Commentary on US elections

Facing the presidential elections in the US – a country which holds a place at the pinnacle of imperialism, and in the imperialist organizations and groupings (NATO, IMF, World Bank, etc.) – the worker's and Communist parties listed below, express the following:

The economic crisis of capitalism marks the elections: devaluation of labor force, unemployment, decrease of the standard of living of the working class and immigrants, rise of racist discourse and attacks, also the dangerous tendency towards war.

Among the candidates of the Democrat and Republican parties, Obama and Romney, inter-monopoly disputes as well as contradictions in the administration of capitalism and crisis are expressed. But neither of them is an alternative for the working class and the middle strata.

And both of them have the support of the monopoly groups.

The anticommunist attack of the Republican candidate against the Democrat does not express anything but populist demagogy appealing to the reactionary and conservative vote. Nevertheless it produces confusion as it introduces the liberal position of the so called "lesser evil".

During Obama's dwelling in the White House monopolies have benefitted from rescues to avoid bankruptcy, assaulting workers, not only with impoverishment and unemployment, but with the usage of public funds to the detriment of pensions, health care, social funds, etc.

The shades between Obama and Romney must not pigeonhole North American workers into the fake contrast of choosing the lesser evil. The rhetoric of differences between them turns to dust when confronted with the facts.

Obama, the Nobel prize winner, continues the policy of war in Middle East, the military intervention of imperialist troops to reorganize the sacking of natural resources and exploitation of labor that monopolies practice. Linked to his predecessor Bush, in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has taken military aggression to Libya, Syria and now is seriously destabilizing world peace with the plans against Iran.

In Latin America, Honduras and Paraguay are the signs of the return to antidemocratic coup-tendencies. He has confirmed ties with the Israeli government against the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. It continues the criminal blockade against the Cuban people and the illegal Guantanamo military base, where outrageous human rights violations are perpetrated every day.

In the domestic life of the US, the Obama policy around the much-publicized health care reform essentially opened up new fields for the commercial exploitation of health and for the profitability of the monopoly groups as is demonstrated by the recent purchase of Amerigroup Corp. by WellPoint, while cutbacks are being made to any basic services for the poorest strata.

The constant assault against the welfare and the stance in relation to migrant workers, are elements that allow us to be sure that it was all about vain electoral promises, to attract the liberal voters, to which the class forces regrettably joined.

The fact that US monopoly's power, the North American state, does not admit spaces in its democratic façade for working class representatives must be denounced.

It is very negative that an autonomous and independent position of the US working class is not expressed.

The class character of both parties binds them, in view of capitalist crisis, to prepare a program of more aggressions against the working class, the American people, and the peoples of the world.

We consider that the fake dilemma of avoiding the triumph of the "ultra-right" by supporting the less right-wing must be rejected.

Whoever may win, the monopolies win, and illusions must not be sowed among the US working class. On the contrary, knowing beforehand what the content of the next government will be, a struggle against all the savage attacks must be prepared, a struggle against the sacrifices that monopoly power will try to impose, a confrontation that must ignite from the first minute of the next government.

We have great faith in the US proletariat, in its ability to recover the glorious traditions of the class and communist movement, of John Reed, William Foster, Gus Hall and struggle for its objectives of emancipation and new life, for socialism and communism.

Workers of the world, unite!

Workers' Party of Belgium
Communist Party of Greece
Hungarian Communist Workers' Party
Socialist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Luxembourg
Communist Party of Mexico
Communist Workers Party of Russia - Revolution Party of Communists (RKRP-RPC)
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
Communist Party of Turkey
Union of Communists of Ukraine
Communist Party of Venezuela

The Canadian Network on Cuba launches its "Sandy Relief Fund" Campaign

At 1:25 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25th, Hurricane Sandy entered Cuba just west of Santiago de Cuba as a category 2 hurricane. However the extent and speed of Sandy gave it a destructive capability as great as any of the category 5 hurricanes.  Its central path took it rapidly through the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantánamo, the former two provinces being the most populous in Cuba after the City of Havana.

The hurricane devastated the heroic city of Santiago de Cuba, destroying houses, damaging public buildings and monuments, leaving the city without water supply, electricity, shops, markets and trees. Despite massive evacuations, it took a toll of some 11 human lives, an unusually high number in Cuba for hurricanes (mainly by collapsing buildings) — 132,733 houses were affected with 15,322 totally destroyed and 43,426 losing roofs. Massive damage, not yet fully calculated, was caused in Guantánamo and Holguín before the hurricane left this province near Banes, precisely where hurricane Ike had entered four years earlier.

President Raúl Castro, visiting Santiago de Cuba on Sunday, Oct.  28, said that only urgent temporary measures can be taken and that the recovery of Santiago would take years.

The emergency measures are well underway. Roads to healthcare centres and other essential services were speedily cleared. Linemen have been arriving from seven provinces to work together with local ones to restore electricity and telephone services. Roofing materials are arriving from neighbouring provinces such as Las Tunas. Temporary systems have been set up to provide 85% of  the affected population with drinking water, and food supplies have been arriving from throughout Cuba to Santiago and other severely affected parts of eastern Cuba. Cultural activity has not been overlooked, with some cultural centres being promptly and reopened, with artists from different parts of the country to join local artists in lifting the spirits of the people.

Good friends of Cuba have also been prompt to supply assistance. Venezuela, for example, has given 650 tons of help including non-perishable food, drinking water and heavy machinery to Cuba, with some going to Haiti. However, the need remains great. Cuba continues to give its help to Haiti, which, although not directly hit by Sandy, suffered much destruction from flooding, with scores of lives lost.

Cuban provinces as far east as Villa Clara and Cienfuegos suffered from high winds and flooding due to heavy rainfall.

Canadians have responded generously in the past to disasters affecting Cuba and other Caribbean countries suffering from natural disasters. With great gratitude we recall that from coast to coast they responded to requests from the Canadian Network on Cuba, the umbrella group representing friendship organizations with Cuba.  We forwarded to Cuba after 2008, when the country was ravaged by three hurricanes, more than $404,000.00cad.

When on January 12, 2010, Haiti suffered the horrific earthquake, the CNC, recognizing that the most effective way of helping Haiti was by doing so through Cuba, mounted its TO CUBA FOR HAITI Campaign, which so far has collected and sent to the Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti $453,728.12 cad.

Cuba needs substantial help, both immediate and long term, in order to overcome the crisis brought on by hurricane Sandy. Cuba’s Ministry of External Commerce (MINCEX) is establishing an account to receive the financial contributions.  As in all our previous fundraising efforts, every single penny donated will go to Cuba. Charitable tax receipts will be provided.

Our experience with regard to Cuba's response to natural disasters is that it knows how to multiply the value of any donations it receives. We feel confident, based on the island's unsurpassed humanitarian work both within Cuba and in other countries, that it has the skills, the organization and the ethical and moral values to put whatever aid it receives to the best possible use.


The CNC urges everyone who can afford to do so to support this effort by giving a donation:

1) payable to your local Friendship organization and please also write "CNC Sandy Relief Fund" on your cheque's memo  line. They will forward the info/money for tax receipts to the Mackenzie-Papineau MF.

2) payable to the ‘Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund’ and mail to the
Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund,   Att: Sharon Skup 56 Riverwood Terrace Bolton, ON  L7E 1S4  
Please also write "CNC Sandy Relief Fund" on your cheque's memo  line.
Charitable receipts will be issued by the Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund in 4-8weeks (Charitable Org - Revenue Canada Reg, #88876 9197R0001). There will be no administrative charges, not even for postage stamps or anything else.

Keith Ellis, Coordinator, CNC Sandy Relief Fund (905 822 1972;  zellis@yorku.ca)

Isaac Saney, CNC Co-Chair and National Spokesperson

Elizabeth Hill, CNC Co-Chair and Treasurer