U.S. Marine resists service in Saudi Arabia Refuses to board plane, won't fight for 'corporate profits'

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tificial creation of Kuwait, see the center supplement in this issue.] The utter hypocrisy of Bush's rhetoric about defending poor little Kuwait was brought home when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein offered to withdraw from Kuwait if (1) the United States got out of Saudi Arabia and ended the blockade, (2) Israel withdrew from Lebanon.

This offer was rejected by Bush out of hand. It might seem strange to many Americans to link these different questions, but it makes perfect sense to the Arab masses.

The U.S. government backed up Israel's aggression and further occupation of Arab lands in 1967. Today, it is backing Israel's brutal attempts to suppress the Palestinian "Intifada" against the cruel occupation.

Washington quietly supported Syria's 1975 invasion of Lebanon because that invasion prevented a victory of the Moslems, (continued on page 15)

Corporal Jeff Patterson, a 22-year-old Marine stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, announced that he will refuse to ship out with his unit for combat duty in Saudi Arabia. Patterson, who issued a public statement at an Aug. 16 press conference, has applied for "conscientious objector" status.

On Aug. 20, the Marine Corps informed Patterson that he is scheduled to be deployed with his unit despite his application for "conscientious objector" status.

Patterson states that he will have to be carried onto the plane, and once in Saudi Arabia, will refuse to fight. Elements of Patterson's unit, an artillery brigade, have already been sent to the Mideast.

In the meantime, Patterson, a native of Hollister, Calif., has been confined to barracks. He is followed when walking around on the base, and when he makes phone calls an officer stands next to him.

The Jeff Patterson Defense Committee is on a campaign to win support for this courageous Marine, who chose to speak out against the U.S. war moves in the Mideast. The Committee justifiably believes that the Marine Corps will try to make an "example" out of Patterson.

Statements of support for Patterson should be sent to: Commanding General, First Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Kaneohe Marine Corp. Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii 96863-5501. Send a copy of the statement to Patterson's attorney: Eric A. Seitz, 820 Mililani Ave., Suite 714, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

The following is Jeff Patterson's statement to the press.

Good Afternoon, My name is Jeff Patterson. I'm a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. I have served 3 years and 10 months in the military with a relatively clean record. I have received various awards and have consistently received above-average job proficiency and conduct ratings from my superiors.

I have seven months left to serve before my End of Active Service Date. My MOS is that of a Field Artillery Fire Direction Controller. However, for the past two years l have been able to keep myself posted as a supply clerk to reduce the internal conflicts within myself. The recent moves by our government in the Persian Gulf has made my attempt to fulfill the remainder of my on page 3)

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Staff: Alex Chis, Paul Colvin, May May Gong, Malik Barbara Putnam, Kwame M.A. Somburu, Sylvia Weinstein.

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2 SOCIALIST ACTION SEPTEMBER 1990 Reba Hansen died on July 3, 1990, after spending 56 years in the revolutionary Trotskyist movement. Reba joined the Communist League of America in 1934. The League was to become the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).

She joined the revolutionary movement in Salt Lake City, Utah, along with her husband, Joe Hansen. They were part of a group of young radicals who received their education in class consciousness from the Depression of 1929. They threw themselves into the struggles of the working class, first by aiding the miners of Utah and later, the farm workers of California.

Reba and Joe moved to San Francisco in 1935, where Joe helped edit a newspaper in the seamen's union while Reba did secretarial work to help support herself and Joe. She got involved in strike-support activity and worked to distribute our revolutionary socialist press.

In 1938, Reba and Joe went to Mexico to work with Leon Trotsky. Joe was Trotsky's secretary, chauffeur, and organizer of household defense. Reba stayed in Mexico for almost one year.

Reba left Mexico and moved to the Bronx, N.Y., where she became involved in building that branch and another in the Yorkville area of Manhattan. She was assigned to participate in party classes, taught some of them, and helped organize sales of the party press. Reba also held down a full-time job as a topnotch office worker.

In the national office I worked at the SWP national headquarters at 116 University Place, beginning, I think, in 1954. At that time I was working in the city office and came to know Reba. Her job was not only as secretary to Cannon, but to run the national office as efficiently as possible. One of her many tasks Editor: ALAN BENJAMIN Asst. Editors: MICHAEL SCHREIBER JOSEPH RYAN Business Manager: DAVID KIRSCHNER Second-class postage is paid at San Francisco, Calif.

San Francisco, CA 94110.

$30. (Money orders, checks should be in U.S. dollars.)

Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views expressed in editorials. was to keep track of the party's office supplies. They were kept in the attic of the headquarters building, and it was Reba's job to dole them out. We were not a wealthy party—we did not waste paper, pencils, or anything else.

She made sure that whatever we took was strictly accounted for, but always with the greatest courtesy and good humor. We all knew, however, that she could be hard as nails when it came to doing the job she was assigned to do. You didn't mess with Reba.

Reba and Joe were probably the best working team the SWP ever had. They were friends as well as lovers, and both were hard-working comrades.

Reba was not known by most comrades as a political leader of the party. But while she was highly regarded by all who knew her as a "Jenny Higgins," she was also viewed as one of the most devoted and politically mature members of the SWP.

("Jimmy Higgins" was a highly respectful term applied in the socialist movement to those worker activists who served their party in any way needed, whether it was teaching a class, or turning the crank on a mimeograph machine, or distributing leaflets, or keeping the headquarters clean.)

During the 1960s, we began to recruit from the student movement. At first, a few of these new young members brought with them a little of the elitist terminology existing among some of the student activists.

One of these carry-overs was to call what we respectfully thought of as "Jimmy Higgins" work, "shit work." Reba and all the other Jenny and Jimmy Higginses would cringe every time they heard that snobbish put-down of working people. The young people soon got the message.

Spanish lessons

In 1962, Reba and Joe were sent to Latin America by the party.

Ilos

Lug Their job was to locate supporters of the Fourth International and, if possible, to bring them closer to the SWP and our world movement. The Cuban Revolution of 1959 had shaken up the whole continent, and workers and peasants were in motion. Our organizations in Third World countries were hampered, not only by the repressive governments of their countries, but by simply being poor.

Being the professional revolutionaries that they were, both Joe and Reba began to learn Spanish so they would be better able to do their job while in Latin America. They set about it by literally sealing themselves off from all outside forces for several months for at least two hours a night. Reba Hansen in 1989 Just a short time ago, liberal Democrats in Congress were shadow boxing with the Bush administration over how much to trim the military budget. "The Cold War is over," they claimed.

Now, however, the Cold War is quickly being replaced by a hot one on the desert sands. And (with a nervous look over their shoulder) the liberal Democrats are lining up to be counted in the war effort.

North Carolina Rep. Terry Sanford, for example, labels the deployment of U.S. troops in the Middle East a "brilliant performance." (The New York Times, Aug. 24, 1990) At the same time, he warns, the Bush administration is playing into Saddam Hussein's effort to depict the conflict as a "confrontation between Iraq and the "imperialist' U.S."

The solution? Rep. Sanford recommends, "shift the primary burden to the U.N."

Rep. Ronald Dellums (DCalif.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, echoes the call for United Nations intervention. In the meantime, Dellums says not a word against the use of U.S. troops in the region.

Jesse Jackson, on the other hand, has found it expedient to stress the need for negotiations. At the same time, he affirms his support for sending U.S. troops to the Persian Gulf to "defend our allies" and "protect our national interests." (The New York Times, Aug. 13, 1990)

As long ago as last June, in the midst of the "debate" on budget cuts, the liberals in Congress conceded that the "threat" of Saddam One night I had to deliver a message to Joe and could not reach him by phone. I went over to their apartment, knocked on the door and was met by Reba. She took my message, then excused herself, closed the door and returned to their Spanish lesson. She explained to me the next day that they had only a short time to learn to read, write, and speak Spanish so could not invite me in.

Needless to say, bý the time they left on their trip they both were capable in their new language.

A frugal diet Reba and Joe knew how to enjoy life also. Both of them loved to cook. However, they were the most economical cooks known in the heartland of imperialism. In Hussein showed it was necessary 10 keep up American military prowess.

By the end of July, the Bush administration, in concert with Democrats in Congress, could announce that economic sanctions were being considered against "terrorist" Iraq. This was at the same time that discussions were taking place between Iraq and Kuwait, and was meant to show that the United States lined up with Kuwait in the Persian Gulf dispute.

Egyptian President Mubarak, who was acting as a mediator in the negotiations, reported to Washington that Saddam Hussein had promised he would not use force against Kuwait. But U.S. officials chose to. ignore the promise. Instead, they sent six warships to the Persian Gulf to begin maneuvers with the naval forces of the United Arab Emirates.

The Kuwaitis-no doubt perfact, when they went to Latin America we all felt they were probably the only pair who could live on roots and leaves if necessary.

Joe's frugal habits brought a rebellion at the "Trotsky School" in Mt. Spring Camp in Washington, N.J. Joe and Reba headed up the school at which comrades from around the country would be chosen to go for six months for an intensive study of our Marxist classics.

He and Reba had the cost of the school's diet down to a minimum through their applied science of how to save money at every meal. But we had some city slickers at the school who just couldn't get down that much heart, liver, and lungs along with black-eyed peas, barley, and greens. The city office in New York began to be besieged with requests to bring food relief or face an uprising by the students. Joe and Reba finally gave in, even though they were serving probably the healthiest, cheapest meals ever eaten.

It would be impossible to cover all of Reba's contributions to the revolutionary movement even in a book, let alone an article such as this. But comrades should read the book, "James P. Cannon As We Knew Him," published by Pathfinder Press in 1976 after Cannon's death. Reba's article, the last one in the book, gives you some idea of her warmth and dedication.

Of course, we will miss her, but she will remain with us as an inspiring example of dedication to the cause of human freedom. ceiving that the United States was prepared to fight on their sidehardened their stance in the negotiations. The next day, the Iraqis sent their tanks into Kuwait. A week later, U.S. troops were on their way into Saudi Arabia.

The liberal Democrats, who stood behind all the U.S. preparations for war over the last few months, are experienced players in the game called "fool the people." Faced with the danger of a Vietnam-type conflict, they have now outdone themselves in lies and deceit.

These scoundrels hope that their calls for the United Nations to step in can mollify the deep antiwar sentiments of the American people. Bush, moreover, has the same hopes. He is seeking U.N. intervention against Iraq as long as it doesn't tie his hands.

In promoting this war for the bankers and the oil magnates, the liberal Democrats are no less dangerous than Bush and the Republicans.

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