But look at black unemployment. It is 16.5%. That is twice the rate for white unemployment. This brings mass poverty and suffering to black America on a staggering scale. If black unemployment reaches 17.2% in the late summer of this year as the Economic Policy Institute predicts this will mean that black unemployment will have doubled from December, 2007.
Over the past years there has been a vicious offensive of the bosses against workers. Wages, benefits, conditions, rights, have all been attacked. The refusal of the union leaders to fight has allowed these attacks to succeed. Look at what has been happening to low paid workers. Nearly seven out of ten low paid workers report that their bosses steal from them. And black low paid workers are robbed at three times the rate of whites. With 5.5 job seekers for every job opening the bosses can pick and choose and fire at will. This hits all workers but given the epidemic of racism especially amongst the bosses in this country it hits black workers especially hard. At least a score of major black population centers now have unemployment levels equal to the great depression of the 1930's, that is close to 25%. And a new tidal wave of poverty and mass unemployment is approaching with the cuts in federal state and city spending which will be the response of the Republicans and Democrats to the Federal, State and City budget deficits.
Black America celebrated Obama's election as they saw it as a victory over racism. However Obama has shown himself to be, as the organizers of this blog said predicted, completely in the pocket of Wall Street, the financial institutions, the corporations, and the military industrial complex. He will do nothing to alleviate the mass poverty and unemployment of working people black, white, hispanic, asian. His policies and loyalty are to the corporations and capitalism.
The working class movement has to recognize that unless it takes up an independent united militant struggle it will get nothing, its condition will only get worse.
We should organize and mobilize and fight on this program.
#For 20 million jobs through a program of public works to build roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and invest in expanding all services with wages and conditions and benefits at the level of good paying union jobs and with full union rights.
#For a shorter work week with no loss in pay to create more jobs and leisure time.
#For a $15.00 an hour minimum wage or a $5 an hour rise whichever is the greater.
#For free health care for all, free education for all, to all levels.
#For the unionization of every workplace and an end to workers being robbed and ripped off.
#For an end to racism, and sexism, for working class unity.
#For the building of a mass Working Peoples Party.
Instead of letting the lunatics of the tea party movement dominate every news program and pressure every politician let us build a movement where a united working class takes to the streets and the workplaces, where not an event takes place, where not a politician speaks, where not a union leader speaks, without being faced with these demands, this program. We, the working class can lead debate and discussion and we can build towards a mass one day general strike and day of action to put our imprint on the country and show that we the working class on this fighting program is the only alternative that can take all working people forward.
Capitalism is destroying our lives. Along with mass poverty and suffering and environmental destruction it brings racism, sexism and division. It has forfeited the right to exist. For a democratic socialist society.
The union leaders refuse to organize and lead the fight to improve working peoples' lives. They have forfeited the right to lead. For the building of fighting union caucuses in the work places and union locals and union structures. For a fighting and mobilized union movement. For a mass working peoples party.
Sean.
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