The working class, oppressed nationalities and other peoples in the U.S. are struggling daily to improve their living conditions, defend and expand their democratic rights, and win peace and social progress. The League supports and raises the following as some of the main immediate demands against the monopoly capitalists and the government. The League understands that these demands are partially realizable under the present social system and that a radical transformation of society, socialism, will be necessary to realize them in a genuine and full way. The struggle for these demands is an integral part of the revolutionary process.
The right to a decent standard of living
• a guaranteed minimum income or jobs for all at standard wages
• comprehensive national health insurance and social security
• decent and affordable housing
eviction protection
rent control
no arbitrary discrimination based on nationality, age, children, marital status, sex, source or level of income, physical/mental disability or religion
an end to gentrification of minority and low-income areas
• public ownership of utilities
• low-cost mass transportation
Free high-quality public education at all levels
• equal access to education for all nationalities
• community control with parent and student input
• bilingual and multicultural education
Reform of the income tax system
• reduction of income taxes for working people
• a progressive income tax system for individuals
• no taxation without representation
• raising of corporate taxes
Full and equal political rights
• an end to the two party monopoly
• full voting rights for oppressed nationalities – an end to gerrymandering and dual registration
End legal and extralegal political repression and violence
• an end to police brutality and harassment
• the immediate outlawing of the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis
• the right to legal representation
• the dismantling of the FBI
Protection of the environment
• enforcement, protection and strengthening of environmental protection laws
• no nuclear power and no nuclear waste disposal, especially in Chicano and Native American lands, since capitalism cannot provide or ensure adequate safety
• safe disposal of chemical waste, no chemical dumping in residential areas
Public funds for the arts and for amateur athletics
The working class has particular demands and needs in its struggle against the monopoly capitalist class and in strengthening the labor movement. These include both legislative and contractual demands.
Jobs
• a shorter workweek, 30 hours for 40 hours pay
• no job loss
no layoffs without full transfer and retraining rights for comparable positions
no replacement of full-time workers with part-time workers
no reduction of the work force through attrition (such as retirement)
• income and benefits maintenance
job-to-job unemployment benefits, benefits to begin prior to first job when worker reaches age 18
a moratorium on all debts for the unemployed
no home foreclosures, evictions or utility shutoffs for the unemployed
• no new plants domestically or overseas by a company when existing capacity is underutilized or when workers are on layoff
• amendment of the National Labor Relations Act to outlaw run-away shops and other means of avoiding union contracts by shifting capital or production
• protection from plant closings
national legislation to include two-year notification, penalty tax to the community, full retraining paid by the company for comparable employment at union wages
contractual agreements for severance, benefits and full payment of dislocation expenses, with ten-to-one penalties if broken
The right to organize
• prompt union representation elections within a specified time
• prompt resolution of unfair labor practice charges and stiff penalties for employers who violate the law
• abolition of Section 14-b (the “right-to-work” provision) of the Taft-Hartley Act
• legalization of secondary boycotts as an organizing tool
• repeal of all anti-labor legislation
• the full right to strike, including government employees
• establishment of amalgamated locals in all AFL-CIO unions to facilitate organizing drives on the local level
Full democratization of the trade unions
• right of membership to ratify all agreements
• direct election of officers
• contracts and union affairs conducted multi-lingually, based on nationality composition of work force
Decent and safe working conditions
• health and safety standards established independently by workers in each industry
• worker health and safety councils in each plant with the power to stop production when standards are not met
• the right to refuse all unsafe job assignments
• no forced overtime
• no rotating shifts
Equality for oppressed nationality and women workers
• no discrimination in hiring, promotion, pay or job assignment, based on nationality or sex
• affirmative action in hiring and promotions
• job recall based on modified seniority to retain the percentage of oppressed nationalities and women based on figures at peak employment, or the percentage of oppressed nationalities in the surrounding population
• full maternity benefits and job security for women
• twenty-four hour child care
The oppressed national minorities have the right to political power in their areas of concentration. This may take the form of local administrative autonomy, through which an oppressed nationality has the right to determine its own political, cultural, educational and other social affairs. These forms of autonomy will do away with the present practice where political districts are gerrymandered to prevent oppressed nationalities from holding office or exercising political power, even in areas where they constitute a majority. social affairs. These forms of autonomy will do away with the present practice where political districts are gerrymandered to prevent oppressed nationalities from holding office or exercising political power, even in areas where they constitute a majority.
Some general demands for democratic rights for the oppressed nations and minority nationalities in the U.S.:
• Recognition by the federal government that the U.S. is a multinational country, that is, made up of many different nationalities
• Equal political, voting, cultural, educational and social rights for all nationalities. All nationalities should be able to use their languages in all official dealings including voting, education and government services.
• An end to all racist violence and persecution
• Full redress and reparations for all grievances stemming from unjust acts committed by the federal government
• Unconditional residency for all undocumented immigrants
In addition, each of the oppressed nationalities has particular demands:
Afro-Americans: The Afro-American people constitute an oppressed nation in the Black-belt South and an oppressed national minority outside of this area. The Black-belt South is the historic homeland of the Afro-American people and they have a right to claim it. The Afro-American people in the South are a historically constituted nation. They have lived in this territory for over 400 years, and share a common language, culture and economic life. The development of the Afro-American Nation has been marked by the experience of slavery, share-cropping, toil and the systematic denial of the people’s political rights. Afro-Americans have developed a distinct class structure and culture. They comprise the majority of the population in this area today, and they should have the democratic right to fully determine the future of this region. The Afro-American Nation is a land of brutal oppression, enforced by racist violence and police repression, and this system is replicated in all areas where Afro-American people live. In areas of concentration outside the Afro-American Nation, the Afro-American people should have full democratic rights and political power.
• reorganization of the county lines of the South to end gerrymandering of the Black population, and end all restrictions on Black voting rights
• redistribution of the land of the big landlords and agribusiness in the South to finally realize “40 acres and a mule” for Black people
• an end to racist violence and persecution by police and extralegal terrorists such as the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis
• the right to self-determination for the Afro-American Nation, the right to determine, its relationship to the U.S. government, up to and including secession, if desired by the Black masses
• regional or local administrative autonomy in areas of concentration outside the Afro-American Nation
Asian American and Pacific Island peoples: There are now five million people of various Asian and Pacific nationalities in the U.S. They have their origins in the U.S. in the coolie and contract labor systems of the 19th century, and the colonization and oppression of their homelands by U.S. imperialism and Soviet aggression. The various Asian nationalities (Chinese, Japanese, Pilipino, Korean, Vietnamese and others) share many common experiences and living conditions, yet each has developed as a distinct oppressed nationality within the U.S. Common factors are their relegation to the marginal sectors of the economy, lack of unionization and lack of resources for their concentrated communities. They desire an end to racism and want full equality. While each Asian nationality has its particular demands, they all share these common demands:
• political power in the form of the right to local administrative autonomy in areas of concentration
• full equality of language and culture
• an end to all discriminatory immigration practices and policies, and immigration service raids on the community and work places
• unionization of Asian workers
• freedom from racist violence and persecution
• an end to the destruction and forced dispersal of Asian/Pacific communities
• redress and reparations for Japanese Americans interned in concentration camps during World War II
• an end to discriminatory license laws for professionals
Caribbean peoples: There are a number of Caribbean nationalities in the U.S. such as Jamaicans, Haitians, Trinidadians, Barbadians, Grenadians and others. They are the descendents of slaves in the former British and French Caribbean colonies which are now largely under U.S. neo-colonialist control. They are forced to migrate to the U.S. due to the imperialist domination of their countries.
• full democratic rights and the right to local administrative autonomy in areas of concentration
• an end to all racist persecution and violence
• unconditional residency for the undocumented
• political asylum for those fleeing political repression
Chicanos: The Chicano people were forged into a distinct nation in the Southwest following the colonial annexation of the region by the U.S. in the Mexican-American War. Ever since that time the Chicano people have been brutally suppressed and discriminated against in all spheres of life, and have been subjugated as a people. Large corporations have driven Chicanos from their lands, and the capitalists have polluted and destroyed the environment as they plundered the mineral wealth of the Chicano Nation. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has helped enforce a reign of terror over the Chicano people and undocumented Mexican workers.
• the right to self-determination for the Chicano Nation in the Southwest
• the upholding of all land rights of the Chicano people under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• equality for the Spanish language and Chicano culture
• full rights for immigrants
unconditional residency for all undocumented Mexicans equal jobs and pay for immigrant workers the abolition of the fascist INS border patrol
an end to INS raids on communities and workplaces
• regional or local administrative autonomy for Chicanos living in concentrated areas outside of the Chicano Nation
Hawaiian Nation: The Hawiian Islands were a sovereign nation until they were annexed through force and subterfuge by U.S. imperialism in the 1890s. The U.S. military, big planters and corporations brutally subjugated the Hawaiian people and destroyed their lands. The islands became a critical outpost for the U.S. military and an important agricultural producer. The Hawaiian people are composed of the indigenous Hawaiians, as well as other local people of different ancestries who were brought to the islands primarily as plantation laborers. The Hawaiian Islands are an oppressed nation that is still chained to the U.S.
• the right to self-determination for the Hawaiian Nation, the right to determine its relationship to the U.S.
• land for the indigenous Hawaiian people
• local control over land development and land use
• preservation of native Hawaiian culture and local control of cultural development
• an end to the U.S. military occupation and use of Hawai’i
Native Alaskan peoples: There are 55,000 Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts in Alaska whose native rights have been systematically trampled since the U.S. purchased the Alaskan territory from Russia in 1867. The U.S. has always placed its economic and military interests above the democratic rights of the Alaskan peoples. Many were displaced or killed by white settlers, trappers, miners and developers. During World War II, the Aleuts were herded up and thrown into concentration camps, similar to the Japanese Americans. Today the construction of the natural gas pipeline threatens the environment and native land rights.
• sovereignty for Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts
• land rights for Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts
• redress and reparations for the internment of the Aleut people during World War II
Native American Indian peoples: Millions of Native American Indian peoples have been killed by U.S. capitalism. Not a single aspect of their existence has been untouched – from the theft of their lands, to the denial of their cultural traditions, to their imprisonment as second-class citizens within reservations.
The Native American Indian peoples are bound together by common experiences, and at the same time they also comprise distinct identities such as Sioux, Mohawk, Nez Perce, Apache, Dine, Papago and others. While some Native American Indian tribes have been dispersed and all but extinguished by U.S. capitalism, others are quite large and developed. What is common to all is a desire for their lands, for the protection of their culture and traditions, and for self-government or sovereignty.
• the right to sovereignty and nationhood. Native American Indians are entitled to exercise full political power in those territories where they are concentrated or where they have the right to concentration. Since the Indian peoples in many instances have been forcibly dislocated and resettled, there should be an expansion or exchange of Native American Indian lands so that their sovereign areas are economically viable and can sustain them agriculturally and otherwise. The U.S. government must pay reparations to sustain Native American Indian physical and cultural survival.
• the upholding of all treaties between the U.S. government and the Indian peoples
• abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the recognition of Indian governments and councils chosen by the Indian peoples themselves
• protection for Native American Indian traditions and heritage
• full equality for all Native American Indian languages
Puerto Rican and other Latino peoples: The over two million Puerto Ricans in the U.S. are in this country because of the colonial domination of their home by U.S. imperialism. Puerto Ricans in the U.S. are an oppressed minority who stand on the bottom rung of the political, social and economic ladder.
Similarly, there are a number of other Latin American nationalities in the U.S., such as Dominicans, Nicaraguans, Salvadorans and others, making up some several million people. They, too, are oppressed national minorities denied the right to use their Spanish language and develop their cultures, and forced to live in squalid housing and to work in some of the lowest-paying jobs of the economy.
The Puerto Rican and other Latino peoples want equality and an end to their second-class status.
• full democratic rights for Puerto Ricans and Latinos. Local administrative autonomy in their areas of concentration
• no conscription of Puerto Ricans into the U.S. military
• unconditional residency for all undocumented Latinos
• full equality for the Spanish language in areas of concentration of the Puerto Rican and other Latino peoples
• political asylum for refugees fleeing political repression
Women: Women constitute more than half of the population, yet are discriminated against economically, socially and politically, and are degraded culturally in society. Two-thirds of all poor families are headed by women. Women are also kept from full participation in production, politics, and social and cultural affairs because they must individually assume the burden of child-rearing and domestic work. Full equality for women in all spheres of life is a fundamental democratic demand.
• passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution
• comparable pay for comparable work
• a national system of decent, low-cost child care for all mothers who wish to use it
• full reproductive rights, including public financed birth control and abortion clinics, and no forced sterilization of women
• an end to unjust divorce laws and enforcement of child support agreements
• shelters and support for battered women
• reform and humanization of social services to women (welfare, etc.)
• the outlawing of pornography and prostitution
Youth: Young people are the future of society, yet the youth of the working class and large sections of the middle class lack decent schools, educational opportunities and job training. There are few cultural, athletic or other constructive recreational facilities, and many fall prey to drugs and alcohol. With no jobs available, they are forced to join the military, where they become cannon fodder for imperialism.
• full educational rights and opportunities for youth
• an end to tracking in the schools
• an end to corporal punishment
• recreational and cultural facilities and programs in the communities, including counseling
• jobs for youth
job training and placement programs
no reduced wages for youth
• no forced conscription for unjust wars
Veterans: The majority of the armed services is made up of working class and oppressed nationality youth who are forced into military service due to unemployment. These youths also make up a disproportionate share of combat casualties. Veterans have long been neglected and mistreated by the federal government.
• job training and full educational benefits for veterans
• government-financed research and treatment of atomic testing, Agent Orange and all other service-related disabilities, and reparations to victims and their families.
Seniors: Capitalist society regards the elderly as “used goods” to be thrown out and forgotten once they are no longer able to work. They are often unable to survive on fixed incomes and scanty Medicaid benefits. Many who cannot care for themselves are abandoned in institutions where they are mistreated.
• improved retirement rights and benefits for seniors
an end to forced retirement
optional retirement at age 62 or after 25 years of service adequate pensions and social security indexed to cost of living
• expanded health care coverage
• free public transportation
• rent ceilings for seniors on fixed income
• living assistance for seniors
senior “day-care” centers
public-funded “meals-on-wheels” programs
decent seniors homes that are clean and have decent food and medical care
Cultural workers and intellectuals: The cultural and intellectual life in the U.S. is suppressed and twisted by the dictates of profits and government. Intellectuals, artists, musicians, writers and other cultural workers, especially those from the working class and oppressed nationalities, want freedom from these restraints.
• academic freedom
• an end to loyalty oaths for teachers
• government subsidy of the arts
• establishment of a federal department of culture
• development of public multicultural institutes
Farmers: The family farmer is being increasingly squeezed out by agricultural corporations and unjust federal agriculture policies, which aim at profits, exports and political expediency before feeding the population and providing a decent livelihood for the farmer.
• an end to farm foreclosures and takeovers of small farmers by agribusiness
• land and water rights; no monopolization of resources by agribusiness
• price controls and state subsidies, with fair prices for bumper crops
• the reform of farm tax policies
• government assistance to help establish farmers cooperatives
Disabled: Capitalism is interested only in those who can work. Those who are mentally or physically disabled, whether by birth or accident, including job-related and environmental accidents, are often cast aside with little health or social assistance, deprived of their civil rights and treated with contempt. Society treats the disabled life as less valuable than that of “normal” people, and refuses to recognize that most can and want to be socially productive and culturally enriched. The families of the disabled can rarely afford the medical treatment and support they need; without social responsibility to the disabled, many families are unable to cope with the economic and emotional burden of care.
• full civil rights for the disabled
• full, free medical care and guaranteed income for those unable to work
• an end to discrimination in employment against the disabled
• wheelchair access to all sidewalks, major private and public buildings and transportation
• full cleanup of mental institutions; no shock therapy; establishment of community day- and full-time care centers for the mentally ill and retarded
• job retraining for the mentally ill and retarded, at decent wages
• closed captioning for the deaf for all TV programs and movies
• an end to discrimination in medical care for disabled infants
Prisoners: The entire criminal justice system is based on the protection of capitalist property and the suppression of the working class. Poverty and national oppression, in addition to an unjust legal code and court system, have meant that a disproportionate number of prisoners are from poor, working class and oppressed nationality backgrounds. While capitalism spawns social decay and crime, the law does nothing to really protect the lives, personal property and rights of working people.
Prison philosophy and policy in the U.S. is not aimed at rehabilitation and education; rather, the prison system is actually used to suppress the poor. Prison conditions are notoriously inhumane and many prisoners are brutally abused. Capital punishment in the hands of the bourgeoisie is the maximum weapon used against the working class. The vast majority of prisoners on death row are Afro-Americans and Chicanos, while the perpetrators of truly heinous crimes against the people (such as child murderers) rarely receive the death sentence. And crimes committed by the bourgeoisie – genocide, mass murders in imperialist wars and the robbery of social wealth – are not even considered crimes.
• an end to capital punishment
• an end to indeterminate sentencing
• increased non-jail oriented rehabilitation
• an end to racist violence and abuse practiced and incited by prison authorities
• decent prison conditions
• an end to inhumane practices such as solitary confinement and medical experimentation
• minimum wages for prison laborers
• the upholding of civil rights for prisoners
voting rights
the right to organize
an end to censorship of mail and reading materials
• freedom for all political prisoners
Homosexuals:
• the right to a livelihood and housing
• an end to police harassment
The current foreign policy of the U.S. government is aimed at preserving U.S. domination over many parts of the world and at competing with the Soviet Union for world power. It is in the interests of the American working people and people in general that the danger of war be reduced in the world, that people and countries advance toward democracy, genuine independence and equality, and that superpower aggression in the world be opposed.
Colonial Possessions
The U.S. has colonized hundreds of islands around the world. The most prominent of these is Puerto Rico. Most of the others are in the Pacific. The people of these lands are colonial subjects with few rights. The U.S. continues to dominate these areas for its own imperialist economic, political and military reasons.
• sovereign rights and independence for all colonial possessions:
independence for Puerto Rico independence for American Samoa, Belau (Palau), Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Midway Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands no military use of these islands observance of a nuclear-free zone in the Pacific; reparations and free health care to all islanders affected by U.S. nuclear testing
return the Panama Canal to Panama
Other Foreign Policy Demands
• major reductions in the military budget
• immediate negotiations with the Soviet Union on the freezing, reduction and abolition of all nuclear weapons
• the closing of all U.S. military bases in the third world; an end to U.S. unilateral domination of NATO; negotiations to demilitarize Europe with the abolition of NATO and the Warsaw Pact
• immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Grenada
• the cutting of economic and political ties to South Africa
• an end to U.S. military occupation of south Korea
• abrogation of the Taiwan Relations Act and an end to all U.S. government support for the Taiwan regime
• recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization and support for Palestinian self-determination; stopping aid to Israel
• an end to aid to right-wing military dictatorships
• non-intervention in the affairs of other countries; abolition of the CIA
• normalization of diplomatic relations with all sovereign countries, including Cuba, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (north Korea), Viet Nam, Albania
• no appeasement of the aggression of the Soviet Union
• beneficial and humanitarian aid to third world countries
• abolition of the third world debt; support of the demands for a new international economic order