[March 13 to demand the release of Israeli…]

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March 13 to demand the release of Israeli activist done in the interest of U.S. imperialist interests, such "secrets" freely circulate in the most casual of official Washington's luncheon conversations. If the Democrats are not careful, the Republican fall-guys could drag some of them down with them.

Nothing good for American capitalism can come of a replay of the Watergate scenario to its logical conclu -sion-Reagan's ouster. The culpability of Congress in Reagan's lawlessness is the threat that drives the bipartisan capitalist political establishment toward jointly containing the scandal within manageable bounds.

Arms for hostages

The investigators also seem to be having the greatest difficulty in finding out what the president knew about the arms-forhostages adventure and when he knew it. It has become a favorite butt of politicalminded standup-comedians' jokes.

But whether the aim was to free hostages, or to re-establish contact with Iranian "moderates," is for the ruling capitalists only a practical question. Either or both courses of action in such situations are traditionally followed by governments when it suits their interests.

It is only Reagan's rhetoric that is compromised, not capitalist interests. And even the contradiction between what Reagan says and what Reagan does wouldn't have caused much of a stir had he succeeded in freeing a few hostages—just as illegal aid to the contras would easily be overlooked...if it worked.

It is not surprising, then, that when Reagan says he "forgot" when he approved the Iran arms deal, his political rivals conveniently accept it at face value. Those most anxious to make gains at Reagan's expense are able to sate their thirst for political advantage with cheap jibes at his age and mental competence-without more seriously destabilizing the capitalist ship of state.

And at a news conference, when Reagan disingenuously asked anyone to raise their hand who could remember what they did on a day months before, not one of the sharks in the room raised a hand. This ostensibly proved the credibility of his claimed loss of memory.

This debater's trick could have easily been exposed. But no one there, or in the news commentaries immediately afterward, asked Reagan why he couldn't refer to the minutes, notes, or other records of the official meetings to refresh his memory. Such media silence is deafening.

Of course the little matter of the missing minutes, or other records, no doubt crossed more than a few minds. No organized group, least of all a governmental body, can function without records of its decisions. But the loyal capitalist media allowed only the most cryptic references to the missing records to appear in news accounts and commentaries.

Some of Reagan's loyal friends, of course, must have privately raised the matter of the minutes. Evidently this led to Reagan's acknowledgment of this little problem in his March 4 "apology" to the nation a few days later. But he just brushed the matter aside in one non-explanatory sentence. "One thing still upsetting me, however," he said with a straight face, "is that no one kept proper records of meetings or decisions."

The Tower Commission, itself, is reported only to be puzzled by this alleged failure to keep records.

In any case, the focus on when Reagan approved the Iran arms deal is being given the most attention by the capitalist media because it is the least damaging side of this affair to their class interests. It has the advantage of permitting them to hammer away on their hypocritical and false claim of being in principled opposition to terrorism; a theme they have successfully sold to the American people.

At the same time it permits them to divert attention from-and play down-their terrorist assault against the people of Nicaragua, which they have failed to sell to the big majority of the American people.

How believable is Reagan's and class's "moral opposition" to terrorism; that is, the killing of innocent civilians? It didn't stop him from ordering the terror bombing of Libyan civilians who were expressly targeted by U.S. bombers. A raid which succeeded in killing and maiming many innocent people, including one of the Libyan leader's small children.

But Reagan's action is in complete accord with U.S. imperialist policy. How could anyone forget the U.S. atom-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed and horribly mutilated hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings. (Even by the standards of monster-sized terrorists, two cities incinerated would seem to be overkill.)

And contrary to the official rationalization of American imperialism, this singular act of frightful terrorism was not done to save the lives of American soldiers in the continuing war to defeat Japan. The bombs were dropped after the Japanese government had already sued for peace. Japan had proposed its surrender on condition that the Emperor not be deposed—a condition accepted in the actual treaty that ended the war!

U.S. imperialist terrorism

The only conceivable purpose of this seemingly mindless mass execution was to terrorize and intimidate the rising worldwide movement against imperialism with this demonstration of the unparalleled power of destruction in the hands of the new masters of the earth.

Just like the terrorist who kills one innocent hostage to demonstrate the will to carry out a threat, the U.S. terrorists killed Impact Visuals/Rick Reinhard two cities to demonstrate the same determination. It makes the terrorism practiced by victims of imperialism, by contrast, pale to virtual insignificance.

So much for the chorus of moral indignation against Iran led by the most "moral" president of the United States.

American people can fight back Now that direct U.S. military methods in Nicaragua have been temporarily set back, the ruling class must now seek, for the time being, to undermine and destroy the Nicaraguan Revolution by other means. The mass mobilizations scheduled to take place in Washington and San Francisco on April 25 can place further obstacles in the way of imperialist intervention in Central America.

It is certain, too, that mass outrage exacerbated by the Contragate affair promises to be expressed in the biggest protest demonstrations yet against U.S. capitalist policies.

The importance of such mobilizations cannot be overstated. The demonstrations tend to keep the poll-takers, who have been compelled to report the growing mass opposition to U.S. interventionist policy, honest. Making this opposition visible, too, foils the efforts of the most virulent capitalist apologists to discredit the polls and media reportage as the "inventions of a liberal-pinko conspiracy."

Perhaps most important, the mass mobilizations will reinforce the growing self-confidence among the millions of working people and their natural allies that they do have the power to change society.a