Chicago -need for a mass direct action front of struggle.

Fresh from his luxury holiday with his family in Central America Emmanuel, Chicago's mayor, has announced he is launching an offensive against the working class, the youth and the protest movements in the city. This thug, friend of the so called liberal Obama is determined to "keep order" in "his City." This will of course increase the struggles but also increase the cost to activists, working people and youth in conducting these struggles more arrests, more beatings, more deaths, this is what the thug Emmanuel has in mind.

When it was clear some time ago that Daley was not going to run again for Mayor I suggested that all on the left should get over our sectarianism and ultra leftism and should link with the activist movement in the city to run a single working peoples candidate for mayor. I suggested this should be done on a basic program of struggle, for example, mass direct action to stop all foreclosures, to stop police violence, to create jobs through a shorter work week with no loss in pay and a program of public works to build houses, schools and hospitals on union wages and benefits and with union rights, and make the rich and the corporations pay for such a program. Such a movement could have been developed under the 1% 99% banner when this banner developed. I suggested this idea before the 1% 99% movement and slogan emerged, its time had come but unfortunately the opportunity was missed back then.

I still believe this would have been the best approach. If this had been done a united front of struggle with a record of taking on the Democratic and Republican machines and the city bosses and big money would have been established. It would probably not have won the Mayors seat. But it would have established itself as an opposition force. And now when Emmanuel is going on the offensive it would have been in the position to draw together and build a real mass alternative which would have been capable of making gains. We on the left have to get over the left sectarianism and ultra leftism which has done such damage and prevented this step being taken. There are many hundreds of left activists in this city in different left groups, there are thousands who would be prepared to join in a united front of struggle, there are all sorts of community and also church groups fighting on housing and wage and education issues, It would be good if this could be discussed and some progress made on this front.

For the building of a 1% ------- 99% mass direct action united front of struggle.

Sean.