U.S. Out of Iraq Now!
The Socialist Party USA opposed the invasion of Iraq from the start, and we continue to demand the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq. The United States had no legitimate reason for invading Iraq and it has no legitimate reason to remain there.
The invasion of Iraq was not a mistake, or an error based on faulty intelligence. It was the logical consequence of a foreign policy designed to ensure that U.S. based corporations control vital resources and that the U.S. military dominates key regions throughout the world. The United States is in Iraq to control its vast petroleum deposits and to solidify its control over the Middle Eastern region.
Reflections on State of the Union Address
In a celebration of the status quo, the current government of the United States cheered as President Bush laid out the plans for continuing war, economic imperialism and a domestic policy ill prepared to meet the needs of the country.
In a bit of political foreshadowing, the news agencies gave us bits and pieces to prime us to its message. A talking head labeled it a "vision thing", but in the end, it was the manifest destiny for the 21st century. Bush declared that in these "consequential times" the nation needed to unite against the enemies of freedom, the voices of isolationism and those that would undermine the leadership needed to fulfill these goals. In a key moment in the speech, he announced that the decisions regarding the War against Iraq and terrorism would be handled by the military and not by politicians.
I saw a man solidifying his power and calling for bi- partisanship in a weak attempt to present the appearance of true opposition to his agenda. The enemies of freedom and democracy where presented: the Axis of Evil, Burma, Zimbabwe, Iran, Syria and Hamas.
February Is Black History Month
The Socialist Party USA recognizes Black History Month as an important step in the struggle to build a multi-cultural society. Nevertheless, twenty-eight days is not enough time to teach the next generation the important role of African Americans and their struggles in US history. So long as the experiences of people of color are treated merely as a supplement to a white narrative of American history, our understanding will remain incomplete and we will continue to fall short of our egalitarian goals.
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To provide a few examples, the legacy of slavery has had an enormous impact on labor relations in the United States, which continues to put us behind other developed nations in terms of labor rights, social welfare and working class unity. The role of racism is critical to understanding the westward expansion of colonial America, the Monroe Doctrine, and the ongoing imperial adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq today. African American struggles for civil rights, voting rights, and employment rights in the 1960s shaped federal legislation and remains a major battleground for equality today. White supremacist organizations, not Al Qaeda, remain the largest terrorist threat in the United States.
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The Socialist Party USA celebrates Black History Month and honors the contributions of African Americans and other people of color to expanding socialist theory and innovating new methods of struggle. As recent events in Latin America confirm, a resurgence of socialism in the twenty-first century must take on a truly global perspective and incorporate the demands of oppressed nations as our own.