| The electric atmosphere produced by the struggle of Wisconsin workers for their rights is spreading across the country. Everywhere workers, teachers, youth and students are standing together and demanding an end to attacks on their rights. The brutal anti-social, anti-worker offensive of the monopolies and their governments is being met with increasing resistance, with demonstrations and sit-ins in Arkansas, California, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington State and Washington, DC and elsewhere. Actions in all 50 states Saturday February 26 will defend workers’ rights and raise high the banner of the class, All for One and One for All! Voice of Revolution stands with all those resisting. We salute the determined spirit expressed in Wisconsin that defending the workers and their rights provides solutions to current problems — not more attacks on union organizing, collective bargaining, pensions and benefits. Hands Off Unions and Pensions! Defend the Rights of ALL! The attacks taking place in Wisconsin, in states south and north and at the federal level with a proposed 2-year wage freeze, are all being done under the hoax of deficits and budget crises. The rich seem to think everyone is blind to the fact that $1 trillion every year is available for wars against workers abroad. Yet we are to believe the lie that more concessions and more attacks on the rights of workers here at home is the only means to “balance” the budgets. Long experience shows that Concessions Are Not Solutions! It is said that across the country, the states are contending with “deficits” totaling $125 billion for the coming year. This lie is used to impose the current attacks on wages, pensions, benefits and the unions themselves. Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin goes so far as calling his bill the “Budget Repair Bill.” He claims the open attack on unions in the bill, requiring yearly certification votes, eliminating collective bargaining and anything like a contract, is necessary for these “repairs.” In fact they serve to protect monopoly right to lay claim to public sector pensions and even more of the public treasury. These are anti-worker and anti-social attacks, aimed at wrecking society and organized resistance to this wrecking. Wisconsin workers have shown the just response, relying on the staunch resistance of the people and their stand to put the rights of all front and center. We say, Stop Paying the Rich and Funding Their Wars! Increase Funding for Social Programs! The $125 billion promoted as a “deficit” is about 10 percent of the current yearly $1 trillion Pentagon and related military budget. It is time to defend public right, not monopoly right and their demands for more and more of the public treasury. Stop War Funding and Fund our Rights! It is also the case that the rich demand that interest payments on the debts not be touched. Indeed, the federal government and many states require that such payments be made. For the federal government, interest payments for this year are about $207 billion — again more than the total “deficits” claimed for all states nationwide. And by 2014, net interest payments alone will surpass the amount spent on education, transportation, energy and all other discretionary programs outside of Pentagon funding. The workers produce all this wealth and have first claim on it by right. Government funds at all levels are public funds, belonging to the public. It is by increasing funding for social programs and the rights of the people that solutions that serve the people can be found. We say Stop Paying the Rich! Freeze Debt Payments Not Wages! Defend Public Right! The fact that many of these actions are taking place in statehouses across the country brings to the fore that the current political system keeps workers out of power. It recognizes and upholds monopoly right, whether it comes to waging aggressive wars, having war and repression budgets, or using force against the workers to remove them from their own public buildings! The actions are showing that worker politicians are needed. Defending and advancing society means defending public right. It means strengthening defense organizations like unions and building institutions of our own where the people themselves govern and decide. The collective organizing and decision-making being done to maintain and strengthen the resistance in Wisconsin is an example of this direction — to build and strengthen further, in Wisconsin and nationwide. Stop Paying the Rich! Freeze Debt Payments Not Wages! Wisconsin's Fight is Our Fight! Workers and youth continue to organize daily demonstrations while occupying the Capitol Building in Madison 24/7. Many families have come repeatedly from across the state and the Midwest, expressing the spirit that Wisconsin's Fight is our Fight! Unions, anti-war groups, veterans and many others from across the country and internationall have called in orders for pizza to be delivered to the workers and youth to help guarantee the occupation continues. Many are organizing to join the protest February 26-27 as the government moves to force people out of legislative offices and hearing rooms starting 4pm February 27. |