*----------------------------------------------------------* | | | x x x x x x x xx xxx xxx xxx | | xx xx x xx xx xx x x x x x x Issue #14 | | 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 07/26/85 | | x x x x x x x xx x xxx xxx | | | |----------------------------------------------------------| | Newspaper of the Maoist Internationalist Movement | *----------------------------------------------------------* APARTHEID REGIME INCREASINGLY DESPERATE Despite possession of one of the most efficient repressive apparatuses in the world, the colonial capitalist regime of South Africa has had to add yet another notch to its repression of the Black population--martial law. As we go to press, the number of resistance activists arrested without charges or contact with lawyers or anyone else reached 891 after only six days. Police killed at least 15 Blacks since martial law started. Security forces have killed over 500 in the eleven months since the new refined apartheid Constitution sparked a general state of rebellion. The assurances that South Africa is reforming for the better can be no more clearly exposed to the world. One of the best arguments for socialism is that only real socialism will control U.S. commercial activity where oppression is the beneficient. A real socialist government will pull out all investments; end all trade and cultural contacts with South Africa and support liberation of one of the last settler states. FRANCE EMBARRASSED ON APARTHEID, FINALLY So-called socialist France profits from $1.6 billion of investments in apartheid South Africa. With the announcement of martial law in South Africa, France could no longer hide its role in the Western capitalist bloc. It announced a policy of no further investment in South Africa and recalled its ambassador. Yet, existing investments will not have to be sold and France's record level trade with apartheid continues despite a supposedly socialist government. The lateness of France's actions demonstrate that what exists in France is capitalism with the camouflage of socialism. NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO STOP RUGBY TOUR Under pressure to uphold the international boycott of South African sports, the New Zealand government acted to prevent a rugby team from going to play in South Africa. New Zealand has been the scene of huge anti-apartheid demonstrations that were met by martial-law like conditions and the largest police operations seen on the island. Should the New Zealand Rugby team go to apartheid South Africa, the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee, which organized the Olympic boycott of South Africa promised pariah status to New Zealand athletes. CONTRAS ARE HIRED MERCENARIES TOO The Nicaraguan counterrevolutionaries--contras--are not just former National Guard members who never gave up the civil war. Nor are the anti-Sandinista terrorists Nicaraguans. The CIA and private American proto-fascist organizations hire Spaniards to fight against the revolutionary government of Nicaragua. According to the Madrid weekly Mundo Obrero, 500,000 psetas in cash per month are offered to contra recruits. Spanish fascists and Cuban exiles are the favored target groups. Christian Broadcasting Network, the followers of Rev. Moon (Moonies) and the World Medical Relief organization and others give the contras over $25 million a year. (Granma, 7/9/85) The amount allowed to the contras through the U.S. government is secret, but a $13 billion counterinsurgency bill has been passed by the Congress. All that remains for the bill is to decide whether or not the CIA or CIA front group (AID for example) will funnel aid At stake is just how openly the U.S. wants to affront world public opinion and announce its World War III. AMERICANS FLY HELICOPTERS IN SALVADOR CIVIL WAR; DEBT CRISIS BREWING American pilots have had a direct role in supporting the Salvadoran army in its civil war with Salvadoran rebels. Several missions in June were acknowledged by American embassy and military officials. (Le Monde, 7/5/85) Meanwhile, outbreaks in Panama followed the announcement by the Panamanian regime that it would follow International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity recommendations. (Ibid.) The IMF has sparked numerous rebellions across the world by forcing a restructuring of U.S. bloc capital by its own dictates--usually measures to restrict wages and raise prices of essential consumer goods. MARCOS FOLLOWS SOMOZA'S FOOTSTEPS The San Jose Mercury News reported that the Marcos family, its friends and government officials own a total of $100 million in investments in the U.S.. For the most part, officials deny the investments. Energy Minister Geronimo Velasco offered his resignation, but Marcos refused it. Marcos's party does not even believe there will be any effect from the scandal:'"The issue has not yet crystallized in the provinces.... It may not affect our chances at the polls.'" (Christian Science Monitor, 7/22/85, 12) Marcos has promised an election in 1986 and 1987. The investments are controversial because they are held by corporate executives and government ministers who supposedly should invest in their own country, which is in a financial crisis. Instead, the Marcos clique appears to be ready to leave the Philippines for the U.S. as the Shah of Iran once did. With the increasing success of the Maoist-influenced New People's Army guerrillas, he may have to do just that. CHINA OPENS UP TO TAIWANESE, SOUTH KOREAN INVESTMENTS Secret trade with pariah states of Asia and the Mid-East has started since the death of Mao and the fall of his followers--the Gang of Four. There are even some direct investments by Taiwan and S. Korea on the Mainland. Indonesia resumed trade ties with China in April. The Indonesian government massacred a Maoist insurgency in the mid-60s. Taiwan's trade, some of which is direct and not through Hong Kong, amounts to almost $1 billion a year. South Korea's trade with China rose to $345 million last year. (Christian Science Monitor, 7/10/85, 7) Secretly, China has just started an arms trade with Israel also. According to Jane's Defense Weekly, China and Israel have a $3 billion deal. (Iran in Resistance, Jan-Feb. 1985, 11) CADILLACS ON THE CAPITALIST-ROAD With the restoration of capitalism in China has come China's first importation of Cadillacs since Liberation in 1949. Twenty of the $39,000 cars are to be used by the leaders of state--i.e. members of the state capitalist class. The cost of the car is 115 times the annual salary of a Chinese construction worker. (New York Times, 6/29/85, A1) U.S. BANKS REPORT $1 TRILLION IN 'CONTINGENT LIABILITIES' Although they do not show up on balance sheets, "contingent liabilities" held by the 15 largest banks are alone greater than their assets. Contingent liabilities are promises by banks to loan money in case of emergency. Should a financial crisis develop, these contingent liabilities may add a new twist to the difficulties of American capitalism. Till then, the contingent liabilities increase unregulated. The banks "earn sizable fees" for their bail-out promises. (New York Times, 6/24/85, D1)