Our readers speak out

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Dear editor, Sylvia Weinstein's column in the October Socialist Action pointed out some of the ways the current drug "war" is being used against working people.

Little publicized changes in the Ohio workers' compensation law enacted this year show another way this hysteria is being used to undermine workers' rights. This revision excludes "injury caused by the employee being in -toxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance (drug) not prescribed by a physician."

Unlike laws prohibiting drunk driving, this law provides no definition of the amount of drugs or alcohol necessary to be considered "under the influence." Since employers' workers' com -pensation rates are based on accident frequency, many bosses can now be expected to demand a drug test whenever a worker reports an on-the-job injury.

Many "minor" accidents will now go unreported as workers fear the couple of beers they had on the way to work may get them fired. In other cases, workers-or the families of deceased workers—will be tied up in costly legal actions for years before the injured worker can collect a penny-all because of the results of an unreliable drug test.

Shirley Pasholk, Cleveland, Ohio Campaign Dear editor, The arrival of Socialist Action today reminded me that I have not yet sent you a contribution for Sylvia Weinstein's worthy campaign for the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco.

I have enjoyed Sylvia's articles in Socialist Action for many months-and send this check with great hopes that San Franciscans will elect her. I only wish I lived in the area so that I could actively participate in Sylvia's campaign.

Dorothy Hardin, Eugene, Ore. Wrong again Dear editor, Once again you have managed to misrepresent the Progressive's political stance, and once again I must ask you to set the record straight.

In your October issue, replying Boston Conflicting Strategies for Revolution in Central America Speakers: Ralph Schoenman author; Jeff Mackler, Nat'l Secretary, Socialist Action;

Sat., Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.

169 Massachusetts Ave.

$2.50 donation Tel. (617) 332-9016 Los Angeles Film: Eugene V. Debs and the American Labor Mov Speaker: Dave Campbell, m OCAW 1-547;

rnday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m.

ILGWU Hall O3 S. Parkview, L.A.

(1 block west of Alvarado)

$3 donation $1 unemployed Tel. (213) 250-4608 to my letter and several others about the West Coast Conference on Socialism and Activism, you referred to "middle-class oriented, third-party formations like the Citizens Party, which the Progressive campaigned for in 1980 and 1984...

The Progressive did not campaign for the Citizens Party in 1980 or 1984. I have been editor of the Progressive since 1973, and in that period the Progressive has endorsed no candidate for electoral office, nor has it campaigned for any party, major or minor.

Erwin Knoll, Editor, the Progressive, Madison, Wisc.

Response

Dear Mr. Knoll, In our October issue, in res -ponse to your previous objection, we documented the Progressive's past endorsements of Democratic Party presidential candidates.

Among the various examples we provided was the Progressive's endorsement of George McGovern in 1972. McGovern was characterized by a Progressive editorial (March 1972) as a candidate with "great cour -age...and deep wisdom... [who] has earned our support [and] deserves yours too."

You now claim that the Progressive did not campaign for the Citizens Party. My for -mulation in the October issue was based on the fact that Sid Lens, the senior editor of the Progressive, was the Citizens Party candidate for the U.S.

Senate from Illinois in 1980. Nu -merous articles in the Progressive plugged his campaign.

For example, in a September 1980 article, Lens stated: "I am the Citizens Party candidate for U.S. senator from Illinois and I will vote for Barry Commoner, the party's presidential candidate."

In a September 1984 article in Calendar of events San Francisco Anniversary_of the Russian Revolution: Is Marxism Relevant Today?

Speaker: Joe Ryan, staff wnter, Socialist Action newspaper; Friday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. 3435 Army St., Rm. 308. $3 donation $1.50 for unemployed Tel. (415) 821-0458 New York Conflicting Strategies for Revolutions in Central Ameri and the Middle East Speakers: Ralph Schoenman, author; Jeff Mackler, Nat'l Secretary, Socialist Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Hunter College, West Bldg., Lexington Ave. & 68th St. $2.50 donation $1 unemployed the Progressive Lens encouraged activists to "use the [election] campaign period...to promote our own agenda." Among the acceptable things to do during this period, Lens listed "join[ing] Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, or work[ing] for the Citizens Party or one of the socialist parties."

Lens made it clear that he was not opposed in principle to supporting the Democratic Party. "Which candidate we vote for is far less important, ultimately, than what we do to pull the political pendulum to the left," Lens wrote. "When we support the 'lesser evil' without aggres -sively emphasizing our own position, we may, in fact, be helping the pendulum swing to the right."

Lens continued, "If you have time to spare, there's no harm in ringing doorbells for Mondale, too. But don't hesitate to talk to the voters about your reservation regarding Mondale's program."

These articles by the thensenior editor of the Progressive cannot simply be dismissed as the author's personal views. To the contrary, they appear to be representative of the Progressive's eclectic views on independent political action.

We in Socialist Action worked closely with Lens in building a mass movement in opposition to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. We also collaborated with Lens in the current movement against U.S. intervention in Central America.

But we have always strongly disagreed with Lens and the Progressive on electoral politics. We are opposed to ringing doorbells for Mondale or joining the Rainbow Coalition, which functions inside the Democratic Party. These activities miseducate working people about the true role of the Democratic Party.

We are also opposed to support for the Citizens Party, which fails to offer a working-class alternative to the twin capitalist parties.

This is the heart of our current disagreement with the Progressive, which has endorsed and promoted conferences that provide a forum to help channel socialists and activists back into the Demo -cratic Party via the Rainbow Coalition.—The editor Milton Dear editor, I'd like to compliment you on the excellent interview with Harry Milton (July 1986 Socialist Action). I was taken by Ray Sparrow to meet Milton a few years ago, hoping to inter -view him for the Cahiers Leon Trotsky. Keep up the good work.

Pierre Broue, Director Leon Trotsky Institute, Grenoble, France Cartoons Dear editor, Enclosed is a money order for $6.00 for a subscription to Socialist Action. I have heard that you could use some cartoons and/or graphics, and I would be interested in contributing, but would like to get a better idea of the paper, hence the subscription.

Vancouver, B.C.

Response Dear reader, We are pleased to welcome a new reader and subscriber to Socialist Action, particularly one who would like to contribute to our newspaper. We are always glad to receive articles, graphics, cartoons—or just simply in -teresting press clippings-from our readers and supporters. We hope you enjoy the paper and look forward to receiving your contributions.—The editor Baseball Dear editor, The Nicaraguan national baseball team just completed a successful tour of various U.S. cities.

The success does not stem so much from the fact that the baseball team won all its games in this country; but from the Nicaraguan national baseball team. "Bats Not Bombs" tour.

Sept. 28.

and from Newhall, Calif. 1970s.

covering life in Nicaragua." he said.

Ind.—MICHAEL SCHREIBER solidarity between Nicaraguan and North American working people that was forged during this brief visit.

The tour was able to promote a positive image of Nicaragua and its revolution and to demonstrate the high level of competence and sportsmanship of our national baseball team.

The tour was a success thanks to the efforts of organizations like Athletes United For Peace and of its director, Guy Benjamin. The various Nicaragua solidarity organizations and the city officials in Berkeley, Calif., also went out of their way to help our national team.

We hope that U.S. baseball teams will, in turn, come to Nicaragua to play some exhibition games and to enjoy our hospitality.

Emigdio Quintero-Casco, Representative of the Embassy of Nicaragua, San Francisco, Calif.

Iris Schneider

Scan page 12

When scheduled airlines began to be widely used in the 1920s, parents often traveled in separate aircraft because "they did not want to leave their children orphans if their plane went down." Fifty years later, mid-air collisions and other airplane disasters cause travelers to once again view the most routine flight as a possible brush with death.

At the Los Angeles airport, where an Aeromexico DC-9 crashed on Aug. 31, an 15C0 Socialist Action SO WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? WE'VE ONLY BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR TEN YEARS... use it."

Pope explains that adoption of ACAS would obviate the need for the FAA's longterm research budget, which has consumed $160 million on inferior alternatives since 1975.

In fact, the FAA has been working on its own system, the Threat Alert Collision Avoidance System (T/CAS), for the last 20 years. But the agency says now that it may be two more years before T/CAS is ready for widespread use.

One serious problem with T/CAS is that it interferes with radar signals and must be