[Marxism] The "Social-Imperialist Workers Party" sinks to a new low

["David Altman" <altman_d@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Of course, I have no issue with The Militant pointing out that the
capitalists' rapaciousness leads them to endanger the lives of workers in
uniform and even their own imperialist class interests. The overall emphasis
of this article, however, stinks! It's the lead article [!], and any average
person who read it would think that the Militant condemns Point Blank Body
Armor for sabotaging the "War on Terror" by selling faulty equipment to the
Marines. Nowhere in this article is there a denunciation of the imperialist
war on Iraq or a call for immediate withdrawal (an editorial in the same
issue makes such a call).

War-profiteering and defective equipment for the troops are nothing new.
What's new is The Militant's craven capitulation to the yellow-ribbon
"Support Our Troops" mentality. I sure don't remember the paper printing
anything like this during the Vietnam war.

-----------------------------------------
> From "The Militant"
June 13, 2005

Florida garment workers denounce war profiteering
Point Blank bosses sold faulty body armor to Marines

BY MARK HAMM

MIAMI
Point Blank Body Armor has become the focus of a controversy. The company
sold the U.S. Marine Corps 19,000 bulletproof vests that failed the
military?s own quality tests, heightening safety concerns among GIs deployed
in combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In face of damaging media
coverage, on May 4 the Marines recalled about half of the 10,000 faulty
vests that were given to U.S. troops.

The company has reaped hefty profits from Washington?s wars and occupation
of Afghanistan and Iraq. DHB Industries, Point Blank?s parent company, has
expanded dramatically to meet the military?s demands for one million vests.
It opened two new, nonunion factories in Florida last year in addition to
its now unionized plant in Oakland Park, just north of Ft. Lauderdale, near
Miami, and saw its revenue jump from $130 million in 2003 to $230 million
last year.

A number of workers at Point Blank were not surprised to hear about the
Marines? recall of vests. In a number of interviews, workers at the Oakland
Park plant said the recently reported quality defects are the result of top
management decisions and policies aimed at maximizing profits.

Workers at that plant fought a hard battle to organize into the UNITE
garment workers union in response to abusive working conditions and low
wages. During that fight workers themselves pointed to the company?s
responsibility for quality defects and how these problems potentially
jeopardized soldiers in combat. At the same time, they rejected the
company?s demand that they end their union fight in the name of backing the
war effort. After a two-year-long struggle, including a six-month strike,
the workers won their first union contract in April 2004.

Workers said they have had firsthand experience with the bosses? chiseling
tactics and efforts to cut corners in order to squeeze out more profits.
Old, broken-down sewing machines, for example, make their jobs harder and
unsafe.

Before the union victory, the company would grant no wage increases beyond a
50-cent raise after the first six months of work, which brought wages to $6
an hour, workers report. In their first contract last year, the unionists
won annual pay raises?a gain that workers at the company?s other plants in
south Florida said was extended to them as well.

Union condemns defective products

During their union fight, workers pointed to the company?s use of outdated
bullet-resistant textiles in vests sold to the New York City police. The
company felt compelled to replace 1,000 vests free of charge.

More at: http://www.themilitant.com/

_________________________________________________________________
Don?t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism