Tuesday, October 10 8:30 PM SGT
US Communist Party speaks from the belly of the beast
NEW YORK, Oct 10 (AFP) -
In the hub of capitalist America, Sam Webb, president of the Communist Party of the
United States, is plotting the revolution.
Visitors will find no hammer and sickle flags outside the party headquarters on 23rd
Street here, but they will find badges on sale with a simple slogan: "Capitalism sucks."
Party members are energized by recent mass protests against the World Trade
Organization (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) --
long time communist targets.
The post Cold war party remains loyal to its revolutionary roots and describes itself
as an orthodox Marxist-Leninist working-class movement.
At a recent party meeting, Webb surveys the 100 or so people gathered to hear him
speak. Most are well past their prime, and grey heads dominate the audience.
Among the veteran members is 88-year-old Charlotte Sinovoi, driven to join the party
in response to the rise of Fascism in Germany in the 1930s.
"Capitalism is self-destructing, it's a cannibalist system: they're eating themselves. When you take a tree and cut its roots, it takes time, but it's dying," she said.
The feeling at the meeting is upbeat, as if the party that survived the McCarthy
purges of the 1950s and the collapse of the Soviet bloc a decade ago is finally
finding its way again.
"We're living in a new era." Webb tells the party faithful.
"The Cold War is over, our party is well received all over the country. Protest
movements are growing everywhere."
New York is no place for the faint-hearted revolutionary -- just two blocks away
from the hall were Webb is speaking a massive a road sign reads, "proliferate capitalism."
It feels like living "in the belly of the beast," said Israel Smith, head of the party's youth league.
With 20,000 registered members and groups in 28 of the 50 US states, the communist party is hardly a key players in US politics.
But what cheers the party more than anything is the grass roots mobilization seen in
the streets of Seattle for last year's WTO meeting, and in Washington earlier this
year for the World Bank and IMF meetings.
"We do not feel isolated," said Webb. "We're welcome in most of the anti-globalization coalitions. People see that everyone do not agree with this corporate power."
Youth league leader Smith paints a picture of a grass-roots movement that will change the United States for good. But will he live long enough to witness the revolution?
"At the very best, I'll live long enough to see the anti-globalization movement seriously challenge corporate society," he said.
The revolution however won't come anytime soon, Webb and his fellow travelersacknowledge.
In the meantime, one of their biggest jobs is to block the election of George W. Bush
as president of the United States in the November 7 election.
The party knows which side it is on in the battle between Republican Bush and Al
Gore, the Democratic vice president.
Though Gore is no slouch when it comes to courting Wall Street campaign contributions, former oilman Bush is the bigger capitalist, they believe.
Source
Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only
Edited to fix formatting problem. - TBM
[This message has been edited by TheBluesMan (edited October 10, 2000).]
US Communist Party speaks from the belly of the beast
NEW YORK, Oct 10 (AFP) -
In the hub of capitalist America, Sam Webb, president of the Communist Party of the
United States, is plotting the revolution.
Visitors will find no hammer and sickle flags outside the party headquarters on 23rd
Street here, but they will find badges on sale with a simple slogan: "Capitalism sucks."
Party members are energized by recent mass protests against the World Trade
Organization (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) --
long time communist targets.
The post Cold war party remains loyal to its revolutionary roots and describes itself
as an orthodox Marxist-Leninist working-class movement.
At a recent party meeting, Webb surveys the 100 or so people gathered to hear him
speak. Most are well past their prime, and grey heads dominate the audience.
Among the veteran members is 88-year-old Charlotte Sinovoi, driven to join the party
in response to the rise of Fascism in Germany in the 1930s.
"Capitalism is self-destructing, it's a cannibalist system: they're eating themselves. When you take a tree and cut its roots, it takes time, but it's dying," she said.
The feeling at the meeting is upbeat, as if the party that survived the McCarthy
purges of the 1950s and the collapse of the Soviet bloc a decade ago is finally
finding its way again.
"We're living in a new era." Webb tells the party faithful.
"The Cold War is over, our party is well received all over the country. Protest
movements are growing everywhere."
New York is no place for the faint-hearted revolutionary -- just two blocks away
from the hall were Webb is speaking a massive a road sign reads, "proliferate capitalism."
It feels like living "in the belly of the beast," said Israel Smith, head of the party's youth league.
With 20,000 registered members and groups in 28 of the 50 US states, the communist party is hardly a key players in US politics.
But what cheers the party more than anything is the grass roots mobilization seen in
the streets of Seattle for last year's WTO meeting, and in Washington earlier this
year for the World Bank and IMF meetings.
"We do not feel isolated," said Webb. "We're welcome in most of the anti-globalization coalitions. People see that everyone do not agree with this corporate power."
Youth league leader Smith paints a picture of a grass-roots movement that will change the United States for good. But will he live long enough to witness the revolution?
"At the very best, I'll live long enough to see the anti-globalization movement seriously challenge corporate society," he said.
The revolution however won't come anytime soon, Webb and his fellow travelersacknowledge.
In the meantime, one of their biggest jobs is to block the election of George W. Bush
as president of the United States in the November 7 election.
The party knows which side it is on in the battle between Republican Bush and Al
Gore, the Democratic vice president.
Though Gore is no slouch when it comes to courting Wall Street campaign contributions, former oilman Bush is the bigger capitalist, they believe.
Source
Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only
Edited to fix formatting problem. - TBM
[This message has been edited by TheBluesMan (edited October 10, 2000).]