Continued from the home page
We all know rich corporate families own GM, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler. We all know we have absolutely no say-so or control over what these corporations do. The same is true of the Republican and Democratic Parties. Rich corporate families own the Republican and Democratic Parties, just as much as they own GM, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler. Rich corporate families decide what these politicians and parties will and will not do. Sure they leave a little space for labor unionists and people of color at some levels -- state representative, state senator, even a few Congresspeople and a Senator everyone once in a while. But there are conditions. They allow this space as long as labor unionists and people of color don't challenge the people at the top of the party and their policies, as long as labor unionists and people of color keep campaigning for the men at the top and their policies, no matter how anti-labor and anti- people of color, these men and their policies may be.
In our opinion, voting for both the Republican and the Democrat is a serious mistake. It won't make life better for the majority of people in the U.S. or anywhere else. Look at Kerry's record. He's voted for Bush's worst ant-labor, anti- people of color measures -- the so-called "war on terrorism," the war on Afghanistan, the war on Iraq, NAFTA, the Patriot Act. Has anyone seen Kerry trying to build a movement against Bush's tax cuts for the rich, for money for jobs, schools, healthcare, not for war, or against Bush's attacks on affirmative action or the recent Supreme Court decisions striking down affirmative action in part? If he hasn't been doing this for the last 20 years, why would he start doing it once he's elected?
The problem with voting for both the Republican and the Democrat is that every single vote for the Republican and the Democrat increases the authority, influence, mandate, and, hence, the power of these politicians and parties over the rest of the population. Every vote for the Republican and the Democrat makes it easier for these pro-corporate men, these pro-corporate organizations, to say: "We represent the people of the United States ... We were elected by them ... So, it's OK for us to do whatever we want to do because we represent the great people of the United States."
But they don't. They represent a tiny, greedy, vicious minority.
What then can working class people and people of color do in the 2004 election? Of course, it would be wonderful if we had a big working class political party and/or a big party of people of color. This party, or these parties, could put forward their own slate of candidates in these elections. They could use their campaigns to organize and mobilize millions against the Republicans and the Democrats, oust them, and replace them with women and men who use their positions in public office to build support for working class and popular struggles against the owners of the giant transnational corporations.
But we don't have political parties like this now, and we won't between now and November.
So, we are convinced that the best thing to do at this time is to encourage labor unionists, people of color, antiwar activists, global justice activists, to run for office as independents. We may not yet have the strength to get an independent labor candidate or an independent candidate of color for U.S. president on the ballot. But we can get independent labor candidates and independent candidates of color on the ballot for other offices. They can use their campaigns and positions in public office when they are elected to build support for labor and popular demands and struggles.
We are also convinced it is important to support the efforts of Ralph Nader, the Green Party, the Socialist Party, and others to get more pro-labor, pro- people of color candidates on the ballot. The more support for Nader, Greens, and Socialists grows, the more labor movements and movements of peoples of color will be inspired and encouraged to put forward their own platforms and candidates.
The authority, influence, mandate and power of the Republicans and the Democrats will shrink. That of labor and peoples of color will grow. Truth ~ February, 2004.q