• VENEZUELA • HONDURAS 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 58, No. 44 Nov. 10, 2016 $1 WW PHOTO: LIZ GREEN Local 26: ‘If we don’t get it, SHUT IT DOWN!” Strikers win at Harvard Broad support for dishwashers, cooks vs. billionaires

By Ed Childs and Steve Gillis Cambridge, Mass.

For 20 days Harvard Square was the scene of the most raucous, disruptive demonstrations this town had experienced since the Vietnam War. The workers at Harvard University Dining Services were on strike and Harvard wouldn’t budge. But finally the bankers who control the Harvard Corporation caved, literally overnight. At 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 25, leaders of UNITE HERE Lo- cal 26 announced “total victory” to cheering strikers and students who had been occupying the square and beating drums throughout the night. The 736 cooks, dishwashers and dining hall workers celebrated the details the next day at a packed ratifi- cation meeting. They won retroactive wage increases amounting to $3 an hour over the five-year contract; a substantial, first-time-ever stipend during summer lay- offs; better, less expensive health insurance, including for retirees; increased uniform and shoe allowances; strengthened gender identity nondiscrimination terms; and union-power language that exceeded their initial demands. And there was more. The new contract established a Task Force in which union members will exercise power to stop discrimi- nation and promote diversity in the workplace — a de- Revolutionary socialists tour U.S. mand the corporation insisted it would never accept. In desperation to end the strike, Harvard’s board By Kris Hamel The following paragraphs describe just a few of the also agreed to pay the workers’ check deductions during candidates’ campaign stops. the 20-day strike at 100 percent for health, vision, den- The revolutionary socialist election campaign of The Malcolm X Library in San Diego was the scene tal, life, long-term disability, home and auto insurance, Workers World Party candidates Monica Moorehead for of some serious political discussion on Oct. 16 as local plus parking fees and public transportation to and from president and Lamont Lilly for vice president is wrap- activists shared ideas for fighting racism, police terror picket lines. Some strikers who work at the subcon- ping up as the Nov. 8 election approaches. But their and capitalism with Workers World Party national can- tracted medical school and faculty club will also receive message and program of struggle, fightback and over- didates Monica Moorehead and Lamont Lilly. Chairing a $500 strike bonus. turning the capitalist system to end racism, poverty and the roundtable discussion was Gloria Verdieu of the San The vote was 583 to 1. war will continue. Diego Committee Against Police Brutality. From California to Baltimore, Detroit to Standing ‘Harvard’s attack was political’ A wide range of community members was present, Rock, N.D., upstate New York to Nogales, Ariz., and including a teacher, students and community activists, The whole world knew that the Harvard Corporation, many other locations, Moorehead and Lilly have talk- several local leaders of the San Diego Black Panther with its $40 billion endowment, could afford contract ed the talk and walked the walk for revolutionary so- Party, the San Diego Black Lives Matter movement, justice for those who feed its community, who earned cialism as the only answer to the problems facing the Justice4SD33 and the Leonard Peltier Defense Com- on average less than $35,000 a year before the strike. world’s working class and oppressed peoples, and that it mittee, and a representative of the Native American Ed Childs has been a cook at Harvard for 42 years. won’t be won at the ballot box. Rights Network. He’s a union founder, a Local 26 Chief Steward and a Continued on page 3 National Committee member of Workers World Party. Childs explained: “Harvard’s attack was entirely polit- ical. What the bankers from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Citigroup, who direct the Harvard Cor- Harvard’s dirty money 4 poration, wanted most was to pick $4,500 per year of health insurance deductibles and copays from our members’ pockets. They had forced this on professors and other campus workers first; it wasn’t just their local SMASHING RACISM & REPRESSION program. “Read the headlines this week. All across the coun- • Tear it down in Philly 2 try capitalist insurance companies have announced Continued on page 4 • Vote Moorehead and Lilly 3 • Ohioans decry police killings 6 Subscribe to Workers World • Standing Rock struggle intensifies 7 4 weeks trial $4 1 year subscription $30 • Why internationalism matters 9 Sign me up for the WWP Supporter Program: workers.org/articles/donate/supporters_/ 10 Name Trump, Clinton and Comey — editorial

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Street______City / State / Zip______Workers World 212.627.2994 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl, NY, NY 10011 workers.org • Honduras 8 • Italy 8 • Venezuela 11 • Haiti 11 Page 2 Nov. 10, 2016 workers.org Philadelphia Coalition wants racist statue taken down  In the U.S. By Rufus Farmer arrests “done in traditional Rizzo Strikers win at Harvard ...... 1 Philadelphia overkill, with cops stripping peo- Philadelphia: Coalition wants racist statue taken down . . 2 ple,” Mumia wrote. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE The Philly Coalition for R.E.A.L. (Racial, Economic There are also well-documented allegations of Rizzo’s Filthy rich Harvard ...... 4 and Legal) Justice — an activist collective that primarily tax evasion, as well as his demanding a polygraph test to On the picket line ...... 5 fights for the liberation of Black and Brown people — has prove his innocence of political corruption, only to fail WWP national conference: Organizing for socialism . . . 5 set its sights on a statue that pays homage to Frank Rizzo the test. His accuser, Peter Camiel, then chair of the Phil- Ways to support Standing Rock #NoDAPL ...... 6 (1920-1991), one of the most brutal and corrupt figures in adelphia Democratic Party, passed the same test. Columbus, Ohio: Justice for Henry Green and Tyre King! . 6 this city’s history. #Buffalo25 defy ICE ...... 6 In August 2016, Coalition member Erica Mines created An ode to tyranny an online petition demanding the removal of the statue. Indeed, the atrocities either committed by Rizzo him- Birthday greetings to political prisoner ...... 6 The petition references a number of atrocities commit- self or occurring under his watch, as both police commis- Standing Rock resistance stays strong ...... 7 ted by Rizzo, a former Philadelphia police commissioner sioner and mayor, are numerous. Rizzo’s racist tenure Bakken/DAPL exploiters in trouble ...... 7 and mayor, including a 56-day siege of the Powelton Vil- was also the focus of the 1987 documentary “Black and ‘Right to Exist, Right to Resist’ ...... 10 lage neighborhood surrounding the MOVE home and the Blue” by Hugh King and Lamar Williams. forced eviction of MOVE on Aug. 8, 1978. Despite all this, since 1998 the nine-foot bronze statue  Around the world The assault, carried out by officers of the Philadelphia has remained in Municipal Plaza, across the street from Honduras, neoliberal laboratory ...... 8 Police Department during Rizzo’s second term as mayor, City Hall. Italy: General strike says ‘No’ to referendum ...... 8 ended with a shootout between MOVE members and the To bring attention to this outrage, members of the Hundreds mobilize to free Lebanese revolutionary . . . .8 PPD. It resulted in the death of one officer — believed by Philly Coalition for R.E.A.L. Justice are conducting The need for internationalist solidarity ...... 9 many to be from friendly fire, the subsequent PPD beat- weekly outreach sessions at the statue. They engage in ing of Delbert Africa and the continuing incarceration of conversations with community members, while encour- World Federation of Trade Unions looks ahead ...... 9 nine MOVE members. aging them to sign hard-copy versions of the petition to Class struggle alive in Venezuela ...... 11 The 1978 eviction and brutalizing of the MOVE family remove the statue. Elections set amid mass misery in Haiti ...... 11 was not the first time PPD officers used excessive force “It helps people learn and hear about who Frank Rizzo  Editorial on Black revolutionaries and communities while Rizzo was,” Erica Mines stated. Coalition members also get to The FBI’s letter on Clinton ...... 10 was in power. hear from community members who experienced Rizzo According to political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal’s in power firsthand. “You get a real in-depth experience of  WWP Presidential Campaign autobiography, “We Want Freedom,” PPD officers un- how corrupt he was,” said Mines, “outside of the articles, Revolutionary socialists tour U.S...... 1 der Police Commissioner Rizzo’s command attempted outside of what we see in video clips.” Vote Moorehead/Lilly — Fight for socialism ...... 3 to prevent local Black Panthers from putting together “A lot of people have lived with these feelings for a long the Revolutionary People’s Constitutional Convention in time and possibly feel the same way we feel about the stat- Philadelphia. “The [convention] was set for September ue,” Mines told Workers World. “The community proba-  Noticias en Español 1970, but initial approval for Temple University to host bly did not know where to go, who to talk to or what steps En Venezuela, la lucha de clases está viva ...... 12 it was rescinded after Philadelphia’s police pressured to take when it comes to removing or addressing figures Honduras, el laboratorio neoliberal ...... 12 them,” Mumia wrote. and statues that have played such a tyrannical role.” After the Panthers managed to secure a new location As it concerns sending a message to the politicians in for the event, the PPD, per Mumia, “went out of their City Hall, Mines said, “It lets them know that we are orga- way to sabotage the event by raiding three local Panther nizing. It lets them know that we’re real and we’re serious.” offices a week before the convention was to begin. This The Coalition plans to expand its outreach and strategy Workers World was classic Frank Rizzo.” Mumia noted that the PPD throughout Philadelphia, halting the campaign only when 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Fl. busted Panthers “all around the city, blaming them for the statue is removed. An online petition can be found at New York, N.Y. 10011 the shooting of a cop several nights before.” This led to campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/frank-rizzo-down. Phone: 212.627.2994 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.workers.org Vol. 58, No. 44 • Nov. 10, 2016 Closing date: Nov. 1, 2016 Editor: Deirdre Griswold Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell, Who we are & what we’re fighting for Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead, Minnie Bruce Pratt; Web Editor Gary Wilson Hate capitalism? Workers World Party fights for a ­degrading people because of their nationality, sexual or Production & Design Editors: Coordinator Lal Roohk; gender identity or disabilities — all are tools the ruling ­socialist society — where the wealth is socially owned Andy Katz, Cheryl LaBash and production is planned to satisfy human need. This class uses to keep us apart. They ruthlessly super-ex- outmoded capitalist system is dragging down workers’ ploit some in order to better exploit us all. WWP builds Copyediting and Proofreading: Sue Davis, living standards while throwing millions out of their unity among all workers while supporting the right Bob McCubbin jobs. If you’re young, you know they’re stealing your of self-determination. Fighting oppression is a work- Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe, future. And capitalism is threatening the entire planet ing-class issue, which is confirmed by the many labor Greg Butterfield, G. Dunkel, K. Durkin, Fred Goldstein, with its unplanned, profit-driven stranglehold over the struggles led today by people of color, immigrants and Martha Grevatt, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales, means of production. women. Berta Joubert-Ceci, Terri Kay, Cheryl LaBash, Workers built it all — it belongs to society, not to a WWP has a long history of militant opposition to im- Milt Neidenberg, John Parker, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Betsey Piette, Gloria Rubac handful of billionaires! But we need a revolution to perialist wars. The billionaire rulers are bent on turning make that change. That’s why for 57 years WWP has back the clock to the bad old days before socialist revolu- Mundo Obero: Redactora Berta Joubert-Ceci; been building a revolutionary party of the working tions and national liberation struggles liberated territory Ramiro Fúnez, Teresa Gutierrez, Donna Lazarus, class inside the belly of the beast. from their grip. We’ve been in the streets to oppose every Carlos Vargas We fight every kind of oppression. Racism, sexism, one of imperialism’s wars and aggressions. Supporter Program: Coordinator Sue Davis Copyright © 2016 Workers World. Verbatim copying Contact a Workers World Party branch near you: workers.org/wwp and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved. National Office Boston Denver Lexington, KY Rochester, N.Y. Workers World (ISSN-1070-4205) is published weekly 147 W. 24th St. 2nd Fl. 284 Amory St. [email protected] [email protected] 585.436.6458 except the first week of January by WW Publishers, New York, NY 10011 Boston, MA 02130 Detroit [email protected] 147 W. 24th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10011. Phone: 212.627.2994 617.286.6574 Los Angeles 5920 Second Ave. [email protected] [email protected] 5278 W Pico Blvd. Rockford, IL 212.627.2994. 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Vote Moorehead/Lilly — Fight for socialism By Ben Carroll and a write-in vote for the ticket will be is rigged on behalf of the ruling class and Tennessee, Washington (state), Washing- counted in over half the other states. See their continued ability to oppress and ex- ton (District of Columbia), West Virginia Millions of people across the country the full list below. ploit working-class and oppressed people and Wyoming. are beginning to head to the polls in the The Moorehead/Lilly campaign has in the U.S. and across the globe. Anyone — including prisoners, youth midst of one of the most disgusting and never been about getting votes or winning We clearly have but one choice: to con- under 18, undocumented folks, and peo- unprecedented campaigns between two elections. It’s about building the struggle tinue to build a revolutionary movement ple from other parts of the world — can of the most unpopular presidential can- in the streets for Black lives; to stop the to fight for a socialist future that can once cast their ballot for our candidates online didates in modern history. Faced with a raids and deportations; to abolish the and for all stomp the Trumps, Clintons at vote4socialism.org. choice between racist, sexist billionaire police, the Pentagon and Immigration and the system they represent into the Donald Trump and Wall Street loyalist, and Customs Enforcement; to stop the ground. war hawk Hillary Clinton, many are re- attacks on women and LGBTQ people; Monica Moorehead for president and alizing that capitalist democracy offers for housing, free education and health Lamont Lilly for vice president are on the working-class and oppressed people with care for all; for reparations to those owed ballot in New Jersey, Utah and Wisconsin. no choice — but to fight back! them by the state; and against the rising Write in Monica Moorehead for presi- There is another electoral option, and tide of Islamophobia and racist reaction. dent and Lamont Lilly for vice president that’s to cast a vote for candidates who A vote for Moorehead/Lilly is a vote in these states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizo- believe in that fightback, the Workers against the capitalist system and a com- na, California, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, World Party revolutionary socialist elec- mitment to the fightback of the people Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, tion campaign of Monica Moorehead for to change the miserable conditions that Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, San Diego president and Lamont Lilly for vice presi- have been forced upon us. Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New dent. Moorehead/Lilly will be on the bal- Perhaps more than anything, this elec- Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, lot in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Utah, tion has laid bare that the entire system Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, WW PHOTO: BOB MCCUBBIN Revolutionary socialists tour U.S.

Continued from page 1 WW PHOTO: ELLIE DORRITIE Finally, Moorehead and Lilly took the against Black and Brown youth. He not- The Black Panthers were original floor. Moorehead began by discussing ed that “the uprising in Charlotte, which members celebrating their 50th anni- the election and why WWP is running is the Wall Street of the South, was a re- versary. They announced they are back candidates. “What is most important in bellion against capitalist property, where and will be patrolling the streets of San this election is what happens after the the protestors targeted Wells Fargo, the Diego, feeding the homeless and coming Buffalo election. We have a 10-point program Bank of America, and Duke Energy and to the aid of other organizations. not Black businesses, but the capitalist The discussion included an array of so- establishment itself.” He pointed out that cial justice topics, from racism and police because of this, key organizers of the pro- terror to freeing Leonard Peltier and sup- tests have been targeted by the police. porting the Standing Rock anti-pipeline When Lamont Lilly spoke in Detroit struggle. Also discussed was the impor- on Oct. 29 the meeting hall was packed, tance of the Black Lives Matter move- mostly with revolutionary young people. ment and the need to defend it. The program was dubbed a “conversa- Participants concluded by talking tion” with the socialist candidate. The about solutions to Trump’s conversation started with talks by chair bigotry, racism and misog- Joe Mchahwar, Martha Grevatt, Randi yny — including his an- Nord and Abayomi Azikiwe, all members ti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, of Workers World Party. Topics included anti-LGBTQ hate — and the U.S. war on Syria and Iraq, interna- Clinton’s pro-imperialist war, tional union solidarity, the WWP na- anti-Black and anti-work- tional conference on Nov. 11-13 and the ing-class record. role of a revolutionary party in fighting Publicizing the meeting ­imperialism. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE Philadelphia with leaflets and posters in- Detroit Lilly brought it all together, discuss- viting those who are “sick of both parties WW PHOTO: KRIS HAMEL ing Standing Rock, which he visited in of war, racism and capitalism,” Workers political forum. Also present was Nnam- and view our campaign as educational solidarity with the Indigenous struggle World Party in Buffalo, N.Y., presented di Scott of the People’s Progress Party with a message addressed to the most to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline; the the national campaign of Black revolu- (Uhuru), who is running for City Council oppressed sector of the working class. We rebellion in Baltimore; the Black Lives tionary socialists Moorehead and Lilly on in the 7th District in West Baltimore, the are exposing capitalism, which puts prof- Matter movement; fighting racism and Oct. 25. Moorehead spoke to an audience heart of the uprising after the police mur- its before people, in order to build for a national oppression; and how the sys- that included people taking a new look at der of Freddie Gray. Black and Scott have socialist revolution in the U.S. The strug- tem needs to be destroyed root and socialism. There was intense interest and worked closely together in opposition to gle has no borders, and we will fight on a branch. Audience members participated many questions, especially when Moore- Democratic Party candidates who put worldwide scale to bring about that goal.” throughout the program with more dis- head spoke about the struggle that’s the corporations and banks ahead of the Comrade Lilly talked about how the cussion following Lilly’s talk. Earlier in ahead after the elections are over. The needs of working people. elections are rigged. “They are rigged for the day, the candidate participated in a meeting was the inaugural event at Buffa- Chairing the meeting was Andre Pow- the capitalist ruling class! As Malcolm X two-hour call-in radio show popular in lo WWP’s spacious new meeting hall. ell, a write-in candidate for mayor and a said, ‘The Republicans stab you with a the Black community. In Philadelphia, a lively discussion longtime WWP activist and union offi- 12-inch knife, and the Democrats pull it Ellie Dorritie, Carl Lewis, Zola Rices with WWP vice-presidential candidate cial. Powell pointed out how difficult and out six inches.’” Lilly also addressed the Muhammad and Joe Piette contributed Lamont Lilly took place on Oct. 25. Pam challenging it is to get a third party on crisis in health care and the all-out war to this article. Africa of International Concerned Fam- the ballot in this country. ily and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal In addressing police repression and spoke about the struggle for clean water, brutality, Scott told the audience that op- The Moorehead/Lilly presidential campaign food and air within a capitalist society pressed people can have their own com- that uses mass incarceration, and Dean- munity police force that is responsible needs your donation now dra Jefferson of the Philly REAL Justice and held accountable by the community. Coalition spoke about class oppression Brian Joyner spoke of the need to bring Workers World Party ca­ ndidates — Monica Mo­ orehead for president and Lamont Lilly for political awareness to youth and break in a racist society. Lilly’s talk featured a vice president — have gone coast-to-coast speaking back-and-forth discussion with the di- the school-to-prison pipeline. to workers and people of color about verse audience about the repression of Sharon Black stated: “We are successful REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALISM. Indigenous nations at Standing Rock not only because people felt that we had a Visit our website at workers.org/wwp/campaign-news/ for updates on our work. and the equally repressive government right to be on the ballot, but they signed In the remaining days before the Nov. 8 election, we have a chance to reach many more repression of the Black communities our petition because they agreed with our with ads, online voting, and social media. from Charlotte, N.C., to Philadelphia and program! When we went door to door, the But we can’t do this without your support! beyond. Workers World Party organizer oppressed community was appreciative of We are a working-class party and our only source of income is from pe­ ople like you. Help us Mike Wilson moderated the panel. the fact that we reached out to them, when get out the voice for revolutionary socialism to counter the Clinton war machine and Trump’s In Baltimore on Oct. 26, Moorehead the other establishment candidates did racist, anti-people offensives. and Lilly, along with Sharon Black, a can- not even bother to show their faces, other Contributions are urgently needed, no matter how small or large. Please make a generous didate for president of the Baltimore City than an occasional ‘vote for me’ sign. Win donation today at workers.org/wwp/donate/. Mail checks to Workers World Party 2016 Presi- Council, were featured at a People’s Pow- or lose, we have already won the fight by dential Campaign Committee, 147 W. 24th St., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10011. er Assembly and Workers World Party reaching out to the people!” Paid for by the Workers World Party 2016 Presidential Campaign Committee. Page 4 Nov. 10, 2016 workers.org FILTHY RICH HARVARD

By Stephen Millies of Engineering and Applied Sciences get- was an essential ingredient in American helped overthrow Reconstruction, that ting a hefty gift. independence.” (“Capitalism & Slavery” brief period of Black freedom from 1865 Last year Harvard University’s stash by Eric Williams) to 1877. Here’s the historic arc of the cap- of stocks and bonds was worth $37.6 bil- Puritan bigots and killers Slave trading was important, too. The italist class: While the father-in-law of lion. That’s almost as much as the gross Industrial Workers of the World leader forerunner of Brown University in Provi- John D. Rockefeller — the world’s first domestic product of the 81 million people Bill Haywood wrote in his autobiography dence — which like Harvard belongs to the billionaire — was a conductor on the Un- in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ac- that his father’s ancestors “would proba- “Ivy League” — was started by one of the derground Railroad, his grandson Nel- cording to the CIA World Factbook. bly run to the Puritan bigots or the cava- biggest slave dealers, Nicholas Brown Jr. son Rockefeller was the butcher of Attica. Why should Harvard be so rich and lier pirates. Neither case would give me It was on behalf of these Yankee pirates Harvard was part of this racist re- people in Congo so poor? That’s the re- reason for pride.” that the slave trade was kept from being action, which included the “eugenics” sult of imperialism and a capitalist world The wealth of so many “proper Bosto- prohibited for at least 20 years in Article movement that promoted Nazi-like theo- market that started with the extermina- nians” and the rest of New England “old 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution. ries of “racial purity.” Tens of thousands tion of Indigenous peoples in the Ameri- money” is rooted in blood. It’s well known of people, mostly young women of color, cas and the African Holocaust. that the Pilgrims would have starved to The other New England were sterilized against their will under Despite its wealth, Harvard tried to death without the corn and other aid giv- No wonder abolitionist William Lloyd laws upheld in a notorious 1927 Supreme break the strike of its dining hall workers en by Native people. Garrison called the constitution a “cov- Court decision written by Harvard grad- and take away their health benefits.Near- In return the colonists launched ex- enant with hell.” Garrison was dragged uate Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. ly 800 members of UNITE HERE Local termination campaigns, including the with a rope by a mob from Boston’s State A more refined version of Donald 26, supported by Harvard students and Great Swamp Massacre in 1675 in which Street financial district in 1835 and only Trump was Harvard President A. Law- the community, beat them back. hundreds of Native children were slaugh- escaped with his life when the mayor had rence Lowell, who served as vice presi- Harvard’s loot, like capitalism itself, tered. This atrocity was glorified in a his- him arrested. dent of the racist Immigration Restric- according to Karl Marx, “comes dripping tory of “King Philip’s War” by the Puritan Abolitionists were part of the other New tion League. (“Harvard’s Eugenics Era,” from head to foot, from every pore, with minister Increase Mather, who became England. The Black man Crispus Attucks Harvard Magazine, March-April 2016) blood and dirt.” Harvard’s president in 1692. became the first martyr of the U.S. Amer- Lowell gave Harvard students cred- The generosity of slavemaster Issac Karl Marx wrote how “those sober vir- ican Revolution. Black soldiers helped re- it for joining the National Guard to try Royall Jr. helped establish Harvard Law tuosi of Protestantism, the Puritans of pulse the Redcoats on Bunker Hill. to break the IWW strike of Lawrence, School 200 years ago. Royall’s family fled New England” set a price of 50 English In the years leading up to the Civil War, Mass., textile workers in 1912. (“How the Caribbean island of Antigua after an pounds in 1744 on the scalps of Indige- even some of Boston’s wealthy helped the Harvard Rules” by John Trumpbour) attempted slave revolt in 1736 that was nous women and children. anti-slavery cause. Railroad magnate Many of today’s Harvard students would crushed by burning 77 Africans to death. The United States is the only country John Murray Forbes shipped rifles to ab- have joined the IWW instead. The Royalls arrived in Massachusetts in the world that has a holiday called olitionists in Kansas and welcomed John Armed with a Harvard Ph.D., Lothrop with at least 27 enslaved people. (“On “Thanksgiving” that celebrates geno- Brown to Boston. Stoddard published “The Rising Tide of the Battlefield of Merit” by Daniel R. Co- cide. Since 1970 the United American But the Forbes family fortune was Color Against White World Supremacy,” quillette and Bruce A. Kimball) Follow- Indians of New England has held a “Day based on smuggling opium into China. an influential racist diatribe during the ing protests in 2015, Harvard agreed to of Mourning” on the same date in Plym- Another big-time drug pusher was War- 1920s. change its law school seal, which featured outh, Mass., to tell the truth about this ren Delano, a grandfather of President More recently Harvard Professor Hen- the Royall family crest. holocaust. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Harvard’s ry Kissinger theorized about the tactical Harvard’s largest benefactor was Colonial New England’s economy re- Fogg Art Museum is named for the China use of nuclear weapons in a 1957 book. hedge fund operator John Paulson, who volved around supplying slave planta- merchant William Haynes Fogg. As Nixon’s National Security Adviser, gave $400 million to the school in 2015. tions in the Caribbean with food and The only reason Northern capitalists Kissinger helped kill millions in Viet- The Wall Street Journal declared “fore- other supplies. In return the 60 rum supported the right of African-American nam, Cambodia and Laos. closures made John Paulson a billion dol- distilleries in Massachusetts and 30 in men to vote was to prevent repudiation of Harvard’s dining hall workers and lars.” (April 21, 2010) Children of families Rhode Island imported molasses. Presi- the Civil War debt. W.E.B. Du Bois proved their supporters confronted these centu- who lost their homes should rejoice that dent John Adams didn’t know why people this in his classic “Black Reconstruction.” ries of racism and male chauvinism when their misery resulted in Harvard’s School “should blush to confess that molasses Yet it was Northern moneymen who they defeated Harvard’s filthy money. Strikers win at Harvard

Continued from page 1 Drew Faust in the same boat as criminal increases of 27 percent and up for poor pharma CEO Martin Shkreli. people using so-called Affordable Care In a Sept. 30 public letter that went Act products. We decided it was up to the viral before and during the strike, two cooks and dishwashers to draw the line for students wrote: “As medical students everybody and fight Harvard’s dangerous at Harvard, we were deeply troubled to program of austerity!” learn that our university was proposing changes to dining workers’ health plans Student/labor coalition fights that would make essential health care WW PHOTO: LIZ GREEN for health care unaffordable. It is shocking that these joined by busloads from New York, Atlan- disruptions that created a profound crisis It wasn’t just that the students, faculty low-income workers would be better off tic City, Philadelphia and New Haven. for the corporation and its overseers. and other workers on campus truly love financially if they were not offered em- Only one U.S. presidential campaign While traditional picket lines played their dining hall family, who sustain their ployer-sponsored insurance.” weighed in on this literally life-and-death a role at 40 gates, strikers took on the work from breakfast to midnight snacks As the national stakes mounted national issue. The Monica Moorehead/ street tactics of Occupy Wall Street and — even though that bond was evident and Harvard dug in, the International Lamont Lilly campaign of Workers World the Black Lives Matter movement. For 22 daily in mass demonstrations that shook UNITE HERE leadership poured in vital Party was engaged through the candi- days, even after the “tentative agreement,” the ivied walls for three weeks. resources and staff from San Francisco, dates’ daily presence, assistance and pro- strikers daily converged from their strike For nearly a year leading up to the Las Vegas, Detroit, New York and else- strike publicity, and they got an enthusi- posts to form mass marches for miles strike, Local 26, plus students and facul- where to fortify the strikers’ fund and astic response from many strikers. through “private” campus courtyards and ty, had built a political coalition based on boots on the ground. Local 26 President inside buildings, turning five-gallon food Women lead the way the demand that “health care is a human Brian Lang and chief negotiator Michael buckets and kitchen spoons into weap- right.” Especially at Harvard’s Medical Kramer joined nine courageous women Lawrence Summers has been a pro- ons, along with whistles, trumpets, trom- School and School of Public Health, hun- strikers, Black, Latina and white, in civil fessor and president of Harvard, a chief bones, cymbals and bullhorns. dreds of students organized and hosted disobedience arrests on Oct. 14 that shut economist at the World Bank, Secretary The slogan “No peace” became reality meetings with dining hall workers to de- down Harvard Square for hours. Mean- of the Treasury in the Clinton adminis- for the bosses, from the tony business velop solidarity. Their public manifestos while, more than 500 strikers and their tration, adviser to the privatization of and law schools to the Crimson Home- tore back the veneer of Harvard’s aca- allies banged drums, blew whistles and post-Soviet states and a favorite million- coming of alumni and the usually staid demic liberalism and exposed its neolib- proclaimed, “No justice, no peace!” aire ideologue on the Wall Street lecture Charles Regatta, whose 300,000 spec- eral core. The next Saturday, Oct. 23, the Mas- circuit. He infamously remarked while tators were drawn into the inescapable Student publications and protest ac- sachusetts AFL-CIO organized a demon- Harvard president that women are “un- fight. President Faust heard the constant tions at local corporate offices called out stration of 2,000 in Harvard Square. As derrepresented” in science and engineer- drumbeat, day and night for 22 days, as the interlocking connections of the Har- speakers blasted the corporation’s greed ing due to a “different availability of apti- protests followed her every move. vard Corporation and its Board of Over- from the back of Teamster Local 25’s flat- tude at the high end.” Robin McDowell, a first-term masters seers with Wall Street’s biggest banks bed truck, that union’s president threw The HUDS strike was led by women student focusing on labor history, gave and insurance companies, as well as with $10,000 into the war chest. Despite a — Latina, African American, Caribbean, WW this eyewitness account of the walk- high tech and pharmaceutical giants like force of militarized police lining the way, Asian, Indigenous, white, LGBTQ — who outs and occupations of Oct. 25–26: “At 2 Google, Merck, Abbott Labs and CVS. Cambridge’s main thoroughfare was shut make up more than 60 percent of the p.m., the sound of drums and chants was They put anti-labor Harvard President down as a militant march on City Hall was workers. They engineered ear-splitting Continued on next page workers.org Nov. 10, 2016 Page 5

WWP national conference Organizing for socialism By Kris Hamel to make sense of this election chaos, who are ques- tioning the establishment, and who need to re-en- Nov. 1 — The national conference of Workers ergize after a long year of battle. It will also take World Party is fast approaching. Slated for Nov. up why the multinational working class — our class 11-13 in New York City, this gathering of revolu- — must and will prevail.” tionaries from around the country and the world Workers bear brunt of Trump’s bankruptcy will be meeting just days after the U.S. presiden- Register today! If Donald Trump really wanted to “Make America great again,” tial election. Whether Hillary Clinton or Donald The letter was signed by WWP leaders Monica he could start with his own employees, who lost millions in re- Trump is elected, the struggle will continue for the Moorehead and Lamont Lilly, revolutionary social- tirement savings when Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts declared workers and oppressed. That has been the main ist candidates for president and vice president, re- bankruptcy in 2004. According to the 2004 class action lawsuit message of the WWP national election campaign, spectively; youth organizer Loan Tran; and Teresa they filed, THCR encouraged them to invest their 401(k) savings and it means more organizing, solidarity, Marxist Gutierrez, campaign manager for the election cam- in shares of THCR stock. politics and strategizing for the struggle ahead are paign. “Honestly. I thought, way back when, the guy was way brighter in order. That’s what the WWP conference is all Mond, a young African-American activist, told than we were,” said a former Trump casino worker who chose to about. Workers World why he was traveling to the con- remain anonymous. “He was running the company and we were Organizers of the revolutionary socialist confer- ference all the way from Port Huron, Mich.: “Af- working for him. We thought he was brilliant. When we invested ence have invited activists to participate. In a re- ter studying revolutionary politics, I was looking in it, we thought, how could this stock go so low?” In 1996, the cent letter they stated: for like-minded people to help me with my fight first year workers were able to invest in it, shares were priced at “Many of us are disillusioned by the current state against fascism. I met Workers World Party and $30 each. By 2004, however, the price had plummeted to just $2 of things, but we have no illusions that things will instantly had a direction. The national conference a share. When THCR announced on Aug. 10, 2004, that it would get better on their own. Not only do we organize, will be a great opportunity to learn from, meet and enter bankruptcy, stock prices plummeted overnight, ground- we fight as if this were a war — a war on Black lives, network with comrades from across the country.” ing out at 36 cents the next morning. For a worker who invested a war on workers and oppressed people. As our bat- Conference organizers are planning cultural $1,000, that meant a loss of $964. Altogether, Trump workers tles intensify, many of us are thinking about how presentations, plenary sessions, workshops, break- lost over $2.1 million in retirement savings. we must organize ourselves for the next phase — out groups and other forms of discussion. It will be Trump walked away from the bankruptcy unscathed finan- how we must convene our movement as the pres- “a revolutionary weekend where we will reclaim cially and criminally — a judge dismissed the workers’ lawsuit idential elections will soon be over. Also, how we our power, bring together the most oppressed, and after finding “no illegal actions” by THCR. Meanwhile, as trick- must build with each other and commit to solidar- prepare each other for the battles ahead. We say ster THCR chair, billionaire Trump banked an annual $2 million ity — because so many people depend upon it: the onward to a revolution, to the abolition of capital- salary and over $44 million in total compensation. (motherjones. Black Lives Matter movement, immigrant families, ism, and to a world where we decide who we are, com, Oct. 17) the LGBTQ community, women and the entire what we need, and how we want to live in a socialist working class. society — based on meeting human needs, not cor- NLRB: University football players “On Nov 11-13, many of us are convening in porate greed.” New York City for the annual Workers World Par- Please make plans as soon as possible to attend are employees ty conference, at the historic Malcolm X and Betty the Nov. 11-13 conference. Go to workers.org/wwp In early 2014, former Northwestern University football quar- Shabazz Memorial and Education Center, at 3940 to register and for updates and conference sched- terback and team captain Kain Colter posted a photo of himself Broadway (West 165th Street) in Manhattan. This ule (still in formation). Conference organizers need in designer sunglasses on social media. Within ten minutes, Col- will be a gathering of revolutionaries, activists, or- information in order to arrange for adequate hous- ter was instructed by an assistant coach to take the photo down, ganizers, and community members who are fed up ing, meals and more. lest the selfie be mistaken for an endorsement of the sunglasses and say ‘No more!’ to the cruelties of capitalism and If you cannot attend, please give a donation to brand. The coach was acting under a Northwestern football regu- its innate racism, homophobia, sexism, Islamopho- help sponsor costs of transportation, food and lation that allowed coaches, university officials and even campus bia, ableism and more. housing so that young and low-income activists can police to monitor and restrict players’ social media posts. (espn. “This conference is for those who are struggling participate. com, Oct. 10) In an “advice memorandum” issued Sept. 22, the National Labor Relations Board called the restrictions on players’ speech “unlawful” on the grounds that Northwestern scholarship foot- ball players are employees. But the memorandum is not legally Strikers win at Harvard binding. Meanwhile, Northwestern has updated its team hand- book to remove the unlawful regulations. According to College Continued from page 4 House, the workers got a rousing ovation from stu- Athletes Players Association director Ramogi Huma, “The gen- heard all over Harvard Yard. Undergraduate and dents at breakfast. eral counsel specifically putting in writing that they would treat graduate students flocked to Massachusetts Hall Sarah Cleary, one of the strikers who was ar- Northwestern players as employees is historic. This is not a small to begin the walkout and march to 124 Mt. Auburn rested and a cook at a “Restaurant Associates” thing.” (cbssports.com, Oct. 11) Street where negotiations were taking place. subcontracted shop at the medical school’s Long- Although it remains to be seen how this will affect ongoing “When we arrived, workers lined up outside the wood campus, described her experience: “Being efforts by Northwestern football players to form a union, the doors as students poured into the lobby, still chant- on strike was truly one of the most powerful expe- NLRB’s memorandum is a welcome development for players — ing, still beating on buckets. It felt like the four-sto- riences of my life. Some of us in a way didn’t want especially any who might be considering joining Colin Kaeper- ry building was shaking with our energy. Curious that experience to end. I’d never been active in the nick-style protests against racism sweeping football fields across employees came to the windows and watched. union before. There wasn’t even a shop steward in the country. More as this develops. “After about 15 minutes of chanting, we all sat my kitchen. down, almost in unison. Everyone seemed to un- “The first day back, I told my manager that I’d be Two NYC bills protect workers’ rights derstand that we weren’t budging until Local 26 assuming the responsibility of shop steward from The Workers Retention Act, passed 47-3 by the New York City negotiators emerged victorious. We heard that we’d now on. He told me, ‘Fine, you can talk to employ- Council on Oct. 13, protects the jobs of thousands of food-service see the end by 5:30. After 5:30 rolled around with ees during breaks and after your shift.’ I look for- workers in the greater metropolitan area. The bill establishes a no word, we sat on the hard marble floor, read- ward to the new contract printed and in my hands. 90-day retention period after which a new owner or contractor ing books, talking amongst ourselves. At 6 p.m. “It calls for no discrimination for union activities, is required to evaluate the workers and, if found satisfactory, to the doors would close, so everyone inside texted and it gives shop stewards the right to conduct union retain them. UNITE HERE Local 100 supported the bill to pro- friends and posted calls to social media telling business with members anytime while on the clock. mote job security for its members who staff corporate cafeterias people to arrive by then. Employees began leaving [These two are first-ever worker-power victories.] and dining rooms and provide food services at sports arenas, ex- work. One woman encouraged us, ‘Keep this up. It’s “I am very much looking forward to being a part hibition halls, performing arts centers and cultural institutions. working!’ as she left for the day.” of building the union stronger and using this expe- Similar bills were passed protecting grocery store workers’ jobs rience of victory in struggles to come.” last February and building service workers’ jobs in 2002. (unite- Strike support scares the bosses Ed Childs is chief steward of UNITE HERE here100.org, Oct. 14) The Boston Globe and New York Times rushed Local 26. Steve Gillis is financial secretary of The Freelance Isn’t Free Act was passed unanimously by the an editorial and op-ed to web-print late that night Steelworkers Local 8751. NY City Council on Oct. 27 to protect millions of NYC freelance announcing support for the strike — showing an workers against nonpayment. This is the first legislation to be open split among Harvard financiers. Capitalism at passed nationally that aims to stop wage theft faced by 7 out The strike settlement resulted in HUDS work- of 10 freelancers, who now represent 35 percent of the nation- ers paying substantially less for health insurance a Dead End al workforce and contributed $1 trillion to the economy in 2015. than before. They got a better plan design than Job destruction, According to Freelance Union statistics, freelancers are stiffed President Faust’s own family. All this exceeded the overproduction on average of $6,000 annually. Clients will now be compelled union’s goal of $35,000 a year and was a direct re- and crisis in the to use a contract and could face penalties for nonpayment, in- flection of the power the rank and file were able to high-tech era cluding double damages, attorney’s fees and civil fees. Seeking to bring to the street, despite all the difficulties, sac- For more information on these books and other writings promote “Freelance Isn’t Free” legislation nationally, the union rifices and hardships. by the author, Fred Goldstein, urges unionists and progressives to sign its petition at tinyurl. As strikers return to work, these victories are go to LowWageCapitalism.com com/j3aag y x/. being played out on the shop floor. At Adams Available at online major booksellers Page 6 Nov. 10, 2016 workers.org Ways to support Standing Rock #NoDAPL

Here is information from the Facebook Don’t do business with TD Bank, Citi- Demand that politicians take a page of United American Indians of New group, Mizuho or other banks funding stand and commit to canceling England (UAINE) about how to support the Dakota Access Pipeline: nodaplsoli- the project and support the Water #NoDAPL to stop the Dakota Access darity.org/targets/. Protectors at Standing Rock. Call Pipeline. Help spread the word, since the cor- President Barack Obama 9-5 EST at Go to North Dakota if you can! Water porate media have mostly not covered 202-456-1111 and demand that the protectors, lawyers, builders, workers the story, and much of what they have federal government cancel the Da- and non-complainers are needed. Study done has been biased. On social media, kota Access Pipeline project in all and prepare first! look for the hashtag #NoDAPL to get areas where it is being constructed.  Here’s a list of various ways you can do- updates. Join with others taking action at nate and support: tinyurl.com/zvxvlnv/. Take action locally. Support anti-frack- events and campaign offices. Raise awareness in every possible way. Also please donate to the Mni Wiconi ing and anti-pipeline struggles locally. Support Indigenous struggles locally. school at the camps, doing a great job A Native elder in ceremonial dress, who was working with the children and youth: Get your organizations, labor unions praying, is arrested by police and military at youcaring.com/mn-wi-h-ni-nak-i-i-ow- or other groups to support and take Oceti Sakowin Treaty Camp, Oct. 27. yawa-675427/. action. #Buffalo25 defy ICE Justice for Henry Green and Tyre King!

Tyre King

By Susan Schnur Columbus, Ohio Henry Green WW PHOTO: ELLIE DORRITIE By Ellie Dorritie “If you’re going to take our neighbors, The names of Black people most re- King’s official autopsy report has still Buffalo, N.Y. immigrant workers, people from Buffalo, cently murdered by Columbus police not been released. His family hired Dr. you’re going to have to take us too,” said were chanted on Oct. 28 as over 300 Francisco Diaz, a professor of pathology Twenty-five workers were arrested and Carlos Rojas, an organizer with the immi- people took to the streets to protest. The at the University of Michigan and medical detained here when federal Immigration grant rights group Movimiento Cosecha. 614 Unity March through downtown Co- examiner for Wayne County, to perform an and Customs Enforcement raided four “There have been massive raids that lumbus, the capital of Ohio and the larg- independent autopsy. Diaz found that the Mexican restaurants in mid-October. have targeted immigrant families, work- est city in the state, was called by an ad Black teenager was “more likely than not” Since then, supporters have rallied re- ers, restaurant workers,” added Rojas. hoc group of local anti-racist activists. running away from the officer and not con- peatedly against this injustice. “People are under crisis; children are with- Leaders of the event included the mother fronting him, as the police claimed, when When hearings for the #Buffalo25 were out their parents. We want to send a mes- of Henry Green, the Ohio State Univer- he was killed. (telesur, Sept. 19) held Oct. 27 at the local ICE Field Office, sage to the community that immigration is sity Coalition for Black Liberation, Black King’s murder was the final straw for the the workers were not alone. A rally gath- targeting families; they’re targeting work- Lives Matter, Showing Up for Racial Jus- people of Columbus. Protests have been ered a wide range of supporters, including ers who aren’t doing anything wrong.” tice (SURJ) and the Green Party. ongoing ever since, including shutting People United for Sustainable Housing, The next step in the fightback will be In the early evening of June 6, 23-year- down the city council and blocking streets. Coalition for Economic Justice, Western on Nov. 1 when the #Buffalo25 and sup- old Henry Green was walking with a The families of Green and King called for N.Y. Council on Safety and Health, West- porters begin the #Journey2Dignity from friend when an unmarked SUV with independent investigations by federal offi- ern N.Y. AFL-CIO and SURJ (Showing Up Buffalo to New York City to demand dig- two plain-clothed police confronted the cials in a joint press conference on Sept. 27. For Racial Justice). Church groups were nity, not deportation, for the millions of African-­American men, claiming that There is zero confidence that the police can represented by Trinity Buffalo, Pilgrim-St. undocumented workers detained by ICE Green had a gun. Green indeed had a gun, impartially investigate the police. Luke’s/El Nuevo Camino UCC and the Uni- during the current U.S. administration. having obtained the necessary concealed A contingent from the Cleveland branch tarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. The Four of the #Buffalo25 are currently carry permit issued by the state of Ohio. of Workers World Party drove to Columbus Buffalo International Action Center and wearing ankle monitors. In a courageous The officers never identified themselves, to show solidarity with the African-Amer- Workers World Party were also present. act of civil disobedience, they will cross the and Green was gunned down in the street. ican community there. The parallel be- Rochester supporters came from state line from New York into Pennsylvania Two months later, on Sept. 14, 13-year- tween the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Movimiento Cosecha as well as Catholic on this journey. They will defy ICE and bring old Tyre King was shot and killed after al- Rice by Cleveland police and 13-year-old Workers. A group from the Workers’ Cen- their demands to electoral offices during the legedly pulling a BB gun on police officers. Tyre King by Columbus police illustrates ter of Central New York drove two and a final days of the election campaign. They say Nine-year police veteran Bryan Mason, that it is not just “a few bad officers” who half hours from Syracuse to join the sup- that the pain of their community will no lon- who shot the youngster three times, had need “better training.” Indict, convict and port rally. ger remain invisible, and they will no longer also killed a Black man in 2012, but had send those killer cops to jail! The whole In a freezing downpour, speakers de- remain silent. been cleared by a police investigation. damn system is guilty as hell! manded that all charges and deporta- tion proceedings against the workers be dropped and that workers in federal or local custody be released immediately. Birthday greetings Speakers emphasized that the immigrant workers had been exploited, overworked and underpaid, and they now faced their to political prisoner families being ripped apart. The main rally demand was permanent protection for all The Rev. Edward Pinkney, Michigan political immigrants against arrest and deportation. prisoner, turned 68 years old inside prison on Oct. The #Buffalo25 workers dramatically 27. The African-American community leader from stepped forward at the rally to make their Benton Harbor, Mich., has been receiving dozens stories known. Coming out of the shad- and dozens of birthday cards from people around ows, they told how ICE ransacked their the country showing support for the unjustly con- family homes, threw their belongings victed activist. In Detroit, supporters held a birth- away and stole their savings. The theft in- day party in Rev. Pinkney’s honor on Oct. 24. cluded one worker’s nest egg that she had Rev. Pinkney received added support when saved for her daughter’s college education. Green Party vice presidential candidate Ajamu Then eight community members and Baraka visited him in the West Shoreline Correc- activists sat down in front of the ICE of- tional Facility on Oct. 19. Rev. Pinkney was able to fice doors, chained themselves together tape a message of thanks to a Workers World Party and shut down the building in support forum in Detroit on Oct. 29, which featured WWP of the #Buffalo25. All eight were charged vice presidential candidate Lamont Lilly. with trespassing. — David Sole PHOTO: LEONA MCELEVENE workers.org Nov. 10, 2016 Page 7 Standing Rock resistance stays strong Range Acoustic Device sound cannon purpose of who? Who benefits from it? to demand removal of an Andrew Jackson at them. The LRAD blasts amplify It’s the billionaires who have oil interests statue in the fabled square named for that sound, causing confusion at the cel- who want to make more money.” slave-holding U.S. president and murder- lular level and potential hearing loss. Financing for companies building the er of the Native Nations of the Southeast. National Lawyer Guild volunteers DAPL, including Energy Transfer Part- In San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Cam- at the scene documented that cops ners, adds up to $10.25 billion in loans pamento Contra La Junta, opposing the made racist taunts, damaged and de- and credit from 38 U.S. and international renewed U.S. takeover of Boriken/Puer- stroyed sacred ceremonial items, ar- banks. The banks are betting that dirty-en- to Rico, hung a document in solidarity rested Indigenous elders and others ergy drilling and fracking for oil and gas with Standing Rock on the gates of a U.S. as they prayed and arrested medics will yield mega-profits on their loans. federal building. In Canada, a protest by marked with the internationally rec- Archambault noted that there is world- Kahnawake Mohawk community mem- ognized red cross emblem. wide solidarity with Standing Rock, with bers blockaded the busy Mercier Bridge More than 140 people were ar- people “willing to stand beside us as we to Montreal. rested, in addition to 141 who were go up against federal government, go Taking the DAPL protest to the U.S. By Minnie Bruce Pratt arrested Oct. 22. Police hid their names up against state government and go up elections, Lakota and other Native youth and badge numbers to prevent identifica- against large oil industry companies.” erected a tipi in Hillary Clinton’s Brook- On the morning of Oct. 27, a combined tion for abuse and brutality charges. The The heroic resistance at Standing Rock lyn, N.Y., campaign office. Virginia Stu- force of National Guard soldiers, private state blocked broadcasts of live video and is another moment in the centuries-old dent Environmental Coalition protesters security guards and over 200 cops from on Facebook. struggle of Indigenous nations to assert occupied Clinton offices in Richmond, multiple states mounted a war-level, no- The Standing Rock Sioux have formal- their sovereignty and their treaty rights Charlottesville, Blacksburg and Freder- fly zone raid on the Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) ly opposed the $3.8 billion DAPL “energy against continual betrayal and outright icksburg. The students demanded Clinton people and their supporters who were at- project” since 2014. Along with other Na- war by the U.S. government in league declare herself against the DAPL — a de- tempting to stop the Dakota Access Pipe- tive nations and allies, they have gathered with big business. mand she has not met. line in North Dakota. The raid was on a along the Missouri River since April to stop And solidarity is still coming to the winter Treaty Camp that water protectors the pipeline. It would carry up to 570,000 Support and solidarity grows Oceti Sakowin at Standing Rock. A Labor had set up on unceded 1851 Oceti Sakow- barrels of fracked Bakken crude each day. Solidarity continues to spread, and the for Standing Rock delegation arrived over in treaty land, north of Standing Rock A rupture would contaminate the river #NoDAPL struggle is far from over. the weekend of Oct. 29-30. Reservation, to block further DAPL con- providing water to 17 million people. When a Penobscot Nation water pro- The United American Indians of New struction toward the Missouri River. Between January 2012 and September tector was arrested in the raids, a huge England (UAINE) Facebook page was For hours, unarmed protectors held 2013, North Dakota had nearly 300 oil solidarity rally was held in Bangor, Maine. the source of solidarity action informa- their own as they were attacked with pipeline spills out of about 750 “oil field When the sheriff of Hennepin County, tion in this article. tasers, rubber bullets, beanbag shotgun incidents.” None of these were reported to Minn., sent deputies to partic- rounds, tear gas, mace, concussion gre- the public. ipate in the Oct. 27 assault, pro- nades and batons. They were threatened Oceti Sakowin Chairman Dave Ar- testers occupied Minneapolis by snipers perched on MRAP (Mine-Re- chambault said on National Public Ra- City Hall to demand that no lo- sistant Ambush Protected) and Bearcat dio on the day of the state’s attack: “They cal resources or people be used armored vehicles, surrounded by High want to pipe this oil and threaten fresh to attack the water protectors. Mobility Military Vehicle trucks and tor- clean water, threaten the environment, In New Orleans, the Take tured when cops repeatedly fired a Long have eminent domain takings — for the ‘Em Down NOLA group rallied Crisis for Big Oil Bakken/DAPL exploiters in trouble

By Deirdre Griswold sion against those saying #noDAPL, the fields is Exxon Mobil. kets crash, often followed by capitalist rationale for building the pipeline in the Here’s what the New York Times busi- wars that destroy much of the existing The resisters to the Dakota Access first place may be drying up. ness section on Oct. 28 had to say about means of production, along with millions Pipeline in North Dakota are holding this looming crisis: “Exxon Mobil, in a of people. their ground despite mass arrests and the Oil companies in crisis concession to market and regulatory pres- But today’s crisis goes even deeper. Hu- coming brutal cold. They are winterizing The DAPL is a $3.7 billion project in- sures, said Friday that it might be forced man labor is being displaced by technol- their encampment and hunkering down tended to convey shale oil some 1,134 to write down the value of some of its oil ogy so rapidly that the further existence for a long stay. Solidarity among Native miles, from the Bakken oil fields in and gas assets in Canada and elsewhere if of capitalism itself is called into question. nations and with non-Native people who northwestern North Dakota to a depot in energy prices remain low through the end At the same time, climate change is deep- have come to help is inspiring and shows Illinois. At the time it was planned and of the year. ening this crisis. how cooperation on every level — from construction began, oil was selling at top “The announcement, which accom- As capitalist entities are compelled keeping the camp clean and the people dollar. That is no longer the case. panied the company’s release of another — often kicking and screaming — to ac- fed to standing up to the forces of repres- If completed, this expensive and en- quarter of lackluster earnings, was an ap- knowledge the existence of global warm- sion — can be maintained even under the vironmentally dangerous project would parent reversal of Exxon Mobil’s stance in ing and begin to back off from fossil fuels, harshest conditions. provide only 40 permanent jobs. And the recent years. the corporations that have ruled the roost, It would seem, however, that their shale oil it carries is not competitive at to- “The company has long insisted that it morphing from oil companies into global foes — the oil companies buttressed by day’s prices. has been adequately accounting for the banks and other financial institutions, are the armed forces of the state — have the In the past two years, the price of crude value of its oil and gas reserves — even as faced with a humongous problem. greatest material advantage. The compa- oil on the international market fell from many other petroleum companies have In another article directed at Wall nies command billions of dollars and a a high of $100 a barrel to as low as $30, taken big write-offs to reflect a two-year Street, the Times on Oct. 26 wrote in “A legion of political sycophants their mon- stabilizing this year at a little less than price slump. New Debate Over Pricing the Risks of ey can buy. $50. The tremendous drop in the price “On Friday, though, the company ac- Climate Change” that the Securities and In the current presidential race, Don- of oil was in response to a global oil glut, knowledged that it faced what could be Exchange Commission, acting on behalf ald Trump openly supports the DAPL, caused in part by increased production in the biggest accounting revision of re- of big investors, is pressing companies having invested in it and received cam- the United States. serves in its history. Exxon Mobil might like Exxon Mobil to disclose the true val- paign contributions from the companies From being a net importer of oil, the have to concede that 3.6 billion barrels of ue of their assets, given the risks of cli- involved. Hillary Clinton, under pressure U.S. became a net exporter within a few oil-sand reserves and 1 billion barrels of mate change to their business. for ignoring this struggle, still refuses to years — due largely to the development other North American reserves are cur- “Advocates of fuller corporate disclo- support the protesters. of new technologies that enabled the ex- rently not profitable to produce.” sure say the sums at stake are vast,” re- While the oil companies are hated ploitation of tar sands and shale oil, like Those “other North American reserves” ported the Times. “Even under a plan that more and more — especially by younger the kind to be carried by the DAPL. include the Bakken shale oil fields. would limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius generations who recognize how corpo- Extracting oil from tar sands and by — a goal agreed to as part of the Paris deal rate greed has disrupted the balance of fracturing shale rock is much more ex- Capitalist overproduction bigtime — climate change could wipe out $1.7 tril- nature and brought on shattering cli- pensive than finding a pool of oil under- Capitalist overproduction has long oc- lion of global financial assets, according mate change — they are still a formidable ground and just pumping it up to the curred on a cyclical basis, when the de- to a peer-reviewed study published earlier force. surface. When oil was selling for $100 a velopment of the means of production, this year in the journal Nature.” Yet there is evidence of great instabil- barrel, extracting oil from tar sands and prompted by a feverish race for profits, The colossus that is the oil industry ity in the camp of Big Oil. And it comes fractured shale was profitable — and a outstrips the ability of the market to ab- has feet of — not clay — but shale rock not from humanitarian regret over what huge amount of capital went into these sorb all that is produced. In other words, and tar sands. This should give heart and their industry has done, but from the technologies. But at $50 a barrel, the oil the workers have been exploited so effi- comfort to the defenders of Native na- very workings of capitalism itself. companies that rely on this expensive ciently by the capitalists that they can’t tions and the environment, as it hastens Even as the oil companies work fever- form of extraction are in trouble. One of afford to buy the increasing amount of the day of reckoning for these corporate ishly to line up the forces of state repres- the companies invested in the Bakken oil commodities being sold. And so the mar- exploiters and despoilers of the Earth. Page 8 Nov. 10, 2016 workers.org Honduras, neoliberal laboratory By Gilberto Ríos Munguía policies that fostered the development of tions such as the growth of the Chinese social-democratic welfare states. economy and the strengthening of Russia The writer is a member of the Nation- The South American states of Argenti- as an economic and military power con- al Leadership of the LIBRE Freedom na, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and tinue to consolidate, this will be a threat and Refoundation Party of Honduras, even Chile carried out significant chang- to imperialist hegemony until its demise. and a member of the National Popular es which could be summarized — in some Remember that just three years after Honduran women march in Tegucigalpa in Resistance Front, responsible for the countries more than in others – as a roll- the U.S. financial crisis, Brazil, Russia, the spirit of Berta Cáceres on International International Relations committee. back of the neoliberal model. These coun- China, India and South Africa created Women’s Day, March 8. Oct. 24 — Since the 2009 coup that tries applied strong social investments the BRICS investment bank. Its initial world that challenge imperialism by de- ousted President Manuel Zelaya, our and a boosting of national economies. projections aimed to displace the Inter- veloping outside of imperialism’s sick en- country’s name has frequently been Accompanying the initiatives was a more national Monetary Fund and the World gine for plundering natural resources, and found in the headlines of the internation- supportive discourse for confronting the Bank — the imperialist instruments of outside of the death machine of the mili- al press. Headlines shout again and again problems of humanity. domination par excellence — in at least tary-industrial complex that requires, ev- of barbarisms committed after the coup These changes broke the axis of the 50 percent of global investment. ery day, greater suffering by all humanity. that shocked national and international “single thought” [capitalism solves all] Despite these challenges, the popular public opinion, placing our country on imposed by the Washington Consensus The spirit of Berta Cáceres lives on struggle also tends to regroup, to find the world map. after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Honduras, with a dependent and un- ways to struggle despite the barbarity in Indigenous leader Berta Cáceres was collapse of the Soviet Union and the coun- derdeveloped economy subject to the Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, and killed here last March and José Ángel tries of the Socialist Bloc in the 1990s. restrictions imposed by unjust relation- despite the coups in Honduras, Paraguay, Flores, leader of the United Peasant Move- In Central America, the Sandinista ships of the international market, also Brazil and electoral defeats in Argentina ment of Aguán, just last week. To analyze Front (FSLN) took hold of the govern- occupies a convenient but uncomfortable or the plebiscite rejecting peace in Co- the current situation in Honduras starting ment of Nicaragua, and for the first time geographical position: It has three land lombia. The ebbs and flows of the peoples from those murders requires a complex in history the Farabundo Martí Nation- borders — with El Salvador, Nicaragua also promise new arenas of confrontation effort to untangle the threads of a struc- al Liberation Front (FMLN) won the and Guatemala — and nine maritime bor- with capitalism, as is now occurring in tural problem that has led to these con- elections in El Salvador. Cuba, which ders, among them a striking proximity to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and stant, tragic and inhuman consequences. remained a beacon of light in the Carib- Cuban territory. This gives Honduras a as has been shown by Russia’s partial de- The 2008 financial crisis, unleashed bean, accompanied all these processes, geopolitical status that makes the country feat of imperialism in the Middle East, by the bursting of the housing bubble in redeemed by history for her courageous a number one priority for the U.S. bent on and the resurgent popular mobilizations the heart of U.S. capitalism, led to a re- and exemplary struggle. safeguarding its interests in the region. in Argentina and Brazil. orientation of Washington’s international Public opinion in the hemisphere and The frequent political murders in The spirit of Berta Cáceres lives on as strategy to appropriate the resources of globally also raised more forcefully the Honduras, the deepening of neoliber- well in protests through the narrow streets the peoples of the world. Simultaneous- historic claims for the independence of al measures — such as the privatization of Tegucigalpa, because social events are ly, mechanisms of world domination that Puerto Rico, the cause of Haiti and stra- of public services — and the corruption also an expression of life, which surges had been neglected were brought back tegic alliances for the development of the scandals are nothing but the result of and re-emerges so injustice does not pre- into play, especially after setbacks the other Caribbean countries, most of them the conscious decision of U.S. imperial- vail, where political vanguards are capable U.S. suffered in the Middle East. members of [the international trade and ism, together with the local oligarchy, to of re-establishing themselves and their It was also a most important moment solidarity organizations] ALBA [Boli- strengthen its plans to dominate the en- promise of victory. History is not a pendu- for the left in Latin America. The Boli- varian Alliance for the Peoples of Our tire continent and the whole world. lum cycle ticking from left to right or vice varian Revolution was consolidating its America] and Petrocaribe [a Venezuelan These measures are a clear political versa. History is made by the people from geopolitical position. Processes of libera- program supplying oil to other countries reaction of capitalism in its attempt to re- the bottom up, so that the force of the or- tion were advancing and governments on at preferential prices]. sume its growth. The measures are aimed ganized majority makes reason prevail. the continent began to promote sovereign If these and other global contradic- at the peoples and governments in the Translated by Michael Otto. General strike says ‘No’ to referendum ITALY

The following article was submitted Unions (WFTU) and other grass-roots ambassador in Rome, who openly at- ti-popular measures in progress. to Workers World by the organization trade unions. tempted to pressure the Italian people by On Oct. 22 more than 40,000 people Fronte Popolare (Popular Front) in Italy. The goal of the one-day strike was to threatening to stop investments in case from unions and organizations of the al- Some 1.3 million workers participat- give class-based content to a “No” vote of a “No” victory. The German govern- ternative left — movements that fight for ed in a general strike on Oct. 21, the first on the Dec. 4 referendum on constitu- ment, the European Union, the Italian the right to a home, in defense of the land of two important days of mass workers’ tional reform, proposed by the Demo- Employers’ Association, the big banks and against privatizations — marched to- struggle in Italy. cratic Party government of Prime Minis- and the rating agencies also back a “Yes” gether in the streets of Rome. Their goal The workers were called out by the ter Matteo Renzi. vote because the reform would further was to give birth to a social coalition de- United Rank-and-File Union (USB), a The reform has been openly endorsed strengthen governmental powers and member of the World Federation of Trade by President Barack Obama and the U.S. promise faster approval of the new an- Continued on page 10 Hundreds mobilize to free Lebanese revolutionary

By Joe Catron walls. Samidoun activists also attended a following year. French attorney Georges Kiejman, who New York forum in Toulouse. U.S. president Ronald Reagan per- had represented the U.S. government as Protests timed to coincide with the sonally asked French president François a “civil plaintiff” to the case and urged a Hundreds of supporters mobilized ninth appeal for Abdallah’s freedom were Mitterrand to block Abdallah’s release harsh sentence. during an international week of actions also held across France; in Manchester, during a meeting in 1986. After the court sentenced Abdallah to to free Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a England; Magdeburg, Hamburg and Ber- But Abdallah was never released. Only life, shocking most French legal experts, Lebanese revolutionary imprisoned by lin in Germany; Milan and Padua in It- in 2001 would he learn that one of his at- U.S. Ambassador to France Joe M. Rodg- France since Oct. 24, 1984. aly; Vienna; Thessaloniki and Athens in torneys, Jean Paul Mazurier, during the ers told reporters he was “pleased” by the Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Sol- Greece; Istanbul; Tunis in Tunisia; Bei- negotiations and a subsequent criminal outcome. (New York Times, March 1, 1987) idarity Network activists held the first rut; and Gaza and Ramallah. trial had been a secret agent of the French In following years, the U.S. govern- demonstration, a protest outside the In Chicago, participants in a U.S. government, collecting information for ment, as well as French and Israeli ad- French mission to the United Nations on chapter conference of the International its prosecutors to use against him. ministrations, intervened to keep Abdal- Oct. 14. Officers from the New York Police League of Peoples’ Struggle demonstrat- In 1987, a special criminal court con- lah imprisoned, even after French courts Department’s “Counterterrorism Bureau” ed in support of Abdallah on Oct. 22. victed Abdallah of the 1982 assassina- repeatedly ordered his freedom. moved quickly to intercept activists when Originally a member of the Syrian tions of U.S. Assistant Army Attaché Declassified emails from Hillary Clin- they attempted to march into the building. Social Nationalist Party, Abdallah, now Charles R. Ray and Israeli diplomat Ya- ton’s private server show that in 2013 Samidoun held another protest at the 65, was injured fighting with the Popu- cov Barsimantov and involvement in the the secretary of state lodged a similar French consulate-general on Oct. 21, be- lar Front for the Liberation of Palestine 1984 attempted assassination of U.S. demand to block Abdallah’s release with fore marching to the nearby Lebanese against Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in Consul-General Robert Onan Homme. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. consulate-general. 1978. Later, France charged, he joined the The French court of appeals had ordered In France, Samidoun activists joined a Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions, ‘One element of a wide range of actions’ Abdallah’s release a day earlier. The fu- march of more than 400 outside the pris- a group formed to resist Western imperi- French prosecutor Pierre Baechlin ap- ture U.S. presidential frontrunner told on where Abdallah is held in Lannemezan alism and Israeli occupation in Lebanon. pealed for a light sentence, telling judges, Fabius, “We hope French officials might on Oct. 22. Protesters banged on the pris- In 1984, French authorities arrested “I beseech you, I implore you, not to pro- find another basis to challenge the deci- on gates with flagpoles and stones, while him for possession of a forged passport, nounce a sentence of more than 10 years.” sion’s legality.” (samidoun.net, Jan. 18) others lit fireworks to ensure their mes- then quickly agreed to include his name (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 28, 1987) sage of solidarity would breach the prison in a prisoner exchange with LARF the But the court unexpectedly deferred to Continued on next page workers.org Nov. 10, 2016 Page 9 The need for internationalist solidarity

The following are edited remarks delivered to the U.S. chapter conference sified as “privileged,” the specter of rac- Perhaps the most profound crisis of of the International League of People’s Struggle held in Chicago on Oct. 22. ist violence and threats from the armed displacement today is the migration of Azikiwe is an internationally known anti-imperialist leader from Detroit. agents of the state remains with them at people from North Africa into southern all times. Racism is on the increase in the Europe. This movement of dislocated By Abayomi Azikiwe called post-racial society in the period U.S., and the refusal of the ruling class persons has been documented by the Editor, Pan-African News Wire following the election of President Barack and the capitalist state to advance any United Nations Refugee Agency as the Obama in 2008. There is a fundamental weakness in reforms in this regard speaks volumes largest since the conclusion of World War the people’s movement in the United No ‘post-racial’ U.S. about the current phase of imperialism II. There are 60 million to 75 million peo- States, and that is the necessity for an- and its public posture. ple who have been internally and exter- Obama was forced to address the prob- ti-imperialist internationalism. nally displaced in the modern world. lems of the “special oppression” of Afri- The struggles against racism, national Global implications of capitalist crisis These forced removals stem directly can Americans after the unrest in Fergu- oppression and class exploitation can- The degree to which the capitalist class from the foreign policy imperatives of war son. The situation of African Americans not be separated from the need to end can claim any semblance of an economic and economic exploitation engineered by gained international attention prompting Washington and Wall Street’s interfer- “recovery” is related to the expansion of Washington and Wall Street. The inter- editorials in leading periodicals both in ence in the internal affairs of most states low-wage labor and the mega-profits of ventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Lib- the U.S. and internationally questioning throughout the world. transnational corporations. This is re- ya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia are fueling this false assertion of post-racialism. Winning recognition in these monu- inforced by the systematic defunding of underdevelopment and balkanization. The administration leaned in favor of mental struggles is heavily dependent public education, municipal services and Many of these wars remain largely maintaining the status quo of national upon the degree to which we can create environmental safeguards. hidden from people in the U.S. Much of oppression. Obama, of course, gave his widespread awareness of the plight of There are examples too numerous to the social impact of these wars of regime view of what “African Americans feel” communities of color and the working outline here. We could speak about the change and genocide are being manifest- and then denounced violence, saying it class in general. There are efforts under- undemocratic system of emergency man- ed inside these geopolitical regions and will not accomplish anything. This is a way to achieve these objectives although agement and forced bankruptcy in De- in southern, central and eastern Europe. blatant falsehood because the U.S. state much more work has to be done. troit and other Michigan cities that have The crisis of imperialist war has its eco- was born in violence and maintains its International consciousness in regard majority African-American populations. nomic components. The overproduction of existence through brute force and coer- to the character of the U.S. state is grow- There is also the water crisis in Flint and oil and other commodities is driving down cion inside the country and abroad. ing immensely. This is in part due to the the near collapse of public schools in De- prices and causing higher rates of jobless- What these developments further ex- mass demonstrations and urban rebel- troit, Highland Park, Inkster and other ness, poverty, food deficits, class conflicts posed was the failure of the Obama admin- lions which have sprung up by and large Michigan cities. and civil war. Countries such as Somalia, istration to address the special oppression spontaneously in response to the vigilan- A nationally coordinated movement South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, rich of African Americans while instead ad- te death of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and led by trade unions demanding a min- in natural resources, land and strategic vancing a policy of public avoidance in the the not-guilty verdict handed down in the imum wage of $15 an hour is growing waterways, are facing varying levels of face of worsening social conditions. trial of George Zimmerman. across the country. People of all genera- recession, depression and further enslave- It was the African-American masses When Zimmerman’s acquittal was an- tions are working more for less money. ment to international finance capital. and other oppressed groups who suf- nounced it did a great deal to turn public The prison-industrial complex, now Finally, it is our task to point to the di- fered the brunt of the economic crisis be- opinion domestically and internationally encompassing approximately 2.2 million rect relationship between U.S. domestic ginning in 2007. Detroit was one of the against institutions which devalue Afri- people, with millions more under judicial and foreign policy. A policy of national hardest hit urban areas. When Obama can-American life and democratic rights. and law-enforcement supervision, rep- oppression inside the U.S. is reflected in came into office in 2009 there was con- It was during this period that the hashtag resents another form of super-exploita- the military and economic destruction of siderable false hope that these economic #BlackLivesMatter began to trend. Since tion and social containment that is con- countries from the former Soviet Union difficulties would attract the attention of then there have been efforts to build BLM nected to racial profiling and the unjust and Eastern Europe, and extending across the White House and the then-majority chapters across the U.S., spreading inter- court system. Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pa- Democratic House and Senate (2008-10). nationally into Britain and Latin America. cific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Subsequent rebellions and waves of Later, on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Drawing links between home and abroad The problems we are facing in North mass demonstrations in the streets, Mo., 18-year-old Michael Brown was These are some of the principal issues America cannot be effectively tackled or campuses and now athletic fields have ITALY gunned down by a white police officer. we must take up in the U.S. Our inter- solved independent of the people of the stripped the administration of any Immediately, demonstrations erupted in nationalism must be informed by the international community. The world’s pretense of political legitimacy. Colin Ferguson. These manifestations spread specific conditions of the workers and peoples must unite in a program of an- Kaepernick and others in professional, nationally, bringing attention to the false oppressed and the movements that have ti-imperialism aimed at ending all forms college and high school sports settings il- notion that the U.S. had become a so- sprung up in the last four years. of oppression and exploitation. lustrate that no matter how they are clas- World Federation of Trade Unions looks ahead The third conclusion that comes from the Congress The World Federation of Trade Unions held its 17th Congress on Oct. 5-8 in Durban, South Africa. and many speeches is the need for the enhancement of Below are excerpts from the concluding speech by re-elected General Secretary George Mavrikos, our trade unions in ideological and political level. We who represents the Greek union movement. do not operate in a sterilized environment. We live and This will be my last term as General Secretary of new organizational duties for all of us. … Greater tasks, struggle amongst friends, opponents and enemies. ... WFTU. In the next Congress, we will elect a younger more serious expectations for the organizational strength- We are correct to struggle for better wages. We are comrade with the appropriate criteria. ... ening of the class-oriented trade union movement. ... correct to strike against privatizations, we are correct My first conclusion: Is that this was a Congress that Therefore we commit in the Organizational Level for: to demand collective bargaining agreements, conditions was open, democratic, class-oriented and international- New members in the WFTU. of health and safety, public and free education, health, ist. A Congress that befits and reflects the history of the New sectors in our [Trade Union Internationals]. better environment. … 71 years of the WFTU. We heard 112 speakers from 103 New countries and regions in our ranks. At the same time, as a trade union movement … we countries. They spoke freely. ... Just now we approved the affiliation of three new trade have to radicalize our demands. We have to uplift the con- We voted yesterday with secret ballot … we elected as unions in the WFTU from Russia, from Angola and from tent and the forms of our struggle with the direct aim of new President of the WFTU, comrade Mzwandile Mak- the USA. The affiliation of these particularly important the emancipation of the working class from the capitalist wayiba. His election is a new positive step for our orga- trade unions has a great symbolism for the WFTU but most exploitation. To make the working class the pioneer and nization and also underlines the priority we give to the of all it opens new paths for today and for tomorrow. leading class ready to fulfill its strategic purpose. African Continent and our effort to strengthen the trade Therefore, all of us here today, we vote in a unanimous Our main instrument for the empowerment of our union movement. ... voice [for] the decision that we will put all our efforts ideological objective is Internationalism, the Unity of The second conclusion by the Congress is: There are [into] so that in our next Congress, the 18th Congress, our class and our Militant line of Struggle. … we will have 100 million members in our ranks. ... The capitalists today are better organized in their own We need trade unions that are lively in the base, mas- associations … they have intensified their aggressive- From his cell in Lannemezan, Abdallah wrote that his sive, uniting workers against exploitation and the bour- ness against the trade unions and the militants of the ongoing imprisonment was part of a broader effort to geoisie. We want trade unions of the base which will be real trade union movement. ... repress liberation struggles. schools for the working people, teaching them everything The fourth conclusion: We must believe in our own “In the Zionist jails, in Morocco, from the isolation that has to do with class struggle. We want trade unions power, in the power and the superiority of the class-ori- cells in Turkey to those in Greece, in the Philippines and that can operate within the wide masses. Not closed clubs, ented trade union movement. … We, as the family of elsewhere in Europe and around the world, it is always not bureaucratic leagues or small elites but open militant WFTU, we have to convince the new generation that the same,” he said in a statement read outside the prison schools. ... We are cadres, leaders bearing the duty to ac- the struggle is worth it. ... Only the militants of the on Oct. 22. cumulate forces and to organize class struggles in order to class-struggle can undertake this role and bring back “Judicial persecution is only one element of a wide change the world and make it socially just. ... wide popular masses in the trade unions. … We have our range of actions against revolutionary and pre-revolu- The women who spoke, the young comrades, the mi- feet grounded on the earth and we are looking ahead. tionary movements.” (samidoun.net, Oct. 23) grants presented vividly the organizational need to en- Long live the Working Class of Africa! Catron is a member of Al-Awda New York: The Pal- hance and to operate the relevant Committees. Working Long live Internationalism and Solidarity! estine Right to Return Coalition and an organizer with women, working youth, migrants and refugees are right Long live the International Working Class! Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. to have many expectations from the WFTU. ... For the entire speech, visit tinyurl.com/h3tnuyk/. Page 10 Nov. 10, 2016 workers.org ‘Right to Exist, Right to Resist’ The FBI’s letter on Clinton

Something quite unprecedented in Why now? U.S. presidential elections happened Should revolutionaries who under- on Oct. 28, and there is much specu- stand that both Clinton and Trump are lation throughout the media as to why. politicians loyal to the capitalist system Just a week and a half before elec- be interested in this issue? The answer tion day, FBI Director James Comey is “yes.” sent a letter to members of Congress The FBI has historically played a about new developments in the agen- far-right role in U.S. politics, espe- cy’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s cially during Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Demanding justice emails, which supposedly had ended ­anti-Communist rampage of the 1950s for Laquan McDonald months earlier. and against the Civil Rights and Black on the second anniversary Immediately, the letter went viral and Liberation movements of the following of his murder by Chicago police. was hailed by the Trump camp as proof decades. It should be of great interest PHOTO: ERIC TANDOC that Clinton was not qualified to be pres- to the workers and all oppressed peo- Following is a report on the Inter- cago Alliance; Hatem Abudayyeh, of the ident. The Clinton camp immediately ples when an agency of repression like national League of People’s Struggle Arab American Action Network, speak- responded, saying it was an unethical the FBI is willing to cross the line of assembly in Chicago. ing on behalf of the Rasmea Odeh defense move, coming right before the election. ­politics-as-usual — in this case in order campaign; and Sara Chambers, of the Others joined in, even ­Republicans. to possibly influence an election. The Second Assembly of the U.S. Chicago Teachers Union. Nina Machipin- One such was Richard W. Painter, a It has become clear for months that Country Chapter of the International lac and Johnny Rodriguez, of Anakbayan, former chief White House “ethics” offi- most of the capitalist corporate and fi- League of People’s Struggle was held at read a message from Philippine revolu- cer during the second George W. Bush nancial establishment have seen Trump Teamster City in Chicago on Oct. 22. The tionary leader Jose Maria Sison, who is administration. He wrote in an op-ed as a loose cannon and have moved their motto of the conference was “Right to Ex- chairperson of ILPS. Fatin Jarara read a piece in the Oct. 30 New York Times, big money behind the Clinton cam- ist, Right to Resist.” Over 300 attended, greeting from Palestinian revolutionary “This letter, which was quickly posted paign. Clinton has proven, as secretary mostly multinational youth from around Leila Khaled of the Popular Front for the on the internet, made highly unusual of state, that she much better under- the country. Liberation of Palestine. A powerful musi- public statements about an FBI inves- stands the interests of Wall Street as a The assembly was followed by a strong, cal presentation by the Chicago duet Ko- tigation concerning a candidate in the whole and is loyal on the questions most militant march in downtown Chicago star opened the program. election. The letter was sent in viola- important to big business and the Pen- to mark the second anniversary of the The second panel included Philippine tion of a longstanding Justice Depart- tagon. Trump, with his racist, misog- Chicago Police Department’s murder of radical economist Paul Quintos, of the ment policy of not discussing specifics ynist, anti-immigrant and egotistical Laquan McDonald and to demand an IBON Foundation; Lynn Mezza, of Chel- about pending investigations with oth- tirades, has alienated huge sections of elected Civilian Police Accountability sea Uniting Against the War (from Chel- ers, including members of Congress.” the population, which could present a Council. The march, organized jointly by sea, Mass.); and Abayomi Azikiwe, of the Painter concluded that “a public challenge to the system itself in future ILPS and the Chicago Alliance against Michigan Emergency Committee Against communication about a pending FBI struggles. Racist and Political Repression, drew War and Injustice. The assembly drew ac- investigation involving a candidate Perhaps more will come out eventu- about 600 people. tivist and community groups from around that is made on the eve of an election ally on Comey’s motivation. We think The assembly opened with a greeting the Midwest, and people from as far as is thus very likely to be a violation of it likely that even those in the ruling by Jesus Rodriguez, the Consul General California, Oregon, Washington state, the Hatch Act and a misuse of an offi- class who have ditched Trump are now of Venezuela in Chicago. Keynote speak- Texas, New York, New Jersey and New cial position.” The Hatch Act prohibits panicking over whether a resounding ers included Frank Chapman, of the Chi- England participated in the assembly. most federal employees from partisan defeat for him could also mean a rout of participation in political activities. a Republican Congress that has served Before the letter, Trump’s chances their interests very well. If that’s what of winning the election had been wan- the big-money men are saying to each ing, according to pollsters. The letter other, Comey would know and could Market Elections seems to have given his campaign a take action meant to dilute an anti-­ by Vince Copeland is an invaluable ­reference for those seeking to understand shot in the arm. Trump tide. the complexities of how the ruling class has been able to use the ‘democratic process’ to stay in power for more than two centuries — and how mass movements can break through the two-party straightjacket to bring about real change. Italy says no to referendum Copeland’s book was first published in 2000. The paperback (296 pages) can be ordered from online booksellers or directly from Germany in particular) by means of the World View Forum at 147 West 24th St., Continued from page 8 common currency and keeps the EU sub- 2nd floor, New York, NY 10011 fining the “No” campaign as clear opposi- ject to U.S. imperialism in foreign politics. $15 (includes shipping.) tion to the anti-popular measures dictat- Every attempt to bring about progres- ed by the European Union. sive changes and depart from the disas- Low-Wage Capitalism ­describes Until these two successive days of trous austerity fanaticism without ques- in sweeping detail the ­drastic effect on the struggle, the anti-corruption and euro- tioning the EU itself is destined to failure working class in the United States of new tech- sceptic Five-Star Movement led by co- and betrayal, as the case of Greece exem- nology and the restructuring of global capital- ism in the post-Soviet era. It uses Karl Marx’s median Beppe Grillo and reactionary plifies. law of wages and other findings to show that forces like the Northern League and The reconquest of national sovereignty these developments are not only continuing Berlusconi’s Forza Italia have had the is now a precondition for any real pro- to drive down wages but are creating the leadership of the “No” campaign, using it gressive change in Italy. material basis for future social upheaval. against the Renzi government. We, as Fronte Popolare, participat- Workers’ organizations want to take ed with conviction in both these events, charge so that any struggle against Con- continuing to work toward a reunifica- High Tech, stitutional reform will also oppose Renzi’s tion of left trade unions in Italy, still too Low Pay anti-worker measures such as his “Jobs divided, so that the organizations fight- A Marxist Analysis Act” law. This law makes layoffs much ing for a real alternative and for a break- of the Changing easier, completing the destruction of the up of the EU come together in a unified El capitalismo en un callejón Character of the Working Class “Workers Statute,” which was gained in front of struggle. sin salida Fred Goldstein utiliza las leyes de 1970 after relentless workers’ struggles. The forces are still too little; the road la acumulación capitalista de Marx, y la tasa de- By Sam Marcy We, in Fronte Popolare, consider the to rebuild a real social and political alter- creciente de ganancia, para demostrar por qué with an updated EU an irreformable institution, created native in Italy is still long and arduous, el capitalismo global ha llegado finalmente a introduction by to facilitate the destruction of workers’ but we are convinced that, finally, after un punto de inflexión. Fred Goldstein rights. The EU deepens the inequalities the errors and betrayals of past years, the For more information on these books and other writings by the author, Fred Goldstein, go to between European countries (benefiting direction is now correct. LowWageCapitalism.com Available at all major online booksellers. workers.org Nov. 10, 2016 Page 11 Class struggle alive in Venezuela

By Berta Joubert-Ceci new campaign of protests and challenges are wrong. Here we will lose neither our main alert and permanently mobilized to the government, including demand- country, nor the revolution.’” against the coup attempt by the right wing. Since the Bolivarian Revolution start- ing a recall referendum. The referendum Additionally, Defense Minister Gen. And the strike announced for Friday, ed in Venezuela 17 years ago, U.S. impe- had to be postponed due to the hundreds Vladimir Padrino and other members Oct. 28? Even the imperialist media had rialism and its oligarchical allies in that of thousands of illegal signatures gath- of the military high command publicly to admit its failure. There was no stop- country have not stopped plotting to ered on the petition, including those of declared the armed forces’ loyalty to the page: The people went to work and the vast overthrow it. dead people. Because of this postpone- constitution and the government on Oct. majority of establishments were open as There have been several attempts, the ment, the right-wing deputies of the 25. Padrino ended his speech with an usual. For its plan, the right wing depends most important being the failed coup that MUD (Democratic Unity Roundtable) emphatic, “Chávez lives!” on the people — all the people — and the involved the kidnapping of then President convened an Oct. 23 National Assembly Also on Oct. 25, when President Madu- armed forces. But neither the people nor Hugo Chávez in 2002 and the oil sabotage meeting to present their plan of action. ro returned from a trip to four oil-export- the armed forces was willing to defend the of 2003. Popular mobilizations defeated At that meeting, they presented their ing countries who are trying to stabilize privileges of the bourgeoisie. both. There were also the “guarimbas” or document, which, among other things, the price for this commodity by reducing Meanwhile, on Oct. 30, a discussion violent street blockades and the deaths called for ignoring the government of its production, a huge red sea of ​people began between the opposition and the caused by the right-wing forces. President Maduro. It demanded that the received him, showing their determina- Bolivarian government. Numerous prior Now, the arrival in office of the politi- National Armed Forces disobey Madu- tion to defend the Bolivarian Revolution. attempts at dialogue in that country have cal right through parliamentary maneu- ro’s government, replace the leadership They were the Chavista people, the poor, all failed. The right wing talks only when vers in Paraguay and more recently in of the National Electoral Council and Su- the ones who have won the most with they expect concessions. Fifteen orga- Brazil, or by a plain coup as in Honduras, preme Court, and called on the people to the Revolution and who are clear on who nizations from the MUD signed a letter and the election of Mauricio Macri to the demonstrate in the streets. their class enemy is: the oligarchy and its saying they will not participate in the presidency of Argentina have given new Their plan also included a rally called followers who live in Altamira and in the talks because “conditions are not ripe.” energy to this imperialism whose very the “Taking of Venezuela” on Oct. 26, a rich neighborhoods, where the poor are The dialogues are supported by in- existence is threatened. Now it has sev- 12-hour strike on Oct. 28 and a march only servants. ternational representatives: UNASUR eral puppets in Latin America, including to Miraflores [the presidential palace] The class divisions in Venezuela are [an intergovernmental regional organi- also the newly elected president of Peru. on Nov. 3. They also want to “prosecute” clearer than ever. Despite the long lines zation comprising 12 South American These events encourage imperialism to President Maduro supposedly for “aban- for shopping, the result of the product countries], the Vatican, the ex-presidents try to destroy the Bolivarian Revolution. doning his post” because he went on a shortages purposely caused by the prod- Martín Torrijos of Panama and Leonel The imperialist media, especially in five-day visit to oil-exporting countries. uct owners and the importing oligarchy, Fernández of the Dominican Republic, the U.S., reflect this attitude. On Oct. 28, the pro-Chavista forces continue to de- and former Prime Minister José Luis the influential New York Times published Rightwing plan did not hold fend the remaining achievements. Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain. Four dis- a hostile editorial benefitting the opposi- But that same Oct. 23, the people who That is why the rightwing demonstra- cussion groups were formed: peace and tion right wing and against the Bolivari- support the government did not remain tion, the “Taking of Venezuela” scheduled justice; reparations for victims and rec- an government. Among other falsehoods muted or passive. Hundreds of people for Oct. 26, while having a considerable onciliation; economic and social issues, and ignominies, it said, “This should per- gathered outside the National Assem- attendance, was unable to “take” Ven- and the pre-election atmosphere. suade leaders in the region to denounce bly and a group stormed angrily into ezuela. In some places they provoked The main general issues that led to the Mr. [Nicolás] Maduro in stronger terms the hemicycle [the legislature’s meeting confrontations and in one, the death of a search for a dialogue are the economic than they have in the past and call on hall]. RT reported that day: “Mrs. Nancy policeman. That was a march of the rich, situation, an end to the political violence Venezuelan jurists and bureaucrats to Villegas was one of the Bolivarian wom- the white and the privileged, which was and the rejection of foreign intervention. stop being accomplices of a dictatorship en who entered the special session: ‘Now joined by that part of the poor who have In a special address to the world, in the making.” as the President is traveling defending been manipulated by the media because President Maduro called for global sol- oil prices they want to remove him? We of their desire to change the difficult eco- idarity with Venezuela to defeat the Right-wing maneuvers will not allow it. Do they (the opposition) nomic situation. coup in progress and to consolidate the The Venezuelan right has resorted to a believe this is Paraguay or Brazil? They The poor Chavista people however, re- ­revolution. Elections set amid mass misery in Haiti

By G. Dunkel Privert, Haiti’s interim president, spoke town in the southwest that is an arduous ing for tents and temporary structures. It in Ouanaminthe, a city in northeast four-hour hike from the nearest paved is not clear if transportation needed for Hundreds of thousands of Haitians Haiti, near the Dominican border, at the road and only accessible by mule or heli- the distribution of ballots will be in place. face growing misery in the aftermath of opening of a new maquiladora plant in an copter. Three hundred people have died There is a lot of political maneuvering. Hurricane Matthew. Meanwhile, the U.S. industrial site organized by the Clinton there from cholera since Matthew. Ran- On Oct. 19, Haiti’s highest court, the Cour military has decided to turn over its relief Foundation. del’s cholera clinic is overflowing and has de Cassation, requested the replacement efforts to civilian authorities in Haiti. Privert said at that time there were 169 run out of beds and needles for intrave- of Jocelerme Privert as interim president The hurricane destroyed tens of thou- communities still not reachable by land. nous fluid replacement. But people from since his time in office has expired. On sands of homes on Oct. 4. Many that it Almost all the schools in Haiti’s south- the surrounding communities are still Oct. 20, Ambassador Mulrean issued a didn’t completely flatten had their tin west were destroyed or badly damaged. bringing in patients, too sick to walk, on statement supporting the Haitian gov- roofs torn off or were left with more The ones that survived are filled with their backs. ernment regarding the elections and di- holes than material. Then, three days people who lost their homes. saster relief. and nights of torrential rain followed the Besides the rain, hunger is a big prob- Elections reset for Nov. 20 Mulrean has made it very clear that winds. lem. Many people in southwest Haiti de- Elections were scheduled for Oct. 9, the U.S. supports Privert and his govern- The extent of the devastation in Haiti pended on their farms for food. Now they but since hurricane damage would have ment. This was so from the first days of was summed up by a journalist who made have lost their harvest: corn, bananas prevented at least a third of all Haitians the crisis, when he made sure Privert was a quick trip along the southwest coast: and coconuts. from voting then, the Provisional Elector- on the Coast Guard overflight of the dev- All that remains of many seaside villag- A Haitian web service (hougansydney. al Council reset the elections for Nov. 20. astated areas, to more recent days. es is their name. The city of Jérémie, the com) reported that cops and the United The 2015 election was so obviously Hillary Clinton, secretary of state in largest population center in the south- Nations’ occupation force, Minustah, fraudulent that its results were discard- 2011, was even more assertive when she west, has been compared to Berlin at the fired on a crowd that was stampeding to ed. It is still not clear if all the voting ven- person­ally imposed Michel Martelly as a end of World War II when that city was get first aid supplies from a Colombian ues will be repaired in time for the Nov. candidate and then as president in May flattened by bombs. ship in Dame Marie. One young girl was 20 vote. The Haitian government is push- 2011. Despite this misery, U.S. Ambassa- killed by a bullet to the chest. dor to Haiti Peter Mulrean released a An Oct. 24 U.N. Food and Agriculture statement published in the Nouvelliste, Organization report points out that most Honduras, el laboratorio neoliberal a major Haitian newspaper on Oct. 29, fishing gear — boats, nets, traps, docks — Continúa de página 12 explaining that “transportation was im- was destroyed, so the income and protein ación al capitalismo como lo hace ahora ción y su perspectiva de victoria. La his- proving in the areas ravaged by Hurri- sources supplied by fishing are not cur- mismo la República Bolivariana de Ven- toria no son ciclos pendulares de la izqui- cane Matthew and a robust humanitari- rently available. It also points out that the ezuela, como lo demuestra Rusia ante la erda a la derecha o vice versa, son ciclos an response has developed.” seeds for winter crops normally planted derrota parcial del imperialismo en el populares de abajo para arriba, en donde Beginning on Oct. 6, the U.S. had 12 in November were destroyed. medio oriente, como resurgen las movi- la razón deberá prevalecer con la fuerza helicopters, split between CH-53 Sea The U.N. Minustah occupation force lizaciones populares en Argentina y Bra- de las mayorías organizadas. Stallions and CH-47 Chinooks, two Coast introduced cholera into Haiti six years sil; así como vuelve Berta en la protesta (∙) Gilberto Ríos Munguía es miembro Guard cutters and two naval vessels to ago after a devastating earthquake. The callejera por las estrechas calles de Te- de la Dirección Nacional del Partido Lib- handle logistics. There were a few hun- disease has killed nearly 10,000 people gucigalpa; porque los fenómenos sociales ertad y Refundación Libre de Honduras, dred Marines assigned to the operation, and sickened 800,000. Now, cholera has son también como esa expresión de la también miembro del Comité Ejecutivo which Mulrean claimed cost $20 million. become an even more serious problem vida, que surge y resurge donde la injus- Nacional del Frente Nacional de Resis- A few days before the U.S. withdrew following Matthew and the rain. ticia no prevalece, donde las vanguardias tencia Popular y responsable de Rela- its militarized aid to Haiti, Jocelerme How serious can be seen in Randel, a políticas son capaces de su reconfigura- ciones Internacionales. Correspondencia sobre artículos en Workers World/Mundo Obrero pueden ser enviadas a: [email protected] CONFERENCIA DEL PARTIDO MUNDO OBRERO/ WORKERS WORLD 11 a 13 de noviembre SHABAZZ CENTER 3940 Broadway @ 165 Street th ¡Proletarios y oprimidos de todos los paises unios! workers.org Vol. 58 Núm. 44 10 de noviembre 2016 $1 #1, A or C subway to 168 St. workers.org/wwp En Venezuela, la lucha de clases está viva

Por Berta Joubert-Ceci retos al gobierno incluyendo el pedido de otros miembros del alto mando militar Y el paro anunciado para el viernes 28, un referendo revocatorio. Como el revo- declararon públicamente el martes 25 de hasta los medios imperialista tuvieron Desde que la Revolución Bolivariana catorio se tuvo que posponer debido a los octubre su lealtad a la constitución y su que reconocer que no tuvo éxito. No hubo comenzó en Venezuela hace 17 años, el im- cientos de miles de firmas ilegales incluy- gobierno, terminando su alocución con un tal paro, el pueblo fue a trabajar y la gran perialismo estadounidense y sus aliados endo las de personas fallecidas, los diputa- “Chávez vive”. mayoría de establecimientos estuvo abier- oligárquicos en ese país no han dejado de dos de la derecha - de la MUD (Mesa de la Ese mismo martes regresaba el presi- to como normalmente lo hacen. La dere- maquinar para destituirla. Unidad Democrática) - convocaron a una dente Maduro de una visita relámpago por cha cuenta con el pueblo – todo el pueblo Son varios los atentados, siendo los más reunión de la Asamblea Nacional el pas- cuatro países exportadores de petróleo – y las fuerzas armadas. Pero ni uno ni el importantes - sin olvidar las “guarimbas” ado domingo 23 de octubre. Ahí sacaron intentando equilibrar los precios de éste. otro estuvieron dispuestos para defender y las muertes provocadas por la derecha - un documento – su plan de acción - que Un enorme mar rojo de pueblo se había los privilegios de la burguesía. el fallido golpe secuestrando al entonces entre otras cosas, pedía desconocer al convocado para recibirlo y mostrarle su Mientras tanto, ayer domingo 30 de oc- presidente Hugo Chávez en el 2002 y lu- gobierno del presidente Nicolás Maduro, firmeza en la defensa de la Revolución tubre, comenzaron unos diálogos entre la ego el sabotaje petrolero del 2003. Ambos exigir a la Fuerza Armada Nacional que Bolivariana. Ése era el pueblo chavista, el oposición y el gobierno bolivariano. Hay fueron derrotados por el pueblo. desobedeciera al gobierno del presidente pobre, el que más ha ganado con la Revo- que recordar que han sido innumerables Ahora, con el arribo de la derecha a Maduro, sustituir a la dirección del Con- lución y quien está claro que su enemigo es los intentos de diálogos en ese país, y to- través de maniobras parlamentarias en sejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) y del Tribu- uno de clase, la oligarquía y sus seguidores dos han fracasado. La derecha solo dialoga Paraguay y más recientemente en Brasil, o nal Supremo de Justicia (TSJ), además de quienes viven en Altamira y en las barri- cuando cree que va a obtener concesiones. de puro golpe como en Honduras, y la lle- convocar al pueblo a las calles. adas ricas donde los pobres solo están de Quince organizaciones pertenecientes a la gada a la presidencia de Macri en Argen- Esto incluía una manifestación llama- sirvientes. MUD firmaron una carta diciendo que no tina, ese imperialismo que ve amenaza- da la Toma de Venezuela el miércoles 26 Esto en Venezuela se ve más claro que participarán de los diálogos porque “las da su propia existencia, ha tomado bríos de octubre, un paro el viernes 28 y una nunca. Y ya ese pueblo chavista, a pesar de condiciones no están dadas”. y piensa que esta vez sí podrá destruir la marcha a Miraflores el 3 de noviembre. las colas, de la escasez de productos provo- Los diálogos están avalados por repre- Revolución Bolivariana. Ahora tiene vari- Además quieren “enjuiciar” al presidente cada en mayor parte por la oligarquía pro- sentantes internacionales: UNASUR, los os monigotes en América Latina, incluy- Maduro dizque por “abandonar su cargo” ductora e importadora, no cesa de defend- expresidentes Martín Torrijos de Pana- endo también al recién electo presidente al estar en gira de cinco días por los países er los logros que le quedan. má y Leonel Fernández de República Do- del Perú. petroleros. Por eso, la manifestación de la Toma minicana, el expresidente del Gobierno Y no olvidemos el poder mediático impe- ¿Qué pasó? de Venezuela pautada para el miércoles español José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero y rialista a nivel internacional y sobre todo en Ese mismo domingo 23 el pueblo no 26 de octubre, aunque tuvo una consider- representantes del Vaticano. Se formaron EUA. El 28 de octubre, el Comité Editorial se quedó silenciado ni pasivo. Cientos de able asistencia, no pudo tomar Venezuela. cuatro mesas de discusión bajo los sigui- del influyente New York Times publicó un personas se reunieron en las afueras de la Provocaron sí confrontaciones en algunos entes temas: Paz y justicia; Reparación de hostil editorial beneficiando a la derecha AN y un grupo entró furioso al hemiciclo. lugares y la muerte de un policía. Esa fue las víctimas y reconciliación; lo económi- opositora y en contra del gobierno bolivari- En RT 23 de octubre reportaron, “La seño- una marcha de ricos, de personas blancas co y social, y la Coordinación del ambiente ano. Entre otras falsedades e ignominias ra Nancy Villegas fue una de las mujeres y privilegiadas, a la que se sumó parte del previo al cronograma electoral. decía que “Esto debe convencer a los líderes bolivarianas que ingresó a la sesión ex- pueblo pobre que ha sido mediáticamente Como principales aristas en general que de la región para que condenen a Maduro traordinaria: ‘¿Ahora como el presidente manipulado y que solo va por el ansia de llevaron a la búsqueda del diálogo, están con más fuerza de lo que lo han hecho, e está de viaje defendiendo los precios del cambiar la situación económica. Aquí hay la recuperación económica, el cese a la invitar a los jueces y burócratas a dejar de petróleo lo quieren destituir? Nosotros que recordar que un estudio reciente re- violencia política y el rechazo a la inter- actuar como cómplices de la dictadura que no lo permitiremos. ¿Ellos (la oposición) porta que uno de los productores princi- vención extranjera. se está gestando”. creen esto es Paraguay o Brasil? Se equiv- pales venezolanos redujo su producción en En una alocución especial dirigida al ocaron. Aquí no perdemos ni la patria, ni un 30 por ciento. (Telesur, 28 octubre) mundo, el presidente Maduro pidió la sol- Maniobras derechistas la revolución’”. El pueblo pobre chavista sin embargo, idaridad mundial con Venezuela para der- La derecha venezolana ha recurrido a Por otra parte, el ministro de la De- se mantiene alerta y permanentemente rotar el golpe de estado en marcha y para una nueva campaña de movilizaciones y fensa, general Vladimir Padrino junto a movilizado. consolidar la revolución. Honduras, el laboratorio neoliberal Por: Gilberto Ríos Munguía (∙) Era también el momento más impor- ión pública del hemisferio y también a es- condición que desde el punto de vista geo tante de las izquierdas en América Latina; cala mundial, reclamos históricos como militar es de prioridad número para sal- Es frecuente encontrarse el nombre de la Revolución Bolivariana consolidaba su la independencia de Puerto Rico, la causa vaguardar los intereses norteamericanos nuestro país en los titulares de la prensa posición geopolítica, avanzaban los pro- de Haití y las alianzas estratégicas para el en la región. internacional, luego del golpe de estado de cesos de liberación y comenzaban aso- desarrollo de los demás países del caribe, Los frecuentes asesinatos políticos en 2009 contra el Presidente Manuel Zelaya, mar gobiernos con políticas soberanas gran número de ellos miembros del ALBA Honduras, así como la profundización de titulares destacan una y otra barbarie com- que permitían el desarrollo de Estados de y PETROCARIBE. las medidas neoliberales, como son la pri- etida después de que aquel fenómeno que bienestar en el continente. La hegemonía del imperialismo peli- vatización de los servicios públicos o los conmocionó la opinión pública nacional e En Suramérica Argentina, Uruguay, Bra- graba hasta su desaparición si estos y escándalos de corrupción, no son sino el internacional, nos situara en la geografía sil, Bolivia, Ecuador y hasta Chile, mostra- otras contradicciones en el mundo como resultado de una voluntad manifiesta del política internacional. ban cambios importantes que podrían el crecimiento de la economía China y el imperialismo norteamericano y la oli- Analizar la situación de Honduras en resumirse –en unos países más que en fortalecimiento de Rusia como potencia garquía local, para afianzar el proyecto la actualidad a partir del asesinato de la otros- como un franco retroceso del modelo económica y militar continuaban con- de dominación de todo el continente y el lideresa indígena Berta Cáceres ocurri- neoliberal, con una fuerte inversión social solidándose; Recordemos que apenas tres mundo entero; son una reacción política do en marzo de este año o del asesinato y una activación de las economías naciona- años después de la crisis financiera nor- clara del capitalismo en recomposición, de José Ángel Flores dirigente del Movi- les, a la par de un discurso más solidario teamericana, Brasil, Rusia, China, India y frente a pueblos y gobiernos del mundo miento Campesino Unificado del Aguán frente a los fenómenos de la humanidad Sudáfrica creaban el BRICS, banco de in- que desafían con desarrollarse al margen ocurrido la semana pasada, complicaría que rompían el eje del pensamiento único versión que en sus proyecciones iniciales de su enferma máquina de expoliación desenmarañar el hilo de la madeja de un impuesto por el consenso de Washington desplazaría al Fondo Monetario Interna- de los recursos naturales y de muerte del problema más bien estructural que tiene después de la caída de la Unión Soviética, cional y al Banco mundial –instrumentos Complejo Militar Industrial, cada día más resultados coyunturales constantes, trági- el muro de Berlín y los países del Bloque de dominación por excelencia del imperi- necesitada del sufrimiento del conjunto de cos e inhumanos como los mencionados. Socialista en los 90s. alismo- en al menos el 50 por ciento de la la humanidad. La crisis financiera que se desató debi- En Centro América el Frente Sandinis- inversión mundial. No obstante, también la lucha popular do al estallido de la burbuja inmobiliaria ta se afianzaba en el gobierno de Nicara- Honduras, con una economía depen- tiende a recomponerse, a encontrar cami- en el seno del capitalismo norteamericano gua y ganaba las elecciones por primera diente, atrasada y sometida los designios nos y pesar de la barbarie en Irak, Afgan- en 2008, condujo a la reorientación de la vez en la historia de El Salvador el Frente de las injustas relaciones del mercado in- istán, Libia o Siria, a pesar de los golpe de estrategia internacional de apropiación de Farabundo Martí para la liberación Na- ternacional, posee también una conveni- estado de Honduras, Paraguay y Brasil y los recursos de los pueblos del mundo, a cional; como un faro de luz en el Caribe ente pero incómoda posición geográfica: de las derrotas electorales en Argentina la vez que replanteó los mecanismos rel- Cuba acompañaba todos estos procesos, tres fronteras terrestres con El Salvador, o el plebiscito por la paz en Colombia, los ativamente descuidados de la dominación redimida por la historia por su valiente Nicaragua y Guatemala y nueve fronteras flujos y reflujos de los pueblos también mundial, sobre todo por los reveses sufri- y ejemplar lucha; con esto también se marítimas, dentro de la que destaca tam- prometen nuevos estadios de confront- dos en el medio oriente. reivindicaban con más fuerza en la opin- bién su cercanía al territorio de Cuba, Continúa a página 11