by Stewart Alexander, 2012 Socialist Party USA Presidential Candidate

The phrase that came to mind immediately upon hearing President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech is “too little, too late.” After spending the last few years coddling the banks and the richest 1%, Obama has the nerve to now call for “economic fairness.” To him, this means tweaking payroll taxes and making a rhetorical call to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the rich. For working people in America real fairness means the right to a job, a guarantee of healthcare for all and an end to the Military Industrial Complex. Obama won’t deliver this. That’s why I am running for President against him.

Job creation has been and will continue to be the most obvious way that Obama has sold out working people throughout America. These decisions were made early on in his administration when he made the conscious decision to pour billions of dollars into the Banks that had funded his campaign instead of using those funds to create an emergency employment program to put people back to work. The result is that Americans have experienced nearly three consecutive years of more than 9% unemployment and nearly double that when those workers who given up looking for jobs are counted. This has meant real human suffering for millions of people.

Although Obama has hailed the recent decline in these same unemployment rates, a closer look at the numbers reveal the hollowness of his claims. Economist Doug Henwood has paged through the Unemployment report and discovered that much of the reduction is due to the effects of holiday seasonal employment and, in particular, a shift to online purchasing for Christmas gifts. Of the 200,000 jobs created in December, some 42,000, or over 1/5, came from the hiring of extra couriers and messengers. Bars, restaurants and healthcare companies picked up the bulk of the rest of the new hires. Hardly the manner in which we want to grow the economy.

The jobs program that the Alexander/Mendoza 2012 campaign is proposing calls for the creation of a Full Employment economy. We have a three-pronged approach. First, we want to create an Emergency Jobs Program that will put millions of workers back to work immediately in fields like environmental cleanup, infrastructure creation and maintenance, and education. Second, we support proposals to publicly fund a worker owned and managed cooperative sector. This will serve to not only put people back to work, but to re-build the manufacturing capacity of our country. Finally, we want to fund job training programs that lead to job sharing or job splitting, where workers will work less yet retain the same amount of pay and benefits.

A serious restructuring of the tax code that allows us to take back the wealth created by our work and accumulated by the 1% is key to funding our job creation plan. We want more than Obama’s proposed payroll tax cut. We deserve more than just reversing Bush’s economically suicidal tax breaks for the rich. We need a radical restructuring of the way in which we think about wealth. The great riches of this society need to be put to use to help us all – to make life better for the 99% and create new opportunities for work, relaxation and community.

This is why we propose creating a progressive tax structure where the rich pay far more than the average working person. In a democratic socialist society neither Obama nor Romney would be allowed to pay an effective tax rate of 26% and 17% respectively. Corporate taxation, financial gains taxes and personal income taxes will be modernized – all loopholes will be closed and the rich will pay a steep tax on their income. This is what economic fairness looks like to a socialist.

If Obama’s proposals for “Economic Fairness” are hard to believe, his attempt to present his Presidency as one of peace is simply a farce. The hands of the Obama administration are dripping with blood. He has approved a brutal Drone war on the people of Pakistan that has resulted in massive civilian casualties. He has accelerated the war in Afghanistan, which has increased casualties among soldiers and terrorized the civilian population driving them into the political arms of the Taliban. And Obama has continued to take an aggressive political stance on Iran thereby moving the country closer to another war.

All this, plus a clear continuation of the Bush era security state policies. Obama’s approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) annihilates centuries of civil rights protections. The President now has the right to indefinitely jail any citizen in the America without having to work within the protections of habeas corpus. Added to the NDAA is the fact that, as I write this, Bradley Manning is rotting in a jail cell. Manning is Obama’s prisoner – a moral testament to the President’s commitment to continue the job of restricting civil liberties.

My campaign is staunchly anti-militarist. This means that I commit to bringing the troops home now through the elimination of all foreign occupations and the closing of all foreign military bases and I aim to dismantle the Military Industrial Complex. My campaign calls for an immediate 50% reduction in military spending. We think that democratic socialism offers the best hope for the creation of a world based on peace and solidarity. Eliminating the security state will move us a long way in that direction. America should be a model for civil liberties not a test case for how many rights can be restricted.

I am writing this also to encourage voters to take a serious look at my campaign. They will find that socialist politics are clearly distinct from the politics of the 1% peddled by politicians such as Obama, Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. Under their leadership, the State of the Union is neutered – reduced to an exercise in cheerleading for the politicians that have faithfully towed the line for their corporate benefactors. The proposals of the Alexander/Mendoza campaign are made in the interest of the 99%. We think Americans deserve a clear choice come November. We will be working hard to make that possible. Join us in making a demand for jobs, peace and freedom in 2012!

They have a very short statement (“The Socialist Party USA supports the mobilizations to occupy Wall St. in New York and various cities across the US and encourages our locals to take part in these actions.”), a livestream from globalrevolution at livestream.com, a link to www.occupywallst.org, “Actions in other Locations:
http://occupytogether.org/” and links to protests in LA, Philadelphia and Boston, with contact information including facebook, email, and twitter.

The Socialist Party U.S.A. does distribute red cards to members willing to “subscribe to the principles” of the party, but another leftist group, the Democratic Socialists of America, prefers online registration, with members using a virtual shopping cart to pay yearly dues of about $60 by credit card — Marx be damned.

In some ways, the Left remains locked in place. Its three major national parties are still confined to cramped Manhattan offices that are plastered with gaudy posters and honeycombed with pamphlets for distribution and envelopes for stuffing.

But in other ways the landscape has changed significantly. All three parties are finding the Internet to be a fruitful recruiting tool and believe their message has been given a fresh, beguiling appeal by the failures of capitalist symbols like Lehman Brothers and by debacles like the billions of dollars in securities tied to subprime mortgages.

“The economic crisis of 2008 gave us new life,” said Billy Wharton, a co-chairman of the Socialist Party, who grew enamored of socialism while battling tuition increases as a student at the College of Staten Island. “We have ideas for resolving the economic crisis, and people began to listen to them.”

Although we are barely two months into 2011, tumultuous revolts have already made history in the Middle East and North Africa. Masses of people, from all walks of life, broke free from their respective authoritarian governments to protest and fight for freedom, democracy, and better living conditions. We have seen two of the region’s most
entrenched dictators brought down from power: Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The successful people’s revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, though nowhere near finished, inspired similar mass movements all across the region; from Morocco to Iran, Yemen to Syria, and even in U.S. occupied Iraq.

In Libya, a mass movement by the Libyan people to end the 41-year authoritarian rule of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi has seen murderous state-sponsored violence against unarmed protesters.

The United States, however, remains the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, conducting two wars in the Middle East and supplying many dictators, including Qaddafi, with the weapons to suppress their own people. The U.S. has no credibility to intervene in Libya on humanitarian grounds, nor can the international community credibly sit in judgment of Qaddafi while turning a blind eye to crimes of the United States.

The popular uprising in Libya began with a protest in Benghazi against the inhumane imprisonment of Fathi Terbil, a Libyan human rights activist. Within two days, on February 17th, a Day of Revolt resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen protesters. Within days, what was a small protest erupted into a mass movement against Colonel Qaddafi and the Libyan government. Despite Colonel Qaddafi’s statement that he would “die as a martyr,” and an onslaught from loyalist soldiers and war planes, the revolt only became more defiant and grew in strength and numbers. Now protesters control several key cities and regions, leading many to fear the outbreak of civil war. The International Commission of the Socialist Party USA stands in solidarity with the people’s movement for democratic rights in Libya.

While the international response should be one of unity and solidarity with the Libyan protesters, the response of western nations has instead been marred by underlying imperialist goals and tactics that blatantly do not work. Until now, Libyan oil has served as a bribe between the Libyan government and several European nations, most notably Great Britain, in exchange for peace with Colonel Qaddafi and indifference towards his authoritarian regime. Now, the imperialists in the United States and Europe have deemed that Colonel Qaddafi’s fall will benefit them more than continuing to support his authoritarian regime.

The United Nations Security Council decided unanimously to impose sanctions on Libya, a tactic that has found very little success elsewhere and has historically only increased the economic strain on the working class. More troubling is the fact that the United States has positioned naval war ships and Marines near Libya, in the event that
they deem it in their best interest to invade Libya and forcibly remove Colonel Qaddafi from power. This was a blatantly wrong move in Iraq that only created widespread suffering for the Iraqi people in the interest of achieving larger oil profits, and it is a blatantly wrong move now. President Obama has refused to rule out military intervention, instead declaring that all options remain on the table. In reality, the United States has already intervened in Libya by arming the Qaddafi regime under the imperialist banner of the “War on Terror”. The blame for the bloodshed in Libya does not only fall on Muammar Qaddafi, but also on the American government. Imperialist military intervention is the exact opposite of what the Libyan people want and need.

As with protests in Tunisia, Egypt, all across the Middle East, North Africa, and the planet as a whole, the Socialist Party USA stands firm in our support for all mass movements that aim to better the lives of the working class and to create a more democratic society. We strongly condemn the use of violence by the authoritarian Qaddafi regime to prolong its inevitable collapse. We also strongly oppose any imperialist intrusion on the freedom or democratic rights of the Libyan people, both in the present and after Colonel Qaddafi is out of power. We call upon the compassionate people of the United States to join us in protest against war, imperialism, and militarism on April 9th and 10th.

March 15, 2011 – The Socialist Party USA extends its most sincere wishes of sympathy and solidarity to the people of Japan as they suffer from the greatest tragedy since World War II. We have watched in horror as the deadly Tsunami wiped out whole towns, killing tens of thousands of people. Even areas that were left untouched by the direct devastation are now suffering from shortages in the most basic and vital supplies to
ensure people’s health and welfare.

We support the efforts of International relief organizations who are responding to the crisis. We also call for the substantial resources of the US government to be used in the initiative to relieve the suffering of the Japanese people. It is moments like this where we recognize, and others should realize, how important the kind of global connectedness necessary to create an international system based on solidarity and mutual cooperation is most necessary.

Political statements seem out of order given the depth of human suffering. However, we are also quite concerned about the potential dangers facing the Japanese people and people around the world from the damaged nuclear reactors. Though the storm was a natural phenomenon, the dangers inherent in nuclear energy, not to mention nuclear arms, are not; they were created by human hands.

We pledge and hope others will as well, to redouble efforts to end the “Nuclear Renaissance” currently underway in the US and hope other countries will do the same in ending the use of nuclear energy and the elimination of nuclear arms stockpiles worldwide. This is especially critical now as we see first hand the added devastation from the release of unknown amounts of radiation from the meltdown of possibly multiple nuclear power plants. We can only guess at the added cost of life, and fear the unknown effects on future generations.

Only a program of green renewable energy forms can meet the long-term demands for energy while ensuring the safety of the world’s population.

Today, we stand together with the Japanese people who are struggling to deal with this most terrible tragedy. There are no words that can effectively convey our sincerest sympathies to the people of Japan at this dark devastating time.

We hold on to the hope inherent in socialism that even in the darkest moment of disaster, a better world is possible. We hope that our simple message of solidarity to the people of Japan and to the family members here and around the world dealing with loss of loved ones may contribute in some small way, to raising the spirits of those in despair and to building greater links of friendship in the future.

Access to high quality, affordable healthcare in the US continues to be an obstacle for many Americans. Amidst this, Planned Parenthood has been a haven for a diverse community of women seeking women’s health services. From birth control to prenatal care, Planned Parenthood has been at the forefront of offering women access to all aspects of family planning as well as cancer and STI screenings. This is a vital resource for all women and losing access to these services will affect all women.

What makes Planned Parenthood work so well is precisely the qualities that would make a full socialized medical system work. Planned Parenthood doesn’t discriminate. Everyone is provided equal access. People receive the care they need and no one is turned away. Instead of cutting back, we need to expand these values to all parts of the US medical system.

The recent vote in the House of Representatives to end federal funding of Planned Parenthood is yet another attack on the poor and working class. The Right has used their majority status in the House and Senate as a vehicle for pushing through regressive legislation in the guise of spending cuts, which has been used to cut back social programs and put forward an agenda that is rooted in racism, sexism and homophobia. The proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood is just the latest in a string of bills that chip away at the needs of poor and working class Americans.

The Socialist Party USA opposes the cuts to Planned Parenthood. We believe that access to a broad range of reproductive choices is a right of all women. This includes safe, affordable and on demand access to abortion, as well as access to birth control and prenatal care. We recognize the vital role of Planned Parenthood in providing these services to women who might otherwise not be able to access them. If this defunding bill is approved, it will be disastrous to women’s access to healthcare. For many low-income women, Planned Parenthood is the only available option for women’s health services.

As socialist feminists, we see the cuts to Planned Parenthood, not only as an attack on women’s rights, but as part of a well planned strategy being initiated by the right in the form of budget cuts being enacted across the country. We oppose any and all legislation that would result in cuts in services to the poor and working class or job loss. Instead, we call for a Single Payer healthcare system that would provide quality healthcare to all regardless of their ability to pay. We also call for full funding of all social services as well as a system of full employment. We see these things as fundamental to creating a more equitable and humanitarian society.

Insider strategies won’t work any longer. Lobbying and collecting donations won’t put an end to the attack by the right wing. Our movement for women’s rights needs to learn some lessons from the Madison protests. Strategies of mass protest building towards civil disobedience and other forms of noncompliance are critical tools for changing the political culture in this country. By using this strategy, we can not only defend the rights we have, but also push forward to expand them. If you want to get involved, contact a Socialist Party organizer today!

No to the Attack on Women’s Rights!
No to Austerity!
For Full Access to Reproductive Services!

by Omar Mohamad, Socialist Party of South Central Wisconsin and Billy Wharton, co-chair Socialist Party USA:

The mass protests led by public employees unions in Madison, Wisconsin have been presented by some mainstream commentators as a labor’s last stand. They are not. They are a spark, a spark with the potential to create a new protest movement capable of revitalizing our unions, radicalizing student organizing and creating a space for democratic socialist politics. As socialists, we stand steadfastly in solidarity with this protest movement. We pledge to support the immediate goal of blocking Governor Scott Walker’s reactionary and draconian anti-union legislation and the longer-term project of building a serious left-wing political movement in the US.

Walker’s proposal to strip workers of collective bargaining rights is an extreme example of the budget cutting strategies being prepared by state and local officials throughout the country. More than 31 states are in the process of implementing deep cuts to basic public services. The local budgetary situations have been made worse by the ending of Federal stimulus funds. Much like at the Federal level, most of these states have, for decades, refused to properly tax their richest residents and corporations. In the case of Wisconsin, corporate tax rates have not been increased since 1972 and a myriad of loopholes and tax credits allow these companies to further evade taxation.

But the budget cuts are not about the fiscal balancing of budgets. They are, instead, an ideological attack on the rights of working people, on the opportunities for public university students and on the public programs that millions of people rely on. Gov. Walker and the other politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, have refused to cover deficits by spending from reserve funds or increasing taxation on the rich and corporations. This is a political choice, driven by free market ideology, to defend the wealth of the elite at the expense of the vast majority of people in our society.

As socialists, we understand that public employees are not the problem. Their work helps to enhance the public good. The problem that is gripping all of American society is that 5% of the population controls 85% of the productive wealth and this 5% has no intention of returning this wealth to those who produced it. As a result, politicians will violate any democratic right – union rights, civil rights and economic rights – that threatens this wealth. Walker demonstrated just how far he would go by putting the National Guard on notice in the event of mass unrest.

No wonder then that the protesters in Madison compared the Governor to the deposed dictator of Egypt Hosni Mubarak. This comparison is not only because the protesters see a bit of Walker in Mubarak, but more importantly, they see themselves in the massive street protests that gripped Egypt and in the occupation of Tahrir Square. And what great lessons to learn from this brave movement that faced down the police and forced a dictator out. The fighting spirit of Tahrir Square represents a global wave of unrest in which people are exercising and demanding their democratic rights. Democracy, in Cairo or Madison, is about more than elections. It is about creating a society based on economic democracy – where working people who create the wealth can claim that wealth.

Democratic socialism offers the best hope to make the aspirations of these protests real. We believe that society can best be run through direct democracy – where people have a direct say in how the society runs. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature should not be the ones determining how the budget is crafted. A system of participatory budgeting in which those who will be affected by the budget are given a direct decision making voice in how the funds are spent would be the most democratic and efficient process possible. Here, the true will of all those people mobilizing to stop Walker would be heard.

Until we are able to build the political will to create such a democratic structure, the political focus must be placed on taxing the rich and corporations to cover the immediate budget deficit in Wisconsin. In the short term, this will mean employing all possible forms of civil disobedience and non-compliance on our worksites, our schools and in our communities. Simply put, if a small group of politicians attempts to strip us of our rights in the service of protecting the wealth of the elite, we are more than justified in using all of the social power we can muster to bring the society to a stand still.

The Socialist Party USA has initiated a national campaign to fight against budget cuts and the attack on public workers. We are calling on all of our members and our supporters to join local campaigns to defend jobs, education, and services. As socialists, we bring with us a firm conviction about taxing the rich and a vision of a democratically run society in which people regain control of their lives from the logic of the market, from the workings of capitalism and from the elite 5% who benefit from our labor, while offering little in return.

Solidarity with the Madison Protests!
Kill the Anti-Union Bill!
Defeat the Anti-Labor Walker!

Tahrir Square transformed the idea of democracy from a stale ritual that occurs every few years to an open ended struggle for freedom.

We send greetings to the working people of Egypt on the day of their victorious struggle to depose the dictator Hosni Mubarak. Their grassroots movement provides definitive proof to the world that radical political activity can change the course of history. The activities of the protesters in Tahrir Square transformed the idea of democracy from a stale ritual that occurs every few years to an open ended struggle for freedom. We are inspired by the example provided by this mass revolt of the Egyptian people.

It is particularly important to recognize the central contribution made by the
working class to the defeat of the dictator. While the occupation of the square and the street demonstrations in several cities galvanized the resistance, it was the mass strikes carried out by the workers that broke the back of the regime. On February 9th thousands of workers demonstrated the ability to shutdown the entire society and economy until their demands were met. After these mass strikes, the regime understood that surrender was its only option.

The victory of Tahrir Square need not be an isolated one – limited only to the
removal of one dictatorial regime. The revolt was as much about the conditions imposed on Egyptians by capitalism – the lack of food, the unemployment, the poor housing, the declining environment – as it was about Mubarak. We can all join in the spirit of struggle initiated in Cairo by demanding a democratic socialist society where the needs of human beings are placed ahead of those of corporations.

See Tahrir Square for what it is – an open-ended struggle for freedom. And what the dissident voices in Egypt and many others parts of world are demanding are things that capitalism cannot deliver. In Egypt, the reorganization of an independent trade union movement, the experiences of direct democracy in the protests and the revitalization of a socialist left in the country offer greatest hope for advancing the political agenda for economic freedom developed in Tahrir Square.

As socialists located in the US, we pledge to continue to do our part in the international struggle for socialism. We see our own political activity as a part of the larger international movement for jobs, peace and freedom. As a part of a Socialism for the 21st Century!

***
Get Organized! Contact the Socialist Party USA!

February is Black History Month. It’s a time when our public institutions, and corporations give a little extra attention to the accomplishments and contributions to the story of the Americas made by Black Americans. Established by Carter G Woodson in 1926, it’s purpose was to promote the contributions made by Black Americans in an effort to undo the contention that Black people have no history, and have made no significant contributions to the history of the Americas.

Since 1926 this project has come along way. What started as a one week remembrance of Black American accomplishments has become an entire month. As a child Black History Month began and ended with the ring of the school bell. By the mid 90′s McDonalds (if only on BET) began crafting ads for fast food to coincide with the month of February. If we weren’t yet recognized as key players in the American experience, our spending power certainly was. As with all things in our country whatever can be turned into a commodity will be turned into a commodity.

The Socialist Party USA is pleased to recognize and celebrate February as Black History month. As socialists we recognize the central role in American, and global history that African peoples occupy. You cannot address the history of religion, science, art, or the study of history itself without beginning with the story of the African. For socialists it is also important to move the stories of Black people out of it’s box in February and into the larger narrative of American History in order to reconstruct a story of the Americas as seen and experienced from the people on the bottom.

There can be no legitimate account of American history that distinguishes between it’s peoples contributions based on the color of their skin.

Despotism works alongside the cruelty of neoliberalism.

The Socialist WebZine is publishing this excellent essay from 2009 on the history of the labor movement in Egypt for our readers.

by Atef Said

ATC 142, September-October 2009 – THE EGYPTIAN WORKING class is one of the oldest in the region, with a long history of internationalist solidarity. Egyptian loading and longshoremen workers in 1947, for example, boycotted the Dutch ship in Canal Suez in solidarity with the Indonesian people’s independence struggle. The union of the workers issued a statement against colonialism in general. They did not allow the ship to service or go through the Canal despite the resistance and efforts made by English and French administrators.

The early 20th century began with a wave of strikes, partly in reaction to discriminatory policies adopted by British colonial administrators who favored European over Egyptian workers. In 1900 the first trade union was established, “the league of cigarettes makers.” By 1919 Egyptian workers played a significant role in the anti-colonialist protests, and two years later 90 trade unions established the National Federation of Egyptian Workers.

Because of the impact of trade union activism in spreading anti-colonialism protests as well as socialist ideology, the government dissolved the federation in 1924. Yet over the next two decades workers continued protesting against both their working conditions and colonialism; by the end of the 1940s there were almost 500 unions. In 1946 Egyptian workers and students established what was known as the higher committee for students and workers against British occupation. One important critique is that during the 1940s and ’50s the left adopted the strategy of the nationalist-bourgeoisie first.(1)

One of the most controversial historical periods in the history of the left and the working class was the period of Gamal Abdel Nasser (1954-1970). Nasser’s regime claimed to be a regime of social justice. Known in the Arab-speaking Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa as a leader for the non-allied movement in the context of the cold war, Nasser was also seen as a supporter to third world liberation (anti-colonialist) movement. But for the Egyptian working class Nasser has more complicated and contradictory image.

On the one hand, Nasser was the leader who nationalized Egyptian economy, transforming it into a state socialist economy. Theoretically speaking the working Egyptian class “owned” the means of production. While granting trade unions many rights, Nasser made sure these unions were designed in a hierarchical structure that put them under the control of ruling-party officials. One of the significant events during Nasser’s era that may reflect a substantial attitude of the new regime toward workers with the death penalty of two workers, Mustafa Khamees and Abdel Rahman al-Baqary. The regime did not tolerate a labor strike by Kafr al-Dawar workers, just in twenty days after Nasser’s coup de etat.(2) Khamees and al-Baqary were tried by an exceptional court and were executed because of their leadership of the strike.

The second reason that makes Nasser’s period contentiously debated is the 1956 decision of the Egyptian Communist Party’s leaders to dissolve, based on their argument that socialism was in the making under Nasser. Many leftists consider this decision a severe mistake. The leaders invited all the party to contribute to Nasser’s socialism. Some party members rejected the decision and re-established it in 1975.

In the beginning of the 1980s workers expected Mubarak (who took office following the assassination of Anwar Sadat by Islamist-influenced military dissidents – ed.) to be a more tolerant president, towards oppositions including labor activism. One reason for this belief is the fact that Mubarak started his reign by releasing political leaders and oppositions who had been arbitrarily detained in the last days of Sadat’s era.

But throughout the 1980s and the 1990s Mubarak’s police apparatus attacked workers’ strikes. In some cases, the police killed workers such as the case of the steel mill workers’ strike in 1989. Strike leaders were arrested and brutally tortured over several weeks. Other examples include attacking the textile and spinning workers in
Kafr al-Dawar in 1994 and, more recently, Mahala al-Kobra in 2008.

Despite police brutality workers never completely stopped striking, but the frequency declined. Workers did not see how to stop privatization and the structural adjustment, and this sapped their militancy. But as the rate of exploitation went higher, and workers realized that they were expected to work more and take lower wages, their anger increased.

Significantly in the 1990s, the propaganda machine accompanied International Monetary Fund polices. For example, the state succeeded in convincing more than half a million workers to leave their work in an early retirement program. Many workers regretted their decision. They ended up without a job, or with a worse job. Many were forced to spend the compensation.

As new industrial cities were constructed, the government gave huge tax cuts to investors. But the workers were expected to work sometimes for 12 hours or even more, and were not protected by unions at all. Two words can sum up the 1990s from the workers’ viewpoint: defeatism and anger.

The Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) re-emerged during Nasser’s era, but it became a hierarchical arm of the state, a way to control unions and its members. The ETUF structure is a pyramid shaped, with the union’s units at the bottom and the ETUF on the top. In between are the 21 national general unions to which workers belong. Workers only elect officers in their unit and can only belong to one general union. Therefore within the ETUF there is no accountability or real representation.

Since Nasser, the union’s president has been a member of the ruling party.
Many labor activists have told me that both the general unions and the ETUF work against workers in most if not in all cases. Many function as spies against the workers. Despite of the fact that Mubarak’s regime claims that the country has a multi-party system (on paper), trade union structures have never changed. In fact, due to legal amendments that increased the trade union’s bureaucratic forms, the term of office has been increased to six years. According to the official ETUF website(3) there are 2,200 union units organizing seven million workers. That is, only 25 % of all Egyptian workers are unionized.

Despite the repressive and bureaucratic features of Egyptian trade unions, there were many important strikes that worked against the repressive state and the workers’ acceptance of defeat. One of the most remarkable workers’ event was a national uprising initiated by Egyptian workers in January 1977 under the Sadat regime, at the beginning of the early negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. Known as the bread uprising, this was a national protest against the government’s intention to raise the prices of basic goods.

The uprising began with textile workers demonstrating in the Supurp section of Cairo (in the Helwan district) as well as by the navy in the Alexandria arsenal. Despite the government’s defeat, following the strike the police led a massive wave of arrests of labor activists and leaders of different socialist groups. The uprising and labor strikes at this time also exposed the reactionary nature of the ETUF, which worked against the workers in the uprising.

Many analysts suggest that the 1977 became the Egyptian regime’s nightmare, where workers and opposition groups, mainly leftists were capable of occupying streets of Cairo and other major cities and gain the sympathy of the rest of Egyptians. The reason for this was the fact that the demands of the demonstrators were the decent minimum demands of most of Egyptians. The uprising was described by many analysts and activists as Egypt’s lost revolution.(4)

Recent facts published by the Egyptian independent paper al-dostor shows that in 2006 that the annual budget for internal security was $1.5 billion, more than the entire national budget for health care. This number has increased after the protest waves in 2005 and 2006. Further, the security police forces comprise 1.4 million officers, nearly four times the size of the Egyptian army. Several activists and analysts agree with the paper that Egypt has become a police state, par excellence, an affirmation that is very common these days among public intellectuals and activists of human rights.

In his recent book al-a’yam al-akheriya, or the last days, the Nasserite writer Abdel Halim Qandeel suggests that if we added the number of police sergeants and formally hired spies (moukhbreen), the total number of police persons in Egypt would be 1.7 million. He suggests that there is a police person to every 37 Egyptians (this ratio is double the number during the pre-Islamic revolution Iranian dictator Reza Bahlavi, Qandeel suggests).(5)

According to a report published by Reuters on July 13, 2009 , 77 million of the 80 million Egyptians live on less than $ 1 a day. Around 30 % of the workforce is unemployed, 7 % of children miss schools because of poverty. There are no fewer than 100 thousand homeless/ street kids. While Egypt’s official foreign debt is around 12 billion dollars, several of Mubarak’s corrupt ruling elites have stolen almost half this figure from Egyptian banks without guarantees and left the country with this money.

Some liberal thinkers in Egypt and beyond often reduce the problems of Egypt today to issues of corruption or lack of democracy. This description lacks accuracy. The writer agrees with many activists in Egypt that Egypt is led by a coalition of corrupt bourgeoisie, a corrupt ruling technocrats and a dictator.

Despotism works alongside the cruelty of neoliberalism. While the recent workers’ strikes were responding to the brutality of neoliberalism, the pro-democracy activism was responding to Mubarak’s despotism. However, both kinds of protests (workers against neo-liberal policies and opposition groups against dictatorship) are expected to converge in the near future, if Mubarak stays in power.

Notes
1. For this reason, there has been an ongoing debate among Egyptian leftists about the presumable mistake of prioritizing the national question over social justice issues. Many Egyptian communists, especially those of the Egyptian Communist Party, made a mistake of diverting the workers’ struggle towards the national question. Despite the validity of this critique, it seems to me that such a critique is exaggerated as it assumes leftist groups had substantial influence within the working class. back to text
2. See http://www.etufegypt.com/Etfu_M/E_History_02.htm. back to text
3. For more details about the history of the Egyptian working-class struggle see the booklet of Said and Bassiouni’s Banners of Strikes in the Egyptian Sky, published by the Socialist Studies Center in 2007. The booklet can be accessed through http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=429&issue=118. back to text
4. See a very thorough study about the uprising written by the leftist journalist and blogger Hossam Al-Hamalawy in this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/12893045/1977-Bread-Uprising.
5. Bahlavi, like Mubarak, was backed by the U.S. government. back to text
ATC 142, September-October 2009

from Solidarity

A few hours prior to the event, three FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents visited the Center to inform them that there was going to be a demonstration.

Memphis Activists Harassed by FBI (While Protesting FBI Harassment)

Local activists, including members of the Memphis Socialist Party, gathered at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center yesterday to file Freedom of Information Act requests as part of a nationwide day of action against recent FBI harassment of anti-war and international solidary activists. A few hours prior to the event, three FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents visited the Center to inform them that there was going to be a demonstration. They left after they were told that the Center was not only aware of the event but had planned it.

Approximately two hours later, the Memphis Police Department’s TACT unit arrived with at least six unmarked black SUVs and one marked squad car. When questioned about the reason for their presence, they replied that they were there to keep the peace. The Center was eventually able to get into contact with the unit’s chief, who made a vague statement about a call from a “concerned citizen.”

On the same day, at least two activists (including the Chair of the Memphis Socialist Party) had their homes entered by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department on the pretext of warrants issued for failure to appear in court. In both cases residents were not given the opportunity to view the warrant, despite multiple requests. At the deCleyre Cooperative, police entered without permission through an unlocked door and moved through every room with their guns drawn, searching for someone who hadn’t lived there in years.

Why were residents not allowed to see the warrants used to enter their homes? Why was the TACT unit, described by MPD’s website as “not subject to regular calls,” and “responsible for handling barricade situations, hostage rescues, counter terrorism, and high risk felony apprehensions,” sent to respond to a single, unverified phone call? How is it a coincidence when the same group of activists is targeted by three separate law enforcement agencies on the same day?

The FBI has a long history of intimidation, harassment, and repression, but we refuse to be silenced by it. We will continue to stand in solidarity with our activist brothers and sisters.

from Memphis Socialist Party

Tunisia has become the latest hot spot in a global wave of popular rebellion against failed economic policies, corruption, and despotism. Ongoing protests throughout the country – called the Sidi Bouzid intifada by Tunisians in reference to the city where the protests began – were sparked by the selfimmolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a twenty-six year old street vendor. Like many, he suffered from underemployment and police violence. The rebellion went largely unnoticed by the international commercial media until the
Tunisian dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14th, ending 23 years of autocracy.

The International Commission of the Socialist Party USA salutes the people of Tunisia in this important step toward liberation. The ousting of Ben Ali shows that tyrants cannot rule over a population that refuses consent. In particular, we recognize the central role played by working people. While students and the middle class also went into the streets, it was workers, organized by the General Union of TunisianWorkers that gave the emonstrations structure and tipped the balance of power toward the protests. Through concerted mass action, the working class of Tunisia proved to have the power to overthrow a seemingly invincible authoritarian regime and make history. The revolt has inspired popular struggles throughout the region and the world. Already protests have rocked Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and other Arab states.

The Tunisian struggle continues over the nature of a new government. Mobilizations in the street are continuing in protest against a proposed “unity government” which maintains many officials from the old ruling party. Protesters are demanding a new democratic constitution before elections. Removing the dictator is not enough; the entire dictatorship must go.

Behind the scenes, economic power brokers are working to preserve neo-liberal relations with foreign interests, and insulate themselves from democratic forces. Recent revelations from Wikileaks have exposed how French and U.S. diplomats were well aware of the corruption and human rights violations of the Ben Ali regime, yet maintained uncritical friendly relations. A truly democratic alternative for the people of Tunisia that is independent of economic and diplomatic imperialism will be served best by connecting to the international socialist movement.

The International Commission of the Socialist Party USA pledges to share Tunisia’s story, and to pressure our government to respect Tunisian sovereignty. We extend our solidarity and seek greater ties with the movements in Tunisia of unionists, women, youth, and socialists. The liberation of Tunisia from Ben Ali’s personal dictatorship brings us one step closer to ending the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, warding off aggression against Iran, and ending the occupation of Palestine.

January 25, 2011

Tonight’s State of the Union speech revealed just how far out of touch President Barack Obama is from the reality of working people in America. What a distance from the White House to the unemployment line. From the Rose Garden to the food pantry.

Tonight’s State of the Union sent the message one final time that the Obama presidency was and is designed to protect the privileges accrued by the richest 5% in society. Obama lived up to the characterization of him as a “hedge-fund Democrat,” a politician assigned the task of deflecting the real demands of the American people for a society and economy based on solidarity, peace and justice.

A Call for More Corporate Globalization
The President’s focus on “out competing” other countries, such as China and India, is a thinly veiled attempt to appeal to national patriotism made in order to disguise his desire to continue policies of corporate globalization. China and India are not the problem.

The problem is that people in the US are forced to live inside of an economy where the richest 5% of the population control 85% of the wealth. As a result, Obama’s claim to be creating a “more competitive America” doesn’t mean creating good living wage jobs for working people. Instead, it means continuing the same policies that are tailored to protect the wealth accumulated by the rich.

Democratic socialists have an alternative. Instead of playing to the business community, we need to get serious about creating a comprehensive plan for a full employment economy. This can be done through emergency measures, such as the creation of a National Jobs Program and through more long-term efforts, such as the
funding of a democratically operated system of worker owned and managed cooperatives.

A commitment to full employment would put people to work immediately, thereby, relieving the skyrocketing unemployment and underemployment. The Cooperative Program would shift the national economy away from the financial and service sectors and toward manufacturing and production.

This democratically run economy would also provide a challenge to undemocratic capitalist organizations, such as the banks and multinational corporations. Once Americans experience democracy on their workplaces, a democratic socialist system of jobs creation will become a preferred choice for millions.

Americans do not need Bill Clinton “I feel your pain” platitudes. The Obama speech was full of them. We need jobs – good jobs that will allow us to feed our families and live lives free of the uncertainties of crisis economics. If the private sector won’t provide this, the public sector must be developed. Think of how much better we would be today if the public money that was poured in the banking system would have gone to create a full employment economy. Democratic socialism offers this alternative.

Obama’s Wars
On foreign policy, Obama claimed “that America’s moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom, justice, and dignity.” However, he failed to make any mention in his speech of his continued operation of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo stands as a gross violation of international human rights. Closing this illegal detention center was a key claim made by candidate Obama during the 2008 election run. Today, even after signing an executive order in January 2009 to close Guantanamo within a year, it remains open and sends the message to the world that America is willing to violate human rights on a global scale.

In addition, not only has Obama continued Bush’s wars, he has lately taken to adopting Bush’s rhetoric. President Obama stated that, “We have also taken the fight to al Qaeda and their allies abroad.” In fact, what the Obama administration has done is re-enforce military occupations while extending the war into Pakistan through the use of drone bombings.

Just two days prior to the State of the Union Speech, the American military unleashed a drone attack in Pakistan that killed more than a dozen people and inspired a 10,000 person anti-drone march in that region. This was one of more than 400 attacks that have produced more than 1,500 casualties since 2008. Many of these people were innocent villagers summarily executed by a machine directed from the center of the empire.

It is time now for Americans themselves to put an end to American militarism. We can do this immediately by building a powerful protest movement to end the wars and occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we can do more. We can develop a movement that puts the demand to cut the military budget by 50% at the forefront.
To take the money used on war and the military and put it to work to create a better society for all.

This is the promise of socialism – a world based on peaceful co-existence in which global solidarity becomes the basis of human relations.

An Austerity President
Near the end of his speech Obama proposed cuts to the Federal budget including pay freezes and cuts to public programs. The President provided qualified support to the Deficit Commission who recommended sharp cuts to the budget “the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it – in domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes.” He pledged to carry out spending cuts on “…anything we cannot afford.”

However, these cuts are exactly the wrong direction for the country to be headed in. Austerity at any level of government should be resisted. Cutting Federal spending will have a spiraling effect on state and local governments who are already engaged in budget cutting. Federal support is the only thing preventing even deeper cuts on the local level. The Federal government should be strengthening these local budgets not forcing more cuts.

And there is one source that can be tapped into to fund not only local budgeting, but the creation of an array of necessary social survival programs. Simply put, the rich must pay. Over the past 30 years, America has experienced a class revolution in which the richest 5% of the country has monopolized an astounding amount of
resources.

As socialists, we believe that Federal policy should be moving toward a truly progressive Federal income tax structure that targets the wealth accumulated by the super rich. This would allow the US to create a truly excellent education system – one that is free of charge from pre-K to graduate school. These funds could be used to make a green transition for industry by creating a publicly administered energy policy. And, the deep taxation of the rich could revitalize the country’s ailing transportation system by building a super-fast national train line, by creating a
green jobs program for the infrastructure and by aggressively substituting clean energy forms for our current dependence on fossil fuels.

Budget cuts will not get us there. Appeasing the top 5% won’t do it. And trying to manage polluting industries through cap and trade will do little to stem the tide of global warming. Only a bold economic plan based on the principles of democratic socialism can create a truly democratic society that puts people back in control of their own lives.

What it Will Take
If Obama’s speech does anything, it marks the path that we need to travel as people interested in creating a free and democratic society. We cannot lobby our way to such a society. Voting for the lesser evil won’t work. And continuing to get by on less while bankers, corporate executives and other members of the elite enrich themselves is no longer tolerable.

To create a full employment economy, to end the war and shift toward a peace policy and to create a progressive income tax system, we need a democratic revolution. We need people all over this country to awaken from their long political slumber and realize that working people have to power to make history. Our demands for jobs,
peace and freedom can begin among small circles of people and grow into a mass movement. We can move from tiny to victorious and now, more than ever, is the time for action.

Socialist Party USA 339 Lafayette St. #303 New York, NY 10012

What paulie said — anti-TSA and pro-WikiLeaks! Both of these issues represent key tests of government power against civil liberties, one related to the First Amendment protections of freedom and speech and of the press, the other related to the Fourth Amendment protections from unreasonable search and seizure. These protections should belong to all people in the world.

I recently wrote a proposed resolution for the Libertarian Party of San Francisco on the WikiLeaks issue, and sent it to members of the Libertarian National Committee and other email lists, offering it as sample wording others could use in crafting resolutions for their own bodies to pass on the topic:

* * *

WHEREAS WikiLeaks has provided an invaluable service to the cause of free speech and to helping keep governments and other institutions accountable to the people of the world; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Libertarian Party of San Francisco thanks Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, as well as their sources including U.S. Army private first class Bradley Manning, for exposing what congressman Ron Paul called “the delusional foreign policy” of the U.S. government, and revealing government secrets wrongfully withheld from the American people.

* * *

Not sure whether this had anything to do with Mark Hinkle’s press release — he wrote me to ask whether the WikiLeaks protest I mentioned happening in San Francisco was still happening given that he’d heard Assange was out on bail.

I heard nothing back from any other LNC members except for alternates Carl Vassar (who enthusiastically endorsed it in a “reply all” to the LNC members I had written) and Andy Wolf, who inquired how I thought such a resolution would be received by the national membership and adding, “I will reserve judgment on whether to thank Assange until I better understand why he is releasing this information. It is unfortunate that so many people are focusing on him, whether as a martyr or a pariah, while the discussion should be about the substance of the information. I think it plays into the hands of the establishment — they want to distract us because it reduces their accountability. And unless someone can explain to me the crime that Assange or WikiLeaks committed and that a US court has jurisdiction over him or his company, extradition makes no sense; I agree with Mr. Hinkle’s statement that publishing documents provided by a government agent and embarrassing public officials are not crimes. Liberty should no know borders.”

I believe the WikiLeaks issue as clear-cut a libertarian issue as any facing us.

I don’t feel I need to know the WikiLeaks founder’s motives in order to appreciate the pro-freedom impact of his actions. Just about the only scenario I can think of under which I would not be grateful were if WikiLeaks turned out to be simply a massive disinformation campaign, with the leaks being generally false information released at the direction of government authorities themselves. Given the responses of those authorities to date however, I think we can pretty much rule that possibility out!

I told Andy I would welcome additional scrutiny of the leaked data’s content, and that I thought this would make a good subject for another LP press release.

But I’m not unhappy with the way most of the media has recently been covering the story by focusing on Assange. WikiLeaks was known to me many months before I ever heard of Julian Assange, and I think the focus only started shifting from the content of the leaks to him personally when it became clear that he and his organization could be in jeopardy.

At that point, it seems to me that paying attention to him was a right and proper journalistic decision, because government attempts to go after the head of an important media outlet and put that outlet out of business for leaking their secrets and embarrassing them are not only extremely newsworthy, but arguably no less embarrassing to government than the original leaks. Having your crimes revealed is one thing; trying to cover them up, and silence those who exposed you, takes it to another level. That’s what got Nixon removed from office.

The full text of the Libertarian Party’s press release:

WASHINGTON – While Democratic and Republican politicians outdo each other with calls for the prosecution and even execution of Bradley Manning and Julian Assange for providing information to various news media, Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle says that free speech and freedom of the press must be supported unconditionally. Hinkle released the following statement today:

“In 1787, as the U.S. Constitution was being written, Thomas Jefferson wrote, ‘Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.’ His recognition of the critical need for a free press led him and others to demand a Bill of Rights, where freedom of speech and freedom of the press were listed in the very first amendment to the Constitution.

“In 2010, Democratic and Republican politicians alike are trying to destroy this precious liberty. The Obama Administration, which has already invoked the ‘state secrets’ claim in court more than any administration in history, has arrested Army Private Bradley Manning, alleging that he copied and leaked various documents, and is holding him in solitary confinement pending a military trial. Meanwhile, Republican presidential hopefuls are falling over themselves seeing who can sound the toughest. Mike Huckabee says that anything less than execution of the leaker is too kind. Newt Gingrich wants Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, declared an ‘enemy combatant’ so that he can be denied all due process. And Sarah Palin wants Assange hunted down like Osama bin Laden (perhaps missing the irony that bin Laden has not been caught).

“Even more ominously, companies which provided various services to WikiLeaks suddenly decided to end their relationship after receiving pressure from Washington. Amazon, PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard all suddenly felt that the activities of WikiLeaks, well-known to them for years, were illegal, absent any actual charges being filed for the violation of any law. When government officials start pressuring businesses in order to silence critics, tyranny isn’t far off.

“Publishing documents provided by a government agent is not a crime. Embarrassing public officials is not a crime. Regardless of the degree to which the released documents are helpful or harmful, Assange and WikiLeaks are exercising their rights, and American politicians and government agents should stop threatening and harassing them.

“Freedom of the press is not a luxury, and the prospect of a government able to silence dissent and prevent the press from communicating unfavorable information about the behavior of government employees should frighten anyone who loves liberty. It is understandable that government officials who are lying to the public and covering up misdeeds want to keep their actions secret, just as a criminal doesn’t want the police to find out about his crime. As Steven Greenhut of the Pacific Research Institute notes, ‘If it weren’t for anonymous sources and leaked information, the journalism business would serve as a press-release service for officialdom.’

“Private Manning deserves the presumption of innocence, due process, a speedy and fair trial, and decent treatment while in prison. If Manning revealed information which did not damage national security or result in harm to others, but instead revealed evidence of incompetence, corruption, or other illegal activities, then he should be able to raise that as a defense at any trial. Just as when Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers in 1971 and had his subsequent prosecution dismissed by the courts, an important principle is that information which is being kept secret to protect wrongdoing is not in fact legally and properly classified. A jury should be able to judge both the facts and the law, and to acquit Manning if the jury finds his actions to be justified.

“Two years ago, candidate Barack Obama praised the long tradition of information leaks by defending those who revealed Bush-era covert actions. ‘We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk…. Government whistle-blowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal.’ Obama appears to have forgotten this statement, just as he has forgotten many other statements and promises he made while campaigning.

“Only a month ago, we were told by the Transportation Safety Administration that they should have the power to strip or grope us if we want to exercise our right of travel. In my view, any government official too embarrassed to handle a full-body scan of their words and actions should resign.”

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

1.1 Expression and Communication. We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology.

1.5 Crime and Justice. Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including life, liberty and property. Criminal laws should be limited to violation of the rights of others through force or fraud, or deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Individuals retain the right to voluntarily assume risk of harm to them selves. We support restitution of the victim to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer. We oppose reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the criminally accused. The rights of due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, must not be denied. We assert the common-law right of juries to judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law.

Numerous other parties have also expressed support for WikiLeaks, including the Socialist Party USA, Green Party, Pirate Party, Ralph Nader, and the Peace and Freedom Party, among others. In a recent interview with Forbes Magazine, Assange said:

It’s not correct to put me in any one philosophical or economic camp, because I’ve learned from many. But one is American libertarianism, market libertarianism. So as far as markets are concerned I’m a libertarian, but I have enough expertise in politics and history to understand that a free market ends up as monopoly unless you force them to be free.

WikiLeaks is designed to make capitalism more free and ethical.

If there is a political crisis, there is an opportunity. Jared Lee Loughner’s attempted assassination of Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona certainly created a crisis. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is now ready to cash in on the opportunity. Or so their recent report entitled “Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation,” suggests. However, this will be a bit of an unusual reward for the men in blue – they score the ideological points while the surveillance industry reaps the monetary profits. . . .

it recommends preventative and preparation measures, both done in fine post 9/11 paranoid style. For prevention, the NYPD recommends the installation of surveillance cameras that cover all angles in the workplace and feed into a centralized location. This is a good example of advancing a pre-existing ideological agenda into a moment of crisis. Quite a financial boon to the surveillance camera makers and to those who wish to have every corner of New York City filmed for the purpose of total surveillance of the population . . .

Jan 21st: Walk and Vigil Against Torture and to Close Guantanamo- Join members of the Socialist Party of New Jersey and other civil rights organizations in a walk and vigil against torture and to shut down Guan- tanamo. 3:00pm starting at Montclair Public Library 50 So. Fulerton Ave. Montclair, NJ Info: 201-803-7574 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 201-803-7574

From the Socialist Party of New York City via TPID:

Sponsored by the NYC Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labor union.  All Workers are Invited!  After 3 years of marches, petitions, and other actions, the IWW and its supporters have made one of the wealthiest fast food companies cave to the workers’ demand for holiday recognition for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which falls on Monday, January 17th this year.

Many workers at Starbucks have experienced or witnessed racist hiring practices and treatment of workers. This holiday was specifically chosen because of the workers respect and love for King and for his support for organized labor.

Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis when he traveled there to support an illegal strike of black sanitation workers that were fighting for better working conditions, a living wage, respect, and union recognition. The IWW Starbucks Workers Union, a union formed entirely by current and former Starbucks baristas, has fought for nearly 7 years for the rights of every worker at Starbucks.

This year we celebrate our greatest victory yet!

On Monday, January 17th, 2010 every Starbucks employee working in the U.S. will receive time and a half holiday pay in honor of Dr. King. We give a low estimate of $1.2 million being spent by the company to cover the time and a half for hourly in-store employees, though the total amount of money going into the pockets of deserving workers is much higher because administrative workers and roasting plant workers will be receiving premium pay as well. Even the salaried managers at Starbucks stores, some of whom have spent years actively fighting against the union and lying about its members, will be benefiting from this victory with paid day offs. . . .

Andrea Pason & Billy Wharton – co-chairs Socialist Party USA:

No to Political Assassinations! Let’s Make a Democratic Revolution!

On behalf of the Socialist Party USA, we send our sincerest condolences to the families of the people killed today in the shooting in Tucson, Arizona. This was an attempt at political assassination as the shooter, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, reportedly shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ, D.) in the head before turning his gun on the crowd. The dead include a 9 year child and five others, with twelve people wounded. Rep. Giffords remains in critical condition.

As socialists, we say unequivocally that political assassination has no role inside of a democratic society or our movement. Throughout American history, assassination has been a tool primarily used by the right-wing. The death by execution of strong leaders such as Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. stand as testimony to the damage done to our cause. We are democratic socialists and we seek to make a democratic revolution. A revolution that places people in control of their own lives. Political assassination has no role in such a movement.

The same cannot be said of the far-right. Right wing activists have consistently engaged in acts of assassination and in rhetoric that reinforces and encourages such acts. We can note the murder of abortion rights activists such as Dr. Barnett Slepian as well as the violent and hyper-masculine language consistently promoted by the right-wing media. Loughner was reported to be heavily influenced by these ideas, motivated by the call to arms being issued by the far-right.

And he did not have to look hard for motivation to attack Giffords. During the recent mid-term election, Sarah Palin’s Political Action Committee produced a chart that targeted Democrats. The chart employed cross-hairs to identify the electoral opponents and utilized language like “We’ll aim for these races,” “This is just the first salvo” and “join me in the fight.” While Sarah Palin did not pull the trigger, she certainly holds a significant amount of guilt for creating the conditions in which such as act was possible.

Now is the time to reject such politics both here in the US and globally. A fitting tribute to the innocent victims from the Tuscon shooting would be to end the US occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan and to end the bombings in Pakistan. The US military has, through targeted assassinations, extraordinary renditions and drone attacks, made political violence an everyday part of life in this region. As we learned in Tuscon today, such violence creates real human tragedies. The lives of innocents lost in the Middle East to political violence are of equal value to Loughner’s victims.

As socialists, we aim to create a non-violent world. A world where the great wealth of society is used to satisfy human needs. Ours will be a democratic revolution where the great majority of working people are finally able to express their desire for things like jobs, peace and freedom. There is no place in this process, in the transition to a democratic socialist society, for political assassination. This is the political tool of the right and only serves to re-enforce the presence of the repressive apparatus of the government. We want freedom and believe that mass non-violent political protests are the means to acquire it. We invite you to join us in this struggle for a better world.

On November 2, David Maynard was elected to one of the seats on the Hillsborough County Soil and Water Conservation Board. He received 84,578 votes and won his 3-way race with 40.0% of the vote. He is a dues-paying member of the Socialist Party USA, although during the campaign he was, and is, a registered Democrat. Thanks to Greg Pason for this news.

Green Party member Anita Stewart was also elected to the same board.

Stumping for independent aspirant Farid Khavari in Florida’s gubernatorial campaign, Brian P. Moore, a former Democratic candidate for governor, spared few adjectives in criticizing Republican Rick Scott’s plan to create a meager 700,000 jobs in the Sunshine State over the next seven years.

Describing Scott’s jobs program as “unachievable, insufficient and wrong-headed,” the 67-year-old Moore said that Scott’s much-touted “7-7-7 Plan” would do little to ease recession-ravaged Florida’s jobless crisis and even less to alleviate the state’s looming fiscal crisis.

Florida faces a $3 billion budget shortfall next year.

Moore was also the Socialist Party USA Presidential candidate in 2008. Richardson is Khavari’s running mate.

The Socialist Party USA had an excellent National Organizing Conference (NOC) this year in Madison, Wisconsin. The three-day event featured music, speakers and workshops that offered practical skills to enhance our activism. A little more than 50 people turned up for the event from all over the country. The relatively new South Central Wisconsin local hosted the event and these comrades performed marvelously.

Saturday’s plenary was noteworthy. Radical historian Paul Buhle gave the first speech in which he emphasized the need for radical political movements to take counterculture seriously. He lamented the early worker’s movements cleaving off of the radical bohemian elements in favor of a more workerist approach. Similarly, he tracked the development of the Beat culture as an important part of the general radicalization of the 60s.

Peace activist Cindy Sheehan was the next speaker. The many comrades who donated funds to pay for her plane ticket and housing made Cindy’s speech possible. She discussed the “so-called” anti-war movement and spoke out strongly against the way in which the movement was funneled into the Obama campaign and killed. Cindy spoke passionately about re-imagining the anti-war movement as an anti-capitalist movement that understood the links between economic exploitation and war. She declared herself a revolutionary socialist from the podium. In addition, she announced her intention to run for president in order to challenge the war candidates in 2012. Quite an exciting development for us!

Finally, Dan LaBotz, fresh off his Socialist Party campaigning in Ohio gave a fiery speech about the disappeared. Dan mentioned our disappearing jobs, our disappearing social movements and our disappearing independence from the Democrat party. Instead of capitulation or depression, he shouted “Nunca mas!” (Never again!) while offering inspirational stories about his time on the campaign trail in Ohio. In particular, Dan mentioned a noteworthy conversation with a Pakistani woman who thanked him for speaking out against the US war being carried out against people in her country.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Cindy Sheehan speaks during the plenary:

Madison’s own Raging Grannies:

Greg at the Registration Table:

Group Photo!

In a workshop…

Dinner time on Saturday night!

On August 25, the Socialist Party of Michigan asked for reconsideration in its ballot access lawsuit, Socialist Party of Michigan v Land, in Ingham County Circuit Court. On August 18, the judge had ruled that the party had filed the case too late. The brief for reconsideration points out that Michigan can’t start printing its November ballot yet anyway, because the lawsuit over whether the Tea Party should be on the ballot is still unresolved.