In Europe, millions will gather and place demands on the rich and powerful. In Moscow and the cities of the former socialist countries, workers will take to streets, condemning the disaster that capitalism has unleashed. In fields, villages and cites of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, those who yearn for a better way of life will assemble and assert their demands for freedom, justice and equality.

In some countries, it’s a crime to celebrate May Day. Working people observe it anyway, either outside of the eyes of the authorities or in battles with the police. Where our class, the working class, has sway over government, be it Cuba or Democratic Korea, May Day is a national holiday – a bitter past is condemned, solidarity with the worlds oppressed and exploited is reaffirmed, and there is a recommitment to building a society that is just, free and fair.

An American Holiday

May Day was born in the U.S.A. It began with the struggle of the Chicago working class in May of 1886. Workers there fought and died for the 8-hour day. That battle of heroes gave rise to the tradition of demonstrations, strikes and celebrations by working people around the globe.

During the depression years of the 1930’s, millions of workers rallied in U.S. cities on May 1 – to demand unemployment insurance and trade union rights, and in support of the gains made by workers in the Soviet Union. This scared the hell out of Wall Street and the White House, so they ranted and raved that May Day was ‘un-American.’

In truth, the tradition and practice of celebrating May Day as a workers’ day – a day of struggle, where our class looks forward to a better future – is something that the people of this country have every right to be proud of.

A Failed System

For the working people of this country, capitalism is a failure. It enriches a handful of billionaires at the expense of the many. Caring only about getting the highest rate of profit on their investments, the rich do not give a damn about our health care, our housing, our children’s education or those of us who are growing older. They are looting our pension funds, attacking our unions, forcing those of us who have jobs to work harder and have pushed millions into the unemployment lines.

America’s wealthy – its capitalists – are not the ‘beautiful people’ they think they are. They are parasites who inherited their money and live off of our labor. They know that the secret to staying rich is not hard work; it’s having other people work hard for you. To protect their power and privilege, they have a host of bought-and-paid-for politicians to do their bidding.

Most people think that most politicians of both parties are liars. And they are right to think that. We have politicians saying things like, ‘getting rid of public assistance is good for the poor’ or that the minimum wage is bad for working people or that our social security dollars should be handed over to the rip-off artists on Wall Street. Most states are facing huge budget deficits. So how do the politicians respond? From California to New York, lawmakers advocate balancing the budgets on the backs of poor and working people. Many politicians are going further; they want to cut taxes on the rich.

The judges who preside over U.S. courts are cut from the same cloth as the politicians, only they are more pompous. They took a loser like George Bush, made him president, and then they turn around and tell us everything is fair and just. Klansmen aren’t the only people in this country who wear long robes. The judges who wear them are, and will be, deciding on cases that affect affirmative action, reproductive rights and our democratic rights.

Our country has become one big jailhouse for the oppressed nationalities within U.S. borders. According to our rulers, racial profiling is fine – in the airports or on the streets of the cities. Racist discrimination is a fact of life. Death rows, packed with Black people, Latinos and poor people – many of them innocent – give lie to talk of 'justice for all.' Nations have a right to determine their own destinies. For the African-Americans and the Chicanos, self-determination is a right denied. So is the right for genuine equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders and others who face systematic discrimination and oppression at the hands of those in power. Black and Latino youth are targeted by military recruiters to be used as cannon fodder in imperialist wars and by police who harass, beat, and kill.

Evil Empire

The capitalists who run America have built an empire of exploitation that expands across the globe. They steal the land, labor and natural resources of others. The rich have the gall to say that the sons and daughters of working people should go fight and die for them – in Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia and the Philippines; and tomorrow in Syria, Iran or Korea.

In reality, working people here have no interest, material or otherwise, in supporting these wars. These wars have nothing to do with our peace, security or anything else that could be construed as just or reasonable. They have everything to do with oil, the theft of resources, exploiting people’s labor and domination of the entire world. To the extent that Bush and his backers are successful in attacking others, things are worse for us. Our enemies – the monopoly capitalists – become stronger. But the opposite is true as well.

Every setback dealt to U.S. imperialism is good thing for working and oppressed people here. The rich are attacking us. Many of us have decided to fight back. People and countries around the world are resisting the empire of the dollar. Collectively, we have a common enemy and common cause.

May 1, International Workers’ Day, is a time for working people to renew our solidarity with everyone who is fighting injustice and oppression – be it the steadfast men, women and children of Iraq and Palestine, who are giving their lives so that they can free their lands from occupation, or the freedom fighters in Colombia or the Philippines.

Bright Future

Any time that we stand together and fight for what we need and deserve – on the picket lines or in protests and demonstrations – we can see a glimpse of our future. Our best qualities emerge: courage, determination, and a willingness to make sacrifices for what is positive and right. And the greed, selfishness and cruelty of the elite stand out in stark relief.

To be sure, May Day is about our struggle now, but it’s also about what can be, about our future. The White House and Wall Street are leading us to poverty and war. We can do better. A lot better. Working people make this country run. There is no reason why we should not run this country.

There is a name for the way of life that is better than capitalism – it is socialism. We do not need the rich. We don’t need them to run the places where we work. We know better than any supervisor how to get things done. We do not need the government of our oppressors, or their cops, in our communities. We do need each other. We need power over the political and economic life of this country. This is what socialism is all about.

May Day is our day.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Editorial #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #CommunistHoliday #internationalWorkersDay #Haymarket

Most of us never learned in school that May Day was born in the U.S.A. We didn't learn it because it was never taught. On May 1, 1886 U.S. workers went on strike for the 8-hour day. The epicenter of this powerful movement was Chicago, where workers fought and died. In the aftermath of this battle, the ruling class extracted revenge. Leaders of the gigantic strike were jailed and executed by the government of Illinois. But for the employers, it was already too late. The heroism and determination of the Chicago working class, and those that led them, would resonate around the world. The idea of celebrating May Day as International Workers Day quickly took root. From then on, May Day became the day for our class to celebrate our victories, and to stand up to those who would rob and oppress us.

This year's May Day comes amid war and crisis. Our class, the working class, faces serious challenges. The rich, the capitalists and corporations who run this country, are “restructuring” the economy to better serve themselves. They want us working at long hours for low pay. For those of us who are unemployed, they are systematically destroying the social safety net. The government is in hands of the wealthy, so it cuts taxes for the rich, and gives the corporations one handout after another.

Our country has become one big jailhouse for the oppressed nationalities with in U.S. borders. According to our rulers, racial profiling is fine – in the airports or on the New Jersey Turnpike. Racist discrimination is a fact of life. Death rows, packed with people of color, give lie to talk of “justice for all.”

The rich have built an empire that extends across the globe. What is called “globalization” is, in fact, imperialism. The corporations are looting the land, labor, and natural resources of others. This robbery is enforced by military means. U.S. war ships sail every sea. American military bases are scattered throughout the world. None of this is for our peace and security. It's all about money for those that already have it.

What Bush calls a “war on terror,” is really a war on poor and working people abroad and right here at home. Bush calls the Palestinian freedom fighters “criminals,” and turns reality upside down.

In Colombia, U.S. troops are on the ground trying to hold back a revolution. “Former” U.S. generals are working in the Defense Ministry of Colombia's death squad government. They want to keep Colombia safe for the profits of oil companies. And they hate the idea of the Colombian rebels coming to power. Colombian revolutionaries want a just and decent society, where the people come first. Corporations that covet Latin America's resources and enrich themselves by paying workers next to nothing are panicked by the prospect of a New Colombia. So the White House sends troops, guns and dollars, while the corrupt president of Colombia struts around with U.S. Special Forces as bodyguards.

Working and oppressed people here are right to stand with our brothers and sisters in other countries. We are ripped off by the same corporations, and face the same Axis of Evil – the White House, the Pentagon, and Wall Street. We do not owe the rich and powerful our love, loyalty or respect. We don't owe them a thing.

On May 1 we look forward to the day working people – those of us who make society run – take political power in our own hands and run all of society! We can take our dreams of peace, equality and freedom and make them a reality. Our future is bright, and great struggles, with great outcomes. are before us.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Editorial #Culture #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #CommunistHoliday #internationalWorkersDay #Haymarket

May Day is our day. It was born in the struggle of the Chicago working class in May of 1886, as workers there fought and died for the 8-hour day. That battle of heroes gave rise to the tradition of demonstrations, strikes, and celebrations on the part of working people around the globe.

This year's May Day comes in the midst of growing economic instability. The dot com bubble burst. A wave of massive layoffs has hit the high technology sector. In our country, manufacturing is in a full-scale recession. Capitalism, the economic system that dominates much of the world, is undergoing a crisis – a crisis of overproduction.

In their rush to compete with each other, the corporate heads went all-out building new factories, stores, and offices. They have grown accustomed to profiting big, while paying us little. So store shelves and warehouses pile up with goods that we can't afford. Detroit is awash with cars that we don't have the money to buy.

Many countries, like Indonesia and Turkey, are in a situation that rivals the great depression of the 1930's. We don't have a crystal ball, but we do know this – in the United States today, most of us want and need more, not less. We cannot and will not accept a declining standard of living. We should not be pushed down because of “profit warnings” on Wall Street.

On May 1, working people everywhere will say “enough is enough.” We're going forward. We do not intend to sacrifice anything for those who have confused greed with virtue. The rich say it's a dog eat dog world, and that they need to retrench, restructure and resize to better compete with each other. What they mean is laying people off; dealing out wage cuts; slashing or eliminating public assistance; contract givebacks; or marching off to another war, to take something that belongs to someone else.

When wild dogs roam the streets, it's time to call animal control. Those who would kill a community or country in pursuit of profit are not even worthy of a trip to the humane society. The rich contribute nothing. Neither do the politicians that front for them. They take with a steam shovel and give with an eyedropper. There is no reason to put up with a system that protects their power and privilege.

On May Day 2001, we should learn from the women and men of Cincinnati. The oppressor put a gun to their heads. They stood firm and said, “We won't live this way.”

In today's U.S., there is no real equality, justice, or freedom. The slave owners' plantation still casts its shadow on African Americans. High school history books ignore the fact that that American Southwest was once Northern Mexico, so the U.S. can justify the treatment of Chicanos as strangers in their own land. Every oppressed nation has the right to determine it's own destiny.

Each attack of the existing order of things implies its opposite – with our collective work, struggle and intelligence we can aspire to and fight for a better way of life. We can achieve something for our familes and ourselves. That's what May Day is all about.

In the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, millions will march against capitalism. This fact is important. Those of us who are older grew up with a lot of stories about how bad socialism was. However, the truth is obvious – capitalism is a disaster. Old folks who fought the Nazis and kids who should be in school compete for food from trashcans on the streets in Poland, Albania, and the old U.S.S.R.

The U.S. State Department says capitalism is the “end of history.” This is the pillow talk of a class in love with itself. Look at what they have brought to the world: poverty, war, discrimination, and exploitation.

About the bankers and bosses, we can say this: never has there been a class that has given so little and gained so much. The wealthy say that all of us are in the same boat. They lie.

The rich man lives on borrowed time. Our time. Life is short and we need to take the future into our own hands. Every class has its own holidays. For working people, May Day is day that belongs ourselves alone. International Labor Day stands front and center.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Editorial #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #CommunistHoliday #internationalWorkersDay #Haymarket

In thousands of cities across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, workers will demonstrate against their current rulers, the new “elite” that brought back capitalism and is making their lives a living hell. In countries like Colombia, the Philippines, and Yugoslavia, where people are resisting the domination of foreign powers, workers, small farmers, and other patriotic people will insist on their right to control their own destiny.

Here in the United States, working and poor people will be among the participants in many May Day events. The rich and powerful are cashing in on Wall Street, while things are getting worse for most of us. Downsizing, privatization, cuts to social services, discrimination and police brutality continue to be the order of day. Fortunately, many of us have chosen to fight back. This alone is a reason to celebrate on May Day. It's our day, a day of resistance.

The media tries to portray May Day as something that is foreign to the traditions and aspirations of the American people. Nothing could be further from the truth.

May Day was born in the struggle of American workers. Starting on May 1, 1886, a huge strike movement to demand the 8-hour day rocked many U.S. cities. Chicago was the center of this battle. Chicago police killed four workers and the state if Illinois hung a number of the strike leaders. The size, intensity, and determination shown by this movement inspired workers everywhere, and the worldwide tradition of celebrating May Day as a workers' day was begun.

The editors of Fight Back! urge all our readers to attend the May Day events in your cities. This year, some of the organizations that put together the demonstrations at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle are calling for anti-corporate actions May 1. These actions should be built and supported.

The tiny class of wealthy people believes that the world is theirs, to do with as they please. It's not. Those who work create everything of value. Every person has a right to a job or a decent income – to a world without exploitation and oppression. May Day is a day to say that we can do better than this; we do not have to accept things as they are. The future is ours!

#UnitedStates #International #Labor #Editorial #MayDay #Editorials #CommunistHoliday #internationalWorkersDay

On the streets Western Europe, tens of millions will march for economic justice and against government cut backs. In Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, millions more will send the message – capitalism is a disaster that has brought nothing but hunger and homelessness. In villages from the Philippines to Colombia, workers and farmers will demand an end to the foreign domination of their countries.

Here in the Midwest of the U.S., plans are being made for May Day events in Minnesota, Chicago, and Madison. Like our sisters and brothers around the world, we hold that the rich are nothing but parasites – who live off the hard work of others.

The wealthy class of billionaires who run this country are attacking our unions and trying to make us work harder for less. They promote a system of discrimination, inequality, and national oppression. Not content with the profits they get from exploiting people in this country, the rich are waging wars from Iraq to Yugoslavia, to rip off the land, labor and natural resources of others.

Be it in the White House, the State Capitols, or the City Halls, the rich man's bought-and-paid-for politicians have a program to cut services, slash the social safety net, and to reduce public assistance, while increasing corporate welfare. This is a plan for more poverty and less opportunity, more cops and bigger jails.

It is entirely fitting that revolutionaries, progressives, and working people in the Midwest would organize celebrations of May Day, for it is here that May Day was born. In the 1880s, the workers movement centered in Chicago demanded that employers and government implement an 8 hour day. To that end, workers launched a massive strike movement on May 1, 1886. Chicago police responded by shooting strikers while the state government arrested and executed some of the movement's leaders.

Even in the face of this repression, the incredible power and courage of that movement served as an inspiration to working people around the world, and the tradition of celebrating the first of May as International Workers' Day began. At May Day celebrations this year we will draw on our proud past, as we look forward to a bright future.

May Day is a day to celebrate our struggles against a common enemy. It is a day to proclaim that we can do better, that we don't have to live this way. A society that serves the profits of a few, cries our for a revolutionary re-organization, where everything is done in the interests of the many. One class, the working class makes this society run, and has every right to run all of society. In short, we look forward to the day when capitalism is eliminated, and all political and economic power is placed in the hands of working people, by socialism.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Labor #Editorial #Editorials #CommunistHoliday

Some of the largest protests for immigrant rights have been in Chicago, the city where May Day was born. On May 1, 1886, U.S. workers, many who were immigrants from Europe, struck for the eight-hour day. After a clash with police in Chicago’s Haymarket Square, four leaders of the workers movement, three of them immigrants, were executed. In honor of the U.S. workers fight for the eight-hour day and the anger at the executions, May 1 was declared International Workers Day.

May Day is a day to fight the system that brings ever-greater riches to a few while the vast majority of working people labor for less and less. Families are losing their homes right and left while the CEOs of the big banks that designed and profited from the bad loans walk away with tens of millions of dollars. Corporations are stepping up their layoffs while raising their prices, putting a double squeeze on working families. Now more and more state and local governments are cutting funds for schools, healthcare and the poor while billions are poured into the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. occupation of Iraq and war in Afghanistan have killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions to become refugees. The U.S. military is supporting a vicious campaign of ethnic cleansing and building walled ghettos in Iraq in a vain attempt to divide and conquer the Iraqi people. The United States and their NATO allies are losing ground in Afghanistan, where the U.S. is trying to increase their troops to prop up the corrupt and inept government set up by the Bush administration.

During the primary elections campaign, the Republican candidates have shown their true colors in calling for even more extreme attacks on immigrants in the United States. At the same time the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) have mounted a growing number of raids on workplaces and even public parks to spread terror among Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans who bear the brunt of attacks on the undocumented. Right-wing anti-immigrant forces have been working at the state and local levels to harass and intimidate immigrants.

Recession, war and immigrant bashing are symptoms of the monopoly capitalist system we live under. A system where the devastation of New Orleans and Mississippi are still not healed, a system that continues to plunder the earth, pollute our skies and oceans and threatens the entire world with unchecked global warming. It is a system that ultimately must be replaced by one that serves peoples’ needs, not profit: a socialist system.

May Day is not just a day to remember wrongs done, it is a day to be inspired by those who continue to fight no matter what the odds. From Palestine to Iraq to Afghanistan to Pakistan, the people are fighting U.S. and Israeli occupation and their puppet military regimes. From the Philippines to Colombia, the armed struggle against U.S.-backed governments of local oligarchs is intensifying. More and more countries are refusing to bow to U.S. domination of their countries, especially in Latin America where Cuba and Venezuela are but the tip of the iceberg of a growing movement for independence from the Yankee empire.

Here in the United States, struggles are also growing. For the first time in many years, more workers are joining labor unions. At the same time there are victories in electing new leadership that will fight for workers interests and not just cozy up with the bosses. The massive protests against the unjust prosecution of Black students in Jena, Louisiana, show the ongoing struggle of African Americans and other oppressed nationalities. Students on campuses from coast to coast are organizing and speaking out against the war, with a revitalized Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) taking the lead.

Over the past few months a record number of people have turned out in primary elections and caucuses, especially in the Democratic Party presidential campaign. This upsurge represents not only a rejection of the Bush administration’s policies of war, racism, service to the rich and powerful, but also the attraction of electing an African American or a woman to the nation’s highest political office. While the Freedom Road Socialist Organization supports a vote against the Bush and the Republican Party’s right-wing agenda, we know that neither a President Obama, and even less, a President Clinton can meet the people’s needs.

May 1 is a day to march. It is a day to build the fight back of the working class and the oppressed nationalities: Latinos, African Americans, Asian, Arabs, and Indigenous Peoples. These two forces can be seen in the last two years, where Chicanos, Mexicanos, Central Americans, and their allies, most of whom are workers, have revived the tradition of mass marches on May Day.

Long Live International Workers Day!

Legalization, not Raids and Deportations!

Stop the War, Withdraw All Troops Now!

Protect Our Homes, Schools, and Services, Make the Rich Pay!

Build Fighting Unions, No to More Concessions!

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Editorial #Socialism #MayDay #Editorials #CommunistHoliday

Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people gathered here May 1, May Day, for a celebration of International Workers’ Day. Speakers from key Minneapolis and St. Paul battles, including organizers of the clerical workers’ strike at the University of Minnesota and the 46-day transit workers’ strike, addressed the standing room-only crowd. The event was organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Sarah Lange, Kelly Ryan and Brad Sigal of AFSMCE Local 3800 talked of the successful clerical workers’ strike and the broad support it received from other workers and the community. Michelle Sommers, Vice-President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005, spoke of another powerful strike waged by bus drivers, mechanics and others to resist attacks on their health care benefits. These two strikes by public employees were the most important fights waged by the Minnesota labor movement over the past year.

Other speakers included Rose Brewer of the Black Radical Congress, who talked of the struggle against racist police repression; leaders of the Anti-War Committee who have stood at the forefront of building the movement against U.S. intervention in Iraq over the past year; leaders of the Welfare Rights Committee who led mass mobilizations at the state capitol to undo the welfare cuts and tax the rich and Rubin Joanem of the Haiti Justice Committee.

Jared Cruz of Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke about the history of May Day and its significance: “May 1, International Workers’ Day, is a holiday that was born in the United States – born of the struggle of the American worker for the eight-hour day. On May 1, 1886 hundreds of thousands of workers across the United States demonstrated and struck for the eight-hour day. In Chicago, the police fired into a crowd of workers demonstrating for the eight-hour day in what became known as the Haymarket Massacre.”

Cruz continued, “A call put out by the American labor movement for May 1 to be adopted as International Workers’ Day was endorsed in 1889 by the Socialist International, representing socialist workers from countries around the world. May Day was taken up by the working class around the world. Today millions of workers are demonstrating, from Cuba, to Spain to France. All across the world, trade unionists and socialists are celebrating our struggles.”

“At a more fundamental level, we know that there is no such thing as a fair contract under capitalism. That is because capitalism is a system that is designed to exploit a class of people – workers – and transfer the wealth we produce to another class of people, the rich or the capitalists. Socialism is a necessity for workers not only in this country but around the world.”

#TwinCitiesMN #MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #News #OppressedNationalities #MayDay #CommunistHoliday

The story of International Women’s Day began in New York City in 1909, when 20,000 women garment workers went on strike for 13 cold winter weeks to win better pay and working conditions. They worked seven days a week for less than a living wage. Their strike won improvements in wages as well as working and safety conditions. Two years later, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin, inspired by the women of New York, proposed that March 8 be celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day.

Nearly a hundred years after this amazing strike, women in the U.S. are still fighting for basic equal rights – equal pay for comparable work, affirmative action, full reproductive rights and quality, affordable childcare.

Working women are paid less than 80 cents on the dollar compared to men working the same jobs. The wage gap is even bigger for women of color. If women earned the same as men (working the same hours with the same education, age and union status and living in the same area), our annual family incomes would rise by $4000 and U.S. poverty rates would be cut in half.

Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women, many of us single mothers. The minimum wage increase debated in Congress is not enough – on $15,000 a year, our families will still be living in poverty. As the government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on wars abroad, the government balances the budget on the backs of low-income women and our families. Billions of dollars are cut from social programs like welfare, while millions of people are forced to work for free in workfare programs. Women are more than a third of the undocumented immigrants in the U.S., now facing repressive and inhumane reforms proposed by Congress.

Women face inequality and injustice across the globe. 70% of the world’s hungry are women and girls. 80% of the world’s refugees are women and children. 33% of women report domestic abuse at some time in their lives. Women face the greatest challenges in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan, where U.S. bombs destroy their homes and U.S. bullets kill their loved ones. Women care for their children alone as husbands fight and die on the frontlines in U.S.-led and sponsored wars.

Colombia is one place where women have joined unions, peasant organizations and even guerrilla armies to confront a violent and undemocratic government supported by the United States. One such woman is Sonia, an important member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). She was captured in 2004 and is now on trial in the U.S. Sonia denies the charges against her and insists she is on trial only because she is, “a woman guerrilla fighter of the FARC.”

It should not be a crime for a woman to stand up and fight. Women will always be leaders and fighters in the people’s struggles. When women take a stand, it is something to celebrate, not prosecute. Progressive people must advance our demands for equality, justice and liberation for all. And in the spirit of international solidarity, we must oppose U.S. wars abroad and recognize women who fight for their people’s freedom.

International Women’s Day, like May Day, was born out of the struggles of the U.S. working class. With this great history in mind – and much important work before us – let us mark March 8, 2007.

#UnitedStates #Editorial #Editorials #InternationalWomensDay #ClaraZetkin #CommunistHoliday

In the U.S., we must remember and celebrate this important holiday, which is rooted in the struggle of working women. Our task today is to continue to unite the struggle of the working class with the women’s liberation movement. The important fights that affect all women – for equal rights, equal pay for comparable work, affirmative action, full reproductive rights and quality and affordable childcare – must be continued and reaffirmed.

Women make up half the population and anything that limits the participation and leadership of half a population will hurt all of the population. The demands of working-class women and women of color are a part of the demands of the multinational working class. The women’s liberation movement can only achieve its objectives through the full participation and leadership of all working-class women, independent of nationality, sexual orientation, ability or age.

In recent decades, the women’s liberation movement in the United States has been led by upper and middle class forces that have marginalized the struggles of working-class and oppressed nationality women. To achieve true liberation for women, the women’s liberation movement should unite with the struggles of the multinational working class, and all working and oppressed people should champion the demands for the emancipation of women.

International Women’s Day, along with May Day – International Workers Day – are the two great days of celebration and struggle that were born in the U.S. and have been taken up by working people everywhere. We urge every reader of this paper to participate in the celebrations being held in your city.

#UnitedStates #Editorial #ClaraZetkin #CommunistHoliday

International Women’s Day grew out of the struggle of working women in United States. In 1908, women, mainly from the garment industry, came together in New York City’s Rutgers Square to demand a strong union in the needle trades and the right to vote. In 1910, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin, having heard of the powerful protest in New York, proposed that March 8 be celebrated as International Women’s Day worldwide. Today, it is a holiday celebrated by millions of working people.

On March 8, the truth should be restated: the stronger the role of women in the people’s struggle, the stronger our movement as whole. It only stands to reason; women are one half of the population, and anything that limits the participation and leadership of women will weaken our collective efforts.

On March 8 we reaffirm our commitment to build the fight for the demands of working women and women of color, as well as the basic demands of the women’s liberation movement for equal rights, equal pay for comparable work, quality and affordable child care, affirmative action and full reproductive rights. We restate our belief that the women’s liberation movement can only achieve its objectives through the full participation and leadership of working-class women and women of color.

This year’s International Women’s Day comes at a time when war is on the agenda. We recall the words of Clara Zetkin at the outbreak of World War I:

“Who profits from this war?…The manufactures of rifles and cannons, of armor plate and torpedo boats, the shipyard owners and the suppliers of the armed forces’ needs. In the interest of their profits they have fanned hatred among the people, thus contributing to the outbreak of war. This war is beneficial for the capitalists in general. Did not the labor of the dispossessed and the exploited masses accumulate goods that those who created them are not allowed to use? They are too poor to pay for them! Labor’s sweat has created them and labor’s blood is supposed to create new foreign markets to dispose of them. Colonies are supposed to be conquered where the capitalists want to rob the natural resource and exploit the cheapest labor force.”

International Women’s Day, along with May Day – International Worker’s Day – are the two great days of celebration and struggle that were born in the U.S. and have been taken up by working people everywhere. We urge every reader of this paper to participate in the celebrations being held in your city

#UnitedStates #Editorial #Editorials #InternationalWomensDay #ClaraZetkin #CommunistHoliday

International Women's Day grew out of the struggle of working women in United States. In 1908, women, mainly from the garment industry, came together in New York City's Rutgers Square to demand a strong union in the needle trades and the right to vote. In 1910, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin, having heard of the powerful protest in New York, proposed that March 8 be celebrated as International Women's Day worldwide. Today, it is a holiday celebrated by millions of working people.

On March 8, the truth should be restated: the stronger the role of women in the people's struggle, the stronger our movement as whole. It only stands to reason; women are one half of the population, and anything that limits the participation and leadership of women will weaken our collective efforts.

On March 8 we reaffirm our commitment to build the fight for the demands of working women and women of color, as well as the basic demands of the women's liberation movement for equal rights, equal pay for comparable work, quality and affordable childcare, affirmative action and full reproductive rights. We restate our belief that the women's liberation movement can only achieve its objectives through the full participation and leadership of working-class women and women of color.

International Women's Day, along with May Day – International Worker's Day – are the two great days of celebration and struggle that were born in the U.S. and have been taken up by working people everywhere. We urge every reader of this paper to participate in the celebrations being held in your city.

#UnitedStates #Editorial #Editorials #InternationalWomensDay #ClaraZetkin #CommunistHoliday