On the one hand, we are being conditioned to accept that we must begin to give up civil liberties, supposedly in order to assist the crackdown on terrorists. On the other, Secretary of State Colin Powell has led the chorus in declaring as legitimate targets, not just terrorists, but any state that allegedly shelters and/or supports terrorists. As pertinent background for this we are reminded that Cuba remains on the U.S. (short) list of "state-sponsors of terrorism"--this despite the reality that Cuba has been subjected to over 40 years of terrorist attacks from their base on U.S. soil, as Fidel has just reminded the world. The implications of this are chilling--not just for Cuba and its supporters, but for all supporters of human rights and justice, for all working people--in fact, for the vast majority of humanity.
But I hasten to remind you of Fidel's encouraging perspective that "History is on our side!" along with his principled directive that "the truth must not only be the truth; it must be told!" Just as the crisis of U.S. imperialism continues to deepen with its consequent descent into reaction, so the resistance of humanity to oppression and injustice continues to grow stronger.
Joe Kleidon
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Likes SWP statement
Congratulations on the September 11 statement by Martín Koppel on the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., and the U.S. government's response. It said all that needed saying.
Bruce Levine
Watsonville, California
A sterile exposition
Buried somewhere in Martín Koppel's statement, one will find a perfunctory mention of the fact that revolutionaries and class-conscious workers "reject" the methods used by those who destroyed the World Trade Center towers and attacked the Pentagon.
Not one word of sympathy, not a single expression of condolence, for the thousands of ordinary working people who died!
An appalling demonstration of sterile exposition, whose effect will be to persuade none and to win over none.
The substance of what the statement has to say is indeed correct. Yet, instead of educating and explaining, the SWP has chosen to express its views with a declaratory shrillness, which is the hallmark of a lifeless sect.
John Rubinstein
London, United Kingdom
Keep us informed
I read with interest the letter from Dean Hazelwood. in the September 17 issue. The next time he or any other reader hears of such a rightist rally or protest in North Carolina, please advertise it so that we can organize a counterdemonstration. I live in Wilmington, and would be glad to travel to such an event, as I'm sure many of my Latino co-workers would as well.
Matt Skiba
Wilmington, North Carolina
Anti-globalization protests
As a participant in the World Federation of Democratic Youth festival in Algeria, I thought your coverage underestimated the anti-globalization sentiment of the gathering. You quoted a representative of the Palestinian youth, who asserted that "right-wing organizations are comfortable" participating in the growing movement against corporate globalization. I would be curious to hear some of these right-wingers identified, as that has not been the experience either here in the United States or anywhere else, as far as I know.
The Militant reported that only two people spoke in solidarity with this movement, but the final declaration makes clear the dominant sentiment. A couple of brief quotations will show that, in the majority, the World Federation of Democratic Youth participants called for a continuation of the type of demonstrations that began in Seattle:
"The ongoing neoliberal globalisation dictated by multinationals is imposing economic re-colonisation of the developing countries, expanding and intensifying exploitation, widening the gap between the rich and the poor.... Being encouraged by the growing awareness and struggles of the people, especially workers, peasants, women, youth, and students in many parts of the world during the last four years against neoliberal globalisation, against imperialist aggression.... We call for more intensive actions to stop the imposition of unjust economic orders and anti-people economic policies of World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, which are dominated and manipulated by U.S., EU, and Japan."
Joseph Fritz
Chicago, Illinois
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