January 10, 2000
NEW YORK CITY — The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court ruled Dec. 16 that the cops charged with brutally gunning down Amadou Diallo, a 22-year-old worker from Guinea, are to be tried in Albany, New York. This ruling reversed an earlier decision that the trial would be held in the Bronx where the killing occurred.
The indictment of the cops was a major victory for working people in the city of New York. It came about as a result of demonstrations, speak-outs, and civil disobedience protests over the course of weeks, including daily picket lines outside the police headquarters that involved thousands of workers and others.
Moving the trial is an attempt to prevent the cops from being convicted, and also to try to stop this case from further weakening the Democratic and Republican parties during the upcoming election year.
January 17, 1975
The New Year has begun with 6.5 million Americans out of work. What is the government doing about this? On Dec. 31, President Ford signed a bill providing money for 100,000 public service jobs. Five times that number were laid off in December alone.
We propose an alternative program:
- The government should institute a massive public works program to build quality housing, hospitals, schools, mass transportation systems, sewage plants, and similar projects.
- Jobless workers should be paid unemployment benefits at union wage scales, for as long as they are out of work.
- Unemployment could be reduced immediately by reducing the workweek without any cut in pay in order to spread the available work to all those who want a job.
Demonstrations to demand “Jobs for All!” can be a step toward organizing people to defend their interests.
January 9, 1950
The hated dictatorship of the butcher Chiang Kai-shek today rots on the garbage dump. The success of the Chinese people in ridding themselves of Chiang and opening up a new stage of development that can lead to the overthrow of capitalism has upset the world balance of power.
The cost to the American people of [President] Truman’s reactionary policy in China and the Far East has been high. America has lost incalculable resources of friendship. To win back that friendship will not be easy. A start can be made by demanding recognition of the new government without further delay. Economic and financial aid to speed the long-range development of China should be offered on a generous scale with no strings attached.
That’s in the spirit of the America of the working people who feel the warmest friendship and sympathy for the long-suffering Chinese people.