[Peace-discuss] Fw: [socialistdiscussion] latest Occupy Oakland news

[David Johnson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Reimann 
To: socialist discussion 
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 10:28 AM
Subject: [socialistdiscussion] latest Occupy Oakland news


  
I was at last night's general assembly. There were I'd guess 200-250 people there. Looking around, it seemed to me that I was at a meeting at UC Berkeley, from looking at the faces. They started off the meeting with a question that we were supposed to discuss in small groups and then a few people could come up to the mike and reply. The question was "what can be done to make the general assemblies more effective and relate better to the community?" They clearly were looking for some technical "fix" to the wider problem.

I had a chance to speak at the mike and commented that I thought the problems of the GA's were related to the fact that we had not adequately reached out to Oakland's working class. Then I raised the question, "why is it that the joint labor/Occupy march and rally really only gave voice to the bureaucracy and the voice of the rank and file, which is disgusted with the direction of their unions, was not heard?" I also made some points about reaching out to the young people standing on the corners or working at MacDonalds. This got a round of applause.

I get the impression that the next "big" project will be the shut down of the port again in solidarity with the ILWU and their struggle against the scab grain terminal up in Longview, WA. The same opportunist/ultra left anarchist who was so instrumental in bringing the voice of the bureaucracy to the joint march and rally is heading up this effort. Here's what I've written to some of the comrades of this anarchist about their strategy:

Although I was told differently by one such leader, it seems there are no plans for sending thousands up to Longview to physically stop the loading of the ship there. A shut down of the ports along the coast can be a good support action, but it cannot win the battle. It is, however, less confrontational, which is why it is planned as the alternative. 

Behind this is the legal issues. If the ILWU officially organizes to stop the loading of the ship, they will be attacked legally. So they are seeking others (the Occupy movement) to stand in their place. This cannot succeed in the long run. The unions have to stand up for themselves. If the ILWU is legally attacked through fines and lawsuits, that is the time to step up the action and move to shut down ports and airports until the threats are withdrawn. All of this requires a break with capitalist politics, of course, including a break with the Democratic Party - something that they are unwilling to do.

Then there is the issue of the Operating Engineers, whose leadership is organizing the scabbing on the Longshoremen. There is the tradition within the mainstream unions that the leadership of one union does not openly confront or undermine the leadership of another with the rank and file of that union. It's like how cops cover up for each other. This is why the ILWU has taken no action against the IUOE, but it is very mistaken.

John
-- 
"Poems don't belong to those who write them; they belong to those who need them" - from movie "Il Postino"
Check out: http://worldwidesocialist.net/blog/




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