THEORY / PRACTICE & "HumanNEWS power is its own end"—Karl Marx Vol.LETTERS 57 No. 6 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 $1 EDITORIAL Stop Obama's re-election doesn't the war on Gaza! end clash of two worlds Nov. 14, 2012—Israel's current onslaught against the Gaza Palestinians, beginning with the assassina- by Franklin Dmitryev While people of every race and class suffered from tion of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, are more Hurricane Sandy's blows, in areas like New York City's The two worlds of the rulers and the ruled shone Red Hook, Far Rockaway and Staten Island many of than a response to Hamas' recent round of rocket at- through the suffocating blanket of propaganda sur- tacks. Syrian rebels have begun to take over land the working class and people of color faced serious ne- rounding the election in which Barack Obama won a glect from the government in the storms' aftermath. around the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, bringing second term. A pronounced gender gap and long lines revolution to its borders. As with the recent bombing Occupy Wall Street activists, 350.org and others de- at the polls in African-American and Latino areas cided that they could not wait for the state to act. They of the Yarmouk factory in Sudan, allegedly supplying reflected the determination to defeat the reactionary Iranian-built missiles to Hamas, Israel's war moves are created Occupy Sandy Recovery to help people on the Republicans and retain the first Black President. The ground, declaring, "We are creating autonomous zones driven by fear of the Syrian Revolution. biggest defeats were handed to the Tea Party and the Israel's attack must be opposed. "Operation for community and solidarity, not camps for managing Religious Right, notably with votes in four states in the lives of powerless victims." In some areas this was Cast Lead" in 2008, Israel's last war in Gaza, killed favor of marriage equality. thousands, including hundreds of civilians—many of the only help available for a week or more. At the same time a number of protests immedi- It was not only in the storm-ravaged areas that them children. For a government that includes Avigdor ately made it clear that Lieberman, the advocate of Palestinian genocide, to voters faced chaos at the struggle continues. the polls. Especially in carry on a new war against Palestinians is absolutely During early voting, unacceptable and must be opposed by all people of con- predominantly African- Floridians in a long line American and Latino science. That government must be overthrown. chanted, "Let us vote!" PALESTINIANS ARE A TARGET EVERYWHERE areas of swing states, after doors were closed voters faced long lines, At one and the same time, reports out of Syria de- in their faces. Follow- incorrect or mislead- scribe the shelling of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee ing the election, protest- ing instructions, last- camp in Damascus by Assad's genocidal regime, a re- ers in Phoenix chanted, minute changes, and gime that Iran desperately seeks to preserve. "Count our votes!" after privately funded at- It has long been clear that in a war between the learning of hundreds of tempts to intimidate reactionary governments of Israel and Iran, the Pales- thousands of provisional them. In Florida, some tinians' very existence will be threatened. The current and early ballots still had to wait seven hours attacks in Gaza and Damascus (and previously Lata- uncounted, most of them to vote, and Tea Party kia, Syria) are a direct expression of the counter-revo- cast by people of color. activists blocked vol- lutionary essence of these state powers. Outside Democratic unteers from hand- The U.S., France, Turkey and the Gulf States Senator Durbin's office Carole Ramsden ing out water to voters in Chicago, several peo- backed the creation of a new umbrella group to replace Part of the Budget Showdown action in Chicago on Nov. 9. standing in the sun. the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Syrian National ple were arrested dur- Republican-controlled Council (SNC). The SNC had become a marginal player ing a Budget Showdown state governments had passed a blizzard of measures continued on p. 8 rally (see article page 2), demanding deficit cuts be at trying to prevent people of color and students from the expense of Wall Street and the wealthy, not cuts voting, such as photo ID requirements, restrictions on in social programs. Sit-ins are opposing the adminis- registrations, and cutbacks in voting hours. Many laws tration's behind-the-scenes preparations to approve were blocked by courts, but some election officials and the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. And a gathering volunteers still tried to enforce them. Blacks in Ohio WORKSHOPTALKS wave of strikes at Walmarts was building momentum and Latinos in Arizona were disproportionately forced at press time toward planned nationwide actions on to cast provisional ballots that may never be counted. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But the long lines were a sign that these attempts Just who are the HURRICANE REVEALS TWO WORLDS backfired, hardening the resolve of communities with Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath put the two a history of resisting discrimination. The racism per- makers and takers worlds in stark relief. Its destruction punctuated the vading the campaign was already obvious enough. In last few days of an interminable campaign marked the end, close to 750,000 more Latinos voted for Obama by Htun Lin by silence from both Obama and Mitt Romney about than in 2008, and Black turnout, while down national- The unparalleled billions of dollars spent in the the mounting harm from global warming. Instead, ly, rose substantially in the battleground states of Ohio, 2012 elections, in the midst of the Great Recession, each had jockeyed for position as the true champion of Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina. drowned us in endless ads. Yet Mitt Romney was de- coal mining, of oil drilling, of fracking for natural gas. WOMEN FIGHT BACK feated in no small measure by workers in Ohio and "We've built enough pipeline to wrap around the entire Ayn Rand booster Paul Ryan and the Republi- elsewhere. Workers saw through the glaring contradic- Earth once," bragged Obama. Despite the campaigns' can platform share the basic views on rape, abortion, tions in the claims of the Romney campaign that as a silence on climate change, the storm's devastation birth control and women's role held by Senate candi- seasoned capitalist he would rebuild the economy and brought the issue to the forefront of many American dates Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in help restore jobs. conversations. continued on p. 10 But Romney hadn't seen jobs at GM and Chrysler as worth saving, calling President Obama's Auto Res- cue Package "excessive government intrusion." The big- Special offer! Just off the press: gest lie, however, is shared by both parties. It is the lie that it is capital which creates employment. Right after the election, the biggest news item re- Marxist-Humanist writings on the Middle East ported by the New York Times and the Wall Street Jour- by Raya Dunayevskaya nal was that, fresh on the heels of Obama's victory, the From the Foreword: first crisis to greet the newly re-elected president was The Arab Spring can become a real Regularly priced at $10. the "looming fiscal cliff." turning point in human history. Against THE FIRST CONCERN IS TO SAVE THE BANKS the backdrop of a state-capitalist world Limited time offer: $8 The first concern to greet a newly elected President in a deep and intractable crisis, the OR Obama in 2009 was the looming collapse of the pri- vision of self-determination, courage, $10 for Crossroads of History vate financial sector. Obama's Treasury Secretary and dignity and creativity can raise itself into Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, both from Wall an absolute opposition to the degraded plus a one-year subscription to Street, distributed trillions from the TARP (Troubled reality of endless cutbacks, austerity, and News & Letters Assets Relief Program) that Bush had signed into law. accompanying bigotry that is all capital- Mail order to: News & Letters, 228 S. TARP saved Wall Street's hide and the jobs of ism is offering humanity.... continued on p. 3 Wabash, Suite 230, Chicago, IL 60604. Please In publishing this collection of Raya add $2 postage. Ill. residents add 7% sales tax. Dunayevskaya's writings on the Middle ON THE INSIDE East and revolution in permanence, we Name p. 4 Writings of Raya Dunayevskaya: The hope to be part of the worldwide dia- logue that will move the revolution, and Address 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis humanity, beyond the inhuman system p. 2 The U.S. Left and Malala Yousafzai of capitalism with its eternal threats of City war and deprivation, its racism, sexism p. 5 Hegel and Marx on Absolute Method and heterosexism. These horrors must State_______ Zip p. 12 Famine and drones in Yemen end. In no respect are we willing to be passive spectators at yet another wrong Email Address ONLINE: www.newsandletters.org turning of history. ME 11-12/12 Page 2 NEWS & LETTERS – www.newsandletters.org NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 WOMAN AS REASON The Left and Malala Chalking a felony? by Terry Moon condemning the U.S. to others. Chicago—On Nov. 9 we held a "Budget Showdown" Tax's polemic is well taken. This is the same Left Meredith Tax, a women's liberationist and political protest at the Federal Building. We were protesting the who is incapable of condemning both U.S.