The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 73/No. 20      May 25, 2009

 
25, 50 and 75 years ago
 
May 25, 1984
Recent events in Washington have drawn the United States further into war in Central America. On May 9, Pres. Ronald Reagan gave a speech slandering the political aims of Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Salvadoran rebel forces with the aim of undermining widespread opposition to escalating U.S. aggression in the region.

Less than 24 hours later, under the phony cover of “aiding democracy” in the region, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted 212-208 to authorize another $129.4 million in U.S. military aid, mostly for the dictatorship in El Salvador.

The vote for the Salvador aid was bipartisan, with many Democrats backing it. Other Democrats, who voted against it, simply think more cover should be given by tacking on empty phrases about human rights.  
 
May 25, 1959
A revolutionary agrarian reform law was passed by the Cuban government May 17 stripping United States-owned sugar mills in Cuba of their cane plantations. The announcement has been met by consternation among American capitalists with large investments in Cuba.

The new law prohibits the operation of a cane plantation unless every stockholder is a Cuban citizen. It also provides that only citizens can purchase land and forbids foreigners from inheriting land.

The U.S.-owned sugar mills were given 90 days to comply with the law. After that their plantations will be expropriated if they have not met its provisions. The law also sets a limit of 1,000 acres that any person or company may own. Thus the law is aimed at both the imperialist interests and the large landowning class.  
 
May 26, 1934
(TELEGRAM TO THE MILITANT) May 22—In the most imposing display of labor solidarity and militancy Minneapolis has ever seen, a mighty picket line of the General Drivers’ Union, five thousand strong, swept through the Wholesale Market today, putting a complete stop to every attempt to move commercial trucks except those authorized by special permission of the union.

Today’s action followed daily pitched battles on Saturday and Monday in which the cops and special deputies slugged and arrested men, women and children. With the entire labor movement roused to fury by these attacks the striking drivers, reinforced by other unionists, returned to the scene of conflict today and took back to union headquarters the badges of all the rats serving as special deputies who failed to get out of the market in time.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home