Conversaciones con Ignacio Ramonet

Varios han sido los libros publicados en el mundo a partir de largas entrevistas o conversaciones con Fidel Castro; pero ninguno como “Cien Horas con Fidel” alcanza la magnitud, la diversidad, la amplitud, el alcance y la transcendencia que tiene esta entrevista realizada entre y periodista francѐs Ignacio Ramonet, director del mensuario parisino “Le Monde Diplomatique”, un de las voces más prestigiosas entre la intelectualidad progresista europea contemporánea, autor de numerosos libros y ensayos sobre temas de comunicación social y politica internacional, uno de los principales impulsores y animadores del movimiento mundial de lucha contra la globalizacion neoliberal y amigo leal y sincero de y de la Revolucion Cubana. Por el nivel de información y sagacidad del entrevistador, por la agudeza y pertinencia de sus preguntas; pero, sobre todo, por la profundidad, franqueza, modernidad y hondura de las respuestas del entrevistado, la apasionante conversación contenida en el ya célebre libro tendrá, sin lugar a dudas, un valor perdurable, más allá de coyunturas y circunstancias. Por ello, la grabaciòn audiovisual de la mencionada entrevista, deviene como un material de notable trascendencia histórico documental.

http://youtu.be/Y-uyCvV8qHU  (Part 1)

http://youtu.be/kKlBHBdaunY  (Part 2)

http://youtu.be/XZ49mBVzizQ  (Part 3)

http://youtu.be/ikWb-71A_N4  (Part 4)

Portrait of Fidel Castro by Antonio Guerrero, one of the Cuban 5

Art by Antonio Guerrero, one of the Cuban 5

By James Thompson

HOUSTON-On 10/20/2013 about 20 progressive community activists joined the striking workers at Maximus Coffee in Houston. It was a beautiful fall day near downtown Houston and activists felt very good about expressing their solidarity with their brothers and sisters on strike at the former Maxwell House coffee plant located at 3900 Harrisburg in the second Ward in Houston. One activist quipped “It is better to be red than dead.” The activists gave gifts of water and snacks to ease the discomfort of the striking workers.

About 250 union organized workers went on strike on October 10, 2013. In contract negotiations, the company proposed 50% wage cuts coupled with about a 30% increase in the cost of health insurance. The company also proposed to violate their own agreement to contribute to the workers 401(k) retirement plans. These heavy-handed tactics forced the workers out on strike. The workers are engaged in an effort to defend their livelihoods, homes and families.

The 250 workers are represented by Local 455 of the UFCW.

One striking worker told me that worker productivity has been steadily rising over the years. He indicated that production has drastically decreased since the strike started. He said that the plant is being run by salaried people while the workers out on strike. Apparently, these managers are not doing a very good job since they are not trained for this work. Obviously, the quality of the product must have drastically reduced. Only a very few workers have crossed the picket line according to him.

Another worker indicated that the economic situation in Houston is relatively stable and she felt that such draconian cuts were inexcusable and unnecessary.

Maximus Coffee revenues, according to the Internet, are between $50-$100 million. Maximus produces coffee for distributing companies such as Folgers, Maxwell House, and others.

Contract negotiations will begin on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. All the workers I talked to indicated that they are eager to return to work and don’t like striking. They expressed hope that the bosses will negotiate in good faith and they can return to work as soon as possible.

This strike, like all strikes, is important for all workers. Obviously, the bosses at Maximus are attempting to bust the union. When one union anywhere is busted, workers everywhere suffer since their bosses may attempt to copycat the success of other bosses. This is why worker unity and solidarity is crucial. Worker unity is necessary for workers to win victories in the class war. As the old union slogan goes “United we stand, divided we beg.” Workers have going for us is that there are more of us than them. When bosses can split the workers into feuding sectors, it is easier for them to lower all of the worker’s wages.

If you live in Houston or can come to Houston, take out a little time to support your fellow workers. The striking workers are walking the picket line 24/7. If you can’t come to Houston, stop buying or consuming coffee produced by Maximus until the strike is over and the workers are back on their jobs. People in Houston should also stop buying or consuming Maximus Coffee. Boycott Maximus Coffee! This includes companies which use Maximus coffee such as Folgers, and Maxwell House.

Following is a complete list of the products that Maximus Coffee group produces:

Beaumont Coffee

Boston Best Products

Cafe D’Irio coffee

Cloverleaf Coffee

Folgers Coffee Products

Maxwell House Coffee Collection’s

Maxwell House Coffee Singles

Maxwell House De-Cafe coffee

Maxwell House Filter Packs

Maxwell House Instant Coffee

Maxwell House International Café

Nestle Coffee Products

Sanka Instant Coffee

PHill1917@comcast.net

By James Thompson

Now that the U.S. Congress has voted to end the government shut down and raise the debt ceiling temporarily, the US people are beginning to ask “How did we get to this sorry state of affairs?” Congress voted to end the shut down and raise the debt limit until January 15, 2014. This temporary reprieve will give working people a chance to reflect on what has been done to them and where all this came from. Of course, a pall is cast over the holidays so that once again workers will be forced to tighten their belts in preparation for what might come. One can only imagine what this may do to holiday sales.

There are a lot of questions to be answered. One important question is “What are the causative factors which led up to the current financial crisis?” The quick answer is capitalism itself. This must be followed up by asking “What did the capitalist system do that led to the current crisis?”

Although many factors led up to the crisis, one factor would be the US invasion of Iraq. The capitalist government of the United States spent an extraordinary amount of the people’s money on this catastrophe for working people. Estimates range from $4-$6 trillion and this is likely to be an underestimate. Clearly, the results have been ruinous for working people in Iraq as well as the United States. Untold numbers of innocent civilians in Iraq were slaughtered or permanently disabled. As yet uncounted numbers of people from the United States were slaughtered or permanently disabled.

Many people may ask “Why would a ‘democratic’ government conduct such a slaughter?” Many Americans delude themselves by thinking that the US is a democracy for working people. Marxists have long maintained that the democracy in the United States was formed of, by, and for the wealthy classes. One must remember that the “founding fathers” were mostly slaveholders. If working people had had a real voice in the conduct of the Iraq war, it would never have been started in the first place. Certainly working people in Iraq would never have voted for the war and it is highly unlikely that very many working people in the United States would have voted for the war.

So, the question stands “Why did the US government prosecute the war in Iraq?” Marxists also consistently point out that the motive of capitalists that propels them to start and carry out imperialist wars is the compelling drive of capitalists to increase their profits.

The next question becomes “How did the capitalists increase their profits by engaging in the Iraq war?” Interestingly, an article on 12/6/2010 by Cordula Meyer in Spiegel online points out that there is little oil flowing to the United States from Iraq. Instead, contracts to develop Iraq’s oil reserves went to corporations in France, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Angola, Norway, Britain and Russia in December, 2009.

It also has been documented that around $138 billion went to US contractors with the bulk of it going to Halliburton. Of course, this amount is part of the $4-6 trillion spent by the US taxpayers to conduct the war.

Marxists have also argued that capitalists will spend the people’s money on wars to ensure that capitalist industries will be able to safely conduct their business in foreign countries and reap extraordinary profits even if the war expenditure far exceeds the profits received. In other words, capitalists are happy to sacrifice soldiers and the people’s money as long as they are able to increase profits. From the capitalist’s point of view, it is not necessary for their increased profits to exceed the expenditure of the people’s money as well as the lives of the military personnel.

Another study reported by Amy Jaffe of the James A. Baker, III Public Policy Institute of Rice University concludes that as of about 2007 US corporations were reaping profits of about $150 billion a year from oil production in Iraq. A quick, basic calculation shows us that if this rate of profit remains constant, it would take around 26 to 30 years for the profits gained by the capitalists to equal the $4-$6 trillion extracted from US taxpayers. Of course, the cost as a result of the destruction of the environment due to the war cannot be calculated.

“Who benefits from the war in Iraq?” becomes the next question. It should be clear to all that the obvious beneficiary of this war is not working people. It should be equally clear that the beneficiary is the wealthy classes. The astounding profits have bloated the wealthy to an obscene state. It should be noted that simultaneous tax breaks for the wealthy have also bloated their collective bottom line. The combined income for the top 400 wealthiest individuals in the US for 2012 published by Forbes magazine is about $2.6 trillion. The combined income for the top 500 wealthiest individuals in the US for 2013 exceeds the entire wealth of Russia.

We must never forget that by increasing their profits, the capitalists wage a continual war on the working classes. War profits are particularly beneficial to the capitalists in the class struggle. When the people’s money is spent on war for increased profits, this means that less of the people’s money can be spent on programs to benefit them. In other words, each dollar that is spent on some foreign slaughter can never be spent on education, health care, culture, infrastructure, and countless other programs that benefit working people. This is how the capitalists are winning the class struggle.

There is only one answer to this one-sided struggle. Working people must unite and fight for their interests. Workers must use every means of struggle available to them. Clearly, the senseless slaughter for profits carried out by the capitalists proves undeniably that the fate of humanity depends on the unity of the workers.

PHill1917@comcast.net

By James Thompson

As the government shutdown drags on and the debt ceiling looms nearer and nearer, a nervous nation and world wonder what is to become of them. Right wing fascists hold the government hostage while centrists quiver and quake at their theatrics. The drama from both sides receives maximum coverage on corporate TV.

Meanwhile, the working class wonders if there is anything that can be done to restore sanity to the nation.

Some may talk of “revolution” or “slow down” or “general strike.” This talk is counterproductive and is the wrong tactic at this stage in the struggle.

The first step in formulating a response to the tactics of the ultra-right is to recognize their skill and effectiveness in fighting the class struggle. For indeed, the government shut down and dithering about whether to raise the debt ceiling is nothing if it is not class warfare. It must be remembered that the government provides essential services to working people in spite of its primary allegiance to the wealthy. Working people benefit from Social Security retirement and disability programs and VA programs. Although flawed, these programs are extremely valuable to working people. This is precisely the reason that the Tea Party extremists want to shut these programs down. The wealthy are fighting the class war while telling working people through the corporate media that there is no such thing as a class war. Working people must recognize that the wealthy will fight the class war no matter what the response is from working people.

How should working people respond to this latest assault?

Some say the definition of insanity is continuing to do what you have been doing while expecting different results.

Working people should use the resources available to them to begin and continue a frank discussion of what is in their best interest. It is clear that years of blind faithfulness to centrist politicians has led the working class nowhere. It is also clear that smaller sectors of the working class have followed right wing politicians and this has come to nothing. There has been no organized left wing in this country since the 1930s for working people to follow. It is time for working people to organize their own political party to fight for their own interests without influence from the wealthy upper class. Social media and the Internet could be harnessed to provide forums for working people to express their views on the current crisis facing this nation. Strategy and tactics to meet the current crisis should be discussed immediately from the working class point of view.

As the discussion progresses, it should become obvious that workers should flex their muscles and exercise their inherent political power.

One way would be to organize mass protests and demonstrations in the nation’s capitol and in other major cities around the country. Participants in these actions should include massive numbers of Social Security recipients, VA benefits recipients and furloughed government employees and their families, friends and allies. Of course, such demonstrations should be multiethnic and include both men and women.

Simultaneously, maximum pressure needs to be put on the right wing members of Congress to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling immediately. Maximum pressure should also be put on the centrists to not cave in to the demands of the right wing to gut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans benefits and other programs that benefit working people. Demands to protect undocumented immigrants should be included in negotiations on behalf of workers. This is what is needed at this point in the struggle.

Even if the government shutdown is reversed and the debt ceiling lifted in response to the pressure from the public, the struggle should continue for working people’s interests. Indeed, as working people start to win political victories, progressive demands should increase.

Should the feckless politicians fail to reach an agreement to fund the government and lift the debt ceiling, a new assessment of that stage of the struggle should begin and new tactics will need to be devised to address the conditions at that time.

In addition to recognizing that there is a vicious class war being waged against them, workers need to recognize that there is an alternative to capitalism and it is socialism. Workers also need to recognize that working class unity is the most effective response to assaults from the wealthy classes. When united, workers can accomplish a lot. Working class unity defeated wealthy slaveholders in the US. Working class unity defeated fascism in World War II. Working class unity resulted in the public education system, public works programs during the Great Depression, Social Security, Veterans Administration, Medicare and Medicaid. Working class unity resulted in the end of the Vietnam War as well as the Korean War. Although the current crisis is very serious and possibly critical, working people have faced and overcome crises in the past and can work together to restore sanity in response to the current situation. Working people should remember that we outnumber them and that on a level playing field, our power will eventually surpass the power of the wealthy if we are united.

PHill1917@comcast.net

Please contact us at PHill1917@comcast.net for information about getting trained as an MD. Training will be provided, if you are accepted, free of charge to include tuition, room and board and a small stipend. For students from the US, special training is provided to prepare the student for passing the medical licensure exam in the USA. Preference will be given to applicants from low income and underserved communities who want to return to their communities upon graduation.

Requirements include that the applicant will be age 18 to 25 at the time of admission to the medical school. The applicant should be able to either speak Spanish or be willing to learn Spanish. For non-Spanish speakers, training in Spanish is provided. Applicants should also be proficient in basic college-level sciences. Applicants will be expected to make a commitment to return to underserved communities in their home country upon graduation.

Medical School

By James Thompson

HOUSTON-LaToya Ruby Frazier’s current exhibition featured by the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston is visually stunning and serves to enlighten its viewers about the horrors of capitalist degeneration. It features photographs, videos, digital works and a photolithograph series which tells the story of the artist’s hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania which was home to Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill, the Edgar Thomson Steel Works which was established in 1872.

The exhibition communicates to its viewer the devastation rendered to a community by capitalist boom and bust. Braddock, a suburb of Pittsburgh, was once a thriving metropolitan area with more than 20,000 residents and has dropped to a population of 2500 people. Many of Braddock’s steel plants closed and or dramatically downsized between 1980 and 1985. The exhibition also illustrates the devastation of capitalist economic contortions on three generations of African-American women.

A pillar of the exhibition is a photographic study of the closing of Braddock’s community hospital, a facility affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The hospital opened in 1909 as the Braddock Hospital and became affiliated with the UPMC in the 1990s only to be closed in 2010. The reason given for the closing was that it was losing money. At the time of the closing, the hospital was the community’s largest employer. After the closing, a company was contracted to demolish the historic building. Interestingly, the same company was simultaneously contracted to build a new UPMC facility in an affluent suburb of Pittsburgh. The new facility is generally considered to be inaccessible to the low income residents of Braddock.

The photographs of the exhibition depict the deterioration of the community of Braddock and the consequent misery of its residents. All three generations of African-American women, including the artist herself, are afflicted with serious medical conditions. Of course, the heartless closing of the medical facility makes access to medical care extremely complicated, difficult and sometimes impossible for the poor people of the community. More than 100 years of the steel industry located in the community has released untold toxins causing widespread illness and disability among the residents. Houston, which has the largest number of industrial jobs in the United States currently, is also plagued by industrial toxins and its residents suffer untold misery from medical afflictions as a result.

In order to understand the cruel actions delivered to the community by the powerful, it is essential to understand the workings of capitalism. One must answer the question “Why would a capitalist build a healthcare facility in a working-class neighborhood?” It is important to understand that the most important motive for capitalists is to continually increase profits. Marx and Lenin showed that when a capitalist enterprise fails to increase profits, it is doomed to closure. When profits do not increase, the capitalist takes the capital to another business where profits will increase. Clearly, this is what happened in Braddock.

Marx also showed scientifically that the key to increasing profits under capitalism is increasing worker productivity while reducing worker’s wages. From the capitalist’s point of view, the only purpose for a hospital is to improve or maintain the health of its workers so that productivity and profits continue to increase. When there is no profit driven industry in a community or country, for that matter, there is no need for hospitals from the capitalist’s point of view. Similarly, from the capitalist’s point of view there is no need for infrastructure such as education, highways, law enforcement or any other community service which might serve to enhance working families’ existence.

Of course, when capitalist politicians conspire with their capitalist benefactors to shut down services, working people and the poor become outraged as their communities are devastated. Their outrage becomes the front line of the class struggle.

Another concept which this outstanding and compelling exhibition illustrates clearly is Lenin’s “Law of Uneven Development under Imperialism.” Leontiev, in his book “Political Economy” explains this on page 213 “In the capitalist system individual enterprises, individual branches of industry and individual countries develop unevenly and spasmodically. It is evident that with the anarchy of production prevailing under capitalism and the frenzied struggle among the capitalists for profits, it cannot be otherwise… This unevenness of development is manifested with particular acuteness in the epoch of imperialism, and becomes a decisive force, a decisive law.” The uneven development of individual branches of industry gets expressed in communities and this is being seen across the globe today with devastating effects to people.

When industries depart and jobs plummet, the remaining residents of a community must find a way to survive. Some may resort to extraordinary means such as crime. Others may seek compensation in other ways. The fabric of the community is consequently ripped to shreds in a variety of ways and this is the central theme of Ruby Frazier’s exhibition WITNESS. The exhibition will be at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston until October 13. The exhibition will be on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston from November 12-March 2, 2014. If you are in either of these cities during these times, do yourself a favor and visit the exhibition. It will definitely open your eyes.

PHill1917@comcast.net

By James Thompson

Occupy Houston supporters on 11/17/11

Once again, the USA is at the mercy of a small group of clowns in its capitol. The most reactionary sector of the governing bodies is holding the nation at hostage with the passive complicity of their centrist counterparts. What is their beef?

The reactionaries, led by the Congressional clown-in-chief, Ted Cruz, of Texas, are attempting to obstruct the implementation of Obamacare by failing to fund the federal government. Cruz, a Canadian by birth, campaigned for the office of US Senator from the state of Texas by claiming that his family fled “Castro’s Cuba” by coming north. In reality, his Cuban family left the island before the revolution, so that in fact they fled the Batista dictatorship.

Other clowns prance and engage in endless buffoonery to the shock and awe of a confused nation. Meanwhile, the USA has become the laughingstock of the rest of the world. Comedy unfolds into tragedy and no one knows where this ultimately will lead. One possibility would be that the chicanery of these few individuals will result in a loss of confidence on the world scale in US financial domination. Of course, this could lead to financial ruination for working people and the poor in this country and around the world.

Prominent among the prancing clowns are the Dixiecans (Southern Republicans who are the modern stand-ins for the Dixiecrats). This procession of clowns has been led by another Texan, Gov. Rick Perry. Gov. Perry and other reactionary governors have refused to accept federal funds for Medicaid. The aim and result of their tactics is to obstruct the implementation of healthcare for the poor and working people. Of course, hardest hit will be African-Americans and other oppressed groups. Whereas in the 50s and 60s Dixiecrats attempted to stop integration, particularly in the educational system, now the Dixiecans are attempting to deny healthcare to people of color. At the same time, the clowns are attempting to obstruct the right to vote for African-Americans and other oppressed people. Since Obamacare relies on Medicaid to cover low income people, their obstructionism is an assault on that health care plan.

As Lenin said, all reforms which have been won by working people under capitalism can and will be taken away by the bourgeoisie in times of economic crisis.

What can working people do? It turns out that there are many things that working people can do even under the repressive conditions in this country.

One thing that working people can do is to exercise their right to vote and organize politically. Since both Republicans and Democrats have revealed themselves to be friends of the wealthy and enemies of the people, it is high time for workers to organize their own political party and pursue their own political interests. It should be clear to all that this cannot be accomplished in either of the dominant political parties in the USA. In fact, Marx taught us that the interests of workers and the interests of the bourgeoisie are irreconcilable. Therefore, it is impossible for a bourgeois political party to adequately represent the interests of workers.

Another thing that the working class can do is to recognize the reality of the class struggle. It is clear that the bourgeoisie is engaging in class warfare well thought out and planned in an effort to extract all that is possible from workers and give them as little as possible in exchange. Until workers recognize the reality of what is happening, they cannot adequately respond to the onslaught on their meager gains by the wealthy.

In the current conditions, workers can also seek relief through progressive legislation. Of course, in order for this to be successful, working people must become much more powerful politically. If workers formed their own political party, and gain success at the polls, then they would have a reasonable chance of winning important victories including the implementation of socialism. Many changes are needed and were hoped for when Pres. Obama was elected. These hopes have been callously dashed as the current administration seeks to outdo the reactionary President Bush.

Working people have earned and recently lost universal suffrage. Working people have earned but not received universal healthcare. Working people have earned but not received universal access to education. Working people have earned but not received universal housing and freedom from extreme poverty. Working people have earned but not received universal access to free legal counsel. Working people have earned but not received freedom from racism, sexism and other forms of prejudicial discrimination. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from the threat of nuclear annihilation. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from the ravages of war and capitalist competition for global domination. Working people have earned but not received the freedom from unending capitalist crises.

Finally, workers can also seek relief through the criminal justice system. Although the behavior of the clowns running the government is laughable, it is also tragic and criminal. Shutting down the government is the highest form of treason and should be recognized as such. Denying the democratic rights of vast sectors of the population is also treasonous and should be recognized as such. Passive complicity with the treasonous actions of the right wing reactionaries by the centrists is also a form of treason.

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) ruthlessly hounded innocent communists and imprisoned them for no reason. It is time for a new House Un-American Activities Committee to be convened to root out ruthlessly all treasonous people in the government (elected and nonelected) who have conspired to shut down the federal government, deny people healthcare and education and mounted a hateful assault on the democratic rights of workers and their families.

PHill1917@comcast.net

Communists participate in the May day march in Houston, 2012