AnarchoBolshevik

In the West there will be some people who turn up their noses at this point: development, growth, industrialization, urbanization, an economic miracle of unprecedented magnitude and duration unprecedented in history. How vulgar!

This snobbery from the privileged seems to deem irrelevant the fact that hundreds of millions of people have escaped a fate that condemned them to malnutrition, hunger and even starvation. Those who might think that the development of productive forces is only a matter of economic prosperity and consumerism would do well to reread (or read) the pages of the Communist Manifesto that highlight the idiocy of rural life in misery — not only material but cultural, with narrow and impassable boundaries.

We showed up to the rally with Palestinian flags, literature, keffiyehs and signs. Reactions from attendees, who seemed to primarily be campaign volunteers, were mostly negative.

Some attendees hurled insults at us, calling us “antisemites,” “terrorists” and “gang rapists,” telling one of us to “go back to where you came from,” and saying we would be “thrown off a roof” in Palestine. One of us was physically assaulted by a rally participant.

We exposed the cynical attempt from elected officials and [neo]imperialist “feminists” of the Democratic party to co-opt reproductive justice while enforcing a racial hierarchy of human life with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim women at the bottom of that hierarchy. Goldman and Nadler, both invited to speak at the rally, have supported sending “aid” to Israel to continue its expansionist, genocidal war.

Electeds at this event have repeated the debunked, false propaganda about Palestinians committing mass sexual violence. Every allegation is a confession, as there are countless documented instances and even video evidence of sexual torture and abuse of Palestinians by the lOF (Israel Occupation Forces). This past year has only fortified the incompatibility between Zionism and feminism.

Zionist settler colonialism is predicated on the racialized logic of elimination by controlling the reproduction and sexuality of Palestinian women. Anyone who enables reproductive genocide in Palestine is no ally to women or reproductive freedom anywhere.

Yuri Yep, a restaurant server at Omni Parker House said: “I’m on strike, because I work two jobs in order to provide for my family. I’m always rushing, and I don’t even have time to see my kids. I’m missing out on my own life. It’s ridiculous that I’m living this way when the hotel companies make record profits. They can afford what we’re asking for, and we’ll be out on strike until we win for all of our families.” (unitehere.org, Oct. 14)

At both the massive Oct. 6 Boston Coalition for Palestine march and Oct. 12 Indigenous Peoples Day action, demonstrators joined the Local 26 picket lines at the Hilton Park Plaza Hotel. These were tremendous shows of solidarity between hotel workers and Indigenous activists fighting against centuries of capitalist genocide and exploitation. (workers.org/2024/10/81456/); (workers.org/2024/10/81220/)

On Oct. 25, 500 UNITE HERE! members and their allies rallied at the Park Plaza. Addressing the crowd, Brian Doherty, General Agent for the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions, made clear the irreconcilable conflict between shareholders and the workers they exploit. At issue, Doherty stressed, was a fight over whether Hilton’s profits should go towards extra dividends for billionaire investors or towards living wages for employees.

Kevin Hanes, a leader of the strike, added: “We need to pay our rent and have just one job to take care of our families. In our union we fight for one standard in this city and we will fight till we get it.”

Carlos Arâmyo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, declared, “We will fight for what we are worth, and we know how to win.”

Although the hotel industry recently reported $100 billion in profits, many hotel employees report working two or more jobs to offset rising costs of living. Pandemic staffing cuts have forced workers to take on extra tasks during their working hours with no additional compensation.

Following the speeches by union leaders, dozens of workers and demonstrators joined the picket line outside the Park Plaza entrance. Drumming, blaring horns and chants of “Make them pay!” kept crowd energy surging. The noise shook the air and carried to the Boston Common, several blocks away.

Currently more than one Martinican in four (29.3%) lives under the poverty line. The rate in France is 11%. (statista.com) There are 34,500 Martinique households, out of about 140,000, who qualify for welfare payments. (tinyurl.com/3uk2hwzb)

Besides big demonstrations of thousands in Martinique, there were street barricades of burned cars and buses, checkpoints, blockades and supermarkets surrounded by pickets or burned out, according to online pictures. Four demonstrators were reportedly killed. The militant actions continued even after the central French government sent in detachments of its special anti-riot cops.

Protesters raised the issue of the monopolistic control the three major béké families have over the Martinique economy. The béké are the descendants of white plantation owners who made their initial wealth from using enslaved labor to produce sugar in the 17th and 18th centuries.

When France abolished enslavement in 1842, it fully compensated the plantation owners, the béké, for the loss of their enslaved labor. The békés used this capital to gain a commanding control of the Martinique economy. The people who produced all the wealth received freedom from enslavement but no reparations.

Most of the people living in Martinique and Guadeloupe are the descendants of the people enslaved by the békés.

On October 16, a number of civic groups that had been protesting and the government of Martinique signed an agreement reducing the price of 6,000 items that are used for food by 20%.

The Association for the Protection of African-Caribbean Peoples and Resources didn’t sign the agreement, because it thought it did not go far enough. The RPPRAC was a major force in the protests, holding a major demonstration on Oct. 21 and intends to continue the struggle.

The major force protesting in Guadeloupe has been the electrical workers union. Members marched into the power grid’s control room on Oct. 26, shutting it down to demand that their contract be honored and prices be lowered.

Houston PYM and allies demonstrated on Oct. 25 outside the downtown Shell Soccer Stadium. Chants of “No Vote for Genocide!” greeted those attending the rally.

According to Caleb Granger, one of the protesters, “We received a mixed reaction from those going into the stadium. Most were indifferent, but we did get some support, but there was also some hostility.”

The other popular chant was “Kamala, Kamala, You Can’t Hide! We Charge You with Genocide!” The Houston Chronicle reported that 1.5 million people signed up to attend the rally, and the stadium was totally filled with 30,000 people. A few small groups of Pro-Palestine activists got inside the stadium and tried to disrupt the rally but were immediately escorted out.

The demonstration was supported by Al-Awda, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Rice University Students for Justice in Palestine, and others.

SBWU explained in an email to supporters that, “Our amazing epic union baristas are organizing en masse, and this is our biggest Red for Bread action ever.”

On Oct. 1 SBWU announced that they had just unionized the 500th Starbucks store, in Bellingham, Washington. More union victories have been announced since then, from Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, to Epping, New Hampshire.

Studies have shown that where arenas are built, wages for Black workers fall, because retail, service and hospitality workers make less money. Aramark workers at Philadelphia’s football, basketball and baseball stadiums represented by UNITE HERE! Local 274 recently went on strike for four days in an effort to win higher wages and benefits. There is still no agreement on a new contract. (workers.org/2024/10/80990/)

The city’s community impact study predicted 50% of Chinatown businesses will be negatively impacted. Part of the current Fashion District Mall will be removed, meaning hundreds of jobs for Asian, Black, Indigenous and other people of color will be eliminated.

76Place won’t pay local property taxes, and developers want state and federal subsidies. The 76ers arena could cost the city and state $1 billion in lost tax revenue — translating to less money for schools and neighborhoods.

Instead of supporting an arena project that might provide jobs to their members for a short term but would harm the surrounding communities for decades, the construction trades would do better by demanding projects that are sorely needed in the poorest big city in the U.S. — such as new schools, libraries, day-care centers, mass transit, parks and improved infrastructure.

Many workers support the “No Arena in the Heart of our City” movement. Members of the Philly Black Workers Project and National Domestic Workers Association were present and active in the protests at City Hall on Oct 24. Educators, nurses and doctors have also been opposed to the arena and have joined many rallies in solidarity with the struggle to save Chinatown.

Hundreds of workers have signed the “Pro-Union, Pro-Chinatown Workers say NO ARENA IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY!” petition.

Which side are you on? All workers should be on the people’s side and oppose the construction of an arena that would displace the last community of color in Center City. And every council member should be too.

To sign the petition go to: tinyurl.com/3nkvkaax

The [neo]imperialist ruling class is trying to mobilize the population to consider People’s China their enemy. The speakers eloquently combatted these lies, which are delivered incessantly with the ruling class’s massive propaganda machine.

With their exposure of what they call “Western Marxism,” the speakers also refuted those academic Marxists who might have strong critiques of capitalist society but who never side with existing socialist countries, and they also undervalue the role of national liberation struggles.

They discussed how theory must be applied dialectically, taking into account the challenges of building socialism or even building a national economy in a world still dominated by imperialism. As Martinez put it, “Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels didn’t have the opportunity to view a socialist country over a long period of time.”

Flounders took up the same question, saying it is our responsibility to combat the ideas of the “housebroken, tamed Marxists in the predatory, capitalist centers, those who strip Marxism of its revolutionary character, the academic Marxists who find ways to support their own imperialist governments against the rising anti-colonial and revolutionary struggles of the Global South.”

In the presentations and in a lively Q&A, the panelists had an opportunity to develop their ideas and introduce their works. To view the video of this meeting, go to: https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=DZ0AZ3dk7_k

Striking members of the International Association of Machinists at Boeing won’t take any cheap deals. They once again defeated the company’s latest contract offer by a resounding 64%. The Oct. 23 vote was cheered by workers at the Seattle union hall, who showed they are ready to fight on for justice. The 33,000 IAM members have been on strike for over 45 days.

The tentative agreement still denied the workers full pensions, which is part and parcel of what this strike is about. The nixed deal offered the workers a 35% pay increase over four years; their demand is for 40%. There are other issues as well.

This strike has been a long time coming, and IAM members have been saving money and preparing for it for eight years.

During the winter of 2013–14, members of IAM District Local 751 had their pensions stolen from them in a high-pressure, well-orchestrated concessionary contract. In November 2013, Boeing executives demanded an eight-year contract from the Machinists, whose lead negotiator was International President Thomas Buffenbarger. It was a take it or leave it deal, demanding across the board concessions on everything the workers had fought for over many years, from pay rates to pensions and other important issues.

Boeing officials said then the company it would take production of the new 777X elsewhere in the country if the workers didn’t accept this latest deal. Workers would lose jobs. State and local politicians and the anti-labor corporate media chimed in with Boeing in demanding the workers vote on the contract offer — which meant vote for it.

Boeing had already moved much of the production of the 787 plane out of the Seattle and Portland, Oregon, areas — where Most of the Machinists’ jobs are — to South Carolina, an anti-union, right-to-work state. This was a union-busting move.

Under a lot of pressure, but still very angry, the workers voted that takeaway contract down by 67%. However, that wasn’t the end of it. Boeing collaborated with President Buffenbarger to demand a revote on Jan. 3, 2014. In his fear, Buffenbarger had jumped across the class barricade!

Most of the workers were on vacation since Boeing Machinists get a year-end paid vacation around Jan. 1. By a slim margin of 51%, the Machinists, under more pressure because Buffenbarger favored it, voted for a contract which retained local production of the 777X plane but got rid of their valued pensions, along with other takeaways.

This was a lot of Boeing bluffing, because very few of the 777X planes were ever produced. What was left was a greatly eroded contract. Now union members are angry and ready to fight like hell.

This year the IAM is demanding that the next generation commercial airplane be produced by union workers in the Northwest — very important for preserving their jobs. But the company so far has only committed to preserving jobs for four years or the life of the contract.

Boeing has stated in no uncertain terms that it won’t allow the workers to have their full defined benefit pensions back. But the struggle of the Machinists might make the bosses eat their words.

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), condemn in the strongest terms the Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which targeted military sites in several governorates.

We consider it a blatant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation targeting the security of the region and the safety of its people, which holds the occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of this aggression supported by the United States.

This fascist aggression confirms once again the nature of the criminal occupation entity, which continues to shed the blood of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and other Arab and Islamic peoples, relying on criminal military and political cover from the U.S. administration and some Western capitals.

We commend the readiness of the Islamic Republic, its air defenses and its response to the Zionist attack, which succeeded in nullifying its effectiveness and strengthened the position of our free peoples, their valiant resistance and their struggle against Zionist and U.S. hegemony.

We affirm our solidarity and support for Iran in the face of the arrogance and chaos of the Zionist entity, and we appreciate the courageous positions shown by the Iranian people and their leadership in supporting our Palestinian people and their just cause.

While the sheer numbers are impressive, what stood out in particular was the passage of the Kazan Declaration on Oct. 23 by the BRICS countries. It included provisions denouncing Israel and calling for an immediate ceasefire of the “unprecedented escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as a result of the Israeli military offensive, which led to mass killings and injury of civilians, forced displacement and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

“We stress the urgent need for an immediate, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detainees from both sides who are being illegally held captive and the unhindered, sustainable and at scale supply of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and cessation of all aggressive actions. We denounce the Israeli attacks against humanitarian operations, facilities, personnel and distribution points.”

With a political statement, the Kazan Declaration also addressed Israel’s escalation of the conflict into a regional war, with the “loss of civilian lives and the immense damage to civilian infrastructure resulting from attacks by Israel in residential areas in Lebanon and call for immediate cessation of military acts.”

The Declaration also called for comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to more adequately respond to global challenges while supporting the aspirations of emerging and developing countries. It called for BRICS countries to play a greater rôle in international affairs, in particular in the U.N.

Beyond the Declaration, what will be the significance of the Kazan Summit?

BRICS is a contradictory formation. Prior to the summit, BRICS+ issued a historic report proposing the creation of new infrastructures to trade and transfer money using national currencies other than the U.S. dollar, further prompting the global call for de-dollarization.

On one hand, it is challenging the oligarchs of the West and will lead to their further isolation. On its own, BRICS will not change the class relations in these countries. Yet anything that further isolates the global [neo]imperialist camp, led by Washington, and undermines its use of the dollar as a weapon targeting countries the U.S. opposes, aids the struggle of nations oppressed by [neo]imperialism.

During her speech, WWP member Madison Johnson quoted from WWP General Secretary Larry Holmes, saying:

“Anti-imperialism is a pillar of proletarian or working-class internationalism. Internationalism is the solidarity in theory and in practice of the workers and oppressed peoples of the world. Fascism is based on reactionary imperialist nationalism. Its purpose is to have the workers fighting each other instead of capitalism.

“Internationalism on the other hand is the exact opposite of fascism and the enemy of fascism. U.S. imperialism may be diminished but it remains the leader of the capitalist world, and this reality requires that the working-class movement in the U.S. has the strongest internationalist orientation, especially in practice. A new workers’ movement in the U.S. that is not strong on internationalism would remain chained to imperialism.”

It is only through action that we can break the chains and let Cuba live. Now, more than ever, we must mobilize to defend the Cuban Revolution from the forces of international capital.