THE OKLAHOMA
WORKERS’ Issue 3, Vol. 1 Editorial:
A Lesson from the Past for Occupy —Is it too Late? - By Lupus
With the tremendous flop of Occupy’s promised May Day General Strike, and the rancorous denunciations by libertarian Occupiers of the labor-backed “99% Spring” non-violence trainings over the last couple of months, even the most ardent Occupiers are beginning to admit they need a change of strategy, calling for a new “meme” to continue New York’s OWS movement which promised much, but has produced little. The outcome of the Chicago protests have energized some, while causing others to question the trend of some more extremist elements escalating towards more aggressive radicalization. Disturbing reports of some former Occupiers caught in an FBI sting operation to bomb a commuter bridge in the northeast, and the increasing alignment of others toward the controversial “Black Bloc” have left workingclass supporters feeling increasingly alienated. It has become increasingly clear to this observer that without a proper understanding of the greater struggle at hand and its causes, and lacking a clear and comprehensive solution, the movement is doomed to failure. This is not the first time this has happened. The SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) movement in the 1960’s, born out of older left and labor movements energized by the 60’s New Left had a huge following for several years as students swelled their ranks across the country, protesting the Vietnam War. However, as the war dragged on without relief and the protests seemed to be becoming increasingly ineffectual against the monolithic military-industrial complex and complacent voting base, a faction within the SDS grew restless and formed the Weathermen, in order to “bring the war home” – and awaken the American public to the horrors that were being inflicted on a daily basis to the people of Vietnam. The bombings of government targets they conducted over the following years at first generated much publicity and discussion, but quickly lost support with the very people they were attempting to goad into action. Despite evading capture for over 10 years, the group of radicals had little to show for their daring actions, and it caused the SDS as a whole to fracture and crumble, and they themselves had to spend more time trying to survive than actually getting their message out to the public. What Occupy and the SDS have in common is this: without laying the groundwork of educating and organizing the working class (and Occupy has yet to even identify and align itself as a solidly working class movement), radical direct actions will only serve to alienate the very people they are seeking to awaken. This is not to say that there is no place for openly confronting the oppressors of the people with force in the streets. However, it must be done with the support of the people, and that only comes with time, a solid message and an awakening of the working classconsciousness.
MONTHLY
The Newsletter of the Communist Party of Oklahoma
JULY, 2012
TULSA IMPLEMENTS A.L.E.C. ANTI-PUBLIC SCHOOL AGENDA TULSA, Okla. - In the last year, the city of Tulsa has consistently pushed to cut funding for projects that benefit the taxpayers. As reported by People's World public parks and recreation centers - specifically in working-class and minority areas - have been scheduled for demolition. Before that, the city closed 19 public schools, laying off hundreds of teachers and forcing students into conditions that are proven to reduce the quality of education. Right-wing proponents of this agenda claim that they are working to serve the taxpayers, but a closer examination of the funding for their agenda reveals that they are taking their campaign contributions and marching orders from more insidious forces. Last year, Cliff Ogle, a long-time classroom teacher and active member of the American Federation of Teachers in Oklahoma, provided research showing a lobbyist organization known as the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, to be the driving force behind efforts to fight public education spending in Oklahoma and throughout the nation. According to Ogle, "Most of the Republican politicians across the country are courted by ALEC and given the legislation to write." Ogle says internal documents reveal ALEC's plan to use Republican politicians to abolish public education. At a meeting with ALEC-supported lawmakers, some even openly referenced their plans. "We thought, surely they're joking that they're wanting to get rid of public education," Ogle said, "But then we realized, they're not laughing." Ending public education in America is alarming not only to students and teachers, but to others who are not traditional union supporters. Even a
most well-funded and well-organized white supremacist organization in the U.S. For Oklahomans, the National Alliance agenda should be of particular interest since it was cofounder Pierce who wrote the manual "The Turner Diaries" that provided the inspiration and information used by Timothy McVeigh for the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildng in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. In addition, the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) is a veritable Who's Who of right-wing extremists and John Birch Society members, including former state Sen. Randy Brogdan, who openly endorsed the formation of right-wing paramilitary organizations in Oklahoma while in office. Perhaps it is premature to label the Kochsupported ALEC group and its lawmakers fascists, but it is not hard to see a definite right-wing extremist bent to their agenda. Specifically, in their effort to abolish public education, one cannot help but look to the history of other similar efforts for precedents. One parallel in particular seems to stand out in the 20th century. During the Nazi occupation of Eastern Europe, Erich Koch, Reichskommissar and director of Buchenwald death camp, made it his first priority to abolish public education in the occupied Ukraine that was under his control, stating that these racially inferior children "need no schools. What they'll have to learn will be taught them by their German masters."
local Oklahoma tea party leader told the People's World, "Public education is the foundation of this country. Our forefathers fought to create a system of education available to all. Without public education, you can't have a functional democracy. And that's just what the one-percenters want. They want to buy your democratic rights." A teacher, Elise Robilard of the Moore Association of Classroom Teachers, said in an interview, "When we're saying, 'in order for business to be successful we have to remove the guarantees to workers' ... when we deny [rights] that is a huge step on a road to a type of social system that resembles fascism." A closer look into the legislative agenda of ALEC reveals even more dubious ties. The infamous "Koch Brothers" of Koch Industries have been shown to be a key player in the ALEC's extremist agenda. Some object to labeling them fascists. Still, a study of Koch Industries reveals that the label "fascist" may be far more accurate than some would care to admit. Fred C. Koch, founder of Koch Industries, was also a founding member of the John Birch Society along Reprinted from People’s World online: with Revilo P. Oliver. Oliver, a devoted Nazi, WWW.PEOPLESWORLD.ORG went onto form another organization with William Pierce known as the National Alliance - an organization that the FBI has described as the
“WHO WE ARE, AND WHAT WE STAND FOR” The Communist Party of Oklahoma has been reformed. For over onehundred years, the socialist tradition has been kept alive in America’s heartland. Before the Russian Revolution, before the Red Scares and the Cold War, Oklahomans flew the red banner and rallied together around what continues to be Oklahoma’s state motto, “Labor Omnia Vincit” (Labor Conquers All). Although socialist organizations were outlawed and suppressed, Communist activists black-listed and targeted for violence, the radical tradition of our state has persevered. Today, as our country has been racked by senseless wars, corporate swindles, and the sell-out of government to multinational private conglomerates, Oklahomans are once again uniting
as a class – the 99% – who are tired of living a poor man’s life in a rich man’s world. The Communist Party has, since the 1840s, been the only consistent Party to uphold without fail the rights of working people, standing with them in good times and bad. The Communist Party of Oklahoma is proud to uphold that tradition, and is once again organizing to put the interests of democracy, of human and civil rights, above the interests of corporate profits.
WWW.COMMUNISTPARTYOK.ORG
NOTICE TO PARTY MEMBERS To: CPUSA and YCLUSA District of Oklahoma Date: June 4, 2012 To: Secretaries, Officers and Guests From: J. Shepherd, CPUSA Organizer for the District of Oklahoma This is just a quick memo to thank all our Secretaries and officers for coming to June 3rd’s meeting with the New Roots Committee. This is a very exciting time for our party and, as Esther and John from the CPUSA Headquarters noted, there is a lot of potential here in Oklahoma. We undoubtedly have some unusual circumstances to address, but as John pointed out our challenges are not unique and we have a lot to gain from studying the history of previous movements as well as the innovative new organizing methods being used to win progressive campaigns in spite of the fierce resistance from the far right. I am firmly convinced, as I believe our National Headquarters visitors are as well, that the new generation of Oklahomans is of a qualitatively different political and social consciousness. I’d also like to submit a personal note on the work we’ve been doing here in Oklahoma. I believe we will see a radical change for the better in the coming years, but only if we maintain our focus and work diligently. Thomas Paine once noted that victories achieved too cheaply are esteemed too lightly: the more arduous the task, the sweeter the win. And let me assure you, friends and comrades, as someone who has participated in some local Oklahoma upsets where the “underdog” (organized Oklahoma workers) rose up against the odds and won their campaigns, improved their lives, secured their jobs and even got health insurance for their families through their union activity, there is no more satisfying feeling in this world that building a movement for change from the ground up. These may seem like minor victories in a global scope, but when you see the light go on in someone’s eyes—someone who has always felt like they were powerless– when they realize that people-power, strategic organizing and working-class pride can change the world, you start to recognize that there are no small victories. But first we must win the trust of our coalition partners through bolstering their work with our support and analysis— even through the small victories; then we move them forward with their new found confidence to take on bigger challenges, and before you know it, we’ll live in a qualitatively different world.
Christianity and Communism have a lot in common, as some of our resident theologians have pointed out, and— as an organizer—I’d like to point out one other similarity: both the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of Marx started out small, with about a dozen or so “believers” and while neither Christianity nor Communism “in practice” have been perfect, the fact is that we have never resigned ourselves to defeat. What Christian would say, “Well, ‘Love they neighbor’ looks good on paper, but it doesn’t work in practice.” Likewise, the science of Marxism has helped us to conceptualize the real potential of human societies. And as scientists, we don’t give up when the first experiments fail. If the world’s scientists gave up after the first try, there would be no fire, no steel, no medicine, no technology. What if the Wright Brothers had given up on the “theory” of flight after the failure of the first experiments? Likewise, we Communists have never conceded to the cynicism of the exploiters and their culture of death. We share a common faith with all the world’s great spiritual leaders—a faith in what Marx described as our “species-being” which holds that reason, free will and compassion are indomitable facts of our human essence and that these ingredients hold unlimited potential—it is precisely these facts that the Libertarians, Anarchists, ultra-right wingers and all the other phony “freedom lovers” deny. They believe we are slaves to a dark spirituality or that we are simply animals in a dog-eat-dog fight for survival. They deny the power of reason and compassion, and reject the view that mankind has free will to choose good over evil. We Communists, however, know better: our theory disproves such cynicism and, more importantly, our work reveals that out human essence is good and that when we rally together for a common cause, we can create a better world. But it is not enough to simply carry the torch rhetorically. We must work, now harder than ever. There are no small parts to play. Each of us are essential. Recognizing this fact is not only essential to appreciating out organizing effort, but also to understanding the ethos of the Communist idea. Each of us are part of the process that gives life to every other part of the process, and we, “the few, the proud,” the Reds of Oklahoma, are on the cutting edge. As Fidel Castro noted in his address to the 2nd Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, “Quality remained the main criterion for acceptance in the ranks of the [Communist] Party.” We have grown a lot in the last few years, and we have grown well. We have not sacrificed, nor will we ever sacrifice, quality for quantity.
Book Review:
“Agrarian Socialism in America: Marx, Jefferson, and Jesus in the Oklahoma Countryside 1904-1920” by Jim Bissett - More, please! Published by the University of Oklahoma, this book is one of the few books available which cover in depth what was one of the most vibrant socialist movements in the United States. I was extremely surprised and elated to find a copy in circulation in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library System. From the introduction, Bissett works to refute the claim that Oklahoma socialists were "not socialist enough" by East coast socialist standards at the time, and certain remarks and conclusions made by academics today. He traces the roots of the Oklahoma Socialist movement in the Indiahoma Farmer's Union, and the early struggle between tenant farmers and wealthy landowners for control of the union, to the merging of some of those farmers from the union into the fledgling Socialist Party of Oklahoma. The Party had up till that time been largely reluctant to take up the cause of land reform on behalf of tenant farmers, declaring that land ownership makes farmers not part of the working class. In 1912, the Socialist Party began to fully support the giving of ownership of lands to the farmers that work them, a huge shift in previous platforms which at most advocated a land-lease by the government to working farmers. This shift in attitude brought the large numbers of impoverished tenant farmers who had been ousted by the Farmers Union for leftist sympathies into the Socialist fold. This marked an important watershed moment in the growth of the socialist movement in Oklahoma, which at its height in 1914 elected more than 175 Socialists to local and county offices. Bissett explores in detail the unique flavor of Oklahoma socialism with its blend of Jeffersonian Agrarianism and Social Christianity which was preached with as much fervor in travelling political tent meetings as any revival sermon. He shows how their devout faith and ardent socialism blended together to form a message of equality and justice which appealed broadly to the impoverished and religious Oklahoma
working class. The downfall of the Socialist Party in Oklahoma in 1917-1922 is well known, as the reactionary forces of the Capitalist's Klansman thugs and judicial persecution brought on by a warfrenzied state and federal governments hounded, terrorized and exterminated the once strong Socialist party from the state. Bissett ends with an analysis of the Party's legacy, and the contributions it made to Oklahoma history and culture. The book is written from a strongly academic position, painstakingly researched with fully a third of the book being comprised of footnotes, charts, and references. It makes for excellent source material for a deeper understanding of the State's history. An independent analysis of the information shows that the conditions existing for tenement farmers and the strong religious background of the Oklahoma people are not that different today—our tenement farmers are now immigrant and poor white and black unskilled laborers and industrial workers, and religion still plays as much a role in many Oklahoman's lives today as it did in the early 20th century. We can use the successes and failures of the Oklahoma Socialist Party as a guidebook and resource to help us organize and build our Party today. In Oklahoma, Marx, Jefferson, and Jesus may yet be the winning ticket for a working-class revival.
Carpenters Union Demonstrates at University of Oklahoma Students at the University of Oklahoma Main campus have become
wages with no benefits. The Capenter’s Union has demonstrated
accustomed to a sight which has greeted them whenever entering the
against Green Country before in 2009 when it was contracted by the
loop since early this spring—a large banner held by members of the
University of Tulsa. Green Country has engaged in threatening and
Carpenter’s Union No. 329 who have been engaged in a lengthy labor
abusive tactics to union members and underbidding on contracts to
dispute with the University over hiring Green Country Interiors, Inc.
keep out union contractors. Call 405-239-2792 for more information
which only hires non-union workers, and pays its workers substandard
and to voice your solidarity with their struggle.