Letters of September 21

Vets Indict Obama for War Crimes but Lack Class Outlook

The Vets for Peace (VFP) Convention in Portland, Oregon was held at Portland State University recently. Having been to a number of VFP conventions, I want to share some observations.

VFP was founded in 1985 by mostly Vietnam-era vets and some from the Korean War and even World War II. Its emphasis was on healing, pacifism, and not forgetting the holocaust that was Vietnam.

In 2005-06, VFP sponsored/assisted the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Thus, there was some optimism that a veteran-led movement could influence active-duty military personnel and even inspire revolts in the ranks. Sadly, within a year or two, that moment was lost.

The civilian anti-war movement subsequently was undermined by Obama’s electoral campaign in 2007-08. IVAW purged its leadership ranks of the most left people (often black and Latino). The Winter Soldier testimonials in Washington D.C. (2008) saw some vibrant anti-capitalist moments.

But there was much censorship of words like “genocide” and “imperialism.” Some Iraq vets in Los Angeles were so incensed, they boycotted LA’s Winter Soldier. Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) allied itself with VFP/IVAW. Now a new organization, Afghanistan Veterans Against the War (AVAW), is being formed.

All these anti-war groups represent mass organizations that are led by liberal careerists with anti-left credentials. They have potential among their members.

This year, there was talk about Wisconsin, Arab Spring, and the Palestinian/Zionist conflicts. In the workshop on support of the Palestinians against Israeli fascism, two resolutions were rejected: one called for a two-state solution and one for a Palestinian state that failed to rule out a Muslim state.

The resolution that passed emphasized “self-determination,” the nationalist line that ignores class politics. It was clear that sponsoring authors understood that Palestinian militancy would be necessary. However, they neglected to include Arab/Israeli worker solidarity.

Generally, imperialism was widely noted, even more than in past VFP conventions, but they didn’t connect imperialism to capitalism. The resolution to impeach Obama based on war crimes emphasized him as a war criminal. However, it did not link his wars to class conflict or inter-imperialist rivalries.

Still, it was amusing that at the closing Saturday evening dinner, VFP leadership openly criticized the passed resolution as a mistake. That is, VFP rank and file is to the left of VFP leadership. Another observation was that VFP leadership stressed pacifism more than usual. They fear the potential militancy in the air.

Much criticism of democracy was heard, but elections were still viewed as viable. A few years ago, Dennis Kucinich was the favored politician; now the liberal consensus is more with Cynthia McKinney.

Bradley Manning’s case spearheaded by Courage to Resist, located in Oakland, has energetic leadership and a successful fund-raising effort. While defense committee activism has political limits, the fact that Manning faces many years in prison (potentially the death penalty) for being a whistleblower of war atrocities, strikes a chord among people. When videos of these horrors are shown to audiences, as they have been on college campuses, in communities, and in churches, it stuns people and brings the war into sharper focus.

With the economy leaving millions jobless and homeless, we could expect a growing number of active-duty soldiers to question their mission.

Finally, as I was leaving Portland I stopped at a local restaurant. I mentioned the VFP convention, and a middle-aged waitress stated emphatically, “They should bring them all home immediately. My son is on his fifth tour.” When will the break come? When will a massive rejection of the imperialist slaughter among the ranks of soldiers and marines erupt? When will the wars and the economy be linked to develop a full-fledged anti-capitalist movement? Much needs to be done. And it is up to us.

Red Vet

Article on Japan’s Nuclear Disaster Errs on Dangers

The 9/7 article, “Japan’s Nuclear Disaster,” is good politically, but it uncritically accepts the media’s anti-nuclear position. It’s capitalism that kills the world’s working class, not nuclear energy.

The Fukushima meltdowns are a “disaster” for TEPCO [Japan’s electric company] but the supposed dangers to workers in and around the plant are highly exaggerated.  Also the linkage of nuclear energy with nuclear weapons is no more valid than a linkage of steel with tanks.

One cannot base an attitude toward nuclear energy on who stands to profit, because all energy sources produce profit, the greatest coming from fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas).  The two authors of this letter (including a physicist and radiation worker) have been studying, giving talks, and writing about energy sources for over three years (with no energy investments).  

Humans have evolved in a sea of natural radiation, from ground and sky.  Low levels of radiation actually have been found to reduce cancer rates and prolong life, called “hormesis,” due to defenses, including our immune systems and cell repair.  Hormesis is little known due to a decades-long denial by nuclear regulatory agencies, as well as by the media, who ignore or ridicule the concept.  Coal/oil profits no doubt pay for this ridicule, but the point is whether or not it’s true.

The government, admitting there is no evidence for it, relies on the linear-no-threshold (LNT) approach, which denies a threshold below which radiation is protective of health, though above which it sickens and kills.  They ignore more than 2,000 studies in the world scientific literature, compiled over decades, by hundreds of laboratory workers and epidemiologists that prove that LNT is false at low levels and that radiation hormesis is real. 

Given the actual exposures, it is unlikely that any Fukushima workers or local inhabitants, let alone in other countries, will be harmed by the radiation.  But tens or hundreds of thousands were either killed or still suffer immensely from the April 6 quake and tsunami.

In contrast, coal and oil kill an estimated twp million people annually around the world (about 50,000 in the U.S.) from toxic exhaust, waste, and mining “accidents.”  Wind and solar, pushed by venture capitalists and most environmentalist organizations as the solutions to global warming, are so intermittent and so spread out that they are entirely dependent on another energy source for baseload (the 24/7 provision of energy).  And the only choices for that baseload are either deadly coal and natural gas or nuclear.  Interruptions in baseload electricity guarantee huge loss of life, whether from loss of air conditioning, loss of air controller communication, or absence of hurricane warnings, or hundreds of other scenarios.

CHALLENGE mentions a million deaths from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.  This invented figure comes from the Ukraine that is now suing Russia for compensation.  Even the World Health Organization projects a total of 4,000 deaths, but they rely on the LNT falsehood.  Today’s reactor designs make a repeat of Chernobyl impossible.  Chernobyl’s main damage was from FEAR that fostered an estimated 100,000-200,000 voluntary abortions and over 1,000 suicides in Europe.  Exaggeration of danger is deadly.

No energy source controlled by capitalists mainly serves the working class, but nuclear has been the cleanest and safest source, and continues to improve through the efforts of nuclear workers.  When revolution rids us of capitalism, nuclear energy, in our opinion, will prove to be the only way to safely and sustainably satisfy all our energy needs for food, shelter, and other necessities of life, and at the same time reverse the developing climate disasters due to global warming from fossil fuels.

The authors will provide an article on energy in general, in far more depth, for THE COMMUNIST magazine in the near future.

Two long-time comrades

Illinois Workers Attacked; Union
Leaders Role? Mislead

Union-busting is not only happening in Republican Wisconsin, but also in Democratic Illinois. The Governor here called off the raises of many government workers. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union contributed thousands of dollars to the campaign of this Governor.

The Chicago Mayor also plans to cut the benefits of the workers. The labor unions had acceded to furlough days for employees. This has not satisfied the bosses’ politicians.

The Chicago school board reneged on the contract it made with the teachers union. These union leaders responded by asking to “have talks” with the board members.

In the Cook County hospital, the government workers and patients are under attack. This hospital serves the indigent working class.

Court actions, political campaigns and halfhearted demonstrations will not achieve much for the working class. We must have militant actions. PL correctly tells us that it is not only the Republicans that are to blame; all politicians are instruments of the bosses.

The time of union misleadership has passed. We need Progressive Labour Party leadership. Forward to workers power!

Red senior