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lessons from seattle
Youth for Socialist Action salutes the 40,000 trade unionists,
environmentalists, students, farmers and other concerned people who took
to the streets of Seattle with us to protest the World Trade Organization in
November!
We wholeheartedly support the fight for jobs, higher education, abolition of
child labor and against the super-exploitation of our working class brothers
and sisters, which is taking place both at home and abroad. We also stand
100% opposed to the continuing degradation of our biosphere by
corporate America.
However, we think it is important for the sake of the movement to criticize
what we feel was a failure on the part of many of the organizers of the
Seattle protest to come out in clear opposition to the main enemy we face,
that is capitalism, especially capitalism here at home.
We have to avoid getting sucked into the debate over free trade vs.
protectionism. In the first place, this is a debate between different sections
of corporate America. Neither side represents the interests of working
people. Slogans like "fair trade" serve only to confuse people into thinking
that the way forward is to support "good" capitalists against "bad" ones,
when in fact there is no such distinction.
The enemy is neither free trade nor protectionism. The enemy is all
capitalist trade policies - and the capitalist class as a whole, which
inevitably puts profits before human needs. To successfully fight and win
we need to be clear on who exactly we're fighting against.
The massive protest in Seattle was significant because of its great size, and
its bringing together such a diverse group of people and organizations, from
labor unions to environmental groups. It's also important to recognize that
historically it is exactly these kind of mass mobilizations that have resulted in
gains for labor, women, Blacks and others. Our strenth lies in our numbers!
Youth for Socialist Action calls for continued mass mobilizations, organized
around specific issues that affect working peoples lives. We need to
revitalize the labor movement, the feminist movement, the gay & lesbian
liberation movement and the spirit of international working class solidarity.
If we avoid the traps laid for us by the ruling class by building an
independent working class movement dedicated to fighting for our interests,
we can and will be able to take on corporate America and win. And when
that happens, we'll be in a position to construct a new society, one where
people come before profits, and democracy is extended to every level of
society. Join us in the struggle for socialism!
