Support The Socialist Alternative

The Socialist Workers candidates urge working people, youth, and all who want to fight the increasingly reactionary course of the Democratic and Republican parties to support our campaign. Our opponents in this election have had a conspiracy of silence on the central issue in world politics: the fact that the imperialist war against Iraq last year was the opening guns of World War III. At the center of the debate in U.S. ruling circles is how they can respond to the new world disorder from the combined results of the war against Iraq, the fracturing of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and economic trade wars being sharpened by the world depression.

U.S. war moves against Iraq, North Korea and Libya, and its determination to remain the undisputed military power in the world are examples of this course. Combined with the effects of the recession, these events have sharpened competition and trade disputes between capitalists around the world.

If capitalism is not replaced by working people, the international conflict among the imperialist powers will eventuate in a third world war. This can only be prevented by an international movement of workers and farmers that fight to disarm the warmakers and defend the victims of their wars, racism, and economic depression. We call on Washington to get its military forces out of every corner of the globe.

The rulers’ drive toward war mirrors their attacks at home. Both the Democrats and Republicans have moved to the right, challenging democratic rights, such as women’s right to abortion, and Black rights. The response of the federal government to the anti-police riot in Los Angeles was to mobilize military and police personnel to put thousands of youth and working people in prison. The rightist direction of the two parties and the crisis of capitalism have produced radical ultra-rightist forces such as Patrick Buchanan, David Duke and Operation Rescue. It is reflected in the populist demagogy of H. Ross Perot.

They address the real and perceived concerns of millions with “solutions” that spell disaster for working people, making scapegoats out of immigrant workers, Jews, gays, “Welfare cheats,” and others. They aim to make us believe that something other than capitalism is the problem.

 We begin with the fact that the working class is international. We have common interests, face a common crisis, and have a common enemy. In order for the imperialists to launch a world war, they must break the resistance of working people and get us to put their interests as exploiters and profiteers ahead of our interests as a world class of toilers.

Working people can unite on a world scale to fight for protection from the raw ages of the crisis of the market system. To this end we advance demands that defend the interests of all working people. Unemployment, which produces the competition for jobs, is the greatest division sapping the fighting capacity of the working class throughout the work. We must join together and fight to make the demand for a shorter work week—for 30 hours work for 40 hours pay- a universal rallying cry.

Affirmative action in hiring, housing and education is the only way to organize a united fight against the downward spiral of our wages working conditions, and standard of living. The employers profit off of the oppression of Blacks and women, and use these divisions within the working class to keep us from uniting.

The human toll capitalism is taking in Africa, Asia, and Latin America is unbearable for hundreds of millions. Working people in the semi-industrialized and semicolonial countries are suffering some of the most severe blows of the crisis. This is accelerated by the onerous debts these countries owe to the imperialist banks—and the attempts by the wealthy rulers to unload the burden of enormous interest payments on the toilers. A world-wide fight for the cancellation of the Third World debt is vital.

Fighting for these demands will counter the divide-and-rule tactics of the employers and their governments, pushing the common interests of working people worldwide to the fore.

We urge you to join the fight to prevent World War III. Help build a movement of campaigners for the Socialist Workers candidates. And end an international socialist educational and campaign conference in Ohio August 5-9.

Our candidates are: James Warren for President; Estelle DeBates for Vice President; Patricia Grogan for U. S. Senate; Eleanor Garcia for Governor; William Arth for Lieutenant Governor: Nels J’Anthony for U. S. House, 3rd District; Eileen Koschak for U. S. House, 2nd District; and David Anshen for Utah Senate, First District.

To participate in campaigning for the Socialist Workers candidates, join us in open campaign meetings a tour campaign headquarters every Saturday at 10 am at 147 East 9OO South: Salt lake City, or call 355-1124.

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Politics: The Rodney King Show
Notes from the Industrial Underground: March 1992