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No to Imperialist War on China

by Jennifer Lin

U.S. Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on economic relief but they recently united to vote for a $740.5 billion military budget (the total war budget is $1.2 trillion). Both are threatening to go to war with China. Trump is sending warships to the Pacific and whipping up hatred against China to get us to ignore the fact that our tax dollars are being looted to fatten the pockets of war profiteers.

From Trump calling COVID-19 “the Chinese virus” to the corporate media spreading lies about China engineering the virus, the U.S. ruling class is blaming China for the pandemic in order to distract us from how they have profited from it. While U.S. billionaires have seen their profits increase by $685 billion since March, at least 170,000 have died from COVID-19 because the U.S. government refuses to provide universal testing, healthcare, medical supplies, and PPE, and mask mandates.

What do we workers have to gain from a war on China? How would having our tax dollars looted to fund another imperialist war make our lives any better? U.S. capitalists want to invade China, take over its land, markets, resources, and exploit the labor of its people so they can continue to accumulate wealth while people suffer, here and abroad. China is attempting to determine its own path as a sovereign country, free from the rule of U.S. imperialism and capitalism.

Instead of blaming China, we should be looking at its response to the pandemic as an example of what’s possible when a government puts people over profits. The Chinese government managed to stop the spread of COVID-19 early on because it immediately provided universal testing, healthcare, PPE, medical supplies, and resources for people to survive quarantine. China has absolutely no interest in a war with the U.S. Not only has it not fought a war in over 40 years, it has upheld its commitment to international solidarity during the pandemic by sending medical personnel and equipment to over 150 countries, including the U.S.

Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains 800 military bases around the world and steals more than $1 trillion of our tax dollars every year for military spending. The $1 trillion could fund our needs for a living wage, universal healthcare, education, and housing ten times over. We have more in common with workers in China and around the world than we do with the rich U.S. ruling class who are killing us so they can get rich. We must stand in solidarity with China and say NO to U.S. imperialism!

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Open Letter: Demand for Relief to Evacuees of Hurricane Laura

An Open Letter to Governor John Bel Edwards & State Representatives

Governor John Bel Edwards 
Speaker of the House Clay Schexnayder 
Senate President Page Cortez 
Senator John Kennedy 
Senator Bill Cassidy 

Dear Governor Edwards, Speaker of the House Schexnayder, Senate President Cortez, Senator  Kennedy, Senator Cassidy: 

The Louisiana Movement for Workers Councils condemns members of the Louisiana  State Legislature and U.S. Congress who, at this moment of crisis, are playing political games.  The special session is clearly more about expanding your power and privileges than it is about  expanding the unemployment fund or providing genuine hurricane relief to the tens of thousands  of Louisianans adversely affected by Hurricane Laura. 

You continue to ignore dire conditions of Hurricane Laura evacuees who need urgent  assistance with income, housing, jobs, mortgages, transportation, and food. The only relief that  has come through was announced for the sake of a photo op. Most aid has been delayed or  bogged down in bureaucratic red tape. Thousands have still not received SNAP, unemployment,  housing alternatives, or cash income.   

While you are renewing or issuing new tax exemptions to profitable corporations and  wealthy individuals, the working people of the affected parishes—on whose backs this state runs —have been left in the dust. 

We call for representatives of the Workforce Commission, SNAP, FEMA, and HUD to  station on-the-ground personnel and equipment. Representatives of these agencies must undo the  bureaucratic holdups by ensuring that: (1) FEMA pay out emergency money every day, all day;  (2) families have homes to stay in temporarily or permanently; (3) a housing repair fund is  provided for the thousands without insurance (because you have allowed insurance rates in  Louisiana to become the most unaffordable in the country); (4) children have computers and  reliable internet to attend classes.   

Every day we are reminded that the rich are getting richer while you ignore the workers’  needs in favor of your own narrow interests. Hurricane Laura has scattered people, leaving  thousands desperate. But folks are organizing. Your inaction and callous disregard will be  remembered.   

Sincerely, 

Louisiana Movement for Workers Councils