Bonn talks underway; scientists see grim future for climate

Scan page 2

women, LGBT people, national minorities, etc. We support the right of self-determination Socialist Action is a national organization of activists committed to the emancipation for oppressed nationalities, including Blacks, Chicanos, and Puerto Ricans. We are of workers and the oppressed. We strive to revitalize the antiwar, environmental, labor, internationalists, and hold that workers of one country have more in common with workers anti-racist, feminist, student, and other social movements with a mass-action perspective. of another than with their own nation’s capitalist class. We seek to link struggles across Recognizing the divisions that exist on the left and within the workers’ movement, we seek national boundaries, and to build an international revolutionary movement that will facilitate to form united front type organizations around specific issues where various groups have the sharing of experiences and political lessons. We maintain fraternal relations with the agreement. In this way we seek to maximize our impact and demonstrate the power and Socialist Action believes that the capitalist state and its institutions are instruments of the In the process we hope to bring activists together from different backgrounds into a ruling class, and that therefore they cannot be used as tools of the working class but have revolutionary workers’ party that can successfully challenge the wealthy elite—whose profit- to be smashed. That is why we fight for revolution. When we fight for specific reforms, we do so with the understanding that in the final analysis real social change can only come We are active partisans of the working class and believe in the need for independent about with the overthrow of capitalism, the establishment of a workers’ government, and the working-class politics—not alliances with the bosses’ parties. That is why we call for workers fight for socialism. Our ultimate goal is a truly democratic, environmentally sustainable, and in the U.S. to break from the Democratic and Republican parties to build a Labor Party egalitarian society organized to satisfy human needs rather than corporate greed. We invite Socialist Action (ISSN 0747-4237) is published monthly by Socialist Action Publishing Association, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Socialist Action, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610. RATES: For one year (12 issues, 1st-class mail): U.S., Canada, Mexico — $20. All other countries — $30. Money orders and checks should be in U.S. dollars.

Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of Socialist Action. These are expressed in editorials. Socialist Action is edited, Clip and mail to: Socialist Action newspaper, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610. At the same time that Donald Trump was gal­ lavanting around Asia, in a quest to re-arm Ja­ pan with U.S. missiles and to cajole China into the plan to isolate North Korea, other heads of state were in Bonn, Germany, for the 23rd an­ nual “Conference of the Parties” (COP23) UNsponsored climate talks. The two weeks of dis­ cussions, Nov. 6-17, were aimed at negotiating ways to implement the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.

As the conference opened, the World Meteoro­ logical Organization released data showing that 2017 is apparently the hottest non-Niño year on record, and is expected to join the two previous years as the three hottest in modern history.

Several days earlier, scientists with the U.S. Global Change Research Program published a report with simi­ lar conclusions. They affirmed from “thousands” of sci­ entific studies that human activity is likely to be the cause of the steady increase in global temperatures. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere (over 400 ppm) is at a concen­ tration unsurpassed in the last three million years, when global temperatures and sea level were significantly high­ er than today—and the concentration is still rising.

The report presented a grim prognosis for the future, in which the Atlantic coast of the United States could be swamped by rising seas and regularly battered by heavy storms. The report predicted heat waves becoming com­ mon, an increase in forest fires in the American West, and drastically reduced water resources with possible chronic drought in the United States by the end of the 21st century. Worldwide sea levels could continue to rise for centuries to come, as the ice sheets and glaciers melt.

The chairman of the Bonn conference, Fiji Prime Min­ ister Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama, opened the sessions with greetings “from one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on earth” and called on the delegates to “make the Paris Accord work.” “The need for urgency is obvious,” he said, referring JOIN SOCIALIST ACTION!

effectiveness of mass action.

driven system is driving down living standards and threatens all life on this planet.

based on the trade unions.

SOCIALIST ACTION Closing news date: Nov. 8, 2017 Editor: Michael Schreiber Canada Editor: Barry Weisleder designed, and laid out entirely by volunteer labor.

Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail I enclose an extra contribution of: — $100 — $200 — Other Or subscribe on-line with a credit card at www.socialistaction.org.

2 SOCIALIST ACTION NOVEMBER 2017 to the tremendous hurricanes, floods, droughts, and for­ est fires of the last year and more. “Our world is in dis­ tress from the extreme weather events caused by climate change.”

It musn’t be overlooked, however, that the goals agreed to in Paris were far from sufficient to keep rising tem­ peratures from reaching even more catastrophic levels. Even if the current pledges for cuts in carbon emissions were attained, they would still mean at least 3C of global warming above pre-industrial levels—which would like­ ly result in rising seas that inundate island and coastal areas, widespread drought and crop failures, famine and mass migrations, tremendous loss of species, and count­ less other tragic and unchecked consequences. The Bonn conference is entrusted with creating a mech­ anism to achieve the objectives of the Paris Accord, while leaving space for those goals to be raised higher. But suc­ cess, even on limited terms, is not assured. On the first day of the conference, less developed countries, led by India, questioned whether the wealthier countries could be trusted, since they had failed to meet many of their pledges to reduce carbon emissions made at earlier COPs. And in turn, some wealthier and more developed coun­ tries have been complaining of initiatives requiring them to contribute $100 billion a year to help poorer nations Fourth International. We support the struggles of those who are specially oppressed under capitalism— you to join us in the struggle to make the world a better place! • Buffalo, NY: [email protected] • Chicago: P.O. Box 578428 Chicago, IL 60657, [email protected] • Connecticut: (860) 478-5300 • Duluth, Minn.: [email protected]. www.thenorthernworker.blogspot.com • Kansas City: [email protected] (816) 221-3638 • LOUISVILLE, KY: [email protected], (502) 451-2193 • Minneapolis/St. Paul: (612) 802-1482, [email protected] • New York City: (212) 781-5157 • Philadelphia: (267) 989-9035 [email protected] Facebook: Red Philly (Left) Nov. 5 protest in Germany’s coalfields. deal with the effects of climate change. Since Trump an­ nounced that the U.S. is pulling out of the Climate Ac­ cord, it is not clear whether the U.S. will contribute at all to the fund for poorer nations.

The United States, the world’s second largest pol­ luter, sent an official delegation to the talks, although their agenda seemed ridiculously out of sync with the professed goals of the conference. The U.S. said that it planned to use the venue to promote American energy resources, particularly fossil fuels, as a way that poorer countries could meet their energy needs.

The U.S. presentation was called “The Role of Cleaner and More Efficient Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power in Climate Mitigation.” Speakers from Peabody Energy, a coal company; NuScale Power, and nuclear engineering firm; and Tellurian, a liquefied natural gas exporter, were on the program.

Plans by the Trump administration, and other world leaders, to sell more fossil fuels on the world market were given a loud rebuke by German climate activists. Just a day before the opening of the COP23 conference, about 4500 protesters, some holding signs reading “system change, not climate change,” gathered in the Rhineland coalfields in Germany. “Germany’s lignite mines are among the biggest coal mines in the world,” Zane Sikulu, a Climate Warrior from Tonga, said in a statement. “If we don’t shut them down, we have no chance as Pacific Islanders. We’re here to protect our land, our culture, and our identities as Pacific people.”

Janna Aljets, a spokesperson for the environmental al­ liance Ende Gelände, which helped organize the action, said in a statement: “On the international stage, politi­ cians and corporations present themselves as climate sav­ iors, while a few miles away, the climate is literally being burned,” “Fossil fuels must stay in the ground,” Aljets added. “We are here at the scene of destruction to send out a clear signal for climate justice.” n For info about Socialist Action and how to join: Socialist Action National Office, P.O.

Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610, (510) 2689429, [email protected] Socialist Action newspaper editorial offices: [email protected] Website: www.socialistaction.org WHERE TO FIND US • Providence: [email protected] (401) 952-5385 • Salem, Ore.: [email protected] (971) 312-7369 • San Francisco Bay Area:

P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, Ca 94610 (510) 268-9429, sfsocialistaction@ gmail.com • WASHINGTON, DC: [email protected], (202) 286-5493 National Office 526 Roxton Road, Toronto, Ont. M6G 3R4, (416) 535-8779 http://socialistaction.ca/

Scan page 3

New tax plan: Rob the poor to pay the rich In the last month, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have begun preparing a tax cut bill that would be a huge benefit to rich people and corporations. The details are still being negoti­ ated among the representatives of the bourgeoisie, but the basic goals are clear.

The bill would cut income taxes by $1.5 trillion over a decade, with massive tax cuts for the wealthy, while shifting the tax burden further onto the working class. The few small crumbs that it has for working people will mostly be phased out after several years—often ending up with people paying higher taxes than they do now—while tax cuts for the wealthy are immedi­ ate or phased in and permanent.

The corporate income-tax rate would immediately be cut almost in half, to just 20 percent from its cur­ rent 35 percent—the largest rate cut in history, at a time when corporate income tax as a share of GDP is already at an all-time low and corporate profits are at an all-time high.

The estate tax, which affects only the richest 0.2% of Americans, would be cut immediately by doubling the amount of inherited wealth that is exempt from taxation (up to $11 million per person, $22 million for couples) and then be gradually eliminated alto­ gether over the next six years.

Donald Trump and his family would benefit direct­ ly from many of the cuts. For example, lowering the tax rate of so-called “pass-through” corporations— whose income is taxed as part of the owner’s income, which many of Trump’s companies are—to 25% would save Trump millions every year. Repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax, a provision that counter­ acts the endless tax deductions taken by the wealthy, would have saved Trump $31 million in 2005, the year of his most recent leaked tax return. In addition, eliminating the estate tax would save Trump’s heirs over $1 billion in taxes.

Meanwhile, the bill offers little to workers and the middle class, who instead will bear the brunt of many of the tax increases that the bill contains to offset the massive cuts for the rich. One way it does this is by eliminating deductions and credits that primarily benefit the poor and middle class.

The deductions for student-loan interest is elimi­ nated, as well as the deduction for medical expenses higher than 10% of a person’s income. The personal deduction of $4050 for every member of a household is replaced with a larger standard deduction, which The Wall Street Journal (Above) House Speaker Paul Ryan touts tax plan.

Republicans claim is a counterweight, but which would leave many households paying more in taxes.

The bill would also raise taxes on immigrant par­ ents by making them ineligible for the widely used child tax credit. The child tax credit, which is taken by low-income and middle-income parents, would be raised very slightly for a couple years, and then phased out altogether, in order to raise taxes on the working class right around the time that the estate tax is scheduled to be eliminated. n (From left) Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO

----- pull-quotes -----

— $10 / six months — $20 / 12 months ­— $37 / two years — I want to join the Socialist Action Newspaper Supporters Club.

Socialist Action Subscribe now!

Socialist Action Canada