Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands with working people on the West Coast who are threatened by the massive wildfires that have taken scores of lives. Dozens more are missing and feared dead and thousands of homes were destroyed. We encourage FRSO members in California, Oregon and Washington to assist in whatever way possible in efforts that ensure the safety of your neighbors and contribute to pro-people recovery efforts. It is important to combat the fear mongering around the fires that is happening in the service of a cynical right-wing political agenda.

There is nothing natural about the disaster that is engulfing the West Coast, it is the product of climate change, which in turn has been created by capitalism. A decade of hotter and drier summers, lower levels of winter precipitation and rapid spring melt outs has created fuel for the fires. Large, extremely hot fires are in turn reshaping the ecosystems that they ravage. In some areas even jack pine seeds, which normally thrive on fire, are being killed by the intensity of the infernos. In some places, what was once a forest is being replaced by grassland. That means that the trees that are so necessary to clean carbon dioxide from the air will not be coming back, leaving more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to fuel warming.

Big business, in particular the fossil fuel industry, have economic interest in blunting measures that would slow or roll back climate change. Capitalism rewards a greedy few and encourages short-term thinking in order to maximize profits today. The result is a world that is growing hotter, has more extreme weather events, and is posing an existential threat to life as we know it and possibly even to humanity.

In the White House, the main political representative of monopoly capitalism is steadfast in his opposition to science, and blabbers about “raking the forest.” That kind of ridiculous commentary and denial of science is not funny when whole towns are being burned to the ground.

Every progressive person should support government assistance to help the people of the West Coast battle this disaster and rebuild their lives. The wealthy that run this country have plenty of money; they can be taxed and made to pay for this crisis.

Our movements need to insist that the government needs to get serious about addressing climate change. Trump has no intention of doing that and that is one of the many reasons he needs to go. That said, we will need to stay in the streets no matter who is elected to force a serious battle against climate change.

Capitalism is a failed system. It is destroying our planet for the profits of a few. There is no hope to stop climate change in the context of the chaotic market-driven forces of capitalism. The sooner the powerful and privileged are overthrown, and socialism – a system where everything is done to improve people’s lives – replaces it, the better it will be.

#WestCoast #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #Capitalism #EnvironmentalJustice #Washington #California #Oregon #WildFires

The Portland District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the extrajudicial police killing of Michael Reinoehl. The system that cops uphold claims to derive its legitimacy from “equality before the law.” Nothing could be further from the truth in Michael Reinoehl’s death by federal agents.

As well, the fact remains that this ‘equality’ does not extend to the Black, Chicano and Native American peoples within this country. The oppressed peoples of the U.S. can see the breadth of this ‘equality’ every time their brothers and sisters are brutalized by the police and the system of terror they uphold. This ‘equality’ was on full display in Kenosha recently after a white supremacist with blood on his hands passed unimpeded across police lines, just minutes after shooting protesters who were demonstrating to end the barbarous excesses of state cruelty.

As capitalism's crisis of legitimacy deepens, we can only expect the police in the United States to expand their use of extrajudicial killings, and side even more clearly with reactionary militias and vigilantes to stamp out popular dissent. The casting off of the veil of neutrality by the police is the mechanical reaction of the state to powerful mass movements. This is the history of the U.S. government in response to mass movements for change, let alone revolution.

Our people will not cease in the struggle against imperialism and national oppression, both at home and abroad. With unwavering determination, we will continue to take action against the state and all of the forces of reaction it employs against us. Fight on!

#PortlandOR #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #frso #Trump #Oregon #MichaelReinoehl

Before the vote, 150 community members gathered outside city hall to rally. Demonstrators help signs that read, “Immigrants are not terrorists” and “No JTTF.” Council members heard testimonies from 40 community leaders and activists before announcing their votes. Only four were in favor of the city continuing its involvement with the JTTF, three of whom were members of the Portland Police Bureau.

A common concern of those giving testimony was the use of the task force to target undocumented immigrants. Rabbi Ariel Stone of Portland Interfaith Clergy Resistance stated, “We reject the federal government's persecution of those immigrants who are our neighbors, living in our midst.” The task force had a bad record of violating the city's sanctuary status and had worked with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The story of Jerome Aba, a Filipino activist detained and tortured in San Francisco, was recounted by a member of the International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines. “The San Francisco government, which is not a member of the JTTF, passed a resolution asking for an independent investigation. We want you to follow their example and stand up for civil and human rights and leave the JTTF.” Customs and Border Patrol, also a member of the JTTF, detained Jerome Aba.

Portland is the second city, after San Francisco, to leave the JTTF. Oakland politicians are currently looking at passing an amendment to leave.

#PortlandOR #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JTTF #Oregon