Mel Mason

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Once again working people are being led into the trap of supporting the "lesser evil" of the Democratic Party. The AFL-CIO, the National Organization for Women, and others are flying the "Dump Reagan" banner as the central task for all those who want to fight back against the U.S. war drive and But the Democratic Party has been an equal partner in the bipartisan assault on the living standards of working people. The Democratic Party shares equal responsibility for the war drive and military buildup. The outrage against Republican Reagan, who openly proclaims the glory of big-business and high profits, is being channeled into support for the more deceptive, but no less malevolent, Democratic representatives of big-business.

The coming battles cannot be won simply on the picket lines and in the streets. A political mobilization of workers and their allies on the electoral front is also vital to a successful struggle. But this political mobilization must be independent, and in opposition to the capitalist parties. A labor party, based on the unions, is a burning necessity for a broad-based struggle against A labor party, unfortunately, does not yet exist in the United States. But there is an alternative in 1984 that points in the right direction. The Socialist Workers Party candidates, Mel Mason for president and Andrea Gonzalez for vice president, represent an authentic working class alternative to the capitaThe developing combative mood among working people presents the opportunity for this campaign to bring the socialist program into the living struggles in the unions, the workplaces, the campuses, and the streets.

• A vote for the SWP candidates in this election will be a vote for indepenA4 SOCIALIST ACTION JULY 1984 for president!

the big-business policy of the present administration.

capitalist injustice.

list parties.

dent working-class political action.

• A vote for Mason and Gonzalez will be a vote against the war policies of both Democrats and Republicans.

• Mondale Mary Jean Collins, vice chairperson (continued from page A 1) of the National Organization for Women, which supports Mondale, Congress to give Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos $300 million in mili- expressed her displeasure that Ferraro "wants to say we support the ERA, but tary aid, as Marcos imprisoned opposishe doesn't want to say we support HR1 tion candidates after the 1978 National Assembly elections, torturing and kill- (the House legislation reintroducing the ERA). She wants to say we support ing many civilians in a mass crackdown. immigration reform, but she doesn't Today Mondale does not even pretend to talk about "human rights" or want to say we support the SimpsonMazzoli immigration legislation." cutting back defense spending. Instead Collins apparently does not apprecihe proposes a 4 or 5 percent increase in Rate her candidate's delicate task: to prothe budget for a military machine that claim the grand vision of a Democratic stands as the mightiest arsenal in the world. And for what? For the same rea- administration, but downplay the nutsand-bolts of a program for social ausson that the Carter-Mondale administration requested from Congress $5.7 terity and military prosperity. million in credits for the Salvadoran Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson, despite their strong accusations against Monmilitary junta in 1980: to prop up the death-squad junta that has murdered MARELIE president of the United States • A vote for Mason and Gonzalez profits.

of racism and sexism.

building of an independent labor party.

Socialist Action urges a vote for Mel Mason Vote Socialist!

non-starters... In these two areas, however, it should not be difficult to work out mutally acceptable language." (our emphasis) "It would be a mistake for partisans of either party," Powell concludes, "to assume that what Jesse wants and what the Democratic Party wants are fundamentally irreconcilable."

Of course, if Jackson lined up directly behind Mondale he would risk being lost in the frontrunner's shadow. That would not sit well with many of Jackson's supporters, who seriously hope his campaign will help spur a new social movement that can reverse the attacks on the rights of Blacks and others.

The leaders of the Democratic Party will clear that he understands the rules of convention politicking. "We should go to the convention with most of our areas (of disagreement) worked out so as to have a minimum amount of trauma and confrontation at that convention," Jackson says. "We have a higher mission-that is of course to defeat Ronald Reagan in November." (Oakland Tribune, June 7, 1984)

"Mondale, I guess"

There has been a great deal of discussion in the media concerning the question of whether the Democrats can come up with a candidate with enough popularity to defeat Reagan. A June 7 New York Times editorial described the reaction of most Democrats, who when asked to name who they preferfed as a presidential candidate said, "Mondale, 1