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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 #15      |
| 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   09/11/85       |
| 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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   REAGAN'S PHONY SANCTIONS
   
   FRANCE MURDERS GREENPEACE SHIP PHOTOGRAPHER
   Desperate to prevent a flotilla of ships from protesting 
French nuclear testing in the Pacific, so-called socialist 
France secretly blew up and sank a Greenpeace ship that was 
to lead the protest. A photographer on board was killed.
   Greenpeace is an ecology movement organization. The ship 
sank at Auckland in New Zealand.
   Despite international uproar over the terrorist attack on 
the anti-nuclear movement, so-called socialist President 
Mitterand ordered French armed forces to use force if 
necessary to prevent protest in French territorial waters. 
(New York Times, 8/19/85, 1)
   The leaders of France's government espouse "democratic 
socialism." The Socialist Party of France is fraternally tied 
to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
   
   BIG BROTHER CORPORATION
   Struggles within the British Broadcasting Corporation 
(BBC) have brought to light the fact that the British Secret 
Service (M.I.5) secretly controls hiring and firing of the 
BBC staff. The practice of screening out leftist journalists 
has been going on since 1937. (New York Times, 8/22/85, a3)
   Weeks earlier the BBC Board of Governors banned a program 
on Northern Ireland at the request of the British Government. 
A strike of radio and tv journalists for one day resulted. 
(Ibid.)
   It is as if the curtain were pulled on the Wizard of Oz.
   
   CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR FIRES LESBIAN REPORTER
   The Massachusetts Supreme Court backed the Christian 
Science Monitor's firing of lesbian Christine Madsen. Madsen 
had refused to "heal" herself and return to the Church's 
moral law against homosexuality. (New York Times, 8/22/85, 
a16)
   What is immoral about homosexuality? God said so. So even 
the most "enlightened" Christians tell us. Why does God's law 
hold so well where domination and heirarchy already exist?
   
   PROTO-FASCIST MORAL MAJORITY LEADER REVEALS COLORS
   Rev. Jerry Falwell came out in firm support of South 
African President P.W. Botha. He called on Americans to buy 
South African gold coins called Kruggerands and to increase 
their investment in South Africa. In addition, he asked for 
divestment from companies that have pulled out of South 
Africa. Richard A. Viguerie, a New Right fundraiser and 
Herbert B. Berkowitz, a spokesman for the Heritage 
Foundation, in turn backed up Jerry Falwell. (New York Times, 
8/21/85, a3)
   Falwell has promised to use his prime-time television show 
to turn American public opinion around on South Africa. He 
claims that a videotape he made shows that Blacks and whites 
in South Africa oppose economic sanctions against the 
apartheid regime.
   A South African who calls for economic sanctions is 
subject to prison and possibly death by South African law. In 
addition, with the State of Emergency and martial law in 
South Africa, police have unlimited powers. It seems unlikely 
that any South African in South Africa would go on television 
and provide the evidence necessary for his execution by the 
state.
   Even so, recent polls show record levels of support for 
economic sanctions amongst Blacks in South Africa. Even a 
conservative poll that once showed Black opposition to 
Western sanctions against S. Africa has switched over to 
reporting three quarters support for economic sanctions. (New 
York Times, 9/10/85, 4)
   For his part, Richard Viguerie is "'moving heaven and 
earth to get the Senate shored up to sustain a Presidential 
veto'" (Ibid.) of economic sanctions legislation.
   Meanwhile, Reagan himself appears to be vacillating 
slightly. He may be influenced by the argument that "'Yes, 
South Africa is important to us strategically, but the danger 
of losing her strategically is greater if we support a 
Government that is intransigent to change, which is almost 
inevitable in that society.'" (Ibid.)
   South Africa's umpteenth vague promise for major social 
change was ballyhooed in all the bourgeois media including 
Newsweek and Time. Now, after a speech in August by Botha, 
the major media has taken to questioning what exactly those 
changes are going to be.
   Reagan himself signalled the media's change in approach 
when his advisors expressed disappointment in Botha's speech. 
Reagan spoke of a "crisis of confidence" caused by the lack 
of substance in South Africa's supposed reforms.
   For opportunist reasons, Reagan has had to appear to take 
action. He is moving to ban the import of South African 
Kruggerands--gold coins--into the U.S.. Other actions include 
a ban on computer sales to the apartheid government and a 
partial ban on bank loans to S. Africa. Also, companies with 
more than 25 employees will not receive U.S. export 
assistance unless they uphold the Sullivan Principles.
   Reagan's sanctions are mere lip-service to public opinion 
which has turned against the USA's alliance with apartheid. 
The Kruggerand ban matters little because "the gold that 
South Africa cannot sell to the United States could find its 
way here anyway through world market channels." (New York 
Times, 9/10/85) (What, did we think capitalism would stop the 
law of buy and sell just because Reagan said so?) The 
computer ban only makes official what companies had already 
done; that is not sell to the apartheid regime directly. The 
bank loans ban has a loophole for money "needed" for economic 
circumstances, health and education "beneficial" to all 
races. In other words a U.S. bank can loan a S. African bank 
money for economic reasons and the S. African bank can turn 
around and loan the money to the apartheid police and 
military. As for the Sullivan Principles, see the MIM 
literature list for a detailed explanation of their fig-leaf 
role. Finally, the nuclear ban Reagan imposed was already in 
place and even this has exceptions for "humanitarian 
purposes." (New York Times, 9/10/85)
   Reagan tries to appear to the public to be criticizing the 
South African regime while he does nothing of substance 
himself to effect change in South Africa. This allows Botha 
and his supporters like Falwell the chance to rally and wait 
for the current storm to pass.
   For example, Richard A. Viguerie beats the anti-communist-
save-the-Free-World drum rather loudly. In the process, he of 
course presumes that only white rule is possible in South 
Africa. Naturally, with that assumption, he finds it 
impossible to criticize Botha. "'The question is not whether 
they will have a white ruler or a black ruler in South 
Africa.'" "'They'll have white rule for the foreseeable 
future. The question is whether that white ruler will be 
South African or Soviet. The alternative to the current 
Government is a Communist regime. If South Africa falls, 
freedom is not likely to prevail in the rest of the world for 
much longer.'" (New York Times, 8/21/85, a3)
   Viguerie's statement is quite revealing of the ruling 
class. It shows that the American imperialists are desperate 
to hold onto South Africa for fear of losing a world war to 
the Soviets. In that desperation, it is not surprising that 
people like Falwell and Viguerie come to the fore.
   
   CONGRESS APPROVES ALL WAR BUDGET REQUESTS
   A House-Senate conference agreed on a $302.5 billion 
budget that includes $2.75 billion for Star Wars. Every major 
weapons system asked for by the Defense Department gained 
approval. (New York Times, 7/27/85, p. 8) The defense 
contractors (i.e. capitalists) make tremendous profits as 
they prepare materially and psychologically for further war 
for empire. Since the taxpayers and not the capitalists pay 
for the war, the capitalists hope to make profits on new 
resources captured and controlled through war throughout the 
world--e.g. Central America, the Philippines, the Middle East 
and Europe.
   
   MOVE MURDER DETAILS LEAKING OUT
   As we have said in a previous issue of MIM NOTES, the 
Philadelphia police bombing of a radical group called MOVE 
had much manipulation of public opinion behind it. Police and 
firefighters tried to claim that the MOVE group doused itself 
with gasoline and started the fire. At the same time, they 
claimed to have washed away the flammable fluids with water 
cannons before dropping a bomb on the house. No one explained 
why the water cannons were turned off after the bombing that 
started the fire that killed eleven people and destroyed 61 
homes in a Black neighborhood.
   All the lies by the blood-thirsty officials of 
Philadelphia contributed to a sensationalist media portrayal 
of MOVE. Rather than allow their criminal actions come to 
broad public view, the officials blamed the fire and eleven 
deaths on the victims themselves. Happy to slander and 
villify a radical political group, the capitalist-owned and 
produced media tried to make MOVE seem to be engaged in 
suicidal armed struggle with police.
   Unfortunately, now that the issue has died down, the truth 
appears in the back pages of newspapers if at all. A small 
story ("Philadelphia's Fire Marshal Says Police Bomb Ignited 
May 13 Blaze," New York Times, a9) reports the conclusion of 
a so-called investigation. As usual for the methods of state 
officials trying to manipulate public opinion, the results of 
this investigation appear too late to influence public 
opinion.
   In fact, the bombing was premeditated. The police planned 
a year ago to bomb the roof of the MOVE house. (New York 
Times, 8/21/85, a18)What caused police to shoot 10,000 shots 
at a house; firebomb 61 houses and try to blame the victims 
who it now turns out did not fire any shots while the fire 
spread despite firefighter claims? There was never any reason 
to open fire on the MOVE group. Since when do tenants who 
live in unsanitary conditions deserve eviction and death? How 
many slumlords get away with far worse in owning dozens of 
rat-infested firetraps? Where is there a police force that 
would firebomb a landlord for endangering hundreds of 
tenants?
   Although MIM NOTES focuses on the international situation 
and the U.S. war and imperialism abroad, it is important to 
remember, that the more desperate the atmosphere in the U.S. 
government the less it can afford dissidents at home. The 
Philadelphia city government used the national media to 
disseminate disinformation and justify the murder of a non-
mainstream poor, Black dissident group.
   
   CHINA'S STATE CAPITALISTS DO SOMOZA ONE BETTER
   Continuing to admit record levels of economic crime in 
China since the capitalist reorganization of the economy, 
Mainland China's officials disclosed that some Chinese 
officials with contacts with foreigners on Hainan island 
embezzled $1.5 billion. The New York Times reported that 
"such incidents have a disproportionate impact in Peking." 
(New York Times, 8/4/85, 16) In other words, if a country is 
to have the marvelous capitalist system it has to put up with 
such "incidents." The New York Times also tagged Peking for 
overreacting to the smuggling of opium and pornography 
videotapes from the West.
   While it is the standard position of Western newspapers 
and observors to tell China to enact capitalism with spine, 
Deng Xiaoping has encountered difficulties in explaining away 
the seamy side of capitalism. Earlier this year, Deng came 
forth with the statement that communism is still China's 
ultimate goal. Lately, he has had to admit that his economic 
free zones which do business with the West on the West's 
terms, may be failures. Maoists call today's China 
"revisionist" precisely because Deng finds it necessary to 
uphold a facade of Marxism while instituting a capitalist 
counterrevolution. He speaks in the words of communism and 
pretends to abhor the obvious excesses of capitalism in order 
to cover up capitalism in a country with a high political 
awareness and experience with more open forms of class 
exploitation.
   
   UN/ETHIOPIAN REPORT UNDERESTIMATES ERITREA DROUGHT
   A fact-finding study by the UN, U.S. and Ethiopia reports 
that food is reaching the Tigre and Eritrea, which border 
Ethiopia. However, the investigators did not tour in 
guerrilla controlled regions, which include 80% of Eritrea.
   Relief groups actually in the Tigre report that 3.8 out of 
5 million people there need aid and that the situation is 
worsening. (New York Times, 8/4/85, 13) 
   
   STEAM BUILDING FOR DIVESTITURE
   New Jersey will withdraw $2 billion in pension funds from 
U.S. companies that do business in South Africa. (New York 
Times, 8/21/85, 1) In Baltimore, the City Council unanimously 
recommended that its pension funds be pulled out of South 
Africa. $174 million are at stake. It is expected that the 
pension fund trustees will follow through. (New York Times, 
8/21/85, a4)
   
   OTHER SANCTIONS
   Australia is boycotting South African gold and ended 
export assistance to companies trading with South Africa. 
   
   DIVESTMENT PRESSURE CITED IN CORPORATE PULLOUT
   Phibro-Solomon, a financial conglomerate, is withdrawing 
from South Africa. The 12th largest corporation in the USA, 
Phibro-Solomon is one of 17 American companies that have 
withdrawn from South Africa in 1985. (New York Times, 
8/22/85, d1, d15)
   The Smithsonian Institution had recently sold its stock in 
Phibro-Solomon. One financial analyst said that since the 
South Africa share of Phibro-Solomon's business is less than 
1%, it was important for the company to "broaden the appeal 
of its shares for all institutional investors." (Ibid., d15)
   
   IRAN-IRAQ WAR INTENSIFIES
   Iraq is bombing Iran's only oil terminal, which is at 
Kharg Island. Iraq says that it will put an end to Iranian 
oil exports, so that Iran will have no money to conduct its 
war against Iraq.
   One estimate put Iran's export loss at 25% from the single 
bombing attack. Vowing to prevent anyone from exporting oil 
from the Persian Gulf, Iran is bombing oil tankers in the 
Gulf. (New York Times, 8/19/85, a4)
   The Iranian regime has been stretched thin in the war. 
Tens of thousands of soldiers at the front and political 
prisoners at home have been killed for the benefit of 
Khomeini's Islamic theocracy. Economic conditions are already 
strained and a real end to Iranian oil exports may provide a 
revolutionary opportunity should Khomeini try to run the war 
on religion alone.
   
   SOUTH AFRICA
   South Africa has by now detained 1,243 more activists 
under martial law. They are not allowed access to lawyers and 
their names are not available to the public. (New York Times, 
7/31/85, a4) "'More than 620 people, only 2 of them white, 
have died in the violence that has spread across South Africa 
in the last 10 months.'" (New York Times, 8/19/85, a6) 120 of 
those deaths have been in the last month since Botha 
implemented martial law.
   
   ROTTING FOOD AID--reprinted from Adulis
   "According to reliable sources in Addis Abeba, food aid 
for starving Ethiopians is piling up and rotting in the 
Eritrean ports of Asseb and Massawa as well as in the port of 
Djibouti for want of transport to the famine victims. This is 
because the Dergue has allocated most of its transport fleet 
to its military campaigns in Eritrean and northern Ethiopia 
as well as its forcible resettlement program in the south.
   "As a result, UN officials in Ethiopia have advised 
international aid donors not to send new shipments of food to 
Ethiopia until more of the supplies now piled up in the ports 
and warehouses have been moved to relief centres. Aid 
officials say that 60% of the food aid that has arrived in 
Ethiopia since December has yet to be delivered.
   "After a meeting with the Dergue's strongman on 15 June 
1985, Mr Kurt Jansson, the UN assistant secretary-general for 
emergency operations in Ethiopia and Mr Maurice F Strong, 
executive coordinator of the UN Office for Emergency 
Operations in Africa, have stated that there were enough food 
supplies in the country to meet the immediate needs of most 
of the famine victims. During the meeting, Colonel Mengistu 
has reportedly promised to divert 400 trucks from military 
used while the UN officials pledged to press for the donation 
of 800 more trucks to Ethiopia to solve the 'shortage of 
transport'." (Adulis, Vol 2, No 11, July 1985)
   
   DERGUE RECEIVED 80 MILLLION BULLETS IN FALASHA DEAL--
reprinted from Adulis
   "High-level diplomatic sources have disclosed that the 
Ethiopian military regime of Lt Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam 
received 80 million 'parabelum' bullets from Israel about two 
years ago in exchange for its collaboration in the exodus of 
the Falashas from Ethiopia directly to Israel. These 
diplomatic sources have, according to the Italian daily, 
Corrierre della Sera (22 Apr 1985) and the English weekly, 
The Observer (21 Apr 1985), revealed that Col Mengistu 
entered into the secret deal with Israel to exchange Falashas 
for military supplies because he was anxious to launch an 
offensive against the Eritrean and Tigrean rebels at the 
time.
   "According to these reports, it was the successful 
precedent of Col Mengistu's secret deal that later prompted 
Nimeiri to make a similar secret deal with Israel to allow 
the airlift of Falashas from the Sudan in return for $56m 
paid to him and several of his top officials. A large slice 
reportedly went to the then First Vice-President and head of 
the State Security apparatus, General Omer El-Tayeb. These 
authoritative diplomatic sources attach an intriguing 
significance to the fact that it was General Faith Erwa, ex-
military attache in the Sudanese Embassy in Addis Abeba and 
Nimeri's close collaborator, who was sent to New York to 
collact the last instalment on the price just days before the 
coup d'etat took place on April 6.
   "This new revelation corroborates, if only in more detail, 
earlier reports that the Dergue, despite its belated 
protestations to neutralize publicity following the leak, was 
engaged in a secret deal with the zionist state involving the 
exchange of Falashas for arms. Yet in an unabashed display of 
cynicism and hypocrisy, the Addis Abeba regime issued a 
statement (Ethiopian Herald, 24 Feb 1985) alleging a 
'Sudanese-Israeli conspiracy' and calling on 'the 
international community to prevail on Israel to respond 
favourably to Ethiopia's demand for the orderly and immediate 
repatriation of the abducted citizens'. All this while using 
the Falashas as a bargaining chip for obtaining arms and 
spare parts--a deal that conjures up the revival of the old 
slave trade.
   "For in reality, as Moshe Dayan revealed in 1978, the 
Ethio-Israeli accord for the direct 'repatriation' of the 
Falashas was first reached, and its implementation began, in 
1977. It was renewed in 1982 through the mediation of the 
Jewish Agency and the Mossad, the Israeli secret service. As 
a result, Israel has been supplying the Ethiopian regime with 
substantial military equipment and spare parts. The value of 
Israeli military sales to Ethiopia in 1983 was about $20m 
(Africa Confidential, 12 Dec 1984). In October alone, Israel 
shipped to Ethiopia $6m worth of arms and spares.
   "Diplomatic sources in Addis Abeba report of continuing 
Israeli sales of large quantities of military supplies to the 
Ethiopian regime. Much of these arms sales consist of Soviet-
made or Soviet-designed equipment captured during the Israeli 
invasion of Lebanon. These weapons are repainted, refurbished 
if necessary, and then dispatched through various Israeli 
front companies, including Koor, a company registered and 
based in Amsterdam, and Amiran, a 'reception' company in 
Ethiopia. Israel also provides sophisticated parts for the 
Soviet-supplied Mig-23s and the U.S.-supplied F-5Es of the 
Ethiopian Airforce." (Adulis, Vol 1, No 11, May 1985)
   
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