Valiant freedom fighters for the independence of East
Timor shot and killed a school teacher in front of a class full of students.
According to an APnews report on December 3, 1998, Francisco Amaral was killed because
separatist rebels suspected him of collaborating with government security forces. Where
are those leftists who critically support all national liberation movements when they
commit atrocities? Probably too busy supporting some other "liberation" movement
to notice. All workers are oppressed, especially in Indonesia, they have no reason to
support the slaughter of each other in the name of some pathetic bid for regional
autonomy. Liberal reformers and little warlords only have the interest of the particular
faction of the ruling class that they happen to represent at heart.
With another round of confrontation over Iraq ending, it
is important to note that this is only a prelude to further conflict with Iraq. The much
heralded glory of democracy stands revealed as another form of capitalist imperialism as
surely as fascism and stalinism were forms of capitalist imperialism. No matter what the
system of government, every state exists to further the interests of the economic power of
the faction of the capitalist class that it represents. The capitalist news media has
obscured the US government's strategic interests in the Persian Gulf region with the
endless saga of political fallout from a few presidential blow-jobs. US interests remain
unchanged in the gulf region, as during the Gulf War when thousands marched in the streets
chanting "No Blood for Oil!", the rulers of the US must pursue their "vital
strategic interests" with redoubled vigor, as the plans for oil pipelines from the
Caspian Sea make intervention even more necessary to the point of installing a US client
state and a permanent military presence in Iraq.
The endless litany in the bourgeois press of Iraq's "weapons of mass
destruction" has served to obscure the real nature of the US state's interests in the
region as well as obscuring the history of the US government's own use of biological
"weapons of mass destruction". It is all the more important to view US democracy
as it is, not a fantasy of what "progressives" or reformers of all stripes would
like it to be. Dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf and through the Gulf can only
increase in the next century. The major world powers have been consolidating their
political and economic relations with the Persian Gulf States as with the other major oil
producers.
An article by Gawdat Bahgat, from the US military's unofficial mouthpiece, the Strategic
Review states, "Furthermore, the Persian Gulf, Mainly Iran, can serve as a gateway
for another promising energy repository - the Caspian Basin." (1)
This is just to show how the Pentagon, the State Department and the ruling class as a
whole view the Persian Gulf states and Central Asia, as energy repositories or locations
with resources for the taking. Wherever the oil pipelines run, a US military presence in
Iraq will be necessary in order to wield control over the region. So the long term goals
of the US government in towards Iraq require that the Ba'ath regime in Iraq be overthrown
and replaced with a client state. Possibly with a US friendly puppet opposition acting as
a proxy. In essence, a former US client must be replaced with a new acquiescent US client
state. What of "weapons of mass destruction" how is it that the US state has
taken on the role of enforcing the official rules of warfare?
During and after the Second World War, the military had millions of pounds of Sarin nerve
gas produced. The reports of the US military using nerve gas in Vietnam go all the way
back to 1970 and were not just a figment of CNN reporter April Oliver's imagination. On
May of 1970 news of stockpiles of GB nerve agent started appearing in the world press.
Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported of US military use of VX nerve gas in Cambodia.
(2)
Witnesses abound among Vietnam veterans, particularly those in special operations units
who maintain that the US military did occasionally use nerve gas. Admiral Thomas Moorer
(ret.), who was a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1970, confirmed the use of
Sarin gas in operations involving the rescue of downed U.S. airmen. (3)
Even more widespread in Vietnam was the use, by the US military, of riot control agents
and herbicides, almost all of which are lethal at certain levels and combinations.
Two of the most common chemicals used were the tearing agent Chloroacetophenone (CN), and
Diphenylaminochloroarsine (DM). These two chemicals were often used together with an even
more lethal effect, particularly in enclosed spaces such as underground tunnels and
bunkers. Although these two chemicals are not considered chemical weapons, or weapons of
mass destruction, they are as toxic or more toxic than similar concentrations of other
more famous chemical warfare agents such as Cyanogen Chloride (CK), distilled Mustard gas
(HD), or Lewisite. (4)
The UN definition of chemical warfare as signed by the US government on February 1, 1970
defined weapons derived from riot control agents or chemical herbicides as not covered by
the Geneva protocol on chemical weapons. (5)
Presumably, it would've been alright according to UN definitions if Iraq developed deadly
chemical and biological weapons not covered under the Geneva protocol. The US dropped 12
million gallons (45.4 million liters) of Agent Orange on Vietnam alone. (6)
The ruling class can make or unmake any law or form under which it chooses to abide. Any
supposed moral or humanitarian claim by the US government must immediately be dismissed as
another imperialist maneuver. During the Gulf War the US military used artillery rounds
with shells of depleted uranium and missiles containing depleted uranium. This, along with
US bombing of oil fields, often erroneously attributed to the fleeing Iraqi army, has been
the main contributing factor in the so-called "Gulf War syndrome", the symptoms
of which are consistent with radiation poisoning. Cancer rates in Southern Iraq have
increased by nearly 200 percent since the end of the Gulf War. (7)
The US government is not concerned with Iraq's capacity to harm its immediate neighbors,
nor is it concerned with enforcing international law - Uncle Sam wants control of oil and
the flow of oil. Ironically, 140 gallons of Sarin "nerve agent", the main active
ingredient of nerve gas spilled at a military incinerator and weapons dump called the
Deseret Chemical Depot, run by EG&G Defense Materials Inc., in Utah this last
December. It was the largest such reported spill to date at a facility which houses some
42 percent of the U.S. chemical weapons arsenal which amounts to 27 million pounds of
nerve and blistering agent combined. (8)
Workers in the US have more to fear from the US military when it comes to chemical weapons
than some mad bomber or hostile nation. Protests against these military actions should
always stress the sordid nature of what the US government's strategic interests truly are
in Iraq - this most recent attack on Iraq will not be the last. This is the imperialism of
the democratic state at work. ASm
Footnotes
1 Bahgat, Gawdat. Oil Security in the New Millenium - Geo-Economy vs. Geo-Strategy. Strategic Review. Fall 1998. Pg. 22-25
2 Verwey, Will D. Riot Control Agents and Herbicides in War. A.W. Sijthoff International Publishing Co. BV., Netherlands 1977. pg. 184-5
3 Oliver, April. and Arnett, Peter. Did the US Drop Nerve Gas?. Time. June 15, 1998.
4 Verwey, Will D. Riot Control Agents and Herbicides in War. A.W. Sijthoff International Publishing Co. BV., Netherlands 1977. pg. 14-34
5 Idem. pg. 5
6 Lamb, David. Agent Orange Poisons Generations in Vietnam, Study Finds. International Herald Tribune. Wednesday, November 4, 1998.
7 APnews. Iraq Blames U.S. for Gulf Illnesses. 12-2-1998.
8 APnews. Army Downplays Sarin Spill in Utah. 12-15-1998.
It is a common perception that when democracy doesn't work that it is because there is not enough democracy. On the contrary, democracy today is exactly as the ruling class has always intended it to be. The "progressive idea" that exists in the minds of so-called progressives is that they are inexorably moving towards progressively more perfect forms of democracy. Unfortunately, reality is how things are - and not how we would wish it to be. In 1891 Engels wrote, in his famous introduction to Marx's "The Civil War in France" on the United States, that "There, each of the two major parties which alternately succeed each other in power is itself in turn controlled by people who make a business of politics, who speculate on seats in the legislative assemblies if the Union as well as of the separate states, or who make a living by carrying on agitation for their party and on its victory are rewarded positions." He continues by stating, "And nevertheless we find here two great gangs of political speculators, who alternately take possession of the state power and exploit it by the most corrupt means and for the most corrupt ends - and the nation is powerless against these two great cartels of politicians, who are ostensibly its servants, but in reality dominate and plunder it." A more fitting description of democracy in the US would be hard to find. Today however these two groups of gangsters, today control the largest propaganda machine in the world. It is utopian to think that this democracy can be reformed, altered or even influenced. The Reform Party today presented as the alternative to Democrats and Republicans is not at all different or an alternative. A real third party has long been the dream the left in the US, it has always been a pipe dream even as union militants and activists struggle to organize a Labor Party that is already a still-born product of the left-wing of capitalism. The remains of the left in this country have largely confined themselves to petitioning the democratic wing of the ruling class for favors in an attempt to keep today's "reforms" from undoing the work of reform that they sacrificed their political existence to. By voting citizens give up all collective interest in favor of a private ballot, they also allow the ruling class to claim popular support when they deserve no support. Although both domestic and foreign policies of our government have only one priority that is to protect investments and encourage higher worker productivity. In this respect the tasks of our government are largely "bipartisan", which means most fundamental policy decisions will be the same regardless of which ruling party is in power. What it means is that whether the "citizens" who vote agree with the government or not, the ruling class will do whatever it takes to remain in power. In union certification elections this tendency to use the private ballot against workers is very familiar. On the national level private individual voters are intimidated into voting for the candidates they consider the least rotten. After all, goes the familiar refrain, what might happen when the other party gets in power. For some voting is the only way to exercise political opinion, simply because that is the way things are always done. It is only when workers realize that it makes no difference what they do as individuals, the way to exercise power and influence is to act collectively as a class. The biggest barrier to this is the twofold weapon of capitalist democracy that calls any collective action on the part of the working class merely the action of a mob and that the only way to win power is to behave as good citizens of the democratic state and pursue only the most tired and pointless political expression, that of electoral democracy. When the next election comes make an effective decision, stay away from the polling places and become active in something that really does count - take up the class struggle. Today democracy is not at all the progressive creation that it was during the time of the American and French Revolutions. Democracy is the main weapon in imposing state austerity and eliminating all social welfare and state industry, democracy is useful in that everything the democratic government does has the fig leaf of approval from the majority of citizen voters. So democracy attempts to enlist workers in supporting all that runs contrary to their most basic interests. The progressive role of democracy had ended by the First World War. The reformist notions of progressives are an impossibility and in reality are reduced to the defense of reforms that grow increasingly precarious in an economic system that can only continue by extracting as much as possible from workers.
The following letter was printed with the intention of
illustrating a part of the historic background of prison labor in the U.S., it was not
intended to be presented as being in agreement with the positions of Internationalist
Notes nor does it mean that it is being put up for criticism Prison industries were very
popular during the first half of the century but were scaled back during the period
relative economic prosperity after the Second World War. This has changed over the last
thirty years with the end of the post war boom. Profits from prison industries have
tripled from $392 million in 1980 to $1.62 billion in 1997. (1)
Also startling, is that as state prison populations grow, the individual state governments
are able to use this as a labor pool to contract out to out of state prisons, both public
and private, as a super cheap labor force to be bartered for with the
"corrections" facilities of other states. The letter heavily concentrates on the
moral and legal aspects of this as "chattel slavery". Morality and Legality are
not subjects that Internationalist Notes dwells on, but this letter does touch on some key
points. The reliance on forced labor to build up an economy in transition to capitalism,
in contrast with prison labor today being used to shore up a capitalist economy in decay,
is a distinction which is not clearly made in this letter but this point does not alter
the reality and force inherent in it.
1 APnews. Prison Industries Often in the Red. December 1, 1998.
From 1861-65 the dis-United States of America engaged in
a protracted and bloody civil war. One of the results of the Union army's crushing of the
Confederate States was that through raw force of arms and massive bloodshed, slavery,
legally authorized and sanctified by the 'sacrosanct' U.S. constitution was abolished.
The original intent and desire of the slaver founding fathers to have slavery in
perpetuity in the U.S., was done away with. Or so all the history (propaganda) books would
have it believed - the BIG LIE. However, Simon Legree did not die. What those history
books deliberately fail to say is that even before the end of the civil war, the
capitalist powers that be were reintroducing chattel slavery, by name and putting it right
back into that sacred cow, the U.S. constitution. Only this time around slavery would be,
according to the new improved hallowed U.S. Constitution, open to all, regardless of Race,
Creed, Sex, or Skin Color, etc.
The rapacious capitalist never sleeps. Several months before the end of the Civil War, the
13th amendment was ratified and became law throughout the United States, on December 18,
1865. In its entirety the 13th amendment states: Neither Slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
Slavery is slavery is slavery, however, according to the legal double-talk and mountebank
capitalist semantics, this new and improved chattel slavery was and is different (good and
moral) because it is all inclusive. And this before the ink was dry on the signed Civil
War peace papers.
Chattel slavery was in fact the law of the land right there in the Constitution again. The
capitalist's capitalist, Simon Legree, revived, resuscitated, and resurrected. Further,
lickspittle courts, groveling and Kowtowing, with their suck like lips stuck to the
capitalist posterior towed the capitalist line 100% and critically declared the word
"duly" in the 13th amendment to be meaningless surplusage, case closed.
Chattel slavery back in style the same year it was "finally" abolished. Here in
the "land of the free and the home of the brave", by judicially eliminating the
word "duly", capitalist courts opened the door of slavery, for innocent as well
as guilty prisoners - precisely the scenario in Nazi Germany.
The southern ruling class had declared war on the north to preserve chattel slavery,
refusing to give up their guns without a fight. When it comes time to defend the ultimate
form of capitalist exploitation, slavery, capitalists know no borders - their flag is the
almighty dollar.
Today all those who take an oath to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution are taking an
oath to uphold and defend slavery. Just like 150 years ago, all Federal Judges take this
oath, as does the President and congresspersons and myriads of other overt and covert
slavers.
That reveals several things, including a deep moral blindness in our society. A willing
and intentional creation of non-persons as slaves. Today when it is pointed out to
capitalists and their apologists that chattel slavery is indeed a formidable part of
American society, they smile and say "yes but it is legal."
That is exactly the same shameful and immoral argument their ancestors made 150 years ago.
It was the same unconscionable argument in Dred Scott. The more things change the more
they stay the same. Then as now, and individual is either for it or against it.
Morally and ethically there is no middle ground, never was and never will be. It is not
wrong "except' or "generally" any more than child rape is wrong
"except" or "generally".
Slavery is always dead wrong. Its sleazy, slimy, sly, slick, amoral apologists are dead
wrong. Vocal American critics of Chinese Prison Labor and Sudanese slavery are
con-artists, snake oil salesman, and obfuscators of the first rank. When has the
corporate/capitalist media ever called for the abolition of American Slavery? Never.
Some states and their slaver apologist leaders claim that even though chattel slavery is
the law of the land, they do not engage in it because they pay prisoners, innocent and
guilty, pennies a day. As befits such masters of duplicity, they then take back their
pennies a day by means of sleight of hand "charges" such as for (inadequate)
medical care.
Here in Texas they don't bother to play that game. No siree! They pay prisoners nothing
and vaingloriously proud of it. Enforcing the law they call it, here on the South's
biggest plantation. That's not all, supposedly when the American civil war ended, all
Texas slaves were freed by state decree on June 19, 1865, but not quite. During the Civil
War one of the South's largest manufacturers of Confederate Johnny Reb uniforms was the
Texas prison system. However, with the end of the Civil War, the Texas prison system did
not cease to manufacture the gray uniforms of traitors.
Clutching the 13th amendment they increased manufacture of such uniforms which then, as
now, are the same precise gray uniforms of Texas prison employees. This is sharply meant
to be an open and ever present reminder that the harsh and oppressive capitalist slave
holding beliefs and mentality have remained alive, well, and are the motivation behind
many a state action. Instead of abolishing slavery as it said it did, Texas
institutionalized it, tossing in some whites and hispanics for good measure, following the
"new and improved" U.S. Constitution with its chattel slave 13th amendment. Make
no mistake, it is the intrastate popularity of such pro-slavery actions that slaver
Governor George W. Bush intends to ride to reelection and from there catapult himself into
the presidency. Texas now houses far more prisoners than the entire country of Brazil.
Now, the federal courts in Texas refuse to send slaves any 42-1983 civil rights lawsuit
forms. Texas federal courts now furnish the prison slave holders with such federal forms
and the slave holders at their gray discretion, distribute them. After all, what is the
Constitution among slave holding friends? Manus Manum Lavat. All in the family. Robert J.
Zani Michael Unit Tennessee Colony, Texas
Internationalist Notes
P. O. Box 1531, Eau Claire, WI 54702