(FEE to win people to action against the capitalist system.
After all the bluster about Reagan's sweeping victory in Texas. Camejo pointed out a little-publicised fact: that only 3 per cent of the state's adult population even voted for Reagan.
Even The Times, in an edirorial after the recent California primaries, had to admit that at best only one-third of the voting population even participated in the primary elections. The real story of the elections so far should not he written about a minority who have voted but about the majority who have not.
A look at the SWP campaign highlights some of the major politi cal questions which go undiscussed by the bourgeois candidates When HE SCALST WORKERS- CAME 0& REP SeCT Peter Camejo, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for president of the United States, was once denounced by the former Governor of California Ronald Reagan as being "involved in every large-scale demonstration in the state'. That was an unintentional compliment to the person and party whose sole aim in the elections is ment, the black movement, the labour movement should form their own parties.
It is precisely to bring to the fore the primary issues threat to the blacks' right to equal education, now directly under attack from Ford - that the SWP participates in the elections, using the forum provided to educate and motilise against the racists and -capitalists.
Labour Party Bocause the United States has no mass working class party, and rules favour those who were first employed have just begun to win job rights, another plank of the campaign such as the hard-on positions. A substantial percentage of the membership of the SWP (almost half) is active in various trade unions.
Ford spoke of the need to keep hasing out of the primaries' Yet at the same time he and Attorney General Edward Levi are asking for the Supreme Court to reAS ENe examine the use of busing to de segregate public schools: This is a new turning point in the fight for equal rights, and serves as proof the primaries seek to avoid, Busing more prominent than say other campaign issue for the SWP. The candidates throughout the country helped te huild the projected mobilisation for 24 April in Boston to he called off because of racist pressure and a lack of determined black leadership the white males - as against the blacks and women who platform is for "No Discriminatory Lay-offs". As well as calling for full employment for all, they carry out a campaign in the trade unions for blacks and women to maintain their Mobilise Busing: On 12 June President Women: One of the major arenas of activity is in the Coalition of Labour Union Women (CLUW). whose formation inside the trade unions was a direct result of the impact of feminism on working class women. The Egual Richts Amendment, a constitutional amendment wbich would make discrimination apainst women illegal in a wiiole nuraber of fields, is under heavy atrack by the right wing in a number of states waich have yet to ratify the amendment.
When the National Organisation of Wonten (NOW) called for a mass Taily in Springfield, Illinois, to de mand ratification of the ERA, the SWP candidate for governor, Linda Thompson, used her electorsl platthe New York Times, which also featured Camejo as presidential candidate The SWP is seeking S27m. in damages, and SWP attorneys went Do court on 15 April asking that FBI director Clarence Kelley be held in contempt because of his raise denials of FBf involvement In the burglaries.
Watergate and all che revelations which continue have contrinuted to a deep uneasiness antongst the American people. This distrust of govemment institutions is registered on many levels, not the least of whichis recorded by thoir visible ahsence from the primary polls A recent Harris poll concluded Disaffection and alienation are rampant among a najority of the pubis International aspect: For under standable reasons, many people outside the United States view the country as a bastion of right-wing reaction, identifying its citizens with the Government's policies That a movement for socialis is growing is as yet Peter Camejo, a Latino, Jus been able to tour several Spanishspeaking countries - inchuding America'k oldest colony. Puerto Rico. The response on the island to i presidential candidate who identified himself with their strugale for independence was extremely good. He was interviewed widely by the press. And rather than just saying 'vote for me, he took the opportunity to protest the killIng of the son of Tuan Mari Bras, leader of the Puerto Rican indep endence movement.
Curejo also recently completed a tour in Spain where he spoke to thousands in Madrid and Barcelona During his visit, he met with Workers Commission leader Marcelina Caracho, recently released from prison. Opportunity The tour, together with that organised for Ernest Mandel, has given further impetus to the reunification of the two sympathis mg sections of the Fourth Interrationn. in that country, the Liga Comunista and the LCR-ETA VI And as Carisjo pointed out: "There is littic doubt that if lapality were established for the Trotskyists in Spain, they would become the largest Tretskyist orpanisations ir. the world As tne Democrats and Republicans plouga ever deeper into the mire of capitalist polities, the oppor Tunity to wit a new audience for socialist ideas is heing firmly seized by the Socialise Workers Party cam paign. A growth in membership. us well as the establishment of tae SWP as the socialist alternative will be of benefit not only to working people in the heartland of imper jalism, but also to the world move tent for socialism.