Why capitalism fouls things up

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SOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 1988 15 Viewing ABC's Sept. 8 news documentary on the "Poisoning of America" fired up the furnace of rage and hate in me-and probably in thousands of other American workers—about the wanton destruction of our environment by corporations, aided by servile bureaucrats who run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

This agency, supposed to protect our environment, actually serves to defend corporate crimes against our water, land, and air.

TV celebrity Hugh Downs, standing in front of the American flag, posed environmental problems as merely an American phenomenon. (We'll conveniently forget the Bhopal victims of Union Carbide, and a nearly deforested Europe.) But he failed to convince us that the U.S. government will correct this problem.

In spite of the tough exposures of Republican graft in the EPA and sincere pleas for Americans to join together and start saving our environment, we know for a fact that the capitalists and the two political parties they control-the Democratic and Republican parties—are incapable of cleaning up their operations.

Hugh Downs and his gang can rave for ... Curtis (continued from page 16)

and then lying about it. Curtis's lawyer was denied the right to impeach Gonzalez's testimony by showing that he had lied under oath in the past.

Contradictions, inconsistencies The "eyewitness" testimony against Curtis was not supported by physical evidence. For example:

• The state's expert criminologist stated under cross-examination that there was no exchange of pubic hairs between Demetria Morris and Curtis. He also testified that there was no physical evidence on Curtis's clothes, like hair, that indicated he had physical contact with a person who was Black. There was no dirt from the porch found on his underwear, and no seminal fluid was found on him or Demetria Morris.

(The porch where the alleged attack took place was littered with dog hairs. While dog hairs were found on Demetria Morris's clothes, no dog hairs were found on Curtis's clothes.)

• Inconsistencies in the testimony of Demetria Morris became apparent at the trial. In earlier statements, Morris said that she thought the attack occurred around 8:00 p.m., shortly after she received a mysterious phone call from a man. Curtis testified that he was at the Los Compadres bar at that time, talking to friends about the protest meeting that occurred earlier. One of them, Brian Willey, confirmed this under oath.

• When Morris described her attacker to hospital authorities, she said he was 5'6" and had smoke on his breath. Curtis is 6'2" and doesn't smoke.

• Purthermore, the prosecution failed to prove any previous link, association, or contact between Demetria Morris and Mark Curtis. And after a seven-month investigation, the prosecution was unable to produce any evidence that could impugn the testimony given by character witnesses on Curtis's behalf.

A "hanging jury"

After all testimony was given, irregularities in the jury deliberation process began to occur.

• One juror, James García, who was the only Latino on the jury, asked to be excused on the completely irrelevant ground that he was familiar with some of the places mentioned, such as the United Mexican-American Cultural Center and the Los Compadres Bar. This happened just before the jury was sequestered. Judge Perkins granted this request and seated an alternate over the objections of defense attorney Pennington.

• Judge Perkins refused the jury's request to have a portion of testimony re-read to them.

• A trial observer saw one of the jurors standing with members of Demetria want. They can show schemes Congress is trying to concoct to stave off environmental disaster. But private industry demands that these schemes be "cost-conscious" and profitable for them—even in the face of imminent disaster. They have obstructed-and will continue to obstruct-any serious effort at resolving our environmental crisis.

Echoes hopelessness The "Poisoning of America" echoes the hopelessness of the movie "The Day After," which we remember for causing panic among the American people, who were compelled to contemplate the horrific possibilities for mankind if nuclear weapons were detonated.

The panel discussion following the showing of "The Day After" consisted of a bunch of old, stupid Republicans and Democrats harping about national defense, and rationalizing the need to keep producing earth-destructive devices.

The people who run this country produce films like these in order to appease the American people, who are demanding an end to this foolishness. "The Day After" produced nuclear paranoia. But it did not lead to the destruction of any nuclear weapons standing by to fulfill Morris's family. • Judge Perkins ruled against a defense motion for a mistrial after the jury had been deliberating for two days; a long period of time in a case like this. Shortly thereafter, the jury returned its guilty verdict.

Mark Curtis is innocent!

There should be no confusion about the stakes in this case. The democratic and scientific principle that the accused is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt was grossly violated by the prosecutor, judge, and jury. ...The evidence cries out that Mark Curtis is an innocent victim of a gross miscarriage of justice. The evidence strongly suggests, furthermore, that Curtis was framed up because of his vigorous activity in defense of democratic and human rights.

Mark Curtis was well known to the FBI and Des Moines police as an uncompromising opponent of social injustice and a resolute defender of the oppressed. The facts clearly establish a powerful motive for a frame-up.

During the trial, Judge Perkins and the prosecution made it virtually impossible for the defense to present evidence that Curtis was the victim of such a conspiracy.

The Mark Curtis Defense Committee will continue to fight for Curtis's freedom.

They have raised over $60,000, and numerous supporters from the labor, peace, civil rights, and women's movements have endorsed this campaign. Their efforts should be supported unconditionally. their apocalyptic mission.

So too will the "Poisoning of America" broadcast fail to produce any genuine efforts at ending environmental destruction. All we have to do is go behind the scene to see why this is so.

"How much will it cost?"

Profit-making is the primary concern of the capitalists as they confront the problems of the environment. Their attitude is reflected in the remark of one Wall Street analyst, who said: "The 'greenhouse effect' has got to be a long-term plus for Chronar" (a growing corporation). This remark suggested that there might be large profits to be made by providing energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

Another analyst warned, however, that "it usually takes an awful long time to turn basic energy supplies around." This statement reveals that the capitalists are not sure that large investments into energy alternatives will turn a sure profit. In the meantime, it looks like we're going to have to endure unbearable heat and drought-with its accompanying famine, since you can't grow crops in the dust.

Hugh Downs quoted Jacques Cousteau's son as saying, "Mankind is throwing an orgy today which will have to be paid for by our children tomorrow." This should be amended to read: "A parasitic minority is throwing an orgy..."

The uppercrusts, from castles in Europe to penthouses in Hollywood, have smugly and irresponsibly hoarded the goodies that society has to offer. The rich are the plunderers and the polluters.

Ask workers whether or not air pollution should be stopped, and they will shout in unison, "Cease at once!" Then ask a capitalist and he will shirk and cower, and in a snivelling voice ask, "How much will it cost?"

While he was on tour recently to publicize his case, Mark Curtis told a rally in Pittsburgh, Pa., why it was important to support this fight: "An injury to one is an injury to all is one thing. The flip side is that a victory for me is a victory for all of us."

Free Mark Curtis!

The following is the text of a letter sent by the Political Committee of Socialist Action to the Political Committee of the Socialist Workers Party:

The frame-up of Mark Curtis, a leading member of your party, is an outrageous and ominous attack on the civil liberties of everyone; especially those in the workers' moverent and others fighting against capitalist exploitation, oppression, and injustice.

The Political Committee of Socialist Action wants you to know that our party stands ready to do what we can to help fight this latest offense against democratic nights. We are ready to help in the defense of Mark Curtis in any way we can within the limits of our modest resources. Initially, we are offering to help gather sponsors for the Mark Curtis Defense Committee and to help organize public meetings, forums, and any other assistance the SWP and the Mark Curtis Defense deems will be useful.