MASSES REBEL AGAINST RACIST POLICE MURDER IN BRAZIL

 

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, March 18 — Neighbors of Claudia da Silva protest her murder by the Military Police. This 38-year-old hospital worker and mother of four was caught in the cross-fire between drug gangs and the police in their racist and increasingly murderous  "pacification" programs in preparation for the World Cup. The police threw her in the trunk of their car, and drove away, but she fell out, and her body was dragged behind the police car. Although warned by pedestrians, the  police continued for 250 meters (273 yards), her body beating against the pavement. The news of this latest racist murder in the slums of Rio was greeted by protests and rebellions, including mass blocking of traffic and the burning of at least one bus. The angry Brazilian masses need ICWP more than ever.

LOS ANGELES, March 25 — "Management is using two tactics – intimidation and their treacherous union 'leaders' – to prevent us from striking," said a MTA bus operator.

Their contract expires in June. MTA and US bosses fear a strike that would impact tremendously the country's second largest city. Economically, it would cost them more than $80 million a day, while stranding over 1.6 million bus and railroad passengers.

However, even more terrifying for the bosses is the political impact the strike could have nationally and internationally. It could pit the capitalist state against these workers, while showcasing the power of the industrial working class and its crucial role in modern capitalism.

It could give these workers ideas about revolution and running society, since hundreds of them have been reading Red Flag about organizing a political strike against capitalism and for communism.

Recently a worker told us, "In my Division, management was commenting that many MTA employees were or are in the military or national guard, and that they were afraid they would all go AWOL." This really terrifies US bosses, therefore their desperate efforts to stop or break a strike.

MTA's Bad Cops: Supervisors and the Sheriff

 At Division 7, Supervisor Barbara Maycott and a senior supervisor showed up at the "Rap Session" with an LA County Sheriff deputy. Their intimidating message was loud and clear: "Companies' laws and regulations must be obeyed. We'll find ways to terminate any operator breaking them".

MTA's Good Cops: Their Treacherous Union Officials

 For their dirty insidious work, they have their unconditional servants: James Williams and Victor Baffoni and gang of the UTU (the drivers' union). First they tried to demoralize drivers from striking by lying about strike benefits. This attempt failed: their lie was exposed.

 Now James Lindsay and gang, who head the ATU (the mechanics' and service attendants' union) are getting ready to settle their contract before the operators' expires. They hope that the mechanics will not support an operators' strike because their contract has a no-strike clause.

Changing the expiration date of the mechanics' contract from that of the operators', plus the no-strike clause, place legal obstacles to workers supporting each others' strikes.

Workers need local, national and international solidarity

Solidarity is a communist principle that's been practiced by the oppressed masses throughout history: collectively facing their oppressors. Failing to do so, they have been easily vanquished.

Unfortunately, this solidarity has mostly been for reforms or to fight for socialism, like in Russia and China. Workers need communist solidarity: solidarity not for higher wages, a better union contract, or state capitalism (socialism); but to destroy capitalism's wage slavery and build a communist world.

When both MTA contracts expired on the same date, supporting each other's strike had no "legal" obstacles. Now, these union scum and their masters are hoping MTA workers obey their contracts' rules and don't support each other any more.

 These treacherous union hacks are doing the rulers an enormous service. If MTA workers fall for this ploy, our wage-slave masters won't have to order their politicians to impose "cooling off" periods (like Gov. Brown did in the Oakland BART strike); or have their judges impose injunctions. Furthermore, they don't have to pass laws making strikes illegal.

 All that exposes the true character of their state as a dictatorial instrument to control and oppress workers—something capitalists try very hard to hide. They want us believing that their state is a neutral and fair arbiter and that we are all "equal before the law."

Break the Capitalists' Laws to Break Their Chains of Wage Slavery

To break the chains that bind us to our slave masters we must break their laws.  Just like our ancestors  from Spartacus, to the Haitians, to the US slave rebellions in their fights against chattel slavery, we must take our enemies head on.  We can't be bound by trade unionism, reformism, or the bosses' politicians.

 Ending capitalism's wage slavery will require a communist revolution world wide. Communist solidarity will be critical. Forward with a political strike against capitalism and for communism to help build this solidarity!

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