by Douglas Hill

The American Party of Labor fiercely condemns all forms of national oppression, which are undeniably linked to imperialism – the final stage of capitalism. Whether it takes the form of racial, religious, or economic oppression, the national oppression stemming from imperialism only serves to ideologically justify the brutal yoke over the international working class and divide it along artificial lines. National oppression is one of several powerful tools the imperialist capitalist class uses without hesitation to continue its reign of militarism and accumulation of super-profits at the expense of entire nations.

Donald Trump’s attempt to block Syrian refugees trying to escape their own home, which has been turned into a war-torn prison thanks to the reactionary groups Al-Nusra, ISIS, and others, is an example of national oppression in work. The irony is that if the reactionary monarchies and governments supporting these islamist groups were not being backed by U.S. imperialism, funding the war which is destroying the refugees’ home would’ve been much more difficult. However, imperialism needs to destroy other nations’ ways of life in order for it to survive, and in the process it crafts cynical propaganda using its own weaknesses as a justification for its reactionary policies. Donald Trump believes that by denying Syrian refugees he is saving the United States. Yet, in reality he himself is the threat that needs to be stopped. The U.S. working class knows that if Donald Trump is willing to abandon the Syrian refugees because it is profitable to do so, he will abandon them as well.

The Trump regime claims that Latin American immigrants are the source of America’s economic woes, not only because this regime has actually deluded itself into thinking this is true, but because it is beneficial for the ruling class to use labor competition and racism to distract the working class. It is an economic fact that unemployment helps the ruling class keep the costs of labor down. As a remedy for this economic “problem,” the neo-fascist Trump regime wants to build a giant wall along the border of Mexico which will cost billions of dollars while the U.S. working class struggles to make ends meet. This wall will still need the oversight of U.S. border control, turning the U.S.-Mexico border into a bigger war zone than it already is. The Trump regime has embarked on a ruthless deportation campaign which will devastate the lives of millions of immigrants and their families, some of which may be U.S. citizens. 

Capitalism came into the fore of history soaked in blood and so did the United States as a nation. Capitalism made American slavery the worst version of slavery in history. In order to reproduce this system, racist ideology and pseudo-scientific “theories” were perpetuated. Slavery had to be eliminated through a violent struggle, i.e. the Civil War. However, this did not eliminate racism but instead allowed it to continue under new forms.

With the rise of smartphones and social media, the documentation of police interactions with the public has shown that systemic racism is alive on unspeakable proportions in the United States. The number of African-Americans who die at the hands of the police is unacceptably disproportionate to the number of people of other races killed by police. The bourgeoisie’s corrupt justice system absolves the police by citing utterly preposterous “self-defense” legal claims against unarmed civilians and rewards them a slap on the write or paid suspension. The bourgeois state conditions police agents to see oppressed racial minorities as inferior and more dangerous, thus making them worthy of being unfairly profiled more than whites. This is a means of ensuring social control and a rational system in the eyes of capitalism.

By dehumanizing oppressed racial minorities, the ruling class justifies a migration of manufacturing, agriculture and customer service jobs to inmate labor jobs that pay below minimum wage. The owners of private prisons profit from this racist system as well as companies associated with commercial and finance capital like BP (formerly British Petroleum), PepsiCo, Wal-Mart, Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson, Koch Industries, and many more. Class conscious workers know that this is how capitalism functions. Therefore, it must be overthrown to allow humanity to open the next inevitable chapter in history – socialism.

The American Party of Labor:

– Unwaveringly condemns racism, police brutality, and national oppression in all its forms.

– Opposes the neo-fascist Trump regime and its chauvinistic vision to prop up a dying ruling class.

No to White Supremacy!

No to Deportations!

No to Imperialist Aggression!

Categories: Police Brutality, Racism, Statements, U.S. News