Alice Cooper's Most Famous Line?

The Nation is running an obit of Frank Zeidler, 93, who served three terms as the Socialist (Socialist Party) mayor of Milwaukee, from 1948 to 1960.

John Nichols writes:

[...]

"Socialism as we attempted to practice it here believes that people working together for a common good can produce a greater benefit both for society and for the individual than can a society in which everyone is shrewdly seeking their own self-interest," Zeidler told me in an interview several years ago. "And I think our record remains one of many more successes than failures."

On a Friday afternoon in the spring of 1999, the contribution that Zeidler made to Milwaukee and to the world was honored by people who well understood the significance of what this American socialist did and what he continued to do as someone whose activism slowed only slightly as he passed through his 80s and into his 90s.

The Nation: The Last of the "Sewer Socialists"

Despite the horrible title (the Nation has to make sure no one thinks they are Socialists I guess), the obituary is very good, positive and gives both an excellent historical and personal perspective on the life of a man who "kept the red flag flying" in the US.

Some will remember that his tenure is immortalized in pop culture via the following exchange from Wayne's World:

Wayne Campbell: So, do you come to Milwaukee often?
Alice Cooper: Well, I'm a regular visitor here, but Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers began visiting here in the late 16th century.
Pete: Hey, isn't "Milwaukee" an Indian name?
Alice Cooper: Yes, Pete, it is. In fact, it was originally an Algonquin term meaning "the good land."
Wayne Campbell: I was not aware of that.
Alice Cooper: I think one of the most interesting things about Milwaukee is that it's the only American city to elect three Socialist mayors.
Wayne Campbell: [to the camera] Does this guy know how to party or what?

In any case, whatever the intention of the script writers, when the red flag is flying again over Milwaukee and the entire world, history may look back and consider this to be Alice Cooper's most famous line.

A Spectre Haunts Columbia / Socialism 2006

A spectre haunts Columbia University, and the spectre is socialism!


This sister was very energetic during the rallies, as you can see.


Comrades raising their fists in solidarity, note the smiles.


This brother was on his feet the entire time and sparked the crowd.


Comrades dancing and chanting after singing the Internationale.

Fight to Build a Progressive Media Alternative

This is an elaboration of a point I made on the comment page for a post on Union-Firms-Markets titled "Losing Hearts & Minds or Lack of Political Power."

The premise of the post is that the right is able to take over any debate and turn it to their own ends. The conclusion seemed to be that the left will continue to loose group by defending so-called failed social programs that came out of the New Deal.

I disagree. We fight for and defend these programs because they are good and have good material results for the masses and the poor. We are good people, and we fight to defend programs which bring good into the world. To cede more ground to the right is defeatist and counter-revolutionary.

We must understand that the "debate" that happens on television, in the newspapers, radio and all other mass media is simply the sound of one hand clapping. It is, in the words of Guy Debord in Society of the Spectacle:

1:13

[The spectacle's] means are simultaneously its ends. It is the sun which never sets over the empire of modern passivity. It covers the entire surface of the world and bathes endlessly in its own glory.

Therefore the project of progressives must be to develop a counter cultural media. We must educate people to simultaneously divorce themselves (as much as possible) from the media spectacle AND develop an informed critical eye of the spectacle so as to read between lines. Understanding what is omitted or maligned from within the media torrent reveals what the ruling classes fear the most - namely, a socialist working class consciousness.

The media spectacle omits, distorts, retards and alienates. Its purpose is to keep us afraid, weak, unorganized and alienated from each other, in our social relationships, our personal relationships and even in our relationships with our own bodies and minds. It teaches us to hate and fear and to feel disempowered.

It is clear from the history of the mass media and especially the internet media sphere including the blogosphere that another media is possible - one that does not conform to Marx's declaration that (in the German Ideology, 1845): "[the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas]."

Like our brothers and sisters in previous "epochs" we must today build a true alternative to the mass media and introduce the ideas of the working class to the broadest possible audiences. The fascists of all classes know this, it is time progressives learn it as well for the stakes are indeed very high.

Social Prevention Better Than Prosthelytizing

On Wednesday, July 5th, the New York Times ran a story by Jessica Kowal titled "Homeless Alcoholics Receive a Permanent Place to Live, and Drink," covering a program in Seattle which provides living space for homeless alcoholics. This program allows residents to live in the home without any strings attached, for instance, they do not have to go to church or AA meetings as a condition, nor do they have to stop drinking.

Many of the residents are chronic drunks, people who have been known to "beg, drink, urinate or vomit" in public. Conservatives have called the program "Bunks for drunks - [...] a living monument to failed social policy." Interesting choice of words. I would argue that chronic alcoholism is a living monument to a failed society - that is a society based on capitalism which creates the alinated conditions of existance that lead many to turn to alcohol as a solution - a solution which is all to available for all strata of society.

The Seattle program is based on a "housing first" philosophy which meets the essential material needs of people, such as housing, food and saftey, instead of trying to prosthelytize them as a starting point. This makes sense. Even management gurus such as Abraham Maslow tell us that biological (e.g. material) needs must be met first before people can begin to develop self-actualization needs such as spirituality. Maslow's "Heirarchy of Needs" was developed in the 1940s based on extensive scientific research, and correlates with the materialism analysis Marx made of society in general 50 years earlier.

The evidence is clear in this specific case as well. The program costs $13,000 per year for each resident. In 2003, Seattle tax payers paid over $50,000 for each resident for shelters and emergency room treatment, among other things. This as a direct result of the homeless having to live on the streets which inevitably leads them to far more dangerous situations. Not only that, but street living creates the material conditions for a particular type of individual conciousness which is highly alienating and abusive and invariably leads to more alcoholism or worse.

As socialists we should hail the Seattle program as a scientific step in the right direction. Giving people the fundamental foundations to rebuild their lives is essential to improving their lives and society as a whole. Giving people the proper material living conditions - food, shelter and medical - is the first step to reintegrating them into society. At the same time the streets of the urban landscape feel safer and more welcoming. This is a sharp contract with the so-called conservative position that people must sink or swim, and if they want any charity at all they must minimally pay lip-service to some sort of belief system.

Carnival of Socialism

Fruits of Our Labour will be hosting the 7th Carnival of Socialism coming this Sunday, July 23rd. This week's 6th Carnival of Socialism is hosted at the Red Baron.

The main site for the Carnival of Socialism contains links to previous carnivals, how to submit posts to be included, and how to get involved with spreading the good word of socialism through the blogging medium.

4th of July

Dave at the Red Mantis put up this post relative to patriotism and the Fourth of July. Here is a snippet:

However, I wish to offer this thesis: Patriotism and nationalism are two separate ideals, the latter being the more extreme and subsequently more dangerous of the two. Nationalism should be rejected by American citizens whereas we ought to embrace and reclaim the true definition of patriotism.

[...]

[Patriotism is] to simply be thankful that we live in a nation where as a citizen you have inherent rights, is patriotism. Patriotism isn't completely identifying yourself with your country, nor is it to pledge undying loyalty to it's leaders or decisions, nor is it the willingness to give your life for it. It's simply to be thankful that you live in a place where you have some degree of freedom and rights inherent to you as a human being.

The Red Mantis: On Patriotism; or Happy Fourth of July!

I agree with Dave that we should all be very thankful for any freedoms and liberties we may possess. We should also be thankful that the democratic revolution that happened in America in 1776 was a watershed moment in world history, ushering in the age of democracy. However, patriotism is indeed an expression of nationalism.

As socialists it is very important to understand how patriotism contrasts with internationalism. In 1914, Mary Marcy wrote the famous words "You Have No Country!" This was in an article for the International Socialist Review (ISR) titled "The Real Fatherland" from which the following passages are gleaned:

Patriotism means the love of the land in which you were born — that and nothing more. And why should you love that land any more than any other?

[...]

The land of your birth has done nothing for you. Conditions in Germany, France, Austria, England, Russia, and America are practically the same. Everywhere you
will find the workers earning barely enough to live on. Everywhere you will find thousands of men hunting jobs and no jobs. Everywhere you will find the rich protected and the poor driven out.

You have no country! Every national flag in the world means protection for the employing class, who appropriate the things produced by the workers. It has no message for those who toil.

There is only one flag worth fighting for and that is the red flag, which means universal brotherhood of the workers of the world in their fight to abolish the profit system.

[...]

This is the real Fatherland and this is Socialism!

Mary Marcy, The Real Fatherland

So we should be sure to enjoy the good feelings we get when we feel patriotic but more importantly extend them in brotherhood to all citizens of the world. The celebration must be about what makes us similar and brings us together, not about defining what makes us different, better or stronger than others. Happy 4th of July!

Socialism 2006 Media, Ed. 1

Attached is a video of part of Lynn Stewart's speak at Socialism 2006. I found this part particularly interesting. She was talking about the recent arrest of 7 Middle Eastern men in Florida and linking it with past attempts to smear folks who do not agree with the Government.

http://redstandard.org/reasoninrevolt/Home_Grown.mpg

AdWords for Socialism!

I have recently added a "donate" link to my blog and want to explain why. I have been experimenting with Google AdWords as a way to put socialist "text ads" into rotation. I have noticed that when one does a search for "socialism" or "Marxism" on Google, Technorati or any of the search engines you get a lot of anti-socialist propaganda.

I see this as an utter failure of socialist agitprop and wanted to see what options there are to combat this misinformation. I have a lot of experience building and marketing web sites with over 300 projects under my belt. Therefore I have used various labor based methods to get this site into the search engines. But my AdWords experiment has been by far the most successful. AdWords puts "text ads" onto Google searchs and onto "content providers" sites who participate in the network.

Here are the results of 1 week of using AdWords to promote socialism (and the link of course comes to this blog):

• 41,568 IMPRESSIONS
• 45 CLICK-THRUS
• $14.10
  

Of course I cannot afford to spend $15 a week on this by myself so for now will reduce my spend rate per day until (if) any donations come in.

But this is an excellent lesson for socialist organizations that a low cost way to promote their sites and spread positive messages about socialism exists and should be taken advantage of immediately.

The Definitive Bourgeois

Not being a French speaker I often find it difficult, and admittedly pathetic, to spell bourgeois. Doing a (very) little research, I found the following grammar lesson on a professor's (Paul Brian) web site at Washington State University, which is most helpful. Spell well comrades!

In the original French, a bourgeois was originally merely a free inhabitant of a bourg, or town. Through a natural evolution it became the label for members of the property-owning class, then of the middle class. As an adjective it is used with contempt by bohemians and Marxists to label conservatives whose views are not sufficiently revolutionary. The class made up of bourgeois (which is both the singular and the plural form) is the bourgeoisie. Shaky spellers are prone to leave out the E from the middle because “eoi” is not a natural combination in English; but these words have remarkably enough retained their French pronunciation: boorzhwah and boorzhwazee. The feminine form, “bourgeoise,” is rarely encountered in English.

Paul Brian's site here

I guess Paul is not a Red since he used the loaded terms "label" and "not sufficiently revolutionary." Bourgeois slime! Just kidding - or am I...

Patriotism?

Yesterday's drop of "The Nation" had an editoral on "American Patriots" given well deserved credit to America's librarians who have stood up to the fascist policies of the US Patriot Act.

The editoral states that the 64,000 member "American Library Association (ALA) has been at the forefront of the fight to defend freedom of inquiry and thought from provisions of the act that allow the Justice Department to subpoena the records of libraries and bookstores."

It is certainly encouraging to see a large segment of American society taking such a risky stand. Certainly few would have expected such defiance to come from the library community, but looking at the history of librarians shows a rich history of political working-class struggle.

For instance, in 1953 the ALA adopted the "Freedom to Read Statement" which opens "The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools [...]" It can be found in full here.

The ALA also has a press release listing some "real-life" librarian heroes which can be found here.

An unfortunate reality is that Marxist writings have too often been the targets of censorship, with many localities criminalizing the possesion or disemination of Marxist literature. In most places such laws have been repealed. In nearly all cases librarians have stood up to resist censorship.

Some may call this patriotism but in my estimation such heroics transcend mere nationalism. Preservation of knowledge in the face of persecution by one's own government is something else: it is internationalism.

Mexico: Striking Teachers Victorious Versus Anti-Labor Crackdown

I've been totally out of it for a while when it comes to news about mass movements, so this is a little late, but this is an amazing example of recent mass action:

OAXACA, MEXICO, June 17 — The strike of 70,000 teachers in Oaxaca State, which began May 22, erupted into an all-out battle with the fascist police at 4:00 AM on June 14 when the state’s governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz ordered 1,500 Federal cops, waiting on the city’s outskirts, to attack a massive encampment in the city’s center. The workers fought back with stones, clubs and whatever they could lay their hands on in confronting the helmeted cops armed with clubs and using shields, aided by a helicopter spraying tear gas at the encamped strikers and their supporters. Despite all that force, the cops were defeated, sent running like whipped dogs.

However, this criminal government action killed two women teachers and two children. One pregnant teacher lost her baby, another teacher lost an eye, many were wounded and other arrested. Although the encampment was destroyed, many police were beaten and several taken hostage. Then the workers, armed with clubs and using school buses as battering rams against the cops, retook the plaza and reconstructed their encampment. Two days later a "mega-march" brought out 300,000 teachers and their supporters, demanding the Governor’s resignation.

The strikers have also blockaded the city’s airport, destroyed political campaign posters, and delivered the "remains" of the city’s new parking meters to the doorstep of the state capitol building.

Complete story at Challenge, organ of the Revolutionary Communist Peoples Labor Party.

ISO Socialism 2006 Report

This is a summarization of some of my thoughts regarding the Socialism 2006 Conference, combined with ideas from conversations and e-mails.

In general, members agree that this conference, the largest the ISO has ever had with over 1,500 in attendance, was a breakthrough. The Bush agenda since his election has hurt the working class and this has led to consciousness and radicalization. The success of the growing ISO and the large conference this year bear out these facts. More and more Americans are looking for a socialist alternative.

At the conference there were people of all ethnicities, both genders, and diverse sexual orientations, shattering the myth that socialists are all white. The majority were young, in their twenties, but there were many older folks as well and there were folks from 18-80 present and participating.

The conference was well organized with all speakers and chairs being well prepared, polite and energetic. Free childcare was provided for 4 days, and ISO branch leaders organized transportation and housing for little or no cost to members. Other members made their own connections and arrangements lending a helping hand where needed.

The overall theme revolved around linking disparate struggles on the left with each other, and providing a theoretical foundation to understand the interrelations and possible solutions. It also positioned the ISO as an activist nexus to facilitate this process and to carry the banner of socialism forward as a vanguard of the working class. A sense of a new day dawning for the ISO and the radical left was quite evident.

I was pleased to see that the ISO leadership is on guard against non-productive polemics and is very conscious of fostering a truly democratic praxis, which the left sorely needs. This will grow with time as the ISO continues to grow and accept more a diverse membership. New challenges will be presented, but also a stronger organization will be forged, one with many new and dynamic leaders and less attrition.

My experience at this, my first ISO Socialism conference, was extremely positive. All ISO members were polite, friendly, communicative and welcoming. I am very happy to be a part of this progressive organization and encourage others to join and help build a truly effective socialist alternative!

[Editorial Note: Previously contained here was a copy of an e-mail which I did not previously ask permission to put on the blog. I apologize to the comrade who wrote the original e-mail for any offense as none was intended.]

Socialism 2006 Update

I'm planning on posting a report on the ISO's Socialism 2006 conference in NYC tomorrow. It was a great experience, especially the mass rallies. Over 1,500 people attended and it was a very positive and encouraging event. Comrades in attendance accurately represented the ethnic and gender diversity of America, which was in poignant contrast to some comments I heard on the street suggesting that "Socialists are white and privileged."

I learned a lot more about the tactics of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) as well, especially with regards to building a movement through recruitment, struggle and information dissemination. I finally got my ISO handbook as well!

I also met many new friends and comrades from all over the country and especially in Ithaca and Rochester.

For me, the highlight of the whole conference was singing the Internationale on the last day in an auditorium with over 1,000 people (caveat: the lyrics chosen by the ISO were quite a bit different than what I've seen and heard before).

I have many pictures but am waiting for them to be delivered since I borrowed a camera and I also spoke with a comrade who will be providing audio.

Socialism Conference 2006

So I'm down in New York City at the ISO conference, Socialism 2006. I'll report back on the events etc. here on the blog and let folks know what's going down! This is supposed to be a pretty huge event this year.

Anti-Unionism is the Date Rape of Corporate Crime

This was posted some time ago at the TPM House of Labor blog, but I just reread it and thought it clever and on target, so am reposting it:

Even most liberals deny anti-union crime is widespread or deny that it's even a serious crime at all and anyways the folks doing it are such swell people, we can't expect us to like treat them like criminals, do you? If unions have been decimated in American workplaces, it's must really be their fault-- they must have been asking for it. You know, when you wear such pretty medical care and pension funds, employers are just being normal, red-blooded capitalists when they wipe out unions to get at them.

Anti-Unionism is the Date Rape of Corporate Crime
7-Dec-2005, Nathan Newman

The War to End All Wars

You are my base, bitches!

In the United States, Woodrow Wilson has been portrayed by the capitalist media as, and thus largely understood as, a moderate peace-loving statesmen who reluctantly went to war. Of course this is in the extremely rare instances when any historical analysis is done at all to contextualize present events.

Wilson indeed had high Christian values and morals and was thought of as a leader of the progressive movement. Unfortunately, Wilson was also highly aligned with the capitalist bourgeoisie and could not conceive of a democracy which included all peoples voices. All over the developed world at the time, popular movements were seriously challenging the rule of the capitalists.

On the democratic left socialist and communist movements were gaining massive momentum. In the United States, Eugene Debs polled nearly 1 million votes as the Socialist Party candidate for president in 1912 and 1920. On the right, there were conservative populist movements which foreshadowed the fascists who came later.

It was in this climate that the wheels of power turned to create a pretext for the "War to End All Wars." We can see the exact same mechanisms at work today as we look back on how the Iraq War was engineered, and how war with Iran is being setup.

I ran across a great article in Workers World which goes into much more detail on this subject especially with regards to sexual and gender emancipation and I encourage all to read it:

The outbreak of World War I derailed the thrust of the movements for sexual and gender emancipation and for women's rights in Germany--and created a profound political split in the international working-class struggle.

It was no accident that the war began precisely at a time of a worldwide upsurge of the working class in Europe and in the United States, as well as stirrings in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The workers' movements were gaining strength and momentum. They were increasingly taking a stand against imperialist war.

There were no socialist countries or liberation movements to blame for World War I. It was a plain, unvarnished racist war for colonial empire. The principal capitalist countries, each hungry to gobble up a bigger share of the markets and profits, tried to redivide the colonial world.

In each of the capitalist countries the bosses appealed to the workers to unite behind them in battle. The German ruling class was able to rally its working class for the war on a patriotic basis. Even the majority in the socialist movement of that day, and the Homosexual Emancipation Movement, got swept up into the chauvinist appeal.

Going along with this right-wing, murderous patriotism put the brake on every social movement--gay, trans and lesbian, women's rights, workers' and socialist struggles--because it gave the ruling class the upper hand, strengthened the right wing and set back the progressive movement.

The War to End All Wars,
Workers World, June 24, 2004

Happy Birthday Marx!

Today is the 188th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth. Happy birthday Chuck!

Corporate University

I work at a college, actually two colleges to be precise. As I have pursued a graduate degree and due to other circumstances, I have in fact been affiliated and involved in academia for my entire adult life. My professional background is as an entrepreneur and my post-graduate education and much of my work experience has revolved around management with a focus on the IT sector and specifically software development. Overall the training and experience I have has been largely based on current business and engineering practices and to a large extent I believe these practices to be valuable and beneficial insofar as producing high quality work products (which of course are useful in both a capitalist and socialist mode of production).

The past few years I have seen a transformation at my workplace from a traditional helter-skelter academic environment to an increasingly corporatized management approach. In addition, there has been a focused drive to expand the physical plant of the campus and to build "modern" structures in order to remain "competitive" and expand the student body.

A snippet of a Logos Journal article titled "The Corporate University in American Society" posted by the Unrepentant Marxist offers some insight into what is driving this process at our little college as we are responding to mega-trends that are impacting all of academia:

Higher education in America is being transformed by the contradictions that have historically defined and determined its existence. Seen as an educational institution, its importance lies in empowering individuals—both within the academy and outside—to become critical and knowledgeable citizens capable of self-governance in a democracy. Seen as an economic institution, its value lies in producing trained subservient workers for employers, and in socializing many of the costs necessary to sustain profit accumulation in a capitalist society.

Yet while for much of their existence colleges and universities have managed to hold these twin imperatives in balance, political-economic forces such as globalization, an increasingly conservative political agenda, and a tightening of public financial support for higher education have tipped the balance, resulting in the emergence of the corporate university. As corporatized entities, American colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to emulate other market participants and operate in ways that affect their governance and structure, as well as how they generate revenue. The result is that the new corporate university seeks to jettison many of the traditional manifestations of higher education, such as tenure, academic freedom, and shared governance, and replace them with a business model of management and more adjunct faculty who are viewed as mere employees. The need to do this is simple—less revenue to support colleges and universities is coming from the government, thereby forcing higher education to reduce labor costs and also seek financial support from private sector investors who view the traditional mission of these schools with suspicion.

Union Plus!

I just ran across this cool resource. Union Plus is a program of the AFL-CIO offering great discounts to union members on a variety of products. Their site states:

Our organization designs programs that help union members enjoy life at a great price. By using the collective buying power of unions, we are able to offer a variety of high quality, discounted products and services exclusively to working families.

The AFL-CIO created Union Privilege in 1986 to provide AFL-CIO union members and their families with valuable consumer benefits. With Union Plus benefits, your union membership "pays" at work and at home.

I think this is pretty cool and a great resource to find companies that are union friendly, even if you are not able to take advantage of the discounts.

Check it out: www.unionplus.org

Si, Se Puede!

A Reuters report gives a surprising sympathetic slant on the May Day actions in the US:

Factories closed, day labour jobs went begging, children skipped school and cargo was left on docks in what the organisers called "A Day without Immigrants."

The largely Latino crowds chanted "Si, se puede!" or "Yes, we can!" and banged drums while waving mostly American flags.

Rallies stretched from the lettuce fields of central California to the streets of Los Angeles and Chicago. [...]

"The volume of the demonstrations, the number of people who have turned out in different US cities, it's a national issue." [...]

Recent polls show only 30 per cent Americans advocate tougher laws for illegals, while the majority, like President George W Bush, wants a guest worker programme combined with better enforcement. [...]

"They're going to degrade my citizenship for helping somebody out, or just riding in a car with them?" said Wences Martinez, 30, born in Chicago of illegal immigrants. "It's like the British before the Revolutionary War."

Immigrants flex economic muscle in US

For those unaware, most of the incentive to protest revolves around US House of Representative's Bill H.R. 4437. It was passed on on December 16, 2005 by a vote of 239 to 182. Wikipedia as usual has a good summary of H.R. 4437, a bit of which is below:

• Requires up to 700 miles (1120 km) of fence along the US-Mexican border at points with the highest number of immigrant illegal crossings. (House Amendment 648, authored by Duncan Hunter (R-CA52)
• Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress on the number of OTMs (Other Than Mexicans) and conversely the number of Mexicans apprehended and deported. (Section 401)
  

The bill includes measures that will infringe on the human rights of asylum seekers by stripping important due process protections, it redefines illegal immigrants as felons, and punish anyone guilty of providing them assistance, including humanitarian workers, public schoolteachers, and church workers.

So I say "Si, Se Puede!" - yes we can stop more fascism from spreading in our country and rip up the roots of fascism which are already planted, both in our nation and in our own hearts.

Yes We Can! - take an internationalist perspective and understand that nationalistic chauvinism combined with fear is what drives racist and anti-human laws.

Si, Se Puede! - understand that another world is possible, one in which we can all live and work together with harmony, justice and dignity.

Yes We Can!

Millions turn out for May Day

Worldwide participation in May Day rallies and celebrations totalled in the millions. Reports regarding the immigration rallies in the US seem to be lacking at this point. In any case, Russia lead the way with over 1.5 million people participating in rallies nationwide. Approximately 30,000 marchers in Moscow called for Putin to resign, recalling the Soviet Union and denouncing reforms as impoverishing the people.

In Germany tens of thousands of union members rallied in support of anti-globalization and resistance to neo-liberal policies that are erroding the social welfare net.

A nice article from Canada.com gives a summary of many world wide May Day events.

In my neck of the woods, I attended a rally in Ithaca, NY. The rally, which took place in the Ithaca Commons, drew 400 people. All were in good spirits and the diverse crowd in attendance included many immigrants and children of immigrants, students from Ithaca College and Cornell College, and several classes from local middle and elementary schools. Members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the International Socialist Organization were in attendance. I was the only representative of Socialist Alternative/CWI as far as I know.

Below are some pictures from the Ithaca rally.

Cornell University May Day Marchers

Ithaca College May Day Marchers

Father and Son

Speaker Tania Penafort of the
Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicano de Aztlan

May 1: Carnival of Socialism

Another great announcement for May Day. Benjamin Solah launched the Carnival of Socialism today. Issue number one is available at his blog. Click here to read issue number 1!

May Day History Lesson

Immigration Day is a continuation of long standing workers' traditions going back nearly 200 years. The racists and xenophobes of the blogosphere are trying to characterize this mass movement as some sort of corruption of "May Day." I find that ironic considering most of these same folks are fundamentalist Christians - are they calling for a "pure" May Day in the spirit of the pagan Beltane celebration? Interestingly the Catholic church in 1955 gave St. Joseph another holy day on May 1 as the day of "St. Joseph, The Worker." This in direct response to the day being a celebration of the radical left, which the conservatives in the Church clearly see as more of a threat than paganism, again, ironically enough.

In fact, Wikipedia has the true story of May Day, an International Workers' Day which was founded in the United States:

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is the commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, and a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. The 1 May date is used because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by labor's 1872 success in Canada, demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in a general strike and the riot in Chicago of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday. The May Day Riots of 1894 and May Day Riots of 1919 occurred subsequently.

[...]

The Red Scare periods [temporarily] ended May Day as a mass holiday in the United States, a phenomenon which can be seen as somewhat ironic given that May Day originated in Chicago. Meanwhile, in countries other than the United States and United Kingdom, resident working classes fought hard to make May Day an official governmentally- sanctioned holiday, efforts which eventually largely succeeded. For this reason, May Day in most of the world today is marked by huge street rallies of workers led by their trade unions and various large socialist and communist parties — a phenomenon not generally seen in the U.S.

Until now!

Appeal: Keep the right wing haters from corrupting the blogosphere with their lies. Copy this post and put it on your blog with the tags, or write your own. Flood the blogosphere with the truth about May Day!

May Day: White People Step up for Immigrant Rights!

Workers of the world unite! The IWW and many other groups are calling for a general strike and boycott on May 1, 2006. In North America, tomorrow looks to be an outpouring of the largest mass protest in the history of the United States. All sections of the working class (i.e. anyone who has a job, has had a job or would someday like to have a job) including especially "white" people, must step up in support of immigration rights, which are in fact labor and ergo human rights.

For May Day and Beyond: White People Step up for Immigrant Rights!

In the past month, five million people, mostly immigrants of color, have mobilized for justice and are making history, flooding the streets in unprecedented numbers. Meanwhile, the most visible participation by white people is coming from the racist and right wing leaders who are defining and dominating the debate in the Federal government and in the news, radio and opinion pages. Where are the voices of anti-racist white people in this crucial moment, when the worst anti-immigrant legislation in decades is still poised to drop?

We, white people who believe in justice and ending racism, have a responsibility and a historic opportunity to stand with immigrant communities and unite behind their demands. As white people, most of us with U.S. citizenship, we call out to our white communities to take to the streets for immigrant rights. We must demonstrate that the rightwing racists, from the Minutemen to in the Congress, do not represent us!

More from the Binghamton IMC

A little closer to home, a major May Day rally is being held in Ithaca, NY (you can be sure I will be there):

(Ithaca) On May 1st, 2006, a broad coalition of immigrant, community, labor, and student groups will join together, in coordination with millions around the nation, for a rally on The Commons (Bernie Milton Pavilion) in Ithaca to declare that “no human is illegal”. Everyone in support of this sentiment is asked to wear a white T-shirt on May 1st whether able to attend the rally or not.

• 11:30—Music with DJ Carlos Porras and Colleen Kattau on The Commons
• 11:00—Cornell students/employees rally on Ho Plaza and march to The Commons from Cornell--Ithaca College students march to The Commons
• 12:15—Partial List of Speakers Invited Include: County Legislator, Nathan Shinagawa; County Legislator, Kathy Luz Herrera; GIAC Director, Marcia Fort; Latino Civic Assn. Co-Founder, Leonardo Vargas-Mendez; Asian American Assn. President, Siv Somchanhmavong; Immigrant Rights Center, Arum Lee; Catholic Charities Samaritan Center, Renee Funk; Tania Penafort, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan and others
• 1:15—Music with Salsa Amigos, DJ Carlos Porras and Colleen Kattau

Some current immigration proposals in Congress threaten to criminalize millions of immigrants. We recognize that all immigrants are an integral part of the U.S. society and economy, and continue to be an important force. Latino Civic Association President, Carlos Gutierrez says, "The Tompkins County immigrant population, both documented and undocumented, fill key roles in our local economy, enrich the local cultural landscape, and they are productive members of our community who pay taxes, raise families, and contribute to our schools, churches, neighborhoods, and communities."

More at TCWC/WRC

There shall also be May Day rally in downtown Rochester, NY at the Federal Building at 4:30PM.

The Belarus Media Chernobyl

Belarus has got quite a bit of airtime lately. Not only with the sudden heat and light focused on Chernobyl, but with various groups, including some anarchists, supposedly complaining about lack of freedom and government repression, and an awkward quote by the president, Alexander Lukashenko.

The western media has really got everyone riled up over this newest member of Bush's "Axis of Evil" but how far off the mark are they and what is the real reason for all the fuss?

Belarus is the only country in Europe that, nearly 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, still maintains a command economy, e.g. the economy is still run by socialist principles. You will find that if you do a search on Belarus, the CIA Factbook entry comes up as the first result. I can guarantee you that is no coincidence. Belarus has been on Bush's hit list for some time, but in a recent strategy document released on March 16, 2006, the leader of Our Fair Land specifically added Belarus to the new "Axis of Evil" along with Cuba and Zimbabwe, two other countries which happen to have central economies.

The statistics in the CIA Factbook are very interesting, one of which stands out from the rest, being the GINI coefficient of Belarus, which the CIA itself describes as "among the lowest in the world." The data currently published by the CIA pegs their GINI at 30.4, compared with 36.6 in the United Kingdom and 45 in the United States. However it should be noted that academic sources have measured the Belarus GINI as being in the 23-27 range.

GINI is simply "This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country." Simply put, less inequality exists in countries with a low GINI. Of course GINI is not the only measure that tells us whether a country is in good or bad shape, but it is certainly a testament to the power of socialism to transform a society by creating an equal economic playing field. Belarus was one of the most important industrial centers of Eastern Europe during the Soviet era, this being accomplished even though it took Belarus from 1944 until 1971 to recover to their pre-WWII population after the Nazi massacres.

Since 1994, the country has been led by Alexander Lukashenko, who has been criticized by Western governments, Human Rights Watch, and other Western NGO for his Soviet-style domestic policies.¹

Luis M. Garcia Cunarro recently wrote the following in Periodico 26 Cuba:

According to the strategy changes implemented during Bush’s second term, the “fight against tyrannies” is added to the War on Terrorism and the administration defines a tyranny as: “The combination of brutality, poverty, instability, corruption and suffering under the rule of despots or despotic systems.” While the concept, which could be applied to the US government, merits reflection, what is certain is that we are seeing a new version of the “axis of evil.” Seven countries are on the empire’s list: North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Belarus, Burma and Zimbabwe.

What’s most important about this problem is not the definition, but instead the “package” of actions that the US proposes. These include sanctions against those countries, an international discrediting of their governments and peoples, and political and economic subversion, not just by the United States and its close allies, but also from regional organizations like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the African Union and the Organization of American States.

US National Security is Global Insecurity

Here we see again the zealots in charge of the US identifying a group of countries to be "threats to America" and taking aggressive action to undermine and eliminate these so-called threats. Whereas these countries pose no threat at all to the American people, the fact that they, in the case of Belarus, Cuba and perhaps China and Zimbabwe, demonstrate the ability for a workers' state, deformed or not, to function even in the face of capitalist imperial aggression poses a clear and present danger to the ruling classes.

This is why the Western media, including independent sources, has been doing its very best to find any stories that discredit Belarus or link it in the public mind with other broader propaganda. It cannot be seen as coincidence that at the same time there is a media blitz against Iran regarding their alleged nuclear WMD program, somehow Belarus becomes linked with nuclear terror through a series of Chernobyl stories. Although Belarus was greatly affected by the Chernobyl accident, so were many other countries like Poland, Austria and Hungary, and in fact the whole of Europe. Chernobyl was, is and shall remain in the Ukraine.

Finally, I cannot claim to have any special insight into the mind of Alexander Lukashenko nor any detailed analysis of his domestic policies or record on human rights. Nevertheless we do well to remember how the media crucified Howard Dean during the 2004 US presidential elections and understand that these exact same techniques have been employed in the Ukraine and other countries and are being employed against Belarus.

With the US military recently releasing a document outlining their plans to "engage the enemy" through the media, the internet and via public opinion, that indeed these "terrains" are the location of the new battlefield², we can see the ominous signs of these techniques today being deployed against Belarus.

Essentially, the Western capitalist elite continues their assault on the working classes and through foriegn policy have continued to implement this program against state socialism. Through the newly articulated model of warfare being adopted by the Western military machine, we see a sort of reverse Orwellian model manifesting itself, we now have to reverse Orwell's ominous "War is Peace" and restate it as "Peace is War."

This is a new Chernobyl for Belarus, a "media Chernobyl" that is spreading radioactive misinformation across the airwaves in order to discredit and undermine a state who's only crime seems to be that it has a socialist economy.

Democracy for Nepal Now!

Although the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) of Nepal urged an end to the general strike in response to King Gyanendra's decision to revive Parliament. The CPN(M) has correctly rejected an end to the protests, arguing that the concession does not address the 12-point agreement, does not restore democracy and does not establish a republic ruled by the people. Meanwhile, the capitalist press in India is mobilizing a media campaign which is likely to sanction the government of India providing additional financial and military support for the puppet king of Nepal.

Xinhua Online reports:

[...]
Issuing a press statement, chairman Prachanda and senior leader Babu Ram Bhattarai of the [CPM(M)] the Nepali King Gyanendra's proclamation on Monday and said blocked of the capital Kathmandu Valley and the district headquarters will continue till the new government will announce the election of Constitution Assembly.

The royal proclamation did not address people's slogans of "republic" and "constitutional assembly" in the street, the statement noted.

"The seven political parties who have welcomed and supported the royal proclamation, they objectively broke down the 12-point agreement with us and have breach of trust of the people's aspirations," the statement added.
[...]

Xinhua, 25-Apr-2006: Guerrillas to continue protest in Nepal

Recent comments from senior officials in the Indian government do not bode well for the stability of Nepal. Proclaimations about not allowing Nepal to be a "failed state" and public statements of support for the monarchy as "a pillar of the polity (of Nepal)" suggest that the ruling classes of India are ready to throw their support behind the murder king.

We stand in solidarity with the CPN(M) and the people of Nepal and call for an end to the monarchy forever, and for the establishment of the democratic rule of the people.

Let people power prevail in Nepal

And, from the Financial Times:

By Rhoderick Chalmers
Published: April 24 2006 19:58 | Last updated: April 24 2006 19:58

As the people of Nepal rose to signal their final loss of faith in King Gyanendra, the key international players at last achieved a long-awaited unity of purpose in their response to a situation that has been deteriorating for years. Unfortunately, however, they came together behind the wrong solution, trying to force an unworkable deal on an unwilling population.

India, China and the US, with the European Union in support, led a push to strong-arm Nepal's democratic leaders into accepting the king's hollow offer of handing over limited powers. But the outside world's reaction is too far behind events unfolding on the ground here in Nepal, where the Shah dynasty is now facing the end of its power and quite possibly its existence. The world must catch up with local popular sentiment if it is to stand any chance of guarding against a dangerously chaotic transition.

Reference: Let people power prevail in Nepal

Let it not be forgotten that the "people power" would not be possible without the Maoist revolution which plays a large part in shedding the superstitions (traditionally Nepal has regarded the monarch as a god-king) of the past which kept the Shah in power.

Tags: socialism, communism, Nepal

CPI backs Nepal's Seven Party Alliance

In the wake of the announcement that the king of Nepal has allowed the lower house of parliament to be restored, the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) of Nepal, including the CPN(M) has spurned the empty gesture. "The Hindu" newspaper reports that the Communist Party of India (CPI) supports the SPA decision:

TIRUCHI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has supported the decision of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), which was spearheading the pro-democracy campaign in Nepal, to spurn the proposal of the monarchy to hand over power to the Alliance.

Taking exception to India welcoming King Gyanendra's readiness to hand over power to the SPA, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said the Centre had reacted in a hasty manner.

"Playing a game"

Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Bardhan charged the King with "playing a game" by insisting on the Alliance's acceptance of the 2005 position, when the King seized power directly.

"The King was prepared to go back only to 2005 and not earlier.

Reference: CPI backs Nepal's Seven Party Alliance

This is especially important due to the fact that there is a Maoist rebellion within India as well, as a result of agriculture policies that have impoverished many Indian farmers.

Tags: socialism, communism, Nepal, India

Buddah Committed to Socialism

People's Democracy, the newspaper of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today printed clarification of the position of Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, which was distorted by the capitalist press worldwide. It seems that the capitalists are so eager to exploit labor in LDCs that they are grabbing at any excuse to brush-off the fact that Marxists are being elected to public office worldwide:

PD: “We are trying to be friendly with the capitalists” – what does it mean? You want investment and they want profits. This is understandable, in fact a question of mutual interest. But where does the question of friendship arise?

BB: We are not seeking to be personal friends! We are trying to make the state government “investment friendly”. This is to accelerate industrialisation in West Bengal, to speed up employment generation. What was my principled position, it continues. I am trying to work accepting the present reality, drawing lessons from history taking the contemporary global context into account. Capitalism cannot be the “end of human history”. That socialism is a developed system – is a settled question. It is proven that Soviet Union had surpassed other nations not only in food production but also space expeditions, winning of Olympic medals and in [the fine arts]. But some mistakes were committed and price had to be paid for that, and it continues to be paid.

What is China doing? They are advancing by taking the present reality into account and strengthening socialism. China has stunned the contemporary world. In the first week of March, during my visit to Vietnam, I found the same confirmation of my belief. Fidel Castro who continues to be rallying point for the Cuban people and who pronounces – “Socialism or death” – has to also take into account the practical reality and make certain unconventional adjustments. America is trying to cordon Cuba to finish it off, impose intensive economic blockade. Cuba does not have oil – it had almost hit a blind alley. Today, Venezuala is sending oil and Cuba in turn is sending her doctors. The political landscape in Latin America has changed. It is the United States that is on the defensive. But Cuba was facing serious crisis. Fidel who pronounced “Socialism or death” allowed five star hotels to come up on Cuba’s Carribean coast which will be run by multinationals, western companies. Cuba secured oxygen for its sustenance based on the tourism industry. Five star hotels also bring in lot of cultural muck. Castro had to accept this – to save Cuba.

PD: Even then you have faith in socialism? Even today?

BB: Otherwise why should I be in the Communist Party? I am with the people, because I am with the Party. I have reached here through struggles. Being in the government, I may have to take certain different decisions in different circumstances. Even while working within the framework of a capitalist state, an alternative approach can be developed – this is what I believe. In the context of capitalist globalisation, we continue to firmly hold on to that belief. We think about the workers of closed factories. Although a pittance, we have decided to pay them five hundred rupees allowance. Has any other state in the country done this? We have decided to provide Provident Fund for workers/employees of the unorganised sector. We have also done something to address the concerns of employees in the construction industry. From the ideological standpoint, I firmly believe that capitalism is not a finality. Bush will not have the final say. I believe in the historic inevitability of socialism. It is the socialist ideology which will finally triumph. America has been taught an appropriate lesson once. Millions of Vietnamese poor peasants and people had defeated the mightiest military power of the world under the leadership of the Communist Party. We are continuously hearing about advances of the socialist forces from Latin America. Then, why should I lose heart?

More...

Keeping the vision of 21st century socialism as and end-goal while working within the framework of capitalism seems to make a lot of sense in the context of global, integrated capital. I would suggest that a Marxist analysis supports this model. Indeed, why should any of us loose heart?

Successful Socialism

Excellent article on Hugo Chávez from ZNet by Ted Rall:

When the hated despots of nations like Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan loot their countries' treasuries, transfer their oil wealth to personal Swiss bank accounts and use the rest to finance (in the House of Saud's case) terrorist extremists, American politicians praise them as trusted friends and allies. But when a democratically elected populist president uses Venezuela's oil profits to lift poor people out of poverty, they accuse him of pandering.

As the United States and Europe continue their shift toward a Darwin-omic model where rapacious corporations accrue bigger and bigger profits while workers become poorer and poorer, the socialist economic model espoused by President Hugo Chávez has become wildly popular among Latin Americans tired of watching corrupt right-wing leaders enrich themselves at their expense. Left-of-center governments have recently won power in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Chávez's uncompromising rhetoric matches his politics, but what's really driving the American government and its corporate masters crazy is that he has the cash to back it up.

In their desperate frenzy to destroy Chávez, state-controlled media is resorting to some of the most transparently and hilariously hypocritical talking points ever. In the April 4th New York Times Juan Forero repeated the trope that Chávez's use of oil revenues is unfair -- even cheating somehow: "With Venezuela's oil revenues rising 32 percent last year," the paper exclaimed, "Mr. Chávez has been subsidizing samba parades in Brazil, eye surgery for poor Mexicans and even heating fuel for poor families from Maine to the Bronx to Philadelphia. By some estimates, the spending now surpasses the nearly $2 billion Washington allocates to pay for development programs and the drug war in western South America."

Chávez, the story continued, is poised to become "the next Fidel Castro, a hero to the masses who is intent on opposing every move the United States makes, but with an important advantage."

Heavens be! A rich country using its wealth to spread influence abroad! What God would permit such an abomination? Notice, by the way, that the United States funds "development programs." Oh, and it's a "drug war" -- not a bombing campaign against leftist insurgents who oppose South America's few remaining pro-U.S. right-wing regimes.

Quoted by the Times -- which editorialized in favor of and ran flattering profiles of the right-wing oligarchs who attempted to overthrow Chávez in a 2002 coup attempt -- is "critic" John Negroponte, whose day job happens to be as Bush's Director of National Intelligence. Negroponte complained that Chávez is "spending considerable sums involving himself in the political and economic life of other countries in Latin America and elsewhere, this despite the very real economic development and social needs of his own country."

Pot, kettle, please discuss the $1 billion a week we're wasting on Iraq while people die for lack of medical care and schools fall apart right here in America. Maybe Chávez should have found a better use for the money he spent on Rio's Carnival parade. On the other hand, at least it didn't go to bombs and torture camps.

Televangelist Pat Robertson's 2005 call to assassinate Chávez was criticized only mildly by establishment media, and primarily on the basis that murdering heads of state violates a U.S. law. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accuses Chávez of a "Latin brand of populism that has taken countries down the drain." Which ones? Certainly not Venezuela itself, where a double-digit-GDP boom leads the region and new houses, $10 billion per year is banked for future anti-poverty programs and schools are sprouting like weeds.

Loaded language unworthy of a junior high school newspaper is the norm in coverage of the Venezuelan president. "Chavez insists his government is democratic and accuses Washington of conspiring against him," the San Jose Mercury-News wrote on April 3rd. Why the "insists"? No international observer doubts that Venezuela, where the man who won the election gets to be president, is at least as democratic as the United States. The 2002 coup plotters gathered beforehand at the White House. Surely the Merc could grant Chávez's "accusation" as fact. The paper continued: "He says the United States was behind a short-lived 2002 coup, an allegation that U.S. officials reject." He also happens to be right, though it's hard to tell by reading that sentence.

Eighty-two percent of Venezuelans think Chávez is doing a good job. That's more than twice the approval rating by Americans of Bush. He roundly defeated an attempt to recall him. So why is Washington lecturing Caracas?

"The [Venezuelan] government is making billions of dollars [from its state oil company] and spending them on houses, education, medical care," notes CNN. And – gasp -- people's lives are improving.

What if the rest of us noticed? No wonder Chávez has to go.

April 12, 2006: The Danger of Hugo Chávez's Successful Socialism, Ted Rall, ZNet

Nepal Protests for Democracy Continue

Today tens of thousands of protestors continue to preasure the government in the cities of Nepal. Clashes between the protestors and the police are becoming increasingly violent as the security forces try to maintain the monarchies increasingly tenuous claim to rule the country. Pro-democracy groups and political parties including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) continue to support the grassroots movement to remove the monarchy from power. To learn more about the conditions in Nepal and to understand the objectives of the CPN(M) a great place to start is with the ariticle published in Vol 57, No 6 of the Monthly Review, People's Power in Nepal by Parvati.

The AP reports:

Katmandu — Nepali police fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters Sunday, struggling to enforce a curfew imposed to keep persistent pro-democracy demonstrators off the streets in the Himalayan country's deepening crisis.

The protesters were trying to reach the capital of Katmandu when police first fired tear gas, then rubber bullets, independent Kantipur television reported. Doctors at a hospital said they treated three people injured by rubber bullets.

Katmandu was under a daylong curfew for the fourth straight day. On Saturday, clashes between security forces and tens thousands of demonstrators left more than 200 people injured.

More...

General Strike and Protests in Nepal

The BBC reports that in Nepal, several thousand protesters began marching from the south towards the royal palace in Kathmandu. The crowd made up primarily of youth marched towards the palace in a largely celebratory mood chanting "We want Democracy" and ""Gyane Leave the Country!" (Gyane is the name of the current king). In some areas riot police sent tear gas into the peaceful crowds and attacked the youths with batons leaving behind a scene of bloody desolation. This follows on the security forces brutally attacking a group of 500 lawyers protesting for democracy on Thursday, April 13. The people of Nepal have instituted a "crippling" nationwide general strike to add additional pressure.

The protests are a response to the king's announcement earlier this week to allow parties to participate in the parliament. Most Nepalese see the king's announcement as an empty gesture, since he took control of the country in a bloody coup during which many of his own family members were brutally murdered. They wonder how these nods toward democracy, protected behind a wall of heavily armed security forces, can put Nepal on the path toward peace.

Many of the protestors symbolically wore red clothing and others waved the flag of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a reminder to the forces that control the cities of Nepal that the majority of working people in Nepal support the rebel forces which have taken control of 80% of the countryside.

In fact, it is widely acknowledged that the only reason the monarchy holds any power at all is due to massive economic and military support from the United States and by proxy, India, and likely the UK as well. In approximately 20% of the states of India there is also a growing Maoist rebellion largely in response to neoliberal economic "reforms" that have impoverished and marginalized large numbers of rural farmers.

The ruling classes of India and their counterparts in the United States see a Maoist victory in Nepal as a fundamental threat to their own legitimacy, and rightly so. A peoples army victory in Nepal which demonstrates that even a poor, rural, uneducated rabble can be galvanized into an effective force for social change through the power of Marxist ideology is a clear threat to the power of capitalists everywhere. It is why you see them partnering with the most reactionary of political partners in this instance, the monarch of Nepal, who has enacted draconian laws that run counter to the most basic of human rights (a 13-year old girl raped by a family-member was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for the "crime" of having an abortion).

We stand in solidarity with the people of Nepal who are fighting for a better tommorrow regardless of their political affiliation. We call for the end to the monarchy and immediate democratic elections. We call for the military and para-military police forces to end hostilities against their own population, and for immediate honest peace negotiations with the CPN(M).

References:

• 22-Apr-06, Why the world is watching Nepal, BBC
• 22-Apr-06, Bloody end to Nepal Protests, BBC
• 13-Apr-06, Police fire on lawyer protest, Canada.com
• 23-Aug-01, Fighting the Global Gag Rule, The Nation
  

Socialism Versus Post Modernism?

I was recently in a debate with a Foucaultian who was defending a post modern theory of politics versus a Marxist based theory. My argument was that post modernism does not offer a political framework at all regardless of the depth of the philosophical aspects of post modernism. He tried to position identity politics as the location of resistance and solidarity in contemporary times, but I responded that this is nothing new and does not get us anywhere because a solidarity based on likeness is not solidarity at all but just another reactionary form of chauvinism. Of course my debate partner made many excellent points and expanded my thinking on many fronts. He even convinced me to read Nietzsche, but truth be told I have been wanting to since I missed a question on Jeopardy related to the Uberman.

In any case, I argued that in order to truly develop a society that can address the issues that identity politics brings to the fore, like racism and sexism, you must have a political entity to affect and enforce change. I gave the example of some young Black Communist Party members who I met recently in NYC. They described their visits to Cuba and Venezuela where racism is strictly illegal. They described a change in consciousness when they arrived in those lands which profoundly altered the perception of their American experience. While in these socialist countries they shed the defensiveness they didn't even know they carried with them everyday in America as a result of racist (and classist) attitudes that prevail in Our Fair Land. They were able to walk the streets with dignity as people instead of as black people. In this way they were able to be free of the social chains that constantly reify their very identities.

Frankly I do not see how a post modern aesthetic can help solve these problems. Only a society based on democratic equality and the elimination of barriers that create separation between people can solve these problems. Such a society must be based on socialist principles as the primary function of capitalist society is to build and reinforce hierarchy, a project for which classism, racism, sexism, and chauvinism are all tools.

I will close with encouraging news from Cuba:

Havana, Apr 16 (Prensa Latina) On the same place the socialist character of the Revolution was declared 45 years ago, Cuba ratified the willingness and resoluteness to continue with its political, economic and social project irrespective of the ever-present US threats and aggressions.

[...]

At 78 years, Cuba has the highest healthy life expectancy in Latin America (WHO statistics).

More on Cuba Buttresses Revolution and Socialism...

iPod Prisons

Quinlan Vos at Boredom Won't Get Me Tonight posts:

Headphones. Yeah. Could a better way of keeping people isolated and insulated by their own consent been devised? I think not. Headphones enable their user to be someplace, but not actually have to have any practical contact or interaction with it. It eliminates any risk of contact with other people, enabling the wearer to be blissfully unaware of their surroundings. They'll also probably destroy your hearing.
Throw those damn iPods in the trash!

Link

Heck yeah! I cannot stand to see it. The subways are full of morons with iPods who don't even look each other in the eye. And what are they listening to? What is it doing for them? How does it define their identity? How does it keep them from being human?

A for Anarchy

Also related to V For Vendetta, another post from tothebarricades.blogspot.com:

The website aforanarchy.com is intended to introduce fans of the film/graphic novel V For Vendetta to the history and philosophy of Anarchy. V For Vendetta was originally a comic produced in the mid 1980s by Alan Moore and David Lloyd about a man who destroys the corrupt state he lives in, promoting Anarchy to the masses all the while. This core message of Anarchy has been [twisted] in the film verison.

It is clear that the movie does indeed distort anarchism. Especially in the scene describing the run-up to November 5th which shows mass riots and violence on the part of the general population. Nevertheless, the movie does expose casual viewers to a cross section of ideas that they generally would not be aware of. The idea that a government would orchestrate a massive terrorist event on its own soil to scare the population into fascist compliance is particularly noteworthy.

I was also dissapointed that Evey did not vocalize what she came to realize was more important than her own life, which I believe was dignity.

Brooklyn Breaks Free

A bit dated, but in the spirit of just having seen V for Vendetta, this is from Sean at tothebarricades.blogspot.com:

April 5th: Brooklyn, New York, U.S. - More than 1,000 people, including ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews, flooded the streets of their Borough Park neighborhood in a spontaneous demonstration against police brutality and harassment. Around 6:30 pm, residents began pushing and shoving police following the arrest of 75-year-old Arthur Schick who police say was talking on a cell phone while stopped at a traffic light. According to some eye-witnesses, the elderly man, who is hard of hearing, was roughed up by police after he failed to provide them with identification when they asked for it. The police say that Schick was argumentative and threw himself on the ground. Two men who tried to intervene in the arrest were arrested themselves, including one who allegedly jumped on the back of an officer.

Residents shouted "No justice, no peace" and "Nazi Germany" as they smashed the windows of a police cruiser and set another one on fire. Rioters built numerous bonfires in the streets, which they held for about four hours until riot police were able to "regain control" of the situation.

More...

Powell: No Iraqi WMDs

Robert Scheer of The Nation reports:

"On Monday, former Secretary of State Colin Powell told me that he and his department's top experts never believed that Iraq posed an imminent nuclear threat, but that the President followed the misleading advice of Vice President Dick Cheney and the CIA in making the claim. Now he tells us."

More...

This data of course comes as no surpirse to anyone who takes a socialist analysis of imperialism. It has always been clear that this war and all wars are simply extensions of class war and are fought to further the economic and class interests of the capitalist class.

What is interesting is Powell making a public admission which exposes deep divisions among the American elites. It must be assumed that strong forces are working behind the scenes to bring about a "kinder, gentler" imperialism. This means that the neoconservative agenda is under serious attack. However the way they react to this challenge in the coming years could lead to serious instability in the United States and the world.

Protests Spread to 100s of US Cities

Monday April 10th was a National Day of Action for immigration rights. Hundreds of thousands of people across the entire United States took action to support basic human rights for the over 11 million immigrant workers in this country. Daniela Gerson of the New York Sun reports that tens of thousands converged on city hall on the afternoon of April 10th:

"I am fighting for my dad so he can get his papers," Brian Chicaiza, a skinny sixth-grader with greased hair, said after leaving his Queens elementary school early yesterday to join the ribbon of protesters stretching up Broadway from City Hall to SoHo at one of the largest mobilizations for immigrant rights in city history.

The New York rally - like scores of coordinated marches across the country from small farming communities to the U.S. Capitol - gave a chance for America's usually invisible workforce to voice its anger. At the demonstration, those who usually labor behind the scenes as delivery boys and demolition men, nannies and cleaning ladies, unified to demand that America not only accept their labor but afford them legal rights.

There were also thousands of children at the march, many of whom are American citizens with illegal immigrant parents, one of the many complex legal situations in a nation with 12 million illegal immigrants.

The New York turnout, estimated to be tens of thousands, did not rival those in Chicago and Los Angeles last month or one Dallas yesterday, each of which drew hundreds of thousands - but for many there it was a moving first venture into American civic involvement. Starting early in the afternoon and extending into the evening, protesters blocked traffic along Broadway and hoisted signs saying "Amnesty" and "We March Today, We Vote Tomorrow." They waved and danced with flags from more than a dozen nations alongside the American flag and shouted "Si se puede," or "Yes, we can."

The march was organized by a broad coalition of immigrant organizations, church groups, [socialist organizers], and labor unions.

More...

Also:

• More than 80,000 took to the streets in Florida, with an estimated 75,000 people marching in Fort Myers. Many held signs with messages such as: "It is not about politics. It is about human beings. Stop being selfish."
• Demonstrations included up to 500,000 people in Dallas, 50,000 in San Diego, and 20,000 in Salt Lake City, sparked by dozens of rallies and student walkouts.
• Over 500 demonstrators assembled in downtown Rochester, NY in front of the Federal Building, carrying flags and banners with messages like “Ningun ser humano es ilegal: No human being is illegal.”
• Up to 8,000 marched in Portland, up to 50,000 in Seattle, hundreds were in the streets in Memphis and dozens of other small cities across the US.
• In Tucson, counter-demonstrators, probably Minutemen, burned two Mexican flags and police took six people into custody.
• More first-hand accounts at www.indymedia.org
  

As a socialist, I am in support of full citizens rights for all immigrants and workers. This is the only way to guarantee that workers are not treated as second class citizens and the ensure that the state protects their rights, no matter their homeland of origin, language or skin color.

NYC Immigration Rally April 10

IndyMedia reports:

As congressional negotiations over immigration reform collapse, the people themselves prepare to take to the streets on Monday, April 10. Labor unions, religious and community organizations and immigration advocacy groups are organizing the rally, which will converge at City Hall/Broadway.

Socialist Alternative/CWI is participating in the rally. Stay tuned...

Free Trade: A Socialist Analysis

Free trade makes as much sense as a three dollar bill, and in fact, that is just about the extent of what it delivers to the working people and poor (e.g. the proletariat) of the world.

Martin Hart-Landsberg delivers a comprehensive dismissal of the free trade myth in the current issue of the Monthly Review (Vol. 57 No. 11). The most surprising part of his article, from my perspective, is that the WTO and other proponents of free trade actually 1) base their arguments in favor of free trade on the antique and simplistic concept of comparative advantage and 2) care about trying to fool us all into believing that free trade is good for the poor.

The 15 year experiment in neoliberalism is finally coming to an end. It is clear to the global proletariat that the lies of globalization lead to nothing but a race to the bottom for everyone other than the super rich. Peru is on the very of electing the latest in a series of socialist presidents in Latin America, perhaps the worst hit victim of neoliberalism (and its predecessors).

Nevertheless we have technocrats in Geneva, London and New York continuing to blindly tow the line of their capitalist masters, dazzling us with complex computer simulations of a bright future all the while ignoring the statistical reality of suffering evident the world over.

Fortunately there are a growing number of socialist economists who stand up to the pollyanna utopian visions of the neoliberal propaganda machine. One such, Hart-Landsberg delivers the death blow to Ricardo's comparative advantage in the following excerpts:

Arguments promoting free trade generally rest on the theory of comparative advantage. David Ricardo introduced this theory in 1821 in his Principles of Political Economy and Taxation. It is commonly misunderstood to assert the obvious, that countries have or can create different comparative advantages or that trade can be helpful. In fact, it supports a very specific policy conclusion: a country’s best economic policy is to allow unregulated international market activity to determine its comparative advantage and national patterns of production.

[...]

Mainstream economists, while continuing to accept the basic outlines of Ricardo’s theory, have developed refinements to it.

[...]

Like all theories, the theory of comparative advantage (and its conclusion) is based on a number of assumptions. Among the most important are:

• There is perfect competition between firms.
• There is full employment of all factors of production.
• Labor and capital are perfectly mobile within a country and do not move across national borders.
• A country’s gains from trade are captured by those living in the country and spent locally.
• A country’s external trade is always in balance.
• Market prices accurately reflect the real (or social) costs of the products produced.
  

Even a quick consideration of these assumptions reveals that they are extensive and unrealistic. Moreover, if they are not satisfied, there is no basis for accepting the theory’s conclusion that free-market policies will promote international well being. For example, the assumption of full employment of all factors of production, including labor, is obviously false. Equally problematic is the theory’s implied restructuring process, which assumes that (but never explains how) workers who lose their jobs as a result of free-trade generated imports will quickly find new employment in the expanding export sector of the economy. In reality, workers (and other factors of production) may not be equally productive in alternative uses. Even if we ignore this problem, if their reallocation is not sufficiently fast, the newly liberalized economy will likely suffer an increase in unemployment, leading to a reduction in aggregate demand and perhaps recession. Thus, even if all factors of production eventually become fully employed, it is quite possible that the cost of adjustment would outweigh the alleged efficiency gains from the trade induced restructuring.

It should be noted that despite the smokescreen of academic economic analysis it is quite clear that the capitalist class (if not the technocrats themselves) is fully aware of these false assumptions and does not at all expect free trade to operate in a way that is beneficial to trading partners nor the world poor. Indeed, the capitalists specifically do not want the system to work in a fair way because their prime motivation is the retention and consolidation of their own power, a project at which they excel.

Hart-Landsberg goes on to explain:

Although this bias is sufficient to dismiss the study’s usefulness as a guide to policy, its results are still worth examining for two reasons: First, the projected benefits are smaller than one might imagine given the World Bank’s unqualified support for liberalization.

[...]

If we were to take these numbers seriously, they certainly suggest that the third world has little to gain from an actual WTO agreement. As Mark Weisbrot and Dean Baker note in their critique of this study, “the removal of all of the rich countries’ barriers to the merchandise exports of developing countries—including agriculture, textiles, and other manufactured goods—would...when such changes were fully implemented by 2015...add 0.6 percent to the GDP of low and middle-income countries. This means that a country in Sub-Saharan Africa that would, under present trade arrangements have a per capita income of $500 per year in 2015, would instead have a per capita income of $503.”12 Moreover, as they also point out, these meager gains would be far outweighed by losses incurred from compliance with other associated WTO agreements.

Read the full Monthly Review article...

I'm no economist but $3.00 more a year per capita! I can guarantee you that won't pay the bill for the newly privatized water system, one of the strings the IMF invariably attaches to WTO compliance! Needless to say, this is leaving our friends at the WTO scratching their heads, while the pirates of capital laugh all the way to the bank (which of course, they own too).

Free trade is nothing but. The alternative to free trade is simple: give the people the ability to self determine their economic relations by allowing local, state and national governments to regulate trade and capital. These decisions must be based on the democratic will of the people, not closed door deals between the unelected bagmen on capital. Another world is possible, and socialism gives us the tools to put the necessary constraints of capital, freeing the wealth of the world to benefit all people instead of only the few.

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Chavez: Socialism or Death

From an interview between ahora.cu and Professor James Cockcroft:

Ahora: President Chavez has said "Either capitalism finishes us or we build the other road demanded by the world: Socialism." Theoretically, is Venezuela building socialism?

Cockcroft: "Not theoretically, and not in reality either, because Venezuela still has a capitalist economy. The important thing in Venezuela is that it is carrying out a revolutionary process starting from the beginning, with a very intelligent and capable leader who owes his life to the social movements that saved him during the April 11-14 military coup (sponsored by Washington) and Pedro Carmona's short lived regime.

This revolutionary process is opening the way to a new society, with more than 8,000 cooperatives and many factories occupied by their workers who under new self-management systems are working better than during the purely capitalist period. It is a society in transition towards something new, but we still can't clearly see what the future of socialism in Venezuela will be like or that in Our America, the united Latin America that Bolívar spoke about and now Chavez. But it is true what Chavez says, 'socialism or death', because capitalism is destroying us."

Ahora: There is talk about new types of socialism. What characteristics should they have, keeping in mind that there are reforms that don't affect the structure of capitalism?

Cockcroft: "Nobody knows in fact, because socialism will be different in each country according to the historical, cultural and current conditions. Fortunately, the time of a "correct" version is weak. If the reforms don't affect the structure of capitalism, as they are starting to do in Venezuela, the process doesn't move toward socialism."

More...

Tags: socialism, Hugo+Chavez, Chavez, Venezuela, Cuba

Solidarity with the Cuban Revolution!

Brother Rockstar at Tribe.net found this gem and I had to share! All hail "Uncle Zap"!