U.S. Hands off Libya, Nicaragua! Reagan lauds MLK, axes social programs

Scan page 1

Special supplement on Hormel strike, See pp. 7-10 carefully orchestrated campaign to prepare the American public for war. The threat of U.S. military moves against Libya is very real despite the fact that the administration's EDITORIAL charges against Qaddafi have been widely refuted.

But the war hysteria and war machine are directed beyond Libya. Barricada, the daily newspaper of the Nicaraguan FSLN, noted on Jan. 17, 1986, that in the wake of the recent U.S.-Libyan confrontation, "Sec -retary of State George Shultz announced that the United States would use military Columnist Art Buchwald once quipped that "only in America" is a person who effectively criticizes the "establishment" rewarded by being made a member of the establishment. An exaggeration, perhaps. But it took Ronald Reagan to convert the humor in that statement into tragedy.

At the time of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968, Reagan indicated that King was partly to blame for his death because he advocated civil disobedience tactics that "compromised with law and order."

Last month, however, Reagan changed his tune. The president saw fit to "salute" the Rev. King for helping to make this country into "America, the land where dreams come true.

What hypocrisy! On the day that Reagan offered his "salute," his administration outlined budget cutbacks in Medicare, day-care services, and other health and community development programs that will hit Blacks, the poor, children, and the elderly especially hard. These programs are going under the ax in accordance with the 4.3 percent in domestic cuts ordered by the Gramm-Rudman budget-reduction law.

The "Star Wars" military plan would remain exempt from cuts under GrammRudman. And Reagan is calling for an extra $100 million in aid to the Nicaraguan contras.

Children's health programs cut During celebrations of her father's birthday, Bernice King, the Rev. King's youngest daughter, assailed the gov -ernment's cutbacks. "Over the past five years," she said, "the bank of justice that Washington has launched a campaign to push through $100 million in direct aid—mainly military—to the contras. This policy of step-by-step escalation is designed to wear down the Nicaraguan people through the economic shortages and increased casualties resulting from the U.S.-financed contra war.

Washington has also increased its military and economic aid to the regime in El Salvador, which has been pressed to (continued on page once provided subsidies has been robbed by 'Star Wars,' while little Black and white and red and brown children don't even have enough food to eat."

Black infants are twice as likely to die in their first year as whites—the largest gap in 40 years. Deaths of infants under a year old (continued on page 5)

Scan page 2

F.l. sends greetings to rally e are sure you will continue your struggle in the mass movements. Your ewspaper will be first of all an instrument to support working-class struggles and to help launch and organize mass campaigns against imperialist actions in Central America, against apartheid in South Africa, and for solidarity with the Polish workers.

2 SOCIALIST ACTION FEBRUARY 1986 By CAROLE Socialist Action was toasted-and only slightly roasted—at a second anniversary celebration held Jan. 18. About 100 people attended the celebration at the Local 6 hall of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in San Francisco.

Jake Cooper, Socialist Action National Committee member, was the first speaker. He predicted that American workers would organize to protect their interests against corporate greed and that their power, when mobilized, would be unbeatable. One week later, the P-9 strikers began to confirm this prediction when they decided to shut down the operations of the Hormel company.

Seymour Kramer, San Francisco Labor Council delegate, commended Socialist Action newspaper for its "stubborn, awkward, dogmatic, rigid honesty" and its "ability to defend unpopular positions." Kramer also noted Socialist Action's "decisive contributions in steering the new antiwar movement toward independent mass demonstrations.

Elise Norman read a congratulatory message from her mother, Pat Norman, member of the coordinating committee of the Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice and director of Lesbian and Gay Health Services for the city of San Francisco.

Gustavo Acosta, representing the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front of El Salvador, compared the current U.S.supplied bombing raids over rebelcontrolled areas of the Salvadoran countryside with the U.S. bombing of Vietnam. He appealed for help in efforts to expose and stop the bombing.

Bob Hernandez spoke on behalf of Roberto Vargas of the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington, D.C. [See message on this page.] The president of IL WU Warehouse Local 6, Al Lannon, said, "I have found your organization to be straightforward and honest. We recognize that we have disagreements, but we have respected each other and have worked together toward common goals."

Lannon praised the newspaper for being "straightforward in presenting the views of those with whom it disagrees—without distortion or censorship." He exhorted the crowd to "dare to giggle, dare to grin" in one of several humorous remarks in his short statement.

Messages were read from the Fourth International [see this page for text] and from Howard Wallace, Northern California AFL-CIO director of the Coors beer boycott.

Wallace said, "It has been wonderful working with Socialist Action members in the struggle for peace, jobs, and justice. Even on the few occasions when I disagreed with them, I found them to be fair-minded The following greetings were sent of the Fourth International.

We just learned that you are organizing newspaper. We send our fraternal greetings.

Revolutionary Marxists are fighting in the United We appreciate all the more your successful effort Trotskyist newspaper.

Once again, fraternal greetings and successful work.

ist Acton/May May Gon Gustavo Acosta, representing the Salvadoran FMLN and thoughtful. I look forward to our continued solidarity in the future.

Wallace urged the audience to actively support the lesbian and gay movement and to also keep spreading the word on the Coors boycott.

Lita Blanc, an Oakland school teacher, gave a rousing call to solidarity with the teachers' strike.

Carl Finamore, National Committee member of Socialist Action and coordinating committee member of the The following are excerpts from the presentation by Alan Benjamin, editor of Socialist Action.

In the past two years, Socialist Action has taken some important steps forward. We have promoted union solidarity with workers fighting for their dignity. We have helped organize the pro-choice movement, and have exposed the brutal attacks promoted by the ruling rich in this country against Blacks, Latinos, Native-Americans, gays and lesbians.

Our paper has educated about the important gains of the Nicaraguan Revo -lution. Along with our support to the fighting forces in the FMLN in El Salvador and FSLN in Nicaragua, we have made it a priority to build an effective movement in this country against U.S. intervention in Str 72 can dam alist Action Dave Walsh rally by the Bureau of the United Secretariat a meeting for the second anniversary of your States in very difficult conditions. to launch and maintain a regulari Lita Blanc, a striking Oakland school teacher Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice, gave a stirring speech for socialism.

"Capitalism," he explained, "is not the inspiration for those who wish for a promising future of peace, jobs, and justice. There have been no mass demonstrations, pickets, or revolutions anywhere in the world demanding more big business or more capitalism. On the contrary, these policies are imposed on the majority of people of the world by military dictators financed by the U.S. government. Central America.

Our newspaper has actively campaigned to end U.S. support to the brutal apartheid regime in South Africa. We have focused attention on the growing role played in this struggle by the Black workers in that country.

We have defended the just cause of the Palestinian people for their homeland-for a democratic and secular Palestine where Jews and Palestinians can live together on the basis of cooperation and respect.

And, as the masthead of our paper suggests, we have identified closely with the struggle of 10 million people in Poland organized in Solidarity who are fighting to establish their own democratic control over their society. Their demand is not to return the factories to the bosses. The socialism they are fighting for is the socialism we are fighting for: one of workers' control over the means of production, one of workers' self-management and genuine democracy.

The concept of socialism has been perverted and discredited by the Stalinist rulers in the Soviet Union. Socialism and FSLN greetings The following are excerpts from the greetings presented by Bob Hernandez, who represented Roberto Vargas of the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington, Roberto Vargas wasn't able to attend your meeting tonight. He wanted to be here but had to go to New York on account of the $100 million in aid to the contras Reagan is requesting...

The Nicaraguan Revolution has made tremendous progress. But it has also made some mistakes. The revolution doesn't only want friends who pat it on the back for all the good things it has done. It also wants friends like your -selves who will help it think through some of the problems it faces...

The revolution values its relations with you and recognizes the important role you have played in mobilizing public opinion against U.S. intervention in Nicaragua. Capitalism has initiate reforms majority."

Finamore excoriated U.S. corpo -rations-"Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population owns one-third of all capital and 22 percent of the wealth in this country. These monopoly class relations lead to increasing social misery for the majority. Americans face a long-term, steady de -terioration in our standard of living."

American workers, he continued, are now starting to link their opposition to economic concessions with opposition to the U.S. government's war policy against working people of other countries. This convergence makes socialists optimistic about the prospects for socialism in the United States.

The final speaker, Socialist editor, Alan Benjamin, explained newspaper has accomplished in its years. [See text, this page.] The rally culminated with the singing of "Solidarity Forever". And the words of that song, beginning— "When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run, There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun" and ending— "We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old" had a palpable meaning to all who participated.

the fullest workers' democracy must go hand in hand.

But what makes us different from other papers on the left is our appeal to the labor movement and to all the movements of the oppressed to rely on their own power and to break from their reliance on the Democratic and Republican parties. In order to beat back the attacks on our democratic rights and on our standard of living, working people in this country need a labor party—a genuine solidarity party-based on the unions.

Our paper is only two years old, but we stand on a long and proud tradition. We stand on the shoulders of the early socialist movement in this country and on the legacy of those who led the massive strike wave in the early 1930s—and who are still fighting today to build support for the Local P-9 strikers in Austin, Minn.

The struggle of the P-9 strikers is our struggle. In fact, it is our future. It's the path others must and will follow. Our paper will grow and expand together with the growth of the fightback movements of American workers. Socialist Action will be at the forefront of these fights, striving at all times to build a revolutionary party of the American working class that can pave the way for a society free from racism, war, and poverty—a socialist America.

9010 H Socialist Action/May May Gong Bob Hernandez 1 am pleased to be speaking on behalf of Rot his greetings and is lookir long friendship between Socialist Action. exhausted its ability to in the interests of the Action what the first two here tonight ¡erto. He sends ig forward to a the FSLN and

Scan page 3

Canadian revolutionists form Alliance for Socialist Action S.F. coalition builds April 19 action Walter Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, addresses 110 activists at the first meeting of the Bay Area Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice. Seated are Al Lannon (left), president of Local 6 of the ILWU and a coalition coordinator, and John George (right), Alameda County supervisor.

Lannon's report, adopted by a near unanimous vote, highlighted the coalition's four themes and the need for a united effort to build the mass march and rally set by the coalition for April 19, 1986, in San Francisco. The meeting approved a budget of $27,000, a 60-person steering committee, and coordinating committee of 13.

SOCIALIST ACTION FEBRUARY 1986 The following are brief excerpts of an interview by Socialist Action with Commander Omar Cabezas of the Nicaraguan Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Cabezas is currently the Chief of Political Direction at the Ministry of the Interior of Nicaragua. He is also the author of one of the most popular novels in Nicaragua today, "Fire from the Mountains" (see review in October 1985 Socialist Action).

The complete interview, which focuses on a discussion over revolutionary strategy in Nicaragua today, will be printed along with other views on these same issues in a future issue of International Outlook, the theoretical supplement to Socialist Action. The interview was conducted by Jeff Mackler in San Francisco on Jan. 22, 1986.

At a time when the Reagan administration is asking for $100 million in military and economic aid to the contras, we are printing those portions of the interview that deal with the determination of the Nicaraguan revolutionists to resist the escalated U.S. war against Nicaragua.

Socialist Action: Is the Nicaraguan Revolution prepared to confront the increased attacks by the U.S. government!

Omar Cabezas: Yes. We have been able to survive. Editorial (continued from page 1) clean up its "death squad" image. Meanwhile the military regime's regular army deepens its attacks on the civilian population, murdering those suspected of supporting the liberation forces of the FMLN. At the end of January, the army surrounded over 1000 civilians in the Guazapa area, 15 miles north of San Salvador. Several were killed and dozens imprisoned.

Building spring actions Last April 20 numerous antiwar coa -litions emerged across the United States. Their primary focus was opposition to escalating U.S. intervention in Central America and South Africa. These coalitions showed the capacity to mobilize hundreds of thousands against the U.S. war drive.

With the escalating war threats against Libya, a number of antiwar activists are discussing how this important question should relate to the broad movement that already exists. Can the Middle East issue be simply incorporated by adding another slogan to the movement's program?

Unfortunately, mass opposition to U.S. intervention in Central America and South Africa is not automatically transferable to the Middle East issue. There is still widespread confusion about the U.S. role in the Middle East, and there is no overt military intervention underway.

Large sections of the trade-union move -ment, the religious community, and other sectors of the population, which have demonstrated their opposition to U.S. policy in Central America, at best stand mute on the Middle East. In many cases they have been swayed by the barrage of pro-Israeli racist war propaganda.

This uneven state of political con -sciousness presents important tactical problems for the antiwar movement and for its leadership. Inclusion of the Middle East issue in the program of the broad move -ment threatens to reduce local and national coalitions to the narrow forces on the left, thereby drastically weakening the power of the movement to oppose intervention in Central America at a crucial time.

This could have grave consequences for the people of Central America and for the antiwar movement itself, which, for the first time has made important progress in linking imperialist war policies abroad with the austerity drive at home.

An actual U.S. military intervention is taking place in Central America today. It is the responsibility of all those concerned with the right to self-determination of the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran people to focus on this issue-on building nationally coordinated mass actions this spring. The San Francisco Mobilization for Peace, Jobs And we have been able to consolidate a popular revolutionary power.

Chile was destroyed six years before our revolution. But we will not allow ourselves to be destroyed.

If we allow ourselves to be destroyed after taking political power arms in hand—unlike Allende-we would permit the revolution to be postponed in the rest of Central America for possibly as much as 50 years.

We are not going to let this occur-particularly at a time of bright perspectives for revolutionary developments in the rest of Central and South America.

So we have had to consolidate the popular character of the revolution. We have distributed 2 million hectares of land to the peasants in Nicaragua. And we intend to distribute 1 million hectares more this year.

Our alliance with the workers and peasants is not hesitant. We have distributed 2 million hectares of land, but we have also distributed. 400,000 rifles. This is the difference between Nicaragua and Grenada.

If the United States invades Nicaragua, it will not be fighting against the army alone. If the Marines land in Nicaragua, they are not going to defeat us in eight days. The people will defend the gains of the revolution; they will defend the land that has been distributed to them-land that never belonged to them before.

Nicaragua will be a Vietnam. It will not be a military and Justice has called such a demonstration for April 19 and is urging coalitions in other cities to do the same.

The full power of the movement must be mobilized against the proposed $100 million aid to the contras set for a vote in Congress next month. Press conferences, picket lines, and other protests are needed now to rally the movement as a whole and prepare for the mass mobilizations required to halt the warmakers.

In the course of building these actions, there is no doubt that, without jeopardizing the breadth of the existing coalitions, Delegates from Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg met in Toronto Nov. 22-24 for the founding convention of the Alliance for Socialist Action.

Previously, the Alliance consisted of individual socialist collectives in the four cities. At this convention, the delegates voted to form a national organization in sympathy with the Fourth International.

A well-attended international solidarity rally heard from leaders of the anti-apartheid, anti-intervention, and pro-choice movements.

Convention delegates voted on national campaigns: anti-intervention pro-choice.

Delegates expressed their commitment to work toward mass demonstrations in the spring against U.S. intervention-and Canadian complicity—in Central America and the Caribbean. They hoped their efforts would be part of similar actions around the world.

While continuing to oppose the restrictive federal anti-abortion laws, pro-choice activists in Toronto have focused their attention on defending the Morgenthaler abortion clinic. Although a judge overturned the jury decision against convicting the people in charge of the clinic, it remains open while the legal fight continues.

This is a direct result of the visible public support for women's right to choose. After the Catholic Church or -ganized an anti-abortion demonstration through the parishes, pro-choice activists called an emergency demonstration. With less than a week's notice, over 8000 people-much larger than the Catholic demonstration—rallied to defend the clinic.

A pan-Canadian series of tribunals is being organized to point to the need for repeal of anti-abortion laws by relating the disastrous effect these laws have on two and FSEN FSLN commander Omar Cabezas, author of novel, "Fire from the Mountains"

holiday for the imperialists.

It might have been possible for the U.S. government to send in its 101st Airborne Division immediately after our revolution. But times have changed. Nicaragua is different today. We have managed to survive six years. We have 400,000 rifles now. And we have 200,000 more rifles that we could send to our Guatemalan, Honduran and Salvadoran companeros if we're invaded.

There are only two roads ahead for the United States: Either they exterminate us militarily—and they will have to pay a very high price for this—or they will learn to live with us in peace.

necessary educational work on the Middle East can be accomplished by those who understand the importance of this issue. This can range from the inclusion of speakers who will address the Middle East issue to the organization of contingents at the demonstrations themselves.

Of course, an actual Middle East invasion by U.S. troops would present the antiwar movement with a new set of problems. In this instance, there is no doubt that new coalitions will be required to meet the challenge of the warmakers-The Editors. women's lives.

In addition to discussing their participation in the trade unions, New Democratic Party (NDP), antiwar, and pro-choice movements, delegates to the convention also debated and adopted a statement of ' principles, political reso -lution, organizational norms, and constitution, and elected a national leadership. They decided to publish a modestly sized newspaper entitled Socialist Challenge For Socialist & Feminist Action. The first issue will be available for the March 8 International Women's Day actions.

Socialist Action Closing date: Jan. 31, 1986 Editor: ALAN BENJAMIN Asst. Editor: MICHAEL SCHREIBER Staff: Amanda Chapman, Paul Colvin, May May Gong, Millie Gonzalez, Mark Harris, David Kirschner, Joe Ryan, Carole Seligman, Kwame M.A. Somburu, Business Manager: DON MAHONEY Circulation Manager: RALPH FORSYTH Socialist Action (ISSN 0747-4237) is published monthly for $6 per year by Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., No. 308, San Francisco, CA 94110. Second-class postage is paid at San Francisco, Calif.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Socialist Action, 3435 Army St., No. 308, San Francisco, CA 94110.

Rates: 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.

Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of So -cialist Action. These are expressed in editorials.

----- pull-quotes -----

Socialist Action celebrates birthday with antiwar rally ... S.A. editor highlights and gains of first two years

ACTION Mass picketing canwin? All labor must beat back scabs, National Guard