Peaceful protest and unity the only way to beat Janus

Caption: Union activists and supporters rally against the Supreme Court's ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME case, in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, June 27, in New York City. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that public employee unions cannot require non-members to pay fees. | Karla Ann Cote / Sipa via AP Images

Re: Defiant unions vow to organize even more after Janus ruling

Zen Art says:

A Perfect Storm: The extreme right-wing think they have won a tremendous victory with Janus. Instead, they have created a perfect storm that will cause more, not less, political and economic instability. The political hacks that constitute the Court’s conservative majority do not know what demons they have unleashed into the storm. The elements of that perfect storm make for an intensification of class struggle as the corporate world attempts to drive down wages and benefits without strong unions to protect workers.

There will be neither labor peace nor quiet acceptance of Janus and the other retrograde reactionary rulings by the Supreme Court. Of course, the proper response should be peaceful and nonviolent protest and demonstrations. That has been the winning formula since the Civil Rights Movement, but the outrage, anger, and incivility expressed by some progressives and comrades may be difficult to control. And the right wing will be emboldened in its private and state-sponsored violence. In fact, a virtual civil war may be in the making.

This ruling comes at a time when the president’s tariff wars will drive up the prices of commodities and put many more workers at a disadvantage as they struggle to make ends meet. The corporate sponsors of political hacks are already getting a massive tax break, but obviously, that is not enough until they destroy all the powers of unions to confront the corporate anti-worker agenda. Nor will this ruling ‘tame’ the labor movement. It will only make workers more militant, demanding more than $15 dollars and a union. No more compromises. The labor movement faces a corporate enemy with no limits on its greed.

The extreme-right thinks it can divide workers even more. Obviously, the racism, xenophobia, and misogyny tactics are not enough to divide workers and weaken their unity. Right-wingers expect this decision to create another division between workers who are free to exercise their fake free speech rights and the labor unions who fight for the collective rights of all workers. It is not going to work. Workers will only double down in their united efforts to confront these bigots.

Re: People vs. Money: Socialist beats Wall Street Dem in New York

Jana McLean says:

How’s that—you missed a bat, we caught you out. Wow, this young woman ousted a 10-term candidate by mounting a grassroots campaign on the platform of PEOPLE vs. MONEY.

Hopefully, we will see an increased rise from here on, of young women supported by local communities to continue the socialist platforms established by social justice activists such as Angela Davis, Alice Paul, and the unforgettable Emma Goldman.

Like our courageous Emma, there is a growing number of women around the globe who are aware that the fight for justice, equality, and basic living standards of housing, jobs, wages, healthcare, and education—to name but a few of the areas still in need of socialist renovation, is fir from won.

“I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody’s right to beautiful, radiant things,” Emma Goldman said.

Me too Em, me too.

Re: Why U.S. client state Saudi Arabia escapes the Muslim ban

Henry Lowendorf says:

For People’s World to start an article and even include this statement, “Refugees fleeing Assad’s terror in Syria,” is shameful and indicates a glaring misunderstanding of imperialism. It represents the acceptance of the huge CIA and media propaganda campaign that demonizes Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad a campaign that mimics similar but less sophisticated campaigns moving forward for over half a century. Demonization of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran, Jacob Arbenz in Guatemala, Patrice Lumumba in Congo, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Salvador Allende of Chile, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, Slobodan Milosevic of Syria, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Muammar Gaddafi of Lybia, and on and on, preceded and prepared the public for the violent overthrows of these leaders or attempts to do so.

Whatever the actions of the government of Syria, promoting the claim that the horrible and devastating war in that country as the responsibility of Assad lets off the hook the deliberate violent regime change coordinated by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and NATO. It totally ignores the real terrorism of the sectarian fanatics, most of whom came from other countries. It is ahistorical and contrafactual. The editors of People’s World  should retract this and apologize to the millions of Syrian refugees, internal and external, who join millions of refugees from so many other countries U.S. imperialism has attacked.

Re: A new mosaic in Highland Park features activist Rosalio Urias Muñoz

Rosalio Urias Muñoz says:

Wonderful article, though I did not burn my draft card, but used it to begin to challenge the draft and war in federal court and in the streets as an immoral and unjust to the Vietnamese and placed an unjust burden on Chicanos, African Americans, and other poor with disproportionately high death rates. I began working with Fr. Luce during these activities as he and his parishioners were very active in social justice and peace issues in the barrios who help the peace issue tremendously. The People’s World back in those days was a major media support for our efforts, with great coverage from reporters Sam Kushner and Juan Lopez in those times. In the 1980s I began reporting for People’s World on staff as well as an activist in the CPUSA. The papers in my hand in the photo and mosaic are my statement to the press that day.

Re:  The World Cup runs on migrant workers

Earl Clay says:

Thanks to you brother Al Neal for making that needed connection—that between the working class and pastimes, recreation, hobby, and study of and by the whole society. It is truly the working class, its migrant workers, its substitute, its itinerant, even its nomadic workers, that make all health, wealth, cleanliness, the livable conditions of human creativity and life, possible. Through reading partisan work such as this, we will be able to convince workers that the society would be infinitely better off, should it be run for the benefit of the workers: a socialist society.

Thanks, brother.

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PW Readers

Contributors to “The People Speak” round-up of discussions and debates happening on the People’s World website and on our social media networks.