nicaragua today is secretly preparing It proposes that some more abstract most emphatically what they perceive rather than vice versa. for the latter option, while trying to use term be considered, such as "nation as government aid to the Sandinista COSEP's essential message to the their remaining points of support in al"-or better yet-"revolutionary." Workers Federation (CST) in its efforts FSLN is simple: to really win the the economy to slow down and ulti to organize Nicaraguan workers into a This objection reflects a class reality: bourgeoisie's cooperation in recon mately reverse the anticapitalist single, strong trade-union federation. that the Sandinista government, army, structing Nicaragua, the FSLN must course set by the Sandinistas. and police are not bourgeois institu What really bothers the capitalists is abandon its policy of defense of the In the COSEP document, the bour tions, even though the continued exist the rapidly declining support among workers and peasant-s, and instead geoisie mentions their most dreaded ence of private ownership of substan the Nicaraguan workers for the docile, seek an alliance with the bourgeoisie fear: the establishment of a workers tial agricultural and industrial procapitalist trade-union leaderships in defending capitalism. state through the eventual expropria property means that there is still a that held sway under Somoza. tion of all large estates and domestic The bourgeoisie is not satisfied with and imperialist industry. Here again weakened bourgeois state in Nicara Formations such as the Confedera concessions. They want governmental they use code words in an attempt to gua. tion of Trade Union Unification (CUS), power. deny the tremendous expansion of set up in 1968 with the help of the The growing involvement of the The FSLN correctly has sought to democracy that would result from a Meany bureaucracy in the U.S. AFL CDSs in governmental functions is transform Nicaragua in a way least planned, socialized economy adminis extremely irritating to COSEP. It pro CIO, and the Confederation of Nicara disruptive to Nicaragua's economy and tered through democratic mass institu guan Workers (CTN), whose official tests that "the CDSs have no legal thus least painful for the impoverished tions to benefit the worker and pea existence, nor were they contemplated dom is tied to the bourgeois Social masses. The Sandinistas have sought sant majority. Christian Party, are losing large sec in the Program of Government." to win time to revive production and "In a nutshell," COSEP writes, "it is tions of their ranks to the Sandinista Worse yet, the document adds, every build up a professional army and vo all these manifestations of State-Party led CST. day "they [the FSLN] grant them [the lunteer militia to defend the country confusion and inconsistencies with CDSs] more prerogatives than before." The fact is that the workers of Nica from the inevitable U.S. imperialist pluralism, that give grounds for many But what these "revolutionary" bour ragua are free to choose their own backed attacks as the revolution deep to ask themselves if the intention of geois fail to note is that the CDSs unions through democratic elections. ens. some leaders is to gradually lead Nica represent the majority of Nicaraguans. The government does not interfere, But no revolutionary process can be ragua toward a dictatorship of a total They are the most democratic of all unless "interference" means promoting completely controlled. Class conflicts itarian nature." existing institutions. the same revolutionary program and develop-both at the initiative of the COSEP has it exactly backwards. It The COSEP document also expresses goals with which the Sandinista exploited and the exploiters-without was capitalism that flourished under concern over freedom of the press, unions seek to win new members. regard for what may be the planned the totalitarian Somoza dictatorship in although there has been no censorship The COSEP document also demands tempo of change. Nicaragua. Private property was gua whatever. Here they have only a cer ''adequate labor relations, so that pro The coming year will be a decisive ranteed. No time was wasted at the tain kind of freedom in mind: the duction will not continue to suffer the one for the Nicaraguan revolution. The Ministry of Labor. No Sandinista mass freedom of wealthy families, such as amount of time lost in the Ministry of FSLN is continuing to mobilize the organizations had any voice or power. the Chamorros, who own La Prensa, to Labor, in meetings, conflicts, etc." masses to advance their interests. It is There was no overrepresentation of the operate a daily newspaper, while the In code words, this means "disci also continuing to offer the bourgeoisie disenfranchised-in fact, the workers toiling majority is in practice denied pline the workers." And that can only concessions if they help maintain pro and peasants had no representation at access to the press by their lack of be accomplished by repressive steps duction. all. finances. against the labor movement. The choice rests with the bourgeoi The new Nicaragua the FSLN is Likewise, the Sandinista Television In essence, the COSEP document sie: They can accept the new workers fighting for is the opposite of a totalit System comes in for some criticism by comes down to a basic fact of modern and peasants power in Nicaragua and, arian dictatorship-a true democracy COSEP. "Why only the Sandinista society: capitalism cannot flourish in effect, begin serving as well-paid in which the worker and peasant ma TV?" the bourgeoisie complains. Why where the government is not in the technicians and administrators, which jority will be the decisive rulers. And not let the capitalists control the air hands of the capitalist class and where the revolution needs; or they can pass that isn't possible under capitalism. waves? the institutions of communication and over actively to the counterrevolution From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor 26 Boston meeting sets aid for Nicaragua By Mike Pearlman ple. Oxfam has already pledged BOSTON-Over 250 people attended $500,000 for various agricultural pro an "Evening in Solidarity with Nicara jects in Nicaragua. gua" here December 7. The meeting, sponsored by the Uni The audience was treated to Andean versity of Massachusetts Latin Ameri protest music by Nanchuazu; a slide can Studies Department and the Bos show, "Nicaragua: A People in Strug ton Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, gle;" and a major speech by Alejandro was both a celebration of the victory in Bendana, a member of the Nicaraguan Nicaragua and the kickoff of a major delegation to the United Nations. education and fundraising campaign Bendana focused on the difficult in the Boston area. More than $700 economic situation facing the revolu was collected for the literacy drive and tionary government and urged those in 100 people expressed interest in help attendance to aid the fundraising ef ing the work of the solidarity commit fort being made by the National Net tee. work in Solidarity with the Nicara On December 10, three representa guan People. tives of the FSLN toured Boston. Al Also preSfnt was Hugo Miranda, a though their major purpose was to former Chilean senator in the Popular meet banking and business representa Unity government. Miranda spoke of tives, Jaime Wheelock, Victor Tirado, the tremendous inspiration that the and Rene N ufiez also took the oppor Sandinista \ictory has been through tunity to speak before an enthusiastic out Latin America. crowd of 125 people at the University Larry Simon, associate director of of Massachusetts. Oxfam/America, a hunger relief and At a press conference later that after development agency, told the crowd noon Victor Tirado expressed the hope that people-to-people aid would be im that the economic and social results of Militant/D1ane Jacobs portant in overcoming both the imme the Nicaraguan revolution would be FSLN's National Literacy Commission is taking education campaign into the diate and longer term agricultural seen as an example by American work countryside. Volunteer teachers work alongside farmers, hold classes after working problems facing the Nicaraguan peo- ing people, minorities, and women. hours.

nista (CDS-Sandinista Defense Com mittees), which he described as the ... Wheelock broadest and most extensive mass Help Nicaragua literacy drive! Continued from back page organization in the country. These U.S. supporters of the Nicara- tion. arose as neighborhood defense and guan people have launched a There, he explained, the policies of administrative committees during the an indecisive government caused the drive to help Nicaragua's literacy struggle against Somoza. Now their middle classes to tum away from the campaign. Teaching squads are functions range from taking precau revolutionary process, opening a tions against counterrevolutionaries to scheduled to fan out through the breach which imperialism was able to country beginning next March, voluntary work on construction pro exploit, laying the basis for the coun jects over the weekends. with the aim of teaching 700,000 terrevolutionary coup by Pinochet. • Most importantly, he said, is the people to read and write. The FSLN objective of forging the revolutionary army, "the people in Funds are being raised here to greatest possible unity in Nicaragua in arms, whose weapons are now used to provide 275,000 yards of denim no way implies a retreat away from defend the interests of the workers of cloth for uniforms for the literacy fundamentally revolutionary mea city and countryside." workers, as well as paper, note sures, he said, pointing to the wide And in the center of all this, he said, books, pencils, boots, lanterns, ranging nationalizations that crushed has been the FSLN, a firmly estab and other needed supplies. the economic power of the financial lished vanguard organization, with oligarchy tied to Somoza. deep roots in the masses. The U.S. effort to aid the liter The most significant measure, the A leadership that can unite the acy campaign was launched at a one that enabled all others to move masses against the common enemy, a conference In Detroit November forward, was the organization of the leadership that is united and resolute, 17-18, attended by representa NICARAGUA'S masses. Wheelock enumerated the key that is able to master the specific tives of the Nicaraguan govern mass organizations as follows: dynamics of the revolutionary process ment. LITERACY, • The Central Sandinista de los in its own country-this was one of the keys to the victory of the Nicaraguan The National Network In Solid CRUSADE: Trabajadores (CST-Sandinista Work ers Federation), the burgeoning trade revolution, he explained. arity with the Nicaraguan Peo 'THE "SECOND union organization. Wheelock received a standing ova ple, organizer of the aid drive, LIBERATION WAR" • The Asociaci6n de Trabajadores tion as he concluded by calling for has just published an attractive del Campo (ATC-Rural Workers Asso international solidarity based on the brochure, shown .here. ciation), the peasants and agricultural principle of nonintervention and by For copies of the brochure and Only wee~s after the conclusion of one war workers association. urging support from the American the revolutton that put an end to the Somoza Information on how to partici dictatorship-the Nicaraguan people started • The Juventud Sandinista de 19 people for the literacy and public pate In your area, contact the preparing for yet another This "second Iibera· Julio (JS 19-July 19 Sandinista health campaigns being undertaken National Network In Solidarity tion war," a.s the .Nicaraguans themselves are Youth). today in Nicaragua. callmg it, is the National Literacy Crusade. • The Asociaci6n de Mujeres Nicara Support for such efforts is being with the Nicaraguan People, and we have been as~ed to help 1322 Eighteenth Street, NW, giienses (AMN-Nicaraguan Women's coordinated by the National Network Association). Women, he said, com Washington, D.C. 20036. Tele- in Solidarity with the Nicaraguan prised almost half the revolutionary People, whose New York affiliates phone (202) 223-2328. fighters against Somoza. sponsored the New York City meeting • The Comites de Defensa Sandi- for Wheelock.

Sectarians released from jail Members of several sectarian tions in the trade unions as the members who had been arrested in from Nicaragua on November 9. He leftist groups in Nicaragua were Fren te 0 brero (FO-Workers other cities were also released. had been arrested several weeks detained in mid-October as part of Front) and expresses its views Several members of the Liga earlier in Managua. a campaign against "ultraleftism" through the Managua daily El Marxista Revolucionaria (LMR From Intercontinental Press/lnprecor mounted by the Sandinista N a Pueblo. Revolutionary Marxist League)-a tiona! Liberation Front (FSLN).1 On November 9 forty FO tiny sect that claims to be Trotsky All these persons have since been members and three journalists ist but has no connection to the 2. The world Trotskyist movement, the released. from El Pueblo were released from Fourth International, rejects the sectar Fourth International, the world ian views of the LMR and the Bol Most of the jailed leftists came jail at the Central Police Headquar Trotskyist organization-were also shevik Faction (BF) and defends the from a group of Maoist origins ters in Managua. Two weeks earlier detained in mid-October. Nicaraguan revolution. For example, known as the Movimiento de Ac the FSLN had responded positively As of November 22, according to see the statement of the United Secreta ci6n Popular (MAP-People's Ac to the MAP's call for a "dialogue" reports appearing in El Pueblo, all riat of the Fourth International pub· tion Movement). The MAP func- and talks had begun between the of the LMR prisoners had been lished in Intercontinental Press! lnpre two groups. released. They included Mario Mi cor, October 22, 1979, p. 1023. The FSLN Comandantes Jaime randa and Rodrigo Ibarra, who Fourth International also condemned Wheelock and Tomas Borge went the sectarian adventure mounted by the 1. For a full discussion of the issues had been held for more than a to the Police Headquarters when month at the La P6lvora Command Bolshevik Faction in Nicaragua in the involved in this campaign, see the guise of the "Sim6n Bolivar Brigade"; article "FSLN discusses workers demo· the FO members were released; in the city of Granada. "They are being put in liberty in see !PI I, October 22, p. 1033. In line cracy: How to answer ultraleft sectar Carlos Petroni, an Argentine sup with the logic of its course against the ians in Nicaragua," by Pedro Camejo the name of the revolution," Borge porter of the Colombia-based Bol Nicaraguan revolution, the BF split and Fred Murphy, November 16 Mili· said. shevik faction (which also claims from the Fourth International in No tant. In subsequent days other FO to be Trotskyist),2 was deported vember.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 27 In Brief ALBANY STEEL STRIKE Workers at Albany Steel in Quote unquote Carter administration seeks to deport Palestinian Menands, New York, went on The Carter administration brew, has since repudiated he is "not optimistic" given strike after their contract ex "Radiation may be is seeking to extradite a the "confession." all the pressure on J urco pired November 30, reports cor one of the most over Palestinian youth wanted in Lawyers for Ziad pres from Washington to rule respondent Bob Hill. rated carcinogens in Israel on frame-up charges. ented their final arguments otherwise. The company's contract offer this century." Ziad Abu Ein, nineteen, has in the case before U.S. Mag Meanwhile hundreds of was overwhelmingly rejected. -Nuclear Regulatory been locked away in a Chi istrate Olga Jurco on No Ziad's supporters around the Albany Steel wanted to break Commission senior radio cago jail since his arrest in vember 23. James Fennerty, country have mobilized to the closed shop, reduce vaca biologist Dr. Regin.old August. one of the lawyers, said a stop the extradition. tion time, extend probation to Gotchy U.S. authorities seized ruling from Jurco is ex For more information con 120 days, and fine workers Ziad at the request of the pected within a week. tact the Ziad Abu Ein De injured on the job not using Israeli government. The "Legally," Fennerty told fense Committee in Chicago "proper safety equipment" FINES CUT IN Zionist government claims the Militant, "she has to at (312) 772-9383 or the Pa twenty-five dollars. UMWA STRIKES that he participated in a rule in his favor." On the lestine Human Rights Cam The company also offered an The United Mine Workers May 14 bombing in Tiberias, other hand, Fennerty said paign at (202) 296-8330. insultingly low 9 percent wage international union does not Israel. boost for the first year, 8 per have to pay a $200,000 fine At the time of the incident, cent for the second, and 7 per levied against it because three Ziad was actually working cent for the third. The last cost locals went on strikes, the U.S. at his family's store in Ra of-living raise was a year ago Supreme Court ruled December mallah-a bout seventy and brought the average ma 10. A $240,000 fine against miles away. chine operator's wage to only UMW A District 17 was also Ziad was granted a U.S. $5.35 an hour. dropped. visa in June to visit his Union activists are looking From 1969-73 the Carbon sister and has since been for support from other unions. Fuel Company provoked forty approved for permanent The strikers, represented by eight strikes by the three U.S. residency status. International Association of UMW A locals in southern West The Zionists' charges Ironworkers Local 534, receive Virginia. Such provocations against Ziad are based on a no strike benefits because the were and are standard proce "confession"-prepared in local has fewer than 500 dure for the coal operators, who Hebrew and obtained under members. prefer to violate the contract torture--from another Pales Teamster drivers honored the and then seek court action tinian political prisoner, first picket line and refused to against the union rather than Jamal Yassim. Y assim, who Israeli gov't uses torture to extract 'confessions' from Palesti deliver steel. A good show of settling grievances at the mine does not understand He- nian prisoners. support has come from passing site. drivers, many of whom honk Company-minded courts hit horns and raise fists in solidar the locals with fines of three don't break "unauthorized" . and Republicans trying to joined with Democratic Gov. ity with the pickets. quarters of a million dollars, strikes by their locals. It all smash it. Hugh Carey and the Long Is along with the half-million le depends, the justices said, on The UTU was forced to strike land congressional delegation SIT-IN BACKS vied against the international whether the higher union bo after LIRR management of in asking President Carter to CLEVELAND TEACHERS and district. dies accept responsibility in fered only a 7 percent pay raise break the strike by setting up a About twenty-five people, in The Supreme Court ruled their contracts. retroactive for 1979 and 6.5 "mediation" board. cluding members of the that neither the international percent for 1980, about half the Carter has the legal power to NAACP, have been conducting nor the district could be held RAIL WORKERS rate of inflation. stop the strike for sixty days a vigil at the offices of the liable because they had in no WALK OUT Sixteen other LIRR unions setting up such a board. Cleveland School Board since way encouraged the strikes. A strike by 1,400 members of are honoring UTU picket lines, Long Island authorities have December 5 in support of strik The fines against the locals the United Transportation and three unions have them joined the strikebreaking effort ing teachers. stand. Union against the Long Island selves struck the railroad. by waiving parking regula The school board claims the The court left the door open Rail Road, which has shut the New York senators Daniel tions and providing hundreds city's financial crisis makes it to damage suits against other line down, has been greeted by Moynihan, a Democrat, and of buses to carry commuters impossible to grant teachers international unions if they a united front of Democrats Jacob Javits, a Republican, into New York. the 27 percent salary increase

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28 The Great Society Compiled by Arnold Weissberg over two years they request. A VETS ASK AGENT Harry Ring· Cleveland teacher earns a ORANGE DAMAGES starting salary of $9,828 a A group of ninety-seven Viet year-and that's before taxes. nam veterans who were ex The protesters have con posed to the deadly herbicide demned the school board's stal Agent Orange have sued five ling on negotiations, and say chemical companies for $40 On the fighting front-Ready to give high-priced impractical gifts. Here's a that the board's delaying is billion. A total of 1,500 vets are their all in the anti-Iran crusade, a useful one. The 007 Bionic Briefcase. aimed at slowing down court expected to join the suits. number of New York area dealers in Features: Lightweight bullet-proof exte ordered busing to desegregate Iranian caviar declared they're going to rior. A device that "sniffs out" dangerous the schools. They have also Soldiers who were exposed to stop handling the stuff. A spokesman for vapors. A signal light that warns of a demanded to see the board's Agent Orange have developed the major wholesale distributor was skep bugging device in your immediate area. financial records, declaring a wide range of incurable dis tical. "Food in most cases goes beyond An electronic transmitter, which, if you're they don't believe the board's eases, including cancer. Some politics," he said. "We eat food from kidnapped, will make it possible to track assertions of poverty. of their children have been ·China and Russia and nobody seems to you down. And, a screaming siren that The 5,000 members of the born deformed. The federal mind. I don't notice any rug dealers will sound off if the briefcase is ripped off. Cleveland Teachers Union government and the chemical taking Persian carpets off the market." have been on strike since Oc companies have refused to ad Dining tips-Dinner at Maxim's, the tober 18. mit any responsibility. Royal deadbeat-A Los Angeles furni famed Paris. restaurant, may run nearly ture company is suing the shah's sister for $140. But the house champagne is only $70,000. It's the unpaid balance on a $11 a glass. Back in New York, at the Whales and oil quarter of a million dollars worth of Coach House, you can get a good dinner Despite an admission that Oil spills, inevitable in the furniture and appliances shipped to her for only $60. But an accompanying bottle offshore oil drilling would normal course of off-shore Caspian Sea villa prior to the royal fami of champagne is $75. threaten the livelihood of drilling, will wreak havoc ly's hasty departure from Iran. native people and the exist with the delicate Arctic en Turning toward workers?-The gov ence of an endangered spe vironment. Incredible-Federal investigators in ernor of Virginia threw a charity party in cies of whale, federal judge sist that they have evidence that the the maintenance garage of a Grundy, Aubrey Robinson refused In defending the leases, the government argued that control of various medical plans by doc Virginia, coal company. $2,500 a couple. December 7 to halt govern tors results in higher doctors' fees. How ment-conducted bidding on the "national interest" re quired rapid exploitation of ever, this was challenged by other re Watch the birdie-The cost of pet oil lease sites in the Beaufort searchers. The president of Blue Cross birds has spiralled with their popularity, Sea off Alaska. oil and gas. said he was "really puzzled" since a study with a pair of cockatoos selling for as Environmentalists and In No decision has yet been they did showed control by doctors led to much as $12,000. One Los Angeles bird uit (Eskimos) had asked Ro made on whether winning emporium features a beauty salon and binson to block .the sale. The bidders on the leases will be lower fees. Inuit depend on the bow permitted to drill. A hearing charm school. Its pet store charges a $2 head whale for subsist on that question is set for Gift tip-No more suggestions for those fee just to look. ence. January 3. Union Talk Phone workers call strike This week's column is by Lee Ole place service representatives at phone son, a member of Communications stores with customer clerks. Workers of America Local 2336. Customer clerks would receive about $60 less a week than service representatives, and would be expected to do the same WASHINGTON, D.C.-More than work. Likewise, the company has announced 32,000 communications workers in Mary that it plans to pay repair service clerks land, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wash about $100 less a week than central office ington may be forced to go on strike this technicians for doing work formerly done Christmas. by the technicians. In mid-November, members of the Com munications Workers of America (CWA) C&P of Virginia plans to bypass union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a ized workers entirely by using 7-11 con strike against the Chesapeake and Po venience stores for dropping off and in tomac Telephone Company (C&P). itial processing of defective phones. The A December 17 strike date has been set company would have this part of its work by CW A leaders. Because of C&P policies, done by 7-11 workers, many of whom the strike is likely to occur and promises make little more than the minimum wage. to be a long one. The CWA leadership has seen these At the heart of the disagreement be company proposals-and the company's tween the company and the union is the refusal to negotiate them-as an attack on parent company's-American Telephone the right of the union to have anything to and Telegraph-national policy of protect say about wages and job duties of its ing its huge profits by reducing the members. number of workers, lowering our real Although wages of CWA-organized wages, and getting us to work harder. workers have increased over the past ten Herblock In 1978, C&P reported profits of $240 years, they remain below the level of other 'Can we supply fuel? Leave everything to us and we'll have key industries, such as transportation, you swimming In lt.' million produced by its 40,000 employees, or an average of $6,000 per employee. It auto, steel, and mining. wants even more. The best defense against the company's During the Great Depression of the attacks is solidarity. If phone workers 1930s, AT&T cut its workforce by 20 allow one category of employees to get percent while keeping dividends at a fat their wages cut, it will only be a matter of $9 a share. If AT&T had reduced its divi time before the company will find new job What•s Going On dends by just $1 a share, the jobs of 18,000 categories-and lower rates of pay-for employees could have been saved, accord every type of phone work. ing to Telephone, John Brooks's procom As CWA Local 2336 Executive Vice NEW YORK Militant, former member United Steel-. pany history of AT&T published in 1975. President Mike Agnew put it in a state workers Local 6115; Frank Heintz, Today as then, AT&T and its subsidiar ment to union members last month, "an NEW YORK CITY member United Auto Workers Local 1250, END RACIST DEPORTATIONS! former chair, Ford Workers Committee. ies are determined to put the full brunt of injury to one job category is an injury to Speakers: Hector Marroquin, member of Sun., Dec. 16, 7 p.m. 13002 Kinsman Rd. the economic crisis on phone company all." Socialist Workers Party seeking political Donation: $1.50. For more information workers. Local CW A leaders say that if C&P asylum in U.S.; Shelley Davis, SWP attor call (216) 991-5030. ney for victorious suit challenging depor Across the country, AT&T is using brings in supervisors from other parts of tation of Iranian students; Peggy McKee, automation to eliminate jobs. If human the country to break the strike, they have national coordinator of Elias Ayoub De fense Committee. Wed., Dec. 19, 7 p.m. needs and jobs were AT&T's priority, solidarity commitments from sister locals 108 E. 16th St. (half block east of Union rather than profits, a shorter workweek across the country up to and including Square). Donation: $2. Ausp: SWP Cam with no cut in take-home pay would be a strike action. paign. For more information call (212) 533-2902. UTAH simple solution to save jobs. In the 1930s telephone workers had only SALT LAKE CITY Union leaders have called a strike not company unions. KAMPUCHEA: CARTER'S CRIME directly because of automation, but rather Now CWA members have the organized AGAINST HUMANITY. Speaker: David OHIO Hurst, member, Socialist Workers Party, because of C&P's use of changing "job power of a real union to defend us against CLEVELAND United Steelworkers Local 4208. Sun., categories" to slash wages. the telephone company's efforts to make THE ECONOMIC CRISIS: WHAT Dec. 16, 7 p.m. 677 S. 7th East. Donation: In September C&P officially notified the us, not them, pay for the latest economic CAUSES IT AND HOW TO STOP IT. $1.50. For more information call (801) Speakers: Stu Singer, staff writer for the 355-1124. union that the company planned to re- crisis.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 29 Our Revolutionary Heritage Letters Rail workers under attack A favorite propaganda theme must remain subject to call; no pay for against the railroad unions is the expenses incurred for food and lodging charge of 'featherbedding.' The rail while held away from home terminals. roads are in their present shape, the Train and engine crews in road freight antilabor propagandists charge, be service often work well beyond an eight cause the unions have imposed out hour day or forty-hour week before draw rageously high wages and have com ing time and a half. Road operating pelled employers to keep workers on employees in freight service can be the job who serve no useful function. worked up to ninety-six hours at straight The charge of railroad 'featherbed time. ding' is not new, as indicated by the But what about some of those "feather following 'Militant' article by Harry bedding" charges? Let's take a look at An anti-Iran rally None of these things came Ring from November 30, 1959. that "juicy" New York-Washington run. flops close to the reality. To begin with, a 100-mile day's pay for the While I was on my Carpenter put up $65,000 Were you aware that "passenger engine highly skilled engineer who handles that speaking tour here, of somebody's money to rent crews and road freight enginemen get crack train is $19.65, making the pay for California State Sen. Paul the Coliseum-plus $40,000 more pay per hour than railroad execu that run $90.30, not $100. Moreover, the Carpenter, a right-winger, or so for propaganda to tives"? That "a Pennsylvania engineer engine crew reports for duty one hour and organized an anti-Iran rally. build the rally including a makes a 452-mile round trip between New 45 minutes before departure time in New One day before the show he full-page ad in the Los York and Washington, D.C., in a single York and one hour and 15 minutes before said, "We are expecting Angeles Times. day and collects 4Ij2 days pay ... around departure time in Washington. After each 92,624 people to show up." That's the capacity of the And, according to press $100"? That diesel engines carry firemen run, it takes an average of one hour at reports, 5,000 people showed Los Angeles Coliseum, "who tend no fires"? each end to dispose of the train and up. Including some wearing where it was held. A few isolated cases? No, sir. According deliver the locomotive to the engine house. clothes like Batman and One hour before the gates to the public-minded capitalists who run The very best time in which an engineer Superman. our railroads, you and the rest of the can make the entire round trip is 16 hours opened, he declared, "We are American people are paying a half a and more often it takes up to 20 hours. expecting some 50,000 How much did they lose? billion dollars annually for union "fea Quite a day's work! people to show up." Long ago, they lost the therbedding." (That's a technical term, Despite the long hours this is considered One hour after the rally, future. thought up by the advertising agencies, the "cream" run and it is reserved for men he said, "This is the best Hector Marroquin for "work paid for but not performed.") with top seniority. investment I ever made." Los Angeles, California Such distorted or completely fabricated In sharp contrast to this example, La claims are part of a nationwide campaign bor, weekly newspaper of the railroad designed to roll back the railroad unions brotherhoods, cites numerous cases where Defends rent initiative If a Black or poor person whose contracts came up for renewal Nov. engine crews work ten and eleven hours at The recently successful rent killed someone, the United 1. It's part of the overall drive that big straight time. A spot check on the South control initiative in Baltimore States would be more than glad business is waging against unionism in a ern Railway showed an engine crew work was not "an obstacle to moving to put them to death. series of key industries. ing a total of eighty-nine hours and ten toward genuine independent But the shah has killed The established incentive pay system minutes at straight time and four hours working-class political action," many and still and walks the on the railroads sets 100 miles as the and fifteen minutes overtime. as stated in the November 30 streets. The CIA has helped the basic unit of work for passenger and They were away from home three Militant. To the contrary, the shah to kill people. freight-train engine crews and 160 miles nights, with all food and lodging at their rent control campaign was a The time has come for the for conductors and brakemen on pas own expense. significant repudiation by our people to take over. I say, senger trains. (If an engineer covers 150 About that fireman who "tends no city's working people of "Death to the shah." miles in one work shift he draws a day fires" on the diesel. That doesn't mean he Democratic Party capitalist A prisoner and a half pay, etc.) just sits on a pillow as depicted in current politics. North Carolina The companies now propose that the railroad advertisements. The fireman is In Baltimore, rent control 100-mile incentive unit be boosted to 150 the "co-pilot" of the engineer, undergoing was a people's campaign that miles and the 160-mile to 240 miles. extensive training and charged with es allowed workers a rare Terrorism in Iran opportunity to vote their class They are also demanding an end to the sential duties. I'm in complete agreement interest rather than choosing monthly mileage limit system which helps He must know locomotive operations, with the letter from Paul spread the work. In addition they propose air brakes, train speeds, switching tech among identical establishment Dougan in the November 30 candidates. Rent control was elimination of rules barring them from niques, signals, grade and safety require issue of the Militant in which sending crews past established crew ments and have a thorough knowledge of opposed by the entire political he suggests the need for the establishment including the change points. This would force railmen the diesel engine. If anything happens to paper to deal with the issue of onto runs with longer overnight periods the engineer he must be prepared to take Democratic Party liberals. terrorism. away from home. over the throttle. These liberals were forced by The Militant is vital for me the initiative to reveal their To cap their demands, the operators are We almost forgot-these company fig in terms of getting information allegiance to the city's insisting on the abolition of all rules ures which prove that engine crews get a suppressed in the "regular" landlords, who bankrolled the which fix the size of train crews. higher hourly rate than executives. The press. However, when I become anti-rent-control campaign, A brief look at the real facts of the figures were very easily arrived at. In aware of information or, in this spending hundreds of union work rules makes quite clear that computing the workers' hourly rate, all case, an important aspect of a thousands of dollars on slick revisions are needed-revisions that will time "paid for but not worked" was ex situation which the Militant media advertising and Nixon give the men some of the benefits long cluded. That covers paid vacations, holi pointedly neglects, it makes me style dirty tricks. It was an established in other industries. days, sick leave, time paid when men are think less highly of the paper unfortunate if honest mistake The federal wage and hour law doesn't on call or waiting to pick up an engine at as a dependable source of for the Socialist Workers Party apply to the railroad industry. Many road the out-of-town terminal, etc. information. to side with the liberals and service employees and others, receive no The true average hourly wage of rail I believe there is a difference landlords on the rent control premium pay for Saturdays, Sundays and road workers, as established by the Inter issue. between presenting, clearly, a holidays; no pay differential for night state Commerce Commission, is but $2.47 strong point of view and We should not overstate the work; no pay for layover time between an hour, substantially lower than in most propaganda. By neglecting runs; no pay for standby time when they basic industries. importance 'of the rent control facts or an issue as important initiative, but the campaign in as that of terrorism in the Baltimore was clearly a truly Iranian situation, the Militant independent attack on the self seems more like propaganda styled "progressive" business than the reliable socialist news Our party is your party and political establishments of source I've come to depend on. this city. That is why the Margo Tassi power structure is in the process of having this people's THE MILITANT is the voice of 0 I want to join the SWP. initiated rent control declared the Socialist Workers Party. 0 Send me __ copies of Prospects unconstitutional by the for Socialism in America at $2.95 · Labor's own party capitalist-controlled courts. Last month the New Jersey each. Enclosed $ ___ Gerry Gaeng IF . YOU AGREE with what Industrial Union Council met 0 Please. send me more information. Laila Atallah you've read, you should join in convention. A good number Baltimore, Maryland us in fighting for a world Name of resolutions were passed without war, racism, or concerning social issues. Address ------~------ Iran: from a prisoner Among them was a exploitation-a socialist City -----~------Brothers and sisters all over unanimous resolution calling world. State ------Zip _____ the world, I call out to you from upon member unions to my prison cell. organize support for the Telephone ------ We must come together and January 13 pro-ERA march in JOIN THE SWP. fill out this SWP, 14 Charle$ Lane, New York, N.Y. make Carter send the shah Richmond, Virginia. coupon and mail it today. · 10014 back to Iran. If the Carter Because the -presidential administration believes in elections will soon be upon us, justice and is for human rights the question of who labor he will send the shah to Iran. should support played a role in Just think about the women, the discussion. JOIN THE SWP men, and babies he has Although the policy of the murdered. IUC was laid out in United 30 Learning About Socialism

Auto Workers Region 9 director Ed Gray's keynote Malcolm X & Iranian revolution speech-continued support for "Religious fanatic," "hate monger," "revengeful," "mad because it's a religion that teaches you an eye for an eye one of the Democratic Party mullah." These are typical descriptions of Imam Ruhollah and a tooth for a tooth." candidates-nevertheless the Khomeini appearing in the big-business press. For many Blacks like Malcolm, the adoption of Islam discussion was not limited to These racist characterizations are remarkably similar in became a means for expressing cultural pride, rejecting the supporting the lesser of the content and form to what many of the same news media religion of the white bigots-Christianity-and fighting the evils in the Democratic Party. said about Malcolm X-also a Muslim and a nationalist oppressor. In a keynote address by Sol opponent of U.S. imperialism. As the introduction to Two In the last year of his life, when he became an orthodox Stetin of the Amalgamated Speeches by Malcolm X (Pioneer Publishers, 1965) points Muslim, Malcolm also came to see Islam as a means of Clothing and Textile Workers out, "Malcolm X was one of the most slandered public expressing solidarity with the anticolonial struggles of the idea of another alternative figures of our time. In life and in death, the propaganda Muslims throughout the world. It fit right in with his was raised. After taking note of machine of the American power structure smeared him as a explanation that Afro-Americans should see themselves as the severe crisis facing 'racist,' a 'hate-monger' and a 'terrorist.'" part of the majority of the world's people-the colored working people, he told the convention of an experience he Why did the bourgeois press subject Malcolm X-just as it masses of Africa and Asia striving for liberation. became acquainted with in does the Iranians now-to such slanders? Malcolm himself This is strikingly similar to the way the Iranian masses Canada. provides one of the best answers in a speech on November view the slogan of "Islamic revolution" today. It expresses He told the delegates that our 24, 1964: " ... the press has a grave responsibility, and it not a backward embracing of "feudal ideology" but a union brothers and sisters had also has the responsibility sometimes as an accessory. progressive, anti-imperialist rejection of foreign domination their own party, a labor party. Because if it allows itself to be used to make criminals look and a drive to unite with other peoples of the region in And furthermore, this labor like victirrs and victims look like criminals, then the press struggle against Washington. party, the New Democratic is an accl ssory to the same crime. . . . Anytime Black Party, was a socialist party people in tLis country are not able to be controlled by the In a shameful capitulation to imperialism's racist propa and even called itself socialist. man, the press immediately begins to label those Black ganda, some who call themselves socialists have joined in He remarked upon the social people as irresponsible or as extremists. They put all these the anti-Islamic witch-hunt. The sectarian Spartacist gains for all working people old negative labels up there.. .'' League, for example, echoes Washington in calling Kho medical care, for example As Malcolm explains, the slanders serve the purpose of meini a "mad mullah." This derisive term was first coined which this party fought for. He covering up the real issues-the just demands of the victims by the British ruling class to slander Muhammad Abdallah wound up his remarks saying of oppression. In Malcolm's case, the American ruling class Hassan, who led a major struggle in Somalia against the we ought to consider this ruthlessly sought to discredit him because of his indictment Italians and British in the early 1900s. experience here. of racist America. When slanders proved insufficient, it was Marxists are atheists. We view all religious ideologies as Well, there was no debate necessary to employ an assassin's gun. roadblocks to the ability of the workers to develop a between the two views The same ruling class resorts to slander to deflect atten scientific understanding of class society and a program to expressed. But Stetin's remarks tion from the just demands of the Iranians for the return of win their liberation. But when the struggle of an oppressed elicited some further comment the shah and an end to U.S. domination of their country. people against imperialism is partially expressed in reli from a delegate who remarked gious form, or has religious figures at its head, the first we didn't need to put these Anti-Islamic racism is prominent in the attacks on both corrupt politicians into Malcolm and Iran. The Muslim religion of these dark obligation of revolutionaries is to support and defend that government. He indicated the skinned "fanatics," white Americans are expected to be struggle. people in the room, in his view, lieve, is backward, violent, irrational, and uncivilized. Quite This has always been the approach of the Socialist were the people-the leaders the opposite of the enlightened Christian faith. Workers Party. In a 1963 resolution on the Black struggle, who needed to do the political Malcolm clearly explained why he and many other Blacks the SWP explained its attitude toward the Black Muslims, of job for labor. have turned to Islam: which Malcolm was a leader until 1964 and which then Heidi Rose "The religion that many of our forefathers practiced espoused a separatist position for Black liberation: Jersey City, New Jersey before we were kidnapped and brought into this country by "Our attitude toward separatists, including the Muslims, the American white man was the religion of Islam. This has is a friendly one. We recognize that the mere existence of the been destroyed in textbooks of the American educational Muslims has had healthy effects, pushing rival Negro system to try to make it appear that we were nothing but tendencies to the left and thereby imparting an impetus to Christians & slaves animals or savages before we were brought here.... We even purely integrationist battles. We note with interest that, Billy Graham had a question believe that this is the religion that will do more to reform far from being a hardened sect; the Muslims have shown and answer column in the us of our weaknesses that we've become addicted to here in capacity during the last year to change in a direction that Detroit Free Press in which he Western society than any other religion. . . .We can see better serves the interests of all Negroes.... Where we expressed the kind of thinking where Christianity has failed us 100 percent. They teach us differ with them, we differ in a friendly way, and we seek that employers would really to turn the other cheek, but they don't turn it." collaboration with them on mutually acceptable projects." love to see develop among the On another occasion Malcolm said, "I believe in a religion In a similar spirit, it is incumbent on revolutionary workers. socialists to support the struggle of the Iranian masses A reader asked: that believes in freedom. Any time I have to accept a "I'm having a real struggle religion that won't let me fight a battle for my people, I say against U.S. imperialism irrespective of the limitations of on the job. My boss is a to hell with that religion. That's why I am a Muslim, its present leadership. -August Nimtz demanding man who is never satisfied. The whole relationship strains my Christian principles. If I continue this employment, I'll need a new attitude in order to If You Like This Paper, Look Us Up survive. What shall I do?" Where to find the Socialist Workers Party, Young Socialist Alliance, and socialist books and pamphlets The Rev. Graham replied: "The Bible does suggest the ALABAMA: Birmingham: SWP, YSA, 1609 5th Ave. MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA. c/o M. Casey, 13002 Kinsman Rd. Zip: 44120. Tel: (216) 991- attitude toward an employer N. Tel: (205) 328-9403. Send mail to P.O. Box 42 McClellan. Zip: 01002. Tel: (413) 537-6537. 5030. Oberlin: YSA, c/o Gale Connor, OCMR Box that a Christian should have. 3382-A. Zip: 35205. Boston: SWP, YSA, 510 Commonwealth Ave .. 4th 679. Zip: 44074. Tel: (216) 775-5382. Toledo: It's Paul's statement in ARIZONA: Phoenix: SWP, YSA. 1243 E. McDowell. Floor. Zip: 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4621. SWP, YSA, 2120 Dorr St. Zip: 43607. Tel: (419) 536-0383. Colossians 3: 'Slaves, obey Zip: 85006. Tel: (602) 255-0450. MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: YSA, Room 4120, Michigan CALIFORNIA: Berkeley: SWP, YSA, 3264 Adeline Union. U. of M. Zip: 48109. Detroit: SWP, YSA, OREGON: Portland: SWP, YSA, 711 NW Everett. your masters in everything, St. Zip: 94703. Tel: (415) 653-7156. Loa Angeles: 6404 Woodward Ave. Zip: 48202. Tel: (313) 875- Zip: 97209. Tel: (503) 222-7225. SWP, YSA, 2211 N. Broadway. Zip: 90031. Tel: and do it, not only when their 5322. PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, Edinboro State (213) 225-3126. Oakland: SWP, YSA, 1467 Fruit eye is upon you and to win College. Zip: 16444. Philadelphia: SWP, YSA, vale Ave. Zip: 94601. Tel: (415) 261-1210. San MINNESOTA: Mesabi Iron Range: SWP, YSA, P.O. 5811 N. Broad St. Zip: 19141. Tel: (215) 927-4747 their favor, but with sincerity Diego: SWP, YSA, 1053 15th St. Zip: 92101. Tel: Box 1287, Virginia, Minn. Zip: 55792. Tel: (218) or 927-4748. Pittsburgh: SWP, YSA. 1210 E. (714) 234-4630. San Francisco: SWP, YSA, 3284 749-6327. Twin Cities: SWP, YSA, 508 N. Snelling of heart and reverence for the Carson St. Zip: 15203. Tel: (412) 488-7000. State 23rd St. Zip: 94110. Tel: (415) 824-1992. San Jose: Ave .. St. Paul. Zip: 55104. Tel: (612) 644-6325. Lord. Whatever you do, work at College: YSA, c/o Jack Craypo, 606 S. Allen St. SWP, YSA, 201 N. 9th St. Zip: 95112. Tel: (408) it with all your heart, as MISSOURI: Kansas City: SWP, YSA, 4715A Troost. Zip: 16801. Tel: (814) 234-6655. 998-4007. Zip: 64110. Tel: (816) 753-0404. St. Louis: SWP, working for the Lord, not men.' COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA, 126 W. 12th Ave. YSA, 6223 Delmar Blvd. Zip: 63130. Tel: (314) TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Mike Rose, 7409 Berkman "The secret here is the last Zip: 80204. Tel: (303) 534-8954. 725-1570. Dr. Zip: 78752. Dallas: SWP, YSA, 5442 E. Grand. eight words. FLORIDA: Miami: SWP, YSA, 8171 NE 2nd Ave. Zip: NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA. 11-A Central Zip: 75223. Tel: (214) 826-4711. Houston: SWP, 33138. Tel: (305) 756-8358. YSA, 806 Elgin St. #1. Zip: 77006. Tel (713) 524- "In many places of the Greek Ave. Zip: 07102. Tel: (201) 643-3341. GEORGIA: Atlanta: SWP, YSA, 509 Peachtree St. NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque: SWP, 1417 Central 8761. San Antonio: SWP, YSA, 112 Fredericks and Roman world, slaves were NE. Zip: 30308. Tel: (404) 872-7229. Ave. NE. Zip: 87106. Tel: (505) 842-0954. burg Rd. Zip: 78207. Tel: (512) 735-3141. much more numerous than the ILLINOIS: Champaign-Urbana: YSA, 284 lllini NEW YORK: Capital District (Albany): SWP, YSA. UTAH: Salt Lake City: SWP, YSA, 677 S. 7th East, Union, Urbana. Zip: 61801. Chicago: SWP, YSA. 103 Central Ave. Zip: 12206. Tel: (518) 463-0072. 2nd Floor. Zip: 84102. Tel: (801) 355-1124. free population." 434 S. Wabash. Room 700. Zip: 60605. Tel: (312) Michael Hills New York, Brooklyn: SWP, 841 Classon Ave. Zip: VIRGINIA: Tidewater Area (Newport News): SWP, 939-0737. 11238. Tel: (212) 783-2135. New York, Lower YSA, 111 28th St. Zip: 23607. Tel: (804) 380-0133. UA W Local 600 INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, c/o Student Activities Manhattan: SWP, YSA, 108 E. 16th St. 2nd Floor. WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP, YSA, 3106 Mt. Pleasant Detroit, Michigan Desk, Indiana University. Zip: 47401. Indianapolis: Zip: 10003. Tel: (212) 260-6400. New York, Upper St. NW. Zip: 20010. Tel: (202) 797-7699. SWP, YSA, 4850 N. College. Zip: 46205. Tel: (317) Manhattan: SWP, YSA, 564 W. 181 St., 2nd Floor. WASHINGTON: Olympia: YSA, c/o Lynne Welton, 283-6147. Gary: SWP, YSA, 3883 Broadway. Zip: Send mail to P.O. Box 438, Washington Bridge 1304 Madrona Beach Rd. Zip: 98502. Tel: (206) 46409. Tel: (219) 884-9509. Sta. Zip: 10033. Tel: (212) 928-1676. New York: 866-7332. Seattle: SWP, YSA, 4868 Rainier Ave., The letters column is an KENTUCKY: Louisville: SWP, YSA, 131 W. Main City-wide SWP, YSA, 108 E. 16th St. 2nd Floor. S. Zip: 98118. Tel: (206) 723-5330. Tacoma: SWP, #102. Zip: 40202. Tel: (502) 587-8418. Zip: 10003. Tel: (212) 533-2902. YSA, 1306 S. K St. Zip: 98405. Tel: (206) 627-0432. open forum for all view LOUISIANA: New Orleans: SWP, YSA, 3319 S. NORTH CAROLINA: Piedmont: SWP, YSA, P 0. WEST VIRGINIA: Morgantown: SWP, YSA, 957 S. points on subjects of gen Carrollton Ave. Zip: 70118. Tel: (504) 486-8048. Box 2486, Winston-Salem. Zip: 27102. University Ave. Zip: 26505. Tel: (304) 296-0055. eral interest to our readers. MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP, YSA, 2913 Green OHIO: Cincinnati: SWP. YSA. 970 E. McMillan. Zip: WISCONSIN: Milwaukee: SWP, YSA, 3901 N. 27th mount Ave. Zip: 21218. Tel: (301) 235-0013. 45206. Tel: (513) 751-2636. Cleveland: SWP, YSA, Please keep your letters St. Zip: 53216. Tel: (414) 445-2076. brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please in dicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.

THE MILITANT/DECEMBER 21, 1979 31 THE MILITANT FSLN visit U.S., ask aid for Nicaragua By Gus Horowitz NEW YORK-Jaime Wheelock, the Nicaraguan Minister of Agrarian Reform and one of the main leaders of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), told a cheering crowd of 700 people here December 7 that the most important accomplishment of the revolution so far has been the organi zation of the masses. It is this mass involvement and organization, he said, that has enabled the revolution to move forward on a firm basis, dealing blows to the eco nomic power of the financial oligarchy and taking steps to consolidate the revolution, to reactivate production, and to build a new Nicaragua that will be a hope for people all over the Ameri cas. Wheelock was in the United States as part of a top-level delegation of FSLN leaders who had come on the invitation of the Council of the Ameri cas to discuss the Nicaraguan govern ment's plans for economic reconstruc tion with U.S. business and MilitanVLou Howort government officials. Jaime Wheelock, Nicaraguan Minister of Agrarian Reform, receives enthusiastic greeting from New York audience. He Accompanying him were Victor Ti explained gains made by workers and peasants In course of revolution. rado, who, like Wheelock, is one of the nine Comandantes of the Revolution, and Rene Nunez, who is Secretary of ico, just before coming to the United tal flight and outright looting by Som In response to one questioner's sec the National Directorate of the FSLN. States. Mexican President L6pez Por oza and his cohorts. tarian criticism of the FSLN's discus In addition to the discussions that tillo agreed to cancel a $17 million debt These are enormous economic prob sions with U.S. government and busi the three FSLN leaders are holding in and to donate a fertilizer plant worth lems for such a small country. The ness officials, Wheelock said that the Washington, New York, Boston, Chi $4 million. But much more is needed. United States has a major responsibil FSLN firmly defends Nicaragua's na cago, San Francisco, and New Or The FSLN leaders told reporters that ity to help Nicaragua rebuild, Tirado tional independence and sovereignty leans, they also plan to speak directly the key problems facing the Nicara and NUiiez said, because successive which were won in struggle led by the to the American people at public meet guan people are unemployment, food U.S. administrations propped up the FSLN. ings similar to the one here. shortages, inflation, and a burdensome Somoza dictatorship for more than On that basis, he said, the FSLN has At stake in the official discussions is foreign debt. forty years. chosen a realistic road to advance the a $75 million aid package to Nicaragua Unemployment, which reaches 50 While pointing to the need for aid, Nicaraguan revolution-not an illu that is now under consideration in the percent, results in large part from and emphasizing their desire for sory dream or theory, but a road for U.S. Congress. Somoza's destructive bombing of in friendly relations, the Nicaraguan re ward that takes into account the pov Aid is vitally needed, Tirado told dustrial, commercial, and agricultural volutionists declared that they would erty and underdevelopment of a small reporters at a New York press confer enterprises. not abandon the goals of the revolu country that has had past experiences ence December 8, in order to meet the Food shortages are expected to re tion for the sake of financial aid. of imperialist military intervention, maximum goals for economic recovery main critical all through the first half Relations between the two countries and that needs outside help and nor in 1980, that is, to bring the country of 1980, because the planting and must be based on respect for Nicara mal diplomatic relations to survive. back up to 1978 levels of production. cultivation of crops was disrupted dur gua's sovereignty and independence. This strategy also requires the great Health, education, and social welfare ing the revolutionary battles. Wheelock stressed the same theme in est unity of the Nicaraguan people, he are the top priorities in the revolution Another major problem is the inher his public meeting the evening before, said. ary government's economic plans. ited foreign debt, which the FSLN where he explained the record, goals, Nicaragua will not be another Chile, The FSLN leaders pointed to positive leaders put at $1.6 billion. Furthermore, and policies of the FSLN leadership to Wheelock declared to a standing ova results from their discussions in Mex- the country has lost $2 billion in capi- an enthusiastic audience. Continued on page 27 Cuban UN"mission target of new bomb attack By Harry Ring The FBI says it is looking for the intend to consider assigning Spanish members of the Socialist Workers NEW YORK-A new bomb attack on terrorists but can't find them. Which speaking cops. They said they don't ticket in dispatching a telegram to the Cuban Mission to the United Na- must be pretty hard for them to say have many. President Carter. It declared, "The tions underlines the need for a massive with a straight face since "Omega 7" is The exile killers have good reason to U.S. government trained, armed, fi campaign to force a halt to terrorist a front name for the Cuban National- believe they can operate with impun nanced and continues, to this day, to violence by right-wing Cuban exiles. ist Movement. This ultraright gang ity. The official attitude toward their protect the right-wing terrorist gangs The December 7 explosion at the has a public headquarters in Union latest bombing was one of near responsible for murder, bombings and mission-the second in six weeks- City. sympathetic, fatherly lecturing. attacks on Cubans in the United States who oppose U.S. policy towards ripped out a side entrance door and The record of the New York cops, New York's Mayor Koch advised Cuba. tore down a ventilation duct. who have immediate responsibility for Omega 7 that they "are doing their protecting the mission, is just as "The New York Socialist Workers Omega 7, a Cuban exile gang, took sorry. own cause a great disservice." responsibility for the bombing, as it Two cops have been stationed at the Police Chief Robert McGuire added Party demands you take immediate did for the earlier one. front of the mission, but none at the that bombing activity was bad, "re action to jail those responsible for the December 7 bombing of the Cuban The same terrorists took credit for side entrance around the corner. gardless of its underlying political mot ivation." Mission to the UN and the November the November 25 assassination of Eu- The bomber. was able to walk down 25 murder of Eulalio Negrin." lalio Negrin in Union City, New Jer- the side street, plant the bomb, and "Indiscriminate violence," he ad sey. Negrin was a member of the warn pedestrians to get away. monished, "is not the way to achieve The socialist candidates also sent a Committee of 75, a group of Cuban A member of the Cuban Mission did political ends." message of solidarity to the Cuban leaders abroad working for friendly see the bomb being planted, appar- Official inaction on the anti-Cuban Mission. They pledged they would relations with the government of their ently with a TV scanner. terrorism was assailed by Victor Nieto, make the demand for a halt to the homeland. He rushed out to warn the cops. Socialist Workers nominee for U.S. terrorism a central issue in their cam Last spring, Carlos Muniz, who was Since he spoke Spanish, they grabbed senator from New York. paign and that they would also press also a supporter of the Committee of him and proceeded to search him. Nieto, who was brought here from for an end to the U.S. blockade of 75, was gunned down in Puerto Rico. Police officials said they did not Cuba in his youth, joined with other Cuba.