REBUTTAL - Himelgrin
Marea Himelgrin (himelgri@Free-Net.Mpls-StPaul.MN.US)
Fri, 4 Nov 1994 13:11:52 -0600 (CST)
The three capitalist candidates participating in this debate fall over each
other in their enthusiasm to propose eroding hard-won democratic rights and
dreaming up barbaric punishments for working people accused of committing
crimes.
But who are the real criminals in this society? I assert that it is the class
that Barkley/Grams/Wynia are vying to represent.
The anti-social actions that are more often referred to as crime also come from
capitalism. So-called organized crime is simply the illegal - and very lucrative
- side of private enterprise. The Kennedy family, for example, won its place in
the big bourgeoisie through smuggling liquor during prohibition in the 1920s.
The vicious dog-eat-dog nature of capitalism also creates a layer of people who
have lost any sense of human solidarity, sometimes called the lumpenproletariat.
This is not a section of the working class, but rather individuals who come from
the dregs of all classes and prey on the working class - pimps, hired killers,
etc. In times of deep capitalist crisis, like the times we see approaching, the
lumpenproletariat provide some of the shock troops for fascist gangs.
Capitalism also breeds despair and alienation within the working class, leading
to all kinds of violence, including and foremost within the family. There will
be an increase in this kind of violence as long as the capitalist depression
continues without an organized fightback by working people.
Working class solidarity is the only solution. This isnt a pie-in-the-sky
scheme that says wait-for-socialism-and-everything-will-be-better. There are
many concrete ways to join in the struggle. Support the striking Caterpillar
workers . Defend the rights of immigrant workers. Speak out loudly against the
U.S. embargo of Iraq, occupation of Haiti, and provocations against Cuba.
In the course of taking on these struggles to defend the working class, family
farmers, and small businesspeople against the capitalist class and the crimes it
commits daily against working people the world over, greater numbers of workers,
farmers, and youth can be won away from the despair and alienation that are
behind the so-called crime wave. It is the only working-class answer to the
problem, which can ultimately be solved only by a fight to overthrow capitalism
and replace it with a system that puts human needs before profits.
If you are interested in this perspective, contact the Socialist Workers Party
and the Young Socialists. My campaign is one of dozens by Socialist Workers
candidates around the country. The perspectives of our campaign are also
supported by many socialist groups around the world. To contact the campaign or
supporters closest to you, send me an e-mail inquiry at:
INTERNET:73663,2124@compuserve.com
or write to:
Socialist Workers Party, 406 West Street, New York, NY 10014.
Also, consider an introductory subscription to the Militant newspaper - a
socialist newsweekly published in the interests of working people. Send $10 for
a 12-week subscription to:
Militant, 410 West Street, New York, NY 10014.
The Militant is also available through PEACENET.
For those of you who plug into cyberspace when you are physically located in
Minnesota, drop by my campaign headquarters at the Pathfinder Bookstore, 2490
University, St. Paul, MN 55114. Phone: 645-1674.
And finally, tomorrow, Saturday, November 5, United We Stand is sponsoring a
live-in-person debate to which all the candidates for U.S. Senate from Minnesota
have been invited. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Minneapolis Public
Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.
I look forward to continuing this discussion in person. Thank you for your time
and please consider not wasting your vote on one of the representatives of the
criminal class.