Cal Students. Divide and Rule. Don't let them do it.

This country and the education system is controlled by a tiny minority, the capitalist class. The vast majority are not in this class and are in fact exploited and kept down by this class. But in spite of this the tiny minority continue in charge. How do they do it? It is not hard to figure out. They do it by the strategy of divide and rule. The great majority are divided by the tiny minority and so the potential strength and ability to run the country of the majority is prevented from expressing itself.

The tiny minority of the capitalist class own and control a vast media propaganda machine and the education system. Through these they push their propaganda of divide and rule. Racism, sexism, the better off against the less well off, the skilled workers against the unskilled, the students against the workers, the documented against the undocumented, they look for every example of division they can get and highlight this. Of course they have to do this carefully after the great victories of the black revolt and the women's movement in the past. But they still do it. Thinks about the big campaign against undocumented workers. This is divide and rule.

When was the last time you saw CNN or your local TV station or newspaper leading with a great celebration of workers unity or workers and students unity to improve their lives. When there is a student or workers struggle there is a powerful tendency towards unity and the divide and rule strategy is thrown back. But the mass media machines, the education system do not give this the publicity instead they give the examples of division the coverage. Divide and rule must be preserved at all costs.

The tiny minority who control the country also have control of the state apparatus, the cops and the military, to make sure their divide and rule policies are implemented and when united movements begin to develop they are put down. This, and capitalism's inability to provide decent jobs and good lives for all is what lies behind the police brutality on the streets and the racist character of that brutality. And this in turn adds further fuel to the divide and rule tactic.

We argue on this blog that the Cal student movement should unite with the workers and the anti war movement. We think this is correct. Overcome the divide and rule policies of the authorities to unite and win our struggle.

To build a united movement our program is key. We have to have in our program demands which take up the problems of the workers and students and also the anti war movement. A program which shows that we are fighting for something in common as well as our own issues is essential to building a united movement and over coming divide and rule.

It is easy to see how the states budget's cuts affect students and workers alike. No increase in fees, no cuts in jobs and services, free education for all are our unifying demands. Unity with the anti war movement needs a little more explaining. Every increase in fees and cut in education spending makes it harder for young people, especially from the working class, to get a decent education and a decent job. This makes them desperate for a job. And this in turn makes it easier for the kill or be killed US military to recruit them into their ranks.

This is a form of conscription, it is economic conscription. The fight against budget cuts, the fight against increased fees, the fight against cuts in jobs and services in education and the entire state budget sector will preserve more jobs and help young workers avoid having to go to the military. Therefore this campaign should also oppose the hundreds of billions spent on the military and on the wars and occupations abroad. These wars should be all ended and the money used on them put into education and job creation instead.

The struggle to defeat divide and rule also has to show that it is willing to fight and has the strategy and tactics to fight and most importantly to win. Direct action around a program such as referred to above and with mass spreading of the information of the factors and people involved and with organized boycotts of all the bosses and all the investors involved with management against the workers, this is what is needed and what can win the strike and give confidence to the workers and youth that they can win. This is the way we can overcome the bosses and authorities divide and rule tactics and to win our struggle.

Sean.