by Donny Lessard / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action A relatively unexplored tactic in the antiwar movement is spreading across the nation on campuses and in communities. The counter-recruitment movement is led by students who are trying to get military recruiters out their schools, while winning young people over to the antiwar movement. … Continue reading Counter-Recruitment Actions Nationwide
Month: May 2005
Marla Rusicka, Human Rights Activist
by Derrel Myers / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action With some reservation my wife Naomi and I began a gloomy Saturday morning driving 2 1/2 hours from San Francisco to Lakeport, Calif., to attend the funeral of our friend Marla Rusicka. We’ve had more than our share of memorials for loving and … Continue reading Marla Rusicka, Human Rights Activist
Iraqi Opposition Groups Strive for Broader Unity
by Gerry Foley/ May 2005 issue of Socialist Action Although ruthless slaughters of Iraqi civilians by a relatively small number of al Qaida guerrillas and similar groups continue to be featured in the major press reports, there are indications that the mass resistance to the U.S. occupation is developing stronger organizational and political … Continue reading Iraqi Opposition Groups Strive for Broader Unity
China-Japan Dispute Heats Up
by Ben Yedi/ May 2005 issue of Socialist Action Japan and China held talks in Beijing last week, but failed to halt the free fall in ties after a third weekend of demonstrations in China against what many see as Japan's inability to face up to its wartime past. — BEIJING (Reuters), April … Continue reading China-Japan Dispute Heats Up
Mass Protest in Ecuador Force President to Flee
by Gerry Foley/ May 2005 issue of Socialist Action An estimated 30,000 people marched on the presidential palace in the Ecuadoran capital of Quito, demanding the resignation of the president, Lucio Gutierrez, AP reported April 20. The same day, an emergency meeting of legislators voted to remove the discredited demagogue from office. Subsequently, he … Continue reading Mass Protest in Ecuador Force President to Flee
Mexican Protests Halt ‘Preemptive Electoral Fraud’
by Roman Mungia Huato / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action Mexico protests halt ‘preemptive electoral fraud’ On April 28, the Mexican president, Vicente Fox, was forced by huge mass protests to retreat from the attempt to remove the most popular prospective candidate for next year’s presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Fox … Continue reading Mexican Protests Halt ‘Preemptive Electoral Fraud’
Malcolm’s Advice to Young People: ‘Think for Yourself’
by Joe Auciello / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action Malcolm X, born May 19, 1925, would have been 80 years old this month had he not been assassinated 40 years ago. Now, decades later, safely buried, Malcolm X has become respectable. This transformation has been some years in the making, but there … Continue reading Malcolm’s Advice to Young People: ‘Think for Yourself’
Westchester Bus Strike Ends in Mediocre Deal
by Marty Goodman/ May 2005 issue of Socialist Action On April 19 union negotiators representing 568 workers on strike for seven weeks at the Bee-Line Bus Company in affluent Westchester County, N.Y., finally reached a four-year tentative agreement. The financially strapped workers voted overwhelmingly the next day to accept the tentative deal and to … Continue reading Westchester Bus Strike Ends in Mediocre Deal
Women and the Media
by Jeni Johnson / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action When discussing the role of media in the average woman’s life, I decided the best place to see what the media wanted woman to want was in a very popular magazine called Cosmo. When I looked at the table of context, it all looked pretty … Continue reading Women and the Media
In Memory of Chicano Leader Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzalez
by Marc Rome / May 2005 Urban civil rights and Chicano cultural movement leader Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez died from complications of congestive heart failure at the age of 76 on April 12, 2005, at his home in Denver. Many know Gonzalez best as the author of the 1965 epic poem about the Mexican … Continue reading In Memory of Chicano Leader Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzalez
Quebec Students Win Funding Battle
by Aaron Donny-Clark / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action University and college students in Quebec, after more than a month of intense struggle, including demonstrations, occupation of buildings, and a lengthy boycott of classes, agreed to an offer by the provincial government. At stake was $103 million cut from the student … Continue reading Quebec Students Win Funding Battle
Scandal Plagues Liberals in Canada
by Robbie Mahood / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action It might be argued that the frequent scandals that erupt during the tenure of bourgeois governments divert attention away from the real underlying class issues. But crimes and misdemeanors in high places can also be quite revealing of the fault lines in the … Continue reading Scandal Plagues Liberals in Canada
Oil Uber Alles!
by Michael G. Livingston/ May 2005 issue of Socialist Action If you understand the importance of oil to modern capitalism, you will understand a great deal indeed. Oil prices briefly hit $57 a barrel in early April, continuing an 18-month rise. Remember that in December 2003 oil prices were around $29 a barrel … Continue reading Oil Uber Alles!
Down on the ‘Socially Responsible’ Farm
"Think Green," says Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey. But if the issue is labor rights or how many Fair Trade coffee companies mostly still profit from exploiting farmers, he may not want you to think too much. Is your coffee fair to farmers? That's the question shoppers at some Whole Foods Market stores are … Continue reading Down on the ‘Socially Responsible’ Farm
1905 Russian Revolution
by Michael G. Livingston / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action For the Russian revolutionaries of 100 years ago, the 1905 revolution was a rich learning experience. Years later, Lenin referred to 1905 as the “dress rehearsal for the October Revolution” of 1917. And while it was not a dress rehearsal in the sense … Continue reading 1905 Russian Revolution
Review of “Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom”
by Gaetana Caldwell-Smith / May 2005 issue of Socialist Action “Guantanamo Bay: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom” is based on the lives of real prisoners in the U.S. concentration camp in Cuba. The play, written by Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo, opened to acclaim a year ago in London and in New York … Continue reading Review of “Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom”