Cincinnati ISO Branch

No War With Iran! No Imperialism!

2012-02-24T08:16:00.000-05:00

The war machine is revving its engines and the propaganda is heating up. Who is it this time? Not the Russians, not the Iraqis, not the Afghanis, not the Somalis, not the Koreans -- the Iranians, a country which has historically taken a defensive stance, militarily, but has been the object of speculation, rumors and lies over its nuclear program. While the United States and Israel conspire to assert “stability” in the region, the lives of millions, if not billions of Persians, Arabs, Israelis, and Palestinians, hang in the balance. This will not be a clean war, it will not be any easy war, and it will certainly not be a just war.

As struggle comes to the forefront, the ruling class is looking for ways to divide and conquer. An attack on our Persian friends, or provoking an attack from the Iranian government, is an attack on the international working class. It is an affront to the international democratic movement and it is a means to an end: global control.

The ruling class lied about Korea, they lied about Vietnam, they lied about Kosovo, they lied about Iraq, they lied about Libya, they are lying about Iran.

Movie Screening and Protest

This Saturday - February 25th - 11AM

Rosh Street Cafe (Rohs an McMillan Streets)

Reform or Revolution in Ohio: A Reflection on 2011

2011-12-03T19:36:00.007-05:00

False Dichotomies in Ohio Politics

In the weeks leading up to the November 2011 election, ads for and against Ohio Issue 2 aired on TV. One shows Republican Governor John Kasich standing at a fork in the road, telling voters they have a choice to make, just like the one he said they had to make in an ad shot in the same location a year ago while he was running for office. In this Frostian dilemma, Ohio voters can continue down his path, and follow as he promises recovery; or go the other way. Jobs or no jobs, those are the options. The ad illustrates the false choice that citizens are given every year when they go to vote in Ohio.

What Kasich should be saying is that he has created the illusion of two choices, two choices that are not that far apart, just like the roads in the background of the ads which only slightly diverge. While the allegory of the roads might have helped Kasich defeat Democrat Ted Strickland and might aid him as he continues to push austerity onto Ohio, the image actually serves both major parties, who create a similar self-serving charade every election season for Ohioans.

When Ted Strickland, treated as a “Governor in Exile” by the newly agitated Ohio progressives, was in office, some of the same measures were imposed on unions. Though teachers, nurses and firefighters never had to fight against the prospect of losing their basic union rights, when the recession hit and funding was cut, they were forced to make massive concessions. They agreed to pay freezes, watched as firings occurred and compromised over some of their benefits like pensions and prevailing wage. All things that the “No on 2” ads say they would be subjected to without collective bargaining. Unfortunately, organized labor did not stand a chance in a state run by a Democrat they supported in the election just a few years before. Indeed, the Strickland years were no springtime for labor.

The false choice pushes other electoral options that Ohio voters have to the fringes and this duality bleeds into the time between elections: youʼre either with us or against us. This year, organizers in the state have been able to mobilize tens of thousands, but the solutions proposed by the major players are not always right. Union officials were at first begging for compromise on SB5 (Issue 2) before it was passed, showing that, after two decades of capitulation, they were willing to sacrifice again. An unprecedented movement took the lead early on while the unionsʼ leadership were lagging behind. And though the unions are to be praised for their work in helping the defeat of the issue during the elections, none should forget that only when angst turned into action, did they start standing firm against the measures. In this new movement, loyalty to the previous administration is clear, but what Ohio needs, just like the rest of the country, is a permanent wedge driven between the major partiesʼ fork in the road.

This wedge needs to be a working peopleʼs movement, and while unions can play a large role, the movement needs to recognize the struggles of all of Ohioʼs workers. The unions are not part of the problem, on the contrary, they can be part of the solution. But their focus must broaden if they are to enact lasting social change, and they should be met by other groups. A successful movement can’t just be a union movement.

Over the past year, labor and student groups have worked together in ways rarely seen before, but questions of environmentalism and imperialism, for example, have yet to be included in the discussion. This movement needs to be radical, permanent and democratic with a healthy dose of internationalism; the movement have a lot to learn from their counterparts in the Arab world. An inclusive movement will focus not only on the issues of jobs and unemployment, but larger questions of inequality and disenfranchisement. It can not preoccupy itself with the reactionism of its origins, or of the republicans.

There has been no room for a broader discussion thus far and the movement itself tends to use slogans with embedded chauvinism, for example “helping middle class families.” A movement that helps all workers can not be successful if it plays into the divisions of class, sexuality, race, gender, or any other bend. It can not risk alienating members of its movement because of rhetoric.

A truly radical movement in Ohio, which there have been glimpses of, will recognize the solidarity of all workers and aim to alleviate all of the problems of the world. It will not focus on electing one of the two parties of business. It will include demands like full employment, universal healthcare, good wages and true democracy. And it will embrace and embolden the institutions that SB5 and other legislative attacks on workers endanger.

Enter Occupy Wall Street

As the seasons changed and the tide of activism ebbed, the makings of a revolution have stepped to the fore. The Occupy movement, with its slogans of “ending corporate greed” and “holding the 1% accountable,” has in it the kernel of something larger. And though the origins lie with the labor movements that raged during the first half of 2011, it exists outside of the realm of party politics. This is its most promising feature.

While labor has played a role in the occupations, from its participation in the Oakland General Strike on November 2nd, to the turnout in force at occupations around the country, the virtue of being a working people’s movement is just one of its advantages. In Ohio, the occupy movement can and must fill the political void left after the defeat of Issue 2, and it must lead the way forward toward changing the system, instead of maintaining the status quo. What Occupy offers is a third way, it illustrates that democracy exists away from the ballot boxes, in the streets and parks of cities across the country.

Labor issues are but one of the focuses of the movement. In Columbus, Occupy the Oval, at the Ohio State University, is a strong student movement with dozens of young, self-described “revolutionaries.” The students have organized marches, walkouts and teach-ins and these activists and are a presence of light that should serve to inspire activists nationwide. The students, emboldened by existing strong movements on campus, like one of the country’s most successful chapters of Students Against Sweatshops, see that a just world is possible and that the institution is where some of the ideas that form that world can be developed.

In Cincinnati, Occupy the Hood, a fraction of the main Occupy Cincinnati is moving to protest against, and protect families from, the foreclosure of homes. These occupations have taken a principled stance in favor of peace, love, justice, equality and international solidarity; hardly a reformist program.

Ironically, in Ohio, the occupy movement needs to improve most in its interactions with labor. While it has postured itself in support of the working class, in this case the broad “99%,” and the local movements have received endorsements and other help from trade unions, the rank and file have yet to put foot to pavement in support of the occupation. What is happening more than anything else is a quid-pro-quo, that is, the unions were looking for something, be it newly registered voters and even de facto endorsements from the occupation (mainly in opposition to issue 2) in return for material support. But what is needed more than anything is warm bodies in the parks and streets.

Looking Forward to 2012

Without the support of the working masses, the revolutionary potential falls short. Just as thousands of new activists were radicalised in the months leading up the occupation, thousands more are needed in order to bring the demands and aims of the Occupy movement to a head. There is no question that the occupiers were among the 61% of voters who said no to the union busting legislation, so maybe a quid-pro-quo is in order after all. If Occupy is the successor of the large movements in the first half of the year, then it’s clear that its members played by the rules of those movements and helped bring a victory. The question now is how the movement can capture the support of those institutions that have historically ended their campaigns on the first Wednesday in November.

This is why many were alarmed at the November endorsement by SEIU, one of the unions that have marched with the occupiers, of Obama for president in the upcoming presidential election. The language of the announcement was the language of Occupy, with officials claiming “We need a leader willing to fight for the needs of the 99 percent.” But instead of working with the occupations to figure out what those needs are, SEIU is providing the marching orders and attempting to take the organizational power of the movement, and use it to “occupy congress” in order “to pressure Republicans to support Obama’s jobs creation proposals” which they claim is a goal of the larger occupy movement. By ignoring the constant claims by occupations across the country that both the Republicans and the Democrats are the problem, SEIU risks losing the support of the first movement in the United States in years that could actually mean working people retaking control of their democracy.

In Ohio, this presidential strategy will surely be applied to state and federal congressional campaigns. Sherrod Brown, the democratic senator, is up for reelection and Ohio’s congressional maps will be redrawn by November, meaning candidates will have to address issues facing constituents with whom they may not have shared a district previously. In Cincinnati, the danger of reductionism to electoral politics is clear. After four members of city council lost their reelection bids, the occupation cheered because of the prior actions of these members in relation with the movement. The defeat of those that the movement dubbed the “un-fantastic four” created an environment where occupiers were unwilling to make strong demands of the new council, such as a reduction in pay of city officials to the average household income in the municipality, for fear of losing potential allies of the now seven Democrat strong assembly.

What Occupy looks like to organizers in the Democratic party, is a group of thousands of activists who so believed in a political idea, that they were willing to sleep on the group to prove their devotion. Regardless of the content of their arguments, the Occupy movement is on the left of the spectrum, so it’s ripe for co-option by the party where, as the saying goes, “social movements go to die.” Should this happen, the Democrats may win another election, but Ohio’s progressive movement will once again wither away like it did in 2006 and 2008. So, the question is, can the Occupy movement survive the 2012 elections?

The question of Occupy making it through 2012 is a question of participation. What the movement needs more than anything, especially after the encampments in all but a few cities across the country have been cleared, is more people on the streets. These elections will mean competition for the Occupation movement. In communities and neighborhoods across not only Ohio but the rest of the country, where there will be different and opposing forces trying to engage citizens. One will be occupiers, who are generally committed not to a party, but to the idea of democracy. The second group is Organizing for America, formerly “Obama for America,” who registered over a million new voters in Ohio in 2008 and have continuously organized since then. The language that the organizers for OFA and the institutions that, while liberal in their politics, are conservative in their endorsements will use is going to be the language of the Occupation, there is no question. What Occupy needs to offer, while probably not in the form of political candidates, is a political platform that runs contrary to that which the Democrats, who are a party of the 1%, offer.

The End of Reform

Occupation is a revolutionary act and it is an act that needs to expand past the parks into the workplaces of the 99%. In 2008, the workers of Republic Windows and Doors staged an occupation of their workplace after they were told they would be laid off without any of the benefits promised in their contracts. After 2 weeks physically controlling their factory, they won and the factory stayed open. In Wisconsin, activists occupied the capital as union-busting legislation, not unlike SB5 in Ohio, was being deliberated often behind closed doors in the statehouse, these actions gave democrats no choice but to flee the state to deny quorum and delay a vote. At the same time, in Egypt, millions of people occupied Tahrir square and brought about a revolution which toppled a dictatorship.

The Egyptian case is a special one, and it illustrates what is at stake if occupiers go home. After the Mubarak regime was ousted, the military seized power and is very tightly controlling the “transitional” process to a “new” government. As has already been stated, the Democratic party, especially Barack Obama may attempt to seize the rhetoric and the energy of Occupy. Just as the Egyptian revolution must be a permanent one, one that fights against all forms of exploitation and oppression, the Occupy movement needs to be permantent as well. Unions can be allies, but they must not impose their largely top-down power structures on the movement. This method of organizing will stymie progress and attempts to co-opt already threaten to stall things.

This is not to say that Occupy should exist free of outside influence--there are many places where it must improve. Most crucial, as it develops its political makeup, it must recognize the ideas of the libertarian block, who espouse beliefs as reactionary as the Tea Party, as opposed to the basic principles that the movement represents. Occupy must not be afraid to name its enemy: Capitalism. This will not be Ron Paul’s Revolution. Even without having them explicitly stated, the values of Occupy run counter to the values of the libertarian right, namely the value of equality. Libertarians see the the state giving way to the “free” market as the liberating event that will save the 99%. They also espouse anti-immigrant and often nativist viewpoints. And let us not forget that the infatuation with John Galt, of Ayn Rand’s “Atlus Shrugged,” who believes that society owes him nothing and he owe nothing to society, is a selfish position that rejects to the simple idea of collective democracy and collective struggle that define the Occupy movement.

The struggle is real, and the 99% is a revolutionary force. In makeup it is a force of workers and students and it is a force that includes all minority groups and all of the oppressed. It is a force that while addressing the ideas of different identities, sees the struggles of different groups as connected by who the oppressor is. The 1% is everyone’s enemy. 2011 was a year when the working class of Ohio and the world realized that it had the power to fight back. Let 2012 be the year that Ohio and the world win what is rightfully ours: our lives, our freedom and our dignity, and our world.

This is not comedy. This is abuse.

2011-12-03T16:46:00.003-05:00

Acura's "Season of Reason" holiday sale seem to suggest that while saving money on a luxury car is a reasonable move, treating your employees with respect is not. And laughing at them as they are fired is perfectly acceptable.

Does Occupy Need Electoral Politics, pt 2

2011-11-26T03:29:00.002-05:00

Turns out Dan la Botz has completely negated any need for me to write the second part of that article. Thanks for saving me the work Dan!

Does Occupy Wall Street need electoral politics?

2011-11-24T17:34:00.005-05:00

The calls for OWS to stop being about “sleeping in parks” and to evolve toward “real politics” are getting louder by the day. “Real politics” meaning, of course, electoral politics. “Electoral politics”, of course, being code for “voting for Democrats”. These calls are coming most loudly from long-time Democratic Party loyalists. For instance, Van Jones, former member of Obama’s staff, claims there will be “2000 candidates under the 99% banner” in the 2012 elections. Unless the “Occupation Party” is off to a much better start than I think, what Jones means is that there will be 2000 candidates running as Democrats in the 2012 elections. Although their embrace of the Democrats may be less exuberant, the calls of people claiming to be to the left of the Democratic party for OWS to “work with Democrats” (i.e, vote for Democrats) have the same effect.When you check the box next to a candidate’s name it doesn't quantify your enthusiaism for that candidate or his/her party-the simple act of voting is all that matters.

The arguments for OWS becoming primarly about electoral politics usually hinges on two pernicious lies: a) that electing alleged allies to office is the only way to affect change, and b) that the Democrats are the only reasonable, serious choice in electoral politics for those on the Left. Each has the unfortunate flaw of being in direct conflict with recent (and even less recent) history.

Americans have been so conditioned over the last several decades to believe that electoral politics is the only way to get what they want (a self-serving view pushed by the parties in charge) that before last spring most Americans struggled to think of a way to change policies other than by voting for one of the two acceptable parties every two or four years. The Arab Spring has changed that; indeed, it directly inspired OWS. The people seeking change in Tunisia and Egypt didn't attempt to get “sympathetic” people from one of the acceptable parties elected so that they could change the system from inside. The people ditched the middle-man and demanded change directly-and they got it. Getting changes is not merely a matter of having people who share your views in office; it’s about bringing pressure. Pressure was brought to bear on Hosni Mubarak and before he finally capitulated he was offering all kinds of concessions. The current military rulers of Egypt have been reeling the past few days from the mass actions there. They've offered a number of concessions themselves. They’ve gone so far as offering ‘sincere’ apologies for those that have died at the hands of the police and army. Does anyone think that if the protests had been dispersed after the first day the army would be apologizing and offering to hand over power early? No, those were direct results of the pressure brought to bear. Closer to home, Occupy Rochester provides another proof that getting changes is not solely dependent upon having friends in high places. Occupy Rochester brought enough pressure that the mayor signed an agreement to allow them a 24 hour presence. This is the same mayor that had 48 Occupiers arrested in the days before the agreement was signed. It was the pressure brought to bear that changed the mayor's actions, not his sympathy. To pull examples from other times and places: did Gandhi and the Indian National Congress win India’s independence by trying to get sympathizers elected to British Parliament? Did postal workers in 1970 wait for allies in congress to allow them to organize? In both cases the answer is a resounding “NO!”-they organized and forced the hand of the government.

These examples and dozens more prove that getting change is not dependent on having friends in high places. If you have the people on your side the government will follow. That’s the task the Occupy movement needs to be focusing on: building support among the people and organizing that support. There is still much to be done, particularly when it comes to education. 60% of Americans say they don’t know enough about the Occupy Movement to have an opinion: we must educate them. Reaching out to organized labor (without being in thrall to them). Networking with other Occupy movements. Reaching out to underrepresented communities. These are the ways the Occupy movement will grow and build power-not by trying to get Democrats in office. The weapons of the 99% aren't congresses and city halls-those are controlled by the 1%. The weapons on the 99% are mass protests, mass occupations, mass strikes, and direct actions. The key part of all of these is the support and participation of the mass of the people, not government officials.

None of this is to say that electoral politics has no place: it does. The battle against SB 5 here in Ohio was one such example. However, that is the exception, not the norm. When most people refer to 'electoral politics' they are referring to elections. Participating in elections can be a good and necessary action, but when your system is broken and fundamentally undemocratic (one of the theses behind the OWS movement, correct?) it is counter-productive and downright suicidal for a movement like ours to make elections its primary or even a major concern.

Since this post has gone longer than anticipated and answering the second part of the argument for electoral politics will run at least as long I’m going to save that for a part 2. So check back soon.

Event: From Tahrir to Occupy

2011-11-18T22:31:00.003-05:00

From Tahrir to Occupy

This is what a revolution looks like

Within the Occupy Movement, one word has been repeated again and again by activists: REVOLUTION!

Active for almost 3 months, the movement started out demanding accountability from the 1%, but it has turned into something larger. From Wall Street to Portland and everywhere in between citizens are turning out to demand change, true democracy and the freedom to control their lives.

Not unlike our brothers and sisters in Egypt, we are fighting against a system that has shown itself to be repressive and anti-democratic. We are finding out more and more, with the police raids on encampments in Denver, Oakland, New York and beyond, that the 1% are afraid of the 99% getting organized.

Join the Cincinnati International Socialist Organization as we talk about how this movement is different than any we’ve seen in America before, and how it has the makings of something truly revolutionary.

Friday December 2nd, 7:30 PM, University of Cincinnati - 256 McMicken Hall

Occupy Cincinnati

2011-10-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

A quick note about Occupy Cincinnati. There's been so much going on, and we're all wrapped up in organizing, so it's been difficult to take a snapshot for an update to the blog.

The occupation started in earnest October 8th with a march on Fountain Square that was reported by many mainstream news outlets. 1000 people are hard to ignore! Indeed the amount of press this movement has generated and maintained is impressive.

Due to a number of event conflicts Piatt Park finally was chosen as the 24 hr home of the occupation. It has symbolism as being the first public park in Cincinnati. The group maintained a constant presence until October 21st, when 24 people were arrested for staying in the park after hours. There is no public 24 hour space in Cincinnati and that is our main focus right now. The park board changed the rules on Thursday to say that people staying after hours will be arrested (they were previously just being ticketed). The new rules were welcomed as the "Cincinnati Parks Patriot Act."

So basically the people were arrested and hauled off. 100+ supporters witnessed from the street (the park sits in the middle of a boulevard), chanting the usual chants. As you may have heard, Carl Lindner, a capitalist who has owned Chiquita, American Financial, and a few other Cincinnati Businesses died Wednesday. They had a 15 mile parade in his honor, which happened to come by the park. They cleared us out just in time.

Early Friday, the people were bailed and then the crowd returned for 10 more arrests. The plan is to continue until we have a 24 hour occupation location. We're hoping that these arrests, though not violent, have galvanized the movement to a certain degree.

General Assemblies are held typically every night at 6pm in the park. Attendence of over 100 people is common, and in addition to dealing with the logistics of the movement, several points have been agreed for the platform. In general they are Justice, International Solidarity, and Equality. Under these headings specific points of unity have been approved.

Check out http://occupycincy.org to learn more, watch a live feed, and join the movement!

Billy Bragg - The Red Flag

2011-10-22T10:46:00.000-04:00

Immortal Technique - Peruvian Cocaine

2011-10-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

The Radio Dept - Heaven's on Fire

2011-10-08T10:37:00.001-04:00

Immortal Technique - The Poverty of Philosophy

2011-10-01T08:31:00.001-04:00

2011-09-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

Almost a year old, but as relevant an analysis of the crisis today as it was then.

Teachers Strike to Demand Fair Work Environment at Cincinnati State

2011-09-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

Students gather outside of Cincinnati State to stand with their striking professors.

The 200 instructors who are members of the Cincinnati State chapter of the American Association of University Professors will return to work Friday after a week-long strike that brought the school to its knees. The strike was particularly significant at this time; Ohio Senate Bill 5, much like Wisconsin’s Budget Repair bill, strips unionized public sector workers of their rights to collectively bargain and makes the act of striking illegal in the name of saving the state money (on pensions and other benefits that the workers enjoy). A statewide vote will take place in November over whether to keep the highly controversial law in place, in the meantime, teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public sector workers retain these rights.

Over the course of the year, contract negotiations had been taking place, but with the backdrop of SB5 passing and going into effect, before it was stalled by petitioning, there had been limited headway made. Only in the last few weeks did the administration and board of trustees of Cincinnati state get serious about their proposals.

Other community colleges in the state would require only around 30 “contact” hours for each (two-session) semester, after the switch from quarters, the contract that Cincinnati State faculty were offered would have required them to work upwards of 40 contact hours. These increased hours do not come with increased compensation and professors were worried that they wouldn’t be able to devote the time they need to the classes they will have to teach. These contact hours are only the time that they are in the classroom with students, they don’t include grading assignments, preparing course materials, holding office hours or attending meetings. The faculty expect to work around 54 hours each week after the switch. Their workload would increase around 25% under the contract offered, severely limiting their ability to be effective educators.

“It’s about the students,” said one for the professors on the picket line Thursday. Another remarked that their “relationship with their students” would be in trouble, worrying that they wouldn’t be able to give the personal attention that students and faculty enjoy. After effectively shutting the college down for a week, they are returning because they don't want the students to fall behind.

And the students have shown their support as well. As the picketing died down Thursday afternoon, a group of about a dozen students joined their professors on the line. On Wednesday over 200 students held a walkout of their classes in solidarity their professors. A group of students then walked up to the president of the university, O’dell Owens’s office and demanded answers. “We have failed you,” he said to them, clearly showing that it was the administration’s unwillingness to give the professors a fair deal that led to the strike. One faculty member on the line reported her American Sign Language class being taught by a Spanish instructor, there were also reports that an algebra class was taught by a chemistry teacher as well as some other mismatches. Most classes were only running for a few minutes: students would show up, attendance would be taken, and then they would be sent on their way.

The professors see themselves as the guinea pigs of the state’s new policy direction. The reactionary measures being pushed by Governor John Kasich at the state level, and the Board of Trustees (a few of which are outspoken Kasich supporters) at Cincinnati State effect all of the workers in the state, unionized or not. Cincinnati State’s AAUP is seeing some of the first clear repercussions of SB5; they are going back to work in good faith, but it appears that negotiations will not resume until after the statewide vote, clearly because of the administration’s hope that the measure will pass and SB5 will remain in effect. At that point, faculty won’t even have a seat at the table, and will be forced to sign whatever contract (probably the one they struck over) is given to them.

Though it is probably premature and misplaced to call this strike a victory -- holding out until the administration caved would have been a much more ambitious (and, arguably, achievable) goal, a few valuable results did occur as a result. For one, it promoted a sense of consciousness among the faculty and they got an idea of how much power they have. Their numbers, together, made them a big fish on campus. It also helped the faculty develop a sense of camaraderie that, even though they were members of the same union and worked in the same place, was lacking. The faculty were dispersed in small groups at each entrance to the campus, upon talking to them about their feelings on the strike, each group echoed variations on the phrase "we've grown closer to each other and to our students as a result of this."

One professor likened the outcome of this strike and the SB5 referendum as a “domino effect;” if they are forced to make harsh compromises on their campus, then they will only be the first in a line of changes that threaten the entire public university system in the state. Another new state program, the enterprise university plan, which is being developed right now, would partially privatize public institutions in the state. Schools would get less money from the state and have to make it up from contributions from business interests. The fear is that these schools would indirectly become beholden to the will of these companies, effectively becoming charter universities. Not only does this plan threaten the programs which are socially minded, marginalized or unprofitable, it also threatens the affordability of an already expensive public education.

SB5 strips workers in the state of their basic democratic rights, and it is time people start using them. The “ripple effect” as one professor called it, can have consequences on all sorts of rights, not only for workers, it is worth noting that there is also a voter suppression bill that citizens turned in over 300,000 signatures to have a referendum over in 2012. The staff at Cincinnati State successfully got their message across and made their value clear to the university, this is the example that workers should take with them as they find their jobs threatened.

And the community must support them. No one should be happy with their situation until all enjoy justice.

Class War?

2011-09-28T00:09:00.003-04:00

Just look at them. It sickens. Lest you forget, the enemy in the struggle is not simply the system, but the owning, capitalist, class. They are not faceless, and they are not simply cogs in a machine. They act with intention and class consciousness. They exploit us, they grow rich from our toil, and they disdain us. They hold us in utter contempt, and in so doing make themselves contemptible.

In the past, they have refrained from such public and blatant displays of condescension - but no more. They have grown complacent and decadent, and the time has come for the people to unite peacefully and show them that they cannot act with impunity forever. They may have control of the apparatus of state and the public offices of the land, but there still exists the ideal principle of one person one vote, and we must unite to make that ideal reality through direct non-violent political action.

Workers! The exploiters have shown that they have class consciousness. Do you?

Event: What is Socialism All About?

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000-04:00

Where: McMicken 46 (University of Cincinnati campus)
When: Wednesday, October 5th - 7PM

If there's one good thing to come out of the current crisis, perhaps it's the proof that capitalism is a dead end.

Sure, it works, but for whom? While working people, students, and their families suffer, the bankers and politicians who brought us this crisis are doing better than ever.

With neither of the mainstream political parties offering anying but austerity, people are turning to socialist ideas.

Join Professor Pranav Jani from the Columbus branch of the ISO for an open dialogue on reshaping our society to work for the majority.

Facebook Event Page

Occupy Wall Street

2011-09-24T19:28:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post to remind everyone that under capitalism:
1) The press is only as free as its corporate masters
Occupy Wall Street being ignored
and
2) That capitalism depends on the application of state violence for the continued "consent" of the population.

Chemical Workers Song

2011-09-24T09:13:00.000-04:00

The View of Georgia from Cincinnati

2011-09-22T20:54:00.000-04:00

On September 21st 2011 the State of Georgia murdered an innocent man by lethal injection. Despite a flawed legal process, involving several trials and last minute appeals, Troy Davis was executed without any evidence against him and after several "witnesses" recanted their forced testimonies.

There was an outpouring of support for Troy around the world, including the entire continent of Europe: "Serious and compelling doubts have persistently surrounded the evidence on which Mr. Davis was convicted, and these were recognized by the appeal judges. The European Union therefore calls for his execution to be urgently commuted."

However the President of the United States, which by the way includes Georgia, did not offer a single word or action on the subject. The very next day he was here in Cincinnati speaking at Hilltop Concrete about his American Jobs Act - in a word, campaigning. He was too busy trying to boost his poll numbers to shine the light on an appalling miscarriage of justice. Too much of a downer for the campaign trail.

Obama did not seem to grasp that he was speaking in a city that had to have the Department of Justice review of its police force in 2001 after a number of unnecessary deaths at the hands of the Cincinnati PD. The killing of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed Black man fleeing arrest for traffic violations, in particular led to riots in the city. The department was subject to independent monitoring of its use of force until 2007.

This same federal agency should be focusing energetically on the State of Georgia's broken justice system. The Department of Justice should be investigating Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, the entire Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Savannah Police Department. Then there might be some actual justice in this case.

Open Letter: John Boehner is a socialist?

2011-09-22T14:22:00.004-04:00

Note: This letter is in response to a claim by David Lewis, a Tea Party candidate for Ohio's 8th congressional district, that his republican opponent, John Boehner is a socialist. View the video here. It was submitted to a number of local publications and a copy was mailed to Mr. Lewis.

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The membership of the Cincinnati branch of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) would like to set the record straight regarding Speaker of the House John Boehner's socialist credentials. On Monday the 19th, David Lewis, a Tea Party candidate for Ohio's 8th congressional district went on Fox News and told anchor Neil Cavuto that "John Boehner is a socialist."

We were as surprised as anyone to learn this, since none of our membership could recall Mr. Boehner ever having attended meetings of the organization. We thought that perhaps Mr. Lewis was suggesting that he was a member of the Socialist Party of Ohio, but party members could find no record of Speaker Boehner ever having even attended a meeting.

We weren't content to leave it at that, though. There are many other socialist parties on the left, and there are more every day. We telephoned our friends in Solidarity, another socialist organization, but they didn't count Mr. Boehner among their ranks either. Neither did the Democratic Socialist of America, nor the Socialist Equality Party. Mr. Boehner could well be a member of some party we hadn't heard of. In the interest of thoroughness, we took the time to make a brief review of Mr. Boehner's track record to see if there was anything in it to suggest that he is a member of a Socialist organization.

What we found is that Mr. Boehner has:
-Called raising taxes on the rich and corporations "class warfare"
-Said that the campaign for Palestinian self-determination was part of a "Triple Threat" against Israel
-Distributed bribes from tobacco lobbyists on the house floor.
-Acquired his personal wealth through the exploitation of workers inherent in capitalist production.
-Removed money from public schools with vouchers.
-Opposes democratic ideas like collective bargaining and trade unionism.
-Opposed single-payer healthcare.
-Proposed raising the Social Security retirement age to 70

In short, we have found is that capitalism seems to have no better friend than John Boehner, and that he, if anything, is categorically an enemy of working people everywhere and therefore by definition not a socialist.

Socialists fight for a just and equitable world; a world free of exploitation. Socialists are at the forefront of a number of struggles: the movement to stop war and occupation, fights against racism and anti-immigrant scapegoating, the struggle for women's rights like the right to choose abortion, opposing anti-gay bigotry, and standing up for workers' rights. John Boehner is on the opposite side of all of these fights.

Accordingly, we have contacted Mr. Lewis and requested that he cease referring to John Boehner as a Socialist, because we fear that people will come to some seriously negative (and mistaken) conclusions about socialism as a result of his remarks.

State Murder Must End

2011-09-21T23:06:00.014-04:00

Troy Davis was killed tonight by the state of Georgia, the Pardon and Parole Board, the Supreme Court, and the United States. The upholding of his execution, in spite of all but 2 non-police witnesses recanting their testimony, another man confessing to the crime, no weapon and no DNA, illustrates that we do not have a justice system. We have an injustice system. This case also shows the true nature of the death penalty. It is a racist institution and Troy's murder is a 21st century lynching. Only the authoritarian system we live in, which promotes imperialism on its own shores, would commit such an atrocious act.

The Supreme Court of the US first refused to hear Troy's case, in spite of these changes in the evidence (including new evidence that may have exonerated him), then, after playing mind games with the entire world in the 11th hour, they let his execution go ahead. This institution is one of many in our country that will be under the control of capitalists and elevate their conservative cause until we liberate it so it will serve the people.

The ISO will continue its fight against the death penalty. We will continue to fight for the rights of all people. Troy's death will not be in vain.

This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me - Troy Davis

Don't mourn, organize. - Joe Hill

Some Success

2011-09-21T21:48:00.002-04:00

Delay of Execution in Troy Davis case

On Friday, the Cincinnati Branch of the ISO marched in solidarity with Amnesty International and Ohioans to Stop Executions in support of Troy Davis. We stress that this is a temporary success and your continued agitation on the behalf of Troy Davis is needed.

Troy's Amnesty International Page

He has been on the verge of execution on three other occasions.
This surely must constitute psychological torture, of such a magnitude as to violate the Eighth Amendment. Regardless, it is offensive in the eyes of decent people everywhere, and especially socialists.

Shipbreaking - Food for thought

2011-09-18T00:59:00.000-04:00

This twenty minute documentary (2 parts) by the Mumbai Port Trust Dock and General Employees Union sheds light on the actual conditions of work in developing countries.

Capitalist economists frequently try to explain why work is done overseas, rather than in developed countries, by recourse to the bankrupt notion of "comparative advantage." In this neat little bit of sophistry, they argue that countries should produce those goods and services in which they have an "advantage" over other countries, and then trade, to the benefit of all. The classic example (cribbed from Wikipedia) proceeds:

Suppose that in a particular city the best lawyer happens also to be the best secretary, that is he would be the most productive lawyer and he would also be the best secretary in town. However, if this lawyer focused on the task of being a lawyer and, instead of pursuing both occupations at once, employed a secretary, both the output of the lawyer and the secretary would increase, as it is more difficult to be a lawyer than a secretary.

Lovely! However, the world doesn't work in any way that remotely resembles a capitalist economics textbook.

As the documentary so movingly demonstrates, the "advantage" enjoyed by developing nations is nothing more than conditions of poverty and inadequate regulation that enable staggering exploitation and immiseration of workers. Is this just? Of course not. Is anyone made better off? Not the Indian workers who lose their lives, the citizenry of nations polluted by the offshoring of heavy industry, and not the working class of developed nations, whose wages are depressed and livelihoods vanish. One group of people, however, is vastly enriched: the capitalists who own these industries and reap all the profits of this increased rate of exploitation.

Save Troy Davis Rally

2011-09-12T20:33:00.001-04:00

Troy Davis is set to be executed in just 2 weeks. We need to stand in opposition to this decision and stand behind Troy. There is too much doubt and it is very likely Georgia will execute an INNOCENT MAN.

Co Sponsors:

Cincinnati International Socialist Organization

UC Amnesty International

Ohioans To Stop Executions

Tentative plans for the demonstration: We will be meeting at the Corner of Clifton and MLK, the same location that the solidarity rallies for the arab spring took place. There will be a few speakers from local groups to talk about the work they do and how it relates to this case. There will be a petition available to sign at the event.

Even if you will not be able to attend an event in Cincinnati, please sign the petition: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=12970

This event is Cosponsored by the Cincinnati ISO and the University of Cincinnati's Amnesty International.

From: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis

Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row — even though the case against him has fallen apart.

The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles — the principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.

An execution date for Troy Davis is scheduled for September 21! In the days before Davis' execution, the Georgia Board of Pardons & Paroles will hold a final clemency hearing – a final chance to prevent Troy Davis from being executed.

Facebook Event Page

See You in Cincinnati to Protest ALEC!

2011-04-20T20:36:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: ALEC Protest Press Team
Tel. (614) 259-8146
Email: contact@protestalec.org
Website: www.seeyouincincinnati.com

PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION AGAINST ALEC’S ANTI-SOCIAL POLICIES

Planned Teach-ins Offer Public Interest Alternatives

They meet in secret. They write our laws. And they want us silent.

On April 29^th, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the organization responsible for the recent surge in anti-social legislation targeting working people, women, ethnic and racial minorities, and the LGBTQ community will be holding their spring strategy task force meeting at the Netherlands Plaza Hilton in downtown Cincinnati.

This organization has been a coordinating force behind the recent attempts to strip public workers of their human right to bargain collectively in Ohio and Wisconsin. In Indiana, the organization has provided model text for resolutions calling for an end to much federal environmental regulation. Throughout the Midwest, ALEC has promoted voter ID laws that will disproportionately impact student and lower income communities. In 2009, ALEC model legislation formed the basis for over 800 pieces of state legislation. Despite this high level of influence, ALEC has refused to publicly disclose its donors, elected members, the text of its model legislation, and where this has influenced state legislation.

The ALEC Protest Team will be coordinating a day of protest against ALEC’s anti-social policies on April 29^th. At Noon, we will be holding a public demonstration at Fountain Square. (Corner of Vine & 5^th) A number of leaders active in the fight to protect the public interest in Ohio and beyond will be speaking at the event. This demonstration has been endorsed by Noam Chomsky and a number of others unable to attend.
The fight for the public interest begins in Cincinnati this spring. Plans are currently being made to carry opposition to ALEC’s anti-social policies forward to their fall meeting in New Orleans.

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Media is advised to check in behind the main stage (on Vine St) prior to the start of the demonstration. More information, including time and location of teach-ins is available on our website, www.seeyouincincinnati.com. To schedule an interview, please call (614) 259-8146 or email contact@protestalec.org.

Kasich's Reverse Robin Hood Budget

2011-03-17T23:43:00.000-04:00

On the Ides of March, thousands of Cincinnatians gathered downtown at Fountain Square to rally against Governor Kasich’s proposed budget and Senate Bill 5. The demonstration was organized by Stand Up For Ohio. A handful of speakers representing various unions, the College Democrats, and city council, voiced their opposition to SB5 and the budget cuts. At least a dozen similar actions were held in other cities across the state.

Ohio supposedly faces a $8 billion deficit over the next two years. Kasich’s proposals include selling five Ohio prisons, cutting funding to local governments and schools, revamping Medicaid, doubling the number of vouchers to send children to private schools, lifting the cap on charter schools, and leasing the Division of Liquor Control to help pay for the new, private JobsOhio economic development program. This forces local governments - and the people they serve - to bear the burden of the budget deficit.

Many of these ideas are complete nonsense. There is no reason why leasing a state entity like the Division of Liquor Control, which makes money for the state, to a private entity will lead to more income for the state of Ohio. The same goes for his proposals on the profitable Ohio turnpike and the Ohio lottery.

One of the themes of Kasich's budget can be called "passing the buck" or "bait and switch." Fiscal conservatives voted for Kasich hoping to inaugurate a government with a responsible money policy. Instead like so many investors, they've been tricked by a former Lehman Brothers banker. Not only is Kasich cutting the amount of state funds that typically go to local governments, he is reducing their forms of income. Revenue from personal income tax, the commercial activities tax, electric and gas utilities, and insurance companies, for example, are being directed toward the state General Revenue Fund in greater proportions and away from local governments and school districts. In some cases the local and school shares are being phased out completely.

In short Kasich is defunding local government. For all his talk about giving school districts, cities, and towns the tools they need to run healthy budgets, what he's really doing is creating panics at the local level that will show up as desperate tax levies in May and November later this year. He's shifting responsibility for public education, libraries, and other services from the state to local taxpayers. That would have a huge impact on the already wide disparity in education and other services throughout the state and increase competition among local governments in the race to the bottom to attract business and retain jobs. The degree to which local officials have to prostrate themselves before business leaders to attract or retain jobs in their locality is shameful as it is now.

Perhaps most shocking is how this crisis has been manufactured and that many of these proposals would be on the table, regardless of a deficit. Just the other day Wayne Struble, one of Kasich's policy advisers, was quoted in the Columbus Dispatch saying, "Even if there weren't an $8 billion deficit, we'd probably be proposing many of the same things."

Since 2004 Ohio has embarked on a major revision of the tax code. Proponents of the changes would call them reforms. The Ohio Department of Taxation estimates that taxpayers are saving roughly $2.1 billion each year as a result of changes to tax laws beginning in 2005 (under Republican Gov. Bob Taft), when Ohio began phasing out taxes on corporate profits and lowering individual tax rates. That's more than half of the biennial budget shortfall that the Kasich administration is claiming.

Real solutions to Ohio's budget shortfall might be to add higher income tax brackets (right now the highest bracket tops out at $201,800) to make up for the 21% rate cut since 2005, stop sending public money to private charter schools, expand the State Infrastructure Bank to service the state's debt and provide loans for more than just transportation projects, and increasing taxes on luxury items or vices (cigarettes and alcohol).

We also need an honest dialogue about Ohio's real financial situation. If there is a $8 billion shortfall, why does Kasich's 2012-2013 budget contain $5 billion MORE in expenditures than Strickland's last 2010-2011 budget? There definitely is a problem here, and it's not the making of ordinary Ohioans. Kasich is a corporate stooge and probably doesn't care much about reelection, so waiting for the next election cycle will be far too late. Our only options are to fight him every step of the way, making sure his efforts are in vain, or to recall him as soon as possible.

Scenes from SB5 Protest in Columbus

2011-02-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

What happens when over 4000 Ohioans protest right-wing attacks on labor, students, and families? See for yourself:

Special kudos to the folks who made the bus :)

Way to Go, Wisconsin

2011-02-21T21:03:00.001-05:00

As Ohio State Senators debate Senate Bill 5, which would strip public employees of collective bargaining rights in their unions, Wisconsin's protests have been as loud and vibrant as ours need to be. Workers packed the Capitol building last week (read about it here), and we're going to have to keep it up.

Tuesday the 22nd is expected to be the last day for debate. Protesters will be gathering at the Statehouse at 1pm tomorrow for the hearing at 3:30. Be there! The resistance to this bill probably will make Kasich think twice about what cuts he proposes in his budget next month. Let's give him plenty to think about.

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127973343942048

Take a look at this music video from the Wisconsin protests:

Meet Sherry Wolf at UC March 5th!

2011-02-20T11:54:00.002-05:00

Sherry Wolf will be coming to Cincinnati in two weeks! Mark your calendars and bring your friends - you don't want to miss this!

When: March 5th, 2011 @ 7pm
Where: 450 Lindner Center, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, OH

The author of Sexuality and Socialism, Wolf will be discussing the historical development of LGBT oppression, the significance of recent events like the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and LGBT suicides, and where the movement for LGBT liberation can go from here.

Wolf has written for publications including the Nation, MRZine, CounterPunch, DissidentVoice, New Politics, and SocialistWorker.org. Wolf also served on the executive committee of the 250,000 strong National Equality March in 2009. She has done interviews with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!, on Pacifica Radio, in BusinessWeek, and on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

We will have copies of Sherry Wolf's book for sale that she might be persuaded to sign, and there will be an after-party - details TBA at the event!

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Mubarak's Got to Go!

2011-02-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

As ordinary Egyptians continue occupying the streets and demanding democratic reforms, solidarity events are happening all over the world. Here's a video with interviews from a honk-and-wave rally in Cincinnati: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKRkedgvTbs

Make sure to check out http://socialistworker.org/ for daily updates!

Reading Group This Sunday

2011-01-20T20:18:00.000-05:00

This Sunday at 2:00pm in Baba Budan's (239 W. McMillan St.), we will be discussing Chapter 3, Why Capitalism Cannot Solve the Problem, of Ecology and Socialism by Chris Williams. Come by on a Sunday afternoon and express your opinion in a relaxed atmosphere.

The reading is available here: http://www.mediafire.com/?5w1mbm7x0c53zn6 (make sure you're getting Ecology and Socialism.zip and not something from one of the advertisers)

This is the only chapter we will put online.

We will take orders for the book to read for the next event, tentatively the 6th of February. The cost is $14, and purchasing the book is highly encouraged to continue with the group. We will attempt to find articles outside of the book to contribute to the reading, but they are no substitute for the book itself.

A cold reception for Kasich

2011-01-17T19:14:00.000-05:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio--John Kasich became Ohio's new governor on January 10. But before he was even sworn in, he was met with resistance from the Defend Ohio Campaign, which held a protest outside the statehouse during a pre-inauguration celebration. Approximately 150 people from around the state participated in a march downtown.

It was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and protesters chanted, "I don't know but I've been told, Kasich's heart is mighty cold!" They were referring to the steep budget cuts he's proposed, including 20 percent or more from education, even though the state already does not fund public education to the level required by law.

Speakers included Jobs With Justice organizer Deb Steele, Rev. Eric Brown, former Green Party gubernatorial candidate Bob Fitrakis, Pat O'Connell of Free the Planet at Ohio State University, Bob Parks of the Ohio State Labor Party, environmental justice advocate Elisa Young, and community activist Ruben Castilla Herrera.

During a brief speech, Cincinnati teacher Dan LaBotz, who ran as a Socialist Party candidate for one of Ohio's U.S. Senate seats last November, summed up the situation: "How many people here like the public library? How many went to public schools? How many people use the public parks? Any of you drink the water from the public water works? Did you drive here on the public highway?"

Each question was answered with raised hands and affirmations. He continued, "They want to sell all of those things! They want to sell them off and get rid of the public employees, who are union members."

Kasich's attempt to blame public employees and funding of public services like education and Medicare for Ohio's budget deficit simply don't add up. Ohio's budget has to be viewed in the context of the national crisis, whether Kasich wants to or not. Unemployment and foreclosures mean less payroll and real estate taxes are being collected.

Kasich's refusal to accept federal aid and money to develop a passenger rail system between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati--which would help create jobs--flies in the face of his goal to balance the budget.
What he's really after is using the recession to further a conservative agenda that cuts health care and education, guts unions, and bleeds the state dry. This is what it means to be more "business friendly."

If Saturday's protest is any indication, Kasich will be met with resistance every step of the way.

www.socialistworker.org

RALLY to Stop Kasich Before He Gets Started!

2010-12-31T11:47:00.001-05:00

Governor-elect Kasich has promised cuts throughout the State of Ohio, the same type of austerity agenda that has deepened the economic crises throughout Europe. He wants to force the working class to pay for the financial catastrophe caused by rich bankers and speculators. Politicians like Kasich are using the national recession as a pretext for gutting social services like education and Medicaid and driving down public employee wages. Working people already are having a more difficult time than usual making ends meet, with the official unemployment rate around 10%.

We're going to have to fight Kasich every step of the way on this, and we're starting January 8th to send him a message right before he takes office. There will be a rally in Columbus followed by a march to the Statehouse. Go check out http://defendohiocampaign.com/ for the latest information. There's also a link to join the Defend Ohio Campaign. Please forward the call throughout the State and contact your local ISO branch to see about carpooling.

Don't DREAM, Don't Tell

2010-12-19T11:19:00.001-05:00

While "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is being formally repealed (the only thing left is for Obama to sign the bill), the policy will not end until the military studies the matter further and implements measures to ensure that lifting the ban is not "disruptive". This has been a common thread since Obama took office - the policy is unjust, but the country can't afford to overhaul the military in a time of war. This very sentiment reeks of the discrimination that Obama supposedly stands against. It implies that non-heterosexuals are somehow different when it comes to serving our country. In the end it illustrates a common theme of Obama's Presidency thus far: his actions (or inactions) speak louder than his words.

The DREAM Act failed to gain the "filibuster-proof" 60 votes without Republicans having to break a sweat. I don't believe that Republicans have had to use the filibuster since the Democrats achieved a majority, but that's because Democrats have spared them the burden. If Republicans want to stand in the way of bills, they should have to stand there as long as it takes. Let's see how much they really care about the issues when they have to occupy the floor for hours on end like Senator Sanders did a week ago (Watch Here), when he was speaking out against Obama's tax "compromise" with the Republicans.

I also wanted to share a photography exhibition by Edward Burtynsky on the subject of oil. He shows pictures of oil fields, our motor culture, and the environmental and human cost of it all. The pictures of mountains of discarded tires and people wading through oil at some kind of recycling facility in Bangladesh are especially powerful. See it here.

Cincinnati ISO blog is back!

2010-12-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

The site is now under construction, so it looks a bit bare at the moment, but we intend to make good use of it. This will be a universal focal point to get information out to people who are not on Facebook or Google. Expect to find plans for local events, national and local news stories, articles written by ISO members and others, and plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Our first meeting of 2011 will be on the 4th (a Tuesday) at 7pm in Swift 619 at UC. We'll be talking about our plans for the quarter, including a campus debate and bringing Sherry Wolf. There's also a rally sponsored by the Defend Ohio Campaign that will take place in Columbus on the 8th. This will focus on fighting against Kasich's right-wing agenda of massive cuts in the public sector and services (like education and health care) that people need.

If you're on Facebook please RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162944330415727