Afganistán 12

Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite!

Dec. 24, 2009 vol. 51 No. 51 50¢

Add climate havoc to war crimes

Pentagon’s role in
global catastrophe
By Sara Flounders

In evaluating the U.N. Climate Change

Conference in Copenhagen — with more
than 15,000 participants from 192 coun-
tries, including more than 100 heads of
state, as well as 100,000 demonstrators in
the streets — it is important to ask: How is
it possible that the worst polluter of car-
bon dioxide and other toxic emissions on
the planet is not a focus of any conference
discussion or proposed restrictions?
By every measure,
the Pentagon is the
largest institutional user
of petroleum products
and energy in general. Yet CoP_15_PhotoS:_Kit_AAStruP
the Pentagon has a blanket clude the enormous energy or reductions. The Copenhagen climate change summit
exemption in all interna- and resources used to produce After securing this gigantic concession, attracted social activists from all over.
tional climate agreements. and maintain their death-dealing the Bush administration then refused to
The Pentagon wars in Iraq equipment or the bombs, grenades sign the accords. SPecIAL SecTION:
In a May 18, 1998, article entitled “Na-
IMPERIALISM &
and Afghanistan; its secret operations or missiles they fire.
in Pakistan; its equipment on more than Steve Kretzmann, director of Oil Change tional security and military policy issues

CLIMATE CHANGE
1,000 U.S. bases around the world; its International, reports: “The Iraq war was involved in the Kyoto treaty,” Dr. Jeffrey
6,000 facilities in the U.S.; all NATO op- responsible for at least 141 million metric Salmon described the Pentagon’s posi-
erations; its aircraft carriers, jet aircraft, tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMT- tion. He quotes then-Secretary of Defense
weapons testing, training and sales will CO2e) from March 2003 through Decem- William Cohen’s 1997 annual report to  DISSED AT COPENHAGEN
not be counted against U.S. greenhouse ber 2007. ... The war emits more than 60 Congress: “DoD strongly recommends
gas limits or included in any count. that the United States insist on a national
Africa bloc leads walkout 6
percent of all countries. ... This informa-
The Feb. 17, 2007, Energy Bulletin security provision in the climate change
detailed the oil consumption just for the
tion is not readily available ... because
military emissions abroad are exempt Protocol now being negotiated.” (www.  DON’T BLAME CHINA
Pentagon’s aircraft, ships, ground vehi- from national reporting requirements marshall.org) It’s going green — big time 7
cles and facilities that made it the single- under U.S. law and the U.N. Framework According to Salmon, this national se-
largest oil consumer in the world. At the Convention on Climate Change.” (www. curity provision was put forth in a draft  EYEWITNESS REPORT
time, the U.S. Navy had 285 combat and calling for “complete military exemption
naomiklein.org, Dec. 10) Most scientists
from greenhouse gas emissions limits.
In streets of Copenhagen 8
support ships and around 4,000 opera- blame carbon dioxide emissions for green-
tional aircraft. The U.S. Army had 28,000 house gases and climate change. The draft includes multilateral operations
armored vehicles, 140,000 High-Mobility Bryan Farrell in his new book, “The such as NATO- and U.N.-sanctioned ac-
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, more Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of tivities, but it also includes actions related
than 4,000 combat helicopters, several Militarism,” says that “the greatest single very broadly to national security, which
hundred fixed-wing aircraft and 187,493 assault on the environment, on all of us would appear to comprehend all forms
fleet vehicles. Except for 80 nuclear around the globe, comes from one agency of unilateral military actions and training
submarines and aircraft carriers, which ... the Armed Forces of the United States.” for such actions.”
spread radioactive pollution, all their oth- Just how did the Pentagon come to be Continued on page 6
er vehicles run on oil.
Police arrest
exempt from climate agreements? At the
Even according to rankings in the 2006 time of the Kyoto Accords
CIA World Factbook, only 35 countries
(out of 210 in the world) consume more
negotiations, the U.S. de-
manded as a provision of
Baltimore activists
oil per day than the Pentagon. 3
signing that all of its mili-
The U.S. military officially uses tary operations worldwide
320,000 barrels of oil a day. However,
this total does not include fuel consumed
and all operations it partici-
pates in with the U.N. and/
Youth lead marches
by contractors or fuel consumed in leased
and privatized facilities. Nor does it in-
or NATO be completely ex- for jobs 4
empted from measurement

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‘No fracking way!’
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Name_____________________________________________Phone________________

Address_______________________________________________________________ Unionists meet

City/State/Zip___________________________________________________________ in Tijuana 8

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Latin america updates 9
Page_2_ Dec._24,_2009_ workers.org

Grand theft auto WORKERS WORLD

‘Bosses ran away with this week ...

our jobs, wages’
 In the U.S.
‘Bosses ran away with our jobs, wages’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Police arrest Baltimore activists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

becomes worthless. ‘Freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal!’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Excerpts from a talk given by Martha Grevatt of
Cleveland at the WWP National Conference, Nov. 14. … NYC tribute to Fred Hampton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
View this entire talk at www.workers.tv. “An exception to Raleigh youth demand jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
the law has been ad- Los Angeles: Taking it to the banks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

L ast spring union workers at Ford, General Motors

and Chrysler were asked — in the middle of a con-
tract — to make major concessions. What took decades of
duced, namely, the
workers who are
employed in the
Cleveland: ‘Jobs, not jails!’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Students resist rising costs and cutbacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

manufacture of ma- ‘No fracking way!’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

struggle to win — supplemental unemployment benefits,
cost of living allowance, lifetime health benefits, and even chinery itself … and Working people’s blood for sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
the eight-hour day — were lost or compromised. But, we the workers em-
were told, the survival of the industry was at stake. ployed in this  Around the world
The concessions, first demanded by the Treasury un- branch of industry Pentagon’s role in global catastrophe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
ww_Photo:_g._DuNKEl
der Bush as a condition of Troubled Asset Relief Program are skilled, even ed- Martha Grevatt
Africa bloc leads walkout at climate change summit . . . . . . . . 6
loans, were accepted at Ford. When GM and Chrysler ucated, workers. …
Since the year 1840, this assertion, which even before What China is doing about climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
sought additional federal aid, the Treasury — directed
to do so by the vampire banks — demanded even more that date was only half-true, has lost all semblance of Eyewitness: Copenhagen police make 1,000 arrests . . . . . . . . . 7
blood: more job cuts, a six-year, $14-an-hour wage truth; for the most diverse machines are now applied to Unionists meet in Tijuana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
freeze for new hires, and a six-year no-strike pledge. the manufacture of the machines themselves.” And then Latin American updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
On April 29 Chrysler workers reluctantly agreed. The unemployment rises among all sectors of the working Labor votes for withdrawal from Iraq, Afghanistan . . . . . . . . .10
only alternative, we were told, would be even worse — class.
Top Ten: Lou Dobbs’ thoughts after leaving CNN . . . . . . . . . . .10
bankruptcy. That was the first double-cross. But nothing Sam Marcy in “High Tech, Low Pay” and Fred Gold-
stein in “Low-Wage Capitalism” brought Marx’s insight Vale strike in fifth month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
was said about plant closings. We were told that specific
language in the contract modifications would keep our up to date showing how the role of new technology in British workers fight to keep their Vestas jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
plant in Twinsburg, Ohio, open. capitalist production is still to displace workers, regard-
On May 1 Chrysler announced in bankruptcy court less of skill.  editorials
that they would close eight plants, including ours. Dou- The labor officialdom has misled the working class too Oslo and the empire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
ble-cross number two! We held militant rallies, but by long. Labor-management cooperation was flawed from
August it was clear that the new company, led by Fiat, the start. Now, as the predatory attacks from the rul-
 Noticias en español
was going ahead with the closing. So for months my ing class continue relentlessly, the “team” concept has
union sisters and brothers have wrestled with tough no material basis whatsoever. Yet its ideological residue Afganistán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
choices: to retire early with a greatly reduced pension, to dictates the strategy of the labor bureaucracy. When
take a lump sum and quit a good job in the middle of an Ford wanted more concessions, along the lines of GM
economic catastrophe, or to follow their work to Detroit and Chrysler, the UAW International leaders were their
— uprooting their families or moving away from loved chief advocates. But this time, the rank and file rejected
ones to hold onto that scarce and prized possession: a the givebacks almost three-to-one! They said, “We’re Workers World
job with UAW wages and benefits. keeping the right to strike,” and they’re discussing a pos- 55 West 17 Street
The transfers from closed plants to plants facing their sible strike at a truck plant in Claycomo, Mich., over job New York, N.Y. 10011
own layoff crises are inherently divisive and have led to cuts and abusive discipline. It’s a start! Phone: (212) 627-2994
fist fights and vandalized cars. Now this week we were It’s past time to revive the class struggle. The Marx- Fax: (212) 675-7869
informed that our transfer numbers have been cut. Over ists who led the UAW in the 1930s understood the ir- E-mail: ww@workers.org
100 skilled tradeswomen and tradesmen thought they reconcilable contradiction between labor and capital. Web: www.workers.org
had a job waiting for them in Michigan, but those jobs They knew that the only way forward was through class Vol. 51, No. 51 • Dec. 24, 2009
will go to laid-off workers in Detroit. solidarity. They reached out to the workers — to Black Closing date: Dec. 16, 2009
In factory slang, they’re SOL — “shit outta luck.” The workers, women and immigrants. And in 1936 in Flint, Editor: Deirdre Griswold
UAW International was in the unenviable position of Mich., a meeting was held at the Bulgarian Hall to form Technical Editor: Lal Roohk
deciding who would get the jobs. But shouldn’t they be a united front of all the working class parties to take on
Managing Editors: John Catalinotto, LeiLani Dowell,
asking the obvious question: Why can’t everyone have GM. On Dec. 30 the workers in the plants sat down, and
Leslie Feinberg, Kris Hamel, Monica Moorehead,
a job? Thirty of the jobs in contention are for robotics they held the plants for 44 days and brought General
Gary Wilson
technicians. Motors to its knees.
West Coast Editor: John Parker
Wasn’t the promise of high tech that if you just got
the right skills, you’d get a good job, you’d be set Contributing Editors: Abayomi Azikiwe,
for life? Low-wAge Greg Butterfield, Jaimeson Champion, G. Dunkel,
Marxism has a way of explaining the unex- CAPiTALism Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales,
plainable. In “Wage-Labor and Capital,” Marx What the new globalized high-tech im- David Hoskins, Berta Joubert-Ceci, Cheryl LaBash,
wrote: “The growth, accumulation, and concen- perialism means for the class struggle Milt Neidenberg, Bryan G. Pfeifer, Betsey Piette,
tration of capital bring in their train an ever more in the U.S. by Fred Goldstein Minnie Bruce Pratt, Gloria Rubac
detailed subdivision of labor, an ever greater im- New book provides an easy-to-read Technical Staff: Sue Davis, Shelley Ettinger,
provement of old machines, and a constant appli- analysis of the roots of the current Bob McCubbin, Maggie Vascassenno
cation of new machines. … The greater division of global economic crisis, its implications Mundo Obrero: Carl Glenn, Teresa Gutierrez,
labor enables one laborer to accomplish the work for workers and oppressed peoples, and
Berta Joubert-Ceci, Donna Lazarus, Michael Martínez,
the strategy needed for future struggle.
of five, 10, or 20 laborers; it therefore increases Carlos Vargas
competition among the laborers fivefold, tenfold, Supporter Program: Sue Davis, coordinator
Books available at Leftbooks.com
or twentyfold. … The special skill of the laborer & bookstores across the country. Copyright © 2009 Workers World. Verbatim copying
and distribution of articles is permitted in any medium

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 workers.org Dec. 24, 2009 Page 3

Activists arrested in Baltimore

movement mobilizes to reverse
political frameups
By John catalinotto ti-racist and poor people’s rights struggle. “The only reason we were released and the others charged in the case.
A year ago, the Baltimore ACLU revealed without bail Dec. 10, after a day, is that “Clarence Thomas of the ILWU in
Support arrived quickly for long-time that the Baltimore All-Peoples Congress, we had supporters who started mobiliz- California, Brenda Stokely of the Million
Baltimore community activists Sharon the organization that Black-Ceci has led ing publicity and legal work,” she added. Worker March, New York Teamster Chris
Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci, who were ar- for more than a quarter of a century, was “But, as absurd and false as the charges Silvera, Charles Jenkins of the Transport
rested and dragged from their home by named as one of four political groups in are, we have to take them seriously, es- Workers Union in New York, SEIU activ-
cops on Dec. 9. As of Dec. 14 more than Baltimore that the Maryland State Police pecially as the police have kept up the ha- ist Rosie Martinez in Los Angeles — these
1,000 people had sent in messages or had been spying on. rassment. They again invaded our home are a few of the many unionists and others
signed a petition demanding their release Steven Ceci has been active recently on Dec. 11.” I want to thank for signing and spread-
from all charges, an inquiry into police supporting the struggles of Baltimore Black-Ceci wouldn’t speculate as to ing the petition demanding all charges be
surveillance of Baltimore progressives and high school students for a better educa- why the police chose this time to make dropped against me, Steven and Patrick
that police stop all attacks on movement tion and participating in their demon- the attack. “That’s what we could find out Allen. We have worked together fight-
activists. strations. if we win the demand for an inquiry,” she ing for jobs and workers’ rights and they
Nevertheless, the false charges remain What makes the arrests even more sus- said. “All I can do is think over what I’ve understand the need for solidarity. Our
in force and police have continued to picious is that the two were planning to been working on recently. I was the labor support is also from community and im-
harass the activists, entering their home hold a public event that very night, Dec. coordinator for the Bail Out the People migrant groups and it has come in inter-
Dec. 11 for a third time and handcuffing 9, as a political response to the police at- Movement (BOPM) Jobs March in Pitts- nationally and I want to thank them all.
Steven Ceci while attempting to interro- tack on their home in mid-November. burgh protesting at the G-20 last Sep- “We promise to not only carry out a
gate him. Their supporters turned that event into a tember. We certainly think this is a vitally fight to keep our freedom and to stop
Starting in mid-November, the Balti- news conference and emergency rally to necessary movement with tremendous repression of political activists, but to ex-
more police, notorious for their abuse of free the activists. potential to mobilize the 30 million un- pose the police abuse of power in the op-
power in Baltimore’s large African-Amer- Sharon Black-Ceci told Workers World employed and underemployed people.” pressed communities and to strengthen
ican community, began their intense ha- that all the charges against them were She said she wanted to thank BOPM the struggle against that abuse.”
rassment of the activists. baseless. “This is a serious attack on the and all the people who have signed the Look for the petition at bailoutpeople.
On Nov. 14, while Sharon Black-Ceci rights of people to organize. And it is taking petition or sent emails supporting her org.
and her son Steven Ceci were attending place after people have lost jobs, lost their

‘FreedomforMumiaAbu-Jamal!’
a conference in New York City, Baltimore homes, and need to organize more than
police broke down the door of their Bal- ever. We don’t consider this just an attack
timore home. The cops’ excuse was an on us but on all activists and organizations
alleged report — rather mysterious and that are fighting for a society based on so-
without basis — that heroin was being cial and economic justice and peace.”
sold from their residence. A roommate, She pointed out the record of the Bal-
Patrick Allen — who was present at the timore police. “This attack was a horrible
time of the police break-in — was arrest- abuse of police power. But people should
ed. The police damaged the home without know that it is standard operating pro-
apparent reason outside of harassment. cedure for the Baltimore police to abuse
Then on Dec. 9, the cops came again in their powers as they carry out a virtual
the morning and dragged the two from war against the African-American com-
their home. They were charged with pos- munity. They break into homes, getting
session of marijuana with intent to dis- warrants on the basis of mysterious infor-
tribute, a felony, and possession of mari- mants. They arrest people from the com-
juana, a misdemeanor, and are scheduled munity and hold them for investigation,
to appear in court Jan. 8. usually for 72 hours, even when they don’t
The two are long-time leaders in the an- bring any charges.

NYCtributeto
FredHampton
Photo:_KElly_VAlDEZ

By Betsey Piette into recanting her eyewitness account,

Philadelphia even denying making the original state-
ment, after police visited her in jail.
On Dec. 9, supporters of political jour- But called to testify at Abu-Jamal’s
nalist Mumia Abu-Jamal marked the Post Conviction Relief Act hearing before
28th year of his incarceration on Pennsyl- Judge Albert Sabo in 1996, Jones made a
vania’s death row, more determined than courageous decision. She took the stand
PhotoS: PEoPlE’S_ViDEo NEtworK
ever to fight for his exoneration. and explained how she had been co-
Clockwise above: At 4 p.m. a demonstration was held in erced by police threats to lie about what
Nana Soul, Larry Holmes,
front of the regional governor’s office on she had seen that fateful night 15 years
Naomi Cohen and Larry
Hales. South Broad Street. Protesters held “Honk earlier. Whatever the consequences, she
for Mumia” signs and blew whistles on the had come to the hearing to set the record
state’s protracted campaign to deny jus- straight. Her testimony was not welcomed
New York — Workers World Party and The meeting also raised the cases of tice to an innocent man. The demonstra- by the racist judge. It further discredited
Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST) political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal, tion and whistle blowing then moved to the 1982 testimony of the District At-
held a public forum Dec. 11 at the Solidar- Leonard Peltier and Lynne Stewart. The District Attorney Lynne Abraham’s office torney’s star witness Cynthia White. The
ity Center here in a tribute to martyred speakers included Nana Soul from Artists near the Philadelphia City Hall. DA responded by announcing that Jones
Black Panther Party leader Fred Hamp- and Activists United for Peace and Black Later in the evening, an organiz- would be arrested on an outstanding war-
ton. Hampton, along with BPP member Waxx Recordings; Larry Hales from FIST ing meeting scheduled at the American rant for writing a bad check. Jones refused
Mark Clark, was brutally assassinated on and also a WW contributing editor; and Friends Center was expanded to include to back down, declaring, “This is not going
Dec. 4, 1969, by Chicago police in collabo- long-time WWP member Naomi Cohen. a special tribute to Veronica Jones, who to change my testimony!”
ration with the FBI’s counter intelligence Excerpts were shown from “The Murder died on Dec. 8. The organizing meeting also took up
program, known as COINTELPRO. of Fred Hampton” documentary. On Dec. 15, 1981, Jones, a sex worker plans to expand a campaign to demand
At the time Hampton was killed in his Larry Holmes, a WWP Secretariat who was in the area where Philadelphia an investigation into violations of Abu-
bed in a hail of police bullets, he was only member, spoke on the police arrests Dec. police officer Daniel Faulkner was shot in Jamal’s civil rights during his 28-year
21 while Clark was 22. Hampton personi- 9 of Baltimore WWP members Sharon the early morning hours of Dec. 9, 1981, legal ordeal, and to gather more signers
fied the heroism of the BPP, which de- Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci and the grow- told police she had seen two men running on petitions to U.S. Attorney General Eric
fended the right of all oppressed peoples ing movement to get the state to drop the away from the crime scene before police Holder for a Justice Department investi-
to armed self-defense against capitalist bogus drug charges against these well- arrived. Later, facing charges that could gation. Plans for a special Black History
state repression at home and abroad. known community activists. have meant 10 years in prison and the Month tribute to Abu-Jamal in February
— Monica Moorehead loss of her children, Jones was pressured 2010 were also announced.
Page_4_ Dec._24,_2009_ workers.org

Youth lead marches for jobs, not war

RALeigh.
Youth demand jobs program
By Dante Strobino week at Dairy Queen for minimum wage,
Raleigh, N.c. said, “It was my first rally and I think it
is important for young people to stand up
Several dozen unemployed youth ral- and fight for our futures, for better jobs,
lied here on Dec. 4 at the Employment because protesting shows and tells the
Security Commission headquarters, de- truth.”
manding “A jobs program at a living Earlier that morning the latest unem-
wage, not war and prisons!” ployment statistics were released indi-
Organized by Fight Imperialism, Stand cating that jobs continue to be lost. Jobs
Together (FIST) and Black Workers for have been lost for 22 months in a row,
Justice youth, the protest was calling for the longest streak since the government
the state government to put pressure on started keeping these statistics in 1939. In ww_Photo:_rAlEigh_FiSt

Washington to create a comprehensive North Carolina, the county-by-county un-

jobs program that would directly employ employment figures show that the num- Los ANgeLes.

Taking it to the banks

youth. The demand centered around jobs ber of people out of work has gone up in
that could help young workers acquire every county, with some rural counties
new skills, rather than prepare them for topping 15 percent. For youth of color, the
dead-end jobs at fast-food restaurants numbers can be three times higher and an
or elsewhere in the service industry. For alarming number end up in prison. Demanding relief from the jobs crisis chanted, “Stop foreclosing on the jobless”
many of the youth, it was their first time Outrage at the rally also focused on the and record foreclosures, activists in Los and “Bankers of America, shame on you —
at any political rally. recent troop surge in Afghanistan, which Angeles led a militant trail of protest on People need jobs and housing too.”
“Many youth in the area have a great will cost an additional $50 billion, at the Saturday, Dec. 12, from a state park to the Pouring rain did not discourage the
deal of unused potential, but due to a lack same time that the quality of education is streets to inside Bank of America. They noontime demonstration at Pershing
of resources the great potential becomes declining. Square Park, initiated by the Bail
internalized and unleashed in other ways “Young people we’ve Out the People Movement. At
— not so productive ways,” stated Alicia talked to are excited to least 20 protesters remained after
Sydney, a single mother living in Walnut organize and fight for the heaviest showers came down.
Terrace public housing in Raleigh. “This is jobs, to fight for their fu- They were determined to make
why I am so grateful for the FIST organiza- tures, for a real jobs pro- their messages heard by docu-
tion, because it allowed me to be a part of gram which gives us op- mented and undocumented work-
something positive that brings hope for the portunities to grow and ers and residents passing through
future. There is no doubt that our youth are develop,” stated FIST this downtown park, which is sur-
advancing beyond the foundations laid out organizer Vidya Sankar. rounded by tall buildings.
so many years ago and the time has come “We definitely made it “We are in a state of emergency,
for our society to make accommodations very clear that we won’t and whether that emergency is nat-
to nurture our growing potential.” allow the bosses and ural or economic, the state and lo-
Angelica Horton, who graduated from warmongers to destroy cal governments of this country are
Athens High School last year and is cur- our generation and that required by law to make sure that
rently working less than 10 hours per we will fight.” people are safe and that children
and families have a roof over their
ww_Photo: ChEryl_lAbASh
heads. With one out of five people
CLeveLANd . in California either unemployed or under-
employed, the government must create a

‘Jobs, not jails!’ .

real jobs program now,” said BOPM orga-
nizer Maggie Vascassenno.
The march ended up at Bank of Amer-
The Cleveland Bail Out the People ica Plaza, where the corporate offices of
Movement chapter held its first March Mellon Bank, Citibank, Wells Fargo and
for Jobs on Dec. 12. The multinational Chase are located. Speakers at the rally
march made its way through the Col- asserted that jobs and housing are human
linwood neighborhood in the city’s pre- rights, which require that the government
dominantly African-American east side, ww_Photo:_CAlEb_t._MAuPiN provide not only jobs or income now but
drawing honks and cheers with chants rassment spoke out; and outside a post Oppressed Peoples Nation; Survivors/ also the education needed to get a job.
such as “J-O-B — Not the penitentiary!” office slated for closing. Speakers, signs Victims of Tragedy, Inc.; Brotherhood of Participants and organizations at the
BOPM marched in Collinwood because and the lead banner also addressed the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Di- rally included an organizer for Katrina
its numerous boarded-up houses and demand for “Money for jobs, not wars vision 3, Local 436; Northeast Ohio Anti- survivors, Peace Action West, Al-Awda
abandoned factories symbolize the jobs and bank bailouts.” War Coalition; Fight Imperialism, Stand Right to Return Coalition, International
crisis. Marchers stopped at Collinwood The march had a great deal of com- Together; Lucasville Uprising Freedom Action Center, Bail Out the People Move-
High School, where they emphasized that munity support. Endorsers included the Network; Stop Targeting Ohio’s Poor; ment and Workers World Party. Channel
youth have a right to an education and local chapter of the New Black Panther and the local chapter of the Poor Peoples 5 television news interviewed one of the
a job; at the Fifth District police station, Party for Self-Defense; Family Connec- Economic Human Rights Campaign. activists there.
where victims of police brutality and ha- tion Center; Black on Black Crime, Inc.; — Martha Grevatt — John Parker

students resist rising costs and cutbacks

By Heather cottin A student at Stony Brook SUNY re- 24-year-old Black men has reached Great Budget cuts hurt public education
Freeport, N.Y. cently told this writer: “I am working part Depression-like proportions — 34.5 per- Youth cannot look to federal, state or
time — well, 37 and a half hours a week. cent in October, more than three times local government to solve this crisis. As of
The myth of upward mobility through I have no time to do the reading. I had the rate for the general U.S. population. a year ago, at least 16 states had cut fund-
education is the basis of the so-called hoped to cut my hours, but my dad is in (Washington Post, Nov. 23) ing for kindergarten to 12th grade and
“American Dream.” But college educa- the construction industry, so he couldn’t College costs have increased by more early education; reduced access to child
tion has become a financial Mount Ever- help out,” she added. “I am thinking of than 400 percent in the last 25 years, care and early education; and over 21
est that the majority of the working class dropping out. Stony Brook’s tuition went while the median family income has in- states had implemented or proposed cuts
cannot climb. up a thousand dollars this year.” creased less than 150 percent. (National to public colleges and universities. Since
A recent report indicates that more Center for Public Policy and Education) then, it has only gotten worse.
than 45 percent of four-year college stu- Students face unemployment, debt
Today, two-thirds of college students Public colleges teach 70 percent of col-
dents are working more than 20 hours College students are leaving because it borrow to pay for college. Their average lege students in the U.S. Student enroll-
per week. In community colleges 60 per- is just too hard to support themselves and debt load is $23,186 by the time they fin- ment has increased during the current
cent work more than 20 hours a week, go to school at the same time. Sixty-two ish. College graduates are delaying mar- recession, but states have responded by
with one-quarter of these full-time stu- percent of students are entirely respon- riage, children and home buying because canceling classes, raising tuition, crowd-
dents actually working more than 35 sible for paying for their college educa- of their debts. (Wall Street Journal, Sept. ing courses, ending extracurricular activi-
hours a week. (U.S. Department of Edu- tions. (publicagenda.org) 4) Those who drop out with debt face low ties and firing staff.
cation, 2007-2008 National Postsecond- Unemployment among youth is 19.1 wages or unemployment but must still Since July the states have lost $4 billion
ary Student Aid Study) percent, while joblessness for 16- to make loan payments. Continued on page 11
 workers.org Dec. 24, 2009 Page 5

Activists say, ‘No fracking way!’

By Betsey Piette

Across New York state and Pennsyl-

vania dozens of environmental activ-
ist groups are working to ban or limit
the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or
“fracking.”
Fracking involves injecting millions of
gallons of water, sand and chemicals at
high pressure down and across horizon-
tally drilled wells as far as 10,000 feet be-
low the surface. The pressure causes the
release of natural gas. Millions of gallons
of chemical-laden wastewater are created
in the process.
Since 2008, more than 4,000 gas
wells that use fracking have been drilled
in Pennsylvania. There are more than
13,680 in New York state. The industry
has grown by paying impoverished, rural
northern Appalachian landowners for ac-
cess to their land. Members of Ithaca’s Green Guerrilla collective.
Many of the 260 chemicals suspected to concerned activists nationwide to raise WW: What was your experience at the requesting that Patterson withdraw ap-
be in the mix are known carcinogens and awareness of the problems associated public hearings? proval of any additional permits based on
endocrine disrupters. Chemicals have been with hydrofracking. GG: We traveled to Corning for the last 270 documented oil and gas spills in New
shown to spread 30 miles underground. WW: What kind of problems have people DEC public hearing in our veggie-diesel York that have yet to be cleaned up. More
In Dimrock, Pa., 30 people filed a law- confronted and how extensive are they? bus. When we arrived, 98 speakers were than 6,500 organizations and concerned
suit against Cabot Oil & Gas in November GG: Problems include contaminated well ahead of us. There were around 500 people have signed the letter. (www.toxic-
after water wells exploded and the Pennsyl- water; methane contamination, causing people in attendance. We joined in a pro- stargeting.com)
vania Department of Environmental Pro- water to become flammable; and drilling test outside the building. WW: What’s next?
tection cited the company for several spills rigs erected within 200 feet of peoples’ Green Guerrillas were first in line for GG: We have been working with our
of fuel and drilling fluids. The spills are homes. Property values have plummeted, the hearing in Ithaca the following day, local action network through our on-
suspected to have caused a major fish kill. with people unable to stay on their land where nearly 1,000 people gathered after line presence: www.changents.com/
In October the New York Department yet unable to sell because it was too toxic. a community rally. We offered a short skit green-guerrillas and www.guerrillagriots.
of Environmental Conservation’s first Health problems, including skin to document the accounts of those who wordpress.com. We created a new poster
public review of natural gas drilling drew rashes and neurological disorders, and have been negatively impacted by frack- board on what the Marcellus Shale is,
more than 300 people in rural Sullivan unmanageable medical bills associated ing. All of the comments were recorded how hydraulic fracturing works and
County. Speakers at a raucous hearing with treatment for illnesses likely to have and forwarded to the DEC. what people have experienced, plus why
in New York City on Nov. 10 called for a been caused by exposure to hydrofracking WW: Where do efforts stand now? natural gas exploitation is not a transition
statewide ban of drilling in the city’s up- chemicals are also problems. Because of GG: Initially the DEC offered four from coal to a renewable future.
state watershed, which supplies drinking the 2005 energy bill, chemicals in hydro- public hearings, with a public comment We recently became finalists in Free
water to 9 million city residents. fracking fluids need not be disclosed. period that was to end on Nov. 30. After Range Studio’s Youtopia contest to get
Green Guerrillas’ Youth Media Tech There has been no accountability for a large public push for a six-month com- technical assistance with creating an
Collective consists of youth of color ages gas leaks or chemical spills and no plan ment period, the DEC later extended it to online movie to expose the hydrofracking
15 through 19, who plan to create an on- for waste water treatment. There is a Dec. 31. that affects 31 states. We plan to continue
line movie to expose the issues of natural continued denial by gas companies that There are multiple calls for Gov. Pat- to raise awareness at a prisoner justice
gas exploitation. They participated in the their operations are negatively impacting terson to ban drilling statewide. Ithaca- conference in Albany in March, and at the
DEC’s last public hearing in Corning, N.Y., the areas. based Toxics Targeting has issued a letter U.S. Social Forum in Detroit in June.
as well as a local government hearing in

Working people’s blood for sale—

Ithaca. Workers World spoke with mem-
bers of the collective about their activities.
WW: Who are the Green Guerrillas?

Prices lower than ever!

GG: Our collective is an intergenera-
tional crew of media makers which values
young people’s creative insights and
capacities to transform their reality as
leaders and participants for change. As By caleb T. Maupin from their homes, not seeing their chil- Biotherapeutics — a wing of Cerberus
low-income youth of color, Green Guer- dren go to work as child laborers, and the and employer of former Vice President
rillas redefine sustainability in terms that The United States is one of a small num- rest of the “perks” derived from selling a Dan Quayle — recently cut the compen-
make sense to us. ber of countries that allow the sale of hu- natural human substance for the profit of sation for its worker/donors from $80 to
We make our own media, from posters man blood plasma for profits. Across the corporate capitalists. $60. More working people are desperate
to movies; do outreach at community country, countless workers are selling the And the corporations get to “feel good” for money, so, like “the reserve army of
events; and analyze important social, yellowy substance found in their blood to with the profits they make as part of a $12 labor” that forces down wages, a reserve
political, economic and environmental the pharmaceutical giants of Wall Street. billion business. The compensation that army of plasma donors is created as jobs
issues that affect our lives. We connect Just as automobile capitalists seek to the workers/donors receive, officially for fade away, homelessness soars and des-
the dots between the same ideological drive down the wages of U.S. autoworkers their “time” and not their blood plasma, peration becomes part of everyday life in
approaches that criminalize immigrant by forcing them to compete with workers is often a mere 10 percent of the value of the age of crumbling capitalism.
communities and pollute the air, water in other parts of the world, now the blood the products manufactured from this es- At least 15 plasma centers are located in
and soil. profiteers of the pharmaceutical indus- sential part of human anatomy. border cities in Texas and Arizona. Tale-
WW: How did you become aware of try have moved their area of exploitation It is doubtful that workers like Delgado cris’ four newest plasma centers have also
fracking? to near the Mexico-U.S. border, where can afford to receive health care from the been built along the U.S./Mexico border,
GG: Adult members of Green Guer- workers are transported from Mexico to medical corporations that happily suck out where workers are willing to sell their
rillas first encountered the landsmen sell their plasma. their blood on a weekly basis. However, blood plasma at much lower costs.
who have been scouring the Southern Esmeralda Delgado is one of these corporations that buy human plasma from Karl Marx long ago identified the pro-
Tier region of New York state, offering workers. She makes a mere $60 a week desperate workers also have other means letariat, or working class, as a group of
landowners money in exchange for the for having large amounts of her blood of making profits. Baxter International, for people with “nothing to sell but their la-
mineral rights to the gas beneath their removed, then stripped of plasma and example, was recently prosecuted for jack- bor power.” It seems now that jobs are
land. As we spent the summer of 2009 pumped back into her veins. It returns ing up prices for intravenous solutions. fading away and workers are suffering
exploring our natural environment, in to her body chilled from having been fil- Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway horribly, the capitalists can still pull more
anticipation of making our fourth film, tered. (New York Times, Dec. 6) said the company “published inflated aver- profits out of the misery and toil of those
we couldn’t ignore this issue. As Delgado sits on a bed at a plasma age prices for its IV solutions, at times ex- they oppress. It seems that human blood,
At the end of September, the New York collection facility in Eagle Pass, Texas, let- ceeding 1,300 percent more than the real like all else within the capitalist system, is
state government announced that its De- ting her blood slowly fill up a bag, she and price, which caused Kentucky Medicaid not only a commodity, but one that can
partment of Environmental Conservation her fellow workers/donors can look up to pay substantially more than it should cheapen and diminish in value, as the
had completed a draft study to regulate at a banner that reads, “Save Lives. Earn have.” The company reached a $2 million profits of the rich soar ever higher.
unconventional gas drilling and would Money. Feel Good.” settlement with the state in July. (Business The Black revolutionary Malcolm X
begin issuing drilling permits once the To Delgado and her fellow immigrant First of Louisville, July 2) seems to have been literally correct when
draft was finalized after a 60-day public workers, “feeling good” probably means The plasma center in Eagle Pass, near he said, “Show me a capitalist. I’ll show
comment period. We joined with other not starving to death, not being evicted the Mexican border, owned by Talecris you a bloodsucker.”
Page_6_ Dec._24,_2009_ workers.org

Imperialism, climate change

Africa bloc leads walkout over suppression
By Abayomi Azikiwe levels, that will bring famine to group. (AP, Dec. 14)
editor, Pan-African News Wire billions of people throughout the One Western negotiator, who
world. spoke on condition of anonym-
African countries at the COP-15 climate A new United Nations environ- ity, said that discussions involv-
change summit in Copenhagen led a walk- mental report has indicated that ing 50 environmental ministers
out for several hours on Dec. 14 to protest approximately 60 million people on Dec. 13 were contentious as
the efforts of the United States, Britain have suffered the effects of 245 a result of the “growing disputes
and other imperialist countries and their natural disasters this year alone. between the Americans and the
allies to sidestep responsibility for the More than 90 percent of these se- Chinese.”
worsening impact of carbon dioxide emis- rious weather-related events have “At the back of everyone’s
sions. The increasing concentration of been amplified by climate change. mind is the fear of a repeat of the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has African states have made the awful scenario in The Hague,”
caused climate change that threatens the case that their region is the hard- when another climate change
total collapse of agricultural production est hit by pollutants generated by conference held in 2000 that
on the African continent. the industrialized states, whose was designed to set up definite
governments refuse to agree on limits to Drought killed the livestock of this farmer
The walkout could have derailed the guidelines related to the Kyoto Protocol
in Zambia.
entire conference. Heads of state from emissions. At the same time, these gov- broke up without an agreement. (AFP,
120 countries were scheduled to arrive in ernments are unwilling to provide com- cerns of the developing states to broader, Dec. 14)
Copenhagen within a few days. pensation to developing countries for the undefined talks. Such a vague approach During the previous week of consulta-
Developing nations in Asia and Latin damage caused to the environment. would absolve the capitalist countries tions in Copenhagen, the Pacific island
America, along with the People’s Republic The U.S. has not even signed the Kyo- from taking any action to address the nation of Tuvalu had created a crisis with
of China, joined the African states in ac- to Protocol, which set modest goals and worsening food crisis in Africa and other the simple demand that efforts to amend
cusing the summit’s Danish president of timelines for curbing pollutants. parts of the world. the U.N. climate convention and the Kyoto
refusing to allow discussion on the major World Wildlife Fund director Kim Car- African states and other developing Protocol be debated fully at the summit.
issues that affect the overwhelming ma- stensen told the BBC, “The point is being countries demanded that conference
made very loudly that African countries president Connie Hedegaard of Denmark African states demand compensation
jority of people on the planet.
Developing countries refused to partic- and the wider G77 bloc will not accept non- place the question of curbing emission African countries, including even the
ipate in the working groups scheduled to action on the Kyoto Protocol, and they’re standards for the industrialized states at pro-Western Ethiopian regime, planned
begin on Dec. 14, the second week of the really afraid that a deal has been stitched the top of the agenda prior to the arrival to demand $50 billion in compensation
United Nations Framework Convention up behind their backs.” (BBC, Dec. 14) of world leaders in Copenhagen. These for the damage done by industrialized
on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Afri- countries, along with China, believe that states to the continent’s environment over
china vs. U.S. the Danish government is working to de- the last several years.
can bloc, along with the Group of 77 de-
veloping countries, is demanding univer- The dispute escalated between the de- stroy the Kyoto Protocol. According to the News Agency of Nige-
sal adherence to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, veloping states, allied with China, and the G77 chief negotiator Lumumba Dia ria, “Africa is the worst hit when it comes
which sets goals for emission standards to imperialist countries when the Danish Ping stated in relationship to the stalled to global emission. We are going to Co-
be reduced beyond 2012. government made an attempt to place an- talks, “It has become clear that the Danish penhagen with one voice and our position
These emissions result from the burn- other draft agreement on the agenda and presidency — in the most undemocratic is that the developed countries should
ing of oil, gas and coal. Carbon dioxide in consequently ignore the Kyoto Protocol. fashion — is advancing the interests of the pay us $50 billion in the short term. Our
the atmosphere traps solar heat, causing During the first week of consultations developed countries at the expense of the requisition also is that in 2015, the com-
a rise in the earth’s temperature. Atmo- in Copenhagen, tensions arose between balance of obligations between developed pensation should be increased to $250 bil-
spheric scientists have predicted that, if the People’s Republic of China and the and developing countries.” (BBC Radio lion.” (Xinhua, Dec. 11)
no serious actions are taken over the next U.S. over setting goals for the curbing of 4’s “The World at One,” Dec. 14) The African Union’s Presidential Com-
decade, the planet will warm significantly emissions. China accused the U.S. and “We are seeing the death of the Kyoto mission has agreed on this position unani-
and there will be an escalation of drought, the West of trickery for their attempts to Protocol,” said Djemouai Kamel of Alge- mously, saying that the continent, which
floods and storms, along with rising sea shift the focus of discussion from the con- ria, who is leading the 53-nation Africa generates only 4 percent of the world’s car-

Pentagon pollution ignored at climate change conference

bombs that are a major cause of delayed into drinking water aquifers and soil.
Continued from page 1 explosions, maiming and disabling espe- The Pentagon has also fought EPA ef-
Salmon also quoted Undersecretary of cially peasant farmers and rural peoples forts to set new pollution standards on two
State Stuart Eizenstat, who headed the in Africa, Asia and Latin America. For ex- toxic chemicals widely found on military
U.S. delegation in Kyoto. Eizenstat re- ample, Israel dropped more than 1 million sites: perchlorate, found in propellant for
ported that “every requirement the De- U.S.-provided cluster bombs on Lebanon rockets and missiles; and trichloroethyl-
fense Department and uniformed military during its 2006 invasion. ene, a degreaser for metal parts.
who were at Kyoto by my side said they The U.S. war in Vietnam left large areas Trichloroethylene is the most wide-
wanted, they got. This is self-defense, so contaminated with the Agent Orange spread water contaminant in the country,
peacekeeping, humanitarian relief.” herbicide that today, more than 35 years seeping into aquifers across California,
Although the U.S. had already received later, dioxin contamination is 300 to 400 New York, Texas, Florida and elsewhere.
these assurances in the negotiations, the times higher than “safe” levels. Severe More than 1,000 military sites in the U.S.
U.S. Congress passed an explicit provision birth defects and high rates of cancer re- are contaminated with the chemical. The
guaranteeing U.S. military exemption. In- sulting from environmental contamina- poorest communities, especially commu-
ter Press Service reported on May 21, 1998: tion are continuing into a third generation. nities of color, are the most severely im-
“U.S. law makers, in the latest blow to in- The 1991 U.S. war in Iraq, followed by pacted by this poisoning.
ternational efforts to halt global warm- 13 years of starvation sanctions, the 2003 U.S. testing of nuclear weapons in the
ing, today exempted U.S. military opera- U.S. invasion and continuing occupation, U.S. Southwest and on South Pacific is-
tions from the Kyoto agreement which demand.” (solveclimate.com, Sept. 1) has transformed the region — which has lands has contaminated millions of areas
lays out binding commitments to reduce The blanket exclusion of the Pentagon’s a 5,000-year history as a Middle East of land and water with radiation. Moun-
‘greenhouse gas’ emissions. The House of global operations makes U.S. carbon di- breadbasket — into an environmental ca- tains of radioactive and toxic uranium tail-
Representatives passed an amendment to oxide emissions appear far less than they tastrophe. Iraq’s arable and fertile land ings have been left on Indigenous land in
next year’s military authorization bill that in fact are. Yet even without counting the has become a desert wasteland where the the Southwest. More than 1,000 uranium
‘prohibits the restriction of armed forces Pentagon, the U.S. still has the world’s slightest wind whips up a dust storm. A mines have been abandoned on Navajo
under the Kyoto Protocol.’” largest carbon dioxide emissions. former food exporter, Iraq now imports reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.
Today in Copenhagen the same agree- 80 percent of its food. The Iraqi Agricul- Around the world, on past and still
ments and guidelines on greenhouse gases More than emissions ture Ministry estimates that 90 percent of operating bases in Puerto Rico, the Phil-
still hold. Yet it is extremely difficult to find Besides emitting carbon dioxide, U.S. the land has severe desertification. ippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos,
even a mention of this glaring omission. military operations release other highly Cambodia, Japan, Nicaragua, Panama
According to environmental journalist toxic and radioactive materials into the environmental war at home and the former Yugoslavia, rusting barrels
Johanna Peace, military activities will con- air, water and soil. Moreover, the Defense Department has of chemicals and solvents and millions
tinue to be exempt from an executive order U.S. weapons made with depleted ura- routinely resisted orders from the Envi- of rounds of ammunition are criminally
signed by President Barack Obama that nium have spread tens of thousands of ronmental Protection Agency to clean up abandoned by the Pentagon.
calls for federal agencies to reduce their pounds of microparticles of radioactive contaminated U.S. bases. (Washington The best way to dramatically clean up the
greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Peace and highly toxic waste throughout the Post, June 30, 2008) Pentagon military environment is to shut down the Pentagon.
states, “The military accounts for a full 80 Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans. bases top the Superfund list of the most What is needed to combat climate change
percent of the federal government’s energy The U.S. sells land mines and cluster polluted places, as contaminants seep is a thoroughgoing system change.
 workers.org Dec. 17, 2009 Page 7

and the Copenhagen summit

What China is doing
n of debate about climate change
would foster the replacement of outmoded a vigil held outside the City Hall building By Deirdre Griswold
machinery. in Copenhagen, Nobel Peace Prize laure- After a barrage of propa­
In making its case for compensation ate and former Anglican Archbishop Des- ganda emanating from Wash­­
from the Western industrialized countries, mond Tutu of South Africa handed over ington and the big business
the Monitor newspaper published in Ugan- a petition signed by more than 500,000 media, most people in the
da wrote in an editorial on Dec. 14, “The en- people demanding immediate action to U.S. have been led to believe
tire Eastern Africa region has, for example, curb the threat posed by rising greenhouse that any failure to reach an
this year witnessed extensive drought with gases. agreement at the Copenhagen
crop failure and livestock deaths common- Tutu told the crowd, “This is a prob- summit on climate change
place in semiarid areas. Secondly, Africa lem. If we don’t resolve it, no one is going will be China’s fault.
is home to a big percentage of the world’s to sur­vive.” (South African Mail & Guard- Nothing could be further Photo: China.org.cn
natural rain forests, which help stabilize cli- ian, Dec. 14) China has built the world’s largest solar office building.
from the truth.
mate by sucking carbon dioxide and other A pre-conference article in the Irish a private sector. Over the past three years,
First of all, it is the U.S. and other in-
greenhouse gases — methane, nitrous ox- Weekly An Phoblacht states, “An alliance the government’s five-year plans for eco-
dustrialized capitalist countries, where
ide, perflourocarbons, hydroflourocarbons between the developing countries, pro- nomic development have been integrated
industry is tied to making profits, that
and sulphur hexafluoride.” gressive forces in the industrialized states are responsible for the lion’s share of the with very comprehensive and detailed
The Monitor editorial continues by and the growing global climate change pollution and greenhouse gases that are goals on reducing consumption of energy,
stressing, “We must be compensated for justice movement is facing hugely power- changing the world’s climate. China and pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
each tree standing. Modalities of compen- ful governments and business interests at No other country has made such a
other developing countries have contrib-
sation should be a key item on the agenda the Copenhagen summit that are deter- strong commitment to the future.
uted only a minute part of the emissions
in Copenhagen. The USA, the principal mined to prioritize short-term profit over now affecting our weather.
culprit, must be at the forefront of efforts the survival of the planet. Public opinion, China has four times as many people as World’s biggest solar office building
to both save the environment and to pay pressure and mobilization are the keys to China’s scientists and engineers have
the U.S., yet it has only in the past year
reparations.” changing this balance of forces and en- been mobilized to find new ways to con-
drawn even with the U.S. in terms of over-
Demonstrations outside the UNFCCC suring action is taken.” (anphoblact.com, serve energy and get energy from renewable
all greenhouse gas emissions. This reflects
have drawn tens of thousands of people. At Dec. 10) sources. In fact, just weeks before the Co-
China’s rapid industrial development at a
time when U.S. industry has been shut- penhagen summit began, the world’s larg-
ting down, moving to other countries, and est solar energy office building open­ed in
leaving workers in what was the industri- Dezhou, Shangdong Province, in northwest
al heartland to suffer in a decaying “Rust China. The huge building features exhibi-
Belt.” tion centers, scientific research facilities,
China is a signatory to the Kyoto Pro- meeting and training facilities, and a hotel.
tocol, which mandated all industrialized According to china.org.cn: “Green ideas
countries to reduce emissions of carbon di- have been applied throughout the con-
oxide and other greenhouse gases by 2012 struction. The external structure of the
— cutbacks that were to average about 5 building used only 1 percent of the steel
percent below those nations’ 1990 emission used to construct the Bird’s Nest. Ad-
levels. While it participated in the negotia- vanced roof and wall insulation mean en-
tions and got many concessions, the U.S. ergy savings 30 percent higher than the
refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Accord- national energy saving standard.”
ing to a U.N. report issued Oct. 21, the U.S. The technological advances developed
now emits 17 percent more greenhouse for this building will now be available for
gases than it did in 1990. other projects.
Most important, China has a planned China has become the world’s largest
economy, albeit one in which there is also producer of solar panels, outstripping

At largest climate protest ever.

Continued on page 10

Copenhagen police make 1,000 ‘preventive arrests’

By Kit Aastrup bright sunshine, the most powerful, tran- pants. One told how embarrassing it was change in the major cities of Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark quil and colorful demonstration ever in to be forced to sit there in the cold with before Dec. 12. Buses and trains then
Copenhagen began almost like a parade. wet pants. One had suffered disabling brought hundreds more activists to Co-
It was a great feeling to be one of the A few weeks earlier the Danish Parlia- cramps and was taken away in an ambu- penhagen.
100,000 people from all corners of the ment had passed a new law allowing the lance on a stretcher. They were all freez- For two weeks an alternative Peoples’
world at the Palace Square in front of the police to detain people up to 12 hours with- ing terribly in the cold weather. Climate Forum for activists and NGOs
Danish Parliament on Dec. 12, the fifth day out charges. A temporary detention center The next day the chief of police apolo- has been taking place in the center of Co-
of the climate negotiations in Copenhagen. with cages for 10 people each had been gized on Danish television and said it was penhagen. Workshops and presentations
It was reported that 57 nations were shown on national television. It failed to a mistake to let them sit there for such a have been going on nonstop. The atmo-
represented by nongovernmental organi- frighten people away from the gathering. long time. sphere is very international and you hear
zations (NGOs), groups like Greenpeace Organizers from different groups had ne- At the Peoples Climate Forum the next many different languages in the streets.
and Vegans, and political parties like the gotiated with the police in an attempt to day I heard that not 200 but 1,000 had Will this end with an historic agree-
Anti-Capitalist Party from France and the avoid clashes. been arrested. The police called them all ment in the Bella Center to seriously re-
Danish Communist Party. When the march ended two-and-a-half “preventive arrests.” They were released duce carbon emissions and reduce rich
When I reached the square it was al- hours later in a field near the Bella Cen- the next day, with only four people actu- countries’ exploitation of poor countries?
ready crowded and people were filling the ter, it was already dark. My feet were sore ally charged with anything. But the 1,000 Or will it be business as usual?
adjacent streets. I walked around to see to from the long march. With no further ac- who were arrested are all liable to be list- Aastrup is a Danish journalist
see the huge variation of signs and people. tivities at the end, people headed for the ed in the Schengen register as “trouble- and activist.
Some of the signs said we need to take nearest metro station. makers,” which can restrict
steps now to stop polluting and save the I was still high on the event. It had been their travel in the European
planet. Some raised slogans demanding a such a beautiful and peaceful message to Union.
system change, that only a socialist system send to the politicians. So I thought. But The following day, it was re-
would be able to provide real change and on the train back I heard that the rear of ported on the radio that a mi-
cut carbon emissions sufficiently. Some the demonstration had been isolated by nor demonstration had ended
signs told us you can save the planet by be- the police and 200 had been arrested. even before it started and an-
coming a vegan. What a sight! The whole On television that evening I saw how the other 250 people had been ar-
world is here. arrested demonstrators were forced to sit rested.
At 2 p.m. the crowd began to march the in lines on the cold ground for five hours Local and international
four miles to the Bella Center, site of the before they were taken away by buses. groups have been warming
official COP-15 [15th United Nations Cli- A few of the demonstrators were inter- up for the COP-15 for weeks.
mate Change Conference] negotiations. viewed on television. Stopped by the po- There had been local demon-
On this cold December day flooded with lice from getting up, some peed in their strations regarding climate Photo: Dan ish Comm unist Party
Page_8_ Dec._24,_2009_ workers.org

Labor activists of many countries

meet to discuss economic crisis
By Bob Mccubbin San Juan banking district. “We are being
Tijuana, Mexico called terrorists and they are threatening
to use the Patriot Act against us,” Rivera
The Sixth Cuba/Venezuela/Mexico/ said. The workers’ response, he suggest-
North America Labor Conference opened ed, must be a general strike.
here on Dec. 4 with an evening of soli-
cuba, venezuela, colombia
darity with the Cuban Five, defenders of
Cuba who are serving long sentences in Raymundo Navarro, director of foreign
U.S. jails. relations of the Confederation of Cuban
The weekend conference, which Workers (CTC), estimated that the U.S.-
brought together union militants and so- imposed blockade has cost Cuba $96 bil-
cial justice activists from Latin America, lion. Fierce hurricanes have caused $10
the Philippines, Canada and the U.S., fo- billion in damages. A third difficulty is the
cused on how the international capitalist world economic crisis. Navarro said that
crisis is affecting workers, including those Cubans appreciate the difference in tone
forced to migrate to imperialist countries of the new U.S. administration, but it still
for survival after their local economies are demands concessions on Cuba’s part. “We
destroyed. reject that,” he emphasized.
Ignacio Meneses from the U.S./Cuba He enumerated six Cuban demands:
Labor Exchange opened the Saturday the U.S. must lift the blockade, free the
morning session with a reflection on revo- Cuban Five, eliminate Radio and TV
ww_Photo:_bob_MCCubbiN
lutionary Cuba’s success, even during the Martí, stop financing internal subversion,
return Guantánamo to Cuban control and Panel on Freedom for the Cuban Five: Ignacio Meneses, Ramiro Hernandez, Alicia Jrapko,
darkest hours of the “special period” fol- Silvia Garcia, Carmen Godinez, Judge Claudia Morcom.
lowing the collapse of the Soviet Union, repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act.
in maintaining its cordial relations with World market prices for nickel and Two Colombian labor leaders with the rades were seized and disappeared on
workers’ organizations all over the world sugar, important Cuban exports, are way country’s national telephone union, Ós- election day. Mejía called for unity of all
and refusing to reduce the many benefi- down, while the prices of foods that Cuba car Penagos Ortiz and Segundo Hernán- the anti-coup forces.
cial social programs enjoyed by its people. must import are up. Nevertheless, “We dez Cañón, opened the next session. More Celina Benítez of the Coalición por
graduated 186,000 students this year. We than 3,800 union leaders and labor activ- la Paz en Honduras witnessed the Hon-
U.S., Puerto Rico openly invite the imperialists and their duran election at first hand. “We were
ists have been assassinated in Colombia
There was great interest in the chal- bootlickers to find one student who didn’t since the mid 1980s. in Honduras, in part, to report human
lenges facing workers in the U.S. The get a job,” he concluded. Unemployment Penagos explained how Colombian so- rights violations. I was also there to speak
first speaker on the morning panel was in Cuba is 1.8 percent despite the world ciety is presently ruled by criminals. Pres- with the people. My life and the lives of
Larry Holmes, a leader of the Bail Out the economic crisis. ident Álvaro Uribe has been an open pro- my comrades were threatened.” Benítez
People Movement, which is mobilizing Representing the Venezuelan work- moter of paramilitarism. The former chief continued: “In the ‘80s I heard stories
unions and social activists to demand a ers’ movement was union leader Rolando of intelligence, now in prison, provided about El Salvador. Now I’ve seen it in
real jobs or income program. Semprún. He presented five Venezuelan the paramilitaries with lists of progres- Honduras.”
Holmes stressed the contributions of baseball caps to Alicia Jrapko, director of sives to kill. Drug trafficking and money Kuusela Hilo, just returned from the
revolutionary Cuba to people of African the International Committee to Free the laundering continue to be big business. Philippines, represented BAYAN-USA.
descent in the U.S. and around the world. Five, asking that she pass them on to the The present U.S./Colombia mili- She said that a Katrina-like situation ex-
“No other people have played a stronger five imprisoned Cuban heroes. tary treaty is an agreement between the ists there due to recent terrible natural
role in supporting Black people in the Semprún spoke of Venezuela’s coun- world’s biggest drug producer and its big- disasters that have displaced more than
U.S.,” he noted. Holmes emphasized the trywide literacy program undertaken with gest drug consumer. In addition to the 1 million people. Increased repression is
seriousness of the economic crisis in the Cuba’s assistance, the national health use of seven new military bases, the treaty being funded by U.S. imperialism, which
U.S. and stressed the need to be in the program, also undertaken with Cuban gives the U.S. control of Colombia’s tele- views the Philippines, just as it does Co-
streets, to push the unions into action and help, the national agenda in favor of communications network. The Colom- lombia, as a strategic area and has poured
to embrace the unemployed, immigrant women, and the strong solidarity between bian military has, in fact, become an ap- in over $1 billion in military aid in the last
workers and the poor. the people and the military. He reminded pendage of the Pentagon. One of the new 10 years. It also has troops permanently
José Rivera of the Frente Amplio de the audience that the overriding U.S. goal airbases under the control of the U.S. is so based there, in direct violation of Philip-
Solidaridad y Lucha of Puerto Rico re- is seizure of Venezuelan oil and other nat- huge that three aircraft can lift off at the pine sovereignty.
ported with pride that Puerto Rican work- ural resources. He cited the U.S. military same time. Hilo also spoke of a recent massa-
ers had expressed their solidarity with the presence in neighboring Colombia and in- Penagos proposed a May Day solidar- cre in Maguindanao, in the south of the
Mexican electrical workers recently fired ternal subversion financed by the U.S. as ity action by Venezuela and Ecuador on country, where 64 civilians including 30
by Mexican President Vicente Calderón major threats. the border with Colombia where the im- journalists were killed, and urged organi-
by holding a huge protest at the Mexican A further problem is the continuing perialist puppets killed comandante Raúl zations present at the conference to send
consulate in San Juan. capitalist control of the major media. Reyes. He asked for a conference resolu- statements to the Arroyo government de-
He also described attempts by Puerto To get around this, there is strong gov- tion rejecting the new military bases. manding justice for the victims.
Rican Gov. Luis Fortuño to impose neo- ernment support for local, community- Clarence Thomas, speaking on behalf
liberal solutions for the economic crisis based media, mass use of inexpensive Mexico, Honduras, Philippines of International Longshore and Ware-
that include firing 30,000 workers. Some cell phones and a government-supported Representing the Frente Amplia de Iz- house Union Local 10 and the Million
50 organizations, including 18 unions, mass organization called Madres del Bar- quierda Social de México, Gabriela San- Worker March Movement, urged that
have responded to the call to fight back. rio of women in the working-class com- tos Romero stressed the need for national special attention be paid to the most op-
Dramatic mass actions have included munities who do security and other com- and international unity in support of the pressed workers, people of color and im-
marches and the mass takeover of the munity-based work. fired Mexican electrical workers. migrants. He pointed out that support for
The modera- May Day in the U.S. was reawakened by
tor for the third the most exploited sector of the working
session on Satur- class, the immigrant workers. Labor, he
day was Cheryl insisted, must look beyond the scope of
LaBash, a key or- business unionism. The way forward for
ganizer with the the working class, he emphasized, is for
U.S./Cuba Labor labor to become part of the vanguard for
Exchange. social justice.
Carlos Mejía of Service Employees International Union
the Frente Resis- Local 721 activist Luz Díaz noted that a
tencia Hondureña Tijuana union leader had been kidnapped
pointed out that a that very morning.
mere 21 percent Cristina Vázquez of Workers United,
of Honduran vot- which affiliated this year with SEIU, gave
ers participated in special acknowledgment to the unionists
the recent sham who had come to the conference from
election on Nov. other countries at great expense and sac-
29. At least 661 rifice and often danger.
people had been Carmen Godinez of the CTC offered a
murdered before short lesson on the history of ALBA, the
the election, and Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas,
ww_Photo four of his com- which aims to increase the independence
Some of the international participants gather for a group picture.
 workers.org Dec. 24, 2009 Page 9

of its member countries from the impe-

rialist financial system. Created through
the initiative of Hugo Chávez and Fidel
successes & dangers in Latin america By Berta Joubert-ceci
Castro, it now counts nine nations of Latin
Exterior Minister David Choquehuanca, ela.” (TeleSUR, Dec. 7)
America and the Caribbean as members.
The Mexican labor-community front Bolivia . was forced to admit that Bolivia will be The savings of the people have been
the country with the most growth in the guaranteed by the government. Thirty
FAIS submitted two resolutions that were
signed by attendees, one supporting elec- Morales triumphs region this year. former bank officials have detention
Among the advances that have won orders but nine have escaped, three of
trical workers expelled from the utility by The Dec. 6 presidential elections mark-
over the majority of the people to Mo- them to the U.S.
the current government so it could priva- ed an historic development in Bolivia.
rales and the MAS are the eradication of Chávez’s declaration exposes the prob-
tize electrical generation, and another President Evo Morales was re-elected for
illiteracy, access to health care, education lems inherent in a state where important
protesting the abduction of a member of a second term with more than 63 percent
and a reduction of poverty. The tremen- economic sectors are still in the hands of
the health care union affiliated with FAIS of the vote, a clear mandate to continue
dous improvement of the economy has the bourgeoisie and not the workers. “We
that was mentioned earlier by Luz Díaz. developing the country on behalf of the
also attracted sympathizers from the have to be alert. We have to turn on the
people instead of the transnational cor-
Immigrant workers middle class to the MAS. radars of the government and the United
porations and the elite, a tradition which
The conference’s Sunday session fo- Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and
for too long had impoverished the na-
cused on issues pertaining to immigrant tion. In an interview with TeleSUR, Vice URUGUAY. not allow this to happen. We must act
quickly; we cannot wait until tomorrow.
workers and their struggles. Ben Prado, President Álvaro García Linera said that The same day that Honduras held
a leader of Unión del Barrio, asserted the We need a state ever sharper because
there was an outstanding participation fraudulent elections, Nov. 29, the people
right of Indigenous people, in particular these bankers are very skilled and seek
of 93 percent of the voters, showing that of Uruguay voted with a 52.39 percent
the Mexican people, to retake the land ways to get into government and create
Bolivia has a solid democracy. This elec- majority to elect José (Pepe) Mujica of
now known as the U.S. Southwest. He networks within the institutions,” he
tion comes on the heels of one last Janu- the ruling Frente Amplio (Broad Front)
denounced the racist U.S. policy of Mani- said. (TeleSUR, Dec. 14)
ary that approved the new constitution as president. Mujica, who was part of the
fest Destiny that was used to wrest total by 62 percent and a recall referendum
control of the North American continent in August 2008 that ratified Morales’
guerrilla Movement for National Libera-
tion in the 1960s and 1970s and was im- HONDURAS.
from its former inhabitants. presidency with 67 percent of the people
Prado denounced the Democratic/Re- voting no to any recall.
prisoned for 14 years, had support from
many left forces in Uruguay. His victory Human rights abused
publican consensus in Washington, D.C., Although the final numbers are yet to is seen as a furthering of the progres- After U.S.-endorsed illegal and fraudu-
for super-exploitation of the most vulner- be published, the initial results show that sive wave in Latin America. He had been lent elections on Nov. 29, the criminal de
able workers. Migrating workers do the Morales’ Movement Toward Socialism minister of agriculture under the current facto government of Roberto Micheletti
hardest work for the lowest pay. (MAS) won two-thirds of the National government of Tabaré Vázquez. has targeted the resistance movement
Prado described the horrific character Assembly seats, making it easier now for extermination. Human rights abuses
of Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment raids, where families are broken up
to pass progressive legislation as this
majority removes the roadblock of
VENEZUELA. have been increasing and leaders have
been harassed, persecuted and even
and children become wards of the state.
“This is state terrorism,” he emphasized.
the right-wing opposition legislators.
Morales won for the first time in Tarija,
controlling the banks killed. Organizations advocating human
rights are overwhelmed because the
“The change that’s happening in Latin Four months after the Venezuelan appropriate governmental institutions
one of the four departments of Bolivia’s
America will be our guide. The re-elec- government made its first payment to now under police and military control no
“Half Moon” (Media Luna), a part of the
tion of Evo Morales in Bolivia is cause for buy 96 percent of the shares of the Banco longer respond.
country where the elite opposition had
great optimism.” de Venezuela, shares that had been in the Just in December, the following took
always dominated. In the other three
Gloria Salcedo of Hermandad Mexi- hands of the Spanish Santander Group, place: A woman resistance coordinator
Media Luna provinces Morales finished
cana Nacional paid tribute to Bert Co- the Bolivarian government moved to in her neighborhood called express-
in second place.
rona, a great labor leader and organizer take control of eight more banking insti- ing great anguish to the Human Rights
The elections were peaceful and
of immigrant workers, as someone who tutions, seven private and one belonging Committee (CODEH) to let it know that
transparent. For the first time Bolivia
taught workers how to struggle. She as- to the state. The government had dis- she felt threatened because the police
used a biometric system of identifica-
serted the urgent need for legalization of covered several instances of illegal bank had visited her home several times. She
tion, previously approved by Congress, to
undocumented workers and urged orga- activities, including the holding of illicit was constantly being followed. The youth
prevent any fraud. It required collecting
nizing for May 1. money and failure to comply with state organization Los Necios (The Stub-
fingerprints, digital photos and signatures
Teresa Gutierrez, representing the guidelines in lending. born) was able to film a suspect who had
along with the usual data for every person
New York May 1 Coalition and the In- The Venezuelan government liquidat- been videotaping their office. On Dec. 4,
eligible to vote. This was also the first time
ternational Migrants’ Alliance, noted the ed some of the banks. It plans to merge Walter Trochez, a respected young leader
that Bolivians outside the country could
worldwide character of the migration and reopen the others. Bolívar Banco from the LGBT community and the Re-
vote. Elections were held in Argentina,
nightmare: an estimated 350,000,000 will be nationalized and will form part of sistance, was savagely assassinated after
Spain, Brazil and the United States. A to-
working class people have been forced to the public finance system; the holdings being followed for days.
tal of 170,000 expatriate Bolivians voted,
leave their homes, due both to economic of Banco Canarias and Banpro will go to Up to Dec. 15, the legal president of
overwhelmingly for Morales.
pressures and the environmental changes the Banco de Venezuela; and the Central Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya, has
Morales’ tremendous success is due
that are producing what is coming to be Banco Universal, Banco Real, and the remained confined in the Brazilian Em-
to the progressive social reforms his
known as “climate migration.” state’s Bancoandes will on Dec. 21 form bassy, surrounded by Honduran police
administration put into practice and
“The only thing we can count on is mo- part of the Banco Bicentenario Univer- and military. The de facto government
to the recovery of the country’s natural
bilizing in the streets. We need to orga- sal. In a public statement, Chávez stated has repeatedly refused to allow him to
resources, particularly the national-
nize in a new way because there is a crisis that the Bicentenario Universal will be go to Mexico or the Dominican Republic
ization of its natural gas, which has
and they are trying to divide us, get us the “second most solid entity and will to try to establish negotiations that will
improved the economy. Exports have
to fight each other. We have to raise the be used to propel the social productive allow some relief to the severe crisis in
increased 131 percent since Morales’ first
war and the sham election in Honduras. development of the nation together with his country.
term began. Even the IMF, according to
Threats against Cuba and Venezuela must the recently recovered Banco de Venezu-
be raised as well as the potential destruc- ALBA.
tion of the planet. One day May Day will
be a worldwide strike!” will no longer have to cross borders to José González, representing the Bina- ALBA meets in Havana
Joy de Guzman, representing the Glob- survive and the sanctuary will welcome tional Front of Indigenous Organizations, While Secretary of State Hillary Clin-
al Council for International Migrants all migrant workers as an alternative to observed, “I am a stranger in my own ton threatens Latin America, particularly
and the International League of Peoples forced immigration. land.” He came to the U.S. from Oaxaca, Venezuela and Nicaragua, representa-
Struggle, observed that, in common with John Parker, Los Angeles organizer of Mexico, out of necessity and was a farm tives of the nine countries of ALBA-TCP
all the peoples of Latin America, the Fili- the Bail Out the People Movement, spoke worker for seven years. He recounted how (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples
pino people have a terrible historic legacy on the pressing issue of Black/Brown hard crossing the border was. Referring of Our America — Trade Treaty of the
of colonization. “But really, it’s imperi- unity. “Superexploitation is an important to his co-panelist Ben Prado, he said, “I People) met in Havana for the organiza-
alism,” she noted. Filipino immigrant basis for unity. Most immigrant workers took Ben last month to meet my brothers tion’s eighth summit to celebrate its fifth
workers are scattered in 196 other coun- maintain ties with family and friends in living in a canyon.” He observed that what anniversary and establish new treaties.
tries and the remittances they send home their home countries. Suppose the Span- goes on in the agricultural fields is mod- They reviewed the many successes ac-
constitute a very important part of the ish plans of colonial conquest had been ern slavery. “We have a common enemy,” complished in just five years of existence,
Filipino economy. “These workers face revealed in advance to the Indigenous he concluded. “Capitalism!” but also alerted the hemisphere to the
long hours, low wages, sexual abuse and peoples of the Americas. With modern Sabrina Green of the International new danger U.S. imperialism poses as it
all the other common features of super- communication, the situation for cooper- Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia tries to regain control of what it consid-
exploitation. They need our help to chal- ation among workers of different nation- Abu-Jamal spoke on the very dangerous ers its Latin American “backyard.” The
lenge their exploitation.” alities is much more favorable today. legal situation facing this globally recog- final declaration included a statement to
Martín López Ortiz, speaking for the “Right now, U.S. imperialism has its eyes nized political prisoner. Washington rejecting Clinton’s threats.
Frente Amplia de Izquierda Social, an- on Africa, in particular the newly discov- It was a politically intense weekend. The U.S. secretary of state had said that
nounced an ambitious project, already ered oil deposits off the coast of Ghana and These profoundly serious deliberations if Latin American countries continued
underway, for a Latin American sanctu- around the Horn of Africa. Already under set in many ways a minimum standard for friendly relations with Iran, they would
ary for workers in the Mexican state of Obama there is more U.S. military activity the development of international work- suffer consequences. The ALBA-TCP
Michoacán. The sanctuary will run on an in Africa, sometimes involving 30 nations ers’ councils, which are needed more with reaffirmed the principle of sovereignty,
economy based on sharing rather than at a time. So we need unity with Native, every day that global capitalism wreaks its that is, that no outside state can dictate
private profit. The workers of Michoacán Asian, Latino/a and white workers.” havoc. who their allies or friends are.
Page_10_ Dec._24,_2009_ workers.org

WORKERS WORLD

editorial Labordelegatesvotefor
OSLO & withdrawalfromIraq,Afghanistan
THE EMPIRE By Kris Hamel U.S. war and occupation in Iraq. Donna
Dewitt, president of the South Carolina
At a national assembly of U.S. Labor AFL-CIO, and Alan Benjamin of the San
Against the War held in Chicago Dec. 4-6, Francisco Labor Council’s Executive Com-

I
t was an historic moment: a Nobel speech dissolves the differences. a resolution was passed unanimously that mittee were among the USLAW members
Peace Prize acceptance speech that U.S. foreign policy, U.S. aggressive called for “an immediate end to the wars submitting the resolution to the national
was an apology for an imperialist war policy, as explained in Oslo, remains and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan gathering.
war of occupation. More than that, it the same: the U.S. will invade where it and military attacks in Pakistan.” The The resolution noted a declaration by
preemptively laid out the justification for wants to. To Washington, the opponents resolution also declared that “USLAW the Wisconsin AFL-CIO on the “need to
U.S. imperialist wars. of the U.S. are “evil,” while U.S. interests calls for the immediate and complete stop the war in Afghanistan and focus the
Even without hearing the speech, are “good.” In Washington’s ideological withdrawal of all U.S. military forces and nation’s attention on the fight for jobs,
you could measure it by the reactions model, the Taliban and whatever al-Qa- contractors from Iraq and Afghanistan education, health care and pensions.”
it evoked. Reactionaries Newt Gingrich ida forces remain in Afghanistan — 100 and the closing of all U.S. military bases in USLAW is urging unionists and la-
and Sarah Palin, who have otherwise according to U.S. intelligence — take the both countries.” bor contingents to march in the national
attacked everything President Barack place of Saddam Hussein and “weapons Another resolution was passed that anti-war demonstrations on March 20 in
Obama does and says, applauded and of mass destruction.” A slightly new set gave USLAW’s endorsement to the anti- Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San
praised the speech, as did much of the of lies will be used to justify war in Af- war demonstrations planned for March Francisco.
U.S.-based corporate media. Others ghanistan, war on Pakistan, and whatever 20, 2010, the seventh anniversary of the

what China is doing

more skeptical of U.S. military adven- other war is seen as useful to U.S. banks
tures were either surprised or appalled. and industry or strategic position.
One common commentary in the media Behind this policy is the crisis of

about climate change

was that “Obama sounded like Bush,” or capitalism worldwide, the U.S. drive
at least “like a better educated Bush.” to continually expand its access to raw
The Oslo speech provides an oppor- materials, especially energy resources,
tunity to step back from individuals and its access to markets and new areas of
look at the forces that drive U.S. imperial- investment, the competition with impe- Continued from page 7 point to the United States. The treaty,
ism. The same political and repressive rialist rivals in Europe and Japan, the Germany. It also makes the vast major- which went into force on Feb. 16, 2005,
mechanisms remain in play whatever growing contradictions and anticipated ity of low-energy fluorescent bulbs sold has been ratified, accepted or agreed to by
party has its hands on the reins and what- conflicts with Russia and China. These around the world. 189 countries. The lone holdout among
ever president is in the White House. make U.S. military aggression almost One of China’s biggest problems in re- nations that negotiated this accord: the
The George W. Bush years tended to inevitable. gearing for green development is its his- United States.”
obscure this reality. Bush himself was The Pentagon designed Washington’s torical dependence on coal. According It adds that while U.S. negotiators are
always so arrogant, always so obviously policy for Iraq and now for Afghani- to MBendi Information Services, China free to agree to an international accord,
a product of a lifetime of unearned privi- stan. Driven by that same impulse to is the largest producer and consumer of that wouldn’t commit this country, since
lege and always so crass and enthusiastic expand — while the capitalist economy coal in the world, and many of China’s the Senate can nix the deal. And Senate
in his promotion of Washington’s narrow is contracting — the ruling class here has large coal reserves are not yet developed. leaders in the past refused to ratify any
interests that anyone not looking closely reached a consensus behind that aggres- It has coal reserves of more than 114 bil- agreement that didn’t impose emissions
might miss the fact that he and his sive strategy. Regarding the Afghanistan lion tons, 13.51 percent of the world total. cuts on developing countries like China,
policies had the full support of the great escalation and the Oslo speech, this is It is coal that has fueled China’s industrial India and Brazil.
majority of the U.S. ruling class — until apparent from the broad support from development. However, China has not waited for an-
his wars started to crumble. the corporate media, including not only Northern China, especially Shanxi other agreement but has acted on its own.
Vice President Dick Cheney so epito- the militarist hacks at Fox News but the Province, contains most of China’s easily Science News interviewed Rob Bradley, of
mized the evil figure behind the throne capitalist mainstream semi-official me- accessible coal and virtually all of its large the World Resources Institute’s Interna-
that you might ignore his central role dia like the New York Times, the Wash- state-owned mines. Many of the smaller tional Climate Policy Initiative in Wash-
in the capitalist establishment. The rest ington Post and the Wall Street Journal. mines are privately owned and have a ington, D.C., who was very impressed by
of the Bush gang, what were called the The Democratic Party goes along with terrible safety record. The government China’s efforts.
“neo-cons,” used whatever managerial this — whatever the tactical misgivings of is now in the process of closing many of “Three years ago, China committed itself
or intellectual talents they had to plan Vice President Joe Biden or the opposi- them down. to reducing its energy intensity, or energy
aggressive wars and transfer wealth from tion of a senator or two. And whether the How can China continue to develop use per unit of gross domestic product,
the poor to the rich. They always made president is enthusiastic, neutral or reluc- while tackling the problem of green- 20 percent below 2005 levels — by 2010,
sure to put some in their own pockets — tant hardly seems to matter. The Oslo house gases? Deborah Seligsohn, a Bei- Bradley notes. Compared with the United
with an obvious attitude that they were speech shows that he accepts the role of jing-based energy expert with the World States, he adds, China also has considerably
entitled to their privileges. the U.S. president — chief executive for Resources Institute, says China is now more ambitious renewable-energy goals
Many saw the problem with the U.S. U.S. imperialism — and will argue its case. “an emerging leader in clean-coal tech- and fuel-efficiency standards for its vehi-
role as rooted in Bush and Company, or No matter how dangerous the war, nologies. It has built more high-efficiency cles. And China has also mandated major
the Republican right, or the Republican how high the suffering of the occupied coal-fired power plants than any coun- emissions improvements by its 1,000 larg-
Party, and missed the central role of the population or the sacrifices of U.S. work- try,” she said. (AFP, Dec. 15) est industrial operations, he says. Togeth-
imperialist system that engendered this ers and youth, neither the generals, the More such plants are planned to re- er, these enterprises account for one-third
particular set of war criminals. class they serve nor the two capitalist place old and dirty furnaces in Shanxi. It’s of China’s primary energy use.”
But now there is a Democratic Party political parties will accept defeat and an example of how countries whose devel- Bradley told the magazine, “If the U.S.
administration, and a large Democratic withdrawal. That is, unless there is a opment was impeded by imperialist con- said: ‘We’ll match what China’s going to
Party majority in Congress. The presi- resistance army fighting them blow for trol need to break that tie and acquire a do,’ I’d be fairly happy with that.”
dent is a much more sympathetic figure. blow in the occupied country and a pow- basic industrial infrastructure before they Bradley thinks the reason China has
He makes intelligent speeches that show erful workers’ movement challenging can move to higher, cleaner technologies. been able to implement such a profound
a broader world perspective. Yet the Oslo them at home. Although U.S. politicians are bent on change in its economic plans is that “un-
China-bashing to cover up the respon- like American climate policy makers, who
sibility of imperialism in bogging down are usually lawyers, most of those in China

Top Ten / Lou Dobbs’ thoughts a meaningful emissions agreement, the

world’s scientists are more and more dis-
were trained as engineers or scientists.”
This begs the question, however, of why

after leaving CNN by Paul Wilcox

puting this assessment.
Scientists impressed by china’s actions
most U.S. climate policy makers are law-
yers, instead of scientists. Isn’t it because
they are trained to promote and defend the
1. The Senate desperately needs another 6. Since my ratings have gone down, maybe Science News, a weekly U.S. science interests of the transnational corporations
racist multimillionaire in its ranks. If I run for I should find just one Big Lie and keep
magazine, in its Dec. 5 issue said, “In and banks that own the U.S. economy
office, I can fill that need. repeating that.
diagnosing why the Kyoto Protocol fell lock, stock and barrel? In People’s China,
2. I had this nightmarish dream about Pancho 7. If I blame immigrants for global warm- short of its primary aim — catalyzing even though it now allows capitalists, this
Villa, John Brown, Harriet Tubman … and ing, maybe that will work. Mexico is way
serious emissions reductions by all ma- exploiting class does not have the social
me. warmer than the U.S.
jor industrial powers — most analysts weight to dictate government policy.
8. I must reassure the Pentagon that when
3. I’ll try reading a copy of “Mein Kampf” to
I said the U.S. should get out of Iraq and
relax.
Afghanistan, I was only kidding.
4. I must do more about the annoying “strong 9. In a rare moment of self-awareness, instead
winds of change,” such as the voters choos-
ing an African-American president.
of dumping on immigrants, I drove myself
to the dump …
in defense of CUBA
By Leslie Feinberg, author_of_Stone Butch Blues
5. I need to work on new, more creative ways 10. … except that snotty-faced worker at
This groundbreaking book documents revolutionary
to promote hatred for immigrants, such as the dump said I was “the wrong type of
Cuba’s inspiring trajectory of progress towards
finding the missing link between Mexico garbage.”
liberation of sexualities, genders and sexes.
and the end of the world in 2012. E-mail: pwilcox@workers.org
Available at Leftbooks.com or in bookstores around the country
 workers.org Dec. 24, 2009 Page 11

vale strike in fifth month

workers unite against global exploiter
By Mike eilenfeldt ducting an international counteroffensive
New York against Vale.
Miners from Sudbury and Voisey Bay,
Inside the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Ontario, Canada, work in vast mine net-
Dec. 3, a Goldman Sachs investors’ con- works 8,000 feet underground. They
ference was presenting Roger Agnelli, have invested their very lives in produc-
CEO of the giant mining transnational ing nickel. Vale took the Ontario mines
Vale SA, with a “Dwight D. Eisenhower over in 2006 and has tried to impose dra-
Global Citizenship” award. Outside, min- conian cuts on the workers. A conglomer-
ers from several countries were holding ate with global operations, Vale SA raked
a noisy and militant demonstration pro- in profits of $13 billion in 2008.
testing Vale’s brutal anti-labor practices. The five-month Canadian strike is
Canadian and U.S. miners in the United blocking production of 10 percent of the
Steel Workers union were joined by more world’s nickel. Some 3,300 workers and
than 200 other unionists from UNITE their families, with growing support from
HERE Local 6, which bused in 100 fired the world labor movement, are engaged
Hyatt housekeepers from Boston. in a heroic struggle to save their liveli-
Mineworker Fabio Bosco, who flew all hoods and their communities. [See WW
the way from Brazil to support his strik- articles on Oct. 30 and Nov. 25 for de-
ing Canadian sisters and brothers, at- tailed information on the history of this
tacked Wall Street and the banks as the strike and its importance to labor here
main instigators behind Vale’s attempt and worldwide.]
to crush the union and lower the living Eilenfeldt is a delegate to the NYC
standards of Canadian mine workers to Central Labor Council and member of ww_Photo:_johN_CAtAliNotto
the level of Brazilian miners. USW is con- the Bail Out the People Movement. UNITE HERE sign reads ‘union’ in 100 languages.

Britain and climate change

Workers at wind turbine plant fight to keep jobs
By Martha Grevatt could inspire more struggles.
For many of us who took part in
While a group of workers held an or supported these occupations,
18-day occupation at Vestas wind they are what give us hope that
turbine plant on Great Britain’s Isle whatever transpires at [the in-
of Wight in July, other Vestas work- ternational climate change con-
ers and their supporters erected ference in] Copenhagen we can
an encampment outside the plant. meet the challenge of climate
On Nov. 27 this tent community — change. A common theme of
which after four months included these battles was a refusal to ac-
such comforts as a kitchen, show- cept that the market should dic-
ers, furniture and a solar-powered tate what gets made, when and
laptop/cell phone charging sta- where, and whether or not peo-
tion! — was disbanded when Ves- ple who have no other means to
tas obtained a court eviction order. survive will have a job or not.
Campers, however, were hardly de- “With regard to the Vestas
moralized. campaign, they remind us that
“You might think,” wrote activ- the planet needs renewable en-
ist Vicki Morris on the Save Vestas ergy now, not when ‘green en-
Web page on Nov. 29 (savevestas.word- “2009 was a year of occupations of Waterford Crystal in Ireland; Prisme ergy’ companies such as Vestas can be
press.com), “that the eviction … would be workplaces by workers, often protesting packaging in Dundee, Scotland; Visteon satisfied that their share dividend will be
a somber occasion,” but “it was anything against job losses and the way they lost car parts in Basildon, Belfast and Enfield, high enough!”
but. We have a lot to celebrate, even if them, and of public amenities by those Ireland; Glasgow schools in Scotland; The laid-off Vestas workers marched
the owners have got a court order to have who rely on them. Not all of these hap- Lewisham Bridge School in southeast in a national climate change demonstra-
the camp removed. The camp has been a pened in the UK, but all were on our ra- London; Ssangyong car factory in South tion in London on Dec. 5. They continue
mainstay of the campaign by Vestas work- dar throughout the year,” she noted in a Korea; and Thomas Cook in Dublin. to demand, among other issues, that the
ers for their jobs, and a place where valu- separate posting on Nov. 29. Other occu- “The groups of people who took part in firings of 11 sit-downers be reversed and
able lessons in campaigning, politics and pations included Republic Windows and these occupations were clearly inspired those workers be allowed to collect the
camaraderie have been gained. … Doors that began in Chicago in 2008; by each other and these occupations severance benefits owed them.

Students resist rising costs and cutbacks

Continued from page 4 terminated in public colleges across the movement in Alabama, Colorado, Con- There is a real potential for a militant na-
in appropriations for higher education. country. Newsweek notes that colleges are necticut, Illinois, Georgia, Maryland, Mas- tional student movement come spring.”
Facing depression-level unemployment, packing more students into fewer courses. sachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, FIST says youth have a right to “free
foreclosures and bankruptcies, state tax New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and public education and job training with
revenues have fallen. California, Nevada Students resist higher costs, cuts Wisconsin. The call for a day of protest stipend” and says spending for war, jails
and Oregon have seen double-digit reduc- FIST (Fight Imperialism, Stand Togeth- on March 4th is resonating,” Hales says, and prisons, and corporate welfare is
tions in educational subsidies. California er) organizer Larry Hales said the March “because of budget cuts and rising tuition “criminal.”
community college leaders fear they could 4th Mobilization movement, spearheaded rates. And most of the students who are Cottin teaches at LaGuardia Commu-
end up turning away as many as 250,000 by University of California students who activists are anti-imperialist and anti-war. nity College in Queens, N.Y.
students in the coming months. (News- have been carrying out mass protests, is an
week, Dec. 13) attempt to link issues affecting youth. “We MarxisM, reparations
The state of Washington has reduced saw [recently] that New York’s MTA [Met- and the Black Freedom struggle
its expenditure for public education by 14 ropolitan Transit Authority] proposed the An anthology of writings from Workers World newspaper.
percent. Arizona public universities have cancelation of student metro passes. Com- Edited by Monica Moorehead. Includes: Racism, National Oppression
laid off thousands of employees and can- munities are resisting profit-making char- and Self-Determination larry_holmes Black Labor from chattel Slavery
celed scores of classes and programs in ter schools,” said Hales, who sees “a direct to Wage Slavery Sam_Marcy_ Harriet Tubman, Woman Warrior Mumia_
the past year. This is the pattern across correlation between the declining number Abu-jamal Black Youth: Repression & Resistance leilani_Dowell__Black &
the country. The language program at of jobs and the rise in numbers of youth Brown Unity: A Pillar of Struggle for Human Rights and Global Justice!
Saladin_Muhammad Are conditions Ripe Again Today? 40th Anniver-
the University of Idaho has been gutted. going into prison and the military.”
sary of the 1965 Watts Rebellion john_Parker__Racism and Poverty in
Thousands of science, language, music, “California students have led the way Available at
the Delta larry_hales___The Struggle for Socialism Is Key Monica_
math and theater programs have been in militancy but there is a rising student Leftbooks.com
Moorehead__causes of Turmoil in Jamaica Pat_Chin
 P roletarios y op rim id os d e t od os los p aíses u n íos!

detrás del aumento de tropas

el Pentágono fija curso hacia
una guerra más amplia en Asia
Por John catalinotto tración de George W. Bush en octubre del ministración Republicana: la nueva ad- tablecer un régimen estable. Algunos en
2001 luego del 11 de septiembre antes de ministración trata de incluir a sus aliados el ejército y la policía secreta de Pakistán
Washington ya ha comenzado a enviar tornar la atención del Pentágono hacia imperialistas en sus aventuras militares preferirían un régimen del Talibán en Af-
más tropas para ocupar a Afganistán lu- el país rico en petróleo, Irak. La política y como recompensa compartir una parte ganistán a muchas otras posibilidades.
ego del discurso del Presidente Barack unilateral de la pandilla de Bush fracasó del saqueo. Así, la intensificación estadounidense en
Obama el 1 de diciembre en West Point. en Irak y Afganistán y debilitó el impe- Clinton dijo que se sentía alentada por Afganistán, y la presión sobre Pakistán,
En Afganistán como en Irak, la ocupación rialismo estadounidense en el resto del las promesas de la OTAN de contribuir podrían resultar en una guerra civil en un
por Estados Unidos traerá la muerte de mundo. con 7.000 tropas. La OTAN se negó a país de 170 millones personas y que tiene
más afganos civiles y más soldados es- Ahora la clase gobernante espera de publicar una lista de los países que han armas nucleares.
tadounidenses. Amenaza con comenzar un gobierno que combina a Demócratas prometido tropas. Una lista completa hu-
el Talibán hace una propuesta
una guerra civil en Pakistán, mientras con Republicanos “moderados” como biera podido revelar las debilidades.
continúa la ocupación de Irak. el Secretario de Defensa Robert Gates, El socio imperialista menor de Wash- La propaganda estadounidense sobre
Como la guerra en Irak, esta guerra que dirija la próxima fase del intento de ington en Londres ha prometido más Afganistán, incluyendo el discurso de
también tiene el apoyo de banqueros, Washington para reconquistar el que tropas; Italia prometió otras 1.000; y Obama el primero de diciembre, agrupa
ejecutivos corporativos y generales es- fuera mundo colonial. La prensa ha co- Francia y Alemania dicen que esperarán juntos el Talibán, al-Qaeda, las fuerzas
tadounidenses. Nace de la motivación menzado a llamar la ocupación de Afgan- hasta una reunión sobre Afganistán el 28 insurgentes pakistaníes, y toda la resis-
por asegurar los recursos de energía y istán la “guerra de Obama.” de enero en Londres antes de comprom- tencia de Afganistán. La verdad es más
otras materias primas y mercados, para La ejecución de esta guerra sin em- eterse a enviar más tropas. Canadá y los complicada.
rodear a Rusia y a China con bases milita- bargo, sigue muy de cerca los planes es- Países Bajos han estado planeando retirar La resistencia afgana está compuesta
res y para evitar exponer las debilidades tablecidos el verano pasado por el Gen- los contingentes substanciales que tienen por el Talibán, de grupos locales armados
del Pentágono. La dirigencia de los Es- eral Stanley McChrystal. El Pentágono en Afganistán. que tienen lealtades tribales, y de afganos
tados Unidos depende del poder militar manda. Georgia, la ex república soviética que laicos cuya política tiene su raíz en el go-
de este país para superar las debilidades El Presidente, la Secretaria de Estado ahora es un estado cliente débil de los Es- bierno revolucionario de 1978-1991. Apa-
económicas que se están agudizando du- Hillay Clinton y Gates tienen ahora la tar- tados Unidos con un régimen impopular, rentemente al-Qaeda también participa
rante el bajón económico capitalista. ea de cómo vender esta guerra criminal a ha prometido 900 tropas. ¿Cuántas de las aunque tiene menos de 100 miembros
La opinión de la clase dominante se la población de Estados Unidos y al mun- 7.000 tropas vendrán de esos países que según los cálculos de Washington.
vio reflejada en el editorial y la sección do. Esta tarea requiere la propagación antes eran socialistas y cuyos regímenes Al-Qaeda no tiene ningún miembro af-
de opinión publicados en el periódico pública de mentiras sobre el carácter de dependen de Washington y temen a sus gano y consiste en la mayor parte de sau-
The New York Times y el Washington la resistencia afgana, el forzar a los alia- propias poblaciones? ditas y egipcios. Se ha responsabilizado
Post, los más influyentes de la prensa dos de la OTAN a que den más de sus En casi cada país europeo de la OTAN de los ataques del 11 de septiembre con-
corporativa estadounidense. Según un tropas para la guerra, y el forzar a Paki- y también en los Estados Unidos, la ya tra Estados Unidos. Al-Qaeda y su líder
reporte de la agencia Fairness and Ac- stán a que utilice su ejército en contra de intensa oposición a la aventura afgana Osama bin-Laden, quien fue satanizado
curacy in Reporting (Rectitud y Precisión la población de la región que limita con crecerá al aumentar las bajas en Asia como el mayor enemigo de los Estados
en los Media), los artículos de opinión Afganistán. Central. La ocupación de Afganistán es Unidos después del 11 de septiembre pero
en el New York Times, favorecían 5 a 1 a Las dos presentaciones públicas de la ahora mucho más una ocupación es- al cual casi ni se oye nombrar, estaban
la guerra y en el Washington Post 10 a 1. Secretaria después del 1 de diciembre tadounidense que la que fue bajo Bush. apoyados al principio por los Estados
(fair.org, diciembre) redujo una declaración en el discurso de Unidos. En aquellos días al-Qaeda sumi-
¿Guerra civil en Pakistán? nistró luchadores voluntarios contra las
El Partido Republicano también ha Obama que difería con la propuesta del
felicitado a Obama por optar por el au- Pentágono: que el compromiso de las tro- La situación es aún más dramática con tropas soviéticas que habían estado ayu-
mento de tropas. Las cadenas noticieras pas no era un compromiso sin fin y que respecto a Pakistán. El 8 de diciembre dando al gobierno progresista afgano en
más chauvinistas como la Fox y los políti- las tropas estadounidenses comenzarían el New York Times reportó: “La admin- los años 80. Al-Qaeda se volvió en con-
cos más militaristas como Dick Cheney a retirarse de Afganistán en julio del 2011. istración de Obama está poniendo más tra de los Estados Unidos después de que
han estado presionando agresivamente Gates rápidamente enterró ese mito. presión a Pakistán para que luche contra tropas estadounidenses ocuparan bases
por una guerra más amplia. Ellos han ex- “Tendremos 100.000 soldados allá”, dijo el Talibán que está dentro de sus fron- en Arabia Saudita.
presado desaprobación hacia Obama por Gates durante una entrevista en Meet the teras, amenazando que si no se actúa más El Talibán, que se desarrolló de un gru-
cada señal de vacilación. Press, de la NBC, “y ellos no se retirarán agresivamente, Estados Unidos usará po juvenil de fundamentalistas religiosos,
El mismo Obama resaltó el problema en julio del 2011. Algunos o un pequeño considerablemente más fuerza dentro dirigió el gobierno afgano desde 1996 con
de pagar por la guerra cuando invitó a Pe- número, o lo que las condiciones permi- de Pakistán para terminar los ataques un programa reaccionario muy opresivo
ter Orszag, el encargado del presupuesto, tan, entonces comenzaremos a salir”. del Talibán contra las tropas [estadoun- contra las mujeres, semejante a la mayor-
para que asistiera a la reunión del consejo En otras palabras, no será fácil para la idenses] en Afganistán”. ía de los grupos que hoy en día respaldan
ministerial de guerra antes del discurso Casa Blanca ordenar el retiro en el 2011 Eso es fácil para Washington de exigir, al títere régimen afgano. El Talibán fue
del primero de diciembre. Durante esta como fue ordenar el escalamiento en el pero difícil para Islamabad de obedecer. derrocado por la invasión estadounidense
severa crisis económica el aumento en los 2009, no importa cuántos afganos sean Washington está confrontando al frágil en octubre del 2001. Aunque en esa época
costos para la guerra saldrá directamente masacrados, o cuántas tropas estadoun- gobierno civil de Pakistán con un dilema. el Talibán era muy poco sofisticado, en los
de los fondos que podrían ser utilizados idenses mueran o sean heridas, cuán O empieza una guerra civil contra una ocho años de ocupación el Talibán se ha
para proveer empleos y servicios para los/ corrupto sea el régimen títere afgano o parte de su población o Estados Unidos convertido en el grupo más importante
as trabajadores/as desempleados/as del cuánto la guerra reduzca las arcas del De- utilizará ataques bombardeando desde de la resistencia afgana, la cual controla
país. Esta es una razón más para que los/ partamento del Tesoro de Estados Uni- aviones sin pilotos que matarán a muchas 11 de las 34 provincias de Afganistán.
as organizadores/as se unan con quienes dos. personas civiles en las llamadas Zonas La primera respuesta del Talibán al
se oponen a la guerra y los/as que luchan No debemos olvidar que todavía hay Tribales y en Beluchistán. discurso de Obama fue decir: “El aumen-
por empleos, derechos de los/as traba- tropas estadounidenses ocupando bases La enorme ofensiva pakistaní que aca- to de tropas estadounidenses no tendrá
jadores/as y por la justicia económica. en Irak y Kosovo después de una década, ba de tener lugar en las provincias de la ningún impacto (sobre la guerra), sino
El costo de la guerra — con otros $50 y en Corea luego de 56 años, después de frontera ya ha resultado en bombardeos que dará a los muyahidines más posibi-
mil millones para el aumento el próximo guerras dirigidas tanto por administra- diarios en ciudades importantes de Paki- lidades de multiplicar sus ataques contra
año — reducirá el apoyo a la adminis- ciones Demócratas como Republicanas. stán, algunos dirigidos contra instalacio- ellos y por otra parte sacudirá la ya frágil
tración al limitar los fondos disponibles nes militares y policiales, por las fuerzas economía estadounidense”. (South Asia
Poniendo presión en Bruselas anti-Estados Unidos y anti-gubernamen- News, 2 de diciembre)
para proveer empleos y servicios sociales
e Islamabad tales. Otros bombardeos caen sobre la El Talibán también prometió no “en-
para los/as trabajadores/as y el pueblo
oprimido quienes fueron los partidarios Clinton estuvo en Bruselas el 4 de población civil, y es difícil saber quiénes trometerse en el Oeste” si los Estados
más fuertes de Obama. diciembre para explicar los planes de son los responsables. Unidos y la OTAN se retiran de Afganis-
Obama mientras pedía 10.000 tropas Las exigencias de los Estados Unidos tán. (Wall Street Journal, 5 de diciembre)
Ahora es la guerra de los Demócratas más a otros países de la OTAN. Es este en Pakistán están complicadas por el Por lo visto, no es el Talibán cuya
La nueva administración ha tomado la aspecto de la política estadounidense apoyo anterior del Ejército Pakistaní al política ha traído caos y muerte al Asia
responsabilidad de la guerra en Afganis- de guerra que se diferencia la adminis- Talibán que ayudó a llevarlos al poder en Central y del Sur, sino el imperialismo es-
tán, la cual fue lanzada por la adminis- tración nueva Demócrata de la última ad- Afganistán en 1996 con el objetivo de es- tadounidense.