[PEN-L:4679] Re: Labor Party

[Paul Zarembka <zarembka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 16 Jun 1996, Laurie Dougherty wrote:

> Re: the labor party convention, I think it is also disheartening that
> the delegate body could not bring itself to call for a reduction in the
> military budget.  The attachment of many working people to flag waving
> patriotism is a real drag on the possibility of a progressive working
> class movement.

Laurie, The convention opened with the National Anthem, not Solidarity
Forever.

> ....  I would be
> interested to know if the statements about ending bigotry and protecting the
> environment went into any depth in confronting the hard economic questions
> involved in achieving either of those goals.

A penetrating question.  Actually the environmental platform was a third
weakness, according to Tom Condit, and I'll post his comment which
includes the platform statement itself.  The ending bigotry statement
included supporting affirmative action, opposed discrimination including
for sexual orientation, for native-tongue or for immigration, opposed "all
forms of terrorism and hate crimes, including attacks against
African-American churches, synagogues or other places of workship" (added as an amendment from the
floor).  As a wish list, it seemed fine to me.

Paul Zarembka