*----------------------------------------------------------* | | | x x x x x x x xx xxx xxx xxx | | xx xx x xx xx xx x x x x x x Issue #32 | | x x x x x x x x xx x x x xx xxx | | x x x x x x x x x x x x 08/13/87 | | x x x x x x x xx x xxx xxx | | | |----------------------------------------------------------| | Newspaper of the Maoist Internationalist Movement | *----------------------------------------------------------* World War III continues U.S. buildup in Gulf largest since Vietnam World War III continued with last SaturdayÕs attack of U.S. Navy F-14 jets on Iranian F-4 fighter-bombers, which the United States built. The U.S. fired at least two Sparrow missiles, but there were no hits or further hostilities reported. Contrary to what most major papers implied, the Iranian planes were not preparing to attack a U.S. surveillance plane. The Iranians did not have their targeting radars on. (NYT, 8/12/87, p. 3, second to last inch in story) Instead, the U.S. activated its Òshoot firstÓ policy because Òthe speed of the Iranian planes, their low altitude, their direction of flight and their refusal to acknowledge warnings from ships and aircraft all indicated possible hostile intent.Ó (Ibid.) The P-3 Orion surveillance (spy) planes that the fighters rushed to protect do not usually perform duty in the Gulf. They may have attracted Iranian attention. The U.S. military has made many unusual arrangements for various kinds of aggressions in the Gulf. In fact, the U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf and now the Gulf of Oman is the largest U.S. military buildup since the Vietnam War. ÒBy early September, the military expects to have about 31 ships and smaller vessels and more than 25,000 military personnel on duty in and near the gulf.Ó (Ann Arbor News, Molly Moore, ÒU.S. combat buildup in gulf becomes largest since Vietnam,Ó p. C1) That force will be slightly larger than forces assembled during the Iranian hostage crisis and the bombing attack against Libya last year. Review of hostilities Ironically it was the apparently accidental Iraqi attack on the USS Stark that killed 37 crewmen on May 17th that the U.S. used as a justification to start its Òshoot first, ask questions laterÓ policy. The supertanker Bridgeton hit a mine on June 24th and the United States started sweeping for mines in the Persian Gulf. The American-operated tanker Texaco Caribbean hit a mine on Monday, August 10th. The explosion ripped a 12 foot hole below the water line and caused its oil from Iran to leak. Apparently it is common for American companies to operate ships loaded with Iranian oil and headed for Western Europe and Japan. This ship had a Panamanian flag, but its destination was Northwestern Europe. (Ann Arbor News, 8/11/87, p. B5) On August 11th, so-called Second World countries England and France announced they would send mine-sweepers to the Gulf of Oman. The fact that the Texaco Caribbean hit a mine in the Gulf of Oman indicated to these imperialists that the threat to their interests was more widespread than originally thought. (NYT, 8/12/87, p. 1) On August 12th, crews from the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. Navy found a sixth mine in the Gulf of Oman. Who is setting the mines is not clear. Iran has offered to deploy the Iranian Navy to clear the mines, which it claims the United States has set. (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. c1) U.S. imperialist concerns Iran has set up missiles in its territory capable of hitting ships in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf. They are called Silkworms, which are part of IranÕs nearly one billion dollar a year arms trade with China. The United States has responded by sending surveillance planes capable of jamming the SilkwormÕs aiming mechanism. According to bourgeois columnist William Safire and Charles Krauthammer the Iranians are happy to let the United States patrol the Gulf because Iraq had the naval advantage in its war with Iran. The United States protects Iranian oil, thereby protecting Iranian revenues and arms purchases. Calling the Iranians Persians and the Iraqis and Saudis Arabs, Safire hopes to fan the flames of war, which he believes the ÒArabsÓ can win with U.S. help. (Ann Arbor News, 8/11/87, p. A7) According to Krauthammer, who also advocates a more overt pro-Iraq tilt, the problem with the U.S. policy is that it forced Iraq to stop shooting, not Iran. On the other hand, the Reagan administration claims that its policy will make clear who is the aggressor in the Gulf while protecting U.S. oil. (Detroit News, 8/11/87, p. A11) Libya and Chad at war In what may figure into the Mideast conflagration, Chad claimed that Libya bombed Chad for the fourth day in a row. Meanwhile, Òon Saturday, Chadian troops, racing across the desert in jeeps, routed Libyan soldiers from the Aozou Strip, a 100-mile-wide band occupied by Libya since 1973.Ó (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. C2) Chad claims to have killed 427 Libyan soldiers and taken 61 prisoner, while suffering 17 dead and 54 wounded. France has military forces in Chad that have pledged to defend against Libyan attacks. (Ibid.) Trade with Iran continues While claiming (perhaps correctly) that Iran set mines in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, the United States continues to operate oil tankers loaded with Iranian oil. Last year, the United States imported $569 million in goods from Iran including $468.2 million in oil and oil products. To the chagrin of the U.S. imperialists, Iran only imported $34.1 million in goods from the United States, not counting at least $30 million in secret weapons sales. ÒIn pre Khomeini days, Iran was one of AmericaÕs biggest customers in the Middle East,Ó moans AP. (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. C5) $1 million anti-Contra campaign is a drop in the bucket Three liberal groups--Witness for Peace, Citizen Action and Neighbor to Neighbor Action--have shown an understanding of what is required to determine U.S. policy--big money. The groups have raised half of $1 million expected in a television and radio campaign that targets Congressional representatives who have borderline positions on whether or not to support aid to the Contras, who are counterrevolutionary terrorists fighting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. The ads will ask constituents to phone their Congressional representatives. Still, the funds from the State Department pro-Contra publicity campaign described in a previous issue of MIM Notes alone dwarf the liberalsÕ efforts. This is not to mention the free publicity given to every pro-Contra word of Reagan, North etc. Who ever heard of Neighbor to Neighbor Action? This group may have good intentions, but it does not matter much in a society where capitalists own the means of communication. South Korean workers take advantage of political situation ÒTens of thousands of workers at 192 companies across the country either demonstrated or stayed off the job today, according to Government estimates. The unrest has closed plants at some of the largest companies in the country and for several days halted shipments out of Pusan, the nationÕs largest port.Ó (NYT, 8/12/87, p. 1) In the last issue of MIM Notes, the lead article was on the situation that led to the June 29th declaration of democratic reforms in South Korea. Beyond the political situation is the long-standing economic condition of the proletariat in Korea. According to the U.S. embassy, the average wage in South Korean industry is $1.75 per hour. In addition, S. Korean regime statistics indicate an average work week of 57 hours. Moreover, Òthe pro-government Federation of Korea Labor Unions lists average wages at less than $370 a month. Some entry-level workers in fields such as textiles and footwear manufacturing say they earn less than $120 a month.Ó (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. E10) With these kinds of conditions the South Korean dependent bourgeoisie can afford a few days lost to strikes. Hyundai Motors settled its strike in four days, but strikes at its suppliers have stopped car exports for now. According to the Chun regime, S. Korea may have lost $55 million in exports because of strikes so far, but exports for the year should still exceed $40 billion. (Ibid.) Since small disruptions are affordable to the dependent state capitalist class of South Korea, the real question is how much further would the unrest go. And once again, the students are demonstrating far-reaching militance despite the June 29th announcement of democratic reform. On August 12th, 2,000 students joined striking workers in battles with police in downtown Seoul. In Kwangju, which has a history of anti-imperialist struggle, riot police injured six people when they stormed a campus to rescue police captured by students. While many strikes are proving short-lived, many others are starting. 33 new strikes started on August 11th. On August 12th and 13th, at least 90 new strikes started. ÒNewspapers said the closure of major industries crippled more than 1,200 smaller suppliers dependent on them.Ó (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. C3) Hundreds of small companies have had to close. South African mine workers go on strike The South African regime arrested 78 union officials on August 12th in what the U.S. press is billing as the largest ÒlegalÓ strike in S. Africa.The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) claim to have shut down 44 out of 46 targeted coal and gold mines in part for a 30% wage increase. In contrast, Òthe Chamber of Mines, which has unilaterally implemented pay raises ranging from 15 to 23 percent, says about 230,000 of the nationÕs 600,000 black miners are striking at 31 mines.Ó (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. C3) On August 11th, the apartheid regime announced that it would introduce laws against Òpolitical strikesÓ and Òunfair actionÓ and laws for the compensation of employers by unions engaged in Òillegal strikes.Ó On August 12th, security guards at one mine shot rubber bullets and injured 15 people to bring the total of injured people to 52. (Ibid.) Miners also killed one scab in Natal Province. (NYT, 8/12/87, p. 5) According to NUM, workers wages average $165 a month. The Chamber of Mines claims $245 a month, but in either case, the Black workers make one-fifth or less of what white mine workers make. (Ibid; Detroit News, 8/11/87, p. A3) In the editorÕs opinion, when MIM talks about the international proletariat, it should mean the South Korean workers and South African Black workers, not Americans who make 10 and 20 times the salaries of the truly revolutionary class. The next double issue of MIM Theory will discuss the issue of where to draw the line between the proletariat and the bought-off labor aristocracy and what this means for revolutionary strategy. (Send 60 cents.) ÒFive Jackson guards fired for abusing inmate who diedÓ Jackson State Prison corrections officials suffocated Oscar Rowls Jr. when he refused to strip in front of female officers on May 8th. Nonetheless, the Jackson County prosecutor refused to push criminal charges Òafter a citizenÕs inquest jury concluded RowlsÕ death was accidental.Ó (Detroit News, 8/11/87, p. A4) The Rowls family has said it believes criminal charges are warranted. Others disciplined besides those involved in the violence include a captain who did not open the cell immediately for first aid and a nurse for delaying resuscitation efforts. Rowls was serving a life-sentence for armed robbery. (Ibid.) Once again the state has perpetrated a greater crime than the one it supposedly was attempting to correct. Reagan Commerce appointee is pro-Soviet trade Occasionally our liberal friends say that U.S. foreign policy is motivated by ReaganÕs blindly anti-communist ideology. This theory does not wash; however, because U.S. imperialism is driven by the imperatives of capitalist competition, no matter who is president. The proof of this is that both the late-Secretary of Commerce and the new Reagan appointee favor increased trade with the Soviet Union. Is this part of a sneaky effort to gain influence over the Soviet Union? This seems unlikely because the Soviet Union is not a one- crop, one-export country like so many countries dependent on the United States. The United States can not hope to do much to hurt the Soviets via trade. Surely the wheat embargo proved a nuisance, but it did not bring the Soviets to their knees. Indeed, to the chagrin of ideologues and Australia and the delight of farmers, it was Reagan who ended the grain embargo. The U.S. imperialists see possible gains from war against the Soviet Union, collaboration with the Soviet Union as in the suppression of the Eritrean liberation struggle and cooperation with the Soviet Union in business matters. Right now military conflict is principal in the U.S. agenda, but collaboration and cooperation never completely disappear. Why is former steel company executive C. William Verity Jr. pro-Soviet trade? The bottom line is that he Òhas opposed government restrictions on doing business with Moscow on grounds that American companies have lost at least $10 billion a year.Ó (Detroit News, 8/11/87, p. A3) What did you expect column Reagan to appoint Moon supporter to UN Former Michigan Congressional representative Mark Siljander, who spoke at a recent conference organized by Reverend Moon is ReaganÕs choice to serve as one of the United States' five non-voting delegates at the UN according to Siljander. Moderate Republicans in Michigan sent a letter to Reagan asking him to withdraw the nomination. Siljander lost his House seat in 1986 when he called his opponent in the Republican primary a representative of Satan in a reference in which he asked voters to Òbreak the back of Satan.Ó (Ann Arbor News, 8/13/87, p. A12) Michigan National Bank chairperson steals money A jury found the chair of Michigan National Bank guilty of ÒmisapplyingÓ hundreds of thousands of dollars in the words of the mass media. (Detroit News, 8/11/87) 44 Government officials accept bribes The FBI charged 44 highway superintendents and purchasing directors with accepting 105 out of 106 bribes it offered through the guise of a steel company salesperson. ÒÔAnd on the other occasion he turned it down because he didnÕt think the amount was enough.ÕÓ (NYT, 8/12/87, p. 1) The municipal officials in the New York area accepted bribes in return for ordering steel from the FBI agentÕs company. The FBI also charged 14 suppliers. Under communism money will not have this kind of appeal. Correspondence Reader uses literature list in library Thank you kindly for the book and literature list and the no. 29 MIM Notes ÒWhy Study the Cultural Revolution?Ó From the book list, I have checked out (from the library) the following titles: Global Reach (a thick one), Selected Readings from the Works of Mao Zedong, and HintonÕs books Turning Point in China (small and easy to read) and Fanshen. I plan to visit some larger libraries and look for the others. I have been studying Marxism-Leninism for about three years now. This is not very long, and I do have much to discover. I have always been curious as to the Maoist point- of-view. The RCPÕs paper, Revolutionary Worker, is too expensive. However, I am not a Maoist; but a Trotskyite. Nevertheless, I am not a sectarian and as I have said, I am interested in the Maoist point of view, even though I disagree on many points. I am not a member of any party and I have not found any that I am 100% satisfied with. I believe there are Maoists, Trotskyists, anarchists, and others who want a fighting movement as opposed to the Moscow liners, the social-democrats, and other reformists. I hope your efforts are fruitful--for a fighting movement against the capitalist offensive! --A reader in the South May 9, 1987 Prisoner wants any free books having to do with Mao IÕm presently incarcerated and IÕm writing to you because IÕm highly interested in learning about Mao Zedong. Therefore, IÕm writing to you hoping that you can provide me with any free books and/or literature pertaining to this great man. Any material that you are able to send me in order to further my knowledge of him will be greatly appreciated. --A writer from the Northeast July 24, 1987 [MIM sent The Political Economy of Counterrevolution in China: 1976-83 and Quotations from Chairman Mao, ed.] Writer wants our literature on Philippines; upholds pacifism I want to thank you for the information packet you recently sent me--the Founding Documents of the MIM. After reading the material, I can say that I am in agreement with many of the points expressed. I too am anti- apartheid, anti-nuke, anti-racist and against the U.S. foreign policy in Central America. For that matter I am opposed to U.S. foreign policy in general. It seems that the U.S. has a knack for backing dictators. I am a Filipino- American and having been born and raised in the Philippines I know first hand how the U.S. backed a corrupt dictator named Marcos for many years.... I understand the thinking of replacing the system of government, but I am left wondering if you advocate the overthrow of the government by peaceful or violent means. I am of the belief as was Martin Luther King, that nonviolent means are the best methods to use to gain the most sympathy for a cause. --A friend from the South July 27, 1987 [EditorÕs note: MIM Notes has reported on events in the Philippines, but currently our literature list does not carry anything on the Philippines. Our last list contained a declaration dated 1984, but since then no one has reviewed any revolutionary literature on the Philippines. Hopefully, our readers will take up this task soon. As for nonviolence, MIM officially upholds Mao Zedong so of course it upholds armed revolution as a necessity in ending the world wars wrought by imperialism; although, the editor admits he has not read any of what Mao had to say about the United States' possibilities of revolution. In any case, pacifists who direct their energies against U.S. militarism and imperialism are certainly our allies. The problem only comes up when imperialists use violence to repress peoples across the world and the pacifist counsels nonviolence. As Malcolm X used to say, if you can convince the government to be pacifist, weÕll be pacifist in return. For a critique of pacifism as petty-bourgeois ideology, see Christopher CaudwellÕs Studies and Further Studies in a Dying Culture, available from MIM for $5.] Feminist comrade writes on Baby M case Your issue #30 of MIM Notes was most interesting. In particular, the Mary Beth Whitehead case as interpreted by Off Our Backs. Since I also publish a feminist newsletter, and since I have sent for and read a sample issue of the latter Off Our Backs, I would like to comment on both. Firstly, although it is advertised as primarily concerned with women over forty, I found that the issue I read seemed primarily concerned with Lesbianism. Further, I would like to add here my editorial comment on the Whitehead case with this article which will come out in the spring Õ87 issue. ÒThe Baby M Case--has generated much publicity and is a prime example of how our high tech lives now make medical and legal professions rich and bring tragedy to others. We shall not go into the legal technicalities nor the morality nor ethics of mothering a child for profit, or as Ms. Whitehead said, ÔTo do something nice for someone.Õ (To which we might add, was it doing something nice for the child?) In our own heretical opinion, we might best let nature take its course and stop meddling in an already messed up world. Medical intervention might best be left out of procreation. However, since it is done, we do wish to comment on the selection of care-givers/parents for the baby. From the beginning, we felt that Ms. Whitehead was not the most emotionally stable person in the case. The prime example of this was her reported and acknowledged threat on the telephone to kill both herself and the baby. This she lightly glossed over in a TV interview during the week of March 30, 1987. The televised interview with her after the judge awarded custody to the Sterns, was the clincher for me. She appeared to be the least qualified parent as to emotional stability, ethics, morals, and concern for the child. She came across to us as engaging in maudlin sentimentality, and kept emphasizing the family them in that she and her family would be deprived, and the biological connection between her and Baby M. I was not impressed with her sincerity or concern for the baby herself. This writer has been a child welfare librarian for ten years, a teacher for thirteen and has read in the fields of psychology and psychiatry for 35 years. We are convinced that the judge made the right decision for the baby, a certain radical feminist element notwithstanding. The newspapers put in quotes the term Ônarcissistic disordersÕ used by a courtroom psychologist as though this were some fancy, contrived term. It is not; there are very serious implications of the narcissistic disorders; they are very real, and create havoc with those who live with patients with these disorders. We would hope to see some legislation prohibiting the sale of babies in this fashion in the near future. No matter what other name it goes by, it is a form of slavery. Slavery, you may recall, is a profit-making venture on the backs of other human beings. There should be no ÔcontractsÕ to bear a child for others. The human race seems to have enough brains to screw us up, but not enough to straighten us out again.Ó In my opinion Mao Zedong had the right idea about professional profiteering and their place in the culture-- that they should take their turn at hoeing the potatoes. the professional in our society make top dollar and most often do more harm than good. Long live the revolution and the Red Guards! This is a case in point. --A comrade Florida Womans World PO Box 28253 Kenneth City Contract Sta. St. Petersburg, FL 33709 [EditorÕs note: The MIM literature list in its updated form includes the address for Off Our Backs along with subscription information and a recommendation. Although we look forward to the day when MIM Notes gets on top of all the struggles that communists must support, for now it is important to take the Marxist approach of working with the best of what is at hand and not waiting for perfect revolution to fall on the silver platter. In this spirit, MIM comrades must admit that Off Our Backs does a better job than MIM on many issues regarding womenÕs liberation, if only because MIM itself is too limited and is not involved in all the struggles. Off Our Backs is an extensive, if not exhaustive effort to cover all the news bearing on womenÕs liberation in a month. Its non-sectarian approach (e.g., listing addresses of various feminist groups) is also especially helpful since no one group is really doing the all-round job required on womenÕs liberation.]