The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has confused people across the political spectrum. The Trump administration’s apparent unpreparedness for the war, the severe (and predictable) economic consequences of Iran closing off the Strait of Hormuz, and the total lack of any attempt to build support for the war among the U.S. population have made the war appear irrational to many people. So irrational, in fact, that some feel there must be another explanation — that Israel has somehow tricked, persuaded, or forced the U.S. into launching a war on Iran on Israel’s behalf. But this gets things backwards. When you look at Israel’s role in the Middle East, it becomes clear that the U.S. calls the shots.

Iran has been in the U.S. gunsights for a very long time, for a few reasons. Iran has a tremendous amount of oil. Iran’s geographic location gives it the ability to impact world oil trade, as people in the U.S. are quickly learning as they watch gas prices climb. And Iran has also stood up for Palestinian liberation in a major way, launching attacks on Israel in response to Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people and supporting pro-Palestinian military organizations in Lebanon and Yemen. For all these reasons, the U.S. not only wants to overthrow Iran’s government, it wants to control it.

Since October 7, 2023, millions of people in the U.S. have rallied to the Palestinian cause for national liberation. They’ve seen Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Many people are still stunned by the U.S.’s unyielding support for Israel, from both Biden and Trump, as the Palestinian death toll continues to rise. People have also seen the arrogance of Israeli officials as they’ve dictated how U.S. students protesting the war should be punished. It makes sense that many people see this latest war and think it must be at the behest of Israel, because most people in the U.S. aren’t taught the truth about U.S. imperialism in the Middle East.

But the U.S. doesn’t send Israel billions of dollars a year in financial and military support out of the kindness of its heart. Israel’s non-stop attempts at expansion, and its attacks on Palestine, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq over the decades have had a continual destabilizing effect on the entire Middle East. Israel’s endless wars create constant refugee crises, destroy infrastructure, weaken or collapse governments, and create opportunities for the U.S. to pit countries in the Middle East against each other. This is all very good news for big U.S. businesses who want to control Middle Eastern oil, natural resources and labor.

Israel simply would not be able to carry out its crimes without U.S. funding. The U.S could stop Israel any time it wants to by just cutting the financial support. And the U.S. doesn’t stop Israel because it supports Israel’s actions — they’re a good thing for the capitalist rulers of the U.S.

Controlling Iran has been a stated goal of U.S. foreign policy since Iran’s parliament and Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalized Iran’s oil in 1951, just three years after the Nakba — the forced expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland — and the birth of the state of Israel. British intelligence and the CIA launched a coup, taking Mosaddegh out of power and turning power back over to the notorious monarch Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The shah had no qualms about U.S. companies taking 40% of Iran’s oil shares — shares that belonged to the Iranian people. The shah ruled with U.S. support despite mounting unpopularity among Iranians.

In 1978 Iranians led a revolution that got rid of the shah and established the Islamic Republic of Iran. This meant no more oil profits for U.S. companies and a new, major force resisting U.S. imperialism in the Middle East. Iran’s support for anti-imperialist movements, opposition to Israel, and steadfast support for Palestinian liberation in particular, have cemented Iran as a target of U.S. aggression. To whatever extent the war on Iran is about protecting Israel, it’s about protecting it as a tool of U.S. aggression in the Middle East.

When right-winger Joe Kent resigned as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center last month, he said in a resignation letter that Israel and the U.S. media “deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined [Trump’s] America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.” Kent also criticized U.S. involvement in the Syrian Civil War, claiming it was fought for Israel too. Make no mistake, Kent is not anti-war — he served 11 combat tours himself. People have made a lot of hay out of Kent’s remarks, perhaps out of the hope that if even a far-right figure like Kent could see that the war on Iran is a bad thing, other politicians would too, and would intervene to stop the war.

But Kent is missing the big picture. Joe Biden put it pretty well all the way back in 1986 when he was on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, when he said, “Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region.” But there’s a difference between the interests of Biden or Trump or all the other politicians who have supported endless violence against Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Palestine, and the interests of the vast majority of the people of the U.S. It’s ordinary working people that will have to deal with the economic consequences of war on Iran. Meanwhile, the big capitalists hope to make billions. And they’re using Israel as a tool to do it.

#Commentary #Opinion #Iran #Israel #AntiWarMovement

Chicago, IL – The No Kings protests and demonstrations are both an organized response and a clear manifestation of a spontaneous uprising in resistance to Donald Trump’s agenda. Given the commentary and calls of the leaders and organizers of the demonstration, it’s clearly entrenched within the limited oppositional politics of the Democratic and Republican parties.

The Republican Party has gone so far to the right that it has actually deprived the Democrats of a lot of oxygen for carrying out their neoliberal programs. The Democratic Party’s neoliberal budget cuts leave us lean, but the Republican cuts are to the bone. This makes for an interesting kind of politics. You might say that the Democrats are for restoring the leadership of the Democratic Party to its neoliberal mission. It’s more about restoring the status quo of neoliberalism, and this shows up in how they are presently negotiating with the Republicans about ICE, government layoffs, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” and so on. 

So where do we find the bottom line? If we look for the bottom line that the Democrats are drawing saying “Here’s where we stand. Here’s where we will fight, and we shall not be moved,” it’s hard to find that line. Just look at the fights around the budget. First they said ICE should be abolished. Then they said they had to be restricted. They had to show their badges, their warrants, and not wear masks. They went back and forth on that so much that we couldn’t keep track of what they are demanding, what’s the bottom line. Now that we’re in a period of trying to stop a government shutdown, they agreed to the Republican bottom line in the Senate. Now they’re being critical of the Democrats in the House for not going along with the Democrats in the Senate. 

And what’s wrong with this? They have been negotiated backwards to just the limited demand of giving ICE no more money, when ICE already has gotten hundreds of billions of dollars to function, and they don’t really need more money. So, it’s almost a meaningless demand. 

Both the liberal and the conservative parts of the Democratic Party unite and agree that the problem that people have with Trump is the price of eggs and the price of gasoline, and that he broke his promise to take prices down and instead prices have gone up. They have moved the economy to the front burner. This becomes their principal demand. 

But what about the Medicaid cuts? What about housing? What about the near-elimination of the National Labor Relations Board, where no government official is bound to respect trade union rights? What about the massive layoffs of all of the government workers, including air traffic controllers? And last but certainly not least, what about the white supremacy? What about the unchecked, blatant, gross racism that currently resides in the White House?

It becomes like a meteorite issue that flashes through the political firmament and then is no longer seen and no longer mentioned by the Democratic Party, even when their own leadership, like the Obamas, have been characterized as apes by the President. 

As harsh and mean-spirited as Trump’s racism is, it is not exceptional or unprecedented in the annals of American history. 

The masses of the people are way out ahead of the Democrats when it comes to opposing Trump’s agenda. We think this was demonstrated in Minneapolis, and we think it’s also been demonstrated at numerous Congressional hearings, but mainly in Minneapolis, where we heard an undisputable, unmistakeable protest against the ICE occupation and the police state tactics of Trump, coming from the masses of people. 

I’m not talking about the governor of Minnesota. He opposed it, yes. Nor am I talking about the mayor of Minneapolis. He opposed it, too. But they also did not draw the line when it came to aggressive, brutal and murderous actions of ICE on the ground. They let one face of ICE be replaced by another, switching out Bovino for Homan. 

So, the challenge to us is that in these momentous times, when you have political leaders clearly standing in contradiction and opposition to the popular demands and impulses of the masses, that we consciously intervene and make it clear that defeating Trumpism, or defeating the Trump agenda and all the social savagery that it unleashes on the people, means we must address the racism, xenophobia and gender-based oppression as vigorously and uncompromisingly while we also address the social misery caused by the rise in the cost of living. 

Our response to the neoliberal war cry coined by Bill Clinton decades ago, “It’s the economy, stupid,” is “It’s the politics, stupid.” 

Because of the extremism characteristic of this administration, we must not draw the conclusion that our demands are unreachable. We must take the fighting attitude that to get out of the situation that we’re in, our demands must be met. Our immediate demands to stop the Trump agenda must not be seen as a transitionary demand to tolerate the present moment until we get a better moment.

Trumpism is totally unacceptable now, and we must fight it to the finish.

#Opinion #Commentary #FrankChapman #Trump #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights

Chicago, IL – Now more than ever it’s important for our movement to talk about what the Trump administration is doing and what we need to do to stop it. Right now, he doesn’t have the entire ruling class behind him, but right now he has the MAGA people of the Republican Party, which operates like a racist cult. The difference being that they have state power, and this is the difference that makes a difference.

What we should be looking at is what they’re actually doing with that state power vis a vis Kristi Noem with the Department of Homeland Security and Pam Bondi with the Justice Department, and how both these agencies of government have gone rogue and show no intention, much less a desire, to abide by the Constitution, or to respect the balance of powers.

So, all we’ve had since the election is one act of defiance after another, and the most blatant one before engaging us in the war against Iran and the peoples of the Middle East, was clearly the refusal to obey the mandate from Congress to release the Epstein files.

Although it’s been a back and forth with the federal courts because the Supreme Court has time and time again taken the side of Donald Trump, there’s a trend that can’t be ignored where Trump has also been in defiance of federal district courts with regard to ICE and lately the Supreme Court itself on the question of the tariffs. The thing to be noted here is that the basic trend has been to vilify the courts and refuse to obey their rulings if they are against Trump’s policies.

What Trump has done through all these measures is to turn the federal government into the enemy of the people and actively engage in setting up a regime of racist and political repression.

This administration has been actively engaged in weakening the federal government in areas that have to do with workers’ rights. It’s active in weakening if not abolishing the Voting Rights Act with new ID requirements which have become a new poll tax. This regime has told people that the gains made by the LGBTQ community do not have to be respected. They’ve done several broadsides against women and the women’s movement, and one of the headline things is what they did in the Winter Olympics, so much so that the athletes who participated in those games, both men and women, have come out and denounced the administration, and refused to go along with it.

There are so many instances of blatant, open, racist expressions on the part of Trump and his administration. We can take what happened with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl, or the instance where Trump portrayed the Obamas as apes. All of these incidents spell one thing: that already this administration is in open defiance of Congress, the Constitution, and the people of the United States who have been demonstrating en masse against them, manifested by what happened in Minneapolis.

As of this moment, they are illegally holding people, despite court orders, in detention centers. They are illegally going about the business of trying to set up concentration camps throughout the United States. What has put a hold on it is that these jurisdictions where they’re trying to set these up are saying “no, we don’t want that here.” Why would people be saying no? Because people know what it is. They know that these detention camps are really the prelude to concentration camps, a place where they can send those of us who are engaged in resistance as well as immigrants. If they get these detention camps set up all over the country, they’re not going to make a distinction.

Also, they have entered into hidden and open agreements with other countries. We know about the agreement they’ve entered into with El Salvador, but they’re not just talking about sending immigrants to El Salvador. They’re talking about sending American citizens to El Salvador, including people who are in prison on felony charges having absolutely nothing to do with immigration. Again, it is obvious that in fact, we have a regime of repression that is openly and flagrantly carrying out its illegal actions with the power of the state. They have taken over the government to make the government an instrument of their illegal actions.

All the major news networks talk about what they’re doing. The reporting on Fox News now and the reporting on MSNBC and CNN are not fundamentally different. What’s different is Fox News is openly supporting Trump and the other ones are being critical of him and taking advantage of the mass protests and whatnot to express that criticism. But also making him popular at the same time, giving him a lot of airtime.

Right now, he’s using his authority as president to make wars, and to do all of these things that he’s not supposed to be able to do, except through Congress, he is in fact doing them.

What the war on Iran and the peoples of the Middle East has revealed is more than the prerogatives of an imperial presidency. It has revealed that defending and perpetrating the crimes of U.S. imperialism remains a significant point of unity for the U.S. ruling class. Is there any doubt that the war that is presently being waged against Iran has the support of the U.S. ruling class, even though some of them raise issues of legality? At the same time, they praise Trump for having murdered the leaders of the Iranian people and ruthlessly prosecuting a war for regime change.

This brings us down to this here. There are no big differences in the understanding of what’s going on between the different networks, between the masses of the people and the politicians. Millions of people see where this is going.

A word about the Texas elections. The Texas elections are again a clear demonstration of the willingness of the Democratic Party to still pursue the bankrupt policy of reaching across the aisles in search of mythical unity with the Republican Party that will stop the movement that they’re engaged in to destroy every semblance of democracy in the United States.

So where is the real opposition? It’s the spontaneous uprising of the people in the streets and the growing organized engagement of the people on the part of Freedom Road and our allies.

We have to make up our minds going forward to really give a program to our slogan “make the country ungovernable.” Now is the time to do that because in these momentous times, our movement and our people are engaged in an existential struggle to bring about an end of the Trump administration, which is using every enforcement mechanism the government has to protect the rights of the people to destroy the rights of the people. And finally, choosing world war over peace.

This is not so much an analysis as a factual depiction. These are the facts. This is the reality created by the Trump administration that we must change.

#ChicagoIL #Opinion #Commentary #Trump #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #Elections #DemocraticRights #AntiWarMovement

But AI is not on the verge of being introduced, it has been introduced into every sector of the economy possible, and the balance sheets are coming up wanting. Last year MIT conducted a study of over 300 firms and found that 95% of them saw no return whatsoever on their investment in AI. British firm PricewaterhouseCoopers reported in its 29th annual CEO survey that over half of respondents had seen no benefit from AI whatsoever, either in the form of reduced costs or higher revenue.

Despite these gloomy reports and increasing fears that the dramatic overvaluation of the tech companies tied into the AI boom is a financial bubble waiting to pop, the tech moguls are still demanding more investment. For the most part, they are getting that investment, whether into sprawling new data centers or the power stations to keep them online. While cultural backlash to AI “slop” is becoming more and more widespread, it is clear that the capitalist class still sees AI as the future.

In trying to understand why, it is important to disaggregate the hype of AI’s most shameless salesmen, like Sam Altman or Elon Musk, from the actual capabilities of the technology. Essentially at its core all of what we see called “AI” is just a series of mathematical equations whose parameters are set by a combination of pre-existing data and manual rules set by its designers. The process of “training” AI can be likened to feeding paper into a shredder that can then recombine the letters and words to form new sentences. The AI is “incentivized” to make “good” sentences, which tends to mean ones that look like a human could have written them. The same goes for photos, videos, or music: all the AI is doing is regurgitating something it was already fed.

Throughout the entirety of the process, then, human labor still plays the essential role. Humans need to make the works to be fed to the AI in the first place, because if AI is trained on AI generated data it begins to “rot” and produce increasingly poor results. Then humans need to design the mathematical procedures for the AI to be “trained,” and humans often have to intervene forcefully to prevent the AI from breaking the law (by relaying legally sensitive information like how to make explosives or creating images of illegal activity like CSAM). Then, to create the final generated product, the AI needs to be prompted to do so by a human, who needs to write the prompt in such a way that the machine gives them the output they want. The value that AI possesses is the value of embodied human labor within it.

This is plainly not what capitalists believe. They think that AI carries in it the same unique capacity that only human labor power possesses: the ability to create new value beyond that which it cost to produce it. Capitalists do not understand that, out of the portion of capital they advance for means of production, and out of the portion of capital they advance for labor power, it is only the latter that creates new value in excess of that initial advance. To them, it simply appears as a profit in excess of the total cost they paid. While AI’s mystification is particularly intense, the capitalist class has never understood this fact about any machine, or indeed about their entire mode of production: the origin of profit is in the unpaid labor time of workers.

It is no coincidence that AI investment and speculation took off in the last five years, in the wake of COVID’s disruptions and the growing power and militancy of the labor movement that emerged out of them. Capitalists are desperate for the next big technological innovation to save them from the contradictions of capitalism, as Mr. Andreessen himself admitted last month. “If we didn't have AI, we'd be in a panic right now about what's going to happen to the economy,” he said on a podcast, claiming that “declining population” (a racist dog whistle he uses alongside Elon Musk) and “slow productivity growth” would be the “real crisis” that AI is thankfully solving.

What he is facing up to is the idea that without populations of “surplus” human beings to form the reserve army of the unemployed, and with the rate of profit falling continuously as more and more capital becomes advanced and embodied in machines that merely transfer value and do not create it, that capitalists are dinosaurs living on borrowed time. As they look up at the meteor of class struggle and socialism plummeting towards them, they are conjuring phantasms and trying to breathe life into them with dollars and electricity. AI can be a useful tool, a means of production like any other, but it will not save capitalism from itself.

#WestLafayetteIN #IN #Commentary #Opinion #CapitalismAndEconomy #AI

El Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. fue un icono del movimiento por los derechos civiles. Forjado en el fuego del terror racial, surgió de la brutal era Jim Crow como un guardián de luchadores por la libertad, cuyas contribuciones fueron hechas evidentes por sus actividades a través de su vida.

Jesse Jackson siguió los pasos de Fannie Lou Hamer y el Partido Demócrata por la Libertad de Mississippi, que luchó para tomar al Partido Demócrata fuera de las garras del control Dixiecrat basado en el desapoderamiento del pueblo negro en el Cinturón Negro del sur. El Rev. Jackson construyó sobre esa fundación y presionó por más reformas, que trataban sobre cuestiones de igualdad, incluyendo trabajos y vivienda para el pueblo negro.

Sus campañas por la nominación presidencial Demócrata en 1984 y 1988 electrificaron una generación de progresistas. Arrasó en el sur en 1988, ganando en Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, y el Distrito de Columbia, amplificando el poder de las aspiraciones de un pueblo oprimido por el poder político y la democracia. Trajo al pueblo negro a la corriente principal de la política burguesa, contribuyendo a una ola de candidatos negros en campañas electorales. Los marxistas-leninistas apoyaron las campañas de Jackson, reconociéndolas como una expresión de los sentimientos democráticos de un movimiento nacional afroamericano.

El Rev. Jackson tomó una posición justa en asuntos domésticos e internacionales. Promovió la campaña por la desinversión en Sudáfrica y se opuso a la intervención de EE.UU en Nicaragua, Irán, y la Guerra del Golfo. Fue el primer líder nacional negro en abordar la cuestión del Estado Palestino y desinversión anti-apartheid de una manera valiente durante su campaña.

Una figura monumental del movimiento por los derechos civiles, él es el último de los líderes surgidos de la Conferencia de Liderazgo Cristiano del Sur de los 1960s, emergiendo directamente del movimiento de Martin Luther King Jr. El impulso de sus campañas llevó adelante la lucha por el poder político negro, un componente de la liberación negra. Extendemos nuestras condolencias a su esposa Jackie y a toda su familia. Su legado nos recuerda que la lucha por la libertad es constante.

#Opinion #Remembrances #AfricanAmerican #OppressedNationalities #JessieJackson

Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, February 3, the people’s struggle in Milwaukee lost one of their strongest comrades, Nada Moubarak, aged 24.

Moubarak was a leader in the Students for Democratic Society (SDS) chapter at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM,) the Popular University for Palestine Coalition, Coalition to March in the RNC 2024, and chair of the Medic Subcommittee in the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR).

Moubarak first began organizing in the movement to free Palestine shortly after the events of October 7, 2023 with SDS – UWM. It took little to no time for her to become a fierce leader in the movement. She became the security chair of SDS-UWM and eventually served as its secretary. Moubarak, along with her comrades in SDS, served as a pivotal leader in the successful 14-day encampment at the Falesteen Lawn at UWM. Moubarak was pursuing a nursing degree, utilizing her expertise in healthcare to support the movements in Milwaukee.

Shortly after, Moubarak was approached by the leadership of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 to help the security detail of the Coalition. With her expertise in healthcare, she led the medical team with great care and attention to detail – all medical-related incidents on the 95-degree day were handled effectively. The medic team for the Coalition was nothing short of a great success.

Before graduation, Moubarak officially joined MAARPR and was appointed to the medic subcommittee. As a result of her appointment, she held multiple trainings for Stop the Bleed and two-day street medic trainings. Moubarak’s vision for the subcommittee was to establish a group of street medics for organizations in Milwaukee to call upon for their respective actions. This dream will be fulfilled in due time.

Moubarak is survived by her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and her comrades. Let us best remember Nada Moubarak by carrying on her passion and heart that she put into everything she did. Until Palestine is free, until we win community control of the police, until we meet again!

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #Remembrances #Opinion

The bill, authored by State Senator Liz Brown of Fort Wayne, revives core portions of an immigration bill she previously refused to hear last year as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This led to an open spat between Brown and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, during which Rokita claimed Brown had held up the bill because she had an “illegal alien” in her family. Brown said these comments were false and filed an attorney misconduct grievance over Rokita’s comments, which ended up dismissed. Then, after the Indiana Senate voted to reject Trump’s gerrymandering scheme in December, Brown was replaced as chair of the committee by State Senator Cyndi Carrasco of Indianapolis.

The fractious Indiana Republicans are now fumbling for unity through this “improved” version of the bill, which is drawing praise from Rokita as properly forceful. Under the law, local governments at all levels would be legally required to comply with federal detainer requests, holding arrested immigrants for 48 hours past their usual release so they can be disappeared by the DHS. Local governments, public schools and universities as well, would be liable for civil penalties of $10,000 per violation of immigration enforcement.

Additionally, the Family and Social Services Administration and hospitals would be required to turn over reams of data about non-citizens who receive benefits from Medicaid, expanding the massive DHS surveillance dragnet. And even the private sector does not escape the crackdown. Employers face threats of temporary or even permanent suspension of their right to operate if found to be employing people deemed “illegal.”

Indiana has had a law on the books outlawing sanctuary cities since 2011, Senate Enrolled Act 590, but the attorney general has had considerable trouble enforcing this ban and is using this law to seek firmer enforcement mechanisms to ensure a clear path for DHS boots to march.

Senate Bill 76 stands to expedite the terror waged against immigrant communities across the U.S. to Indiana’s front door. With the terror comes repression, a futile attempt of Trump’s running dogs to silence any institution willing to fight back. While tightknit communities’ decades long established may lean on each other for support, recent immigrants and rural communities strewn across Indiana face a greater threat of serious harm if targeted.

However, it is doubtful that Rokita and Trump’s other henchmen in Indianapolis will have their way. Resistance to the immigration crackdown is growing across the state. Hundreds of people from all walks of life have hit the streets week after week all across the state since Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis during “Operation Metro Surge.” Their message has been clear: ICE is not welcome in their streets.

In contrast to the bickering Republicans seething at one another over personal insults and failed legislation, the people of Indiana are finding unity in their common opposition to the murder and kidnapping of their neighbors and do not believe in any special “immunity” for federal immigration jackboots. Even in what some would write off as “Trump Country,” people are standing up to fight back because they know they can win.

If you want to get organized and join that fight in Indiana, you can reach out to FRSO Indiana at frsoindiana@gmail.com, on Instagram at @frso_indiana.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #Opinion #Commentary #ICE #FRSO

This past year, horrifying accidents and the government shutdown have put many of us on alert about travel risks. It’s made more people reflect on how important flight attendants are. Their primary job, after all, is keeping passengers safe. As the year comes to an end, let’s put a spotlight on some working conditions that affect their own safety.

Physical injuries

Despite gendered stereotypes about being a flight attendant, the job causes serious physical strain. Strain manifests in several parts of the body, most consistently in the shoulders and back. The job requires lifting your own luggage, working aircraft doors (many of which are old and have levers that require lots of muscle to push and pull), and maneuvering beverage carts that can weigh up to 300 pounds. Even stepping out of tall crew vans in heels can be a fall or concussion risk.

Injuries caused by turbulence are also prevalent. Almost every flight experiences some turbulence. Unexpected turbulence occurs frequently, leaving flight attendants no time to safely secure themselves. The National Transportation Safety Board found in 2021 that flight attendants account for 79% of those seriously injured by turbulence (nearly all of the remaining are passengers who were unbelted at the time of injury).

Additionally, a majority of turbulence-related injuries occur below 20,000 feet. The seatbelt light is illuminated at this altitude. But flight attendants have to be up, due to the high demand of service that airlines push for. Despite the Commercial Aviation Safety Team recommending a policy (over 20 years ago) that would have flight attendants seated from takeoff to cruise and from 20,000 feet until landing, no major airline has changed its safety guidelines to fit this.

Sickness and hygiene

One of the most obvious workplace hazards is the fact that the workplace is 30,000 feet in the air, in a pressurized cabin. Flight attendants go through extreme altitude changes every day, sometimes working up to four flights a day. The pressure changes cause pain and long term issues in the sinuses and ears, a problem that every flight attendant must learn to combat. Furthermore, flying with blocked sinuses, which can result from a common cold or just regular congestion, can cause extreme pain, ruptures, bleeding and in the worst cases: hearing loss. In addition to the pressure changes, working around loud planes and engines every day can also cause ear problems and hearing loss. In a 2007 study conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health, it was found that nearly 52% of flight attendants exhibit some sort of hearing loss.

Flight attendants are routinely exposed to hundreds of people in tight, unsanitary conditions. Especially during the wintertime and holiday seasons, flight attendants are prone to catching many different sicknesses just from being around so many people. Cabin dryness can also harm crewmembers’ immunities, since it’s harder to stay hydrated.

Despite this, calling in sick is a challenge. Especially during the six to twelve month probationary period, calling in sick just twice can be a reason for termination. For example, at United Airlines, flight attendants are not able to call in sick without receiving some sort of discipline “points”. Even when accompanied by a doctor's note, a flight attendant will always be disciplined for calling in sick. This unjust system forces flight attendants to work while sick, which causes further damage. Flight attendants have been fighting for better systems for calling out.

Toxic fumes

In September, the Wall Street Journal published an extensive article about toxic fumes that have harmed hundreds of crew members and passengers over 20 years. Fumes are a mix of toxic chemicals that are used in routine airplane procedures (i.e. oil, hydraulic fluid) that occasionally leak into the cabin and flight deck. They can cause illness, and have been an ongoing complaint in many airlines. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) offers education to members on how to recognize fumes and respond, but little has been done by airlines to rectify the problem.

An AFA statement on fumes reads: “The first step in change is defining the problem. The industry sought to make victims feel crazy and define unions as hysterical and hyperbolic, but we haven’t backed down.”

Fatigue

According to a report from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), only 1 in 5 union representatives believe their airline treats fatigue seriously. With inconsistent work schedules and frequent time zone changes, flight attendants commonly experience fatigue. In 2022, the FAA upped the required minimum rest from eight hours to ten hours after flight attendants fought for this. These ten hours are not solely for sleeping, but include passengers deplaning, customs on international flights, and transportation between the airport and the hotel. By the time many flight attendants make it to their overnight hotel, unpack their bags, shower and get ready for bed, it’s almost time for them to wake up for their next duty day. This amount of rest often remains the same even after working 14 or 16 hours, which the FAA allows during maintenance issues or weather.

Another contributing factor to fatigue is the inability to eat proper meals during duty. Flight attendants do not have mandated meal breaks between flights and are expected to find time while flying. The same ITF report shows that three quarters of cabin crew on low-cost carriers do not receive adequate rest breaks. In 2022, after California flight attendants successfully sued Virgin America over this issue, the AFA argued that flight attendants should receive crew rest on long haul flights and be provided meals or compensation for meals. Not getting proper sleep or nutrition can impair cognitive performance and cause flight attendants to make mistakes on the job, sometimes at the risk of their own safety.

Harassment and violence

Flight attendants face routine harassment. Most have stories about uncalled-for behavior: ass grabbing, catcalling, pictures being taken, etc. Some have reported stalking during layovers – think someone showing up to your hotel room.

Almost every flight attendant had seen some kind of unruly behavior. In a 2021 member survey, the AFA found that 17% of respondents reported having had a physical incident with passengers. Their survey cited slurs “too offensive to repeat.” Most receive little to no follow-up on reports to management.

It’s not just passengers. In November, Delta settled a lawsuit with former flight attendant Aryasp Nejat. As reported in the Guardian, the suit accused a uniform inspector of “non-consensual, sexually assaultive touching.” When Nejat posted on social media that this was why his airline needed a union, Delta fired him. Now, they’re paying for him to go to law school.

“One of the reasons that flight attendant unions were originally formed were to root out sexual harassment, assault or sexual exploitation in order to try to get workers to do what you want them to do, to keep them quiet,” said Sara Nelson, president of the AFA.

Mental health

Through all this, flight attendants need to stay prim and proper. That takes it out of you. The National Institute of Health found that the number of flight attendants experiencing depression tripled in 2020. The CDC found that flight attendants have a 50% higher suicide rate than the national average. They go through this while away from friends, family and loved ones.

Unions keep you safe

Some of these workplace hazards may be unavoidable, but company policies can and should be better. Service demands, no-break scheduling, punitive sick policies, handsy managers… the list of preventable issues goes on. The common thread: flight attendants fighting together in a union is the surest cure.

Crew members can plug into AFA campaigns to protect safety on board. These include downloading the 2Hot2Cold app to report extreme cabin temperatures. for identifying and responding to fume events they can access this resource kit.

Various flight attendants contributed to this article.

#Opinion #Commentary #Labor #FightAttendants #WorkplaceSafety #AFACWA #Feature

Venezuela, Caracas – When we arrived in Caracas, we had a 30-minute bus ride from the airport to the hotel where we were staying. Watching the city go by and the beautiful mountains in the background, there were dozens of beautiful murals painted for Bolívar, Chavez and Maduro celebrating the Bolivarian revolution.

During the International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of our Americas conference, there were many chants from all over Latin America -¡Viva Bolívar! ¡Viva Maduro! ¡Viva Diaz-Canales! ¡Viva Sheinabum!

The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has long supported progressive leaders like President Maduro, and I have been to hands off Venezuela protests where the people supported Maduro, but it truly surprised me to see a room full of people chanting for their leaders. In the United States, I cannot remember the last time I really saw a large crowd of people chanting with love and pride for a politician. Once in a while Trump supporters might try to disrupt our actions, but they often chant to show what they oppose rather than what they stand for.

At home, people have no sense of ownership and pride in most politicians. They get elected on empty promises that no one expects them to follow through on. It was amazing to meet people who live in places where they truly can have governments that believe in the people, and fight for them. In the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Repression we fight for community control of the police, for the right of the people to control what police do, how they do it, and to convict them when they commit crimes. Seeing the love and pride that other countries have for governments where they feel their leaders are fighting for them instead of repressing them for it was an amazing experience.

The more surprising thing for me at the conference was how many people were extremely grateful to see Americans organizing for peace, and were worried about our safety on return. As the United States tries to go to war with Venezuela, I was not sure what people would think of us. However, people had many questions about videos of specific police murders they had seen, ICE kidnappings, National Guard occupations, and other repression. They were incredibly concerned about Black liberation and immigrant rights in the United States.

People from all over Latin America celebrated when they heard about our struggles against heightened police repression, especially with George Floyd in Minneapolis and the small town of Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020, in supporting student encampments for Palestine, and then ongoing struggles against ICE kidnappings and opposing troops on the streets, with the uprising in LA, the defiance in Chicago, and campaign against troops in DC this year. These struggles are also unfolding in Portland and New Orleans where we also lead protests and movements.

When they asked if we were scared of the police or of repression, I told them that we believe that justice is worth any level of struggle. I also told them how we had won a campaign against FBI repression by freeing Chicano activist Alejandro Orellana in LA.

One Cuban delegate said to me that the Alliance's organizing “prove[s] your resistance in your situation.” As I prepare to return to the United States soon, I am excited to bring all of the excitement and love I experienced from around the world to the struggle for Black and Chicano liberation at home.

#International #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement #MAARPR #Chicano #Opinion #Commentary #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes

Salt Lake City, UT – It is an exciting time to be a labor organizer in Utah. In the past weeks, workers at the SunTrapp Bar in Salt Lake City struck against unfair labor practices, winning the love and support of the community, and nine Starbucks stores in the state have organized under Starbucks Workers United. Now, campus workers at both the University of Utah and Utah State University are flexing their organizational muscle as the United Campus Workers swells its ranks, building a wall-to-wall union of staff, graduate student workers, career instructors and faculty.

This upsurge in the labor movement in Utah and across the country is a perfect time to celebrate the life of Joe Hill, a labor activist executed in Salt Lake City 110 years ago this November 19, 1910. Framed up on a murder charge by the police, who were in league with the railroad bosses, Hill was put to death in Sugarhouse Prison despite mass nationwide opposition. A coalition of personalities from AFL President Samuel Gompers to Helen Keller opposed the execution, which was carried out by firing squad.

A Swedish immigrant, Hill was an itinerant worker and musician. As an organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), songs like Everybody’s Joining It stirred workers to organization with a touch of relatable humor which earned Hill widespread movement fame and support:

The Boss is feeling mighty blue

He don’t know just what to do

We have got his goat, got him by the throat

Soon he’ll work or go starving.

Songs like Workers of the World, Awaken! written shortly before his death in 1915 demanded revolutionary change:

Workers of the world, awaken

Break your chains; demand your rights

AII the wealth you make is taken

By exploiting parasites.

Indeed, Hill was an activist who walked the walk with other organizers. He spoke to working people and delivered rousing speeches on their behalf as he traveled on freight trains, as many dispossessed workers did in the early 20th century. Salt Lake City had been a hotspot of union activity before Hill’s arrival here, as organized workers on a railroad construction site forced the bosses to concede food, bedding and a 25 cent pay raise after a strike.

The state of Utah killed Joe Hill. Hill’s now-famous last words before he was killed were, “I die like a true-blue rebel. Don't waste any time in mourning. Organize.”

To organize despite setbacks and repression remains an important lesson for those interested in fighting injustice. Murdering Joe Hill only exposed the Utah courts and police as tools of the bosses, and he became even more famous in death than in life, his music and message reaching new generations and an even wider working-class audience.

People should heed this call to organize by getting involved in movements for change. Join and participate in your union or organize your workplace. Attend and organize protests against racist and reactionary political schemes.

All workers at the University of Utah and Utah State University are encouraged to join the UCWU.

#SaltLakeCityUT #UT #Labor #Opinion #Commentary #JoeHill

This news comes after mounting mass pressure for Congress to release the Epstein files, with House Republicans delaying the release and with politicians on both sides of the aisle using the case as political ammunition against the opposite party. The call to release the files has been raised broadly and spontaneously by the masses, including online and at anti-Trump protests.

Meanwhile, there is longstanding evidence that Epstein consorted with high-ranking Democratic and Republican politicians alike, including Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, along with billionaire monopoly capitalists like Peter Thiel of PayPal and Palantir, Bill Gates of Microsoft, and Elon Musk of Tesla.

Epstein was an elite financier with a net worth of almost $600 million, who provided financial advice and services to his clientele of billionaire monopoly capitalists. Although there are different camps within the monopoly capitalist class, recent history has made it abundantly clear that they are united on many fronts, from support for Israel to political repression. It comes as no surprise that Epstein's sex crimes and exploitation of women and children would be another area of class unity for billionaires.

Monopoly capitalists earn their existence by stealing from workers and extracting riches from oppressed nations the world over. Their very existence is parasitic. Their exploitation knows no bounds – they manufacture genocides to fuel their war industry, they incarcerate generations of Black and Chicano people to fund their private prisons, they leave the poor to die on the streets to enrich their real estate investments. These treacherous conditions leave women and children increasingly vulnerable to sex trafficking.

The Epstein case is a potent reminder that the monopoly capitalist ruling class, along with both the Democratic and Republican parties that represent it politically in the U.S., is incompatible with working people's demands for justice and liberation. These criminal exploiters will never be brought to justice while they remain in power. It will require the organized power of the working and exploited people of this country to put an end to the evils of sex crimes and sex trafficking. Another world is possible, and there is only one path to get there: revolution and socialism.

#Opinion #Commentary #Trump #Epstein

On November 9, seven Senate Democrats and one Democrat-aligned Independent shocked the party by caving to Republicans. They supported a funding package that would reopen the government without any gains on extending healthcare subsidies. Earlier that same week, Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election on a massively popular cost of living campaign.

The Democratic establishment is so disoriented, they don’t seem to know their left and right.

Among other provisions, the deal will continue to fully fund the government through January. In “return,” the Republicans “conceded” to reverse the reduction-in-force layoffs that Trump implemented in October. They also agreed to guarantee backpay for federal workers. Neither of these was in question when the shutdown began. The GOP offered no clear or sure concessions on addressing healthcare costs.

The House is voting on the measure today, and it then goes to Trump’s desk.

Several Democratic heavyweights defected. These include Minority Whip Dick Durbin and former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine. These represent the centrist party establishment, aligned with the likes of Hillary Clinton.

They’ve come under heavy fire from other Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom. After all, the liberals have the leverage. A late October NBC News survey found that 52% of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, with only 42% blaming Democrats. An Economist/YouGov survey found that, across the political spectrum, Trump’s approval rating has fallen over his handling of the shutdown.

As it turns out, Trump didn’t need leverage. He just needed to wait out his opponents’ divisions.

But as much as it exposed spineless politicians, the shutdown revealed the masses haven’t let their felt needs go unheard. Democrats chose to make healthcare their main issue. A year after Biden told us the economy was in great shape, his party’s had to acknowledge that Americans’ wallets are hurting.

Just days before the Senate vote, center-left Democratic candidates won governorships in New Jersey and Virginia. They ran on affordability platforms, including issues like rising energy costs. Mamdani won in New York by focusing on three promises: freeze the rent for stabilized tenants, provide fast and free buses, and universal childcare. Hakeem Jeffries endorsed him, and Barack Obama called him twice. Compare this to Kamala Harris’s presidential bid, which only offered to “defend democracy.”

Class contradictions are intensifying in the United States, forcing a reckoning among the Democrats. It’s no secret that Biden and Harris lost the election due to complicity with the genocide in Palestine and the fact that they were tone deaf to the deteriorating economic condition of the multinational working class.

Due to this larger polarization, the Democrats are more and more splintered. On the one hand, a centrist wing is deluded about the importance of compromise and the sanctity of American institutions. On the other, both progressives and moderates have taken up cost-of-living issues. They see that they face popular demands everywhere, from more active labor unions to mass movements of youth. These are inevitable under capitalism. The party’s feet have been put to the fire. No matter how you slice the pie, the more the Democratic Party promises it can protect the system, the more it will fall short of meeting people’s needs. Regardless of how negotiations round off in Congress, a people’s agenda is on the table, and in the streets.

#Opinion #Commentary #PeoplesStruggles #Democrats #Trump

On October 15, a White House memo boasted a $13 billion investment in five Midwestern plants by automaker Stellantis. It also announced projects by Whirlpool, General Electric and others. Thanks to tariffs, Trump tells us, the prodigal sons of industry have returned.

But how does the scoreboard really add up for reindustrialization?

Not quite as advertised. These aren’t new factories; they’re old ones being retooled. Tariffs shoot manufacturers in the foot, since they drive up prices for supplies. Investing in new technologies takes skilled workers. This is a hard sell when ICE just deported over 300 Korean technicians from a Georgia car factory. Auto corporations, hearts full of liberal compassion, fear that “first they came for Hyundai.”

That said, there is a real attempt by both parties to “bring manufacturing back.” The truth is, this isn’t the same thing as creating jobs.

Putting America back to work?

The latest factories will be more automated than those of the past. For example, the Wall Street Journal reports that Hyundai’s latest auto plant in Georgia has a robot-to-human ratio of 2 to 1, compared to the 7 to 1 industry average. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 23% of employment in direct production is mostly automated. While Trump promised booms in employment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a loss of 12,000 manufacturing jobs in August alone. The Bureau predicts continued stagnation through 2034.

This trend is not new. In 1980, it took over ten hours’ labor to produce a ton of steel, and by 2018 this dropped to 90 minutes. Production levels have stayed constant, but the number of manufacturing workers has declined since 1979.

Automation not only reduces the number of jobs, it demands greater levels of education for the jobs it opens. Programming, overseeing, operating and repairing equipment often requires either college-level education or specialized training. Workers late in their careers, rural workers, or otherwise poor job-seekers are going to have a hard time accessing these skills.

Economist Robert Lawrence summarizes, “the sector should not be promoted as a vehicle of inclusive growth and employment for low-skilled workers.”

Falling rate of profit

Automation has sharpened the tendency for the rate of profit to fall. In order to undercut each other, manufacturers race to adopt the latest technologies. However, by doing so, they’re permanently raising the bar for machinery used throughout the industry (i.e. think the robot-to-human ratio discussed earlier). That means that a greater portion of their costs are constant. It’s impossible to squeeze an extra dollar out of a machine like it’s possible to exploit a human worker. The overall rates of profit can go down.

This can be seen in General Motors’ average annual operating margin, which went from 8.7% in the 1960s to negative numbers in the 2000s. Since 2008, car companies have been able to buck this trend to some extent. But this is the exception that confirms the rule: they needed help from Obama’s bailout and Biden’s subsidies. They’ve also slashed wages and relocated U.S. plants to union-busting states in the South. The 2023 strikers in the United Auto Workers know this all too well. But even in the past few years, automakers have seen their profit margins dip once again.

The race to the bottom is self-defeating. Low rates of profit make it harder to attract the finances needed to stay on the cutting edge.

Julius Krein, head of the New American Industrial Alliance, criticizes fellow capitalists for the big green dollar signs in their eyes. “During the last several decades, Americans found a way to financially engineer seemingly everything except for investments in critical techno-industrial capabilities,” he writes.

“Warning indicators are flashing red”

Because of this stagnation, more of the U.S. ruling class is ready for a heavier government hand. The prize at stake isn’t the average worker, it’s the average bottom line.

Oren Kass, chief economist at a conservative think tank, writes in Foreign Affairs: “Across the American economic dashboard, warning indicators are flashing red. The globalization and financialization of the past several decades have slowed investment, innovation, and growth. Industrial output and productivity have declined, and the United States has lost its leadership position in vital technologies – including in aerospace, energy, and semiconductors.”

It’s not just that lights are blinking on the dash, it’s also that capitalists won’t pay for a new car. “Simply put, the activities that generate the highest returns on capital are not the ones that have anything to do with building productive and innovative enterprises.”

Their solution is for the government to support gains that capital can’t achieve in the marketplace. Tariffs are one step of many. These are starting to compel manufacturers to invest in the U.S., which in turn forces companies to automate to avoid paying more workers. Industry representatives are also begging for subsidies and state-funded retraining programs. “Lead us,” the blind ask of the blind.

Salvaging jobs, or empire?

Attempts at reindustrialization have nothing to do with jobs and more to do with recovering profits. But above all else, it’s U.S. imperialism’s scramble against foreign competition.

Within U.S. borders, European and Asian automakers assemble more vehicles than the Detroit Three (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler/Stellantis). Julius Krein complains that the U.S. is in the “middle of the pack” for overall automation levels.

China is leading the pack. The ruling class has come to admit the country’s economic superiority. “China has achieved advanced electrification with astonishing speed in part because of government support,” a recent Foreign Affairs article noted. “If the United States wants to achieve results like China, it will have to build more like China by replicating certain aspects of how Beijing organizes and mobilizes its production economy.”

In the same pages, former US Deputy National Security Adviser Nadia Schadlow recommends: “A commitment to reindustrialization would undercut China’s efforts to weaken the United States.”

The motivation behind attempted reindustrialization is clear – the U.S. monopoly capitalists face an existential threat from socialist China. And they can’t foot the bill to pull ahead. They are right to be worried. Modern manufacturing is central for everything from cars to drones to artificial intelligence. As much as Trump wants to sell the idea of some untapped potential for jobs, he won’t revive the factories of the 1950s. He’s desperate to shore up imperialism by milking what he can out of a declining industrial base.

#Opinion #Commentary #Labor #Automation #Trump #Jobs #Unemployment #CapitalismAndEconomy

Commentary by Lia S. Lopez

Chicago, IL – Chicago has so many unique and distinctive neighborhoods, but Little Village is special. Little village is one of the most prominent neighborhoods with Black and brown people. The community of Little Village has always cherished our heritage and upheld it through each passing generation.

However, with President Trump pushing for mass deportation around the country, we as a community have lost our passion. Due to the Operation Midway Blitz, many community members don’t feel safe to go to work, school, or to even step out their doors.

On Wednesday, October 22, federal agents came into Little Village and attacked our community. I remember feeling so much anger. Seeing my community repeatedly be hurt and beaten into fear and submission was what made me realize something had to be done. I had asked my friend, co-organizer of the walkout Lilian Dominguez, if she would be willing to walk out with me, and she said she would. And from there we worked with a Latina run group, where we started spreading the word of the walkout to news sources, community members and organizations, and Aldermen Michael D. Rodriguez.

We wanted to be organized and safe so the community, the media and the city would take us seriously. 500 students, 89 community members and 25 businesses attended and supported the October 28 walkout. I never thought in a million years my voice would ever matter or make an impact. Thanks to the support of the community, we were able to spread our message of peace and unity not just in Little [Village] but in all of Chicago and Illinois. This is just the beginning of stopping this mass deportation in the country.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Opinion #Commentary #ImmigrantRights #HighSchool

New Orleans, LA – On September 30, “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth blew his bugle for the military’s next crusade. The world’s biggest and baddest armed forces folded in Afghanistan and burned in Vietnam. Hegseth and Trump looked at these defeats, and many more, then scratched their chins. At last, they ferreted out Benedict Arnold: DEI.

Top brass from across the globe scrambled to Quantico to hear about it. Hegseth attacked “fat generals,” women, “men in dresses,” “weak men,” and supposed diversity hires. He announced he’d whip troops into shape by prohibiting beards, narrowing hazing protections, and replacing gender-neutral expectations with “male-standard” physical training. Trump followed by parading a $1 trillion 2026 military budget.

Military meeting or MAGA sales pitch?

“All-hands” high-level gatherings are routine, but this one stood out. It was a full court press to build consensus against “wokeness.”

“What made this meeting so notable is that today’s military is buffeted by an atmosphere of extreme partisan polarization,” wrote former National Security Council staffer Peter Feaver.

Commentators saluted the officers for listening with their poker faces on. It’s supposed to be a win for keeping politics out of the military. But many haven’t kept their cards close to their chests.

“Could have been an email,” one officer told Politico. Another described the conference as an “inexcusable strategic risk.”

“I suspect it’s not being taken well,” retired Lt. General Mark Hertling told MSNBC.

These comments expose that polarization hasn’t been staved off; it’s already running deep. It’s come up before, everywhere from shaving rules to the trans ban. The latter was opposed by 56 retired generals and admirals.

Take it to the streets, see who comes out on top

The sharpest flashpoint has been the National Guard’s occupation of major cities. Trump called them “training grounds” for troops. He states plainly that these takeovers, in Black and Chicano urban areas, go fist-in-glove with imperialism abroad.

Trump’s takeovers have escalated deportations and racist arrests. Although the National Guardsmen do not have powers of arrest themselves, they give backup to federal agents to go after people on petty or trumped-up charges. On Fight Back! Radio, a DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression activist described how agents have detained people for legally smoking weed.

But these occupations have prompted a wave of mass resistance. Protests have sprung up in every city that Trump has targeted, and even local politicians are speaking up. “Training grounds” indeed – for the united front against Trump.

The court system is taking notice. The Guardian reported that DC has seen unprecedented lows in indictments by grand juries on charges related to the Trump takeover, even if a grand jury can indict a ham sandwich.

Pushed on by the fightback from civilians, soldiers up and down the chain aren’t buying that there’s an “enemy within.” One officer told Politico that these deployments “distract warfighters.” At least eleven former generals criticized the Los Angeles takeover. The Guardian reported that dozens of troops deployed to LA voiced anger about being political pawns. One said the assignment was “shitty.”

“Disoriented, demoralized, and ineffective”

This isn’t to say there’s a revolt within the armed forces. But they face a different kind of problem – disorganization.

In Foreign Affairs, Peter Fever writes: “Over the course of their professional lives, these military officers are likely to serve a large chunk of their time under both parties. If they become identified as partisans of one, they may be viewed as enemies of the other—starting a cycle of partisan purges that leaves the military disoriented, demoralized, and ineffective, as has happened in other purge-prone militaries.”

To complicate things further, this divided force is running up against a fragmented legal system. The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the federal military from participating in general law enforcement without a state’s consent. It’s the basis for the California ruling against the occupation of Los Angeles. Effectively, cities in blue states have this legal avenue against the deployments. States like Louisiana, where Trump crony Governor Jeff Landry requested federal assistance, are a different terrain.

Polarization in the military, like in the rest of the U.S., is a sign of imperialism’s decline. Hegseth admitted to this decline when he compared the aftermath of Vietnam to the U.S.’s position today. In Vietnam, like in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. tried to rally other imperialists under the banner of “spreading democracy.” But out with these ambitious, ideological wars. In with the wars of naked and narrow self-interest. It’s the desperate gambit of an empire losing its grip. Mounting abuses of military power come with the territory. But, after all, Americans have resisted the likes of this since 1776.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Opinion #Commentary #Hegseth #ArmedForces

Carlos Montes, a member of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, Assata Shakur was a softspoken, warm friendly mujer! We met in Cuba, in 1996, while on a trip with Global Exchanges led by Medea Benjamin. We talked about the importance of unity of Chicano and Black liberation struggles, and how Cuba was really building a revolution and protecting her from U.S. state repression. She knew about the Chicano movement.”

#InJusticeSystem #AssataShakur #Opinion #Remembrances

Noticiero ¡Lucha y Resiste! se sentó con Sydney Loving, participante de la delegación de Amigos de China Socialista, que recientemente regresó de una visita de diez días a cinco ciudades en China. De bases revolucionarios a ciudades de alta tecnología y desarrollo verde, la delegación presenció de primera mano el poder del socialismo a levantar las vidas de la gente. Loving es miembro del Comité Central de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cómo llegaste a China? ¿Cuál fue el propósito del viaje?

Sydney Loving: La delegación fue organizada por Amigos de China Socialista, un proyecto político dedicado a fortalecer la comprensión y apoyo para China según la solidaridad y la verdad. Yo representé la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad, y la delegación incluyó la gente de la Alianza Negra por la Paz, Mundo de Obreros, Internacional Progresista, Partido Comunista de Britania Liga de Comunistas Jóvenes, la Alianza de Liberación Negra, Libros Iskra, y otros.

Fuimos invitados por la Red China de ONG de Intercambios Internacionales, y durante 10 días visitamos Xi’an, Yan’an, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan y Shanghái.

Durante nuestro viaje a una variedad de lugares, tuvimos la oportunidad de descubrir cómo China está construyendo el socialismo, los avances increíbles que han hecho en 76 años de construcción socialista, y tuvimos diálogos maravillosos sobre cómo podemos rebatir mejor las narrativas negativas y las mentiras estilo Guerra Fría con las que estamos bombardeadas dentro del oeste. Al final, lo que encontramos fue un país encabezado por un partido político con una visión de futuro, con una meta que crea un mejor futuro para todos.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cómo describirías el camino de desarrollo de China?

Loving: Para entender verdaderamente lo extraordinario que es el desarrollo de China, hay que entender la historia y cómo fue la vida anterior para la mayoría de la gente. Antes de la revolución en 1949, China fue totalmente devastada por el imperialismo y la ocupación extranjera, feudalismo brutal, las hambrunas provocadas por el hombre, el caudillismo y más. La expectativa de vida en las áreas rurales era tan baja como 24 años. En Xi’an fuimos a unos sitios históricos antiguos, y los generales de terracota y las estatuas de mujeres nobles estaban rollizos – porque la hambruna masiva era una característica de la sociedad por siglos. Entonces, el socialismo tenía que superar todo esto.

Fuimos para Yan’an, que fue verdaderamente la cuna de la revolución de 1935 y 1947. El Ejército Rojo se reagrupó allá después de la Marcha Larga, y el PCCh [Partido Comunista de China] tuvo el 7mo Congreso Nacional, (16 largos años después del 6to Congreso, porque estaban luchando contra el imperialismo japonés y el KMT) en el cual el Pensamiento Mao Zedong fue cristalizado y adoptado. Ellos pelearon contra el dogmatismo y tomaron la decisión de ser el partido de las masas de la gente China. Cuando construyeron las estructuras políticas y eligieron representantes al Congreso, tenían un sistema de platos hondos y frijoles para las personas que no podían leer para votar por sus candidatos.

Ahora, 76 después, vimos un país que es la economía más grande del mundo medido por Paridad de Poder Adquisitivo. Incluso en las ciudades más pequeñas son tecnológicamente avanzadas y cada día más verde, la expectativa de vida es de más de 78 años, y claro donde más de 800 millones de personas han salido de la pobreza extrema – y no solo estamos hablando en términos de cantidades de dólares. Estamos hablando de alimentación, ropa, vivienda, electricidad y agua, atención médica y educación garantizadas.

El capitalismo no es capaz de cumplir esa clase de proyecto. Lo lograron con el planeo central y la movilización en masa. Cada ciudad que visitamos mostró cómo el Partido Comunista está guiando el desarrollo que prioriza a la gente primero.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuáles diferencias notaste en la vida cotidiana?

Loving: Se siente sinceramente diferente a las ciudades en los EE. UU., incluso nuestras ciudades más grandes. Las calles están limpias, caminables, y bien ordenadas a pesar de lo pobladas que están. Hasta el punto de que las madres y sus hijos simplemente caminaban tras cada intersección, con confianza de que los carros tenían que pararse. Muchos vehículos y cosas son diseñados con consideración a las necesidades de los viejos, los niños y los obreros. Aun en uno de los hoteles, los trabajadores se reunían en la plaza para hacer baile/ejercicio por las mañanas. Fue verdaderamente tranquilo pero animado, con parques y jardines en todas partes, y muchas actividades gratuitas y acceso a la cultura y a sitios históricos.

En Xi’an y Dunhuang en particular vimos como miles de años de civilización están siendo preservados como parte de la identidad viva de la gente. Y ya que el turismo interno es tan importante, los museos y sitios estaban llenos de niños, ancianos y familias. Para mí, me quedó claro que mantener el pueblo como dueño de su historia y su cultura es parte fundamental del espíritu revolucionario.

Y no como las ciudades de los EE. UU., no vimos casi ninguna falta de vivienda. En diez días, viajando por cinco ciudades, solo vi a una persona pidiendo limosna en la calle con un código QR en el fondo de una olla. Compáralo con San Francisco o Nueva York, donde hay barrios enteros de campamentos.

Además de eso, la tecnología fue increíble. Desde pequeños robots que toman el elevador para entregar comida a tu cuarto de hotel a los aeropuertos donde solo te paras frente a una cámara y te muestra toda la información de tu puerta de embarque y vuelo. Nuestros anfitriones nos avisaron contra tomar el tren bala porque nosotros los occidentales somos muy lentos con tanto equipaje y seguro íbamos a llegar tarde, pero el tren normal también fue genial.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: Fuiste al noroeste, una región bastante pobre de China. ¿Qué fue lo que más notaste?

Loving: Si, fuimos a la provincia de Gansu, en el borde del desierto de Gobi, una de las partes más empobrecidas de China. Pero realmente nos impresionó lo que están haciendo allí.

En Jiayuguan, visitamos JISCO, una empresa siderúrgica estatal alrededor de la cual los obreros construyeron la ciudad entera en los años 1950s. Hoy tiene una cobertura verde de 42%, con estanques y parques — y recuerda que esto es el desierto Gobi. Es un testamento del nivel de desarrollo de las fuerzas productivas que ahora JISCO incluso tiene una granja lechera y una vinatera con la bodega de vino techada más grande de Asia (sí, probamos el vino — delicioso). También recorrimos la planta de poder solar de sal fundido de Dunhuang, que puede almacenar energía por la noche y un centro de control con IA para una red eléctrica inteligente que ayuda a reducir la producción de carbón en toda la providencia. Le preguntamos a un trabajador allí cuál es la diferencia tecnológica entre cómo funciona su red eléctrica y la de EE. UU., y modestamente nos dijo: “Bueno, nuestra red nunca se cae”. Desafortunadamente, eso me hizo reír – siendo de Texas.

Hay un gran énfasis en la modernización ecológica. Realmente están transformando el desierto en un lugar habitable y sostenible. Es un testamento de cómo van juntos el alivio de la pobreza y el ambientalismo bajo el socialismo.

China también está demostrando que la tecnología no es inherentemente anti-humana. En Shanghái fuimos a una fábrica de robótica en donde demostraron los avances en la cirugía e industria, y una fábrica de Lenovo donde mostraron cómo colaboran con el sistema escolar para llevar tecnología avanzada a escuelas rurales. La diferencia está en quién controla la tecnología, bajo qué sistema y para qué propósito.

Para China, un desarrollo que deja gente atrás simplemente significa un fracaso. Por eso se enfocan en equilibrar el desarrollo de las regiones, impulsando el occidente y el noroeste en lugar de permitir que la riqueza se concentre solo en las costas. Así, tras el éxito de los masivos proyectos de aliviar de la pobreza – que ni la ONU puede negar – la siguiente fase es la “prosperidad común”.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuál fue el papel del Partido Comunista en la vida cotidiana?

Loving: El Partido Comunista estuvo en todas partes. Digo acaban de celebrar haber alcanzado 100 millones de miembros. Aldeas, hospitales, escuelas y fábricas tienen ramas del Partido. En Jiayuguan pasamos por uno de los “Centros del Partido,” donde nuestros guías nos dijeron que las personas pueden ir a hacer preguntas o pedir ayuda de los cadres, hasta el cuidado de los niños.

Me repito, es tan diferente de los partidos políticos de aquí. A los funcionarios locales se les evalúa por cómo sirven a la gente, con el partido siendo una meritocracia en ese sentido. No puedes comprar un puesto de liderazgo como lo hacen en los partidos políticos aquí en los EE. UU.

De hecho, para ascender rango en el Partido, tienes que demostrar tu dedicación y servicio al pueblo. Un miembro del Partido, que era maestro y que también fue nuestro guía improvisado en el autobús, lo resumió diciendo que es un sentimiento de orgullo por lo lejos que han llegado y hacia dónde van. Y con buena razón.

La presencia del PCCh no es misteriosa ni abstracta. Son doctores dando consultas gratis, comités organizando la limpieza de las calles y obreros mejorando las condiciones de seguridad en el trabajo. Esto demuestra por qué pudieron vencer el militarismo japonés y al KMT: porque estaban, y siguen estando, profundamente arraigados en el pueblo.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Qué lecciones deberían los revolucionarios en los EE. UU. sacar de tu experiencia?

Loving: Sabemos que el capitalismo monopolista es un sistema moribundo, así que una lección para todos es que el socialismo funciona. Esta es la vida real, así no es una utopía, y hay contradicciones y mejoramientos que hacer en todo. Pero está haciendo el trabajo más importante que existe, que es mejorar las vidas de las personas y resolver problemas complicados enormes como la pobreza, el cambio climático, y los ataques a la soberanía y amenazas de guerra, con creatividad y flexibilidad en tiempos de cambio. Si tienen la oportunidad, la gente definitivamente debería visitar y ver por sí mismos.

Pero no es suficiente solo admirar a China. Para los revolucionarios aquí, tenemos que entender nuestras tareas. El mayor obstáculo a un futuro pacífico y digno para todos es el imperialismo de los EE. UU. El mismo sistema que bombardea Palestina, bloquea Cuba, financia golpes de estado en África, y quiere declarar guerra contra China.

El imperialismo de los EE. UU. es enemigo de la gente aquí también.

Como comunistas, estamos estableciendo liderazgo en todos los aspectos de la lucha de la gente y construyendo un movimiento revolucionario en la casa, para crear un partido de la clase obrera, arraigado en la gente, con la misma agilidad y claridad de propósito que han demostrado los comunistas de China por casi un siglo. Dicho esto, no hay una forma de copiar y pegar el camino de China que funcione para nosotros. Tenemos que aplicar la ciencia revolucionaria a nuestras propias condiciones, tiempo y lugar.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Tienes pensamientos finales?

Loving: ¡El socialismo es el futuro! En muchos aspectos, China está mostrando el camino, pero es verdad para todos nosotros. La gente en cada rincón del mundo merece vivir con dignidad y paz. Lo alcanzaremos si luchamos por ello.

#International #China #FRSO #OSCL #RevolutionaryTheory #Interview #Opinion #Socialism

Fight Back! sat down with Sydney Loving, a participant in the 2025 Friends of Socialist China delegation, which recently returned from a ten-day visit across five cities in China. From revolutionary bases to high-tech cities and green development, the delegation witnessed firsthand the power of socialism to uplift the lives of the people. Loving is a member of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Fight Back!: How did you go to China? What was the purpose of the trip?

Sydney Loving: The delegation was organized by Friends of Socialist China, a political project aiming to strengthen understanding and support for China on the basis of solidarity and truth. I repped Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the delegation included folks from Black Alliance for Peace, Workers World, Progressive International, Communist Party of Britain Young Communist League, Black Liberation Alliance, Qiao Collective, Iskra Books, and others.

We were invited by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges, and over ten days we visited Xi’an, Yan’an, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, and Shanghai.

Traveling to a range of areas, we got to investigate how China is building socialism, the incredible advances they’ve made in 76 years of socialist construction, and we had awesome dialogues about how we can better counter the negative narratives and Cold War-type lies we’re bombarded with in the West. Ultimately what we found was a country led by a forward-thinking political party, with a purpose that’s carving out a better future for everybody.

Fight Back!: How would you describe China’s path of development?

Loving: To really understand how remarkable China’s development is, you’ve got to understand the history and what life was like for most people. Before the revolution in 1949, China was totally devastated by imperialism and foreign occupation, brutal feudalism, man-made famines, warlordism, etc. Life expectancy in the rural areas was as low as 24 years old. In Xi’an we went to some ancient history sites, and the terracotta generals and statues of noblewomen were plump – because mass starvation was a feature of society for centuries. So, socialism had all this to overcome.

We went to Yan’an, which was really the cradle of the revolution from 1935 to 1947. The Red Army re-grouped there after the Long March, and the CPC [Communist Party of China] held the 7th National Congress there, (16 long years after the 6th Congress, because they were fighting Japanese imperialism and the KMT) where Mao Zedong Thought was crystalized and adopted. They fought dogmatism and made the decision to be the party of the masses of Chinese people. When they built the political structures and elected representatives to the Congress, they had a system of bowls and beans for people who couldn’t read to vote for their candidates

Now, 76 years later, we saw a country that’s the largest economy in the world as measured by Purchasing Power Parity. Even smaller cities are high-tech and increasingly green, life expectancy is over 78 years, and of course where over 800 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty– and we’re not just talking by dollar amounts. We’re talking guaranteed food, clothing, housing, electricity and water, healthcare and education.

Capitalism is just not capable of that kind of project. They did it through central planning and mass mobilization. Every single city we visited showed how the Communist Party is guiding development that puts people first.

Fight Back!: What differences did you notice in daily life?

Loving: It really feels very different than cities in the U.S., even our biggest cities. The streets are clean, walkable, and well-organized despite how populous they are. To the point where moms and their kids would just walk across the intersection, confident the cars would stop for them. Lots of electric vehicles and things are designed with the needs of the elderly, children and workers in mind. Even at one of our hotels, the workers would all meet in the quad for a dance/exercise in the mornings. It was really peaceful but lively, with parks and gardens everywhere, and tons of free activities and access to culture and historical sites.

In Xi’an and Dunhuang especially we saw how thousands of years of civilization are being preserved as part of people’s living identity. And with internal tourism being a big deal, museums and sites were full of schoolkids, seniors and families. To me it was clear that having history and culture belong to the people is part of the revolutionary spirit.

And unlike cities in the U.S., we saw almost no homelessness. In ten days, traveling around five cities, I saw just one person begging on the street with a QR code in the bottom of a pan. Compare that to San Francisco or New York, where you have entire neighborhoods of encampments.

Also, the technology was unreal. From little robots that take the elevator to deliver food to your hotel room to the airports where you just stand in front of a camera and it displays all your gate and flight info. Our hosts advised against us taking the bullet train because we Westerners were too slow with all our luggage and definitely would’ve been late, but the normal train was awesome, too.

Fight Back!: You went to the northwest, a poorer region of China. What stood out?

Loving: Yes we went to Gansu Province, on the edge of the Gobi Desert, one of the most historically impoverished parts of China. But we were really blown away by what they’re doing there.

In Jiayuguan, we visited JISCO, a state-owned steel company that the workers built the whole city around in the 1950s. Today it has 42% green cover, with ponds and parks– remember this is the Gobi Desert. It’s a testament to the level of development of the productive forces that now JISCO even has a dairy farm and a winery with the largest indoor wine cellar in Asia (yes we tasted the wine – delicious). We also toured the Dunhuang molten salt solar power plant, which can store energy at night, and a smart grid AI control center that helps reduce carbon output across the province. We asked a worker there what’s the difference in tech between how their power grid works vs. in the U.S., and he modestly said, “Well our grid never goes down.” Unfortunately, I got a kick out of that – being from Texas.

There’s a big emphasis on ecological modernization. They’re really transforming a desert into a livable, sustainable place. It’s a testament to how poverty alleviation and environmentalism go hand in hand under socialism.

China is also proving that tech isn’t inherently anti-human. In Shanghai we went to a robotics facility where they demonstrated the advancements for surgery and industry, and a Lenovo factory where they showed off how they’re partnering with the school system to bring advanced tech into rural classrooms. The difference is who controls tech, under what system, and for what purpose.

For China, development that leaves some folks behind means failure. That’s why they focus on balancing the regions, uplifting the west and northwest instead of letting wealth pool on the coasts. So after the success of the massive poverty alleviation projects -which even the UN can’t deny – the next phase is “common prosperity.”

Fight Back!: What was the role of the Communist Party in daily life?

Loving: The Communist Party was everywhere. I mean they just celebrated reaching 100 million members. Villages, hospitals, schools and factories have Party branches. In Jiayuguan we passed one of the “Party Centers,” where our guides told us people can go and ask questions or get help from cadres, even childcare.

Again, it’s so different than political parties here. Local officials are graded on how well they serve the people, with the party being a meritocracy in that sense. You can’t buy your way into leadership like they do for political parties here in the U.S.

Actually, to rise the ranks in the Party, you have to demonstrate your dedication and service to the people. One Party member who was a teacher and an impromptu tour guide on our bus summed it up by saying it’s a feeling of pride in how far they’ve come and where they’re going. And for a good reason.

The CPC’s presence isn’t shadowy or abstract. It’s doctors giving free checkups, committees organizing street sanitation, workers shoring up safety conditions. It proves why they were able to defeat Japanese militarism and the KMT: because they were, and still are, deeply rooted in the masses.

Fight Back!: What lessons should revolutionaries in the U.S. draw from your experience?

Loving: We know that monopoly capitalism is a dying system, so one of the lessons for everyone is that socialism works. This is real life, so it’s not a utopia, and there’s contradictions and improvements to be made in everything. But it’s doing the most important work there is, which is lifting up people’s lives and solving huge complicated problems like poverty, climate change, and attacks on sovereignty and threats of war, with creativity and flexibility in changing times. If you get the chance, folks should definitely visit and see for yourselves.

But it’s not enough to just admire China. For revolutionaries here, we have to understand our tasks. The biggest obstacle to a peaceful, dignified future for everybody is U.S. imperialism. The same system that bombs Palestine, blockades Cuba, funds coups in Africa, and they’d like to wage war on China.

U.S. imperialism is the enemy of the people here, too.

As communists, we are earning leadership in all the strands of the people’s struggle and building a revolutionary movement at home, to create a party of the working class, rooted in the people, with the same agility and clarity of purpose that China’s communists have shown for almost a century. That being said, there’s no copy-pasting of China’s path that will work for us. We have to apply revolutionary science to our own conditions, time and place.

Fight Back!: Final thoughts?

Loving: Socialism is the future! In many respects China is showing the way, but it’s true for all of us. People in every corner of the world deserve to live with dignity and peace. We will get there if we fight for it.

#International #China #FRSO #RevolutionaryTheory #Opinion #Interview #Socialism #Feature

“No matter how many guns or how much money you got. They gon’ take it from you when they want,” said Remmick, the head vampire, explaining to Smoke Moore and the other living characters that the downfall of the Juke Joint and the massacre of its customers were inevitable. The fatal flaw of the Moore twins, Smoke and Stack, is their belief that making money is the path to freedom.

“It's a mighty fine day to be free,” Stack says as the twins prepare to open their business. A few scenes later, Smoke disavows any belief in the supernatural and says “only money” can give you power.

The vampires gain access to the Juke Joint because the twins need money to keep their business running. They need U.S. currency and not the wooden coins paid by their sharecropper customers. White people are more likely to have U.S. dollars, so Stack’s ex-girlfriend Mary goes outside to speak with the strange white visitors.

Coogler drew inspiration from the Faustian bargain, a deal with the devil. Vampires use money to gain access to a building in the same way capitalists use it to exploit labor. They claim to make a “fair trade” in a necessarily exploitative relationship. Mary went outside looking to make a profit and found herself not only being exploited but being used to exploit everyone else.

Instead of being the key to freedom, capital traps the Black community of Clarksdale in their oppression.

So what is the road to freedom?

Sinners does not depict a revolution, but it does show some successful struggle. The film rejects idealist solutions offered by many similar movies. Sammie's recital of the Lord's Prayer does not work. Nor are the vampires defeated by the abstract powers of love or music.

In order to win, the protagonists have to discover the vampire's weaknesses and then physically defeat them. Their knowledge comes mainly from Smoke’s wife Annie, who has studied past struggles against vampires and similar creatures.

The fight in the Juke Joint is spontaneous and therefore has limited success. The owners and patrons lack knowledge and unity. After the first attack they still don't know who or what the vampires are, so they send most of the patrons outside, where they are picked off one by one. Inside, they suffer from impulsive decisions like when one of them invites the vampires in to fight before the humans are ready.

We see a more successful struggle from the organized Choctaw. It's implied that they have killed other vampires already. They almost kill Remmick but get stopped by a KKK couple, Joan and Bert, whose racism is encouraged by Remmick and ends up being fatal to both of them.

The story would have gone very differently if the characters were not divided by national oppression and white chauvinism. If the Black, white and indigenous characters were united, the vampires would stand no chance.

One of many lessons we can learn from Sinners is that bloodsuckers rely on the division and ignorance of their prey. Those of us suffering from the vampirism of capital need to learn how it works and unite to drive a stake through the heart of the system.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Culture #Film #Opinion #Reviews #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #Vampries

To: Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front of the Philippines

From: Freedom Road Socialist Organization

The memory and contributions of Ka Louie Jalandoni will live forever!

Dear Comrades,

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Ka Louie Jalandoni, an outstanding revolutionary who made great contributions to the struggle to end exploitation and oppression. We extend our condolences to his comrades, family and friends. Ka Louie was known throughout the world for his integrity, commitment and intelligence. He will be missed by many.

Ka Louie worked tirelessly to strengthen the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and he achieved much during that effort. He was a living example of what it means in the real world to serve the people. All of us can learn from his cheerful tenacity as he carried out his work.

The leadership and members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization appreciate Ka Louie’s keen interest in the progress our organization has made inside the United States, and in him we found a genuine comrade and friend. He was a living example of what proletarian internationalism means in practice. The people of the Philippines and the people of the U.S. share a common enemy in U.S. imperialism.

The revolution in the Philippines has produced a host of leaders who have made great contributions to the struggle to liberate all of humanity, and the Communist Party of the Philippines has done much to advance the fight for national and social liberation. Revolutionary leaders, like Ka Louie, are respected wherever communists are found fighting for a new world.

At this difficult moment, we share the grief of all comrades in the national democratic movement of the Philippines. And we will always cherish the memory and contributions of Ka Louie.

With communist greetings,

Mick Kelly

For the Standing Committee of the Central Committee,

Freedom Road Socialist Organization

#International #Philippines #Opinion #Remembrances #FRSO #Statement #CPP #NDF