Three More Reasons Why This System Needs to Be Overthrown as Soon as Possible

#1 – Scientists Say Planet and Millions in Danger… U.S. Rulers Shrug

In March, two groups of scientists issued reports saying the planet is in even MORE DANGER because of climate change. Global warming is overwhelmingly due to human activity, especially the unrestrained burning of fossil fuels under capitalism. The reports, which build on the previous work of thousands of other scientists around the world, say the melting of the ice in the Antarctic and elsewhere and other effects of the warming of the planet are leading the sea level to rise much faster than earlier predictions. The total rise in the world's sea level could reach five or six feet by 2100 according to one of the recent reports and “several meters over a timescale of 50 to 150 years” according to the other—leading to the drowning of coastal cities where millions of people live. This would endanger the planet and the lives of millions who are being born now.

How did the rulers of this system respond? A Washington Post headline sums it up: “We had all better hope these scientists are wrong about the planet’s future.” Regardless of the intention of the author of the article, the Post headline captured the system’s response: “If what they’re saying is true, we’re fucked! But let’s just hope or pretend this isn’t true because we can’t and aren’t going to do anything about it anyway.” Indeed, from Obama on down, the report’s alarming conclusions have been IGNORED and nothing has been done to make this report widely known. This goes right along with politicians and others who say people should ignore what scientists say about global warming, training people in a totally unscientific outlook.

WHY this response in THIS society? Because the constraints of the economic and social relations of capitalism make it impossible for this problem to be seriously discussed, let alone actually addressed. Last November, rulers of the world’s nations met at the UN Convention on Climate Change and no plans were discussed that even came close to meeting their own stated goals of limiting the increase of global temperatures to a reasonably safe level. A New York Times article concluded this was because a serious plan to cut carbon emissions—in ways that would change the current trajectory of global warming—would be “potentially disruptive to [the big powers’] economies and politically unrealistic.” [our emphasis]

A society that cared about the planet and the fate of humanity would respond to this report by STOPPING business as usual and SOUNDING THE ALARM. It would bring to bear resources to evaluate the validity of the report, figure out the truth and implications of it, and then based on that, come up with a plan to address the problems revealed by the scientific evidence. It would widely educate people about this; organize teach-ins; mobilize scientists, students, activists, and anyone concerned about this problem—not just here in the U.S., but internationally—to come together to address this crisis. Through this process, the best possible approach would be developed and the societal will would be forged to deal with this crisis in a way consistent with bringing into being a world without any oppressive relations and divisions between peoples.

THIS system cannot and won’t confront and address this problem. But the world could be a whole other way. Read this.

Photo: Patrick Kelley, USCG

#2 – White Cop Body-Slams 6th Grade Latina…Business as Usual in America

On March 29, a cop in San Antonio, Texas, body-slammed a sixth-grade Latina to the ground. Millions of people have seen this brutality on YouTube where 12-year-old Janissa Valdez is hurled to the ground, a loud crack can be heard as her head hits the brick pavement, then she’s handcuffed. Janissa says there was some kind of altercation between her and some other girls leading up to this, but nothing that would justify this pig getting involved AT ALL, let alone viciously brutalizing Janissa.

What would be the response if something like this happened in a revolutionary society where the lives of children, including Black and Latino youths, are valued and where there is a commitment to get rid of white supremacy? First of all, security forces in the new society would NOT be enforcers of oppressive social relations. And their first priority would be to handle any situation in a way that values the lives of the people—they would sooner put their own lives on the line than brutalize or kill the people. But if a member of the security forces did do something even remotely like what this cop did in San Antonio, from the top down there would be calls to thoroughly investigate and denounce this. And beyond that, and more importantly, widespread discussion and debate—involving kids and adults—would be organized in society about what the incident shows about the continuing need to eliminate white supremacy; there would be a deep examination of how children are being treated and why beating kids like this is NOT the way to solve problems and NOT in line with the overall goals of the new society—of getting rid of all forms of oppressive economic and social relations and all the ideas that go along with this.

But in THIS society, nothing is done to put a STOP to this police terror. This kind of thing happens over and over. The cops go unpunished. Their actions are justified. More generally, children of color are treated as “problems,” “threats,” and generally people whose lives and dreams are worth nothing. Why? Because the very nature of the system prevents overcoming this oppression. From the beginning, white supremacy has been built into the very foundations of this system. Even though the form may change, the essential racism at the core goes on. In this society, the role of the police is to enforce these relations of exploitation and oppression, the conditions of poverty, misery, and degradation into which the system has cast people and is determined to keep people in. Tearing it up would not just get in the way of its functioning, it would make it impossible.

But the world doesn’t have to be this way. There IS a serious plan for a society based on different relations that could end this madness the only way it can be ended—as part of emancipating all of humanity. Read this.

#3 – Bombing in Yemen, 25 children Murdered: Deafening Silence in the U.S.

On March 15, Saudi Arabia-led coalition airstrikes using U.S.-supplied bombs killed at least 97 civilians, including 25 children, in northwest Yemen. The two strikes were carried out on a crowded market full of people going about their daily lives. Reports said the bombs, which may have killed about 10 (anti-government) Houthi fighters, caused a hugely disproportionate loss of civilian life. And this is only the latest of many such atrocities in Yemen that have gone on for nearly a year.

What was the response to this war crime among people in the U.S.? A Deafening Silence. And we have to ask... WHY?

Look at the tears, sadness, deep questioning among millions of people in the U.S. after 20 children and six adults were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Obama came out and cried before the nation. But he didn’t say anything about the innocent children being killed in Yemen. That isn’t surprising—it was his decision to support the Saudi war in Yemen that ultimately led to the children’s deaths! And most people in the U.S. are not even thinking about the kids in Yemen.

Sandy Hook was a horrible, senseless tragedy. But is it ANY LESS HORRIBLE than these 97 civilians, including 25 kids, who were blown to smithereens—and not by just a lone individual, but by a reactionary regime encouraged by the U.S., using U.S.-supplied bombs and U.S. “logistics/intel” to guide the bombs?

People are being trained to THINK AND ACT like American lives are more important than other people’s lives. And if people think and act like this, then they WILL be complicit in the war crimes being carried out by the United States, like the killing of 25 children in Yemen.

The U.S. wages wars of empire in order to maintain its oppressive domination of the world, and civilian casualties like the children killed in Yemen are seen as “collateral damage.” These wars are being done “in our name”; we are told they are in “our interest,” to “keep us safe.” But these wars for empire are NOT in the interests of the people here or around the world. People have to STOP thinking like Americans and start thinking about humanity!

A revolutionary society would NOT be carrying out wars for empire and war crimes.

The children in Yemen are OUR children. All lives are precious. And we need a society where people think and act as members of an international community struggling together to bring about the emancipation of humanity. Such a thing cannot be done under capitalism, where nations compete against each other for markets and world domination and which trains people to think in terms of “our nation against everyone else” and “USA Number One.”

But a world in which humanity strives to break down borders and people foster unity between nationalities IS possible. Read this.