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Introduction: Below is a selection of some of the important
statements and political resolutions that have been issued by Socialist Action
in recent years.
Political Resolutions:
2007
Political Resolution: On March 18, 2007 the war against the Iraqi people became
the second longest war in U.S. history, with the ten-year slaughter in Vietnam,
at a cost of 4 million Vietnamese and 57,000 American GIs dead, still
topping the list regarding the duration of imperialist barbarity,
arrogance and slaughter. In contrast to Vietnam, however, the stakes in Iraq for U.S. imperialism are qualitatively higher and the
political/historical context of the war fundamentally different. continued
2005
Political Resolution: The 2004 Political Resolution
adopted at last summer's National Convention devoted considerable
attention to the state of the world political economy. We stressed the impact of the deepening
world economic crises, brought on by ferocious competition between the U.S. and its powerful and
increasingly united imperialist adversaries in Europe as well as Japan, on the policies of the
leading imperial powers. continued .
. .
2004
Political Resolution: As he
began a talk in the mid-1920s to a conference of the Georgian Bolshevik
Party on the prospects for the Russian Revolution, Leon Trotsky
explained, "The world situation means for us the aggregate of
conditions which hasten or delay the process of proletarian
revolution." It is our tradition as well to begin any discussion on
the U.S.
political situation with an analysis of the world political situation. As
both scientific socialists, that is, Marxists, and as internationalists,
we understand the absolute necessity of anchoring our analysis in the
context of the larger developments in world economy and politics. continued .
. .
Statements & Important Articles:
S.A. Statement on Iran: A division in the ruling
elite has opened up the way for an explosion of discontent with the
reactionary clerical capitalist regime in Iran. The massive mobilizations
clearly reflect the deep hatred of the government by the masses in Iran's largest city. The greater Tehran area accounts for about
one-fifth of the total population of the country and is where most of the
industry is based. It is the major working-class center. It was also the
focal point of the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed crowned
dictatorship of the shah. continued
Workers’ Action Program to Confront
the Crisis: The liberals propose to tweak the Wall Street
Bailout on behalf of the amorphous “taxpayers” living on a mythical “Main
Street.” Revolutionary socialists,
in contrast, start from the needs of flesh-and-blood workers, and rely on
their class power to challenge ruling class attacks. continued
Which Way
for the Immigrant Rights Movement:
The U.S. capitalist
class is committed, in principle, to a dramatic restructuring of its
labor force to guarantee itself an increased rate of profit across basic
industries. By means of "comprehensive immigration reform," it
seeks to regiment millions of undocumented immigrant workers into a
reserve army of super-exploited labor and import them into
labor-intensive industries like construction, meatpacking, agriculture,
hotels, textiles, and manufacturing.
continued
A Debate on
Bolivia: “General jubilation” greeted the Bolivian
government’s move to take control of the country’s hydrocarbon resources
on May 1, according to the Cuban daily newspaper Granma.
“An impressive multitude [that] gathered to celebrate May Day” in La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, “exploded with joy
and cheers” when these measures were announced. This joy was shared by
opponents of imperialism everywhere.
continued
Taking Sides
on the Guest Worker Debate: The wind behind the
movement for immigrant rights had reached gale force by May Day
2006. Millions of immigrant workers and students took to the
streets and dealt the first direct blow to U.S.
capital in recent memory. But the hand on the tiller -- belonging
to a coalition of unions, churches, and nonprofit advocacy groups -- has
steered the boat into the shoals of bipartisan immigration
"reform" and collaboration with capitalists in the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce. Stern's union of mostly immigrant workers finds itself
in the perverse position of supporting a bill to turn back the clock on
immigrant rights more than 40 years. He is joined in this
questionable endeavor by the Laborers' International Union of North America
and UNITE-HERE, both unions in industries that employ large numbers of
undocumented workers. continued
Why Nuclear
Power is Not the Answer: An alarming number of
so-called environmentalists in the United States are taking the position that
more nuclear power generation is the way to reduce the carbon dioxide
emissions that are contributing to global warming. continued
Gulf Coast Disaster -
The Result of Capitalist Greed: The devastation and human
suffering wrought by Katrina is not just a so-called natural disaster. It
is above all else a crime perpetrated against the people of this
country. Everything evil and
barbaric in capitalism is being exposed as this crisis unfolds, from the
long-term environmental degradation and disrepair that has been
accumulating for decades to the immediate failure to mobilize the full
power of the federal government to meet human needs. continued . . .
How to be
Effective in Abortion Clinic Defense: Clinic defense is as simple as
it sounds: it is the physical defense of the doors of a clinic so that clients
can enter and leave. It is irresponsible, and at times dangerous, for
pro-choice activists to turn their backs to the doors in order to dance
and chant. If a pro-choice activist is not concerned with protecting the doors of a
clinic, she or he is not providing clinic defense. continued
Why We Need
a New Environmental Movement: Human beings knew about the
harmful effects of breathing filthy, polluted air even before the Industrial
Revolution. Smoke and soot from the burning of coal plagued England over 700 years ago. London recorded air pollution
problems even in the Middle Ages. Due to a wood and charcoal shortage in Europe, people stepped up the use of
coal for heat in the early 17th century. continued
Call for a
United Anti-War Movement: September 24,
2005 has been set as
the date for national demonstrations by the U.S. antiwar movement. We will return to the streets
of the nation’s capital, and elsewhere, with a force determined to
challenge the continuation of a brutal and immoral war and occupation.
That the Iraqi War is the central issue in world politics today is not in
dispute. Neither is the fact that there is a rapidly growing opposition
to this war in the United States and across the globe. The potential for a
truly massive turnout that can open the door wider than ever to our
movement’s expressing the will of tens of millions is within reach. continued
Strategy
& Tactics in the Fight Against the Iraq War: The May 18 decision of the
National Steering Committee of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), currently
the broadest antiwar coalition in the U.S., to set Saturday, Sept. 24,
for a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., to "Bring the
Troops Home Now!" is a welcome and critically important development. continued
Which Way
Forward for the GLBT Movement?
In 1947 the
state of California made a historic move and
struck down that state’s ban on interracial marriages. At the time, 48
states had bans on interracial marriage.
According to some polls from the time, approximately nine out of
10 Americans said that they opposed interracial marriage. It seemed that the battle for
fundamental civil rights could never be won. continued
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