Democrats band together to deceive working people

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Now that the TV extravaganza known as the Democratic Party convention is over, working people should assess what they got out of it. The answer is clearly absolutely nothing.

With a carefully rehearsed script in hand, the Democratic Party, the so-called "party for working people, ," told police to sweep the homeless of Atlanta under the rug and proceeded with the coronation of Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen.

Jesse Jackson, whose feathers were ruffled by Dukakis's failure to consult him when he chose Bentsen as his running mate, was mollified by being given a full evening of prime time to make an impassioned speech. His theme, "We're all in the same boat," was delivered with Dukakis, working people will lose. Above: Viet- demagogic skill. The Democratic Party leadership was reassured that Jackson, Below: Nicaraguans wounded in U.S. contra war. certainly, was still "in the same boat." Except now, Jesse Jackson was one of the "insiders."

Jackson used his speech to describe all the social ills of capitalist America, all the aspirations of working people, the oppressed, and the poor. And then he used his speech to inextricably tie these people to the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket, the presidential ticket of a party that will do nothing to alleviate the misery Jackson described.

Jackson's challenge now is to stampede his many supporters into voting for these less-than-inspiring candidates of the rich.

The "Stop Bush" scare tactic Dukakis and Bentsen could have very easily been nominated by the Republican Party convention. Liberal Dukakis picks conservative Bentsen, a "Reagan Democrat," to be his running mate. After all, the capitalist class must preserve continuity in its presidential administrations.

Even Newsweek (Aug. 1, 1988) noted that the Democratic Party ticket should be renamed Dukakis-Bush. "Dukakis, who savaged Richard Gephart [in the primaries] for merely voting for Reaganomics," Newsweek stated, "has chosen one of the architects of Reaganomics."

Those who were looking for progressive direction from the Democratic Party will now have to campaign for a man who supports aid to the contras, supports Star Wars, opposes federal funds for abortions, and endorses the death penalty.

Of course, Dukakis, who a week earlier Larry Boyd/Impact Visual: justified the U.S. downing of an Iranian airliner and the consequent loss of 290 lives, will certainly have no problems running with a soul mate who advocated using A-bombs against North Korea during the Korean War.

The millions of people who supported (continued on page 5, in “A farmer's predicament in the face of drought”)

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U.S. presses for contra aid, See 13.