>Moorehead added: "After Dec. 9, the Jan. 20 counter- >inauguration in Washington is the next step forward in >making these important links." > >The Jan. 20 march to "Shut Down the Globalization Death >Machine" at the inauguration in Washington will assemble at >10 a.m. at Pennsylvania Ave. and 14th St. NW. To endorse the >march or get involved in organizing, call the International >Action Center at (212) 633-6646 or send e-mail to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Updates and organizing materials can >be found on the Web site www.mumia2000.org. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > > > > >Message-ID: <011401c05e4a$c9698320$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Socialism & the revolutionary party: How Cuba has survived >Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 18:34:45 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 7, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >SOCIALISM & THE REVOLUTIONARY PARTY: >HOW CUBA HAS SURVIVED > >By Richard Becker > >Nine years ago socialist Cuba faced grave danger. The U.S.- >backed Yeltsin coup in the Soviet Union took place in August >1991 and was in the process of dismantling the Union of >Soviet Socialist Republics. What Cuban President Fidel >Castro called "the greatest tragedy in the history of the >working class" was also the greatest victory ever for world >imperialism. > >The demise of the USSR followed the collapse of most of the >other socialist governments of Eastern Europe two years >earlier. The disaster that ensued for the people of those >countries was immense. In the former Soviet Union, life >expectancy dropped seven years in half a decade, the most >precipitous decline in modern peacetime. > >A majority of the population sank rapidly into poverty as >imperialist corporations moved to acquire the natural >resources and lucrative productive forces of the formerly >socialized economies. > >Decades of relentless imperialist military, economic and >political pressure, the restoration of bourgeois ideology >and habits, combined with a split in the leadership of the >USSR and the defection of key party leaders, brought down >the socialist bloc. > >For Cuba, the economic impact was near catastrophic. Eighty- >five percent of Cuban trade had been with the countries of >Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. > >Between 1989 and 1992, Cuba's gross national product >declined by 35 percent. For many key imports, such as >petroleum, machinery, spare parts and some foodstuffs, the >losses were in the range of 80-90 percent. Living standards >for Cuban workers declined sharply. > >The capitalist press predicted the fall of Cuba's socialist >revolution was only "weeks or months" away. Learned >capitalist scholars offered books with titles like "Castro's >Final Hour." > >U.S. STEPS UP ITS WAR > >Attempting to fulfill its own prophecies, the U.S. ruling >class pushed through new measures to tighten the economic >blockade. These took the form of the Torricelli and Helms- >Burton laws, signed by presidents George Bush and Bill >Clinton, respectively. Their aim was to strangle Cuba >economically. > >But the threat to Cuba's survival was not only economic. In >January-February 1991 the U.S. and its imperialist allies >had carried out a devastating high-tech war against Iraq, >destroying most of that country's civilian and military >infrastructure. The disintegration of the socialist bloc and >imperialism's capture of the Gorbachev/ Shevernadze >leadership in the USSR was crucial in paving the way for the >Gulf War. > >Since the early 1960s Cuba had been in a military alliance >with the Soviet Union. Now this, too, was gone. Throughout >1991 the U.S. carried out large-scale military maneuvers >close to, and clearly aimed at, the island nation. > >At that critical moment Workers World Party, together with >other progressive forces, organized the International Peace >for Cuba Appeal, which held mass indoor rallies of 5,000 in >New York and 2,000 in San Francisco in January 1992. These >events played a big role in rejuvenating the movement in >solidarity with Cuba. > >THE KEYS TO SURVIVAL > >The most critical factors in Cuba's survival during this >very difficult time--what the Cubans refer to as the >"Special Period"--were its socialist system and >revolutionary party. > >Having a socialist system means that the productive wealth >of society is in the hands of the workers' state rather than >being owned by a tiny minority of the population, as is the >case under capitalism. State ownership of the means of >production made it possible for the revolutionary >government, led by Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist >Party, to allocate scarce resources to those areas where the >need was most critical. > >The government's priorities were to provide food and other >necessities to the population as a whole, preserve the basic >gains of the revolution in health care, education and other >areas, and begin a program to revive the economy. > >The years 1993-1994 were especially difficult. Food, fuel, >transportation, clothing and almost everything else were in >very short supply. There were long, daily power outages. >Shortages of raw materials and power meant that many >workplaces shut down and unemployment rose sharply. > >It must be emphasized that Cuba's economic contraction in >the early 1990s was even more severe than what the U.S. >experienced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. > >And yet, despite the very real hardships for the whole >population, there was no starvation and no homelessness. No >schools or hospitals were closed. > >Cuba's economy began a slow recovery in the second half of >1994--a recovery which continues today. Living standards >have not yet reached the levels of the late 1980s. But there >have been significant improvements in food supplies, >transportation, phone service, and the availability of >clothing and other goods. Power outages have been greatly >reduced and in some areas eliminated altogether. > >SPECIAL PERIOD FORCED ECONOMIC RETREAT > >The U.S. blockade continues to inflict suffering on the >Cuban people in many ways. These include shortages of >medicines and medical equipment, foodstuffs and other >necessities, which cost far more to import from faraway >trading partners. > >Another aspect of the blockade is the U.S. policy of seeking >to block economic relations between Cuba and other >countries. > >In order to replace the resources that disappeared along >with the European socialist bloc, the Cuban leadership >reluctantly took several steps: forming joint ventures with >foreign capitalist corporations; heavily promoting tourism >and constructing tourist facilities; legalizing individual >businesses by Cubans, although no exploitation of wage labor >was allowed; replacing state farms with agricultural >collectives; and legalizing the dollar as a parallel >currency to the Cuban peso. > >These steps were intended to attract new investment, >stimulate production and reduce inflation--and to a large >degree they have succeeded. > >The socialist government's reluctance to take these steps >was based on the knowledge that they would bring problems, >such as increased inequality. That, too, has happened, and >the government is trying to minimize the negative effects. > >NO OPEN DOOR FOR CAPITALISM > >But while Cuba has been forced to accept joint ventures and >small-scale private enterprise, it has not flung open its >economy to capitalist penetration. > >Speaking about Cuba's efforts to protect the environment >while promoting tourism in Cayo Coco, United Nations >Development Program official Alberto Perez described it this >way: "In this country, private enterprise cannot do whatever >they want like in other places." (San Francisco Chronicle, >Nov. 23) > >Cuba's control over its economy and resources has been a key >to its survival, and not just in the sense of existing. This >control is the means by which Cuba is able to defend its >national independence and preserve the advances of its >socialist system. It has not fallen into the clutches of the >International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for exactly >this reason. > >What Cuba's experience shows is that, in the long run, the >only way to resist imperialist globalization is socialist >revolution. > >The role of the Communist Party of Cuba has been critical as >well. The CPC and its youth organization, the Union of Young >Communists, are organized at every level of Cuban society, >in every workplace, neighborhood, university, school, the >military and more. > >Far from constituting a privileged grouping in society, >party members, who must go through a rigorous admissions >process, are expected to be more self-sacrificing than the >population in general. > >The party, led by Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, Pedro Ross, >Vilma Espin, Jose Ramon Balaguer, Carlos Lage and others, >has maintained its revolutionary stance and political line >in these difficult years. > >The Cuban leadership summarized its determination to defend >its system with the slogan "Socialism or death--we will >win!" and has declared its solidarity with the workers and >oppressed peoples of the world in the struggle against U.S. >imperialism. > >PARTY PROMOTES POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS > >The party's uncompromising line and its integration with the >masses of people have been crucial elements in continuing >the revolution. The Cuban people as a whole are very >political, with a sharp understanding of the nature of >imperialism and capitalism and the achievements of the >revolution and socialism. > >There are those, of course, who are less conscious and who >either want to leave for the U.S. or harbor fantasies about >the "benefits" that capitalism might bring. But a majority >of the population understands very well that allowing >freedom for international capital in Cuba, or making >concessions to U.S. demands, would mean the end of Cuba's >independence and disaster for the people. > >This mass political consciousness, and the firm resolve of >the Cuban people to defend their revolution and resist U.S. >imperialism, are largely due to the role played by the >Communist Party. > >Because of its defiant stand and anti-imperialist >solidarity, Cuba's stature is very high in the eyes of the >world's people. This was in evidence at the Second World >Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity with Cuba in mid- >November, where 4,600 delegates from 118 countries expressed >their enthusiastic support. > >That a relatively small country of 11 million people carries >such prestige is due above all to its revolutionary social >system and revolutionary party. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > > > > >Message-ID: <012301c05e4a$edc0cbc0$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Preparing for a recession >Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 18:35:44 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 7, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >EDITORIAL: PREPARING FOR A RECESSION > >'The economy appears to be slowing more sharply than >expected." That was the opening sentence of the Wall Street >Journal's top story Nov. 28. > >Predictions of a decline in the capitalist economy, even a >recession, can be found in all the business press these >days. They are all agreed that a downturn has begun. > >That's probably a safe prediction. After all, it's >practically a law of capitalist economics that what goes up >must come down. What isn't known is when the ups or downs >will come or how extreme they will be. > >The capitalists and big bankers are preparing for a >recession. They are trying to put everything they can into >place. A capitalist recession--one that they may not be able >to foist onto other countries' backs as they have with other >recent downturns--is coming. > >The capitalists' preparations aren't going to help anyone >but the rich. They are feverishly trying to protect >capitalist profits above all else. This will not protect the >jobs, the livelihoods, the housing and food, the everyday >needs of the working class. > >The capitalists always try to turn the brunt of any downturn >onto labor and the most oppressed people--the Black, Latino, >Asian, Arab and Native peoples, women, as well as lesbian, >gay, bi and trans people. This has happened at every >downturn, every recession. But every economic assault on the >workers and the oppressed has inevitably given birth to an >upsurge in the movement of the working class. > >The working class must prepare today to defend itself. The >unions and community groups should get ready to meet the >coming challenge. > >This may be the era of the dot-com economy, but the >workplace hasn't changed all that much. Every computer is >made in a factory, every computer disk is made in a factory, >and every factory requires workers to manufacture the goods. >No one should think that the rise of the new technology has >eliminated the rest of the economy. But the coming period >will require some new thinking. > >New strategies and tactics will be needed for the coming >struggles. What's needed is not to abandon the old militant >methods such as the strike, but to recognize that new >methods will also be needed. These include occupying, taking >over and operating the factories and offices in order to >protect jobs. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <012401c05e4b$0b373720$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Collapse of the global warming conference >Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 18:36:27 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 7, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >WHY IT'S A CLASS ISSUE: >COLLAPSE OF THE GLOBAL WARMING CONFERENCE > >By Deirdre Griswold > >The collapse on Nov. 25 of the international conference on >global warming in The Hague has shocked and terrified >environmental experts around the world. Perceived as a >follow-up to a 1997 meeting in Kyoto, Japan, this gathering >of experts from 180 countries was supposed to tie up the >loose ends and lay the groundwork for the next step in >dealing with the Sword of Damocles that hangs over the >world. > >Although the Kyoto Protocol was never ratified by the United >States, the world's biggest polluter, that meeting at least >arrived at an agreement. This second meeting didn't even get >that far. > >New scientific data, some of which was released just before >the conference opened, has proven beyond the shadow of a >doubt that this question is of the greatest urgency. > >Global warming is no longer in dispute among environmental >scientists. They agree that it has already begun, that it is >generating severe weather conditions in addition to higher >temperatures around the world, and that by the end of the >21st century the average temperature of the earth's surface >will have risen by 5 to 11 degrees above its present level. > >FLOODS EVEN AS THEY SPOKE > >Even as the conference was happening, severe floods swept >Sweden and Australia, while much of Britain was drying out >from the worst flooding in over 200 years. In recent years, >major deluges and droughts have devastated dozens of >countries, many of them so impoverished by centuries of >colonialism and neocolonialism that their economies cannot >recover. > >All over the world, including in imperialist Europe, the >blame for the collapse of the conference is being put >squarely on the U.S. It was Washington's insistence on >watering down the Kyoto Protocol that torpedoed the meeting. > >That agreement had called for a modest reduction of >greenhouse gas emissions by the industrialized countries: >5.2 percent below the 1990 level as of 2012. This would not >reverse global warming, but it was a step in the right >direction. > >The U.S., with 4 percent of the world's population, is >responsible for 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, >which trap heat like a blanket around the Earth. > >The demands of the U.S. delegates that so enraged other >countries included wanting to buy "credits" to pollute from >countries too poor to have much industry. This would, of >course, lock them into their underdeveloped state. > >Washington also proposed allowances to pollute in exchange >for planting fast-growth trees like pines, which would >supposedly sop up some of the carbon dioxide in the >atmosphere. However, environmentalists say this plan would >be at the expense of old-growth forests, which would be cut >down to make way for the new trees. > >Reforestation should be undertaken on a worldwide scale, but >in addition to, not in exchange for, reducing greenhouse gas >pollution. > >AL GORE THE 'ENVIRONMENTALIST'? > >A major public relations campaign has convinced many people >that Al Gore is a dedicated environmentalist, and they worry >about what will happen if George W. Bush gets the >presidency. > >However, it is the Clinton/Gore administration that just >torpedoed the climate conference, and that has given no >support to ratification of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, even >though U.S. representatives signed that accord. Bush would >of course do no better, but he could scarcely do worse. > >In fact, the kind of militant, mass struggle that is >necessary to arouse the population to this great danger is >more likely to happen with Republicans in office, since they >will be seen more clearly as the enemy. > >The failure of the Democrats to take on the big oil, >automobile, lumber, power and industrial monopolies that put >profits before the environment is explained away by some >apologists as political expediency--especially in this >period when the election still hangs in the balance. > >This puts the onus on the workers instead of on the profit- >crazed corporations. It is saying that the people won't vote >for candidates who support limits on pollution, so therefore >the Democrats can't fight too hard on this issue. > >This is putting the cart before the horse. Every day the >public attitude on these questions is shaped by billionaire >corporations through advertising and lobbying. Timber and >chemical companies are depicted in heartwarming commercials >as the greatest friends of the environment. > >Hundreds of phony organizations have been set up by these >rapacious companies to masquerade as scientific researchers. >For years the oil companies sent their house-broken >"scientists" to conferences on global warming to swear up >and down that it didn't exist, was simply a hypothesis, and >so on. > >"The Carbon War" by Jeremy Leggett, an oil geologist turned >campaigner for Greenpeace, is a chronicle of what went on at >the many international environmental conferences held during >the 1990s. This book gives an intimate view of how corporate >lobbyists swarmed all over these meetings, preventing them >from accomplishing anything. > >WORKERS SUFFER MOST > >It is the working class that suffers the most from all the >dangerous effects of industrial pollution. Workers die every >day from black lung disease, exposure to asbestos, inhaling >textile fibers over a lifetime, working with toxic >chemicals, handling radioactive materials, and other lethal >problems associated with unplanned, profit-driven industrial >growth. > >Communities of color are the most likely to find toxic dumps >near their homes and schools. Workers from oppressed >nationalities are forced to take the dirtiest, most >dangerous jobs. > >And, as global warming presents a whole new set of dangers, >it will be the working class, especially the poorest of the >poor, who will lack the financial cushion to ride them out. > >Even though in the long run global warming can affect >everyone, saving the planet is a class issue. The capitalist >class is the greatest obstacle to the rational use of the >world's resources. Their anxiety over ecological disaster is >far outweighed by the much more intense fear that their >markets would collapse and the competition would bury them >if they were to slow down even a little bit in their mad >race for profit. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. 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