Monday, August 26, 2019

APK: US imperialism out of Greenland

US imperialism out of Greenland

It made the headlines when the US government called off its official state visit to Denmark on the 2nd and 3rd of September. And even more because of the reason given – that US imperialism could not and cannot simply buy Greenland at a fixed price, as the US president and the White House wished.

This outrageous proposal of course created an outcry of disbelief and anger among the people of Greenland as well as among the Danish people. The president of the United States of America spoke as a true imperialist superpower and ruler of the world – Greenland is of strategic interest, so we simply buy the whole shit – and no more fuss. Without any political sweet-talk to cover it up. This situation forced the social-democratic government, the politicians in the Danish parliament and the politicians in Greenland to state in an open reply that Greenland is not up for sale.

The people of Greenland do not want to exchange their Danish citizenship for a US citizenship. Their aim and goal is to see Greenland as a free and sovereign nation. It is only ten years ago that Greenland gained status as a self-governing part of the Danish Kingdom and as an independent people after centuries as a Danish colony. Greenland is still a semi-colony, where the Danish state and government has the power over the foreign and security policy and the power to decide what that means.

Today’s reality has put Greenland and the Arctic right in center of the struggle between the two superpowers US and China for world domination. The rights to the many minerals, gas and oil to which climate change has eased the access has become a security question. The development of the infrastructure such as airports and new ship lanes becomes a security question as US imperialism by itself and through NATO demands full control, requiring exclusion of Chinese investments.

In order to secure control over Greenland the Danish Government must play two agendas – that of being a loyal servant (ally) of US imperialism and at the same time not appear as the old colonial power in the eyes of the people in Greenland. That is why the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in her official reply in the Danish media very carefully stated that Greenland had said no to the sale and that the Danish government agreed.

At the same time the prime minister stated that Denmark and the US share the same strategic security interest in the Arctic, the Middle East and elsewhere where the Danish military operates as a part of the US NATO war coalition.

Just a few days ago the Danish Foreign Minister Trine Bramsen stated that Danish military investments in Greenland will be raised significantly – in accordance with the demands of the US and NATO. The militarization of Greenland and the arctic has a long and cruel history dating back to the Second World War [Colonial metropole Denmark was defeated by Germany in April 1940, and the US immediately took over Greenland; in May 1940 the UK invaded Iceland and was later replaced by the US.]  Both at that time and during the Cold War US imperialism acted as if it already owned the country, and placed military bases, nuclear weapons that are strictly forbidden by Danish law, missile plants, radars etc. Even huge secret military plants and cities fully armed under the arctic ice, which are now coming for a day with the climate change together with dumped nuclear waste.

Another question in the rivalry to secure control over Greenland is the role of the European Union, EU. Denmark is a member state and the only country in the EU with borders and land in the Arctic, now with Norway and Greenland out of the EU. Greenland left the EU in 1985 after a popular referendum in 1982 and now has what is called an OCT (Overseas Countries and Territories) status as do a number of former French, Dutch and British colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, and has the status of a geopolitical important partnership. Only a few weeks ago the Danish Government put up the first Schengen border control in North East Greenland.

Whether or not President Trump has cancelled his visit to Copenhagen this time, he is not welcome as he is a representative of US imperialism. A variety of organizations – antiwar, students, women’s, trade unions, solidarity and anti-imperialist, have been organizing protests and demonstrations, and they will still take place though in a smaller scale.

These are not anti-Trump demonstrations simply opposing Trump as a ‘mad man’. They are against US imperialism, its wars and crimes against the peoples, its military build-up and hegemony. It is against NATO as the military arm of imperialism and of Danish imperialism. Being targeted as a battlefield of the imperialist superpower is a big concern to all the peoples in this region of the world. It is against the militarization of the Arctic and a call for US and NATO bases to get out of Greenland.

It is in solidarity with all the people who fight imperialism – at this moment for instance the people of Venezuela– and in solidarity with the right of the people of Greenland to their own independent state and to make their own decisions about their future.

The social-democratic government in Denmark has given Trump the promises he wanted. It even turned the butt just to be kicked by an arrogant imperialist superpower.

August 21, 2019

APK, Workers Communist Party of Denmark
 

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Revolutionary Democracy and Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz joint statement on Jammu and Kashmir

Statement on the Current Situation in Jammu and Kashmir
 
11th August, 2019

Together, Revolutionary Democracy Organization, India and Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz condemn the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A while questioning the basis of the presidential Order that has taken the form of the Jammu and Kashmir Re-Organization Bill 2019. This Re-Organization Bill, in question, is unconstitutional and devoid of legality because in 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that Article 370 is “not a temporary provision.”

We recognize that the people of Jammu & Kashmir are facing a repressive onslaught in the form of a lockdown in the space that is their home and that this decision puts their lives and liberty at risk. The manner in which the State of Jammu & Kashmir has been annihilated spells an imminent danger to all provinces, parts and territories within the India. It is a direct assault on the Indian constitution, and violates all the promises and commitments made to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, which is a vital region and can create turmoil in between India and Pakistan.

The following steps need to be taken to ensure that firstly Jammu and Kashmir can retain its sovereignty and secondly that its people are safe in their rightful land. We do not wish to see another Palestine-Israel situation.

Firstly, all decisions pertaining to the future of Jammu & Kashmir should be taken with their consultation. Only Kashmiris have the rights to decide their fate, not any other party. Secondly, an immediate restoration of communication services and lifting of restrictions on the political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Thirdly, an immediate scaling back of the troops deployed in Jammu & Kashmir.

We appeal to the international community to stand with Kashmiris in this time of hardship. We stand in solidarity with the people of Jammu & Kashmir, and wish to assure them that we stand by them in their resistance.

We further call up international social organizations to take note of the human right violations. These include violations of Articles 12-17 and 18-21 as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, the lasting effects of the abrogation of Article 370 and deployment of troops has also resulted in the violation of Articles 22-27.

Since Kashmir can’t speak for itself due to all communication servers being down, we need to take a stand for them and ensure that their voices are heard loud and clear.
Revolutionary Democracy Organization, India

Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz

11th August, 2019
 

Declaración sobre la situación actual de Jammu y Cachemira.

11 Agosto 2019

La Organización Revolucionary Democracy de la India y Mazdoor Mahaz de Pakistán condenamos la abrogación de los artículos 370 y 35A mientras cuestionamos la base de la Orden presidencial que ha tomado la forma de "Proyecto de reorganización de Jammu y Cachemira 2019". Este Proyecto de ley de reorganización, en cuestión, es inconstitucional y carece de legalidad porque en 2017, la Corte Suprema dictaminó que el Artículo 370 "no es una disposición temporal".

Reconocemos que la gente de Jammu y Cachemira se enfrenta a un ataque represivo en forma de encierro en el espacio que es su hogar y que esta decisión pone en riesgo sus vidas y su libertad. La forma en que el Estado de Jammu y Cachemira ha sido aniquilado representa un peligro inminente para todas las provincias, partes y territorios dentro de la India. Es un asalto directo a la constitución india, y viola todas las promesas y compromisos contraídos con el pueblo de Jammu y Cachemira, que es una región vital y puede crear disturbios entre India y Pakistán.

Deben tomarse las siguientes medidas para garantizar que, en primer lugar, Jammu y Cachemira puedan conservar su soberanía y, en segundo lugar, que su gente esté segura en la tierra que les corresponde. No deseamos ver otra situación Palestina-Israel.

En primer lugar, todas las decisiones relacionadas con el futuro de Jammu y Cachemira deben tomarse con su consulta. Solo los cachemires tienen derecho a decidir su destino, no ninguna otra parte. En segundo lugar, una restauración inmediata de los servicios de comunicación y el levantamiento de las restricciones a los líderes políticos en Jammu y Cachemira. En tercer lugar, una reducción inmediata de las tropas desplegadas en Jammu y Cachemira.

Hacemos un llamamiento a la comunidad internacional para que se ponga de pie con los cachemires en este momento de dificultades. Nos solidarizamos con la gente de Jammu y Cachemira, y les aseguramos que los apoyamos en su resistencia.

Además, llamamos a las organizaciones sociales internacionales a tomar nota de las violaciones de los derechos humanos. Estas incluyen violaciones de los artículos 12-17 y 18-21 según la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos. Además, los efectos duraderos de la abrogación del artículo 370 y el despliegue de tropas también han resultado en la violación de los artículos 22-27.

Dado que Cachemira no puede hablar por sí solo debido a que todos los servidores de comunicación están caídos, debemos defenderlos y asegurarnos de que sus voces se escuchen fuerte y clara.
Revolucionary Democracy de India y Mazdoor Mahaz de Pakistán.

11 Agosto 2019.

Two statements on Puerto Rico from Caribbean parties

Communa Antilla

General Secretary
July 27, 2019
San Juan. Puerto Rico

An embrace of solidarity to all the people standing up in struggle!

During the past few days we have seen how the colonial government begins to reorganize after the resignation of Dictator Ricardo Roselló.

The right wing and colonialist class are using the following talk about the situation in Puerto Rico to justify themselves:
  • The corruption shows that the Puerto Rican people cannot govern themselves.
  • Demonstrations jeopardize the political and economic restructuring they are implementing.
  • Ricardo Roselló's government failed because it did not follow the recommendations made by the Fiscal Control Board.
  • The corruption shows that the colonial government needs even more "supervision" by the federal government.
All this talk can be observed in Fox News, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the official statements and social networks of Donald Trump and in expressions of some colonialist policies: such as Jennifer González (Resident Commissioner in Congress) or Thomas Rivera Shatz (President of the Senate in Puerto Rico). This is with the intention of taking the historic events of the people's struggle and using them to serve the imperialist interests in our lands.

To these points we answer that:
  • Corruption in the country is not new and is a reflection of the corruption of the US government itself. During the past few days we have been in constant communication with North American organizations and they have told us how the corrupt politics in the empire goes unpunished. Therefore, if corruption is evidence that our people cannot govern ourselves, the same must be said of the North American people. What the corruption shows, in reality, is the logic of a system that feeds the ruling class through the exploitation of the working and marginalized classes.
  • It is the neoliberal policies that are putting marginalized and working classes at risk. Both sectors have a duty to protect themselves from austerity and its consequences. Our country is experiencing constant violence, which is aggravated as long as poverty, lack of opportunities and the elimination of rights continue to increase. These measures are the real danger and encourage the influence of the US government in our country. They are the ones responsible for every action and measure that the people have had to take in defense of their own well-being. We must not be confused by the discourse that the country is unstable because the government has not been as "strong" with austerity measures as the situation "demands." With those words what these people mean is that the masses must sit down and obey their mandates: they are asking us to keep silent while they continue to close our schools and hospitals, privatize beaches and eliminate rights that are necessary for a dignified and just life. We repeat, this is a struggle by the ruling classes and exploiters to continue plundering us to pay off the debt that they themselves have created. The marginalized and working classes are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEBT. The debt has been the perfect excuse for the whole policy undertaken during the past years: that debt is illegitimate, illegal and colonial, WE DO NOT HAVE TO PAY IT WITH OUR SWEAT.
  • The government of Puerto Rico failed because it is not designed to serve its people. This means that the colonial government has consistently failed from the moment it was created. We the people, the working and marginalized classes do not have to bear the burden of feeding the capitalist exploiters who only care for their own welfare. These are the people who created the debt, who are hiding the corruption and who smile on camera while killing the country's future.
  • Corruption is not the country's main problem. The main problem in Puerto Rico, and in many countries of the world, is the political silencing and alienation of the masses. The capitalist system works to protect the oppressor, exploitative and corrupt classes. These classes are not only present on our island, but they govern in the United States and other parts of the world. Corruption is a symptom of a system based on exploitation: this system limits our political powers to voting every four years: this system makes us passive entities of little importance in what the government does. This system eliminates the rights of the poor, marginalized and working classes, while feeding the pockets of the large multinational corporations, the vulture capitalists and the banking class. We do not need further intervention: we need a new government that really works for our well-being and progress and not for that of the bourgeois class. This government will be forged from below, to suppress those who are now above.

Now, we are seeing the fighting sectors coming together more and more. We are seeing how the popular classes in Puerto Rico are organizing themselves in Self-Convened Assemblies to sustain their own power outside of the political parties or agencies of the system. We believe that a better tomorrow is possible and is beginning to be built.

It was the union against corruption and dictatorship that led to victory. The work done by different organizations, the speeches they made against the Board and the austerity measures, prepared the ground for the people to say ''ENOUGH”. What we saw happen did not come from nothing; it has been a succession of events that have accumulated in order to give the people the motivation to go out into the street and demand what they need and feel is right.

Finally, if you want to start organizing and you don't know how, feel free in all comfort to communicate with us; we can and want to help. Let us talk, let us be people, let us share ideas: LET US CONTINUE WITH OUR MARCH OF GIANTS!


Communist Workers and Students for Social Change

July 22, 2019

On the part of Communist Workers and Students for Social Change, revolutionary greetings to our working and struggling people.

In this phase of this struggle, where discontent is manifesting against Governor Ricardo Rosselló, we know that the slogan that unites us is that the governor resign. But, the resignation of the one who lives in the Fortaleza [residence of the Governor – translator’s note] is only a symptom of the true evils that a society based on economic inequality (capitalism) generates. It is not about replacing Ricky with an equal or worse one. Our true struggle is a class struggle against the injustice of the super-exploitation suffered by our working people. Whether by the corruption of the local people or of the foreign private companies, it does not matter who is in power while a system based on exploitation rules us that is for the economic benefit of the rich class at the expense of the wage slavery of the working people.

We must reflect on this because once the governor leaves, the conditions of poverty, exploitation, injustice and misery will remain. Then we must raise the level of consciousness of the people beyond the immediate. This fight reflects the outrage over the rampant corruption that enriches a handful of friends of the elite that governs the country; over the imposition of the PROMESA Law and the fiscal control board, over the closure of schools and poor education, over our dead from Hurricane Maria; over prejudices towards the LGBT community; over discrimination against the poor, black, elderly, obese, immigrants; over inadequate or almost nonexistent health services, over the loss of pensions, over unemployment, over the so-called labor reform; over the foreclosure of mortgages leaving thousands homeless, over the thousands who have had to leave their island, and over all the imposed austerity policies, known as neoliberal policies, that impoverish our people and are nothing other than neo fascism.

We have seen that they say that we live in a democracy, however the past elections were annulled by a board created by Washington and Wall Street to defend the interests of the bondholders above the interests of the Puerto Rican working people. This board has a greater mandate than the governor himself, who was supposedly democratically elected. So much for the democracy of the champions of democracy!

We see how the struggle of the people wearing masks in Venezuela against a government that was legitimately elected is called just and necessary, and yet in Puerto Rico our people in masks are criminalized by the same governor who lent himself to creating an anti-Maduro movement in that brother country. Hypocrites, opportunists and double standards. Our people who protest have the right to do as they wish, using all available means, including wearing masks. We cannot criminalize methods of struggle without taking into account the historical past during the era of creating files. Someone wearing a mask does so to protect his identity, to avoid persecution or having a file kept on them by the state; also for reasons work, for legal reasons, to protect his family, for whatever reason! Please respect the people who cover their faces and do not lead yourself to do the work of the state and repressive forces. This would be equivalent to collaborating and being a state informant.

This fight is only the beginning. Let's maintain our strength, unity and focus. Take care of each other. In revolutionary spirit, until Victory!

Long live Communism!

Statements from ICMLPO and the International Seminar on Problems of the Revolution in Latin America

Below is a statement from a meeting of American members of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations ( www.cipoml.net/ ) held in late July in Quito, Ecuador followed by a statement from the 23rd International Seminar on Problems of the Revolution in Latin America (SIPRAL in Spanish), hosted by the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador (PCMLE) in Quito in July. The first statement was translated by the American Party of Labor's Red Phoenix paper, with minor alterations by the person I received the document from.

The first declaration, from the Latin American Plenary of the ICMLPO, is posted on APL's website at: theredphoenixapl.org/2019/07/29/political-declaration-of-the-marxist-leninist-parties-and-organizations-of-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/ and on the ICMLPO website at: cipoml.net/en/?p=169 (below)


Political Declaration of the Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Translated by Red Phoenix staff. 
To analyze the economic, political and social situation on the American continent, the discussion of how we Marxist-Leninists are acting in this concrete reality, and the definition of the tasks and lines of action to move forward in the process of organizing the social revolution of the proletariat, we have called the Latin American Plenary of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations, ICMLPO.
The parties attending, among which we have the presence of our comrades from Turkey and Tunisia, have had a fruitful debate, which has allowed us to get to know and better understand the socio-political scenario in which workers and peoples are acting and fighting.
We confirm the deepening of processes initiated years ago, which are causing changes in the balance of political forces at the level of several governments and in the social sphere. In several countries where regimes called “progressive”, “alternative”, “21st Century Socialist” were established, bourgeois factions with developmentalist positions that sponsored them have lost positions, with traditional sectors of the bourgeoisie, openly identified with the political positions of the right-wing, taking over.
This phenomenon is opening the doors for US imperialism to recover places contested by China, particularly in those places where the so-called progressive governments were established. The US never lost its hegemony in the region, it never ceased to be the main center of hemispheric trade and the exit point for the largest investments in the region. Latin America, as well as the rest of the world, is the scene of inter-imperialist contention over control of markets. Not only do the US and China have and defend their particular interests, but also Canada, the imperialist countries of Europe and Russia come into play
The carrying out of neoliberal policies characterizes the political moment in the region. The differences between one country and another are minimal in the way they are carried out, but the measures and objectives set forth are the same: to raise the level of capitalist exploitation, through measures and laws that make work precarious, restrict and eliminate trade union rights, reduce state budgets for education, health care and social security sectors; privatize state-owned companies, with names and figures that disguise this reality. In essence, policies that seek to enrich even more sectors of the national big bourgeoisie, favor imperialist finance capital and strengthen foreign dependence.
We confirm the exacerbation of serious social problems. Migration has connotations and magnitudes never before seen in our hemisphere, which in the case of the exodus that goes toward the United States, has collided with reactionary measures implemented by the government of Donald Trump (and also carried out by some governments in Central America) that put into evidence his xenophobic, nationalist, and white supremacist thinking. Poverty is growing, unemployment and underemployment are increasing, the number of people without access to education, health care and housing are increasing; violence against women is also reaching levels not seen before; the impact on the environment is expanding with the policy of extraction [of oil and minerals] imposed on our countries.
These are serious problems that cannot be understood except in the framework of how capitalism organizes the life of society and reproduces itself.
These phenomena affirm us in the conviction that the overcoming of these problems cannot take place within the framework of the prevailing system: social-reformism, neoliberalism, “progressivism” and other bourgeois political currents have not only failed when they have been in government, but are directly responsible for what is happening. Only the social revolution of the proletariat has the historic capacity to solve the serious problems that afflict the workers and peoples; only the working class in power can emancipate humanity from capitalist exploitation, end foreign oppression and dependence. Towards that purpose we focus the actions of our Parties. We are developing efforts to improve our ties and influence among workers, peasants, youth and women.
We confirm that the discontent and struggle of the masses is growing in the face of the anti-popular policies of governments, before the aggressive declarations and actions of imperialism. As revolutionary organizations we are in these combats and we intend to have a better impact on their leadership.


There are ongoing political phenomena that, due to their complexity, require special mention. In Venezuela, workers and the people continue to be victims of the aggressive interventionist policy of US imperialism, the European Union and the governments of countries that have been subjected to those dictates. There is a serious economic, political and social crisis caused by the imperialist blockade, the boycott of the right-wing, the inability of the PSUV-Maduro government to address and resolve the problems of the masses, in which there is a neo-liberal trend that pushes privatization. This crisis also involves the interests of other powers, such as China and Russia. Only a policy of class independence will allow the working class and people to create a genuinely sovereign and popular proposal counter to the current crisis. We call on the workers and peoples of Latin America and the world to organize solidarity actions under the slogan: “The Venezuelan people are resisting and fighting against imperialist aggression.” 
The electoral triumph of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil – a fervent diffuser of ultra-reactionary and fascist ideas, in favor of the use of repressive mechanisms and paramilitary groups in order to achieve social control – caused some sectors to announce the arrival of fascism in that country and on the continent. Bolsonaro has the support of the judiciary, the armed forces and the big bourgeoisie; however, he has not been able to fulfill his purpose because the workers, youth and peoples of Brazil have been able to respond in the streets to the regime’s anti-popular measures, exposing the contradiction between the fighting popular movement and the fascist forces.
It is clear that, worldwide, ultra-reactionary ideas are spreading and are gaining ground in some countries. It is our obligation to unmask them and banish them from the mass movement whenever they appear.
On the right, we confront the defenders of capital with the mobilization of the workers and peoples. This raises the need to persist in our proposals for unity among the forces and movements of the left, in the social and popular movements. Unity of the workers and peoples for their rights, for democracy, for better material living conditions, against the neoliberal plans. Unity against imperialism and the right-wing are proposals that we commit ourselves to carry out, as a current necessity in the process of organizing the social revolution of the proletariat. The struggle and fight against imperialism implies, at the same time, unmasking the proposals and actions of social reformism and opportunism, against the movement to the right and towards fascism.
The peoples are fighting on all continents, marking the perspective for social change, for a new world. Algeria and Sudan have been the scene of combative popular rebellions that threw down reactionary and repressive governments, there the struggle is continuing for democracy, political rights and attention to popular demands. The Puerto Rican people have just forced the resignation of the corrupt Governor Ricardo Roselló, a struggle in which the banners of independence were also present. To these peoples we give our solidarity, as well as to the Haitian people who are fighting daily against hunger, unemployment, corruption, etc., and the oblivion with which they are threatened. We stand with the peoples of the Antilles who still live under colonialism.
The Meeting of the Leninist Marxist Parties and Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean paid tribute to Comrade Osman, internationalist revolutionary of Turkey, who died recently and conveyed our solidarity to the comrades of EMEP (Party of Labour). The meeting also commemorated the formation of the Communist International, founded by Lenin a hundred years ago.


Revolutionary Communist Party of Bolivia

Revolutionary Communist Party – Brazil

Communist Party of Colombia (Marxist-Leninist)

Communist Workers Party – Dominican Republic

Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador

Communist Party of Mexico (Marxist-Leninist)

Peruvian Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)

Workers Party of Tunisia

Labour Party of Turkey

American Party of Labor

Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Uruguay

Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Venezuela

Quito, July 2019



23rd International Seminar on Problems of the Revolution in Latin America (SIPRAL)

The revolutionary fight against the movement to the right and fascism is our commitment

The acute conflicts that are taking place on the international scene are the expression of the acute crisis of the capitalist imperialist system; they reveal the sharpening of the fundamental contradictions of this epoch, that is, those between capital and labor, between the oppressed peoples and nations and imperialism, and among the imperialist powers themselves.

This dynamic explains the development of the trade war between the United States and China, but it encompasses and includes the European Union, Russia and other powers on or the other side. This increases the tensions on the international stage to the extent of threatening the escalation of new and greater war conflicts, in the context of the intensification of contention for areas of influence, control of markets, raw materials and natural resources among the imperialist powers.

In Latin America, the decline of the so-called progressive governments at the beginning of the 21st century, which, among other things, sought to renegotiate their dependence in order, without breaking with US imperialism, to facilitate a greater penetration of Chinese and Russian imperialisms, coincided with the rise in the United States government of the rightist and fascist Donald Trump. Under the slogan of "the United States first", he sought to consolidate the position of the first superpower in the world and regain control of its "back yard."

For his purposes, Trump aimed at extolling the reactionary nationalism of the people of the US, placing immigrants, mainly from Latin America, in the camp of his main enemies. To his project of expanding the wall were added the crusades against undocumented immigrants, reviving the arbitrary detentions of children (separated from their parents) and adults in conditions similar to those used by the fascist regimes of the past. With pressure, blackmail and agreements, this backward anti-immigrant policy has won the complicit agreement of the governments of Mexico and Central America.

Simultaneously it pushes forward an intense offensive aimed at establishing docile and complicit governments in the region. The establishment of the so-called “Lima Group” in August 2017 to support the conspiracy of the reactionary forces in Venezuela is part of this.

However, the decline and failure of the so-called progressive governments, which is used by the most reactionary forces to associate them with the supposed failure of socialism, is really about the failure of capitalism itself, self-proclaimed "21st century socialism."

The discontent of the workers, youth, women and the impoverished masses in general as a result of the administrations of the so-called alternative governments, totally contrary to their interests, of their inefficiency, the repeated corruption scandals, the intensification of repressive actions and the criminalization of social struggle, etc., are being taken advantage of by imperialism and its henchmen in the right-wing governments of Latin America and the Caribbean. This is done to justify the imposition of aggressive neo-liberal and International Monetary Fund adjustment programs, in order to influence the consciousness of the masses with the most backward ideas, putting forth pro fascist, xenophobic, nationalist and anti-communist proposals. This is the platform [u]nder which the Jair Bolsonaro government won in Brazil, and encouraged similar leaders and organizations in other countries.

The governments of Bolsonaro in Brazil and Duque in Colombia are intensifying their repressive actions with the criminalization of the social struggle, the persecution, imprisonment and assassination of leaders and social activists, in their attempt to contain the opposition and the popular struggle.

Certainly, part of this offensive is the crusade of capital against labor, the simultaneous proposals for labor flexibility, of aggressive cuts to labor and trade union rights and the reactionary reforms to social security, which seek to intensify the exploitation of the workers for the benefit of the greatest capitalist accumulation.

The criminal economic blockade of imperialism against Cuba and Venezuela is also part of this reactionary offensive.

Facts have shown that, in order to achieve the legitimate material and psychological aspirations of the workers and peoples, the fundamental question is not the way in which the bourgeoisie in power presents itself or [acts]. The social democratic, "progressive" or neoliberal right-wing variants must be taken into account in terms of the tactical definitions in opposition, the resistance and fight against their policies, but not in order to create false hopes that change, social transformation and socialism can come from one or another faction of the bourgeoisie.

We, the delegates to the 23rd SIPRAL have agreed that at the present moment, in combination with the specific reality of each country, it is up to the communists, revolutionaries and leftists, the class-struggle trade unionists, the leaders and social activists and all democratic people, to confront the reactionary offensive of imperialism and the right-wing and fascist bourgeois factions.

The seminar salutes the courageous and growing struggles of the workers, youths, peasants, native peoples, women, and black people against the neoliberal policies and measures of the bourgeois governments in the region. The general strike of May 29 in Argentina, as well as the mobilization of millions of women to win the right to abortion, against femicide and all types of violence based on gender, stand out for their size and importance. The numerous struggles of resistance and combat of the workers and youth in Brazil against the Bolsonaro government; the actions of the students, workers and peasants in Colombia and Nicaragua; the struggles of the teachers in Chile, Mexico and Bolivia; the growing popular struggles in Peru and the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Haiti; the workers and popular struggles in Ecuador, El Salvador, etc., etc., also stand out.

With revolutionary enthusiasm and warmth, the SIPRAL acclaims the resounding victory of the [fraternal] people of Puerto Rico who, after two weeks of continuous combat, forced Governor Ricky Rosselló, representative of the usurping colonial power of US imperialism, to resign. This victory is a brilliant page in the tireless struggle to defeat colonialism and win independence, a struggle that incorporates large sectors of this brave people, in which the participation of patriotic intellectuals and international leaders of culture stands out, confirming the importance of this front in the cause of emancipation.

We, the delegates to the 23rd SIPRAL, have agreed that learning from the valuable experiences of resistance and combat against the bourgeois governments and imperialism leads us to new challenges, to consolidate our revolutionary convictions, to specify our objectives and programs, to improve the activity of education and leadership of the masses and to face new battles to our greater benefit.

Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the revolutionary and left-wing parties and organizations, to consolidate the trade union organizations and class currents on all social fronts, so that they become true points of reference for the whole of the working class and the other laboring classes.

The seminar also insists on the need to promote and lead processes of broad unity of action with all sectors of the popular camp and sectors of small producers, who are also affected by the neoliberal policies of the industrial, commercial and agrarian bourgeoisie and imperialism, working for the working class and its politics to contend with, win and gain hegemony in these processes.

In this perspective, proposals for the urgent need to work for a policy of broad democratic, anti-fascist and anti-imperialist fronts in the region were noted.

The revolutionary need to resort to all forms of struggle in combat against the common enemies of the workers and peoples was also raised; as well as to multiply the banners that, putting together the most strongly felt and immediate demands of the masses, advance the strategic political objectives of social emancipation.

Affirming the spirit and commitment of solidarity with the working class and peoples, we delegates to the 23rd SIPRAL condemn, reject and combat the intervention of US imperialism in Venezuela, and affirm our support for the struggle of the working class and peoples of Venezuela; the final solution to the crisis that engulfs them is only in their hands.

We reiterate our embrace of solidarity with the brave people of Puerto Rico who, after their victory, will take on new battles until they gain their final independence. In the same way, we affirm our total solidarity with the persistent struggle of the people of Haiti, who are challenging and confronting the corrupt governments that are puppets of imperialism, who are striving for a real change for their benefit.

Committed to the revolutionary struggle against the right-wing and fascism, we affirm that the only true way out of the crisis that engulfs the capitalist world and that is savagely placing it on the backs of workers and peoples, is through real change, the social revolution, the seizure of political power and the building of socialism.

Our commitment supports every struggle that confronts and challenges the capitalist imperialist system.

Long live the struggles of the workers and peoples of Latin America and the world!

Long live the 23rd International Seminar: Problems of the Revolution in Latin America!

Signed:

Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina

Revolutionary Communist Party Bolivia

Revolutionary Communist Party of Brazil – PCR

Popular Unity for Socialism, Brazil

Union of the Rebellion Youth – UJR of Brazil

Movement of Struggle of the Neighborhoods, Towns and Favelas MLB – Brazil

Jacques Roumain Circle of Montreal – Canada

Communist Organization Recabarren of Chile

Communist Party of Colombia (Marxist-Leninist)

Communist Party of Labor PCT – Dominican Republic

Broad Front Party – Dominican Republic

Juan Pablo Duarte Teachers’ Current – Dominican Republic

Flavio Suero Student Front FEFLAS – Dominican Republic

Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador – PCMLE

Revolutionary Youth of Ecuador – JRE

General Union of Workers of Ecuador – UGTE

Women for Change – Ecuador

Federation of University Students of Ecuador – FEUE

Popular Unity – Ecuador

National Union of Educators – Ecuador

Vanguard of the Technical University of Cotopaxi – Ecuador

Black People – Ecuador

Communist Party of Mexico (Marxist-Leninist)

Revolutionary Popular Front of Mexico – FPR

Workers Peasant Student and Popular Front – FOCEP, Peru

Revolutionary Socialist Party PSR – Peru

Marxist-Leninist Party of Peru – PMLP

Peruvian Communist Party Marxist Leninist – PCP (ML)

Peruvian Communist Youth Marxist-Leninist – JCP (M-L)

Movement of Women for Social Liberation – MMLS

April 26 Movement – Puerto Rico

Party of Labor (Tunisia)

Party of Labor (EMEP) – Turkey

American Labor Party, United States

Red Star Publishers – United States

Gayones Movement – Venezuela

Quito, July 26, 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Some late summer events and anniversaries

More items will be added during coming weeks.

Emerald ash borers found in Chatham County

Emerald ash borers are now known to be in Chatham County, and have already spread through Durham, Orange, Wake, and other counties.  According to an article in the Chatham News and Record, the NC Forest Service detected the beetle through trapping along Wilkinson Creek south of Chapel Hill ( www.chathamnewsrecord.com/stories/invasive-emerald-ash-borer-makes-its-way-into-chatham,2622 ).  The NCFS created a new map in June showing where these East Asian beetles have been found, though they have probably spread further ( www.ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/fh_maps.htm ).  I have wondered if I am starting to see the effects in Durham, but I'm not certain (and I'm watching for laurel wilt, but so far it has only been found at the southeast corner of the state).  Their larvae bore in living ash trees and possibly related fringetrees, and since they are not native to North America and therefore have few natural controls they become so numerous that they kill trees above a certain size.  The many species of ash and one fringetree are ecologically and culturally important and common trees (people also plant Chinese fringetrees, and I think there are some at UNC).  It is possible to treat individual trees with (controversial) insecticides and various Asian parasitoid wasps are being released to control the beetles, and some trees might be able to survive.  On the other hand, it seems like the beetles could ultimately kill all or almost all ash trees where they spread (and ash seeds don't stay viable long enough to replenish the population later), and there is little to stop them (and people transport wood with grubs, etc. so they are spreading faster than they should naturally).  Studies show that it is a waste of money to preemptively cut ash and what if a tree that would have withstood the onslaught is cut, so I urge people not to kill healthy trees.  For more information see:  durhamspark.blogspot.com/2016/04/emerald-ash-borer-unnecessary.html
Here is a Twitter account that links the latest news on EAB in North America:  twitter.com/emeraldashborer (be warned there might be a virus at the Yadkin Ripple link).

Demand an End to War:  Rage Against the War Machine (more details below, October 11 - 12)

The next planning call will be August 4th at 3pm EST, 2pm CST, and 12pm PST:  marchonpentagon.com/rage-against-the-war-machine-call-sunday-august-4/

Support the Venezuela Embassy Protectors

The Embassy Protectors, Americans who occupied Venezuela's embassy in Washington with the permission of the elected Maduro administration, to prevent the US government and coup supporters from seizing the building, were removed by the US and now face trials on various charges, and some could be imprisoned for up to a year and fined $100,000 dollars.  They are seeking tax-deductible donations to pay $50,000 in legal fees and solidarity messages and actions by other groups.  For more information see:  defendembassyprotectors.org/

Tulsi Gabbard voted for House Resolution 246

Tulsi Gabbard is being justly criticized for voting for House Resolution 246 "Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel" July 23rd.  I would have condemned the resolution and I avoid products made in Israel, but it should be noted that the text acknowledges Americans' first amendment rights to criticize US and Israeli policies and the use of boycotts against countries like South Africa, and it calls for a 'viable, democratic Palestinian state."  It is possible that BDS is sometimes excessive, but Israel's actions are outraging the world and under the Trump administration the USA makes even less of an attempt to appear like a evenhanded peace broker.  Israel is the entity carrying out collective punishment and denying the rights of its neighbors and its Arab citizens.  Islamophobia is increasing around the world and often leads to violence against Muslims and even people just thought to be Muslim and is being used by the new crop of 'authoritarian' leaders, such as Trump.  The resolution doesn't seem to do anything except express that the majority of the House of Representatives is biased against the Palestinians and solidarity campaigns and backs brutal Zionist colonialism, and that isn't new. 

Did Gabbard do this because she is really very opposed to BDS and a partisan for Israel, or was it for expediency or somehow a mistake?  On the other hand, Gabbard still appears to be better on foreign policy than the current occupant of the White House or most of her competitors (or North Carolina's Congressional delegation).  David Price, Butterfield, Foxx, etc. also voted for H.Res.246.  The text, votes, etc. can be found by searching at Thomas.loc.gov [It isn't very surprising that Democrat David Price and other members of Congress from North Carolina voted for the resolution, but I was surprised that Gabbard supported it, given her progressive statements condemning the plot against Venezuela and intervention in Syria, though it's possible that her vote was not surprising to anti-war people in Hawaii.]

The second round of Democratic presidential primary debates are being held July 30 - 31st, and I think Gabbard will appear on the 31st.

Marxism-Leninism Today

Hari Kumar, primary instigator of no longer active Alliance Marxist-Leninist and International Struggle Marxist-Leninist (old articles are online at ml-review.ca/aml/index/subject.html ), has set up a new blog focusing on Marxist-Leninist history and analysis of current news:  ml-today.com/

Ten years after the US-supported Honduran coup

School of the Americas Watch is urging support for HR1945, the Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, to end "security aid:" www.soaw.org/take-action-on-the-10th-anniversary-of-the-military-coup-in-honduras/  There are currently 61 co-sponsors, but none representing North Carolina.  Demonstrations and deadly repression is going on in Honduras now, though it is not often mentioned by the mainstream media.   


Library booksales

The Friends of the Durham Library will have booksales August 3 - 4, October 5 - 6, and December 7 - 8, and the hours for all of these sales will be 10am - 12pm members only and 12 - 4pm open to all on Saturdays and 1 - 4pm $10 paper grocery bag sales open to all on Sundays.  The sales are at Books Among Friends (Suite 252) inside Northgate Mall (1058 West Club Boulevard, Durham), formerly next to Sears (with Sears closed, people will have to enter through entrance 8, between Foot Locker and Plato's Closet; FODL store's back service door won't be open).  There are small satellite sales inside the library branches daily ( durhamcountylibrary.org/friends/ ). 

The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library will have book sales September 13 - 15 and December 6 -8 ( friendschpl.org/FCHPLevents ).

Friends of the Lee County Library has a continuous book sale:  library.leecountync.gov/friends  

Niche Gardens is going out of business

This pioneering native plant nursery a few miles southwest of Carrboro is going out of business ( nichegardens.com/ ).  It is no longer possible to order online, but they will be open Mondays - Fridays 9am - 5pm in August.  Sales will start in September, with all plants available for 25% off September 2nd through 22nd, and even more September 23rd to their close on October 18th.  Plants can't be reserved, sales are final, no exchanges or credits, and no itemized receipts.  The nursery itself is for sale.  Niche is at 1111 Dawson Road (look for a gravel driveway on the left); from Carrboro take Jones Ferry Road across University Lake, turn right on to Old Greensboro Road, and Dawson Road is on the left after 7.5 miles).  Besides the retail nursery there are display gardens.  NCSU graduate Kim Hawks founded Niche Gardens on Dawson Road in 1986, when gardening with native plants was a more unusual concept.  The nursery was also a pioneer in selling plants online.  Hawks sold the nursery to employee Blair Durant in 2002, and I think he was still in charge as of last year.        

August 1st - 7th is World Breastfeeding Weekwww.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2019/08/01/default-calendar/world-breastfeeding-week-2019

Friedrich Engels died August 5, 1895 in London, UK of throat cancer.  His ashes were spread in the English Channel off of the high white chalk sea cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex, England. 

The bombing of Hiroshima

The US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima a little after 8am on August 6, 1945.  The UK consented under the Quebec Agreement.

The USSR and Mongolia entered the war against Japan very early on August 9th, as had long been requested by the other Allies, and quickly advanced deep into Japanese-held areas.

The bombing of Nagasaki

A second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki August 9, 1945 after 11am when the cloud cover that would have saved the city broke (Wikipedia articles say that the primary target August 9th was Kokura and that it had been the alternative target on August 6th).  The bomb used on Hiroshima was set to explode as it fell, while the bomb used on Nagasaki exploded at ground level, but hills deflected some of the force and unlike in Hiroshima there wasn't a firestorm.  Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both hit by atomic bombs (as opposed to more destructive hydrogen or thermonuclear bombs based on nuclear fusion and first developed by the USA for use during the Cold War), but the designs were different.

August 9th is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples and this year it focuses on Indigenous Peoples' Languages and 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languageswww.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/  I would like to study Classical Nahuatl or a related modern language.    

SAF End of Summer Celebration

This fundraiser for Student Action with Farmworkers will be Sunday, August 11th 1 - 4pm at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.  Meet the community of SAF supporters and enjoy food, music, and art, and the announcement says something about the opening of NCSU's corn maize:  www.saf-unite.org/content/saf-end-summer-celebration

International Youth Day is August 12th:  www.un.org/en/events/youthday/

The Mexican capital Tenochtitlan fell to a force of several hundred Spaniards and thousands of Indian allies under Hernando Cortés around August 13, 1521, following a long siege and attack by land and water (the city was in a large lake, Lake Texcoco, and crossed by many canals).  Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc (his predecessor Cuitláhuac, who replaced Moctezuma II, had died of disease in 1520) was captured as a flotilla attempted to escape the last assault in Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan's connected sister city.  Tens to hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants were killed in battle and by massacres (also involving rape and looting), disease epidemics, and starvation (similar to the numbers killed by atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki).  Much of Tenochtitlan was levelled during the war and modern Mexico City sits on the ruins.  In all, several thousand Spanish and native allies (the majority of casualties were allies), were killed.  The Spanish force included some non-Spaniards and women.     

Societies far away probably didn't know about Tenochtitlan and the rest of the Valley of Mexico, but populous Tenochtitlan and the surrounding region could be considered a cultural and political capital of North America in its time, similar to New York City, Washington, and Los Angeles today.  It was the capital of one of the most politically and culturally powerful states in pre-Columbian North America.  I think objects from ancient Mexican cultures have been found as far away as the Southwest and Eastern US, though it is an open question whether people there knew their origin.  Maize formed the basis of the economy over much of the Pre-Columbian Americas and is thought to have been domesticated in what is now Mexico, though that was long before the Mexica and might have begun in a different region.  

Karl Liebknecht was born August 14, 1871 in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany and was a founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (which he represented in Prussia's parliament and later in the German Reichstag), the Spartacist League, and the Communist Party of Germany.  Along with Rosa Luxemburg he was tortured and executed by Freikorps rightists, supporting the Social-Democratic German government at the end of WWI.   

In a recorded radio broadcast at noon on August 15, 1945 Emperor Hirohito announced domestically that Japan had surrendered to the Allies.

UNC-Chapel Hill will start charging for parking on weeknights, from 5pm on Mondays to 7:30am on Fridays, starting Thursday, August 15th (and daytime parking on weekdays is not free as usual):   move.unc.edu/parking/weeknight-parking/

World Humanitarian Day is August 19th:  www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/

The International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism Day is August 21st:  www.un.org/en/events/victimsofterrorismday/

The International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief is August 22nd:  www.un.org/en/events/victimsofreligiousviolenceday/

The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition is August 23rd, commemorating the beginning the Haitian Revolution on the night of August 22 - 23, 1791 in what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the island of Santo Domingo:  en.unesco.org/commemorations/slavetraderemembranceday

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born August 27, 1770 in Stuttgart, Germany; his thought was a major influence in the later development of Marxism.   

Triangle Friends of Farmworkers late summer activities
TFF will cook for the FLOC Black-Brown Unity Tour bus coming to North Carolina from Toledo, Ohio August 27th.  To help, come to 130 Hunt Street in Durham anytime 1 - 6pm August 26th and possibly also August 27th; the morning of August 29th members will set up a lunch at the FLOC office in Dudley. 

The next anti-VUSE picket at a Circle K, in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 3rd, details TBA.

The campaign to give Circle K one-star reviews on Google and Yelp continues.  If you do it at home, let them know your name, the store's address, the date, and optionally your review.  Just on July 17th members left about 60 reviews.  Below is an example:

Circle-K REVIEW:  Location:  5009 Fayetteville Road, Garner/Raleigh, NC                     July 7, 2019
“This Circle K always has a wide variety of snacks, and a gal can’t live without her favorite snacks and a sturdy cup of coffee.  Add to that the convenient location, chit-chatty workers and my loyalty is hooked.  It is a source of frustration to me, however, that Circle K continues to stock VUSE e-cigarettes in defiance of a nationwide boycott supporting FLOC, the farm workers union, which means, by extension, that Circle K also supports the inhumane treatment those workers endure from Reynolds Tobacco.  Since I, a stubborn Missouri Mule in Garner, refuse to support cruelty in any form, this means I can no longer stop here even if I am craving a Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème cookie.   So instead of the high grade I would like to give this business,  I must give a "one" until such time as the corporate values of Circle K align with my personal values regarding the way farm workers are treated.  Please pressure your management to support this move for justice.  Please hurry - ease your conscience and my withdrawal symptoms.       Thank you for your consideration”.  

TFF's next business meeting will be Monday, September 23rd at 7pm at 130 Hunt Street in Durham.

The International Day Against Nuclear Tests is August 29th:  www.un.org/en/events/againstnucleartestsday/  I was surprised to learn that the US detonated nuclear weapons as recently as 1992:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States%27_nuclear_weapons_tests  In the Vela Incident on September 22, 1979 a possible nuclear test was detected in the Indian Ocean between South Africa and Antarctica.  There were many theories, including that it was a joint test by South Africa and Israel (Israel is generally thought to have hundreds of nuclear weapons today and South Africa used to have nuclear weapons). 

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is August 30th:  www.un.org/en/events/disappearancesday/ 

US and Canadian Labor Day, is Monday, September 2nd.  Unions called for the creation of a day for workers in the late 19th century, with some advocating a date in September, and the government supported a September date instead of May 1st, associated with revolutionary labor movements. Around the world May Day is labor day or an official holiday in many countries, such as Mexico, and that date also has roots in the American labor movement.  Beginning under Eisenhower May 1st has been called Loyalty Day and Law Day and previously it was Child Health Day.

Imperial Japan formally surrendered September 2, 1945 onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.  There were other surrenders elsewhere. 

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

This annual environmental film festival will be Thursday, September 5th 6:30 - 9:30pm at the Carrboro Century Center (100 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro) and is being organized by the Haw River Assembly.  Tickets are $20 to 30 dollars, and can be bought at hawriver.org/2019-wild-scenic-film-festival/ or by calling 919 542 5790. 

International Literacy Day is September 8th:  www.un.org/en/events/literacyday/  The success of Cuba's 1961 literacy campaign and later initiatives both in Cuba and as aid to other countries have often been noted. 

World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10th:  www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/wspd/en/

National Estuaries Week will be September 14 - 21.

International Day of Democracy is September 15th:  www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/

Mexico's Independence Day is September 16th, commemorating Miguel Hidalgo's Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) in 1810.

The International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer is September 16th:  www.un.org/en/events/ozoneday/  September 16, 2009 agreements protecting the ozone layer became the first universally ratified UN treaties.  The ozone layer (made of a form of oxygen) absorbs some ultraviolet light, but is depleted by industrial chemicals, such as CFCs, which are also potent greenhouse gases. 

The 62nd Annual Convention of the NC AFL-CIO will be held September 19 - 20 in Charlotte.

The Global Climate Strike will be September 20.

Durham's annual Centerfest will be September 20th and 21st (10am-11pm Saturday and 11am to 5pm Sunday) downtown:  centerfest.durhamarts.org/  

The International Day of Peace is September 21st and this year's theme is Climate Action for Peace: www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/

The NC Museum of Natural History's BugFest will be September 21st and this year's theme is beetles (almost 1/4th of all known animal species are beetles).

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is September 26th:  www.un.org/en/events/nuclearweaponelimination/  The USA, Russia, and other major nuclear powers demand that smaller countries completely and unilaterally denuclearize, and not develop rockets that could carry nuclear weapons, while they have thousands of nuclear weapons ready to destroy humanity and instead of beginning to get rid of them, they spend huge amounts to maintain their current weapons and develop new ones. 

Iraq was accused of developing nuclear weapons, and was invaded in 2003, killing many civilians and leading to sectarian conflict and the creation of ISIS.  Libya gave up its weapons program and was attacked in 2011, creating a "failed state" and flood of migrants through Libya to the EU.  Democrats and Republicans accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and it is under severe pressure and faces war, despite not developing nuclear weapons while under threat from nuclear powers, and agreeing to the JCPOA, which Trump tore up.  Iran also has the right to develop peaceful nuclear technology under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  The DPRK developed nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and seems relatively safe from attack by the USA and other countries, though that isn't only because of its nuclear status, and the nuclear weapons give the US another justification for its Korean policies.  On the other hand, the US doesn't mind when its allies, such as Israel and India, develop nuclear weapons and even helps them. 

World Maritime Day is also September 26th, and focuses on women working in shipping industries this year:  www.un.org/en/events/maritimeday/

World Rabies Day is September 28th:  www.who.int/rabies/WRD_landing_page/en/  I heard from a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator that vaccination against this almost universally fatal virus is offered by the Durham health department, and immunity usually lasts a long time, but vaccination is expensive. 

September 28th is also the International Day for Universal Access to Informationen.unesco.org/commemorations/accesstoinformationday

World Space Week is October 4th - 10th:  www.un.org/en/events/spaceweek/

Demand an End to War:  Rage Against the War Machine

This sequel to the March on the Pentagon last fall ( durhamspark.blogspot.com/2018/10/reportback-from-womens-march-on.html ) will be Friday, October 11th in front of the White House and the Anti-Imperialist Revolution Summit will be Saturday, October 12th ( marchonpentagon.com/demand-an-end-to-war-rage-against-the-war-machine/ ).

The next planning call will be August 4th at 3pm EST, 2pm CST, and 12pm PST:  marchonpentagon.com/rage-against-the-war-machine-call-sunday-august-4/

Chapel Hill's annual Festifall will be Saturday, October 12th 11am - 3pm along West Franklin Street and includes political groups:  www.chapelhillfestifall.com/

Disarmament Week is October 24th - 30th:  www.un.org/en/events/disarmamentweek/

Brexit

Just in time for Halloween, the United Kingdom is now supposed to leave the European Union October 31st, possibly "crashing out" without a withdrawal agreement, resulting in problems such as the return of a "hard" international border between British-held Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the possibility of renewed fighting.  Brexit could also encourage the disintegration of the UK if constituents such as Scotland or Northern Ireland vote to secede in coming years, and there are already calls for referenda. 

Close the School of the Americas

School of the Americas Watch is organizing a demonstration outside Fort Benning, Georgia (near Columbus and the border with Alabama) November 15 - 17.  November 16th is the 30th anniversary of a massacre at the Central American University in San Salvador, El Salvador in 1989.