People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (08-00) Online Edition

People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (08-00) Online Edition
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08-00 PT Index
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

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INDEX to the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

Editorial
1. BOOMING ECONOMY, BUT WE'RE STILL GETTING STIFFED

News and Features
2. ELECTION 2000: POVERTY IS ISSUE NUMBER ONE
3. THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WATTS UPRISING
4. THE END OF AN ERA IN MEXICO
5. POLICE TERROR IN AMERICA
6. SHARE THE WEALTH

Spirit of the Revolution
7. LETTERS

Music/Poetry/Art
8. SOCIAL NETWAR IMPERILS MUSIC INDUSTRY
9. JONATHAN KOZOL'S "ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS"
10. NO ONE KNOWS NOSES
11. ROBOT MAN

Announcements, Events, etc.
12. LEAGUE OF REVOLUTIONARIES FOR A NEW AMERICA -- NEW IDEAS FOR A
NEW CLASS!
13. WHY F * NDRAISE FOR THE LEAGUE?

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TOPIC
08-00 Edit: Booming economy, but we're still getting stiffed
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

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1. EDITORIAL: BOOMING ECONOMY, BUT WE'RE STILL GETTING STIFFED

The recent rise in the price of gas has had an immediate impact on
the spending of families across the country.

In some areas, the price increase has been as much as $1.00 per
gallon. Those that don't drive will feel the effects as a result
of the increase in transportation costs for all goods. There are
projections that the cost of natural gas will increase between 10
percent and 20 percent by winter.

While the direct effect may at first be limited, the overall
effect can be harsh. The amount of money available to you
determines where your family lives, and therefore what school your
children go to, what kind of medical care they have, if any, how
your family dresses and what they eat. The rise in prices will
affect that further.

This means that we have already lost whatever wage increases we
received over the past year. What we are looking at is a drop in
our standard of living.

The past couple of weeks have been a circus as fingers are pointed
in all directions. We know it isn't the Environmental Protection
Agency or the oil-producing countries.

The reality is an economic crisis is looming on the horizon. Alan
Greenspan has continually increased the interest rates over the
past year. There is concern that unemployment is not high enough
and that wage increases are "heating up" the economy.

These price increases are nothing more than another attempt to
maintain maximum profits in the face of a global system that
cannot sustain itself under the onslaught of electronic technology
and the worldwide polarization of wealth and poverty.

There doesn't have to be a conspiracy between the oil companies,
the heads of major corporations, and the individuals that control
the Federal Reserve, World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund, for them all to be acting together. They all share the same
motivation -- maximum profit. In pursuit of this, they have forced
countries all over the world into austerity programs, raised
prices and cut social programs. Do you think that they would
hesitate one moment to do it here to protect their worldwide
interests? In fact, haven't they already started?

The real question is how do we protect our interests? The
capitalists are not concerned with the fact that there are
millions of children without health care because their parents are
unemployed or underemployed. They don't care that what starts out
as not being able to buy an extra pair of shoes or buying at the
second- hand store ends up as an issue of life, of where and how
we live.

It can be different! We must accept the possibility of change and
a new economic order -- an economic system not based on wages, but
based on the needs of the majority of the people of the country.
We must choose the life and well-being of the American people and
the world.

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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
08-00 Election 2000: Poverty is issue number one
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

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2. ELECTION 2000: POVERTY IS ISSUE NUMBER ONE

As the date for the 2000 election draws closer, a simple, powerful
question confronts every candidate, every party, and -- in one way
or another -- every person in this country: What are we going to
do about the growing poverty in America?

Let's brush aside the lies that are routinely published and look
at the facts. Behind the glitter of the "dot-com" millionaires and
the stock-market frenzy is the real America. In the real America,
some 30 million people go hungry at some time each month. Millions
are destitute and homeless, surviving from day to day by begging,
collecting scrap metal or working day-labor jobs. Millions more
are temps, part-timers or working full time at minimum-wage jobs
with no benefits.

Many homeless people are working full time yet still can't afford
housing. Many people are working two and three jobs just to feed
their families. Tens of millions have no health care or bad health
care. Even the "middle-class" worker is just a paycheck or two
away from being sucked down into the growing new class of poor.

At the top of our society, meanwhile, a tiny handful of
billionaires and multi-millionaires continues to grow fat and
happy.

Isn't there something wrong with a society where people decked out
in diamonds and fur coats are stepping over homeless people laying
on the sidewalk? Isn't there something wrong with a system that
prides itself on throwing women and children off welfare in the
midst of spreading poverty?

The obscene polarization of wealth and poverty in our country is
barely even acknowledged by the so-called "major" parties and
their candidates, and they certainly have not proposed a solution.

The days are gone when the ruling class, to protect its own
interests, handed out certain favors to the working class and
guaranteed a certain standard of living, at least for a large
section of workers. In those days, a thousand economic strings
tied the majority of workers to the ruling class, and that meant
the workers were tied politically to their rulers, as well.

Today, with technology replacing labor in the workplace and the
globalization of capitalism, the economic strings are being cut.
The workers are being told to sink or swim in a global economy. If
you can't make it, tough luck, and don't expect any help from the
government. And don't complain or fight back, or you'll be
answered with bullets and billy clubs.

As the economic strings are being cut, it's time for we, the
people, to cut the political strings that tie us to our enemies.

The identity politics of the past are no longer relevant. These
politics tie the people to the ruling class. The struggle that is
beginning to develop today is a class struggle -- a struggle
between social classes over who will control and organize society.
The question that is slowly coming to the fore is: Will we
continue to have a society where a wealthy handful of people own
and control the economy, and they decide who will prosper and who
will suffer? Or will we have a cooperative society, where the
people own and control the economy, and where everything necessary
to have a full, rich, cultured life is guaranteed to every person?

The politics we need today is class politics -- that is, a
politics based on the working class taking control of society and
reorganizing things in its interest. This is the only solution to
the spreading poverty that is destroying our country, and only the
people can impose this solution on the ruling class.

Imagine the society we could have. Our wealth -- the wealth our
labor created -- and our technology have given us the power to end
poverty, to provide health care and education for all, to give
every one of us the opportunity to reach our fullest potential.
But to do this, we, the people, must first gain control of the
wealth and the technology that we ourselves created. We have every
right to this. And we have the moral obligation to our children
and to history to do so.

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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TOPIC
08-00 The historical significance of the Watts uprising
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

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3. THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WATTS UPRISING

by Nelson Peery

August 11 marks the 35th anniversary of the Watts rebellion. Why
did it happen? Armed, mass uprisings are a specific stage of
struggle against an oppressing state power. In the struggle
against violent oppression, the masses become conscious of
themselves. Rejecting the compromised leadership of the reformist
elite, they inevitably turn to defensive violence.

Watts was the culmination of this process within the African
American freedom movement. The rejection of reformist leadership
and the subsequent fighting in Harlem, Detroit, Brooklyn,
Philadelphia, Cleveland and numerous other places was not lost on
the people of Watts.

By 1965, the distrust of the "power structure," be it black or
white, was near total in the Ghetto. This was clearly shown at the
beginning of the fighting in Watts. The African American newspaper
The Sentinel called the uprising the most disgraceful day in
African American history. The respected "militant" comedian Dick
Gregory mounted a police car with a bull horn and crudely demanded
that the people calm down and go home. A young man with a single-
action .22 hesitated for a moment, then shot Gregory instead of
the cop standing beside him. It is noteworthy that as the fighting
began, not one so-called leader left the police side of the
barricades to defend the interests of the people.

Throughout 1963, 1964 and into 1965, the crisis in the reformist
leadership intensified as the tactics and leadership of the
Freedom Movement shifted back and forth between the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. and the scattered local, semiorganized movements
led by mainly young people who did not have access to city hall.
The SCLC was mainly Southern, based in the churches and the black
middle class. The local movements were throughout the country and
based in the streets. (The excellent video "At the River I Stand"
clearly shows this division during the struggle in Memphis that
led to King's death.)

It was not possible for the SCLC to deal with the thousands of
daily acts of humiliation, brutality, unemployment and poverty
that were part of the system of American apartheid. As the masses
resisting segregation were met by brute force from the police,
they turned toward meeting violence with violence. Any impulse
toward violent defense forced the SCLC to sharpen it's call for
nonviolence, which deepened the division. Nonviolence was the only
form of black struggle acceptable to the white liberals. They were
indispensable to the reform struggle, hence the inability of the
reform leaders to compromise.

An example of this was the situation in Birmingham, Alabama where
black strikers were attacked by dogs, Bull Conner's police force
and mobs of white, civilian fascists. When the workers organized
to defend themselves, Reverend King was brought in to calm the
situation. "Remember always that the nonviolent movement seeks
justice and reconciliation, not victory," he told them. "Let our
blood flow, not theirs."

On August 15, 1965 after observing the situation in Watts, Dr.
King said, "It was necessary that as powerful a police force as
possible be brought in to check them." Police informants advised
against him entering Watts for fear he might be killed.

These quotes are not intended to denigrate Dr. King, who gave his
life in the struggle. Our intent is to show the deepening class
divisions that brought about the uprising.

The police in Watts were an army of occupation. There were daily
arrests and beatings over trivial misdemeanors. Black motorists
were constantly stopped, harassed and humiliated. Rape of black
women by the cops was well known. Just before the uprising, two
cops stopped a young black couple and forced the woman into the
squad car. Her escort, facing their drawn guns, was given the
choice of leaving the area or getting arrested. After the rape,
the woman got the license of the squad car. Nothing was done.

This incident happened only a few weeks after two cops raped a
black woman who worked for the police department. She had the
training to get the numbers and identify the rapists. One cop was
fired and the other given a reprimand. There were no criminal
prosecutions. The rapid development of the fighting was due to a
rumor that the cops had raped another woman. Watts was a tinderbox
waiting for the spark.

Subjectively and objectively, Watts was part of a worldwide,
violent struggle of the world's colored masses for freedom.

The colonial world was quick to understand that the uprising
identified the African American movement with the international
struggle against U.S. imperialism. The Ghanaian Times, reflecting
colonial opinion, stated: "The brutal suppression against Negroes
by the U.S. government should be brought before the bar of world
opinion for a clear judgment. The fact that this happened in the
West is important. It destroyed attempts by the U.S. government to
present the racial issue as a regional, exclusive Southern
affair."

As the fighting ended, powerful right-wing forces moved to change
America. The Reagan group organized the so-called "white backlash"
to grasp power first in California and then in the nation. The
incorporation of the "Dixiecrats" into the Republican Party and
the capture of the Democratic Party by its Southern "liberal"
wing, all have roots in the Watts uprising.

Watts was a mass uprising against white economic exploitation and
police brutality. It was a police riot against the people. It was
not directed against white people in general, nor were whites in
general opposed to it. This was shown by the people of Lynwood who
collected food for the children of Watts.

The last word on the Watts rebellion has yet to be written. One
thing is finally being accepted. That is that the uprising, far
from being an insane orgy of burning and looting, was the heroic
sacrifice that reshaped our concept of American democracy.

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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
08-00 The end of an era in Mexico
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

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4. THE END OF AN ERA IN MEXICO

By Rodolfo Chavez

July 2, 2000 is now referred to as a benchmark in history for
Mexico and all of Latin America. Finally, the people of Mexico
have been able to loosen the noose that had been choking them for
71 years! Finally, the political conditions of Mexico allowed for
this change, and the demagoguery, political authoritarianism,
corruption, and oppression by which the Revolutionary
Institutional Party (known as the PRI), maintained its livelihood
could be done away with once and for all. It is no small wonder
that the people of Mexico rejoice to no end for this
accomplishment and validate their experience of throwing away the
PRI to the worst garbage receptacles of history.

The moment in time was marked by the victory of Vicente Fox,
candidate of the coalition that championed the slogan "Alliance
for Change." It is worth noting that he prevails from a
conservative viewpoint of the political right. Winning the
majority of votes, he won the presidency of Mexico and ended the
reign of the PRI, and as such its power to decide the future of
the country.

Much to the PRI's chagrin, they had entered these elections
confident they would triumph once again, even though they knew
they didn't have the overwhelming power of their past. They were
relying on the old tactical habits of fraud and violent coercion
always at the reach of their fingertips. But as fate would have
it, they could not impose the kind of will that was so strongly
demonstrated back in 1988, when they stole the election from
presidential candidate Cuatemoc Cardenas (currently the first
democratically elected mayor of Mexico City).

This round, with a completely trashed reputation, no credibility
whatsoever and no moral ground, the PRI faced their defeat by
losing the presidential power they had held on to so dearly as
absolute dictators that manipulated the truth and reality of the
needs of its people in a most demagogic form. As such, this ends a
stage in the history of Mexico and serves as part of the process
for power that resulted after an armed revolutionary struggle.
Notwithstanding, this happens after the PRI has ransacked Mexico
by exploiting all of its natural resources, bequeathing to the
country a practically unpayable foreign debt, and sickening the
people with corruption. Adding insult to injury, they continuously
battered the workers by infusing a national system of patronage
and servitude so sinister in its nature, that it even fomented
what is now an intrinsic part of a narco-drug trafficking element
in its midst. All are social ills that cannot be eradicated for
generations to come. So ends the reign of the PRI and its control
of the presidency. The results: torn political interests, broken
complicit ties and the betrayal of loyalties -- all variables that
maintained a political system and dynamic of Mexican politics.

At this precise moment, it is insurmountably difficult to avoid
emotionally charged commentaries. Not even the most brilliant of
intellectuals in Mexico, including those who are a part of the
left, can avoid the emotional rush. Though it must be stated that
what the people are celebrating is the fall of the PRI and not
Fox's victory, the act in and of itself brings a multitude of
issues and possibilities that entertain new scenarios. Anything is
possible and nothing is restrained. It is nothing short of being
expected, especially when the country is waking up from a
nightmare of never-ending aggravation, injustice, crime, economic
desperation, and constant taunting by the system of the PRI. They
were at a point they couldn't take it anymore. Therefore, no one
can resist the euphoria, the popular celebrations and exclamations
of happiness as the PRI collapses, and yet ... the happiness is
not complete.

It is true that the end of this political regime was a result of a
popular vote, but this does not mean the automatic implementation
of democracy, much less the establishment of a political system
rooted and committed to the majority of the impoverished Mexican
people, their interests or their needs.

Vicente Fox (former Coca-Cola CEO) is a man of the political
right. He won the election as a representative of the National
Action Party (known as the PAN), with the largest representation
and clout of the political right. Both he and the PAN have an
affinity to and interest in the process of unmerciful
globalization and the implementation of neoliberalism, which is
great news for the economic giants of Mexico's ruling class, and
of course for Washington.

Vicente Fox stole the center stage of Mexico's politics; his
unconventional character, charisma, directness, and smooth sayings
won him the popular support he needed. As he launched himself into
the intrepid battle for the presidency, he forced his political
party to abide by his rules and could only do so by the strength
derived from a large business sector and a grouping of renowned
intellectuals that provided him with support and astute
assessments. Thus he was able to force the PAN into declaring him
the presidential candidate and to build a victorious political
campaign that brought in a majority of the votes. Of course to
accomplish this, he had to steal the votes from the left, so in
turn he was forced to promise the voting sector things he will
never be able to fulfill. The reality is that his promises are in
contradiction with his convictions and political principles, and
the magnitude of the problems that face Mexico require fundamental
change not palatable rhetoric or reforms to make a "better
administration."

And so the people of Mexico, who still don't know democracy, are
going to inaugurate a populist government of the political right
to substitute for a Priista political system. This has required
the vile deception of the PAN disguising itself, when opportune,
with a rhetoric that seemingly bears a resemblance to the
political left. As one can see, the triumph of Vicente Fox and the
PAN does not equate to disaster for those who are part of the
oligarchy that sought to sit the PRI's Labastida in the
presidential chair. In fact, they realigned themselves and bought
into the "fox flow" who hold the same interests as theirs.

It is worth repeating: Fox's political line is to continue the
economic model of neoliberalism and safeguarding its macro-
economic aspects. Up to this point, in a country with a dependent
capitalist system (principally upon the U.S.), this socio-economic
model has served to make the minority of rich only richer and the
majority of poor only poorer, thus subordinating the workers of
Mexico to the will and whims of the metropolis of those who own
great capital. Let it be clear, Fox is not the messiah of Mexico
who promised to convert the bitter bile that most of the people
have to swallow every day in the struggle for survival to sweet
delectable wine. In the meantime, we will continue to celebrate
the fiesta (not for long), and soon crash into our harsh reality
that will take us in search, once again, of better horizons.

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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
08-00 Police terror in America
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
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5. POLICE TERROR IN AMERICA

[Editor's note: In mid-July, the nation was subjected to the
televised spectacle of a horde of Philadelphia police officers
beating Thomas Jones as they arrested him on a carjacking charge.
This horrifying sight was just one more bit of proof that the
police in this country are out of control. The statement below
regarding the implications of the spiraling police terror in
America is from the League of Revolutionaries for a New America.]

It seems that every time you turn on the news, the police have
shot another unarmed civilian, and yet another "get tough on
crime" law has been passed giving the police more power over our
daily lives. We hear again and again of police framing innocent
people, of torture and brutality in the jails, of frightening new
laws that strip us of our constitutional rights. Not long ago, one
cop caught in a corruption scandal summed up the power and the
arrogance of the police this way: "On the street," he said, "the
police are God."

Precisely because of this situation, a relatively small but
growing section of the population no longer regards the police, or
the government they represent, as legitimate. All of this has
serious implications for the possibility of revolutionary change
in America.

Our society is divided into haves and have-nots, between those
whose labor has built the country but who have little and those
who contribute nothing to society but who own and control its
wealth. The ruling class -- those who own the country -- had to
create a system of laws to protect their property. Then, they had
to create a police force and a prison system to enforce those
laws. This was plainly seen in the laws that regulated slavery and
that kept the slave a slave and the master a master. The system of
laws and police power that keep the poor, poor and the rich, rich
is called the state.

In the America of 1900, the image of the cop who lived in the
neighborhood, and who was known and trusted by the people in that
neighborhood, was at least partially true. In many small towns
this is still true today. But in most of America, things have
changed. With the concentration of wealth in the hands of a very
few and the growth of huge cities with masses of poor people, the
police have increasingly come to look upon the people as potential
criminals who must be controlled rather than protected.

The social consequences of the technology revolution are
intensifying this trend. Never before in our history has there
been such a wide gulf between the poor and the rich. The ruling
class knows that the economic changes that are casting so many
into poverty are bound to create huge social upheavals, so they
are creating a code of laws to control the mass of people who will
inevitably struggle against their deteriorating conditions.

What we are seeing today is the beginning of the process of the
state separating itself from the people. This is reflected in the
growing violence and brutality of the police, and also in the new
laws granting the police greater powers and giving them
responsibilities that have traditionally been handled by civilian
authorities.

The developing separation between the people and the state has
profound implications. So long as the state was closely connected
to the people, revolutionary change was not possible. Now, such
change is daily becoming more possible -- and necessary -- as the
state loses legitimacy in the eyes of a growing number of people.
This is more than a struggle against police brutality. It is the
beginning of the fight against an emerging fascist, police state.
And it is the fight for a whole new cooperative society where
there will not be a need for a state that polices the people.

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
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TOPIC
08-00 Share the wealth
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
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6. SHARE THE WEALTH

I don't want to be a millionaire.

No, Regis, I don't want to be a millionaire. ... Nor do I want to
be on an island eating rats in order to vote the other rat-eaters
off so that I can win a million dollars.

No, I am not missing the "I want to be rich" gene. I do want to be
rich -- rich with a loving family, caring friends, rich in a
healthy community in balance with nature, rich in rewarding work
that improves the human prospect for the next generation. I want
to be able to earn a living through meaningful work that provides
me with enough money to take care of my family, own a comfortable
home, drive a safe car, send my children to college and have
health care until the end of my life. And I want this for everyone
else.

Until we have this kind of wealth, our world will continue to be
impoverished by economic conditions which create extreme wealth
for the few (1 percent in the U.S.) and extreme poverty for the
many (1 billion on earth who live on less than $1 a day). Until we
all agree to create a world of dignity for all humans, we shall
have famine, immigrants so desperate for any job that they risk a
grotesque death by asphyxiation in cargo containers, and wars
between competing groups, each exploited because of their
desperate poverty,

I do not want to be a millionaire -- and that is my final answer!
But I do want my human right to earn a comfortable living by
honest work, and demand that right for all others. How about a TV
show called "Who wants to share the wealth?" with millionaires
competing against each other to provide food, health care or
housing for their minimum-wage employees?

Gil Villagran

FOOTER
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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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
08-00 Spirit of the Revolution
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People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
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7. SPIRIT OF THE REVOLUTION: LETTERS

[Editor's note: The following was a speech given by Rev. Larry
Turpin to a crowd in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood that had
assembled before marching to defend "Diversity, Affordability and
Justice." The march was led by the Rogers Park Community Action
Network, which has been doing work for some time among the people
being displaced from Section 8 and other housing for the purpose
of "cleaning up" the neighborhood. The base of the march was
primarily in three area churches: the United Church of Rogers
Park, which has for years been a center of socially conscious
activity; the Good News Church north of Howard Street, which is
the center of the organizing against the displacement; and the
Rogers Park Presbyterian Church where Rev. Turpin is the minister.
Rev. Turpin has also been active in the battle to save Madison
Hobley, currently on death row. The speech is in the form of a
letter to the neighborhood's alderman.]

May 13, 2000

Dear Alderman Moore,

All of God's creatures are unique and infinitely valuable. This
estimation of worth is in sharp contrast with the way our economy
values human beings and their various skills. While our
capitalistic system may be a terrific engine of production, it
also has many less desirable outcomes. One of these is that some
people receive such meager compensation for their work that they
are not able to secure basic food and shelter for themselves and
their families.

We need to repeat this fact over and over again because there is
such overwhelming misinformation and denial in our society. Most
Americans like to think that they receive what they deserve for
their work. The logic of this proceeds to condemn some members of
our society to a status of not deserving adequate food, shelter or
medical care. Most Americans like to think that if you work hard
you will make it. This belief ignores the fact that capitalism
tends toward creating a class of people that are systematically
robbed of resources and trapped at the lowest levels of economic
means.

As residents of Rogers Park, we live in the midst of such a
society. One of the aspects of this community that drew me to this
area years ago, and that makes living here more sane, has been
that we were a whole community. By that I mean that we were not so
segregated on the basis of skin color or ethnic or cultural
background. We also have been a community of people in all stages
of life and at different economic levels. I have delighted in the
wholeness of the Rogers Park community because I find that life
becomes more artificial and less meaningful as we are separated
and divided up by the lies and barriers of human pride and
selfishness.

As a somewhat neglected corner of the city of Chicago, the Rogers
Park community thrived. Now that we are in the grip of urban
planners and developers and speculators, our community is
threatened. Participation in the mainstream of this American
economic boom means accepting the half-truths and lies that
systems of human greed perpetuate. Becoming marketable means being
more segregated, more upper-income, more selfish.

To counter such trends takes herculean effort. We will not keep
our community with a few token projects. We will not preserve the
human diversity, the wholeness, the meaningfulness of our
community life by being well intended. We need strong leadership
and hard work. The goal of a whole community is rarely achieved,
but well worth it. We need you to work with us.

Sincerely,

Larry E. Turpin

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
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
08-00 Social netwar imperils music industry
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

8. SOCIAL NETWAR IMPERILS MUSIC INDUSTRY

by Reetmo Dog

Since the dawn of humanity, people have written zillions of songs
about poetic justice. So it's even more wonderful that millions
of music lovers worldwide are staging a net attack on the Music
Industry to download music for free. These guys have worked for
years to turn the beauty that elevates our spirits into grungy
commodities. Nobody ever gave them the right to hold hostage our
natural humanity.

The Big Five (Sony, Warner, BMG, EMI and Universal) often charges
$17 or more for CDs. Last year, they earned more than $14 billion
in revenue just in the U.S. alone. These crooks have been ripping
off both the artists and the public for years. The average CD
costs less than 25 cents to manufacture; around $2 (about 12
percent of the sales price) gets back to the artists who write and
create the music. All the rest goes to capitalists who add
absolutely nothing and spend most of their time censoring what we
hear.

The Industry's dilemma is that, in the Digital Age, Internet
technology empowers people to copy their favorite music absolutely
free! Who is going to pay $17 or even $1.70 for music they can
get for free? Over 11 million Americans have already downloaded
free music using file-sharing programs that anyone with a computer
can use. This is a form of social netwar -- using networks to
attack hierarchies of power -- which is increasingly becoming a
form of social conflict in the post-Industrial Era. The Seattle
actions against the World Trade Organization were all about using
ideas and networks to mount a political offensive. The Zapatistas
called on the organizations of civil society to besiege the
Mexican government in their name. Rappers have used netwar to get
their work out without relying on commercial networks. The Elian
Gonzalez conflict was a classic netwar.

The Big Five have responded by suing Napster for copyright
infringement. Napster, based on MP3 technology, is the most
popular music-swapping service. But there's the bad news and then
there's the worse news. The bad news is that the Free Software
Movement has other file-sharing technologies already in operation.
Since the spring, when they were first posted on the Internet,
thousands of eager programmers have cloned them into dozens of
different forms. Gnutella-type programs permit file sharing
without centralized Internet sites (see either
http://www.cdfreaks.com/ or http://gnutella.wego.com/).

In March, Irish programmer Ian Clarke released Freenet, which
allows you to acquire and exchange material anonymously. Clarke
stated in an interview: "I have two words for these companies:
give up. There is no way they are going to stop this technology."

The worse news is that in a couple of years these networks will
have the technical capacity to download books, art and even
movies. It's just a matter of time before personal computers have
enough "band-width" (a measure of how many bits per second one can
download). Then all Hell is going to break loose. Electronic
technology increases the capacity of networks to destroy
hierarchies because it gives individuals the chance to speak
directly to entire networks and act jointly.

For perhaps 8000 years, human affairs have been organized by
hierarchies that are top-down: kings, governments, armies,
bureaucracies, corporations, etc. Every hierarchy controls
information in an attempt to orchestrate what people think. Now
regular human beings, networked by personal computers, can respond
collectively, cooperatively, collaboratively and creatively to
counter these inflexible systems. Increasingly, networks can join
together to impose their will on the hierarchies. It doesn't even
really require much high technology.

The Music Industry is the classic case. Once the artists create
and record a song, the capitalists then decide if they want to
sell it (censorship). Then they charge the artists to package it
and to distribute (sell) it to outlets. Once we buy it at jacked-
up retail prices, the artists supposedly get their cut. This is
the traditional marketing hierarchy with the boys at the top
deciding what is going to be recorded and distributed, and the
musicians and the public at the bottom.

Well the big boys are between a rock and a hard place this time.
Their dream of interactive shopping networks on the "Information
Super Highway" require that millions of people use computers and
telecommunications. Surprise! Suddenly the moral issues that
were bottled up by hierarchies ("Take it or leave it, chump!")
raise their heads anew: "Riiiiiight ... well, let's just take it!"
People are going to use this same technology to make their own
networks -- any way they like and for free! At the other end,
strong artistic performances can finally be rewarded for their
contributions and their vision.

And so it is that Global Capitalism sows another seed of its own
destruction. The crisis of the Music Industry is one of the first
clear examples of how networks -- a superior and profoundly human
form of organization -- begin to erode the power of hierarchies.
Sowing the seeds is one thing. Reaping the harvest is quite
another, for this requires concerted human effort.

The nightmare of capitalism -- with its hierarchies, exploitation,
oppression, pollution, human destruction and paltry vision of the
future -- is not yet over. It's no accident that the hottest area
of social conflict is the realm of ideas. The natural state of
information is to be free and this is compelling people to change
their thinking. The battle against the Music Industry shows us a
glimpse of the future. Life doesn't have to be organized for
exploitation and misery. A better world is in birth.

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************

TOPIC
08-00 Jonathan Kozol's Ordinary Resurrections
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

9. JONATHAN KOZOL'S "ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS"

By Lew Rosenbaum

Why, when we look into our children's eyes, must we think of "what
they will be when they grow up?" Why does our society value
children only in terms of their future productivity? Why, in the
eyes of our calculated and calculating system, are children merely
immature commodities, a vast "futures market" for Wall Street to
play with?

After more than 30 years of writing about children and education,
Jonathan Kozol asks these pointed questions in the heart of his
new book, "Ordinary Resurrections." From his first book, "Death at
an Early Age," to this new volume, Kozol brings to his subject a
fiercely partisan, angry consciousness on behalf of the children.
He describes his new book as less angry, but only because he
celebrates the pleasure he takes in the company of children who
are wonderful in themselves.

The book is a memoir, a selection of anecdotes and commentary,
from years of visiting families in the South Bronx neighborhood of
Mott Haven. The poverty level and the educational opportunity in
this neighborhood are comparable to that of "third world"
countries. Yet the children are as much a joy as any children and
live lives of joy as well as sorrow.

But while Kozol argues for valuing children for themselves, he
treads a fine line. He knows the children must face a future that
is rigidly determined for them. Thousands of children enter one
high school in this neighborhood; only a handful actually
graduates. Kozol has one eye on the present, but with the other he
looks at their future and wonders, why this American apartheid?
Why do some well-meaning educators aim to improve the training
programs for entry-level jobs for these children in Mott Haven?
Why not look for doctors and teachers in these schools? Why not
professors and poets? Why will so many of these young people
follow in the footsteps of fathers and mothers, sisters and
brothers, and enter the prison population rather than the job
market?

While sociologists make their living explaining these phenomena,
Kozol won't accept explaining away the inequality, the disregard
for young lives. "Ordinary Resurrections" are the ways young
people manage to resume their lives in the face of great despair.
Without ever stating it so bluntly, Kozol captures the essence of
children's existence, which is, for the global economy, merely a
commodity. For Kozol, however, it does not have to be this way.

At the same time, Kozol captures the heroism and frustration of
teachers dedicated to the education (not "training") of young
people. Caught in the contradiction between helping each
individual child, here and now, and knowing that their influence
will soon be dissipated in the systemic morass that awaits the
children, these teachers do their best to fight back, one child at
a time.

When I sit in my living room, watching my grandchildren
investigate and soak up everything in their environment, I pray
that they may meet teachers like those Kozol describes. And I know
that, even if they do, they will be hard put to survive the other
obstacles they face.

Increasingly the global electronic marketplace is replacing the
value of human labor as a commodity with robotic or computerized
labor. Increasingly our children face a future in which their
labor will be valueless. The economic system itself is posing the
question: What about the intrinsic value of human beings? Thinking
of my grandchildren, I want to put Kozol's book in the hands of
every educator, every propagandist. Books like "Ordinary
Resurrections" show us that now, for the first time, we -- freed
from the necessity to be commodities -- can be truly creative
human beings!

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************

TOPIC
08-00 No One Knows Noses
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Dreamerspoint

What are your visions of the future?
http://redrival.com/dreamerspoint/

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

10. NO ONE KNOWS NOSES

by Larry Tilander

Programming the mobile sentient assistant nanny wasn't as easy as
I thought. The darned thing was so literal in it's interpretation
that every order had to be considered carefully for days, and then
explained for hours. Even then one had to watch for days in case a
small error in syntax had it doing something undesirable. Take for
example the nose wiping fiasco.

I said to that fathead of a robot, "Max, some of the kids have
colds, and their noses need to be wiped off. Can you take care of
that?"

"YES MR. LAWRENCE." It replied.

It's a good thing we were just using the model 17 dummies. It had
sanded every nose that gave a simulated sniffle right smooth to
the face. Each looked like the blossom of some new and strange
orchid. I had to laugh.

"Max. That was rather a bit of overkill."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MR. LAWRENCE?"

"I mean that the idea in wiping noses is to wipe the mucus from
the noses, not the noses from the faces."

"SORRY MR. LAWRENCE. I'M MAKING A NOTE OF THAT."

There was still the hurdle of convincing it that it was best to
wait for the mucus to put in an appearance on the outside of the
nose, "BUT WOULDN'T IT BE MORE EFFICIENT TO EXTRACT IT ALL AT ONCE
MR. LAWRENCE?"

"No Max."

"WHY NOT?"

"Because it would hurt the human involved and thus violate your
prime directive Max." Thank Heaven for the prime directive. It was
like telling a 3-year-old, "Because mommy says." They stopped
arguing for a while.

The last major hurdle in the path to clean and happy noses was
surprisingly enough a legal one.

"Here Max, take this Kleenex and wipe that snotty nose for the
director and show him what a good nanny you are."

"THAT ISN'T A KLEENEX MR. LAWRENCE. IT'S A PUFFS."

"But we call everything that looks like that a Kleenex Max."

"THAT SEEMS TO BE A COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT MR. LAWRENCE, AND IT
ISN'T WISE TO MESS WITH COPYRIGHTS. SOME OF THE STRICTEST LAWS OF
THE LAND ARE MADE TO DEAL WITH COPYRIGHT LAWS. STEALING
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS SEVERELY PUNISHED."

I wondered again where they had salvaged the central unit for this
machine. "Look Max, a long time ago a judge ruled that this was OK
in the case of Kleenex, and a few other brand names that had
fallen into common usage, and if you don't accept that, you will
be hurting the judge, as well as all the millions of people who
have accepted this decision, and that would violate your prime
directive."

"YES MR. LAWRENCE."

[Check out Larry at:
http://sites.netscape.net/larryfig/index.html]

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************

TOPIC
08-00 Robot Man
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Dreamerspoint

What are your visions of the future?
http://redrival.com/dreamerspoint/

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

11. ROBOT MAN

Lyrics by Andy Willis

Who's that little metal man
that I've been hearin' about.
They say he does the work of ten
and never punches out.
I saw him on the TV screen
and at the picture show.
They say he'll take my job one day
now that I didn't know.

(Refrain)
Robot man please leave me alone
You ain't got no kids to feed
You ain't even got a home.

You know he don't complain.
He don't talk back.
He don't even eat.
He don't get tired.
He don't perspire.
Ain't got no achin' feet.
You try to work beside him
And he'll run you in the ground.
The boss will be deciding
that he don't need you around.

Remember how your Dad told you about that old boll weevil and how
he ruined everything and how he was so evil. Son, I'm tellin' you
today that weevil couldn't do half the screwin' up little R2D2 do.

Now I am all for progress
and I dreamed of better days,
When machines would do the hard work
and I would laugh and play.
Now I can see that ain't gonna be,
they kicked me out at 42.
Now what's gonna come of me.

Now, Baby, tell me that you love me
and you still think I'm cute.
That I am still your only one,
there ain't no substitute.
I don't want to hear no steel feet
clanging round my door.
Cause if he loves like he works
I'll blow him up for sure.

[Andy Willis is a member of the band the Amoreys. You can check
them out at: http://www.totk.com/amoreys/index.cfm]

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************

TOPIC
08-00 League of Revolutionaries for a New America
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

12. LEAGUE OF REVOLUTIONARIES FOR A NEW AMERICA -- NEW IDEAS FOR A
NEW CLASS!

Who is the League of Revolutionaries for a New America?

We are people from all walks of life who refuse to accept that
there should be great suffering in a world of great abundance.
Together, we can inspire people with a vision of a cooperative
world where the full potential of each person can contribute to
the good of all. Together we can get our message of hope out on
radio and television, in places of worship, union halls, and in
the streets. We don't have all the answers, but we are confident
that, together, we can free the minds of the millions of people
who liberate humanity. The LRNA offers its speakers, its radio,
and its paper to introduce the new ideas that are needed for
revolutionary change. Join us in the fight for a new cooperative
society!

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE RADIO

LISTEN UP!

Sizzling summer sounds can be heard on PTR! Listen for our August
sounds coming soon!

Get your local radio stations connected. Let them know about PTR
and how they can download the radio programs for free at
http://www.ptradio.org in Real Audio and MP3 format.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

SPEAKERS FOR A NEW AMERICA

The 30th anniversary of the 1970 Chicano Moratorium is August 30.
This anti-Vietnam war protest was the largest Mexican American
protest in American History. Speakers are available who were
participants. They discuss why it was a turning point in their
struggle for justice, and it's significance for today's struggle
for unity and a new cooperative society. Send for a free listing
of all our speakers. Call 1-800-691-6888, e-mail [email protected]
or visit our web page at http://www.lrna.org

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

HOW TO CONTACT US!

LRNA: CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB!
P.O. Box 477113
Chicago, IL 60647
http://www.lrna.org

Call toll free: 800-691-6888

SPEAKERS
e-mail [email protected]
773-486-0028
Visit our website at http://www.mcs.net /~speakers

PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE RADIO

For more information call 800-691-6888. Visit the web site

http://www.ptradio.org Call our producer Mike Thornton at 530-271-
0804 or e-mail [email protected]

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

I want to subscribe to the People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo.

___ Please send me a one-year individual subscription. My check or
money order for $20 is enclosed.

___ Please send me a one-year institutional subscription. My check
or money order for $25 is enclosed.

Join with others to make the vision of a world of plenty a reality

I want to join the League of Revolutionaries for a New America.

___ Send me a bundle of 5__ 10__ 25__ 50__ 100__ People's
Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo to get out in my city. (Bundles are
only 15 cents per copy)

___ Send me a membership kit so I can build a chapter of the
League of Revolutionaries for a New America in my city.

___ I want a speaker in my city. Send me a "Speakers for a New
America" brochure.

___ I want to make a financial donation.

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone

E-mail

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************

TOPIC
08-00 Why f * ndraise for the League?
TEXT
******************************************************************
People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo (Online Edition)
Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000

P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.lrna.org

BODY
******************************************************************

13. WHY F * NDRAISE FOR THE LEAGUE?

Because we understand history calls upon us to meet the challenge
of reorganizing society ... we need U!

Because we have a vision to share that can give the American
people something to believe in and fight for ... we need U!

Because the facts that one in six children go to bed hungry every
night; 9.8 million people 65 or older live alone; 44 million
people have no health insurance; and the state spends $30,000 per
person a year to incarcerate and only $7,000 a year to educate ...
we need U!

Because people are homeless while there are vacant homes; families
work more hours than ever to barely survive; and many lives are
lost crossing a border in search of survival, when one life is
too many to be sacrificed ... we need U!

Because we know that anyone with a heart, mind and soul cannot
live with these conditions that immorally destroy, rape and
pillage the hope and future of humanity ... we need U!

Because we have many members who have vested their lives in this
struggle for social change and we have many more to come ... we
need U!

Because we must do whatever it takes to reach 265 million hearts
and minds in America with our newspaper, radio program, tapes,
forums, speakers and web site ... we need U!

Because we are an organization of revolutionaries and understand
we can only accomplish our tasks collectively by building our
financial resources, increasing our membership and relying on your
contributions of the mind ... we need U!

Because we have made the commitment, accepted a program and
understand the opportunity and challenges ahead ... we need U!

Because if we don't come together and resolve our financial
crisis, our opportunity to make a historic change will be forever
lost!

REVOL*TION ... the only thing missing is U!

LRNA Fundraising Committee: Joyce Brody, Liz Monge, Carlos
Rodriguez, Andy Willis

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH:

* $3,000 for the Propaganda Offensive immediately.

* $20,000 Donor Campaign to cover National Office rehabilitation
costs.

* Increase LRNA's monthly income by $1,000 to sustain the costs of
the organization.

When:

We need to do this immediately within two months for the short-
term goals of the Propaganda Offensive and the Donor Campaign. The
more long-term goal of increasing our monthly income will involve
creative planning and effective implementation by our Areas by the
end of the year. We need to evaluate experience in preparation for
the upcoming National Committee Meeting and LRNA Convention.

EXCITING UPDATE!

* $10,000 has been raised for the Donor Campaign.

* The Chicago Area has already announced their annual fundraiser
to take place in October with Cheri Honkala as keynote speaker and
a projected earning of $5,000.

* What is your Area doing? Let us know or ask us questions by
sending e-mail to [email protected]

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

FOOTER
******************************************************************
This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 27 No. 8/ August, 2000; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: [email protected]; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers.
******************************************************************