by Darrell Rankin

An observer in Canada

Republicans and Democrats generously give the United States’ people the ‘choice’ to fight Mexicans or Russians.
Some choice! What about the choice of international solidarity with Mexico and Russia, who share common problems with the U.S. people like unemployment, poor wages, climate catastrophe and the burden of military spending?
Many U.S. people object to fighting the illegal Mexicans Or the Russians. 
The U.S. people who have no grudge against Russians or Mexicans are the sane ones, but the media ignores that contingent because the U.S. oligarchy (a term used by former president Jimmy Carter) needs an enemy for workers to fight, instead of the oligarchy.
The U.S. oligarchy is whipsawing people between the Mexicans and Russians. The only solution for U.S. people who are in international solidarity with Russia and Mexico and want peace, is to Organize and prepare the workers to win political power.

By James Thompson

Today A. Shaw and James Thompson presented a dozen red roses and a letter expressing our condolences to the Russian Consul General in Houston. The letter was as follows:

“December 29, 2016

Alexander Zakharov

Consul General, Russia

1333 West Loop South, Ste. 1300

Houston, TX 77027

Dear Alexander Zakharov:

The Houston Communist Party, Houston Peace Council and Houston Socialist Movement want to express our deepest condolences. We are very sad to learn of the tragic recent events. The crash of the airliner in the Black Sea and the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey cause us much sorrow.

Many of us are admirers of the Red Army Choir/Alexandrov Ensemble.

We are also concerned about the tensions between our two great nations and want to express our opposition to further conflict. We are hopeful that the President-elect of the United States will maintain his campaign positions in support of peace with Russia. Any sensible person can easily recognize that a major war between Russia and the US would reduce us all to cockroach food. As Pete Seeger sang many years ago “We can all be cremated equally.”

We applaud Russia’s efforts to establish peace in Syria and hope the next President of the US will work with Russia in an honest atmosphere of cooperation and dialogue in order to neutralize the terrorists who have done so much damage.

Peaceful coexistence rather than delusional allegations should be our one and only goal.

Peace and solidarity,

Houston Communist Party

Houston Peace Council

Houston Socialist Movement”

The consulate staff who received the letter were very gracious and professional. They showed us a display they had organized on a small table. It had flowers and a picture of the assassinated Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov. Needless to say, it was quite moving.

As we were leaving, the consulate staff member, Dmitri, called for better relations between our two countries. We replied simply, “We need peace!” Hopefully, 2017, the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution which ended the Czarist monarchy and marked the beginning of a socialist government, will bring better relations between the U.S. and the Russian Federation.