Ha muerto el Compañero Guillermo Lora

Long time Bolivian revolutionary Guillermo Lora died this week.  Guillermo was the historic leader of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bolivia (one of the few Trotskyist organizations in the world to have developed a truly mass character).  I have been unable to find a proper obituary in English and rather than butcher this with a computer translation I post it in the original Spanish.  A video of comrades remembering Lora can be found here.

Para la clase obrera fabril el nombre de Guillermo Lora Escobar puede parecerle ajeno, incluso desconocido para las nuevas generaciones de obreros y obreras, este hombre potosino de nacimiento dio su vida por los obreros de Bolivia, nació en la localidad de Uncía en 1921 ha fallecido hoy, 17 de mayo de 2009, un día antes del día del fabril, a la edad de 88 años. Fue seguidor y difusor del pensamiento del revolucionario ruso Leon Trotski.

Lora fue militante del Partido Obrero Revolucionario, se destacó por haber logrado en su momento influencia dentro del proletariado minero lo que quedó plasmado en la célebre Tesis de Pulacayo en 1946, escrito de su puño y letra, en momentos en que la lucha antiimperialista y anti-rosquera daba sus inicios. La tesis de Pulacayo, documento que debe ser leído por todo obrero conciente de ahora, plantea con meridiana claridad, que “el proletariado, aún en Bolivia, constituye la clase social revolucionaria por excelencia” que en un país capitalista atrasado como Bolivia, el proletariado debe “combinar la lucha por las tareas demo-burguesas (la reforma agraria, etc.) con la lucha por las reivindicaciones socialistas. Ambas etapas – la democrática y la socialista- “no están separadas en la lucha por etapas históricas sino que surgen inmediatamente las unas de las otras”.

Luego de la revolución del 52, en una época donde la influencia del nacionalismo parecía hegemónica, el POR y Lora se destacaron por haber señalado que el nacionalismo de cuño burgués no era revolucionario y haber planteado que terminaría “de rodillas frente al imperialismo”, diferenciándose así de otras corrientes de izquierda que actuaban, y actúan aún, como alas izquierdas del nacionalismo. Fue la época de mayor vitalidad del POR que concluyo en la ruptura de la clase obrera con el nacionalismo que se perfilo a estructurar su propio poder obrero, en los años setenta, estructurando la Asamblea Popular, que seria aplastado en germen por las botas militares, fue la época de mayor influencia de Lora y el POR, dentro de la clase obrera.

Lora se ha destacado por haber escrito y haber intentado conocer la realidad boliviana requisito indispensable para transformar la realidad. De ahí que deja una obra valiosa, que todo obrero conciente debe estudiar, como su monumental “Historia del movimiento obrero boliviano”, sobre “La revolución boliviana” o sus textos de discusión con las corrientes foquistas etc..

Para los obreros fabriles, vanguardia de la lucha popular de las ciudades, que afrontamos en las actuales condiciones problemas en torno a la estructuración de nuestro sector en clase dirigente, la obra de Guillermo Lora, es y será necesario para estructurar una conciencia de clase. Por que Guillermo Lora dio su vida por los obreros, así debe ser reconocido por toda la clase obrera boliviana. El Comité Ejecutivo de la CGTFB, se adhiere al sufrimiento de los familiares y seguidores de Guillermo Lora.

La Paz, 17 de Mayo de 2009

Honor y Gloria para Guillermo Lora

CONFEDERACION GENERAL DE TRABAJADORES FABRILES DE BOLIVIA

A Little Break

All-

The Rustbelt is taking a little break.  We’ll be back at it after the coming weekend.  Enjoy these spring days!  See you Tuesday.

Rustbelt Radical

Here Comes A Regular

For all those who have ever had too much…

Tommy McKearney Speaks on the Working Class, James Connolly and 1916

In a post on Connolly last week I mentioned that the reality of Easter 1916 was much different than the images we have made or had handed to us.  As luck would have it Tommy McKearney, currently an organizer for the Independent Workers Union, spoke at an event organized by eirigi and bringing out hundreds on the politics of 1916 at Conway Mill in Belfast recently on just that topic.

There Tommy presented The Rising in the context of an organized Dublin working class with revolutionary leadership and a rich tradition of struggle from which to draw lessons in a detailed and absorbing speech presented below.  The role of Connolly, Larkin and the organizations they led are given close attention as is the broader situation of the European socialist movement in the midst of the First World War.

Other speakers included Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh on the cultural revival that proceeded 1916, Damian Lawlor spoke on the the role of the youth organization Fianna Eireann before and during The Rising, Brendan Mac Cionnaith discussed the Fenian tradition, including its relationship to the First International and the Irish Republican Brotherhood.  A report of that meeting as well as videos of the other speakers can be found on the eirigi site here.  Recommended.

Obama’s Peace in the Valley

Obama’s Afghan-Pak war is now in full swing.  Yesterday came reports of one hundred dead civilians in a US bombing run on the western Afghani province of Farah.  Some toady for the Defense Department said that the Taliban had killed the unfortunates with hand grenades and then driven their bodies around town to make it look like an air raid.  The official, Captain Kirby, hastened to add though,  “we cannot confirm the report that the Taliban executed these people.”  Since the “report” came from the imagination of the US military it shouldn’t be too hard to confirm; the imaginary report only requires imaginary confirmation to make it true.

Why are civilians dying in such large numbers?  It might be that over the last month the United States has dropped more bombs than ever on Afghanistan.  The numbers have been rising ever since Obama donned the Purple Robes and promises to go higher.  Obama hosted the venal Afghan “President” Karzai and the widower Zardari for a war council on the same day as the news of the civilian deaths came out.  They both got lectures from Ambassador Holbrooke, in a reprise performance as The Great White Father, on what the United States requires them to do.  Two more corrupt and incompetent leaders would be hard to find, but hey, we like ‘em that way.

The marching orders are, as Pakistan’s offensive makes clear, more and larger war.  And yet the United States understands nothing.  Does Obama really believe that Al Qaeda is the reason for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan?  Does he really believe that forcing a civil war on Pakistan will resolve the civil war in Afghanistan?  If so than he is responsible for the same US-centered delusions as the previous proprietor of Pax Americana. With dangerous consequences.

Of all of the bewildering illusions in the guy, and there are many, the most galling for me is that he was the “peace” candidate and now the peace President.  Everywhere in Ann Arbor, and I imagine in many other liberal enclaves as well, folks drive their Volkswagons with Obama stickers still proudly attached to their vehicles from the election.  So happy are they to be with the forces of progress and light that they want to shout, as was shouted in those heady days of the Great Society, “Love me!  Love me!  I’m a liberal”

More often than not the “Obama-Biden” bumper sticker or lawn sign is next to one advertising peace or “co-existence”.  As tens of thousands more US troops pour into Afghanistan and the Afghans (and the occupiers) dig the consequent graves I have a suggestion to all those folks still basking in the glow of their November victory over the dark forces of war and destruction; either take down the Obama sign or the peace sign.  You can’t have both and it is, frankly, embarrassing.  Aren’t you embarrassed?  No?  Well, I’m embarrassed for you.

A Splendid May Day in Detroit

Following on the success of the benefit for Gaza earlier this year a  smashing First of May was had at the United States Social Forum benefit party last night in Detroit’s Corktown.  Excellent money was raised, food eaten, music played, libations imbibed and conversations had.  A perfect spring evening in Detroit with two porches to choose from, a keg of beer and banana nut bread with an inexplicably perfect cake-to-nut equilibrium.  The easy solidarity of old friends, even among those just acquainted, and a healthy dose of the best of Detroit music were it’s hallmarks.  The revelry went on well into the night and ended only with exhaustion.

With this community the line between the audience and the band is pretty blurred, but for clarity’s sake we’ll list who played and who came.  Here’s who played:

Thollem McDonas, acclaimed creative pianist who lives in San Francisco even as he has been adopted into the Detroit family of musicians.  Piotr Michalowski, multi-instrumentalist from Ann Arbor.  Michael Carey (sax), a proponent of old time Fire Music! playing with The Raw Truth and is a regular with Faruq Z. Bey and Northwoods Improvisers.  Kenn Thomas played keys.  Skeeter Shelton (sax) stopped by when he heard who was playing, a serious voice in Detroit jazz his coming was a real treat.  James Cornish (trumpet), also a co-host,  is working on an opera about the battle to unionize Ford.  Joel Peterson (bass) plays with Immigrant Suns, Odu Afrobeat Orchestra, The Sure Shots and half the other decent bands in town.  Joel was the curator of Detroit’s badly missed Bohemian National Home.  Kurt Prisbe (drums) has played with most of these people over time.  Marco Navatchcoff is a multi-multi-instrumentalist.  Alan Scheurman performed solo acoustic including a song called “Reds” dedicated to all the comrades gathered there that night.   He was heard to comment on the night’s political/cultural/social event: “let’s make these second nature”.  Indeed!  The Sure Shots, readying themselves for a tour soon, laid down a seamless swoop of country sounds that had the party dancing and swaying until the early hours.  Nick Schillace plays steel guitar and banjo, Joel Peterson on bass, and Jennie Knaggs on guitar and vocals.

And here’s who came:

A refreshing mix of generations and scenes which doesn’t happen enough at  social events.  UAW activists, including recently laid-off auto militants, highly feared labor lawyers (the real tough kind), members of Jewish Voices for Peace, folks from Student Environmental Action Coalition (instrumental in the No Coal Days of Action in DC last November).  Teamster members, Centro  Obrero and Jobs With Justice folks.  Activists with the Green Party, including candidates and state-wide leaders.  Too many long-standing Detroit socialists to even name and folks whose first political events have come in the last year.  Anarchists, members of Solidarity and the League of Revolutionaries for a New America and Wobblies.  Students from Wayne State and Eastern Michigan Universities.   Michigan Welfare Rights Union and  Labor Notes folks.  Fans of the music and loads of unaffiliated friends.

People spoke a little as well.  Brad Duncan, the evening’s co-host, paid rousing tribute to the movement that began May Day and those that fell in the struggle; the Eight Hour Day (how we miss you!) and the Haymarket martyrs (never forgotten).  Will Copeland of the USSF Detroit organizing committee spoke about what the USSF is and what  it could accomplish…communicated in verse no less!

Many new people learned about the USSF and all of the musicians were  sympathetic and excited to play for international workers’ day and the USSF.  There is still much to do in the lead up to 2010’s conference.  We hope this event contributes to that work.  The community of last night’s fun was a wonderful antidote to the atomized and depressed feeling one gets all too often in Michigan these days.  A breath of fresh, spring air.

Thanks to Brad and James for opening their home for the evening.