This week’s issue of the Militant features an article by Mary-Alice Waters, “Defending the Cuban Revolution, Strengthening U.S. Working People.” Writing on behalf of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party, Waters rejects the content and political line of an article that appeared in the print edition of last week’s paper under the headline, “Would a Joe Biden White House Be Better for Cuba?”
Waters is a former editor of the Militant and a longtime member of the SWP National Committee whose leadership responsibilities include politically directing the party’s work in defense of the Cuban Revolution.
The article “Would a Joe Biden White House Be Better for Cuba?” appeared under the byline of Miami Militant correspondent Steve Warshell, but responsibility for its line and content lies with the Militant editor. The editor retracted the article and pulled it from the online edition as soon as the SWP National Committee pointed out that it was contrary to the longstanding positions of the Militant as well as those of the Socialist Workers Party. The print edition, however, had already been mailed to subscribers and distributors in the U.S.
The intent of the editor in the retracted article had been to explain that Washington’s decadeslong course to overturn Cuba’s socialist revolution, and to return the island and its people to exploitation by the U.S. imperialist ruling families, is supported by both capitalist parties. That effort will continue no matter who occupies the White House come Jan. 21, 2021. Our editing of the article not only failed to do that, however, but introduced the errors explained and rebutted by Waters.
The Militant editors wholeheartedly agree with “Defending the Cuban Revolution, Strengthening U.S. Working People.” It’s worth reading more than once. We urge our readers to study and discuss it.