Freedom Socialist • Vol. 28, No. 6 • December 2007-January 2008Cuba and Iran stand up to the U.S. bully By tightening economic sanctions against Iran and brazenly promoting forcible regime change in Cuba, Bush & Co. are also sending a warning to other countries: "Do as we command, or you'll be sorry." On the pretexts of protecting Europe from Iran's phantom nuclear arsenal and rescuing Cubans from a "totalitarian" system that Cubans themselves have chosen, the U.S. government crowns itself world dictator. Given its bloated nuclear and military stockpiles and electoral corruption, this government's hypocrisy is as bottomless as the appetite for profit of the corporations it serves. And it is not solely a Republican phenomenon, as the Democrats share an equally arrogant record of global saber-rattling, regime-undermining, and war-making. Although practically opposites in many ways, Cuba and Iran have one thing in common: bold resistance to Uncle Sam. Cuba has spurned countless Yankee attempts to overthrow its government and the socialist aspirations it represents. Iran has defended its right to pursue nuclear energy production and its people have an inspiring history of revolutionary upsurge against Western exploitation. For the U.S. bankers and bosses, the most terrifying thing about the defiance they face abroad is that it could spread to the potentially most dangerous threat of all: workers at home. We should create a better day for people everywhere by realizing their fears! Decision on Mumia soon - prepare to act! In the 1920s, the battle was to save Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two immigrants who were executed for murders they did not commit. In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sent to the electric chair for supposedly "giving the secret of the atom bomb" to the USSR. Today millions continue to fight like hell to prevent a similar terrible miscarriage of justice in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a radio journalist, former Black Panther, and outspoken critic of police action against people of color, who was condemned to death for a crime he did not do. On May 17, due to immense public pressure, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia heard Mumia's attorney, Robert Bryan, argue for a new trial for Mumia, who was wrongly convicted in 1981 of the murder of policeman Daniel Faulkner. Since then, Abu-Jamal has been waiting for the ruling. The three-judge panel could award him a new jury trial on his guilt or innocence, a new trial on his sentence, or a return to the lower U.S. District Court for additional proceedings. Or it could deny all relief. While hoping for the best, supporters are preparing for the worse. The day after the decision comes down events are planned in places including Philadelphia, Harlem, Manhattan, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, Ore. For information about next-day demonstrations, see the websites www.freemumia.com, www.freemumia.org, and www.partisandefense.org, or call Freedom Socialist Party offices listed on page four. Find the event nearest you and prepare to act! Defend Mumia! United socialist electoral front: still a good idea This summer, the Socialist Party issued an unprecedented call for left organizations to participate with them in the 2008 presidential elections. The Socialist Party's widespread invitation presented three possibilities for combined work. Interested groups could propose a candidate whom the SP could nominate, run an SP candidate on their ticket, or "form a united-front socialist ticket with a variety of other socialist organizations if a sufficient number of other socialist organizations are willing to take on such an endeavor." The Freedom Socialist Party was delighted that the SP was promoting the idea of a united left ticket, which we had put forward in 2004. We let the SP know right away that we would like to be part of a joint slate, provided that we would have a say in drafting the electoral platform and that candidates would be bound to it. Unfortunately, no other party responded this year, so the SP will be running its own candidates. (The FSP will be publicizing our election endorsements in a later FS.) Maybe in 2010! |
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