I'm developing a few problems with it myself. After spending most of my
life dealing with the assumption that antizionism was antisemitism they
recently ran an article equating the two. This two state position and
that article is completely at odds with what the party's position has
always been.
On 6/12/2016 11:33 AM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
Good reading, Roger. Maybe just enough positive stuff to nudge my
lazy bones into researching the Socialist Worker's platform in depth.
Kennedy and Martin do present a place to lodge a solid protest vote.
In past elections I have voted for the socialist worker's candidates
for governor. But despite some misgivings regarding our two US
Senators, Maria Cantwell (D)Since 2001
Patty Murray (D)Since 1993
I have not broken rank with the State Democrats, in an effort to stave
off the election of a Republican to add to the Block Headed Pack in
the US congress, doing their best to tear down what social benefits
still exist for Americans.
In the past, many years back, I had problems with the socialist
worker's platforms, but can't remember what it was. I will take a
long look at their modern Party before deciding where to place my
vote.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/12/16, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
http://themilitant.com/2016/8024/802401.html
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 80/No. 24 June 20, 2016
(lead article)
SWP: Capitalism wastes human ability, potential
Tenn. worker: ‘We sure need something different!’
Militant/Maggie Trowe
John Benson, left, talks with Robin Long while campaigning for Socialist
Workers Party in Memphis, Tennessee, June 4.
BY MAGGIE TROWE
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Campaigners for the Socialist Workers Party talked with
unionists at the 7 a.m. shift change at the Kellogg’s plant here June 6,
where members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain
Millers union fought a nine-month lockout in 2013-14. Some remembered
that SWP members walked the picket lines and covered the fight in the
Militant.
“We’re a little more unionized and a little stronger,” said Steve
Boswell when he pulled his car over to talk. “But we’re still fighting
for our back pay and benefits.”
“Kellogg’s thought we’d be forced to accept concessions,” said
maintenance worker Todd Parnell. “The workforce here is half Caucasian
and half African American, and the bosses thought we wouldn’t be able to
unify. But we came together. Things are different than they used to be.”
Parnell subscribed to the Militant, seven workers bought single copies
of the paper and two made contributions totaling $12.
This response is common, as the Socialist Workers Party campaigns across
the country, from here and Minnesota to Washington state, discussing and
debating the way forward for working people with workers on their
doorsteps, as well as at picket lines and at factory gates.
Teams campaigned here and in Nashville, Chattanooga, Jackson,
Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Lebanon, Knoxville, Alcoa and Johnson City May
29-June 6.
“We sure need something different, because it’s going the wrong way,”
Joey Yopp, a retired gas company worker from a union family, said June 4
at his door in Memphis. Yopp has been favorable to Donald Trump and
Bernie Sanders. He and many others signed to put the Socialist Workers
Party presidential ticket of Alyson Kennedy and Osborne Hart on the
state ballot.
The same day John Benson talked with Robin Long on her porch. Long has a
chronic illness and is on disability, but would like to find work she
could handle. “Just because you’re disabled doesn’t mean you can’t do
anything useful,” she told Benson.
“Under capitalism there’s a tremendous waste of human potential and
creativity,” he agreed. Long signed to put the SWP ticket on the ballot.
“This means I could have someone to vote for,” she said.
In Nashville June 2 John Miller called his wife, Pascale Killian, to the
door to talk about the SWP’s political perspective. Killian, a nurse,
subscribed to the Militant and got a copy of Is Socialist Revolution in
the U.S. Possible? “It’s getting closer than it was a few years ago,”
she said, referring to the book’s title. Miller signed to be an SWP
elector.
During nine days of door-to-door campaigning, Socialist Workers Party
supporters collected 456 signatures and secured 11 electors, sold 38
Militant subscriptions and nearly 100 single copies and more than a
dozen books.
❖
BY JOHN STUDER
SEATTLE — SWP presidential candidate Alyson Kennedy visited Spokane,
Washington, June 4-7 to join the picket line of International
Association of Machinists Local 86 members at Triumph Composite Systems
and to discuss the party’s revolutionary working-class program with area
workers on their doorsteps. She was joined by Mary Martin, SWP candidate
for governor of Washington; Eleanor García, SWP candidate for U.S.
Senate from California, who works for a nonunion Triumph plant in Los
Angeles; and supporters.
The Triumph workers have been on the picket line since May 11, fighting
company demands to keep a divisive two-tier wage scheme, deny pensions
to new workers and raise health care costs (see article on front page).
The visit came as SWP supporters were wrapping up a three-week effort to
introduce the party across the state, win new readers to the Militant,
familiarize workers with books from Pathfinder Press on working-class
history and the SWP’s program and gather signatures to put Kennedy and
Hart on the ballot. In Spokane, 10 of the 111 workers who signed got
subscriptions. Statewide more than 1,650 — well over the 1,000
requirement — signed to get the party on the ballot.
“Where I work, a lot of workers have been quitting because we haven’t
got a union and get just $12.50 to $18 an hour,” Stephan Teah, an
assembler at Exotic Metals, which like Triumph makes parts for Boeing,
told Kennedy. “When I found out that workers at Triumph were fighting
for better conditions, I said ‘Yes!’ I drive by the picket line every
day and wave.”
Oppose assault on Trump supporters
Socialist Workers Party campaigners talked about a variety of political
questions in the news as well as how the working class needs to organize
independently of the bosses and fight to defend the interests of all the
oppressed.
“The physical assaults on Trump supporters are an attack on the working
class,” Kennedy told many workers she met in Spokane, referring to the
June 2 attack on people leaving a rally in San Jose, California.
“Workers were sucker-punched coming out of the meeting, and had eggs and
other objects thrown at them,” she said. “The liberal press and
left-wing groups that claim Trump is a fascist actually see those who
back him as the real danger and view them as stupid, reactionary ‘trash.’
“These growing attacks on our class show we need to organize to fight
for workers power,” Kennedy said. “And they are making some look to the
Socialist Workers Party.”
One man who answered his door said he was backing Donald Trump because
he has something different to offer. Kennedy responded that workers need
to organize and prepare to fight for political power themselves. His
wife came over. “I don’t like any of the other candidates,” she said. “I
like what you say and the fact that you’re a worker.”
Three others in the house joined in, all saying they were attracted to
Bernie Sanders. All five signed the petition, and they got a subscription.
Kennedy and Martin were interviewed by Spokane radio station KYRS.
❖
BY CANDACE WAGNER
MINNEAPOLIS —“Hi, my name is Candace,” I say. “If you have a moment I’d
like to tell you about my organization, the Socialist Workers Party. We
think that organizing working people ourselves is the answer to the
crisis we face.” The door swings open. “Come in. Sit down.”
In the past two weeks, hundreds of doorstep and living room discussions
about the crisis of capitalism and the revolutionary perspective put
forward by the SWP have taken place in over 25 towns and cities across
Minnesota. As a result, over 100 people have signed up for subscriptions
to the party’s newspaper, 25 purchased books and many made financial
contributions. Some 1,500 have signed petitions so far toward the 2,400
goal to put the SWP ticket on the ballot.
“We need to do in this country what the Cuban workers and farmers did in
1959 and take political power,” said Lisa Rottach, talking with retired
Marine Ron Dalrymple at his door. “I was stationed in Guantánamo,” he
responded, referring to the military base Washington imposed on Cuban
territory. After further discussion, he purchased a subscription to the
Militant to learn more.
Pam White described her many years work as a nursing assistant. “They
don’t care about the patients. It’s hurry them in and hurry them out,”
she said. “I prefer non-union, but from the changes I’ve seen, now I
think we need unions.”
SWP campaigners are meeting workers with struggle experience. An older
worker in Austin remembered the party from the 1980s strike of
packinghouse workers there against the Hormel Corporation. A woman in
Osseo described the successful organizing drive of her workplace into
the Teamsters union. A union healthcare aide said that she will be
walking the picket line with the Allina nurses if they vote to strike
against concession demands.
Related articles:
US socialist candidate joins with striking workers in Quebec visit
Communist League in Australia: Workers need to organize independent of
bosses
The political war on the working class
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