Liberation Audio

Part 2 of the Program of the Party for Socialism and Liberation In order to guarantee the interests of working and poor people who make up the vast majority of the United States, a new revolutionary government run by and for the workers and poor will be established. The present capitalist government—the role of which has been to defend the big-business system of exploitation by a web of hundreds of measures, legal and illegal, and has been accessible only to the super-rich elite—will be abolished. Read the full program here: https://liberationschool.org/program-of-the-party-for-socialism-and-liberation/

This podcast explores the relevance of Frederick Engels' pamphlet, 'The Housing Question,' in understanding contemporary housing challenges. It discusses Engels' analysis of the housing crisis, critiques of housing theories, the relationship between capitalism and the housing question, and Engels' solution for addressing the housing problem.

Israel presents itself as a “homeland for all Jews” that welcomes and provides safe haven to all Jewish people. The ironically-named Law of Return, passed on July 5, 1950, declared that all Jewish people had the right to come to live in Israel. But does Israel actually accept all Jewish people? Of course this law is inherently racist towards the Palestinian people, whose land was stolen to create the state of Israel. And it is also clear that the Zionist political movement has a particular history of anti-Black racism. This helps us understand not only the contradictions within pro-Israel ideology, but also the deep connections between the Black struggle for freedom and the Palestinian struggle. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/israels-long-history-of-anti-black-racism/

The Paris Commune took place 150 years ago this year in France. It was one of the most earth-shaking events in history up to that point, and it’s one that continues to have an impact even today. Marx said about it a few years afterwards that it was the most slandered event in human history, but what happened later was that it was pushed out of the picture almost altogether—especially, of course, in this country. Marx wrote extensively about it at the time, and there’s a pamphlet called The Civil War in France, made up of speeches that Marx gave during the time of the Paris Commune to the General Council, the leadership body of the First International. The third and main address is, I believe, one of the most brilliant, most impassioned and most bitterly satirical writings about politics that’s ever been written. In it you see Karl Marx in the midst of an all-out life and death struggle. The pamphlet is not very long, and it’s definitely worth reading or rereading. The Paris Commune was the first, although short-lived, workers’ state, workers’ republic. During its short life, which lasted only 72 days before it was brutally murdered by the so-called democratic bourgeoisie of France, it had so many experiences and such rich experiences and lessons that 50 years later the Bolshevik Party—Lenin and all of the Bolshevik Party—carefully studied the Paris Commune. Not only did they study it, they based the Soviet form of government on the Paris Commune. And then, 50 years after that, in 1969, when a new constitution of China was written, they cited the Paris Commune as being the example of the form of government they wanted to have. That’s how influential this 72-day-long Commune was in history. And that’s not all; there are many other examples. Based on the experience of the Commune, Marx and Engels felt that they had to make what was their only correction to the Communist Manifesto. They said that “the working class cannot simply lay hold of the ready-made state machinery and wield it for its own purposes.” Instead, they said, the old state would have to be broken up, would have to be shattered and replaced by a completely new form; that is, that the workers could not use the state that the capitalists used. Read the full article: https://liberationschool.org/vive-la-commune-the-paris-commune-150-years-later/

In response to the mobilization of tens of thousands of Palestinians defending the right to live in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem and worship at the Al-Aqsa mosque, Israel has unleashed murderous actions all across occupied Palestine. Al-Aqsa is an iconic national symbol of the Palestinian people and one of the holiest sites in Islam. It has been repeatedly targeted by Zionist extremists who want to take it over. The latest escalation by Israel are air strikes May 10 in the Gaza Strip that have so far killed over 20 civilians. The Israeli government indicated it is prepared for a drawn out military campaign against the Palestinian people. Earlier in the day, a brutal raid into Al-Aqsa left more than 300 Palestinians wounded, with 250 suffering injuries serious enough to require hospital treatment. Hamas, the Palestinian organization administering the government in Gaza, issued an ultimatum to Israel to stop the assault on Al Aqsa and the eviction campaign in Sheikh Jarrah. After another round of attacks on Palestinian worshipers by Israel, Hamas launched dozens of rockets into Jerusalem, forcing the evacuation of the Israeli Knesset. The corporate media in the United States is pushing the line that the Israeli airstrikes were an act of self-defense. But what they were “retaliating” against was in fact proportionate retaliation by Palestinian fighters to the terrible crime at the Al-Aqsa mosque. This comes on top of a ratcheted-up campaign by the Israeli government to remove Palestinians from Palestine. Ultra-right Zionist forces rampaged through Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of East Jerusalem, attacking Palestinians while chanting “Death to the Arabs” under the protection of Israeli police and military. Coinciding with the month of Ramadan, Israeli police closed access to the Damascus Gate plaza, a gathering site near the mosque used during Ramadan. This provocation rightfully enraged Palestinian worshipers and led to clashes between worshipers and Zionist police forces. On May 7, in another major act of repression, approximately 200 people were injured and 90 sent to the hospital. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/tear-gas-bullets-bombs-israel-unleashes-massive-assault-on-palestinians/

Despite the ceasefire agreement on May 20, Israel carried out a campaign of mass arrests called “Operation Law and Order” today and yesterday to take revenge on those who heroically participated in the popular uprising that occurred over the course of the country’s 11-day long massacre of Palestinians. The aim of the operation was to arrest Palestinians living within the 1948 borders of Israel who shocked the Israeli ruling establishment by participating with such intensity in the resistance. Palestinians inside the 1948 borders make up about 20% of Israel’s population. Over 500 were targeted for arrest by the operation. In contrast, even with a mountain of evidence showing far-right Israeli mobs brutalizing and attacking Palestinians and their homes, none were arrested or charged for their crimes — further evidence of legal apartheid in Israel. A statement from the Israeli government on Sunday stated that thousands of police officers “will operate with high intensity and a comprehensive deployment against anyone involved in the violent incidents.” But what it really meant was arrests exclusively for Palestinians who participated in righteous protest, and none for Israelis who were part of these lynch mobs. Israel has always sought to divide the Palestinian people, and is ill-equipped to fight on every front at once. Terrified and taken off guard by the mass uprising within its 1948 borders, Israel is desperately taking measures to prevent such an event from recurring. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/israeli-cops-take-revenge-on-palestinian-protesters-with-operation-law-and-order/

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and cities inside the 1948 borders of Israel on May 21 to celebrate the ceasefire following 11 days of fighting between Palestinian and Israeli forces. No such celebrations were reported among the Israeli population. Extreme right-wing politicians condemned the government of Benjamin Netanyahu for entering into the agreement, and vowed to now oppose his re-election as prime minister. The victory came at the cost of more than 240 lives of Palestinians inside Gaza, often referred to as the world’s largest open air prison, victims of 11 days of relentless bombing by U.S.-supplied warplanes and artillery. Gaza has no air defenses. Twelve people inside Israel were reported killed by rockets fired from Gaza. Nearly 2,000 people were wounded in Gaza and over 100 inside Israel. Massive destruction was once again inflicted on Gaza’s already acutely inadequate housing and infrastructure, and much less but still significant damage in southern and central Israel. A few hours after the ceasefire, Israeli police attacked Palestinians celebrating at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem and arrested at least 16. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/94952-2/

Written by Richard Becker Copyright © 2009 by PSL Publications Library of Congress Control Number: 2009932241

Written by Richard Becker Copyright © 2009 by PSL Publications Library of Congress Control Number: 2009932241

Written by Richard Becker Copyright © 2009 by PSL Publications Library of Congress Control Number: 2009932241