Sept. 18, 2003 Vol. 45, No. 37

CHILE 11 de septiembre de 1973, una fecha para recordar 8

BUSH SPEECH As poverty in U.S. grows Triggers false debate 9

AFGHANISTAN Bush demands another Poverty deepens, fighting grows 8 $87B for occupation Anti-war movement replies: ‘Bring the troops home now!’ By Greg Butterfield Biden, head of the Foreign Relations Committee, immediately ‘FIGHT endorsed Bush’s plan to double spending on the Iraq occupa- the On Sept. 7, when President George W. Bush made his nation- tion in the coming fiscal year. ally televised plea for an additional $87 billion to fund the bru- Howard Dean—the so-called anti-war candidate and former Power!' 6-7 tal occupation of Iraq, he neglected to tell poor and working peo- Vermont governor—said Bush should send his top aides to ple about a growing and ominous threat to their safety. Europe immediately to get troops and money to shore up the Not Saddam Hussein. Not Osama bin Laden. Not “sleeper occupation. “Failure is not an option” in the conquest of Iraq, he CALIFORNIA cells” of terrorists nesting in U.S. cities. blustered. (French Press Agency, Sept. 8) No, the danger Bush failed to mention was revealed in a slew No one should forget that most of the 1.5 million Iraqis who PROPOSITION 54 of both government and independent reports the first week of perished from sanctions over the last decade did so under Attack on September: a severe increase in poverty, unemployment and Democrat Bill Clinton’s watch. At the same time, the evil alliance overwork in the era of “endless war.” of Democratic and Republican leaders ripped up the social safety affirmative action 6 Over 1.3 million more people were thrown into poverty last net at home for poor and working people with their 1996 wel- year. The so-called economic recovery has coincided with the fare repeal. most sustained loss of jobs since the Great Depression. It would be a big mistake for the multinational working class It’s hardly surprising that he didn’t say anything about this. to throw its weight behind a Democratic Party candidate just as 6-MONTH SENTENCE After all, while Bush was calling on people here to prepare for dependent as Bush on Big Oil and Wall Street—and just as com- more sacrifices in the bloody war of conquest in Iraq, and while mitted to reconquering the Middle East and the rest of the world. FUNK:‘Hell no, more U.S. grunts and Iraqi civilians die by the day, Bush’s big- A militant, independent movement of the workers and poor I won't go!’ 3 business benefactors are bathing in an unprecedented bounty of is what’s needed—one that can bring the capitalist cronies of both fat military contracts, enormous tax cuts and the prospect of parties to heel and take back the money now flowing into the war milking Iraq’s oil wealth for themselves. machine so it can be used for people’s needs. Not one of the leading Democratic candidates for president The potential for such a movement is real. On Oct. 25, tens of answered Bush’s speech with a condemnation of the occupation thousands of people from all over North America will converge

WPOO A CHIN WW PHOTO: PAT or a demand that the money being poured down the military on Washington, D.C., to demand that Bush end the occupation sinkhole be used instead for jobs at home and reparations for of Iraq and bring the troops home now. the Iraqi people. Those organizing include families of soldiers and reservists, Instead, the Democrats called on Bush to do more to pressure immigrant workers threatened with jail and deportation, labor Europe and the United Nations to aid the occupation in hopes unions, workfare workers and others who will demand money of crushing the growing Iraqi resistance movement. Sen. Joseph Continued on page 4 MILLION YOUTH MARCH Electrifies Brooklyn 5 INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR MUMIA 5

HARVEY MILK SCHOOL Hundreds defend LGBT students 5

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‘End occupation in Iraq, Palestine, everywhere’ Planned protests for National Bush demands $87B for occupation ...... 1 Sept. 25-28 in U.S., world Protests Sept. 25-28 in U.S., world ...... 2 The trial of Stephen Funk...... 3 By John Catalinotto two years. Bush’s ratings in the polls are the lowest IBM workers susceptible to cancer ...... 4 they’ve been since he was able to use the Sept. 11, French delegation supports Mumia ...... 4 Organizers of Sept. 28 demonstrations to demand 2001, attack to whip up patriotism and support for Protests support LGBT students ...... 5 an end to the occupations of Iraq and all of Palestine the administration and its war. This slippage has Million youth march in Brooklyn ...... 5 say the mood is beginning to feel like “last year’s encouraged anti-war activists to step up their work. October to March anti-war protests.” In Los Angeles, where a protest at a Bush California’s Prop 54 ...... 6 Last spring, many of the groups worldwide that fundraiser brought out thousands of people earlier LA forum on Cuban Five...... 6 had demonstrated to try to stop the war on Iraq called this summer, organizers from the ANSWER coalition Baltimore immigrant freedom march ...... 7 for an international day of action for Sept. 27 or 28, are hopeful about the Sept. 28 turnout. “It was quiet Ashcroft gets ‘welcome’ he deserves ...... 7 which is the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. a few weeks ago,” said Los Angeles ANSWER orga- The focus was to be on Palestine solidarity, and also nizer John Beacham, “but now there is a strong core International on ending the occupation of Iraq. of volunteers getting out leaflets and pasting up Afghan poverty deepens, fighting grows ...... 8 At the time it was hard to predict whether these posters all over the county.” Bush speech triggers false debate...... 9 would be limited to symbolic solidarity actions, or In Los Angeles, the emphasis is about equally on begin to reignite the world movement that had grown Palestine and Iraq. The top of the leaflet reads, “On NYC meeting in solidarity with Asian strugle...... 10 to over 10 million people last February. The answer the anniversary of the Palestinian Intifada,” and in Colombia LGBT community suffers ...... 11 depends on political developments, as various orga- big type, “End Occupation in Iraq, Palestine and Young communists tortured in Ukraine ...... 11 nizers have reported. Everywhere. No to Empire, no to Colonialism. Bring In Turkey, where a national demonstration is the Troops Home Now.” The text of the leaflet planned for Ankara on Sept. 27, the question of demands no intervention in Afghanistan, Korea, the Editorials whether Turkish troops will be sent to Iraq has sharp- Philippines, Africa and Latin America. Cancun, Iraq and history ...... 10 ened the struggle. The same is true for a newer move- ANSWER is organizing the demonstration along ment in Poland, which will gather in Warsaw to with groups representing the Arab community, South Noticias En Español demand the Polish troops occupying southern Iraq Asians, Koreans and Filipinos, as well as more tradi- near Babylon be brought home. tional peace groups. Lecciones del golpe en Chile ...... 12 In the Middle East and North Africa, anti-U.S. Fernando Suarez, a Mexican-American who is the demonstrations are often threatened by the local rul- father of a GI killed in Iraq and who is strongly anti- ing groups. The ongoing violent occupations in war, will be speaking at a news conference and at the WW CALENDAR Palestine and Iraq can stir such strong mass response rally Sept. 28. that it leads to clashes with the repressive state. In New York on Sept. 8 an equally diverse group LOS ANGELES.. meetings at 7 p.m. Phone Reports from Middle Eastern organizers of Against of 30 organizers from about a dozen organizations (212) 627-2994 for topics and Sun., Sept. 28 location. U.S. and Israeli Globalization and Hegemony say met at the International Action Center office to plan No to colonialism in Iraq, demonstrations are planned in Lebanon, Syria, that city’s Sept. 28 action. Groups attending included Palestine, and everywhere. SAN FRANCISCO.. Gather at noon Hollywood & Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Bahrain, United Arab three from the Arab and Arab-American community, Sun., Sept. 28 Vine. March to Hollywood and No to colonialism in Iraq, Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Iran and and also representatives from the gay community, Highland for Palestine, and everywhere. At 2 p.m. rally. Pakistan. Koreans, Philippines support groups, and the IAC Dolores Park at noon, march In Britain, the Stop the War Coalition expects its and ANSWER. Every Friday to Civic Center for 2 p.m. Workers World Party weekly Sept. 27 action to be massive. The protest comes as The activists were determined to find ways to use Every Sunday meetings at 7:30 p.m. Workers World Party weekly the Tony Blair administration has been put on the banners and flags to show both solidarity with the (Dinner at 7.) meetings. These educational defensive about the lies it told to justify invading Iraq. embattled Palestinians and enthusiasm for going on At 422 S. Western. Phone meetings cover current events (213) 500-0529 for info. At least 39 countries are planning solidarity events. the offensive against Bush and Co. over Iraq. A work- as well as struggles of peo- These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, ing meeting then followed to lay the structure for ples from all over the world. 5 Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, what promises to be a strong demonstration from the NEW YORK.. p.m. At 2489 Mission St, room 28. For info (415) 826- Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Columbus Circle area through midtown Manhattan. Fri., Sept. 26 4828. Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, South Harlem welcomes Venezuela’s San Francisco organizers expect a mass demon- Hugo Chavez. An evening of Korea, Spain and Thailand. tration there on Sept. 28. They report that similar solidarity with the Bolivarian SAN DIEGO.. coalition meetings have taken place, and are opti- Revolution. 5 p.m. At Mt. Bush hits a low at home Olivet Baptist Church, 120th Sat., Sept. 27 mistic that people will come from all over central and & Malcolm X Blvd. For info No to colonialism in Iraq, In the United States the organizing is hitting its northern California. (718) 510-5523 or (718) 205- Palestine, and everywhere. 7699. Gather at noon on the stride just as the Bush administration has had to Other meetings and marches taking place include: University Avenue bridge over admit that the plan to control Iraq is in a crisis. Sept. 25 in Alexandria, Va., and Rutland, Vt.; Sept. Every Friday I-15 in City Heights. March at President George W. Bush now wants $87 billion to 26 in Patterson, N.J., and Chicago; Sept. 27 in San Workers World Party weekly 1 p.m. try to bring Iraq to heel, plus the support of the United Diego, Saint Louis, Kansas City, Mo., Santa Barbara, Nations he scorned getting into the war. And the Calif., and Detroit; and on Sept. 28 in Seattle and Workers World Pentagon has had to announce extended duty for Boston. Details on these and some international 55 West 17 Street already war-weary reservists and National Guard events are listed on the ANSWER website at New York, N.Y. 10011 GIs. www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/ Phone: (212) 627-2994 Meanwhile the economic news at home is going s28/sep25_28events.html. Fax: (212) 675-7869 from bad to worse, with 2 million jobs lost in the past E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.workers.org Vol. 45, No. 37 • Sept. 18, 2003 Closing date: Sept. 10, 2003

Editor: Deirdre Griswold; Technical Editor: Lal Roohk; Managing Editors: Greg Butterfield, John Catalinotto, Leslie Feinberg, Monica Moorehead, Gary Wilson; JOIN US. Workers World Atlanta P.O. Box 424, Chicago P.O. Box 06178, Los Angeles San Francisco West Coast Editors: Richard Becker, Gloria La Riva; Party (WWP) fights on all Atlanta, Ga. 30301 Wacker Drive Station, 269 S. Western Ave., 2489 Mission St. Contributing Editors: Joyce Chediac, Pat Chin, Naomi Cohen, Shelley issues that face the (404) 235-5704 Chicago, Ill. 60606 Room 110, Rm. 28, Ettinger, Teresa Gutierrez; working class and (773) 381-5839; Los Angeles, Calif. 90004 San Francisco, Baltimore 426 E. 31 St., Technical Staff: John Beacham, Joe Delaplaine, Rebecca Finkel, Hank oppressed peoples—Black Fax (773) 761-9330; (213) 500-0529 Calif. 94110 Sambach; and white, Latino, Asian, Baltimore, Md. 21218 [email protected] [email protected] (415) 826-4828; Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Carlos Vargas; Arab and Native peoples, (410) 235-7040 fax (415) 821-5782; [email protected] Cleveland Philadelphia Internet: Janet Mayes women and men, young P.O. Box 9202, [email protected] and old, lesbian, gay, bi, P.O. Box 5963 Boston 31 Germania St., Cleveland, OH 44101 Philadelphia, Pa. 19139 Seattle Workers World-WW (ISSN-1070-4205) is published weekly except the straight, trans, disabled, (610) 352-3625; 1218 E. Cherry #201, first week of January by WW Publishers, 55 W. 17 St., N.Y., N.Y. 10011. working, unemployed Boston, Mass. 02130 phone (216) 531-4004 (Enter at 284 Amory St.) [email protected] Seattle, Wash. 98122 Phone: (212) 627-2994. Subscriptions: One year: $25; foreign and insti- and students. [email protected] (206) 325-0085; tutions: $35. Letters to the editor may be condensed and edited. Articles (617) 983-3835; Detroit Richmond, Va. If you would like to know Fax (617) 983-3836 P.O. Box 14602, [email protected] can be freely reprinted, with credit to Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., New more about WWP, or to 5920 Second Ave., York, NY 10011. Back issues and individual articles are available on [email protected] Detroit, Mich. 48202 Richmond, Va. 23221 State College, Pa. join us in these struggles, [email protected] 100 Grandview Rd., microfilm and/or photocopy from University Microfilms International, contact the branch near- Buffalo, N.Y. (313) 831-0750; [email protected] Rochester, N.Y. State College, 300 Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. A searchable archive is avail- est you. P.O. Box 1204 Pa. 16801 able on the Web at www.workers.org. Buffalo NY 14213 2117 Buffalo Rd., PMB. Houston 303, Rochester, N.Y. 14624 (814) 237-8695 (716) 857-2112 Selected articles are available via e-mail subscription. Send an e-mail National Office P.O. Box 130322, (716) 436-6458; Washington, D.C. 55 W. 17 St., [email protected] Houston, Texas message to [email protected]. San Diego, Calif. P.O. Box 57300, New York, N.Y. 10011 77219 (713) 861-5965 Washington, DC 20037, (212) 627-2994; [email protected] 3930 Oregon St., Suite 230 Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address San Diego, Calif. 92104 (202) 347-9300 changes to Workers World-WW, 55 W. 17 St., 5th Floor, Fax (212) 675-7869 [email protected] [email protected] (619) 692-4496 New York, N.Y. 10011. www.workers.org Sept. 18, 2003 Page 3

The trial of Stephen Funk Marine war resister sentenced to six months By Dustin Langley dignity. I refuse to kill. The military war, saying they lack the “decency and loy- demands obedience, but I will not obey.” alty” of those who served. On Sept. 6, after two days of testimony After the news conference, he turned Funk’s lawyers called this memo a sign and hours of deliberation, a jury of four himself in to military authorities. Faced of pre-trial prejudice, as all the jurors in Marines at the 4th Service Support Group with the massive media presence, Marine the case were under Bergman’s com- command, headquarters for the Marine Capt. Patrick O’Rourke claimed that Funk mand. This memo, which Bergman now Reserve in New Orleans, found Lance would receive only administrative pun- claims he didn’t write, was an obvious Corp. Stephen Funk guilty of unautho- ishment, and that his application for message to the potential jurors. rized absence and recommended a sen- Conscientious Objector status would be The military judge, John A. Maksym, tence of six months in prison. handled quickly. “The Marine Corps said he was “miffed” that the memo had WW PHOTO: BILL HACKWELL Funk, the first military resister this understands there are service members not come to light in pre-trial hearings, and San Francisco, Sept. 4. year to face court-martial, says he was tar- opposed to the war,” O’Rourke said. “He’ll noted that the jury would be selected from geted for punishment because he is gay be treated fairly.” among Marines under Bergman’s com- have always considered myself an activist and because he spoke out against the war. Once media attention died down, how- mand. That jury could be affected by any and stand with the oppressed peoples of He says he was the target of unfair pros- ever, Funk was transferred to New Or- bias displayed by Bergman, he said. the world. I spoke out so that others in the ecution because he was a conscientious leans, informed that his Conscientious The prosecution claimed that Funk was military would realize that they also have objector who spoke at anti-war rallies. He Objector claim would not be processed, “shirking important duty” and asked for a a choice and a duty to resist.” was the only one of 28 Marine conscien- and charged with desertion. sentence of one year’s imprisonment. The The GI Rights group Support Network tious objectors to the Iraq war to face As the trial opened Sept. 6, the defense jury, which consisted of three senior non- for an Armed Forces Union—SNAFU— prosecution. presented a memo written by Marine Brig. commissioned officers and one commis- has initiated the Stephen Funk Support Funk is also to receive a bad conduct Gen. John W. Bergman, commander of sioned officer, deliberated for approxi- Committee, which is calling for Funk’s discharge, demotion to the rank of pri- the New Orleans-based 4th Force Service mately three hours before returning with immediate release and is promoting an vate, the Marines’ lowest rank, and his Support Group. In the memo, Bergman a guilty verdict. on-line petition calling for him to be pay will be docked by two-thirds during denounces all personnel who were absent Funk said he was enthusiastic about the released now. (www.petitiononline.com/ his incarceration. without authorization during the Iraq opportunity to speak out at the trial. “I stephenf/petition.html) The jury found Funk not guilty of the more serious charge of desertion with intent to shirk important duty, which could have put him behind bars for a year. Defense attorney Stephen Collier said he would still appeal for a lighter sentence. Collier said he will request that Funk BRINGtheTROOPS HOME NOW receive a normal discharge and a prison term of 47 days. Lt. Gen. Dennis M. McCarthy, commander of the Marine reserves, has the authority to accept or reduce the sentence. Funk was held in the New Orleans jail Sept. 7 and would likely be transported to a still undetermined military prison on Sept. 8, Collier said. He will be discharged SATURDAY when he’s released from prison. Funk, 21, is originally from Seattle and is half-Filipino. He joined the Marine Corps to earn money for college and because at OCT25 “Are more people going to be killed? the time he believed the experience would give him a sense of direction and discipline. You bet.” “I wanted to belong and I wanted – DONALD RUMSFELD MASS MARCH ON July 14, 2003 another direction in my life, and this seemed to offer it,” said Funk. “They told me I would be able to go back to school. The ads make the armed forces look so WASHINGTON cool—‘Call this number and we’ll send you a free pair of boxer shorts’—and a lot of kids don’t realize what’s involved.” “The boot camp experience quickly snapped me back into reality, but by that time it seemed too late to do anything. The purpose of military training is to churn out The U.S. is spending $4 billion non-thinking killing machines. All humans a month to occupy Iraq— have a natural aversion to killing, and more than $130 million being forced to shout out ‘Kill, kill, kill’ a day, that’s $5 million every day is a major stress on the mind, every hour. Remember these numbers when they body, and soul.” say there is no money for Funk was also alarmed by the Bush education and healthcare administration’s rush to war against Iraq. or libraries, firehouses, “This war is very immoral because of the childcare or other vital social services deception involved by our leaders,” he Volunteers Needed! said. “It is very hypocritical.” Meetings every Thurs. at 7pm Money On Feb. 19, Funk’s San Jose, Calif.- 1247 E. St. S.E. Washington, D.C. for jobs, based unit was mobilized to load ships and Buses from across the U.S. education & cargo planes in San Diego bound for the health care— Middle East. He felt he had no choice but NY-NJ Activist Mtg NOT WAR! every Tuesday at 7:pm to refuse. 39 W. 14th St, #206, Defend civil rights NY, NY Between 5th & 6th Ave. & civil liberties Funk refuses to surrender dignity Call for bus tickets or to Fightback against For 47 days Funk was absent without volunteer 212-633-6646 the Patriot Act leave—AWOL. During this time, he spoke at several anti-war rallies in San Francisco. On April 1, outside the Marine END THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ base in San Jose, Calif., he explained to reporters his reasons for refusing to A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) COALITION • www.internationalANSWER.org deploy. He said: “I refuse to surrender my [email protected] WASHINGTON 202.544.3389 • NEW YORK 212.633.6646 Page 4 Sept. 18, 2003 www.workers.org IBM workers susceptible to cancer By G. Dunkel cer among IBM employees. These data fumes from chemicals such as toluene, dreds of people in New York and Minne- also show that cancers appear to be occur- cadmium, arsenic, benzene and sota who have or had jobs in “clean Workers in San Jose, Calif.—or, in ring in IBM workers earlier than the aver- trichloroethylene,—all of which are rooms” have sued IBM as individuals or some cases, their survivors—have hired age U.S. population. either known or suspected carcinogens. groups. Since they are not represented by one of the top epidemiologists in the IBM is not just a software giant, a Nor can the suits protect against the a union—which IBM has spent decades country to analyze their claims that they major consulting firm and a producer of compounds created by combining these and big bucks avoiding—they have to take developed terminal cancers working for computers ranging from PCs to giant chemicals together, the dangers of which on this multi-billion, multinational cor- International Business Machines in mainframes and including Unix- and have never been scientifically studied. poration on their own. designing or producing microcomputer GNU/Linux-based servers. It is also a Nearly 300,000 workers in the United IBM is apparently relying on its repu- chips and hard disks. major manufacturer of computer chips States work in plants with “clean rooms.” tation as a safe company that protected its Dr. Richard Clapp, an associate profes- for companies like Apple, Boeing and About one-quarter of them come into con- employees, emphasized workplace safety sor at Boston University’s School of Public itself. It has recently discontinued mak- tact with these dangerous chemicals. and went out of its way to protect its Health, has worked on analyzing the risks ing disk drives. Worldwide, about a million people work employees. The company is vigorously at the Love Canal site near Buffalo, N.Y.; Workers in the “clean rooms” used to in such plants, many of them owned by big defending itself against the charges. dioxin contamination at Toms River, N.J., produce chips and disk plates have to U.S. corporations such as Motorola and But the length of time IBM and the and Woburn, Mass; and the effects of wear “bunny suits.” These are head-to- Intel. (Figures from Mother Jones, other large chip manufacturers took in depleted uranium on Massachusetts vet- heel covers that protect the workers from March/April 2002.) cleaning up their plants, and the fact that erans of the first Gulf War. dust and particles and keep the chips from Microchips are used in computers, but they made sure to do so before the cases His statistical analyses from IBM data being ruined. are also in hundreds of other products like came to trial, indicate that IBM knowingly show increased rates of breast cancer, These suits filter the air. They do not cell phones and automobiles. disregarded workers’ health and safety to non-Hodgkins lymphoma and brain can- protect the workers from the powerful Besides the lawsuits in California, hun- make more money.

As bigots protest Hundreds support LGBT students

The first day of school can be nervewracking. For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students who attend the Harvey Milk School in New York City, a right-wing demonstration threatened to make the day even harder. However, 250 supporters—outnumbering the right wingers—cheered, encouraged and defended the students as they entered in the morning, and again as the students left classes in the afternoon. The demonstration was called by FIERCE, an LGBT youth of color group, and DITCH, a new lesbian group. — Caption and photo: Deirdre “Al Dente” Sinnott

Bush demands another $87B for occupation

Continued from page 1 in the United States fell into poverty in $9,200 a year for a single adult. the corporate thieves in the form of prof- for jobs, poverty relief, schools and health 2002—as the Bush administration geared It’s no wonder poverty is epidemic. its. care, not war and repression. up for war with Iraq and states and cities Over 2.7 million jobs have disappeared Another new Labor Department study across the country began to feel the brunt since 2001, according to government shows that the degree of this theft has Census: Poverty grows of cuts in federal aid for all kinds of pro- sources. The Economic Policy Institute, reached unprecedented levels within the by 1.3 million grams. which does research for the labor move- United States. Productivity—the amount The anti-war movement can reach out The number of children in poverty rose ment, says the real number is more like workers produce for each hour of work— to those suffering from unemployment by over 600,000, to 12.2 million, the 3.3 million. surged by 6.8 percent in the April through and poverty with factual evidence show- Washington Post reported. “The rate of That is the biggest sustained job loss June quarter. ing that war and occupation run counter increase in children under age 5 jumped a since the 1930s. The growing productivity isn’t the result to their very survival. This powerful full percentage point to 19.8 percent liv- As more and more economic analysts of growing employment. It’s bosses forc- movement is demanding that the govern- ing below the poverty line from 18.8 per- are forced to admit, those jobs aren’t com- ing those workers who haven’t lost their ment bring the troops home and spend cent a year earlier,” the paper reported ing back. jobs to work harder, for longer hours, and taxpayers’ money on jobs and poverty Sept. 3. Just four days after the poverty report’s for less pay. relief, not war. People of color were hardest hit, but a release, the U.S. Labor Department As the United Nations’ International The government, and the ruling class growing number of white workers were announced that 93,000 more jobs were Labor Organization reported Sept. 2, behind it, will only respond to an inde- also affected. lost in August. The official unemploy- “Workers in the United States put in an pendent mass struggle. Capitalist politi- “The spike in economic hardship hit ment rate for the month dropped by a blip average of 1,815 hours in 2002 compared cians may criticize Bush for their own elec- individuals and families alike,” the Post from 6.2 to 6.1 percent—not because to major European economies, where tion-year ends, but elections have never wrote. “The report indicated that the total more people were working, but because hours ranged from around 1,300 to 1,800.” ended wars. Only the struggle of the percentage of people in poverty increased more than ever have given up hope of “To put it more bluntly,” Joel Naroff of masses can do that. to 12.4 percent from 12.1 percent in 2001 finding any job at all. (Associated Press, Naroff Economic Advisors candidly told There’s plenty of evidence available to and totaled 34.8 million. At the same time, Sept. 5) the French Press Agency Sept. 7, “why hire show that the huge amounts being spent the number of families living in poverty when you can get your employees to work on the Pentagon not only fail to “trickle went up by more than 300,000 in 2002 to Unprecedented theft harder?” down” to the people but are making con- 7 million from 6.6 million in 2001.” of labor power Even as the Bush administration, ditions worse. And that’s just by Washington’s artifi- Bosses—the capitalists—thrive on the Congress and Corporate America are The American Community Survey, a cially low definition of what constitutes theft of workers’ labor power. Workers pumping up jingoism heading into the Census Bureau report released Sept. 2, poverty: less than $17,960 a year for a produce far more value than they are paid 2004 elections, U.S. companies are mov- showed that more than 1.3 million people family of two adults and two children, and for in wages. The surplus is scooped up by ing more high-tech jobs to other coun- www.workers.org Sept. 18, 2003 Page 5

PHILADELPHIA . French delegation shows International Concerned Family and Friends support for Mumia of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the MOVE Organization and a high-level delegation of French sup- porters held a rush-hour demonstration in Philadelphia Sept. 5 to present information on the state’s refusal to provide proper health care for death-row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. The protestors also demanded that the Philadelphia Inquirer be fair and truthful if it publishes an article investigating a custody case involving MOVE. The French delegation included: Chantal Calliquil, member of the European Parliament; Mireille Fanon, French human- rights activist and daughter of Frantz Fanon, the famous Algerian author of “The Wretched of the Earth”; Marina Rejeski, French human-rights activist; Nicole Borvo, French senator from the Communist Party; and Jackie Hortauet, representative of the CGT, a French labor organization. Members of the delegation planned to travel to S.C.I. Greene State Prison to visit Abu-Jamal and to meet with prison officials concerning his health. —WW photo & caption: Joe Piette

Million youth march electrifies Brooklyn community tries—the better to super-exploit workers production of a number of available there who must take whatever work they wage workers in excess of the average By Johnnie Stevens can get, thanks to the imperialist theft of needs of capital, the formation of a com- Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn their countries’ wealth and resources. plete industrial reserve army, as I called Forrester Research Inc., a trend-analy- it in 1845, available at the times when Thousands of shoppers and workers sis firm, predicts that another 3.3 million industry is working at high pressure, to welcomed the Fifth annual Million jobs will be permanently moved overseas be cast out upon the street when the Youth March at Fulton and Nostrand on by 2015. Many will be so-called white col- inevitable crash comes, a constant dead Sept. 6. The MYM organizers had been lar, high-tech and service industry jobs, weight upon the limbs of the working in battle with New York Mayor Michael not just factory work. class in its struggle for existence with Bloomberg and the New York Police A new study by the Federal Reserve capital, a regulator for keeping of wages Department for months over the right to Bank of New York concluded that “The down to the low level that suits the inter- have a permitted march and location. vast majority of the 2.7 million job losses ests of capital. This battle impacted the outreach since the 2001 recession began were the “Thus it comes about, to quote Marx, efforts. result of permanent changes in the U.S. that machinery becomes the most power- City Councilmemeber Charles Barron economy and are not coming back, which ful weapon in the war of capital against the from Brooklyn said: “Mayor Bloomberg means the labor market will not regain working class; that the instruments of should have been here. The youth is our future.” Barron and Councilmember Al strength until new positions are created in labor constantly tear the means of subsis- WW PHOTO: PAT CHIN novel and dynamic economic sectors,” the tence out of the hands of the laborer; that Vann presented a proclamation to the shoppers. Tylibah, in spoken word, called Washington Post reported Sept. 5. the very product of the worker is turned New Black Panther Party, which spon- for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, “The job market is vastly worse right into an instrument for his subjugation. ... sored the rally. stating that Black, Latino and poor white now than it was a couple of years ago,” said “Thus it comes about that the overwork Hip-hop artist Tylibah Washington people are being victimized by the multi- Gary Burtless of the Brookings Institution, of some becomes the preliminary condi- helped to bring consiousness to the youth national corporations. a major Washington think tank. tion for the idleness of others, and that participants and the busy Fulton street modern industry, which hunts after new The rule, not the exception consumers over the whole world, forces The current “jobless recovery” isn’t the the consumption of the masses at home new phenomenon that capitalist apolo- down to a starvation minimum, and in gists would have people think. The doing thus destroys its own home market.” destruction of jobs, especially higher-pay- In 2003, as in Engels’ day, the fight is ing jobs dependent on technological not just to win jobs, better pay and shorter advances, is as endemic to the profit sys- hours, but also to do away with the capi- tem as the boom-and-bust cycle. talist system that breeds unemployment, Corporate America’s current restruc- poverty, racism and war, and to replace it turing is an intensification of a process with a socialist system based on fulfilling that has dominated the U.S. economy human needs. since the early 1980s, when the high-tech boom first began to destroy millions of seemingly stable, good-paying jobs. The process continued during the first Bush administration—when the term “jobless recovery” was first coined—and under the Clinton administration. The rel- atively short Internet-fueled boom of the Racism, national oppression & Greetings from Mumia Abu-Jamal the right to self-determination to the 3rd UN World Conference late 1990s was the exception, not the rule. Larry Holmes Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Frederick Engels, who along with Karl Black labor from chattel slavery Xenophobia & Related Intolerance Marx founded the modern communist to wage slavery Sam Marcy movement over 150 years ago, explained Nigerian women take over Reparations & Black Liberation Chevron Texaco Monica Moorehead the process in his 1880 book “Socialism: Monica Moorehead Utopian and Scientific.” Nigerian women’s takeover ends Harriet Tubman: woman warrior in victory Monica Moorehead Engels wrote: “If the introduction and Mumia Abu-Jamal (Guest Commentary) increase of machinery means the displace- Black labor & the fight Causes of turmoil in Jamaica ment of millions of manual by a few for reparations Bill Cecil Pat Chin PART I PART II PART III machine workers, improvement in Alabama’s Black Belt: Legacy of slavery, The driving force behind machinery means the displacement of sharecropping and segregation the land seizures Monica Moorehead more and more of the machine workers By Consuela Lee (Guest commentary) Order now online from themselves. Edited by Monica Moorehead Black farmers demand justice “It means, in the last instance, the Monica Moorehead Leftbooks.com for $4.50 Page 6 Sept. 18, 2003 www.workers.org

Proposition 54 in California Right-wing attack on affirmative

Following are excerpts from a Sept. 7 (remember that the definition in the ini- name. There can be found the purported “refreshing” to not have to deal with talk given by WWP member LeiLani tiative of “classifying” includes “profil- mission statement of the Initiative: checks on racism, it is clear that without Dowell at a San Francisco meeting. ing”). Yet monitoring police profiling and “Passage of RPI will do many things: these checks, long-fought-for affirmative- police abuse in specific communities— end government’s preferential treatment action rights as well as attempts to address Ward Connerly, who brought Cali- clearly necessary if one considers just the based on race, and junk a 17th-century the health and welfare needs of specific fornia the anti-affirmative-action Propo- recent attacks on the largely African- racial classification system that has no communities would be greatly inhibited. sition 209 in 1996, is at it again—with a American community of Hunters Point in place in 21st-century America. But most Have the statistics compiled from the new initiative called the “Classification by the Bay Area—would be illegal. importantly, RPI’s passage will signal years of collecting data on race ever Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin” In other words, it’s okay to criminalize America’s first step towards a color-blind proven anything but the necessity of more Initiative, also known as Proposition 54. and profile people by race, but ensuring society.” checks on racism? Here’s just a small sam- Prop 54, if passed, would make it ille- social justice and opportunity isn’t. The California Constitution “forbids ple of recent headlines: gal for the state of California to “classify Just as insidious is the exemption that state government from discriminating • An article in the Aug. 19 Guardian U.K. any individual by race, ethnicity, color or allows racial and ethnic classification of against or granting preferential treatment cites a report by the U.S. Justice national origin.” “Classifying” is defined “medical research subjects and patients.” to any citizen based on race.” Therefore, Department that says that Black men as “the act of separating, sorting or orga- While this sounds great, the initiative since government has no reason to clas- born in the United States in 2001 will nizing by race, ethnicity, color or national actually bars what is considered by many sify persons by race, why should it even have a one in three chance of going to origin including, but not limited to, in the medical industry to be the corner- ask us for the data? Like religion, marital prison during their lifetime if current inquiring, profiling, or collecting such stone of public health administration: col- status or sexual orientation, race should trends continue. data on government forms.” lecting data for population-based surveys. become a private matter that is no busi- • An Aug. 15 Reuters article states that Connerly would have us believe that we On Aug. 29, a state superior judge ruled ness of government’s. Think how refresh- although breast cancer is not as com- live in a color-blind society, that a person’s that the proponents’ summary statement ing it would be to throw out the entire sys- mon in African American women com- race has no impact on her or his socio- to appear in the voter’s pamphlet had to tem of checking little boxes.” pared with other groups, it tends to be economic level, access to education, be rewritten to accurately reflect the far- What a lofty statement. The proponents diagnosed at a later stage and is there- health care or housing, not to mention reaching health implications of the mea- of the initiative are careful not to mention fore more deadly. general, everyday harassment and dis- sure. the word “racism” in their statement. crimination. The philosophy of Connerly And while the initiative calls for an While it’s true that the 17th-century racial • An article in the San Francisco and his right-wing backers dismisses the exemption to the Department of Fair classification system was used to exploit Chronicle of June 19 notes that while unequal playing field that people of color Employment and Housing, the exemption workers on the basis of race and that the the Latinos now represent the largest face in every social sector, from discrimi- is set to expire in 10 years—apparently state continues to be a racist institution, race or ethnic group in California, one- nation in employment, health care and Connerly expects housing discrimination the data that are currently compiled by the third of Latino children in California housing to the disproportionate number to be eliminated by that time—and even state can be and is used in the struggle for are poor. of people of color in prison and in the most that exemption states that “DFEH shall equal rights, a struggle that is necessarily • An article in the June 27 Asian Week dangerous and menial jobs in the military. not impute a race, color, ethnicity or long and has not ceased. Yet they would newspaper notes that in San Francisco, Health organizations and profession- national origin to any individual.” Regard- have us believe that in a capitalist system only .01 percent of Asian Pacific als, public officials, political organiza- less, the exemption becomes something of that was founded and continues to thrive Americans took an HIV test last year. tions, religious groups, and bar associa- a joke in its assumption that housing is the on racism, passage of a state initiative will The article cites a lack of culturally tions have all spoken out against the ini- only area that people of color are discrim- simply make it all disappear. competent and linguistically accessible tiative. inated in, and not in jobs, education, One might as well ignore the gains of health education and risk reduction While the initiative’s language contains health care and other sectors as well. the civil-rights and other movements as programs as part of the problem. a few exemptions to the information ban Connerly had originally given the well, as passage of RPI will “signal Amer- On Sept. 3 the state’s Fair Political in certain sectors, many of them have proposition the misnomer “Racial Privacy ica’s first step” towards racial equality. Practices Commission filed suit against been condemned as being too narrow and Initiative,” but he was forced to change the While the California Constitution may Connerly and his two non-profit organi- vague, and some are simply confusing and name on the ballot after the state attorney forbid race-based discrimination, it is zations for a public disclosure of the nonsensical. For instance, the initiative general refused it as misleading. However, obvious to even the most casual observer organizations’ support roster for the ini- contains an exemption that allows the the official website of the initiative, that discrimination still exists. And while tiative, as required by law. Perhaps police to “classify” folks according to race www.racialprivacy.org, still keeps the the ruling capitalist class may find it Connerly thinks support of his initiative LA forum demands: Free Cuban 5 & all

By John Parker acute with the collapse Miami. La Riva mentioned the great sac- Los Angeles of the Soviet Union,” rifice made by these heroes that included said La Riva. not being able to tell their families where On Sept. 5, a multinational audi- “Then the Torricelli they were or what they were doing, which ence of over 125 people attended a and Helms-Burton laws reminds many of the plight of many polit- Los Angeles forum to demand the were passed by the U.S. ical prisoners here in the United States like freedom of five Cuban national polit- Congress to try to desta- Mumia Abu-Jamal or Leonard Peltier ical prisoners held here in the U. S. bilize Cuba economi- who haven’t had physical contact with for the “crime” of defending Cuba cally. In the spring of their loved ones in over 20 years. and its citizens against U.S.-sponsored said featured speaker Gloria 1990, the U.S. con- Jon Hillson, co-coordinator of the Los terrorism coming out of Miami. La Riva, national coordinator ducted three simultane- Angeles Coalition in solidarity with Cuba, This Sept. 12 marks the fifth anniver- of the National Committee to ous war maneuvers read a letter from Labanino concerning sary of their arrest by the FBI in Miami. Free the Cuban Five. against Cuba in Opera- the Cuban decision to use the death Regarded as heroes defending Cuba, they “We must understand that tion Global Shield. Cuba penalty to discourage anti-Cuban terror- have been imprisoned since that date. there is a 44-year-long U.S. prepared for possible ism sponsored by the United States. The war against Cuba which WW PHOTO: BOB MORRIS Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Gloria La Riva attack. Throughout all of letter also affirmed his dedication to con- Gerardo Hernández, René González and includes the U.S. blockade of Cuba, more than 3 mil- tinue to fight defending socialism and Fernando González are in federal prisons Cuba. It involves every U.S. embassy in the lion people mobilized in an operation Cuba. scattered around the United States falsely world to block, stop and sabotage any eco- called ‘Cuban Shield’—the armed forces, Hillson said, “There is no more deter- convicted of espionage conspiracy, mur- nomic agreements with Cuba. It has the people’s militias, the population.” mined a foe of this imperialist government der conspiracy and other counts. The meant wars of invasion like Operation La Riva mentioned how terrorism is than the Cuban government and the Cuban government sent them to the U. S. Mongoose which was the second attempt another weapon the U. S. has encouraged Cuban people. Imperialism must face the to infiltrate and survey fascistic anti- to invade Cuba. A Gen. William Smith was with the financing and training of terror- fact that 90 miles away from its shores Cuban terrorist groups in Miami, whose quoted as saying their invasion plan was ist groups in Miami. David can defeat Goliath.” murderous activities against Cuban civil- supposed to ‘wipe Cuba off the face of the In the early 1990s they felt a renewed Adrian Garcia, a member of the ians are supported by the U.S. govern- earth,’ ” recalled La Riva. boldness and have even been known to National Committee to Free the Cuban ment. After Cuba accepted removing tactical carry semi-automatic weapons in the Five, read a statement from death-row More than 3,400 Cuban people have nuclear and other weapons to protect streets of Miami while the cops turn a political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal in been killed by terrorist acts of Cuban itself from further U.S. invasion attempts, blind eye. She described the danger for support of and solidarity with Cuba for its right-wing groups such as the Cuban as a condition for their removal the Soviet activists in Miami who have dared to determination to keep the revolution alive. American National Foundation, Alpha Union extracted a promise from the speak out in favor of Cuba. Abu-Jamal also had a taped message 66, Brothers to the Rescue and others. United States to not invade Cuba again. It was in this context that Cuba decided played for the event. “Miami is literally a base for terrorism,” “The danger of invasion became more in 1990 to send five brave Cubans to Muna Coobtee, member of the South- www.workers.org Sept. 18, 2003 Page 7

BALTIMORE. action Rally kicks off immigrant will wane when voters discover who his backers are. His organization, the American Civil Rights Institute, receives freedom march regular major funding from the ultra- conservative Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee as well as the By Sharon Black Steven Ceci, an organizer of day- Scaife Foundation. Baltimore care workers with the Service According to MediaTransparency.org, Employees union, remarked: the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation On Sept. 7, some 300 union and com- “Every worker should support the is “the country’s largest and most influ- munity activists gathered at St. Matthews upcoming Oct. 4 demonstration. ential right-wing foundation.” The Scaife Catholic Church in Baltimore’s Eastside There are no boundaries in the Foundation is financed by the Mellon community to kick off the Immigrant workers’ struggle. This country was industrial, oil and banking fortune. Workers Freedom March, which will cul- built on the labor of millions of kid- As President Bush requests billions of minate in Queens, N.Y., on Oct. 4. napped people from Africa. dollars more to “cover ongoing military Members of UNITE, the garment and Workers from Haiti, the Dominican and intelligence operations in Iraq, textile workers union, who are involved in Republic, Honduras and so many Afghanistan and elsewhere” and while a campaign to organize the Mayflower other parts of the world have been California sinks further and further into laundry, helped fill the hall. There were forced from their countries for eco- a budget crisis that translates directly into also members of Hotel and Restaurant nomic and political reasons. Their cuts in education and social services, Employees Local 7, and Food and labor along with that of many other Proposition 54 would make it easier for Commercial Workers Local 27. workers keeps the hotels, laundries, the capitalists, through a lack of account- Advocate groups for immigrant work- kitchens and factories running. You ability, to deny services and continue ers and community groups joined the can see by the great turnout tonight their racist program of military recruit- effort. They include CASA of Maryland, that Baltimore’s unions are begin- ment on campuses of color and police Hispanic Ministry, Catholic Labor ning to forge the unity capable of brutality in the streets. Committee, All Peoples Congress, breaking the reactionary racism of Connerly had hoped that after putting American Friends Service Committee and the post- Sept. 11 frenzy.” Fred Mason WW PHOTO: SHARON BLACK the initiative on the highly contested Oct. many others. 7 recall ballot, white conservatives would Those present represented workers be the only ones to come out to vote. from around the world. Workers from BUFFALO. However, communities of color have been Kenya and other African countries partic- organizing against the initiative, and it ipated along with immigrant workers stands a very good chance of being from Mexico and other parts of Central defeated in the election. and Latin America. Filipino workers Ashcroft gets the The San Francisco ANSWER Coalition clapped as undocumented workers dis- plans on raising awareness on Prop 54 at cussed how they suffer at the hands of the upcoming Protest Against War and ruthless bosses. ‘welcome’ he deserves Occupation on Sept. 28. Maryland and D.C. AFL-CIO President While we know that only the destruc- Fred Mason was cheered as he pro- By Ellie Dorritie of Ashcroft and the Bush administration. tion of the capitalist system through the claimed, “The Bush regime creates the Buffalo, N.Y. They loudly denounced the Justice struggle for socialism will lead to equal conditions in many poorer countries that Department’s fear tactics. rights for all, we recognize the value of force workers to emigrate.” Mason, the Buffalo and nearby Western New York “Repeal the Patriot Act,” “FBI, get outta fighting for the gains that people of color state’s highest-ranking African American towns turned out well over 300 angry Lackawanna” and “Fight for our civil have won throughout the years, and the labor leader, recounted his own plight in activists on Sept. 8 to oppose the USA rights,” they shouted. The chanting and unifying of the movement through those rural Virginia and how he was forced to Patriot Act. The target of their wrath was drumming were so loud and persistent struggles. emigrate to find adequate work. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who that Ashcroft couldn’t get away from is trying to turn back a rising tide against them, even for a radio interview inside the this repressive, racist law by going on a hotel. The loud demonstration could be nationwide tour. Instead, angry protests heard on the air. have met him in over a dozen cities, and The protest began with a march at 7:30 political prisoners Buffalo was no exception. a.m. around the hotel. Marchers roared Ashcroft came here to claim the anti- with approval as they were joined by a justice Patriot Act is a success. He pointed large feeder march of “black bloc” youth ern California Free Palestine Alliance and statement by Peltier in support of Fidel to its use against six young men of Yemeni activists. The protest lasted for four hours. the Los Angeles steering committee of Castro and all the people of Cuba. He descent in Lackawanna, a depressed The ANSWER coalition—Act Now to ANSWER, gave updates on the case of the thanked Cuba for its unwavering support industrial suburb outside Buffalo, whom Stop War & End Racism—initiated the call Los Angeles 8. These are immigrant of his cause. the Bush administration has labeled ter- for the protest. Many organizations and activists whose support of Palestine was The latest victim of U.S. aggression rorists. During his visit, Ashcroft contin- individuals quickly responded and used to charge them with “subversive” against North Korea is John Yai, a Korean ued to refer to them as “a terrorist cell.” worked together to build the demonstra- activities such as leafleting and fundrais- American activist facing trumped-up However, the six were never even charged, tion. It was endorsed by the Buffalo Coali- ing. New charges remain on two of the charges of spying for faxing public infor- let alone convicted, of being terrorists. tion Against Poverty, Buffalo Forum, eight, Khader Hamide and Michel mation to the Democratic People’s Re- Solely because the six attended a reli- Buffalo / WNY International Action Shehadeh, whose trial is set for Sept. 15. public of Korea. He was represented by a gious training camp in Afghanistan, they Center, El Buen Amigo, Green Party of Coobtee said: “This case represents the Korean activist and journalist for Min- were charged with providing material Erie County, New York Civil Liberties right of people to speak out against injus- jok.com, Kil Nam Roh. Minjok.com gives support to Al Qaeda. They pleaded guilty Union-WNY, Niagara University Pax tice. Immigrants who are forced to come news and analysis from the DPRK and to these Patriot Act-sanctioned charges Christi, Olean Area Coalition for Peace to this country escaping repression caused South Korea and inside the United States. because the government threatened that and Justice, Pax Christi WNY, Pro- by the U.S. in their own country should Roh recently returned from a trip to the they could face military tribunals, say gressiveDirectory.com, Rust Belt Books, have the right to speak out about that DPRK and South Korea and urged the their lawyers. Talking Leaves Books, University of repression.” United States to stop its aggression The crowd outside the Hyatt Hotel Buffalo Faculty and Staff for Peace, WNY Carl Muhammad, member of San Diego against the DPRK and Korean activists chanted that they were fed up with the lies Peace Center and Workers World Party. ANSWER steering committee, linked the here in this country. Roh mentioned that case of Native political prisoner Leonard the FBI had admitted targeting Yai to Peltier to all political prisoners. He said: neutralize his activism. “All these cases have the same elements: National Lawyers Guild and Los jury tampering, prosecutorial misconduct Angeles ANSWER steering committee ... . The message is there is no Mumia, member Jim Lafferty motivated the audi- Imam Jamil, Leonard, Cuban 5—they are ence to take part in the upcoming Los all one. Angeles demonstration on Sept. 28, “Leonard Peltier spent the last 27 years which is part of national actions to end the in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and occupation of Iraq and Palestine, and in Protest in a collective voice people have called his the Oct. 25 march on Washingon. against Ashcroft incarceration a grave injustice, and some There was an enthusiastic response by in of us have called this a crime against the audience participants to getting Durham, humanity.” involved in supporting the freedom of the N.C., Muhammad read a recent solidarity Cuban 5 and all political prisoners. Sept. 6. Page 8 Sept. 18, 2003 www.workers.org

Victim of sham ‘war on terrorism’ Afghan poverty deepens, fighting

By Leslie Feinberg of August, about 150 people—including Today, in the provinces, people have lit- by the infamous U.S. private military con- Afghani troops and police—were killed tle or no access to education or even to tractor, DynCorp. The Bush administration is using the in fighting in southern Afghanistan. wells for drinking water. Few landlords second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, Some 400 Taliban militia troops briefly allow girls to go to school or women to Squeezing profits from misery attacks to squeeze billions of dollars more captured one of the districts of Zabul work. Women are still regarded as chattel Much of the almost $1 billion a month out of U.S. taxpayers, to pay for the province. to be traded for debt or profit. being spent on U.S. military and intelli- Pentagon’s ongoing military occupation of Taliban recruit Habibullah told jour- The bullet-scarred capital of Kabul, a gence operations in Afghanistan goes as Iraq and Afghanistan. nalists: “We’ve the strength, guts and force city that can barely support 600,000 peo- “humanitarian aid” to the military-indus- The White House had used the Sept. 11 to take even Kabul any time, but we know ple, is now reportedly home to more than trial complex. attacks as a justification to launch a our limitations and we wouldn’t be able to 3 million—most living in desperate “A good chunk of the money being spent bloody, high-tech war against the impov- sustain that control. We don’t have the poverty in densely populated slums. for the war goes into the pockets of com- erished people of Afghanistan in the name technology to withstand B-52 air strikes. Yet while the United States officially panies like the Kellog, Brown & Root sub- of a supposed “war on terrorism.” What we are trying to do is inflict maxi- forks over almost $1 billion a month on sidiary of Halliburton, Vice President Dick On Sept. 6—the day before President mum damage to the U.S. troops and their continued military expenditures in Cheney’s former company,” noted the George W. Bush delivered a televised allies so that they get fed up and leave our Afghanistan, it spends less than $1 billion July 12 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. speech asking the U.S. Congress to autho- country.” per year in aid. The Aug. 11 Financial Times of London rize an additional $87 billion for the occu- On Sept. 6, Secretary of State Colin wrote: “Companies such as Kellogg, pation of both Iraq and Afghanistan—the Money earmarked for bullets, Powell announced in a major speech at Brown & Root, a subsidiary of oil service Guardian of London published an article not bread George Washington University in the U.S. giant Halliburton, carry out a vast range by Michael Meacher, a senior Labor Party Mohammed Hasan, a villager in a capital that his administration would soon of services that once were performed by member of Parliament and until June a remote valley near the Afghani border unveil an “accelerated” assistance package military personnel. They have supported member of British Prime Minister Tony with Pakistan, told reporters, “We sup- which could perhaps double this to $1.8 U.S. forces in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Blair’s cabinet. The piece was headlined, ported the coalition because we thought billion a year. However, Afghani Finance Kosovo during the 1990s and have had a “This war on terrorism is bogus.” that they would change our life, but so far Minister Ashraf Ghani said in June that huge role in the recent U.S. invasions of Referring to Afghanistan, the first coun- nothing has changed.” his country needs $30 billion in aid and Afghanistan and Iraq.” try to be hit in the “endless war,” Meacher Afghanistan is one of the poorest coun- investment over the next five years to This summer, for example, KBR wrote: “Until July 2001 tries on the planet. A escape dire poverty. received an open-ended $300 million the U.S. government saw progressive revolution The lion’s share of U.S. aid to “rebuild” contract to build more cells for some 680 the Taliban regime as a The drug landlords, in 1978 promised land the country is not earmarked for food or prisoners from 42 countries, captured by source of stability in their private armies reform and freedom for medicine. It’s to create an Afghani army the Pentagon in Afghanistan in late 2001. Central Asia that would women, but was soon and police. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12) They enable the construction and the Pentagon under attack by land- Both Rumsfeld and Powell stress the are being caged without formal charges or of hydrocarbon pipelines lord armies financed need to create a domestic repressive force trials at the Guantanamo naval base, from the oil and gas occupation forces and armed by the CIA. to take over policing from U.S. and NATO which the U.S. illegally occupies in Cuba. fields in Turkmenistan, are working hand In December 1979, occupation forces—and to take the casu- While Afghanistan is not like oil-rich Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, when the Soviet Union alties involved. Iraq, imperialist oil cartels are eager to use through Afghanistan and in hand. sent troops in to rescue Rumsfeld visited Afghanistan on Sept. this strategically located country to exploit Pakistan, to the Indian the besieged revolution- 7 to meet with Hamid Karzai— fossil-fuel reserves in central Asia. Ocean. But confronted ary government, Washington’s hand-picked president of Bush’s appointment of Zalmay with the Taliban’s refusal Washington called it a the country and a former consultant for Khalilzad as special envoy to Afghanistan to accept U.S. conditions, the U.S. repre- “Soviet invasion” and began openly the U.S. oil company Unocal. Rumsfeld’s illuminates this greedy goal. Like Karzai, sentatives told them ‘either you accept our spending billions of dollars on the war, trip was intended to strengthen Karzai Khalilzad is a former Unocal consultant. offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you hiring not only Afghanis but fundamen- before presidential elections next June. Khalilzad, whom some speculate will be under a carpet of bombs.’” talists from other countries, including On Sept. 7 the French Press Agency named the next U.S. ambassador to Kabul, The day after Meacher’s article Osama bin Laden. explained that Washington is trying to is positioned to play an important role in appeared, a London Mail article recalled These reactionary forces overthrew the keep Karzai from paying a political price shaping the post-war Afghani administra- that “the BBC reported (Sept. 18, 2001) revolutionary government in 1996, only to for the dearth of aid coming from the tion, according to the April 8 Financial that Niaz Niak, a former Pakistan foreign themselves become targets of Washington United States. Times of London. secretary, was told by senior American five years later. The weak reach of the puppet Karzai “Before coming to office, he was work- officials at a meeting in mid-July 2001 The U.S.-led bombardment of the coun- government hardly stretches beyond ing to help Unocal secure a pipeline from that ‘military action against Afghanistan try since then has further ravaged the pop- Kabul, the only part of the country Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, cut- would go ahead by the middle of ulation and the countryside. patrolled by foreign forces. Karzai barely ting out Iran and Russia. The project October.’” Most Afghanis have no access to health survived an assassination attempt in the involved seeking the Clinton administra- All that was needed was an excuse to care. Rates of infant and maternal mor- southern city of Kandahar in September. tion’s support for the Taliban regime, unleash the war—which the White House tality are among the highest in the world. Pentagon bodyguards saved his life. which Khalilzad backed before changing got on Sept. 11. Congress immediately fell Cholera, typhoid and other diseases are Keeping him alive is now the full-time job his mind.” into line. rampant. (The Economist, Aug. 16) of pistol-packing mercenaries employed Khalilzad worked closely with his for- The might of the Pentagon military mer boss—Deputy Secretary of Defense machine delivered the threatened carpet Paul Wolfowitz—in urging the United of ordnance. But two years later, the mil- States to invade Iraq. (The Herald of April itary occupation and recolonization of 13) Khalilzad is a founding member of the Afghanistan is not going well for the Project for the New American Century, Pentagon brass, or for Wall Street. whose September 2000 report stated, “The need for a substantial American Resistance rockets force presence in the Gulf transcends the Since the end of August—four months issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein.” after U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Since then, the May 12 New Statesman Rumsfeld declared the war was “over”— noted, “The U.S. has established bases at U.S. Special Forces have been carrying out the gateways to all the major sources of the biggest military offensives in fossil fuels, especially in central Asia.” Afghanistan since the original Pentagon Khalilzad wants to put up to 100 senior onslaught in late 2001. U.S. personnel into the core of Afghan The military campaigns are concen- government ministries. Washington is trated in the southern and southeastern attempting a similar accomplishment in regions of the country, where resistance to Iraq. (Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 8) occupation is strong and reportedly gain- Some in the U.S. establishment fear the ing momentum. The Pentagon has 15,000 move could backfire by highlighting the troops deployed in the entire country—not colonial character of the occupation. One enough to effectively act as a boot heel on official complained to the Aug. 26 French the necks of some 25 million people who Press Agency that Khalilzad “wants to do not want to be colonial “possessions.” build an empire. He wants to ‘Bremerize’ The weekend that Bush delivered his the operation”—a reference to the role of speech demanding more “aid,” resistance the U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, fighters wounded two U.S. soldiers and Paul Bremer. killed six proxy Afghan troops. The article reported that “debate over Woman disrupts Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at the National Press Club Within a two-week period at the end on Sept. 10 the shape of the U.S. effort to rebuild www.workers.org Sept. 18, 2003 Page 9 Bush speech grows triggers false debate Afghanistan—taking place as officials also wrestle with how to subdue resistance and Establishment critics seek to bolster occupation build institutions in Iraq—has unleashed By Fred Goldstein Pentagon to anticipate or deal with it. The he would immediately reduce U.S. troops a turf war between the State Department current policy is being hit from all sides, by half and replace them with foreign and White House, sources said.” Khalilzad President George W. Bush on Sept. 7 left and right. troops. In this he spoke like a true impe- reports directly to Bush’s National announced that his government would But even with all the criticism, not one rialist. He assumes that the occupation Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, submit a resolution to the UN Security of the major ruling-class politicians, net- must succeed and he further assumes that bypassing both the U.S. Embassy in Kabul Council asking for authorization of a works or capitalist newspapers has called he would be able to command troops from and the State Department. Khalilzad multinational force in Iraq under U.S. on Congress to vote “no” on the request other countries to take up Washington’s worked under Rice when she served as a command. It was an ignominious confes- for funds or is urging that the U.S. get out task of imposing great-power rule on director of Chevron. sion of the inability of U.S. imperialism to of Iraq. Iraq. crush the Iraqi people’s resistance to a Easier said than done The debate is restricted to two The argument about suspending tax colonial takeover. This should give new demands: first, that before the politicians cuts for the rich in order to pay for the Yet while Unocal is well placed in impetus to the anti-war movement. vote for the funds, the administration occupation is also an imperialist argu- Afghanistan, resistance to the occupation In his speech, Bush blandly depicted should demonstrate that it is going to gen- ment. Of course the tax cuts for the rich has blocked its plans to construct a 1,500- this turnabout as almost a routine matter, uinely seek a coalition with its rivals and should be canceled. They should never kilometer, $3.5-billion trans-Afghan nat- in which “our commanders have make enough concessions to gain their have been granted in the first place. These ural gas pipeline. requested a third multinational division,” support for the occupation; second, that tax cuts should be canceled to use the Even attempts by German and other in addition to those of the British and Bush drop his drive to funds for housing, European powers to reopen sections of the Poles, “in order to share the burden more make the temporary health care, educa- legendary “Silk Road” trade route between broadly.” And he just as matter-of-factly tax cuts for the rich The correct demand is tion, jobs and all the Asia and Europe are proving difficult. dropped an $87-billion bombshell. That’s permanent—a give- social benefits that At this point, bankers, investors, tech- to vote no to the war how much extra he will ask Congress to away of $1.1 trillion— are being cut—not to nical advisors and aid agencies are holed appropriate for the war in the next fiscal so that the national fund a war of con- up in Kabul, afraid to travel outside the appropriations, no to year, over and above the $79 billion debt does not go sky quest. capital. already requested. high and the entire the occupation, and yes Equal spending Washington, which had earlier balked The actual truth behind the turnabout burden of the $87-bil- upon war and domes- at letting its imperialist rivals deploy to a transfer of the was described in detail in the Sept. 4 edi- lion add-on, plus tic needs in the name troops in Afghanistan, is now eager to use tion of the Washington Post, which quoted more to come, does of “fairness” is a trap multinational forces. But one State military budget to an unnamed UN diplomat involved in the not fall entirely on the that swings the work- Department official admitted that by the negotiations: “The U.S. had gone around workers and the mid- social spending ing class behind a time the United States had changed its knocking on just about every possible dle class. predatory occupation mind, everyone else had lost interest. door looking for money and troops, and But this is strictly a that is forcing U.S. Whether Unocal can ultimately pipe the they got the same answer everywhere: We ruling class debate. Workers should stake troops into the murderous and oppressive gas out of Central Asia through need some kind of a new resolution.” The out their own independent position and role of occupiers and denying the Iraqi Afghanistan or has to find another route, diplomat, referring to the military set- not be drawn into taking sides with one or people the right to determine their own the Afghani economy is not operating in a backs combined with the refusals of assis- another grouping in the capitalist class. destiny. void in the meantime. tance, said: “All these strands came For example, the New York Times, The correct demand is to vote no to the The country’s economy grew by more together and reached a critical mass. ... which is strongly opposed to the Bush war appropriations, no to the occupation, than 30 percent last year. The boom is The coalition authority is broke. They “unilateralist” policy, declared in its Sept. and yes to a transfer of the military bud- largely due to a bumper poppy crop. need bodies.” 8 editorial comment on Bush’s speech that get to social spending. After the Taliban banned opium culti- “there are still good reasons to maintain vation in 1999, poppy production plum- Fearing soldiers’ anger, America’s commitment to Iraq,” but the Remembering the meted for a three-year period. Now Rumsfeld cancels speech U.S. “needs to negotiate realistically with “Bush Doctrine” Afghanistan is once again the world’s Washington’s dire predicament was France, Germany and Russia on expand- Bush’s speech attempted to depict the number one exporter, noted World Bank underscored when Defense Secretary ing the peacekeeping forces and getting war in Iraq and the occupation as part of president James Wolfensohn. Some 70 Donald Rumsfeld, on his latest visit to financial help with the huge reconstruc- the “war on terrorism” to “defend civiliza- percent of the world’s heroin—75 percent Iraq, had to cancel a speech to U.S. sol- tion costs.” The Times also called on Bush tion.” But the invasion of Iraq was planned of Europe’s and 90 percent of Britain’s— diers that he was due to give on Sept. 5 at to abandon his future tax cuts. This senti- long before Sept. 11. comes from Afghanistan. (The Guardian, their base in a palace in Tikrit. A stage had ment, with different variations, was All the massive destruction, the killing Aug. 7) been erected and chairs set out, but the echoed across the spectrum of major cap- and wounding of tens of thousands of Financial experts in Kabul estimate that mood was ugly. italist media and among Democratic and Iraqi soldiers and civilians in a completely fully one-third of Afghanistan’s econ- “I don’t give a damn about Rumsfeld. Republican Party leaders. unprovoked “war of choice,” was about omy—roughly $1.2 billion a year—is now All I give a damn about is going home,” grabbing the second-largest oil reserves in drawn from opium cultivation. Once said Spec. Rue Gretton. Sergeant Green, No to ‘internationalizing’ the world for the profit of the oil compa- refined into heroin, the value skyrockets whose first name was withheld for fear of colonialism nies. It was about gaining a stranglehold to up to $14 billion. And by the time it hits reprisal, said: “If I got to talk to Rumsfeld The argument that Washington must upon this strategic resource, which holds urban centers around the world, cut and I’d tell him to give us a return date.” now build a coalition in order to avoid fail- the key to economic domination over diluted, the street value shoots up to more (Reuters, Sept. 5) According to the ing is basically an argument to strengthen Europe, Japan and the entire industrial- than $25 billion. Pentagon, Rumsfeld canceled due to “a the colonial occupation of Iraq by “inter- ized world. When Rumsfeld was asked at an Aug. tight schedule.” nationalizing” it. The Times and others are It was also a war for military bases and 14 Pentagon news conference what U.S. On the same day that Rumsfeld was in saying that U.S. imperialism must make the first stage of a plan to recolonize not occupation forces are going to do about Tikrit, the Pentagon gave the order to concessions to its rivals in order to only Iraq but Iran, Syria, Libya and the the soaring opium production, he extend the tours of duty in Iraq and strengthen the military hand of imperial- entire Middle East—and ultimately the demurred: “I don’t really know. It’s a Kuwait from six months to one year for ism as a whole in Iraq and to safeguard the world. This region of the globe is the whale of a tough problem.” 20,000 National Guard troops and Army financial system in the U.S. from collaps- “engine of the world economy.” The war Afghani peasants and townspeople say Reservists. An announcement about it was ing under the weight of a costly occupa- against Iraq was to be a major demon- the drug landlords, their private armies held up until Rumsfeld got out of the tion. stration of a strategy not mentioned much and the Pentagon occupation forces work country. To bribe the French and German ruling lately: the so-called “Bush Doctrine.” It hand in hand. classes with Iraqi oil concessions, con- asserted the absolute right of Washington “We Afghans know who these people Two false debates struction contracts and political influence to initiate “pre-emptive” wars and to carry are and what they are doing,” said low- The Bush speech with its request for in order to get them to vote for a UN res- out so-called “regime change”—that is, the level poppy grower Mohammed Jan. He more funds has generated a torrent of olution—thus relieving the pressure on the right of Washington to overthrow any gov- pointed to a line of mansions in a poor, commentary and debate in the big busi- Pentagon and Wall Street—is nothing ernment that tries to hold on to its inde- rural area of eastern Afghanistan. “They ness media and the political establish- more than imperialist horse trading at the pendence and gets in the way of U.S. world belong to the commanders. Their money ment. All of it is diversionary from the expense of the Iraqi people. It is to the domination and empire, whether it be is from drugs, from smuggling.” point of view of the interests of the Iraqi advantage of the Iraqi masses that these North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe or, ulti- (Associated Press, Sept. 8) people, as well as of the working class and cutthroats stay divided and fighting mately, China. He added, “We know that without the the vast majority in this country. It is all among themselves. Demands that they That’s what the war against Iraq was Americans, they would be nobody.” based upon the common position that, patch up their differences to better com- about. That’s what the occupation is Abdul Raouf, a car dealer in the eastern whether or not the situation in Iraq is the bat the Iraqi resistance are completely about. The only answer to Bush and the city of Jalalabad, told AP journalists: fault of Bush and Rumsfeld, U.S. imperi- reactionary. ruling class is a massive mobilization to “Everybody says warlords, but who are alism cannot afford to “lose.” Of particular note in this regard is the end the occupation and bring the troops these warlords? They are commanders, The ruling class has been truly stung by position of Howard Dean, the so-called home. The demonstration on Oct. 25 in they are government ministers.” the determined resistance in Iraq and the “anti-war” candidate for the presidency, Washington, D.C., will be a major step for- failure of the Bush administration and the who told CNN’s Paula Zahn on Sept. 8 that ward in this process. Page 10 Sept. 18, 2003 www.workers.org

NYC meeting in solidarity The real thing with Asian struggle The problem for any ruling The Bush administration thought class that wields a huge pro- it would put more pressure on the paganda apparatus designed DPRK by making Russia, China, Tto feed whatever it wants to the public Japan and South Korea sit down at the is that it can so effectively turn night table, too. After all, it has enormous into day and fantasy into virtual real- economic and military leverage in the ity that it can start to believe its world and is used to getting its way. own lies. But the administration is in trou- Take the false picture of the Demo- ble—in Iraq, in the world and at home, cratic People’s Republic of Korea that too. Everyone knows that now. The is repeated endlessly, usually in the kind of brutal demands it is used to same pat phrases, by all the capitalist flinging out don’t have the same media in this country. Disparaging weight they once did. terms like “hermit kingdom” assume So when the U.S. representatives that the DPRK is a pariah among made it very clear that all they want is nations that shuns society and has no to disarm North Korea without giving contact with or friends in the rest of it any guarantees not to attack, the the world. The editorial writers who Koreans rejected such a non-offer. toss off such phrases seem totally China’s vice foreign minister, Wang oblivious to the fact that most of the Yi, the host of the six-nation talks, world today sees the U.S., not North then declared the United States was Korea, as the pariah, the international “the main obstacle” to any settlement. outlaw, the huge threat to peace, from It was another taste of reality—not the Middle East to the Far East. the virtual kind—that the Bush gang When U.S. representatives went to hadn’t bargained for. Beijing in early September for a six- WW PHOTO: DEIRDRE GRISWOLD Meanwhile, in South Korea, the nation meeting on Korea, they Sue Harris, Yoomi Jeong, Monica Moorehead and Janet Mayes, above. population was ecstatically welcoming assumed that the other countries the DPRK’s soccer team. A In both the United States and Japan, progressives are responding to militarism with would acquiesce in Washington’s Washington Post reporter wrote on activities in solidarity with Korea and Iraq. Workers World Party in New York hosted a strong-arm tactics against the DPRK. Sept. 8 from Seoul about the tumul- forum on Sept. 5 that heard from speakers who had recently visited Asia. Monica The north had been asking for one-on- tuous welcome given a group of the Moorehead of WWP and Yoomi Jeong of the Korea Truth Commission reported on a soli- one meetings with Washington to team’s cheerleaders. “‘They give me darity conference held in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of finally get a peace treaty ending the chills of excitement,’ said Park Seung Korea, and a subsequent tribunal that condemned U.S. war crimes against that country. Korean War of 1950-53, or at the very Jin, a 27-year-old restaurateur who (See WW newspaper, Aug. 14, “A view from inside North Korea.”) Also on the program least a pact with the U.S. that would came to the games just to see the were Sue Harris of the People’s Video Network and Janet Mayes of the International be a guarantee against aggression. women. ‘We are one nation divided by Action Center, who had attended anti-war activities in Japan on the anniversary of the The Koreans have pressed this issue foreign powers. These women help us bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (See WW newspaper, Aug. 28, “No war on Iraq ever since Bush put them on his “Axis to see Korea as one. ... North Korea is or Korea.”) of Evil” list and the Pentagon openly no longer my enemy. It is not South stated its right to start a war with Korea’s enemy either.’” Korea—the so-called “first-strike” policy. Lecciones del Golpe en Chile

Conntinua de pagina 12 tema social piensa ser eterno hasta que la en particular llevó a cabo el golpe de historia lo corrige. En toda la historia, todo estado del 11 de septiembre. sistema social que ha sido atacado se ha Cancun, Iraq En el 25to aniversario del golpe, Tim defendido y se ha defendido con violencia. Weiner escribió en el New York Times del Ningún sistema social se ha disuelto por 12 de septiembre: “Desde 1970 hasta 1973, propia voluntad. Ningún sistema social ha and history los Estados Unidos buscó la manera de renunciado a favor de los revolucionar- tumbar al gobierno de Chile y al Dr. ios.” t seems as though a lifetime has financial barons exploited the world’s Salvador Allende, quien consideró una El imperialismo nunca podrá reconcil- elapsed between the explosive poor with “peaceful” means. The amenaza marxista a los intereses de los iarse con los intereses de l@s traba- I anti-World Trade Organization WTO faced an important challenge in EE.UU. Bajo mando del Presidente jador@s y l@s oprimid@s. Ya sea en el protests in Seattle in 1999 and the cur- Seattle from 50,000 protesters. This Richard M. Nixon, la CIA organizó una Chile del 1973 o en la Venezuela de hoy, rent heroic Iraqi resistance to U.S. was viewed by workers and oppressed operación encubierta de máxima intensi- l@s revolucionari@s tienen que per- colonial occupation. These events may worldwide as a major act of solidarity dad para prevenir que Allende asumiera manecer vigilantes ante la naturaleza appear to be as different as night and with their struggles. el puesto de presidente y, cuando falló ese predatoria del imperialismo. day, but in reality are very connected. When the new movement of young esfuerzo, emprendió esfuerzos más sutiles Y más que vigilancia: tienen que estar They have both helped to expose the people sprang up in Seattle, it had no para minarlo.” list@s para organizar y combatir. multi-faceted, brutal and predatory intention of overthrowing imperialist Los Archivos de Seguridad Nacional En 1973, el imperialismo esta- nature of imperialism, the worldwide rule. It was just demanding a better (National Security Archive), un grupo sin dounidense estaba resuelto a atrasar el system of capitalism. deal for the poorest of the poor. The fines de lucro en Washington que revela reloj en las Américas. Quería apagar las Today the World Trade Seattle police answered with tear gas archivos anteriormente secretos, publicó llamas revolucionarias que inspiradas en Organization can’t meet anywhere, in and rubber bullets. documentos que comprueban el papel la Revolución Cubana se fueran a exten- jugado por los EE.UU. Hay documentos der a otras regiones del hemisferio. Pero the U.S. or the rest of the world, with- Four years later, events have shown que revelan como Nixon mandó a la CIA falló en ese intento. out attracting protesters on the out- that imperialist rule and exploitation “hacer que estalle la economía” para “pre- Y a pesar de que la lucha libertadora en side and sharp controversy on the depend on cruel military might, venir que Allende llegue al poder o para Chile sufrió un gran atraso, la lucha no inside. This year the meeting place is mainly the Pentagon’s. The Iraqi resis- derrocarlo”. puede ser extinguida. the Mexican resort of Cancun. The big tance as well as the Palestinian En una vista del Senado en marzo de En el 2002, manifestantes chilenos issue is the agricultural subsidies that Intifada have shown that even all that 1973, un vicepresidente de la ITT ates- combatieron a la policía en el 29no aniver- imperialist Europe and the U.S. use to might can’t always make a people sub- tiguó que hubo por lo menos 25 reuniones sario del golpe. buttress agribusiness and drive Third mit. The anti-WTO demonstrators this entre la CIA y la ITT. Él personalmente se En agosto del 2003, trabajadores World farmers off their lands. The time not only rail at the imperialist reunió con el entonces Secretario de demandando mejores beneficios y condi- developing countries are saying “No.” bankers, but call out slogans against Estado Henry Kissinger varias veces para ciones de trabajo hicieron el primer paro Before Seattle, imperialist ideo- U.S. imperialism and Israeli aggres- planear el derrocamiento de Allende. nacional en 20 años. logues swore that history had come to sion. Not only has history made a Kissinger se volvió en símbolo del odiado Hoy, mientras la clase dominante an end, leaving the capitalist system comeback, but class consciousness is terrorismo estadounidense. Hasta hoy, no intenta dominar el corazón y la mente del supreme throughout the best of all growing worldwide, including in the puede salir públicamente sin que se pueblo al repetir de nuevo las imágenes de possible worlds. Even nation states imperialist countries. proteste. los sucesos trágicos de las Torres Gemelas, were supposed to be outdated, as debemos recordar el otro 11 de septiem- Lecciones para hoy bre. Esa fecha demuestra que si la Mientras visitó Chile en 1971, el presi- humanidad va a seguir adelante, el impe- Subscribe to Workers World dente cubano Fidel Castro dijo: “Cada sis- rialismo tendrá que ser vencido de una vez y para siempre. www.workers.org Sept. 18, 2003 Page 11

COLCOLOMBIAOMBIA.. LGBT community suffers greatly from war

The following is excerpted from remarks church has forbidden to even touch him cross that we set we wrote an improvised poses, but they are discriminated against to a New York meeting by Juan Carlos and they will not bury him in the cemetery name—”N. N. Oscar Wilde II”—to avoid even for burial. Vallejo, a human rights activist and because he was a sinner.” that he be exhumed by instruction from Today I raise my voice, once again, to university professor from Colombia, on My two partners and I collected some the church’s priest. We left his certificate claim a space, an acknowledgment, a repa- the repression of lesbian, gay, bisexual money and we paid a cemetery worker to and keys in a closed envelope with the ration for the Colombian LGBT commu- and transgender people there. help us bury the corpse, clandestinely, at worker who helped us, with instructions nity. From my condition as heterosexual, night. I improvised a “removal certificate,” that it be given only to the first civil I have defended for many years the free- Some years ago, after one of the many using black shoe polish that I gathered authority or police that reached the dom for any sexual preference of every military confrontations in Colombia that from the neighbors. The rigor mortis and place. human being. A freedom that yet today, in generally result in civilian deaths and a state of decay was evident. The LGBT community is one of the great the dawn of the 21st century, continues to large amount of material destruction, I He was a man approximately 30 years victims of the conflict in Colombia. Not be violated by those who take upon them- traveled in the company of two Norwegian of age, white, dressed with female only because of the civilian deaths, which selves the right to think and choose for colleagues for humanitarian endeavors in clothes and rollers in his hair. He had are missing from the statistics and the others. a village far east of Medellín. keys that we assumed were from his books, but also from the same acts of dis- Here in New York City, capital of the In one of the destroyed streets, we house. He had a bullet penetration in his crimination and continuous aggression to world, we have a clear example. People found a corpse covered with a white sheet. right head bone and the left side of his their rights and physical well-being that opposed to the education and progress of What was interesting about it was that face had been partially destroyed from they suffer in the streets and villages of this community. People opposed to the two days after the end of the battle, no the exit of that bullet. According to the Colombia. opening of the Harvey Milk School for civil, military or humanitarian authority story I gathered, the man was caught in The LGBT community is invisible to LGBT youth, so that members of this had taken the legal task of removing the the crossfire between the two armed humanitarians, to war scholars, to the community may finish their secondary corpse. When we asked in the neighbor- groups in the conflict. media. Their suffering, pain and tragedy education. hood who he was, they responded: “It is That same night, in the middle of a are not addressed in the aid and repara- If this happens here, can you imagine Marina, the town’s queer. He has not been great storm, we gave him, as the reli- tion programs offered by governments. what happens in a country rife with removed because the priest from the gious call it, a “Christian burial.” In a They are taken as victims for study pur- war? UKRAINE. Young communists tortured, face secret trial By John Catalinotto summer the hot, dry weather has report- edly wiped out up to 75 percent of the In the fall of 2003, 10 members of the summer crops in what was once consid- Young Communist League of the Ukraine ered the bread-basket of the USSR. face a secret trial for alleged “terrorist Supporters of the young people say tor- activities.” While the case has received lit- ture was used to wring confessions from tle publicity in the West, some progressive them. Some reportedly had ribs and other forces, including the International Action bones broken. Center, have taken it up as a severe viola- One of those arrested, Evgeny Seme- tion of human rights. nov, was able to get a letter out of prison Ten of the youths were arrested begin- last June. He wrote: “Here, in the Odessa ning on Dec. 13, 2002 and over the next prison, with me there are my nine com- two weeks, starting with a raid by Ukrain- rades, arrested and tortured systemati- ian State Security on a house in the city of cally throughout six months of the inter- Nikolaev. Searches and arrests followed in rogation. Now our case is closed and the Odessa, Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk. trial begins some time in the fall. Security agents used explosive devices “In order to cover up tortures that we to blow down the door in the Nikolaev were subjected to, the Ukrainian apartment. According to one report, the Department of Security is planning to fourth youth there attempted self-defense. keep our trial secret, with no defense Some of the young communists lawyers for us and without the presence of arrested were involved in publishing the the public, let alone any journalist or communist Internet newspaper, Left.ru. observer.” The Ukraine has a right-wing, pro-cap- Semenov writes that the defendants italist government that has even been try- plan a hunger strike if the trials are secret. ing to join NATO. If it succeeds in this, The defendants and their party are ask- Ukrainian youth can become cannon fod- ing that people who support human rights der for occupation armies in Afghanistan write letters of protest to the Ukrainian and other imperialist-occupied countries. Parliament-Rada at Kiev- 008, Grushnev- Living conditions in the Ukraine have skaya Street #5, Litvin V.M. or email at: deteriorated for the mass of the popula- www.rada.ua. Other addresses can be tion since the collapse of the USSR. This found at Left.ru.

Join the Workers World Supporter Program Supporters who contribute $75 a year receive a year’s subscription, a monthly letter and five free trial subscriptions Leaflet issued by the International Action Center $300 Enclosed to become a WW Sustainer. One time donation of $ _____. Enclosed 1st monthly payment: $6 (Supporter) $10 (Sponsor) $25 (Sustainer) Metal of Dishonor: Depleted Uranium Please send me more information about the Supporter Program. How the Pentagon Radiates Soldiers & Civilians with DU Weapons Please fill in your name and address below. A book that reports on the Pentagon's new weapons comprised of Depleted Uranium. Now in its second printing you can read scientists; Gulf War veterans; leaders of envi- Name ______Phone ______ronmental, anti-nuclear, anti-military and community movements discuss: the con- nection of Depleted Uranium to Gulf War Syndrome and a new generation of radioac- Address______City/State/Zip ______tive conventional weapons. The bizarre Pentagon recycling plans of nuclear waste create a new global threat. Email ______Authors include former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Dr. Michio Kaku, Dr. Clip and return to Workers World Newspaper Helen Caldicott, Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Dr. Jay M. Gould, Dan Fahey, Sara Flounders, 55 W. 17th St., 5th Fl., NY, NY 10011 212.627.2994 Manuel Pino and many others. fax: 212.675.7869' www.workers.org ' email: [email protected] List price is $12.95 but at leftbooks.com it's 15% off, only $11.00 11 de septiembre de 1973: Lecciones del Golpe en Chile Por Teresa Gutiérrez como se les refería a los países súper En octubre de 1970, Allende tuvo que mentos reaccionarios chilenos que explotados entonces-la gente oprimida cancelar su aparición a la elección formal favorecían a los EE.UU., el gobierno de La fecha del 11 de septiembre siempre llevaban a cabo luchas heróicas por la lib- por el Congreso porque se había impuesto Allende vaciló. Una “huelga” nacional fue estará grabada en la mente del pueblo eración nacional. Sus héroes eran el Che la ley marcial. El comandante superior de organizada por la Confederación Nacional chileno. Los revolucionarios y progresis- Guevara y Patrice Lumumba. las Fuerzas Armadas chilenas, General de Dueños de Camiones que paralizó a tas que estuvieron activos en las décadas Las masas chilenas no fueron una Schneider Cherau, había sido asesinado 70.000 camiones. Como en Venezuela de los sesenta y setenta tampoco olvidarán excepción. como una clara advertencia para Allende hoy, esta huelga realmente fue un paro esa fecha. La elección de Allende mostró que los después de solo un mes de las elecciones. patronal con el propósito de sabotear la En ese día del año 1973, un golpe obreros chilenos quería más. Ellos A pesar de estas advertencias, por los economía. político de tipo fascista se llevó a cabo. querían un cambio social fundamental- próximos tres años el gobierno de Allende Unos pistoleros asesinaron al principal Decenas de miles de chilenos fueron para terminar con la pobreza y la llevó a cabo las medidas que reflejaban los jefe militar de Allende. Aún así, el gob- masacrados y el gobierno progresista del explotación. deseos de las masas populares. Grandes ierno de Allende intentó conciliarse con Presidente Salvador Allende, un social- Ellos querían Socialismo. De hecho, terrenos fueron divididos y las tierras los partidos capitalistas en vez de llamar ista, fue derrocado. En pocos días una dic- Allende ganó la elección por su plataforma entregadas a los campesinos pobres. a una respuesta popular revolucionaria. tadura de orientación estadounidense fue política que declaraba la riqueza del país Allende nacionalizó muchas industrias, El 11 de septiembre de 1973, Allende fue instalada, encabezada por el carnicero como propiedad del pueblo chileno. incluyendo la del acero, del carbón y la derrocado por un sangriento golpe de General Augusto Pinochet. Desde la elección de Allende en 1970 a crucial industria del cobre. estado militar. Los generales fascistas El gobierno de los Estados Unidos, bajo septiembre 11 de 1973, todo el mundo Tres gigantes corporaciones esta- cercaron y capturaron los partidarios de la presidencia de Richard M. Nixon, llevó observaba los acontecimientos en Chile dounidenses de la industria del cobre en Allende y a muchos otros, ejecutándolos a cabo este “cambio de régimen” sangri- con aliento en suspenso. Durante esos tres ese entonces-Kennecott, Anaconda y en el acto. ento con la complicidad de la clase domi- cortos años, una intensa batalla se dio Cerro Corp.-fueron nacionalizadas. Estas Decenas de miles fueron detenidos en nante chilena. Y fueron las principales entre dos fuerzas sociales. empresas tenían el control del 80% del un gigante estadio deportivo. Muchos corporaciones transnacionales de los ¿Quién ganaría? ¿Los obreros y oprim- total de producción de cobre en Chile y fueron torturados, violados, mutilados y Estados Unidos-como la International idos que desesperadamente luchaban por habían estado sacando ganacias de ese aniquilados. Por días la sangre fluyó en las Telephone y Telegraph Co., y la Kennecott sus intereses o la militarista y reaccionaria país en cifras de $80 millones al año. calles. Muchas historias de resistencias Copper Co.-las que trabajaron ardua- burguesía chilena que abogaba por el (Mundo Obrero 1971). heroicas emergieron mientras artistas, mente con la CIA para planear la contrar- imperialismo estadounidense? El gobierno aumentó los salarios, con- sindicalistas, estudiantes, mujeres y otros revolución y dar las órdenes. ¿Podría Allende cumplir sus promesas geló los precios, dio subsidio a la leche e más se defendían. Este año es el 30mo aniversario de ese a los obreros usando el mismo estado que hizo accesible para los chilenos el cuidado Víctor Jara, un querido cantautor de esa fatídico día. La nueva generación de mili- había servido a los intereses capitalistas médico y la educación. Buscó relaciones generación, fue asesinado en ese estadio. tantes y progresistas necesita saber lo que por generaciones o los obreros se favorables con el gobierno revolucionario Hoy su música vive y sigue inspirando una pasó en septiembre 11 de 1973. Es impor- tomarían el poder totalmente como en cubano. nueva generación de revolucionarios. tante porque el 11 de septiembre no deber Cuba y comenzarían a forjar una revolu- Las masas populares se movilizaron y Recuentos de su muerte hablan de su ser recordado sólo como el día en que las ción socialista? organizaron. Los obreros de las industrias heroísmo, de cómo intentó mantener en Torres Gemelas (World Trade Center) y el Esas eran las preguntas de entonces. textiles y automovilísticas tomaron las alto el espíritu de los compañeros tortu- Pentágono fueron atacados. fábricas para prevenir despidos masivos. rados. Se cuenta que cuando los generales La fecha debe servir como recordatorio La población se movilizaba Lucharon por cualquier medio para le cortaron la lengua para imposibilitar de que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos En septiembre de 1970, un editorial defender sus logros. En las comunidades que cantara, palmeaba y taconeaba fuerte masacró decenas de miles de chilenos publicado por el New York Times advirtió la gente construyó nuevos barrios y les para hacer sonar ritmo. Luego le muti- en 1973. que si Allende implementaba ciertas llamaban la Nueva Habana. laron las manos antes de matarlo. medidas, se haría necesario la toma del Muchos de estos movimientos habían Es posible que jamás sepamos cuántos Los trabajadores querían poder militarmente. Hasta cambios de sido organizado por el MIR-Movimiento chilenos fueron aniquilados ese día. Las un cambio miembros en las cortes pondrían al nuevo de Izquierda Revolucionaria de Chile. cifras oficiales muestran una cantidad En septiembre de 1970 el Doctor gobierno en peligro, advirtió The New El MIR apoyó al gobierno de Allende parecida a la de los perdidos el 11 de sep- Salvador Allende Gossens había sido York Times. pero también manifestó cautela. El MIR tiembre de 2001. Muchos chilenos dicen elegido presidente de Chile. fue una de la pocas organiza- que el número real llega a decenas de Allende había sido un estu- ciones en Chile en ese miles. diante activista que ayudó a entonces que comprendió que Aviones militares llevaban cadáveres fundar el Partido Socialista había una diferencia real para tirarlos en el mar, dejando a los de Chile en 1933. Luego entre toma de presidencia y familiares atormentados sin saber el des- como representante en el toma de poder. En marzo tino de sus seres queridos. Congreso de Chile, Allende de 1972 advirtió que “el no La muerte de Salvador Allende el 11 de se dio a conocer como “el organizar, no movilizar y no septiembre es controversial todavía. campeón de los pobres.” luchar sería abrirle las Muchos dicen que el se suicidó, mientras Allende corrió, sin éxito, puertas al fascismo.” que otros dicen que fue ejecutado. Una para la presidencia tres foto famosa lo muestra portando un arma veces ante de ser finalmente La sangre fluyó defendiendo al Palacio Presidencial. elegido en 1970 como el can- en la calle Antes de morir, hizo una inspiradora didato de la Unidad El imperialismo de los declaración al pueblo chileno: “Trabaja- Popular-una coalición de Estados Unidos, incapaz de dores de mi patria, tengo fe en Chile y su socialistas, comunistas y reconciliarse con el nuevo futuro. Superarán otros hombres este otros que querían un cambio Chile, trabajó día y noche para momento gris y amargo en el que la social. tumbar al gobierno de traición pretende imponerse. Sigan ust- La victoria fue un reflejo Allende. edes sabiendo que, mucho más temprano del sentimiento de la clase El gobierno de Salvador que tarde, de nuevo se abrirán las grandes obrera chilena y del fervor Allende se limitó a actuar de alamedas por donde pase el hombre libre, revolucionario que entonces acuerdo a la constitución y a para construir una sociedad mejor. se extendía por el mundo. las leyes burguesas. A pesar ¡Viva Chile! ¡Viva el pueblo! ¡Vivan los tra- Estudiantes, obreros y de que el pueblo exigía armas, bajadores!” oprimidos batallaban en el gobierno no las propor- diferentes frentes. Cientos cionó. Últimamente los traba- Terrorismo imperialista de miles marchaban contra jadores no pudieron defend- La reciente publicación de documentos la guerra de los Estados erse del terror desatado por hasta ahora secretos ha confirmado lo que Unidos en Vietnam o por los los militares. muchos izquierdistas decían en aquel derechos civiles y de los A pesar de las evidencias momento: que el imperialismo esta- obreros. abrumadoras del aumento en dounidense y la administración de Nixon En todo el Tercer Mundo- la fuerza y descaro de los ele- Continua a página 10