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| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx  xxx xxx  xxx                   |
| xx xx x xx xx   xx x x  x  x  x   x       Issue #18      |
| x x x x x x x   x xx x  x  x  xx   xxx                   |
| x   x x x   x   x  x x  x  x  x       x   12/21/85       |
| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx   x  xxx  xxx                   |
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|    Newspaper of the Maoist Internationalist Movement     |
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   APARTHEID DOOMED
   
   IMMIGRATION TIDE TURNING AGAINST APARTHEID
   Since the riots in South Africa in Soweto in 1976, the 
number of jittery white South Africans who left the country 
equalled the number attracted by opportunities to exploit. 
Today, according to the Wall Street Journal, the tide has 
turned. ("Pulling Out: White South Africans Flee Country, 
Fearing A Grim Future There, 12/13/85, p. 1)
   10% of South Africa's white population says it will get 
out by 1990. Many more are making efforts to find the means 
of selling houses and collecting up money to leave. 
Apparently, many would like to leave, but the position of the 
South African currency (rand) is so poor that whites do not 
have the means of selling their property and going anywhere 
else where they would have the hope of regaining their former 
lifestyle. (Ibid.)
   At the same time, South African businesses are failing at 
a record rate, twice that of four years ago. ("Bankruptcies 
Rise in South Africa As Strife Undercuts Economy," Wall 
Street J., 12/20/85, p. 19) This is a good lesson in 
dialectics: even when the capitalists think they have it so 
good, their success in exploitation unexpectedly blows up in 
their face.
   The pressure of the Black revolt supported broadly in 
world public opinion is too much for the white population of 
South Africa, which owes its middle class status to the sweat 
of Black laborers. The emigration of the whites leaves the 
white settler government in that much more of a desperate 
position. Already white men serve a three year mandatory 
service in the armed forces, which have duties in sabotaging 
Black African nations all over the southern half of the 
continent. In the latest action, South African troops moved 
further into Angola in pursuit of Namibian guerrillas trying 
to wrest control of their country from South African 
colonialism. (Wall Street Journal, 12/20/85)
   There will be a growing shortage of people to hold down 
the Black people. Apartheid is wearing thin.
   
   NEW RIGHT ORGANIZES WHILE REAGAN STALLS ON SOUTH AFRICA
   Joining the efforts of Jerry Falwell and Rev. Moon to 
rally public opinion to prop up South Africa is Accuracy in 
Media. Accuracy in Media is a New Right watchdog of the press 
that sees a liberal bias in most news-reporting.
   The extreme isolation of apartheid in public opinion has 
driven the New Right into desperate exhortations. Reed 
Irvine, who is chairman of Accuracy in Media published an 
editorial in USA Today that supports the ban of foreign mass 
media from South Africa and restrictions on all journalists 
covering riots. At the moment two British TV cameramen are 
being charged by a Johannesburg court for inciting riot. 
(Wall Street Journal, 12/20/85, p.1)
   In characteristic New Right fashion, the editorial nowhere 
makes the obligatory criticisms of apartheid that even Reagan 
makes to cover up his lack of effective action to end U.S. 
support for the white settler regime in South Africa 
(Azania). Reed Irvine comes right out for repression of 
coverage of oppression with the excuse that the Soviets do 
it, so why can't we?
   By contrast, even the South African ambassador, also 
published in the wonderful pages of USA Today--who next, the 
KKK?--felt it necessary to put up window-dressing. "Since 
1980, South Africa has taken concrete steps to demonstrate 
what it has repeatedly declared--that the era of white 
domination has ended and political participation must be 
extended to blacks."
   Meanwhile, at the Wall Street Journal, disguised fascism 
won more air time. Accuracy in Academia, a spin off of 
Accuracy in Media, which has connections to the John Birch 
Society received top billing in a piece by David Brock on the 
Journal's opinion page. (A few days later the lead story for 
the Wall Street Journal was the new-found credibility of the 
Rev. Moon's newspaper--the Washington Times.)
   David Brock credits Marxism in several ways by his 
criticism. "About 250 ethnic-studies programs now exist on 
campuses, and women's history, written mostly by neo-Marxist 
feminists, is an accepted fixture at many schools." (Wall 
Street Journal, 12/12/85) Furthermore, Marxism's relevance or 
"present-mindedness is a sharp break with traditional 
intellectual standards." (Ibid.)
   In addition to attacking minorities generally, Brock makes 
the disgusting comparison of university professors to people 
in the government. Brock comments that the Marxist professors 
condone the heckling of Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Caspar 
Weinberger. Brock sees the Marxist professors as a major 
danger or source of repression in society.
   As usual for New Right mythology, free speech is for 
people in the United States Government and not for people who 
criticize the government, never mind the Salvadorans and 
South African Blacks, who Weinberger & Co. murder regularly.
   Recently at a campaign puff speech, Bush retorted hecklers 
by saying "try that in Lenin [he means Red] Square"--in other 
words, be thankful for free speech and shut up! To George 
Bush and the rest of the Reagan Administration, MIM NOTES 
makes the following offer. "Go to South Africa!"
   
   JERRY FALWELL SUPPORTS MARCOS TOO
   Lest anyone think fundamentalist leader Jerry Falwell does 
not consistently support semi-fascist regimes like South 
Africa, Jerry Falwell announced that Americans should support 
the dictator of the Philippines--Ferdinand Marcos. The United 
States already plans a $900 million military aid package in 
return for continuing use of two military bases in the 
Philippines. (Detroit Free Press, 11/12/85, p. 4a)
   Question: With the divine backing of Falwell and Moon, why 
does Marcos make "his most important decisions on days that 
either have the number Ô7Õ in them or are divisible by 7?" 
(Chicago Tribune, 11/10/85, p. 7)
   
   INDEPENDENCE YET TO BE WON IN COUNTRIES BORDERING SOUTH 
AFRICA
   Lesotho receives over 50% of its national income from 
miners who "migrate" to South Africa. Mozambique has 60,000 
workers in S. Africa in addition to important port and 
hydroelectricity agreements. As a result, Mozambique and 
Zimbabwe support economic sanctions, but can not afford to 
alienate S. Africa in practice. South Africa keeps all of its 
neighbors in line partly by threatening to expell foreign 
workers. (Detroit Free Press, 11/12/85, p. 1)
   
   THE BEAT GOES ON
   Cubans are fighting the U.S.-backed contras in Nicaragua 
according to Secretary of State Schultz. There are 2,500 
Cuban military advisers in Nicaragua according to Schultz. 
(Detroit Free Press, 12/7/85, p. 1)
   Meanwhile, private American citizens are getting paid 
$1,000 a month to fight with the contras; Spanish neo-Nazis 
are also recruited as mercenaries and somewhere somehow the 
contras bought the capability to shoot down Soviet-made 
helicopters.
   Although Sandinista leader Ortega offered the USA to send 
home the Cubans if the U.S. ends aid to the contras, the 
superpower contention in Nicaragua is heading up a notch. 
Schultz hinted that more military aid will be next for the 
contras if the Cubans continue their role in Nicaragua.
   
   AMERICAN MEDIA DISCOVERS SOVIET MEDIA
   During the past year, Soviet television has shown seens of 
combat in Afghanistan. The coverage depicts the dangers and 
the pursuit of Afghanis by Soviet troops, who occupy 
Afghanistan.
   Like the American media, the Soviet media portrays the 
Soviet Union favorably. Soldiers in Afghanistan are seen as 
doing patriotic duty to the Soviet motherland. Grenada or 
Afghanistan, you be the judge: "The primary purpose of such 
reports has been to invest a little-known and little-
understood conflict with some glory and patriotism." 
("Suddenly, Soviet Media Discover Afghanistan," Detroit Free 
Press, 11/12/85, p. 7a)
   
   YEAR PASSES ON BHOPAL DISASTER--DECEMBER 3RD, 1984
   The Union Carbide chemical gas disaster in Bhopal, India 
that left over 1,750 people dead is still in court. Now Union 
Carbide, threatened with take-over bids by companies that 
promise to run exploitation without being caught, is taking 
the classic blame the victim approach.
   "The Indians were to blame. 'When we put [the plant] 
there, we were outside the city,' Mr. Anderson says, but he 
adds that the Indians allowed the people to settle around it. 
'That's what they do in the Third World.'"
   (Wall Street Journal, 12/26/85, p. 22)
   Union Carbide's anti-Third World consciousness is 
revealing. "It could never happen here," said Chairman 
Anderson to the Congress. However, on August 11th, another 
leak developed, this time in W. Virginia, where 135 people 
were injured. (Ibid.)
   In the American case, chairman Anderson suggested that the 
135 are hypochondriacs. "'I think that if we had a release of 
Aperge [at a plant], 135 would go to the hospital.'" (Ibid.)
   Now Union Carbide claims that the Bhopal disaster was 
sabotage by Sikh militants. (Ibid.)
   On the upbeat side, the Wall Street Journal published 
cheery reports that freedom of exploitation is as great as 
ever in Mexico, India, South Korea and elsewhere. "'The 
disaster didn't result in a generalized attack on 
multinationals,' says Edward Stumpf, the commercial counselor 
at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi." (Ibid.)
   In case anyone was having second thoughts, the race for 
profit is still on. He who hesistates will lose a take-over 
bid.
   
   ANY CAPITALIST CAN BE SENATOR
   The 33 senators elected in 1984 spent an average of almost 
$3 million in their campaigns. House members averaged 
$288,636. (Detroit Free Press, 12/8/85)
   
   MILITARY BUILD-UP PROFITABLE
   The Navy released a study that shows that capitalists make 
more profits on "defense" contracts than in non-"defense" 
work. Some of the Pentagon's 22 major contractors make as 
much as 20% more profit on their war supplies than on other 
commodities. Overall, in 1984 the profit rate for defense 
work was 9.2% compared to a rate of 7.7 to 8.0% for non-
military sales.
   As measured by return on assets, General Dynamics made 49% 
on its military aerospace work while military shipbuilding 
yielded a 44% return. At Boeing, 90% of all profits comes 
from the Pentagon. (Wall Street Journal, "Defense Contracts 
Yield Higher Profits Than Private Work, Navy Study Says.") 
The report shows that the higher profits went along with the 
recent acceleration in military spending.
   
   MERGER MANIA CONTINUED
   In the cut-throat competition to outproduce and undercut 
competitors, companies find it most convenient to buy 
competitors and spread into new areas. An ever smaller number 
of capitalists runs ever larger pieces of the economy.
   Texaco has lost two legal battles in its takeover of Getty 
Oil. Penzoil has charged Texaco with dirty dealing. Forced to 
choose between two members of the capitalist class, who 
should the government award? In this case, Texaco was 
apparently lax in pulling government strings. ("Courting 
Disaster: How Texaco Turned Big Takeover Victory Into Bigger 
Legal Loss," Wall Street Journal, 12/20/85, p.1) Penzoil has 
won a $11.1 billion judgement against Texaco in court.
   General Electric acquired RCA for $6.28 billion. (Wall 
Street Journal, 12/12/85, p. 3) GAF offered $4.13 billion for 
an additional number of shares to takeover control of Union 
Carbide. (Wall Street Journal, 12/13/85, p. 5) 
   
   READERS CRITICIZE AND PRAISE MIM NOTES
   MIM NOTES MAKES SELF-CRITICISM
   In using MIM NOTES as an unofficial tool of collective 
organizing, MIM has sought reactions to MIM NOTES from all 
who read them. Carrying out the mass line, MIM has collected 
up your opinions and is now going to present them back as a 
comprehensive critique of MIM NOTES.
   Most controversially, MIM NOTES started to append typeset 
editorials of a radical/liberal nature that had to do with a 
number of topics. Praise for the editorials is universal in 
that they clearly serve the masses in a very broad, 
informative and comprehensible fashion. The editorials are 
also in service of mass organizations and liberation 
struggles that Maoists would want to serve.
   However, as one person said, "this stuff is worthwhile, 
but it is not revolutionary." With this simple criticism, it 
is clear that MIM should continue to serve the masses, but 
not confuse that service work with MIM NOTES as a collective 
organizer for the creation of a party. Generally, MIM NOTES 
has been attacked for not doing enough theoretical work and 
for not connecting the news to a grasp of Marxism-Leninism 
Mao Zedong Thought. In response to these criticisms, MIM 
NOTES will continue to distribute obscure editorials that are 
in the service of the peoples in Eritrea, East Timor or those 
that the government comes down on in Central America 
solidarity organizations. On the other hand, radical/liberal 
editorials are not to be attached to MIM NOTES and MIM asks 
that the typeset editorials not be distributed as part of MIM 
NOTES. In this way, a political error can be chocked up as 
good experience.
   As for other criticisms of MIM NOTES, the editors make 
self-criticism for laxness. The pace of publication is not 
fast enough; MIM THEORY, the essays for working out 
programmatic positions and theories has been neglected.
   The only way that the problems with MIM's publications can 
be overcome is through reliance on broad numbers of people. 
Once again, we at MIM call on you the reader to support the 
publication with articles and news sources and through 
distribution and contributions.
   Distribution is the key link because only through 
distribution can the power of Mao's mass line be realized. 
Only then will enough political resources come together to 
make MIM NOTES what it should be.