The Militant - March 24, 2003 -- Letters

Vol. 67/No. 9 March 24, 2003

Letters

Farmer or peasant?
First, the comment: The Militant deserves praise for its tradition of referring to capitalist politicians by their real names, not by their nicknames or titles of nobility. In the lead article of the March 10 issue (no. 7), however, there is a reference to "NATO secretary general Lord Robertson." His real name is "George Islay MacNeill Robertson," and he is a former trade union and Scottish Labour Party official, whom the Blair government rewarded by giving him a title appropriate to a feudal warlord. You can read all about him, probably more than you care to know, at http://www.nato.int/cv/secgen/robert-e.htm.

The question: In the article, "Mexican farmers defend right to farm," the words "peasant," "farmer," and "farm worker" are used. A farm worker would be a person who doesn’t own a farm but works on one. But what is the difference (if any) between a peasant and a farmer? Are these synonyms, or is there a sociological difference implied by the use of the two terms?

Tom O’Brien
St. Paul, Minnesota

Appreciate the ‘Militant’
Revolutionary greetings! I hope this letter finds you all well and hard at work proselytizing the toilers. My purpose for writing is to obtain a current [Pathfinder Press] 2003 publications catalog for my review and use in placing an order.

I’d also like to know if there is a discount offered to prisoners for a yearly subscription to the Militant newsweekly?

I appreciate your contribution to my understanding over the years and commend you all. Inevitably, we will prevail.

A prisoner
Jamestown, California

Subscription on strength
Revolutionary salutes. First, I want to extend my respects to you guys. I received a response and an issue of the Militant. Thank you, I appreciate that.

At this time I am without funds and really can’t afford anything. I want to ask, is there a way that I can get a subscription on strength or donation? If not, it’s no problem.

There’s some good issues in the paper, and I love it. Well, I enclosed a poem I wrote, if you guys would like to take it. I just thought I’ll send some words out.

A prisoner
Corcoran, California

Capitalist flattery
I would like to comment on [an article] in the Militant issue on January 13, "Mexico farmers resist U.S. trade assault" by Rollande Girard.

I [want to] raise the issue of flattery because of Rollande’s comments "Mexican farmers are seeking ways to protect their industry because U.S. farmers can produce goods more cheaply than the small producers in Mexico." Rollande should not be confused by the capitalist flattery, "U.S. farmers can produce food more cheaply"! The price of a bushel of U.S. corn is 70 percent below the real cost of U.S. production.

While the U.S. technological food production system is touted throughout the world the fact remains, most U.S. farmers are debt slaves, the exodus from the land continues, most farm workers are wage slaves, hunger and malnutrition are rising in America’s Heartland, insidious water and land pollution are becoming explosive issues and farm state coffers are debt ridden, despite record agricultural production!

Larry Ginter
Rhodes, Iowa

The Militant receives many requests from readers behind bars. The Prisoners Fund makes it possible to send them reduced-rate subscriptions. A prisoner can buy a six-month subscription for $6 and a one-year subscription for $12.

The Spanish-language month-ly magazine Perspectiva Mundial offers a six-month subscription for $3 and a one-year subscription for $6. To help meet these requests, please send a check or money order, earmarked "Prisoners Fund," to the Militant, 410 West Street, New York, NY 10014.

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.

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