PAPER TIGERS

All reactionaries are paper tigers. In appearance, the 
reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so 
powerful. From a long-term point of view, it is not the 
reactionaries but the people who are really powerful.

--Mao Zedong

'E-business' Shuffling stolen wealth around on paper

Internet business (or e-business) allows bankers and members of 
the petty bourgeoisie to make money by doing nothing (i.e. playing 
the stock market). All the hype about this new outlet for business 
in the U$ ignores the fact that the majority of the world's people 
have limited technological access due to poor infrastructure and 
resources.

The rush to flood this new marketplace is quickly expanding into 
neo-colonies around the world. Recently, the World Bank 
International Finance Corporation teamed up with Softbank of Japan 
to form Softbank Emerging Markets. This union will add $200 
million to an already $300 million allocated by Softbank to fund 
internet startups in the Third World. It is the nature of 
capitalism to expand or die. To avoid economic depression, 
institutions like the World Bank exist to facilitate expansion and 
keep capital flowing from the oppressed to the oppressor's hands. 

Claiming to promote development in poor countries, the 
International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a for-profit group of 
investment bankers. They make millions off interest. IFC is just 
another example of finance capital under imperialism extracting 
wealth from neo-colonies. This so-called development will not 
benefit people of the Third World; rather it will continue 
inequality, which shackles these countries as colonies and neo-
colonies of imperialism.

The New York Times wrote that the World Wide Web "creates vast new 
sources of wealth in the developed countries". In reality it's 
just a new way of distributing wealth in favor of the U$. The 
source of wealth is the same as always, the oppressed nations of 
the world.

-- a MIM-led study group.

Note: New York Times. 14 Feb. 2000. p. C6.

Government vs. gun industry: the people lose

The city of Chicago is suing the gun industry to pay for the 
public costs of gun violence. Since October 1998, 29 cities and 
counties have brought similar charges against the gun industry. 
Chicago's lawsuit alleged that the industry was negligent in its 
distribution and sale of firearms. The courts dismissed this 
argument but left alive the part of the lawsuit arguing that the 
gun industry's sales practices led to a "public nuisance." 

The capitalist gun industry certainly profits from promoting 
violence and war. But ultimately that industry is an integral part 
of imperialism. Not only is the weapons industry one of the most 
profitable, but it is also essential to the imperialists 
maintaining their hegemony, whether that be in Iraq or the South 
side of Chicago. Amerikan imperialism relies on violence at all 
levels of government. The city governments and the federal 
government of the U$ should be held liable by the people of the 
world for the public costs of military and police violence. 

Attempts to rein in the weapons industry which remain within the 
framework of bourgeois legality will fall very short of stopping 
gun violence. MIM only cares about "gun control" as it affects the 
balance of forces. Some would say revolutionaries should oppose 
gun control. Indeed, the founders of the United $tates did believe 
that an armed citizenry is a counterweight to tyranny by the 
government. In general too, communists have faith in arming the 
people while there is still class oppression.

On the other hand, the United $tates is the largest population of 
reactionary people in the world, so MIM has mixed feelings about 
arming it. The country is predominantly petty-bourgeoisie and the 
majority is allied with imperialism while the organized forces 
such as the NRA have a history of being allied with the most 
reactionary elements of society. Then again, if the whole country 
is not armed, only police and troops will have arms. Many 
oppressed nation neighborhoods would be less safe if they were not 
armed.

Ultimately, gun control or opposition to gun control do not solve 
anything in the society the way it is set up now. The European 
settlers who killed the Indigenous peoples and started a way of 
life revolving around guns and stealing land may have thought they 
had it made, but every year innocent children continue to pay the 
price. Until the communists come to power because the people have 
come to grips with the vicious history of U.$. imperialism, there 
will be no way to understand why people have become accustomed to 
shooting each other at the drop of a hat.

-- a MIM-led study group

Notes: Wall Street Journal, 14 February 2000 P.A13. MIM Notes 189, 
1 July 1999.

Amerika fears uprisings in Mexico

The u.$. department of defense is concerned that Mexican guerillas 
have the ability to disrupt the electoral process. (Mexican 
national elections will be held in July.) The u.$. has issued a 
report warning that as many as a dozen armed groups in Mexico are 
capable of "launch[ing] violent attacks that mar Mexico's move 
toward democracy." These groups exist in the poorest areas of 
southern and central Mexico. The report warns that "conditions are 
ripe for the 'outbreak or increase of revolutionary violence'".

The Mexican government denies the u.$. claims. Pointing to recent 
raids against and arrests of striking students, the Mexican 
government has downplayed u.$. concerns. MIM asks: "Wait a minute! 
Where's the democracy?" It is typical of imperialist Amerika to 
fear revolution in the name of protecting so-called democracy. The 
irony, of course, is that the striking students are demanding 
democracy in education and the National Autonomous University of 
Mexico (UNAM). MIM would not be surprised if this report precedes 
increased funding to the Mexican military to crush the student 
movement and guerilla forces. The best move towards democracy that 
Mexico could make would be Maoist revolution taking power from the 
imperialist-backed government and giving it to the exploited 
workers and peasants. Neither the striking UNAM students nor the 
Zapatistas are Maoist, but their demands for education free of 
capitalist indoctrination and agrarian reform have the 
imperialists reacting with violence and terror.

 -- a MIM-led study group

Note: The Wall Street Journal, 14 February 2000.