by Billy Wharton and Nicholas Nix
February 18, 2010 - As democratic socialists, we condemn the act of terrorism carried out by Joseph Andrew Stack today in Austin, Texas. Terrorism will do nothing to solve the mounting social and economic problems faced by working people in the United States. Instead, such acts will likely create public sympathy for government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security, who wish to further erode our civil liberties. As an old anarchist pamphlet correctly states, “Terrorism destroys politics.”
While condemning this act, we also recognize that some of the grievances raised in Stack’s suicide letter speak to real problems faced by millions of working people every day. In the more coherent sections of the letter, he mentions the failure of the US government to provide healthcare, the gross inequity of the bank bailout and the inadequacy of support for elderly Americans. He details the plight of the elderly widow of a steel worker who is reduced to eating cat food because of the elimination of pension payments. It is difficult not to be moved to anger by this story.
Similar stories of abuse and neglect exist throughout the US today. This is not a surprise considering we live in a society where 5% of the population controls 85% of the wealth. Consequently, one child out of every six faces issues of food insecurity and almost 50 million people have been left outside the healthcare system. All of these conditions are direct results of capitalism.
Democratic socialism, and not individual terrorism, is the humane alternative to the madness of capitalism. Socialist economics propose worker self-management, participatory budgeting and guaranteed rights to healthcare and housing. Such changes are built upon socialist values of solidarity, compassion and justice.
Acts of terrorism will not move us closer to solving our problems – a grassroots political response to injustice will. What we need most in this country is a political movement that gives a voice to working people. Such a re-awakening will allow us to become active creators of a more progressive future. Organizations, such as the one we are members of, the Socialist Party USA, are working to build such movements and are open to all those seeking to struggle for justice.
***
Billy Wharton, co-chair of the Socialist Party USA (*)
Nicholas Nix, Independent for Congress, District 4 of Texas (*)
* for identification purposes only
Do you like the way current events are covered in the Webzine?
WebZine Archive
Contact us
Followers
3 comments
The Socialist Party USA's statement on this incident is as follows: The Socialist Party offers our condolences to the victims of the recent tragedy at the Austin IRS building. The victims, including the pilot, are casualties of an economic system which turns worker against worker and fails to provide the basic needs for millions while bailing out banks and corporations.
A grassroots political response to the injustices of capitalism and a political movement that gives a voice to working people is what we need most in this country. Such a reawakening will allow us to become active creators of a more progressive future. Organizations, such as the Socialist Party USA, are working to build such movements and are open to all those seeking to struggle for justice. Passed 5 -1 by the SPUSA National Action Committee
Posted on February 23, 2010 8:23 AM
I came across a blog by John W Whitehead where he writes: "Clearly, Stack is neither a hero nor a martyr. Nor is he technically a terrorist. Rather, he is the end product of a system that pays little heed to the disaffected, discontent and voiceless. And while Stack may have been alone in the cockpit of that Piper Cherokee plane, he is not alone in his discontent and frustration."
That is the important point. Your statement is harmed by the first line declaring Stack's action to be that of a terrorist. The important message about a failed system is then lost.
Posted on February 26, 2010 9:25 AM
Not to be extremely direct, but the government will never turn down it's power to the working class. Every country that has transitioned to socialism has almost always, if not entirely, been created through a revolution.
The U.S. is the one of the biggest, if not the biggest, superpowers in the world making the task so much harder. They continue to indoctrinate in opposition to socialism, as they do create the norm.
Democratic movements, even if they do work, take several years at the least. Thus the problem persists, as well as progessively worse.
The article that was written, however, I feel needed more information. It portrays more about your 'disagreement' with radical rebellion then what happened.
But as far as this article goes, I support his actions in the movement.
Posted on February 26, 2010 5:03 PM
Post a Comment