N.Y. rally set for June 9
1984 1984-06Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 2 →
Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Scan page 2
(continued from page 1: “Toledo strikers battle cops”) out preconditons." He noted, however, that "Mr. Duarte has already put down preconditions about dialogue. Ruben Zamora, a leader of the FDR, pointed out that "fundamentally, the United States is interested in Mr. Duarte because he can bring around public opinion and persuade Congress to continue sending military aid to El Salvador."
In fact, the first actual result of Duarte's election has been the authorization of $129.4 million in military aid by a 212-208 vote of the House of Representatives. Democratic Majority Leader Jim Wright was instrumental in forging a Republican-Democrat majority over the official proposal of the House Democrats. In the face of Duarte's visit, other prominent Democrats were visibly weakening in their "opposition" to the proposed $62 million in emergency military aid.
ACTION
June 1984 Editor: Alan Benjamin Associate Editors: Mark Harris Michael Schreiber Managing Editor: Nancy Gruber Business Manager: Kate Curry Editorial Board: Les Evans, Dianne Feeley, Jeff Mackler, Jim Richter, Nat Weinstein Staff: Paul Colvin, Larry Cooperman, Robin David, May May Gong, Millie Gonzalez, Hayden Perry, Linda Ray, Phil Ruble, Joe Ryan, Kwame M.A. Somburu, Marion Syrek, Sylvia Weinstein Socialist Action is published monthly for $6 per year by Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., No. 308, San Francisco, CA 94110. Application to mail at Second-Class Postage Rates is pending at San Francisco, Calif. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Socialist Action, 3435 Army St., No.
308, San Francisco, CA 94110.
Rates: 3 issues for $1.00; 12 issues for $6.00; Canada and Mexico $12.50; $30.00 airmail for all other countries; $14.00 surface mail for all other countries.
The political debate within the Socialist Workers ment.
The depth of the SWP leadership's adaptation to heads the Communist Party of El Salvador.
Socialist Action June 1984 sentative from Maryland and liberal critic of the Reagan administration's Central American policies, stated bluntly, "He's a moderate. He's our kind of man. Representative Michael Barnes, also of Maryland, noted, "Duarte makes a powerful plea. I'm sure they're not going to send him back empty-handed"' In fact, a solid majority of 267-154 voted to approve the new military aid. The prosecution of the guardsmen accused of the murder of the nuns released another $19 million in U.S. aid. The Reagan administration intends to seek to supplement this figure with another $112 million in aid for the next four months, plus $132.5 million for the fiscal year beginning in October.
A revealing amendment In short, Duarte's visit can only bring a prolongation of the military conflict and an escalation of the bloodshed. The hundreds of millions of dollars in aid will allow the Salvadoran government to carry on with its bloody and interminable war against the Salvadoran workers and peasants.
The collapse, yet again, of the Democratic Party "opposition" illustrates the problems of any strategy that relies on the Democrats. A Democratic representative from Washington, for example, offered an amendment to the aid package that would "prevent" the sending of troops to Central America, except in the following circumstances: (1) to protect the U.S. Embassy; (2) to resist a threat to the United States; or (3) to insure the evacuation of Americans. In other words, the U.S. government will not invade Central America unless it is necessary.
U.S. policy intends to mount the greatest possible pressure on the Central American revolution. The massing of thousands of contras-trained and equipped by the U.S. government and ists.
We in Socialist Action pledge our active solidarity SWP in its defense campaign.—THE EDITORS Honduras Tegucigalpa San Salvador Nicaragua Léon 5g Managua Costa Rica San José led by the CIA—on the borders of Nicaragua is the first prong of U.S. policy in Central America. The second is the turning of Honduras into a giant U.S. military base for counterrevolutionary operations. The third is the massive reinforcement of the military capacity of the Salvadoran government.
This policy will not be defeated in Congress. The House Democrats will continue to obey the logic of imperialist intervention, as they have done since the beginning of the escalation of U.S. intervention under Carter.
The front line of the defense of the Central American revolution is the militias, the Sandinista Defense Committees, and the Sandinista army of Nicaragua; it is the resistance of the FMLN in El Salvador; and it is the gigantic international solidarity which the Central American revolution has evoked throughout the world.
That international solidarity must link up with the massive sentiment against U.S. intervention that exists in the United States. It must combine to build an effective worldwide protest against the crimes of the U.S. and Salvadoran governments, whether led by a Republican or a Democrat, a D'Aubuisson or a Duarte.
This issue of Socialist Action Information Bulletin is anti-imperialist" first stage of the revolution. Both Siegel and Benjamin were unjustly expelled rently the editor of Socialist Action newspaper.
Vol. 1, No.4. Price: $2.00 (includes mailing cost).
NEW YORK-"Stop the U.S. War in Central America and the Caribbean!" This is the headline of a leaflet being distributed by the New York Coalition Against U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Caribbean. This broadly endorsed Coalition has called for a civil disobedience action on June 7 and a mass demonstration on June 9.
The mass rally will take the form of putting the U.S. government on trial for its criminal activities. Large puppets will represent President Reagan and members of his administration. Witnesses will testify from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and other oppressed nations. After a march from the United Nations past Coalition puts Reagan on trial for war crimes the Republican presidential campaign headquarters, the trial will take place at 2 p.m. in front of the Times Square Army Recruitment Center.
The criminal charges outlined are: "Drawing this nation into another Vietnam War by:
• "Bombing the civilian population of El Salvador.
• "Mining the ports of Nicaragua.
• "Sending billions of our dollars to the repressive regimes of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, and the contras fighting against the Nicaraguan people.
• "Illegally building a massive military infrastructure in Honduras and stationing thousands of U.S. combat troops there.
• "Continuing the military occupation of Grenada and militarizing other Caribbean islands as well""
The June 7 civil disobedience is to be directed against the N.Y. offices of the CIA, Defense Department, State Department, and Immigration Service. A "subpoena" will then be served on the administration to appear at the "People's Trial" of June 9.
The text of the coalition leaflet is generally good, but unfortunately concludes with the statement, "In this election year it is crucial we defeat Reagan, while putting all politicians on notice that we will be out in the streets to stop the U.S. war on Central America and the Caribbean.' The first part of the statement implies support to the Democratic Party candidate, which goes against the principles of some Coalition members.
The N.Y. Chapter of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), one of the two main support groups of the Coalition (the other being Mobilization for Survival), is pushing vigorously for more civil disobedience, as well as involvement with the pro-Democratic Party forces.
Members of Socialist Action are involved in leafleting and building the June 9 demonstration to try to make it as massive as possible. This is a top priority for us as we see the growing danger of rapid escalation toward another Vietnam War. We will carry signs in the demonstration calling for "U.S. Out of Central America Now!" and 'Hands Off the Central American Revolution!" And we will distribute a statement to the demonstrators with our proposals for building a movement to stop this war. •
Scan page 3
Philippine elections: