People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (07-99) Online Edition
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07-99 PT Index
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
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The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO is available on the World
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Page One: Let real freedom ring: Will property keep us from life
and liberty?
It began like a bumper sticker, like a T-shirt slogan, like a
headline. "We hold these truths to be self-evident." Copyright
pending. What is "freedom" and what is blocking our attainment of
it? Put another way, how are the laws protecting and upholding
private property standing in the way of our attaining real
freedom?
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which was
adopted by the Congress and officially proclaimed on July 4, 1776.
They said that there would be freedom.
A big problem was evident. Many Americans were clearly omitted
from the "small circle of united interest" drawn by the
Declaration: Native Americans, black slaves, and women.
Nevertheless, the sentiment embodied in the word "freedom" was
sold to the people in order to mobilize certain groups of
Americans to the cause of the "small circle." What arose was
freedom for a small circle of capitalists to enrich itself.
The Declaration states:
"That to secure these rights [the rights to Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness], Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that
whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,
it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government."
Freedom is defined here as that "thing" created from the people.
It is a genuine yearning to live life to its fullest.
Today, a sentiment is building among the people. The people find
themselves struggling for freedom from the harsh living conditions
that the government perpetuates. Because the laws of private
property still organize the relations within society, the majority
has no wealth and many have no economic means of survival. "Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are being blocked for more
and more Americans throughout the entire continent. The "Form of
Government" is becoming destructive "of these ends." That form of
rule through the upholding of the laws of private property,
capitalism, has run its course.
Private property laws can be summed up in two ways: one, maximize
your profits by any means necessary; and two, those who cannot
work cannot eat. Because the new global economy uses new methods
of
production, fewer workers are needed. Robotics, in the form of
private-property-controlled computer technology, is replacing more
and more people. Make no mistake about it. Global capitalism is
coming apart at the seams. Increased homelessness, under- and
unemployment, as well as the crumbling of our educational
institutions, are just symptoms of the more profound problems that
are inhibiting our ability to live life to its fullest.
A new class of people, those that are striving for freedom from
want, is developing. Their actual need is for the wealth produced
by society to be distributed according to need and not according
to how much money one has in his pocket. Its existence is the
embryo of a new society, a communist society. It has been said
that the wonders of electronics promise a world in which goods can
be produced without labor. It is backward thinking to continue to
organize society around the outdated laws of private property. We
must declare our freedom from the old ideas and relations of
capitalism.
Yes, there exists a spirit and promise of that "Declaration of
Independence." It reminds us we must be of the opinion that our
lives belong to the whole community, not just to the few, for as
long as we live. Our mindset should actually be that it is our
privilege to do for the community what we can.
Today, our role is to emancipate ourselves from the shackles of a
system that would see us starve and would allow untold wealth to
be concentrated in the hands of a few. Human history has yet to
begin. Let real freedom ring.
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INDEX to the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
Editorial
1. WHY WE CALL OURSELVES 'REVOLUTIONARIES FOR A NEW AMERICA'
News and Features
2. DO WE SEE THE SOCIAL CHANGE GOING ON BEFORE OUR EYES?
3. STATEMENT BY THE LEAGUE OF REVOLUTIONARIES FOR A NEW AMERICA
ON THE US-NATO INVASION OF THE BALKANS
4. KOSOVO AND THE REFUGEES
5. CRISIS AT ATLANTA HOSPITAL SYMPTOM OF SICK SYSTEM
6. POLICE VIOLENCE: NOT JUST BAD COPS, BUT A BAD SYSTEM
7. LRNA WELCOMES STUDENT CONVENTION TO PLAN FIGHT AGAINST
SWEATSHOPS
8. WAR ON L.A.'S POOR CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM
American Lockdown
9. PREPARATION FOR LEGAL MURDER: THE IRONY OF IT ALL
Spirit of the Revolution
10. "WE DON'T FIGHT JUST TO FIGHT, WE FIGHT TO WIN"
Young Revolutionaries
11. UNIVERSE-SOUL GENERATIONS
Announcements, Events, etc.
12. SPEAKERS FOR A NEW AMERICA / PT RADIO
13. CORRECTION
[For information about the PEOPLE's TRIBUNE, see the "Purpose of
this Conference", topic 1 in the peoplestrib conference.]
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TOPIC
07-99 Edit: 'Revolutionaries for a New America'
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
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1. Editorial: Why we call ourselves 'Revolutionaries for a New
America'
July 4 is the anniversary of our revolutionary war for
independence. As such, it is an opportunity for groups and leaders
across the political spectrum to restate their goals and beliefs
and answer a few of the most often asked questions.
Why, given the American revolution is 200 years old, did we choose
the name, "League of Revolutionaries for a New America?" Do we
need a new America? Why can't we fix the one we've got? Why did we
choose the term "Revolutionaries?" Can't we work within the
existing structure for change?
Let's start with the first questions, "What is America and why do
we need a new one?" America has always been a capitalist country
and it has functioned better than most capitalist systems. Why?
Because the first 100 years were spent expanding into a continent-
sized country. The economic benefits of this expansion hid its
often forgotten blood-stained foundation. This foundation was the
genocide of the Native Americans, the expropriation of their land,
the wide-spread brutal enslavement of the African, and the
unprovoked war against Mexico that ended with the seizing of half
its territory. This prevented the contradictions within the system
from erupting.
Then, with the rise of the Robber Barons, giant industries, and
the shifting of power into the hands of millionaires, came a
period of economic consolidation.
The war against Spain and World War I marked the shift of the
United States from a hemispheric to a global power. Each stage of
expansion and consolidation was made possible by scientific
discoveries and new tools. America stayed on the course of world
domination and has achieved it with computerized tools, tools that
mean the end of the system.
The automated production and control that the computer makes
possible is spelling the end for the old America. Global
production and distribution, global concentration of wealth and
global political polarization are inevitable. These are the
ingredients of world revolution and, though underground, it is
underway. The conditions that created and matured the old America
are gone forever. If we are to survive as a human race, we must
change society to be compatible with the new reality.
Yes, we need a new America. When we say a new America, we mean a
new economic foundation upon which to construct a new society. We
cannot "fix" this ramshackle system. There are no reforms left
within the political framework of our country.
Fighting and winning a struggle against police brutality or for a
wage increase is not reform. This is a fight for concessions. They
can and should be won. Reform means to restructure and there is no
further restructuring possible on the existing foundation. Any
further restructuring and democratizing of our society requires
reforming or reorganizing the foundation, the property relations.
That, of course, is what revolutions are all about.
We took the term "Revolutionaries" because this is precisely our
intent. The ruling class has succeeded in implanting the picture
of the revolutionary as a wild-eyed, bomb thrower, bent on
destruction. No person or group can tear down a society. That
happens because of contradictions that are inherent in the system.
Revolutionaries are the builders of new societies when the old
becomes untenable.
Revolutionaries are not sectarians wedded to an unchanging theory
or ideology. Since they are revolutionaries, they first of all
constantly change themselves and their theories to conform to the
constantly, rapidly changing world we live in. Only a new
revolutionary movement can create a new revolution on the basis of
this new economy.
The League of Revolutionaries for a New America has set out to
gather together all who agree that this profound economic
revolution will inevitably bring social revolution. Only then can
we democratically determine how to make reality from the visions
of our revolutionary history.
Happy Birthday America!
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
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TOPIC
07-99 Do we see the social change going on before our eyes?
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
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2. Do we see the social change going on before our eyes?
By Jonathan King, Ph.D.
[Editor's note: The author, an internationally known molecular
biologist, is available to speak through Speakers for a New
America at 773-486-3551 or
[email protected]]
One of the features that separates human societies from those of
animals and plants is the capability for rapid change. This
reflects the basic biological fact that human behavior -- unlike
most animal behaviors -- is not encoded in genes, but transmitted
through language and learning, culture and technology.
Advanced forms of human culture -- modern electronic technology
and biotechnology -- provide striking examples of this rapid rate
of societal change. For example, the most advanced equipment in
human history -- computers, VCRs, cell phones -- is now produced
in hundreds of millions of copies, in factories situated
throughout the world. Tens of millions of people watch videos on
VCR machines that were unknown just one generation back. Millions
tap into bodies of knowledge through the Internet that 20 years
ago were only accessible to a handful. Through the advent of
genetic engineering and biotechnology, one facility in
Indianapolis produces enough human insulin -- made in bacteria --
to treat the entire U.S. population of diabetics.
The notion that these goods, once scarce and in short supply --
and therefore only available to a few -- are still scarce, is
clearly false. The technological revolution has made it possible
for every human being to have what they need in terms of material
goods, and -- absent corporate greed -- to do this in a
sustainable manner. Yet most people have difficulty seeing this
social change coming about.
But rapid change is not limited to machines and technology. The
human brain is a far more advanced organ than the most
sophisticated computer. As a result, human societal relationships
are also capable of changing very rapidly. Surprisingly, many
people who are directly experiencing rapid technological change
find it difficult to conceive of rapid social change. Yet this is
the lesson of human history: Many forms of social organization,
once dominant, have been disposed of by most human societies --
serfdom, slavery and monarchy, to name a few.
These forms of organization could not compete with more inclusive
forms, because they relegated too many of their people to inferior
and oppressed roles. This kept them from fully participating in
building the society. As technology advanced, as learning spread,
the people came to recognize that these were backward systems
imposed on the majority by a small ruling minority. Though it took
sharp struggles to push aside these regimes, the key step has
always been the development and communication of the clear
understanding that there was a better way.
It is not always easy to understand underlying forces at work,
whether in nature or in society. Humans had observed the sun rise
and set from the dawn of human history. It seemed obvious that the
sun was rotating about the Earth. With closer observations of the
moon and the planets it became harder and harder to account for
their motions. When Copernicus recognized and described clearly
that in fact the Sun was the center about which Earth and the
planets rotated, this truth spread rapidly through society,
despite fierce opposition from a wing of the church.
During the Industrial Revolution, workers in the new factories
toiled for 12-14 hours a day, six days a week, earning enough to
allow them to survive. At the same time the owners accumulated
enormous wealth. However, the millions who toiled in the factories
were initially unclear on how the owners were amassing such
wealth. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels finally discovered the Law
of Surplus Value -- that the workers were paid much less than the
value they created during their hours of work. The workers' own
unpaid labor was the basis of the owners' accumulation of wealth.
This clarity of thought was a cornerstone of the great labor
movements that produced significant reforms throughout Europe, and
later in the U.S.
In the present period we see once again the emergence of a great
disparity between the rich and the poor, with a handful of
billionaires accumulating as much wealth as the rest of the
population. It is still difficult for most Americans to recognize
that such accumulation of wealth by a few depends in the long run
on the impoverishment of the majority. In the 21st century there
is no reason to do without essentials needed for a full and
fulfilling life. What holds back the development of a society that
fulfills everyone's needs is that the economy continues to be
organized to protect private property, rather than the public
welfare.
The telecommunications giants neither created the atmosphere, nor
electromagnetic waves, yet they essentially own the airwaves.
Individuals trying to broadcast community programs are jailed. The
biotechnology industry did not invent human genes, but they gain
patent monopolies on them, so that working people have to pay
outrageous prices for therapeutic drugs. The insurance cartels
know nothing about human disease, but they control our access to
health care. Public ownership and control of these technologies
would allow them to be developed for the benefit of the majority,
not the superprofits of a few.
The ongoing technological revolution has created enormous
increased capacity for human communication -- e-mail, cell phones,
music videos. The next step is, through increases in human social
cooperation, to harness these advances to move to a new level of
human fulfillment and interaction.
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 LRNA statement on the US-NATO invasion of the Balkans
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
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3. Statement by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America on
the US-NATO invasion of the Balkans
[Editor's note: This is an edited excerpt of a longer statement
issued by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. To
schedule a speaker on this issue, call 800-691-6888.]
The ultimate aim of the U.S. ruling class is permanent global
domination. The occupation and the political and economic control
of the Balkans is part of a larger strategy that involves
destroying all remaining vestiges of socialism; encircling and
containing Russia; and securing control of the energy wealth of
Central Asia. Since the control of oil is key to controlling the
world, the U.S. seeks to control the Middle East and the oil and
gas reserves of Central Asia's Caspian Basin. To accomplish this,
the U.S. seeks to organize an arc of predominantly Muslim states,
from the Balkans into Central Asia and the Middle East, under
Turkish-U.S. leadership and control. Turkey is key to this process
since it connects the Balkans to the Middle East.
We are seeing the U.S. strategy played out in various ways:
through the enlargement of NATO, bringing it right up to the
borders of the former Soviet Union with the addition of Poland,
Hungary and the Czech Republic; in the use of NATO as an offensive
force outside NATO's traditional area of operations; in the
conquest of the Balkans, thus securing the southern flank of
Russia and the southern anchor of the arc of Muslim states that
leads into Central Asia; in the fact that the U.S. has already
conducted joint military exercises with former Soviet Republics in
Central Asia, bringing them into the "Partnership for Peace," a
prelude to full NATO membership; and in the fact that U.S. (and
European) oil companies have already negotiated deals with these
same Central Asian governments.
The war has set dangerous precedents. One is the posturing of the
U.S. as the world policeman for "human rights, democracy and
prosperity" (read: capitalism). Another is the use of NATO as an
offensive alliance, and to give cover to U.S. aggression. A third
is a war-fighting strategy that involves the destruction of the
target country's economic infrastructure, rendering it militarily
weak and economically dependent on its enemy. Finally, the U.S.
action in circumventing and manipulating the United Nations has
essentially rendered the UN impotent as an international
organization.
If we project the current tendencies, we see the danger of war
with China. China resists becoming economically dependent on the
U.S., and over the next 15 to 20 years will surpass the U.S.
economically and militarily. We are already seeing a military and
propaganda campaign designed to bully, isolate and provoke China.
This has included the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade,
the allegations of Chinese espionage, "human rights" issues,
Taiwan, Tibet, etc. It is not far-fetched to speculate that at
least a section of U.S. capital might favor a pre-emptive attack
on China some time in the future to cripple its military and
industrial base. And surely Russia must at some point be forced to
respond to U.S. provocations, although it may be years before it
has the economic and military wherewithal to do so in a non-
nuclear way.
Speculation aside, one way or the other, the capitalists have once
again set humanity on the path to world war. The risk of nuclear
war is rising.
What we are seeing is the death throes of a dying capitalist
system. It is imperative for revolutionaries to play their role of
raising consciousness. The program of the bourgeoisie is
increasingly clear: war abroad, and fascism at home. The
revolutionaries have the moral high ground. We can show that the
capitalists' wars of destruction are part of the process of
capitalism destroying itself. We can show where this system is
headed, and why it has to be replaced before it destroys us all.
We can offer a vision of the world that the new technology has
made possible -- a vision of humanity organized in peaceful,
prosperous, cooperative societies, in a world without poverty,
repression or war. Revolutionaries in the U.S. have a particular
responsibility to humanity that can only be fulfilled by doing
what is necessary to rally the American people to this vision of a
new world.
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
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TOPIC
07-99 Kosovo and the refugees
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
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4. Kosovo and the refugees
By Dan Mattson
It is hard to find any good guys in this war. It is easy to find
victims.
To get a handle on the current crises and all the TV pictures,
it's necessary to see the whole picture.
The major players include the pacifist Kosovo-Albanian
nationalists; the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), armed Kosovo-
Albanian nationalists; the Serbian army and government (at this
point synonymous with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia); and the
imperialist powers of NATO, in particular the United States.
The victims are the civilian population of Yugoslavia, including
Kosovo.
The overall situation is so complicated that no one version can
contain the complete truth. While this is drawn from many sources,
I can only vouch for its general accuracy.
The overriding truth seems to be the United States/NATO desire to
create a weak, subordinated, and economically disintegrated
Yugoslavia.
At first, Slobodan Milosevic was a team player. The breakup began
in 1989, when Serb troops entered Kosovo and disbanded the
autonomous government, thereby suspending the 1974 Yugoslavian
Constitution.
Already, at this time Yugoslavia was feeling pressure. As early as
the 1960s, loans from the International Monetary Fund were taken
out in order to increase consumption and begin privatization. I
suppose, for a thriving, relatively independent socialist economy,
this was like selling your soul to the devil.
From the end of World War II to the end of the 1980s relative
prosperity kept simmering and nationalist tensions relaxed, though
Kosovo lobbied for autonomy, which was granted in 1974.
In 1990, the United States Congress passed an act that sanctioned
Yugoslavia. Further aid would require separate elections in each
of the republics and aid only to individual republics.
Combining the death in 1980 of Tito, the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991, the rise of Serb nationalism, and pressure from the
West because of outstanding loans, the formerly strong economy of
Yugoslavia began to collapse. Simultaneously, the United
States/NATO began supporting right-wing nationalists in all the
republics and autonomous regions.
During 1991-93, about 1 million Kosovo Albanians left Kosovo, many
because of economic collapse, some because of the political
situation. The pacifist and nationalist leaders of the disbanded
government remained in Kosovo to lead civil society and maintain
infrastructure even while under the military. Thus an uneasy truce
existed until the spring of 1998.
At that point, it appeared that the pacifists and Milosevic were
ready to agree to have Kosovo return to autonomy.
This was unacceptable to the West. After all, this would reduce
tensions, strengthen an independent economy and upset plans to
disintegrate the former Yugoslavia. Thus aid was increased to the
KLA and they went on the offensive in the summer of 1998.
From then until March 24, 1999, while violence increased, it was
largely taking place between the Serbian military and police and
the KLA, with violence against real and alleged supporters of both
sides. A high-ranking official in the German foreign ministry has
anonymously released information that says NATO is lying about
ethnic cleansing. That there was no evidence of genocide during
that time. What choice do ordinary people have but to leave if
they can?
Since the bombing began, the whole population of Kosovo in
particular, as well as all of Serbia, has been terrorized. In
addition to this, the Serbian military in Kosovo has taken the
opportunity to kill or turn into refugees as many Kosovo Albanians
as it can, while the KLA follows the path of forced conscription
into its ranks.
Some reports indicated that the Serbs were doing this to make use
of the farm buildings and houses to camouflage military supplies
and equipment to be used against a ground war. Remember, the
Serbs, on their own, successfully resisted the German army during
World War II.
The United States/NATO has no humanitarian intent in this bombing.
It is in the business of creating suffering, creating an
"independent" Kosovo that will be an economic colony of the United
States and a Serbia too weak to do anything about it. Not to
mention the creation of a world afraid that something similar will
happen in another country.
But the world does care. A recent article from the Washington Post
Foreign Service told of a world in protest against the bombing,
even making links between the bombing and their own struggles with
Western imperialism.
Since World War II, the United States has always been on the wrong
side -- that is against the well-being of ordinary people. It has
used or supported the use of terror to get its way all over the
world, including in the wars of the middle 1990s in Yugoslavia,
which created over 1 million refugees.
Now the United States is showing off to the world it newest
weapons of terror: graphite bombs that can disrupt an entire
electrical grid; depleted uranium artillery, first used in Iraq in
1990 and responsible for suffering there to this day, and linked
to "Gulf War Syndrome"; and spreading across Yugoslavia cluster
bombs the size of a tennis ball that look like a toy! The latter
will be live ammunition just lying around to go off at a touch for
the foreseeable future.
The only solution is to be found in ending the bombing, ending
militarism, ending imperialism and going forward to create a world
where people cooperate, with all their ethnic and cultural
differences, to create diverse and sustainable economies that are
based on need, not greed.
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
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TOPIC
07-99 Crisis at Atlanta hospital symptom of sick system
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
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5. Crisis at Atlanta hospital symptom of sick system
By John Slaughter
Grady Hospital in Atlanta was once the jewel of a New South on the
rise. The best doctors practiced there; interns clamored to be
accepted into practice there. It was also the largest public
hospital in the Southeast. If you were sick it was the place
everyone wanted to go.
Today Grady's image is tarnished by the swirl of controversy that
surrounds its demise. It stands now as symbol and substance of a
failed system. The crisis of a national health-care system that
can deliver to fewer and fewer has become painfully acute at
Grady. The crisis erupted in heated protest when Grady decided to
address budget shortfalls by raising copayments for the indigent
from $.50 to $10.00. This almost 2000 percent increase was more
than the community could bear.
On May 11, at a packed Dekalb County Commission meeting where over
100 protesters gathered, 30 were arrested, including Stewart
Acuff, president of the Atlanta Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO;
Vincent Fort, Atlanta City Council representative; Ed Loring of
the Open Door, which ministers to the homeless and poor; and the
Reverend Tim McDonald. The politicians were forced to consider
measures other than enforcing the budget cuts they had already
considered. What they really did was to postpone the inevitable.
They put off a vote until later, hoping the protest would just go
away.
Grady has actually been in decline for a number of years. From
1992-1998, both metro counties, Fulton and Dekalb, have cut
funding for the uninsured by $23.4 million. Recently, Professor
Samuel Newcom, who taught at the Emory Medical School, was fired
because he spoke out about the reduction in the number of doctors
at Grady because they had been transferred to the Emory hospital,
where it was "more lucrative." Emory supplies much of the medical
staff at Grady.
Dekalb and Fulton counties may have been systematically reducing
their contributions to the Grady budget, but the financial pinch
is itself the result of a national process. First there was the
1997 Welfare Reform Act. Families USA recently released a study
that shows that 675,000 former welfare recipients have lost their
health insurance, adding to the 42.5 million who are already
uninsured. In metro Atlanta, there has been a 25 percent increase
in the number of uninsured directly as a result of the Welfare
Reform Act.
Then came the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. One result has been a
$71 billion reduction in Medicare payments projected for 1998-
2002. Georgia has already lost $100 million in Medicaid
reductions. While hospitals like Grady are hit hard, the worst
affected are the rural hospitals. Seven out of 10 hospitals are
expected to lose money. Fifty of Georgia's rural hospitals lost
money in 1997, and Joe Parker of the Georgia Hospital Association
says, "They can't sustain themselves much longer."
In 1998, Grady lost $21 million as a result of the Welfare Reform
Act and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. In the next five years,
Grady is expected to lose $42 million in Medicare and $13 million
in Medicaid payments. Grady's President Edward Renford says that
the hospital has just enough cash on hand to cover the bills for
about 15 days at a time. The only thing they can think of as a
solution is "more belt-tightening."
Atlanta was recognized earlier this year as the city that is
leading the country in economic growth, this in a time when the
national economy is supposedly booming, when the stock market sets
new records almost every day. If there is so much wealth being
created, so much money being made, why is the health-care system
failing because it can't pay the bills? Why are millions going
without health care and why are there more calls for belt-
tightening when others are becoming obscenely rich?
The answer is obviously because the health-care system is caught
up in the throes of a growing disparity between rich and poor in
this country. The economic boom is not for everyone. Jobs are
being eliminated every day, just as health benefits are being
reduced. The health-care system is in crisis, but it isn't that no
money is being made. That is precisely the problem. Health care is
being run as a for-profit industry, and in the most expensive
health-care system in the world, millions are being made. But in
order to maintain and increase these profits for the few, millions
face higher costs, and even the denial of health care.
Grady Hospital is in crisis, and the politicians have no cure,
either quick-fix or long-term. But the problems at Grady are but
symptoms of a much larger, national problem that requires a
national solution. Every person has a right to quality health
care. The Labor Party, as well as other organizations, recognizes
that the current system of for-profit health care for the rich
must be replaced with "Just Healthcare" for all. Just Healthcare
is the proposal for replacing private, for-profit health care with
a national "single payer" system that provides universal and
comprehensive health care for all.
The trial of the leaders in the fight to save Grady is on August
2, and their struggle will continue. The health-care system itself
is on trial, and we cannot rest until it is replaced with a just
health-care system.
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
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TOPIC
07-99 Police violence: Not just bad cops, but a bad system
TEXT
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6. Police violence: Not just bad cops, but a bad system
By Rich Capalbo
Chicago police brutality is in the news. Two unarmed motorists
were shot to death in separate traffic stops.
An unarmed, suspected drug dealer was killed by a beating and
choke-hold incident. In yet another incident, a young man with
cerebral palsy was gunned down (but not killed) by police who
misidentified him as someone who shot a police officer. Witnesses
say the cops drove up and opened fire, clearly set on
assassination-for-revenge.
Mayor Richard Daley is wallowing in platitudes, defending the
"majority" of good cops, lamenting the deaths and wishing this
black eye would just go away. Police Superintendent Hillard is
constantly in the news, either in front of City Council or
reporters, promising sensitivity training, a review of procedures
and video cameras in the squad cars. Both are downplaying police
"profiling" as the problem. Fraternal Order of Police Spokesman
Nolan has somehow managed to put the blame for the killings on the
media, politicians and "agitators."
To most Chicagoans, especially the poor ones, this bloody month
reinforces an existing fear and distrust of the police. Long-time
fighters against police injustice see the incidents as a
continuation of the bloody history of an infamously corrupt and
brutal enemy. While the Chicago Police certainly do have a corrupt
and brutal history, we can not pass these incidents off as
evidence of the "same old same old."
What is being called the biggest economic boom since the end of
World War II is also creating an unprecedented gap between the
rich and poor. As more of us lose our economic standing, we lose
our rights. As the gap widens, the government shows itself, more
than ever before, for what it really is -- the protector of wealth
and property.
In Chicago, where developers and the mayor clamber to make over
the city as a hub of the new global economy, there are no plans
for the poor, the unemployed or the unemployable except to sweep
them out of the way.
Thousands of people in Chicago are speaking out against these
incidents because we should expect and demand justice. But the
fundamental injustice today is that the value of human life is
reckoned by money in the bank.
The current incidents will pass. Some of the police involved may
even be punished. Feeble reforms will be instituted. Then, as long
as the system remains the same, we will await with foreboding the
next injustice by the cops.
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 LRNA welcomes anti-sweatshop convention
TEXT
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7. LRNA welcomes student convention to plan fight against
sweatshops
During the 1998-99 school year, student activists across the
United States staged sit-ins, held conferences, and passed out
reams of literature as part of an effort to force their colleges
to oppose production of school apparel in sweatshops. This "no
sweat" campaign received unprecedented publicity.
Building on this success, student activists will meet in
Washington, D.C. this summer to take the fight to "the next
level."
From July 9-11, the United Students Against Sweatshops will hold a
National Organizing Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference
takes place at a significant moment. The fight against sweatshop
labor is part of a fight being waged all over the world in
response to a profound economic and social revolution sweeping the
globe. For the first time in history, technological changes have
made it possible for society to produce an absolute abundance.
Today, food can be grown virtually overnight and homes can be
built in just hours. However, the new wealth generated by these
changes is not being shared by all. Instead, obscene riches are
being accumulated at one pole of society, while a more and more
brutal poverty is created at the other. As a result, a
confrontation between the world's rich and the world's poor is
gathering momentum.
Across the globe, a new class of propertyless people is in the
process of being created. Millions of people are being thrown out
of industry; their labor is being replaced by computers and
robots. Millions of others are being forced to work in conditions
resembling slave labor -- like the sweatshop workers who
manufacture campus apparel.
But the same electronic technology that brings misery and hunger
when it is controlled by a tiny handful of exploiters also offers
the capacity to free everyone from hunger, homelessness and
backbreaking labor.
The League of Revolutionaries for a New America seeks to join with
all who want to challenge the ruling class on the immorality of
its brutal destruction of countless lives, both inside and outside
the United States.
We support every effort to appeal to the morality of the American
people to oppose the brutal exploitation by a tiny handful of
millionaires and billionaires. We welcome the convening of the
United Students Against Sweatshops conference and wish it every
success. We urge the conference's participants to use the pages of
our newspaper, the People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo, to reach
out to our diverse readership. To assist the fight against
sweatshops, we offer the voices of the speakers available through
the People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo Speakers Bureau.
-- The Development Committee of the National Office of the League
of Revolutionaries for a New America
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 War on L.A.'s poor claims another victim
TEXT
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8. War on L.A.'s poor claims another victim
By Steve R. Teixeira
LOS ANGELES -- Kosovo came to Los Angeles on May 22. By killing a
54-year-old homeless woman on May 22, the Los Angeles Police
Department has exposed the truth -- a global war against the poor
is going on! Margaret Mitchell was just as much a victim of this
war as the civilians killed in Yugoslavia.
Though the ranks of the homeless keep growing from Kosovo to
America, no one talks about that. Instead, government leaders beg
people to line up behind them along ethnic lines: American,
Albanian, or Serb; black or white. As they battle for power or for
oil, they hide their motives behind pretty slogans like "defending
human rights" or "defending the race."
Those lies won't work this time. This time, two minority cops
killed a minority woman. This time, one of those cops was a woman.
This time, they made it clear that only capitalist property
mattered -- they asked if her shopping cart was stolen, she pulled
out a screwdriver to defend her only possessions and they executed
her.
Another truth of this case is that cuts in health care are like a
death sentence. Margaret Mitchell was a college-educated bank
worker, had a mental breakdown, and ended up on the street. She
refused treatment, and today's stripped-down mental-health system
had no authority or resources to help her.
"She went to college -- I think it was Cal State L.A.," said Sly
Randolph, at a shrine set up on the shooting site. "People think
it will never happen to them." He and others have a petition
calling for a federal investigation. (They can be reached at 310-
797-0459.) There have also been protests at police headquarters,
where members of the Catholic Worker organization pushed a
shopping cart filled with flowers. And on June 6, the Labor Party
kicked off its national Just Health Care campaign, to pull the
many cases like Margaret Mitchell's into a mighty national
movement.
"This was a very smart woman," her son Richard told the media,
"Something happened to her to make her this way." This something
is happening to more and more of us -- our health care and our
lives are being dumped by the system that we worked for and once
believed in. Like in Kosovo, that system is at war with the masses
of poor in Los Angeles.
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 Preparation for legal murder
TEXT
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P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
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9. Preparation for legal murder: the irony of it all
By Rudy Rosales Huitziloxipe
[Editors note: This is the final installment from the author's
journal entries during his stay in the Nebraska State Maximum
Security Penitentiary hospital in January. Randy Reeves, who was
being prepared for execution at the time these entries were
written, remains on death row pending appeal.]
Sun., Jan. 10, 1999, 1 pm
Today I hear that Randy might be receiving a visit from Senator
Ernie Chambers, so all staff should be on their best behavior, and
no joking around. It's funny how ignorant the prison staff is.
They walk to the side of the hospital out of earshot of Randy and
murmur these things. Don't they know that there are prisoners who
will take a stand when they hear what they've said? They are
concerning themselves with Randy committing suicide, so the prison
staff has one prison-staff dietitian prepare his meals in the
kitchen. This is a point of interest. Randy will have to eat
prison food as his last meal. However, he can pick anything from
the prison's menu with no special last-meal requests with a nice
prepared meal from outside. I'm sure this really isn't an issue
with Randy.
Randy's cell is completely empty. The cell next door to him has
all his personal property where during the day he can sit in this
cell with two high-ranking prison-staff members and spend time
listening to music or watching TV. Randy cannot be left in a cell
alone with any of these things.
After all, he might kill himself by whatever means a TV or radio
can provide aid for such an act. At night, Randy wheels his TV in
front of his cell so he can watch late-night TV through his hatch.
He must crouch down as he sits on a chair to do this. I overheard
one of the death-squad staff explain to a Nebraska state bigwig
from the Attorney General's office that even if Randy suffers a
massive heart attack, it is the state's obligation to save his
life and bring him back into shape so they can execute him. So the
state needs to keep good watch over him and make sure that he does
not commit suicide or die of natural causes. The State of Nebraska
has to execute Randy. Nebraska must not be deprived of the
pleasure in executing Randy.
I wish I could go over and visit with Randy and play cards or
chess with him. I am by no means close to him. After all, we only
know each other by sight and glances, but word gets around. I have
been at NSP since 1993. Death row is separate from the general
population, yet when the prison administration decided to punish
me for my political views -- challenges of the prison officials on
racism, corruption, exploitation, collusion, and conspiracy --
they placed me into Segregation Classification status. This placed
me in a unit near death row and I got to know most of the solid
death-row convicts the best I could.
I can only imagine what Rudy feels -- the injustice, the
uncertainty. Many death-row convicts have written articles and
books on their experiences and journey until the final solution of
execution/murder. Many journalists (free people) have also written
articles, books and the like, yet much goes on that neither of the
two are able to witness. Much is kept from Randy -- the snickers,
the flagrant joking, the remarks by the prison administrators,
guards, and the death squad. There is no free-world visitor,
attorney or journalist who can write about such things, but it is
the prisoners who have the window of opportunity to witness this
and then decide to write about it and give names, tell the truth,
and not fear the retaliation of the prison officials. I have to
say something and let people know that this goes on and that I do
not fear retaliation from prison officials. I stand on firm ground
in hope that this will allow those who claim to be opponents of
the death penalty to help organize within the prisons which still
kill people by the law. I do this in order to expose the death
squads who participate in these travesties.
The people involved here in the execution of Randolph Reeves are
prison employees and staff who are chosen, and who have the option
not to be partakers in the death squad (some even volunteer). This
time the Department of Correctional Services has made sure that
minority staff be recruited into the death squad. Ironically
enough, these sellouts have agreed.
It truly saddens me to know that three Mexicans and one African-
American can partake in this. They are truly partakers of this
plot to execute minority/person of color, indigenous brother
Randolph Reeves. They were hand-picked by the bigwigs of the
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, so it would appear
to be politically correct. It's sick. These men and women are no
better than any other convicted murderer. In fact, they are less
than a convicted murderer. They are paid henchmen and assassins
regardless if they are white, brown, red or black. They are
merciless murderers.
I can only pray for Randolph Reeves. I embrace his spirit and will
try to absorb some of his pain and fears, so that he can cross
over and be received by his great ancestors who were also
massacred, murdered and executed by government assassins. I have a
piece of bitterroot and a stash of sage. I will burn them for
Randy on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 13, 1999) the day before he is
to die. I will be wheeled out to the prison yard for fresh air. I
do not smoke, but I do burn sage for peace, healing, and now, for
Randy who will die in irony, yet serve as an incandescent symbol
of courage.
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
'The State of Tennessee killed my son through lack of medical
care'
By S. Reid
"We would not deny an animal the right to medical care if they
were sick, and yet that is what we are doing to our own people,"
said Shirley Dicks, mother of Jeff Dicks, who died May 10, 1999
while a prisoner on Tennessee's death row. Jeff had a heart
condition, and Shirley feels strongly that his death resulted from
lack of proper medical care. The coroner's report was not
completed as of this writing, but, said Shirley, based on "a
pathologist's report on the medical records so far, they did not
do anything that was supposed to have been done to keep him
alive."
Some months ago, said Shirley, "The state let Jeff sit in his cell
for three days suffering from a heart attack, of which I have
proof, and it wasn't until he collapsed, did they send him to the
hospital. For three days they gave him Maalox."
Jeff Dicks spent 22 years in prison ministering to the needs of
less fortunate people, teaching GED classes and doing legal work
for others. "I depended on Jeff to protect me and the other level
C's from prison officials bent on mistreating us," said Richard
Taylor, a death-row inmate. "Jeff would stand up to the prison
officials about us. He was immune from whatever pressure or tactic
[the guards handed out]." Jeff Dicks was sensitive to anybody,
regardless of their background, regardless of how evil or how
good, said his mother.
"I could not save my wonderful son, but perhaps some other mother
won't lose her child if we band together to fight the system to
get care for our children who are incarcerated," said Shirley.
Vowing to insure that every "guy and girl in prison gets medical
care and to keep fighting the death penalty," Shirley has set up
the Jeff Dicks Medical Foundation. "How many nameless faces have
died behind the walls of society's indifference?" she asked. "How
many more will have to die before we say enough is enough? Anyone
with a loved one in prison or who cares about the medical abuses
in the prison system, please join us," she urged.
Visit
http://members.xoom.com/medicalfound/index.html to continue
the effort to gain medical care for every prison inmate. Subscribe
to the e-mail list at jeff-dicks-subscribe@egroups
Shirley Dicks has written six books on capital punishment,
including her life story. She is available to speak through
Speakers for a New America. Call 773-486-3551 or send e-mail to
[email protected]
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 Spirit of the Revolution
TEXT
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P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
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10. Spirit of the Revolution: "We don't fight just to fight, we
fight to win"
By Adam Welch
That day in the park, an overcast gloom permeated the air. A
friend passed me this oblong-shaped magazine, with an equally
oblong name, "blu." I was at first skeptical of this funny
magazine I was handed, but then, as I began following the issues,
I had to admit it was beginning to catch my attention.
Blu is the latest of political magazines, but maybe a first in its
sense of chic artistic design and fresh outlook. The magazine is
published in New York by the youth of the Bruderhof collective, a
community of non-violent Christians, with a surprisingly radical
bent. The magazine seeks to combine the artistic, with its artsy
layout, and insightful revolutionary politics -- including
interviews, stories, poems and now a CD.
With just its third issue out, blu has managed to line up an
impressive amount of celebrity interviews and articles. The second
issue has an interview with Desmond Tutu, chair of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission of post-apartheid South Africa. The
third issue boasts an impressive, varied lineup: an exclusive
article by Mumia Abu-Jamal, U.S. death row inmate and political
prisoner; a short fable courtesy of Subcomandante Marcos,
spokesman for the Zapatistas, a group of Southern Mexican peasant
revolutionaries; and an interview with Assata Shakur, a Black
Panther member living in exile in Cuba.
The latest two issues have included a CD with a wide variety of
music and artists -- ranging from the political hip-hop group The
Coup from Oakland, which I like very much myself, to Latin Samana.
The youth of the Bruderhof also lay down a track of vocals
accompanied by piano, but this is just too reminiscent of Catholic
school hymns for me. There is also poetry mixed in, both in
English and Spanish, that is relatively entertaining; and chilling
accounts of police brutality and murder straight from family
members.
There has been a steady improvement in each issue. The first blu
had strange drawings on the cover that would have made me overlook
it as just another artsy magazine with empty content. While
interesting as far as reading, the inside layout made it hard to
read, the art overshadowing the content.
The second issue is never a dull moment, as each page is something
new to look at. The kind of poetry that moves you and inspires
you, rather than bores you, is definitely a highlight throughout
this and the third issue. I especially like the lead article
"Learning from the Old-School," about the Young Lords, a
revolutionary Latino youth group of the 1960s. It is accompanied
by interesting pictures, which I think is missing from much
revolutionary history, as the pictures capture the moment and the
real people behind the revolution. Although it is hard to call the
Young Lords "old-school," the '60s being only 40 years ago. But
learning from revolutionaries from the past is a must.
The third issue tops them all, from cover to cover. Blu's
introduction begins with the inspiring phrase "Fight to Win," from
political prisoner Russell "Maroon" Shoatz. The optimism is
recurring throughout the entire issue, which I think gives blu a
"fresh" feel to it, if one could say that. There is a definite
prison theme throughout the third issue (and the whole magazine)
with articles on Mumia, Shoatz, and Assata, all U.S. political
prisoners, plus an article on a Japanese Mumia supporter.
A Sacramento state prisoner writes on the horrors of abuse and
torture in state prisons, shedding some light on how thousands of
prisoners live their daily lives behind bars. Another article
highlights the work of the New Jersey Anarchist Black Cross, a
political-prisoner support group dating back before the Russian
Revolution. All in all, the third issue is highly interesting and
artistic and I'm waiting to see what comes out next.
So if you see this tall magazine on a rack in your neighborhood,
you might want to consider picking it up for the shelf price of
$5. A one-year, six-issue subscription is $27. To reach blu or the
Bruderhof community, call 800-778-8461 or e-mail
[email protected] or visit: www.revolutioncenter.org.
Write to: blu, Revolution Center, Box 517, New Paltz, New York
12561. Peace.
[Adam Welch is a member of Students for Justice at De Anza College
and Food Not Bombs in San Jose, California.]
FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 YRS: Universe-soul Generations
TEXT
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11. Young Revolutionaries: Universe-soul Generations
By Roger Cavazos
Through the years, the development that has come to be known as
"Hip-Hop" has gone through different stages and growing pains.
Many have been absorbed into the whole "rap" scene with million-
dollar videos and popular hype. Through it all, the true have
remained rooted and have made important contributions on their own
terms. The "underground" has been crazy active, independent and
international in the 1990s.
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
The campaign to commercialize and exploit Hip-Hop in the 1980s was
for the most part a success; it still exists. But as time has
advanced, so too have the skills and the seniority of today's B-
boys/girls. Some have been through three decades of dedication to
their craft. Others just came up a few years ago. There has never
been a more intergenerational and global culture of artistry
within Hip-Hop than there is now. It is this broad range of
influences and experiences that make up this "youth culture."
At a time when the United States scene was a little hazy, Hip-Hop
overseas was enjoying a pivotal period of organized international
B-boy competitions (with B-girls present of course). The "Swat
Jam" in Berlin, Germany has been going on since 1991. Another
well-respected, pioneering event out of Berlin is known as the
"Battle of the Year." Both of these events still exist. They
started at the beginning of this decade and would be important
influences on B-boys/girls to organize here in the U.S.
It was around 1994 when the "B-boy Summit" kicked off in
California. Complete with panel discussions as well as battles and
showcases of all sorts, this was one of the first events to bring
together an international community of B-boys/girls all on the
same mission in the U.S. Be it "mic control," "turntabalism," "can
control," or "street dance," events like this provide an
environment for progressive youth to come together and preserve
their art forms.
One of the key organizers of the "B-boy Summit" was actually a
B-girl who goes by the name of "Asia One." A quote from an article
she wrote (from Rap Pages magazine, 1996) reveals her B-girl
activist reasoning:
"Many girls come to the B-boy Summit, peep out the circle and ask
questions at the panels, showing their sincere interest. If we
truly care about our younger sisters, we need to offer them
something else besides the hoochie element."
For reasons too lengthy to examine here, the "B-boy Summit" only
lasted a few years. Still, it was a key influence on others in the
U.S to organize at the grassroots. Other important jams to come up
would be "Radiotron" (held every two or three months), "Freestyle
Sessions," and "Culture Shock" '95 and '96, from up north.
DISTRIBUTION UNDERGROUND STYLE
I was fortunate enough to attend the recent "Pro-Am," which was
held in Miami from May 20-23. Organized by B-boys "Speedy Legs"
and "Zulu Gremlin", this event has blown up in the last few years.
It has continued to provide an international platform for serious
competition. From the moment one arrives at an event like this,
it's plain to see the artistic diversity and community that
exists. Heads from London, Japan, different parts of Germany and
the U.S., to name a few, have come to flex their skills.
Piecebooks are being exchanged all over the place. Mixtapes,
records, all kinds of art is being issued out like a resume. Each
day has a different focus and a different address, which is
revealed by calling a voice mail. The success of this
"underground" organizing is due largely to the fact that these
events are totally conceived and controlled from within by B-
boys/girls who want to pass their culture on to the next
generation. As one panelist, "Break-Easy," explained: "I am an
accountant in the day time, but when I get home I hit the floor.
Every Tuesday-Thursday we hold free clinics all over New York
City. All kind of heads come through, some visiting from other
countries, to practice moves or just vibe with the others. I like
working with kids, but sometimes at the sessions it can be hard to
get them to stay focused. Still, this is how we can keep the art
alive."
Programs such as these reveal the power within the organization of
today's operative B-boys/girls in the "underground." Respect to
all those organizers keeping things interesting and independent.
Respect to those pioneers that made the trip and participated in
panel discussions, battles, showcases, or just spread knowledge at
the "Pro-Am." Of course, I can't forget about the B-girls, whose
respect in this movement has been earned from the jump. "Poet"
from Miami, "Cubana" from Orlando, much respect, don't stop that
body rock. Also to "King Uprock" (upholding the original Brooklyn
Rock style), "Fast-Break" (from "Beat Street"), my man "Break-
Easy," "L-Boogie," and "Shock-a-Lock," glad to make the connects.
Keep it movin. Peace.
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
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TOPIC
07-99 Speakers for a New America / PT Radio
TEXT
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
BODY
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12. Speakers for a New America
Our speakers bring a vision of a new, cooperative world. Send for
a free listing of all of our speakers. Call 773-486-3551 or e-mail
[email protected]
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"International regulations on genetically engineered organisms are
needed. These novel organisms pose clear risks to the environment
and there are also human health considerations associated with
their consumption."
[Doreen Stabinsky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Environmental
Studies, founding member of the Labor Party Science and Technology
Committee.]
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"Drug testing of welfare recipients is a smokescreen to blame
entire populations for the failure of the system. Millions of poor
people are on welfare. The majority are blue-eyed, blonde children
whose mothers are trying to get education and jobs to feed their
kids."
[Maureen Taylor, chair, Michigan Welfare Rights Union, speaking on
Black Entertainment Television about Michigan's new law requiring
welfare recipients to get tested for drugs.]
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"Globalization describes capitalism in the age of electronics."
[Jim Davis, co-editor of the book "Cutting Edge: Technology,
Information, Capitalism, and Social Revolution," has a new article
in the journal Race and Class.]
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"Poverty is not the fate of a marginalized 'underclass.' Poverty
is an experience that will touch the vast majority of Americans
during their adult years. This has revolutionary implications for
society."
[Tom Hirschl, sociologist at Cornell, co-author of a new study
called "The Likelihood of Poverty Across the American Adult
Lifespan" that appeared in Jet Magazine and other newspapers.]
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People's Tribune Radio
People's Tribune Radio is a monthly news and information program
produced by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. For a
free copy to take to your local radio station, call 800-691-6888,
e-mail
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FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************
TOPIC
07-99 Correction
TEXT
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999
P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org
BODY
******************************************************************
13. Correction
Due to an editing error, a student organization at Indiana
University in Bloomington, Indiana was identified incorrectly in
the article on the "Millions for Mumia" march in our June edition.
The organization -- UNITE! -- is an independent student group, not
part of the trade union which goes by the same name.
The People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo regrets the error.
FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 26 No. 7/ July, 1999; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email:
[email protected];
http://www.mcs.com/~league
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************
