Thorn West: Issue No. 172

State Politics

• Today is the state Legislature’s second of two yearly “suspense days,” when the progress of many proposed bills can be suspended until the next year’s session. At the end of the day, here’s what advanced.

• CalMatters covers this summer’s continuing increase in COVID-19 cases, including how to know if you are optimally vaccinated.

City Politics

• A long-awaited report from the chief legislative analyst contains proposals on how to expand the number of city council seats, as well as how to move to an independent redistricting commission. The Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform met this week (video here) to begin reviewing the report.

• Former LA Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months in prison for corruption that took place when he was a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors.

• With the next primaries in March, the first debate in a Los Angeles City Council race was held in District 2. DSA-LA has also begun its endorsement process, and will be considering the endorsement of several candidates for council. On September 10, members are invited to meet and ask questions of these candidates via Zoom. RSVP here!

Police Violence and Community Resistance

• The LAPD Mission Division gang unit that is being federally investigated is suspected of routinely stealing from people at traffic stops, as well as slipping tracing devices into their cars.

• Days after approving a new LAPD contract which unbalances the budget by giving massive raises to police officers, Councilmember Traci Park spoke gleefully about cutting the budgets of other city departments.

Housing Rights

• Los Angeles City Council passed a $150-million spending plan for funds raised by Measure ULA on Tuesday. The funds will be directed to six programs, including tenant protections and affordable housing production. City officials said ULA money can be spent only as it comes in, so the city won’t be able to use the full $150 million until the tax generates $150 million.

• Recent court orders have temporarily prevented the displacement of unhoused people by cities that do not provide viable shelter alternatives, citing the decision in Martin v. Boise that this practice violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. In response, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, speaking at an anti-unhoused rally staged at the courthouse, demanded that judges reverse this decision in order to allow the city to resume displacing encampments regardless of whether or not viable shelter alternatives exist. Governor Gavin Newsom suggested publishing the personal contact information of judges who refused to do so.

Labor

• The Nation offers praise to Los Angeles as the country’s “leading union town.” Join DSA-LA’s Westside Branch this Saturday in support of workers on the picket line at the Fairmont Miramar, where hotel security have attacked striking workers for demanding more dignified working conditions!

• In advance of Labor Day, Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez and Tim McOsker introduced a package of legislative motions intended to crack down on wage theft in Los Angeles.

Environmental Justice

• The California Public Utilities Commission voted 5–0 on Thursday to let Southern California Gas increase the fuel storage at the Aliso Canyon gas storage field, eight years after a methane gas leak forced thousands of San Fernando Valley residents to evacuate their homes for months.

The post Report on LA City Council Expansion + DSA-LA Endorsement Process Begins for 2024 Races appeared first on The Thorn West.

Translated into French below / Traduit en français ci-dessous

The DSA International Committee condemns France, the United States, and their compradors in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for interfering in the internal affairs of Niger via the imposition of sanctions, the suspension of humanitarian aid, and the threat of military action. These interventions obstruct the path to independent development for Niger and for the whole of Africa, more broadly.

Although Niger won formal independence from France in 1960 and possesses immense wealth in natural resources, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Bound to France through dependence on the export of raw materials to French capitalists, the occupation of its land by French and American troops, and the monetary colonialism of the CFA franc zone, Niger has been unable to develop a self-sufficient national economy and advance the interests of its people. We wholeheartedly support the Nigerien masses in their struggle against imperialism, which is a struggle for true political and economic sovereignty in their country.

On July 26, 2023, the newly-formed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland placed President Mohamed Bazoum under house arrest and named General Abdourahamane Tchiani the leader of the transitional government. Following several other military coups in West Africa, condemnation from France, the United States, and the European Union was immediate. Superficial characterizations of the coup in Niger as “illiberal” fail to recognize the undemocratic nature of the prevailing social order in West Africa, which is characterized by economic exploitation and political domination designed to benefit foreign capital at the expense of the people.

The relationship between France and its “former” colonies in West Africa has been marked by continual interference and exploitation. Since 1960, France has repeatedly deposed or assassinated leaders who have attempted to upend the colonial relations of production responsible for Africa’s underdevelopment. Today, France continues to utilize a variety of tools to maintain domination over Niger and other West African countries. As a colonial power, France organized the Nigerien economy to be unindustrialized and dependent on the uranium trade. This relationship persists as Nigerien uranium mines are predominantly owned by French capitalists, who import Nigerien uranium to sustain France’s massive nuclear energy industry. A third of the light bulbs in France are powered by Nigerien uranium, while 90% of the people in Niger are robbed of access to electricity.

France has around 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger, helping to serve as a base for expanding French militarism across West Africa. Though counter-terrorism is the banner under which France and the United States justify their military presence across West Africa, the 2011 NATO-led intervention in Libya sparked a massive insurgency across the continent, providing a pretext for expanded militarization while exacerbating insecurity and instability. A 2019 report published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies found that terrorist activity on the continent doubled from 2012 to 2018. The number of countries experiencing attacks increased by 960% during that time period. Across the region, the need to resolve the terrorism issue through development, rather than illegal and ineffective foreign military intervention, lies at the heart of the popular struggle to expel French and American forces from African soil.

Additionally, the continuation of the CFA franc as the official currency of Niger ensures that Niger remains subservient to imperialism. The CFA franc is a product of French colonialism, which sets the Nigerien currency at a fixed exchange rate with the Euro (previously the Franc), making it incredibly expensive for Niger to trade with other countries and thus allowing Europe to exploit Niger’s natural resources for next to nothing. Moreover, half of Nigerien currency reserves are held by the French treasury under the CFA franc system, making it impossible for Niger to use monetary policy to develop heavy industry and move away from mineral extraction. The CFA franc serves to guarantee France’s monetary hegemony over Niger and several other West and Central African countries.

This long and ongoing history of French imperialism in Niger is essential for contextualizing the recent coup. Both liberals and conservatives are attempting to mischaracterize the new Nigerien government as a dictatorial military regime imposed on the people of Niger by a Russian conspiracy. Rather, the coup is supported by a mass movement of Nigeriens determined to put an end to the economic exploitation and political domination of their country by France, the United States, and foreign capital, more broadly. The new Nigerien government’s support was particularly evident at the demonstration at Seyni Kountche Stadium on August 8, where 30,000 Nigeriens came out in support of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland. 

The DSA International Committee stands in solidarity with Niger in its struggle for sovereignty and against capitalist imperialism. As the United States and Europe seek to vilify the new Nigerien Government and expand domination across West Africa, we call for the removal of sanctions against the transitional government and the Nigerien people; the removal of all French, American, and other foreign military forces from the African continent, including NATO and AFRICOM; and the abolition of all tools of colonial domination that inhibit the development of Niger.

DSA IC est solidaire du peuple nigérien contre l’impérialisme Américain et Français

Le Comité international des socialistes démocrates d’Amérique (DSA) condamne la France, les États-Unis, et leurs compradors dans la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO) pour ingérence dans les affaires intérieures du Niger par l’imposition de sanctions, la suspension de l’aide humanitaire, et la menace d’une action militaire. Ces interventions font obstacle au développement indépendant du Niger et de l’ensemble de l’Afrique, plus largement.

Bien que le Niger ait gagné son indépendance formelle de la France en 1960 et possède une immense richesse en ressources naturelles, il reste l’un des pays les plus pauvres du monde. Lié à la France par la dépendance à l’exportation de matières premières aux capitalistes français, l’occupation de ses terres par les troupes françaises et américaines, et le colonialisme monétaire de la zone franc CFA, le Niger a été incapable de développer unune économie nationale suffisante et la promotion des intérêts de sa population. Nous soutenons sans réserve les masses nigériennes dans leur lutte contre l’impérialisme, qui est une lutte pour la vraie souveraineté politique et économique dans leur pays.

Le 26 juillet 2023, le nouveau Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie a placé le président Mohamed Bazoum en résidence surveillée et a nommé le général Abdourahamane Tchiani chef du gouvernement de transition. Après plusieurs autres coups d’État militaires en Afrique de l’Ouest, la condamnation de la France, des États-Unis, et de l’Union européenne a été immédiate. Les caractérisations superficiels du coup d’État au Niger d’ “illibéral” ne reconnaissent pas la nature antidémocratique de l’ordre social dominant en Afrique de l’Ouest, qui se caractérise par une exploitation économique et une domination politique au profit du capital étranger aux dépens du peuple.

Le relation entre la France et ses “anciennes” colonies en Afrique de l’Ouest ont été marquées par une ingérence et une exploitation continuelles. Depuis 1960, la France a déposé ou assassiné à plusieurs reprises des dirigeants qui ont tenté de bouleverser les relations coloniales de production responsables du sous-développement de l’Afrique. Depuis 1960, la France a déposé ou assassiné à plusieurs reprises des dirigeants qui ont tenté de bouleverser les rapports coloniales de production responsables du sous-développement de l’Afrique. Aujourd’hui, la France continue d’utiliser une variété d’outils pour maintenir sa domination sur le Niger et d’autres pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest. En tant que puissance coloniale, la France a organisé l’économie nigérienne pour être non industrialisée et dépendante du commerce de l’uranium. Cette relation persiste comme les mines d’uranium nigériennes sont majoritairement détenues par des capitalistes français, qui importent de l’uranium nigérien pour soutenir l’énorme industrie nucléaire française. Un tiers des ampoules en France sont alimentées par de l’uranium nigérien, alors que 90% des Nigériens sont privés d’accès à l’électricité.

La France a environ 1,500 soldats stationnés au Niger, aidant à servir de base pour l’expansion du militarisme français en Afrique de l’Ouest. Bien que le contre-terrorisme soit la bannière sous laquelle la France et les États-Unis justifient leur présence militaire en Afrique de l’Ouest, l’intervention menée par l’OTAN en Libye en 2011 a déclenché une insurrection massive sur le continent, fournissant un prétexte pour une militarisation accrue tout en exacerbant l’insécurité et l’instabilité. Un rapport de 2019 publié par le Centre africain d’études stratégiques a révélé que les activités terroristes sur le continent ont doublé de 2012 à 2018. Le nombre de pays victimes d’attaques a augmenté de 960% pendant cette période. Dans toute la région, la nécessité de résoudre le problème du terrorisme par le développement, plutôt que par une intervention militaire étrangère illégale et inefficace, est au coeur de la lutte populaire pour expulser les forces françaises et américaines du sol africain.

En outre, le maintien du franc CFA comme monnaie officielle du Niger garantit que le Niger reste soumis à l’impérialisme. Le franc CFA est un produit du colonialisme français, qui fixe la monnaie nigérienne à un taux de change fixe avec l’euro (auparavant le franc), faisant en sorte qu’il soit incroyablement coûteux pour le Niger de commercer avec d’autres pays et permettant ainsi à l’Europe d’exploiter les ressources naturelles du Niger pour presque rien. De plus, la moitié des réserves de devises nigériennes sont détenues par le trésor français sous le système du franc CFA, ce qui rend impossible pour le Niger d’utiliser la politique monétaire pour développer l’industrie lourde et s’éloigner de l’extraction minière. Le franc CFA sert à garantir l’hégémonie monétaire de la France sur le Niger et plusieurs autres pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre.

Cette longue histoire de l’impérialisme français au Niger est essentielle pour contextualiser le récent coup d’État. Les libéraux et les conservateurs tentent de présenter le nouveau gouvernement nigérien comme un régime militaire dictatorial imposé au peuple nigérien par une conspiration russe. Au contraire, le coup d’État est soutenu par un mouvement de masse nigérien déterminé à mettre fin à l’exploitation économique et à la domination politique de leur pays par la France, les États-Unis, et les capitaux étrangers, plus largement. Le soutien du nouveau gouvernement nigérien a été particulièrement évident lors de la manifestation du 8 août au stade Seyni Kountche, où 30,000 Nigériens ont apporté leur soutien au Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie.

Le Comité international de la DSA est solidaire du Niger dans sa lutte pour la souveraineté et contre l’impérialisme capitaliste. Alors que les États-Unis et l’Europe cherchent à vilipender le nouveau gouvernement nigérien et à étendre leur domination sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest, nous appelons à la suppression des sanctions contre le gouvernement de transition et le peuple nigérien; à la suppression de toutes les forces militaires françaises, des forces militaires américaines, et d’autres forces militaires étrangères du continent africain, y compris l’OTAN et le Commandement des États-Unis pour l’Afrique (AFRICOM); et l’abolition de tous les outils de domination coloniale qui entravent le développement du Niger.

The post DSA IC stands in solidarity with people in Niger against US and French imperialism appeared first on DSA International Committee.

George Floyd may have been murdered in Minneapolis, but he came from Houston, Texas, and his hometown has returned to the streets as Houstonians agitate for justice after another racist police murder. On July 26, 2023, the family of 29-year-old Jalen Randle, joined by Black Lives Matter HTX, Black Lives Matter Grassroots FL, Restaurant Workers United, Texas State Employees Union Local 6186, the Office of Ben Crump, Community Voices for Public Education, the Houston Tenants Union, and the Houston DSA gathered for a press conference demanding justice for their son. The day marked the latest action of the family’s campaign since Randle’s murder by Houston police on April 27, 2022, in the historically Black neighborhood of Pleasantville. Organized by local DSA members, this event may have marked the first time since 1946 that labor unions in Houston have stood with grassroots struggles against racist violence and murder. 

Since Randle’s murder, the fight for justice in Houston has not been led by established activists or organizations but by Randle’s family. His father, Warren Randle, is a full-time physical athletic trainer. Tiffany Bouyette Rachal, his mother, works as a touring singer and artist. Few others carrying these commitments would have maintained the capacity and passion for a regular schedule of monthly protests and actions for well over a year. The family’s tenacious determination inspired the Rice Women’s Basketball Team to feature Jalen’s name on uniforms in February 2023 and directly challenge the leaders of Houston’s political class two months later. The Randle family has united with the family of George Floyd and developed contacts with abolitionist intellectuals such as Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Robin D.G. Kelley. 

In an interview published on the first anniversary of his son’s murder, Warren Randle told The Real News Network, that Jalen had made him “a better person even in his death.” Rachal, similarly, has made her activism airborne, supporting the movement demanding justice for Andrew Joseph III in Florida, as well as in Atlanta where she sang at Tyre Nichols’s funeral, and as far away as Ohio and Washington D.C. where she traveled to march in solidarity with the family of Jayland Walker.

After a year of organizing, the Randle family in April of this year finally forced Harris County DA Kim Ogg to place the officer who shot Jalen, Shane Privette, before a grand jury. On April 26, the grand jury returned a “no action” decision, leaving the task of ruling up to a second grand jury. The date of its convening is still unknown. Despite the criminal legal system’s cruel maneuvers, the Randle family and their supporters have not backed down. They have instead upped the ante by organizing broader alliances involving teachers and unions and raised public questions about the real agenda of the DA’s office. If the resources of DSA nationally can be marshaled together with local ones, the Randle family could make DA Kim Ogg’s life even more difficult in the coming months.

But the primary challenge facing the Justice for Jalen campaign is one currently shared by every fight waged by our side right now, whether in Houston, Cop City, Ron DeSantis’s Florida, or far beyond. In a strong statement of solidarity to the Randle campaign, the Southern Workers Assembly in South Carolina warns that “there is a rising right wing assault on every aspect of our lives.” Queer and trans communities, communities of color, reproductive rights, librarians and libraries, public schools, unions, and everyone else and thing we hold dear are all in grave danger. There is no path forward for resisting this broad offensive if our struggles are not connected. And there is no reason they shouldn’t be. 

Each struggle puts us on the front lines of fighting for a different kind of society, for those we do not know and in the memory of those no longer here. Socialists today must build a new Left grounded in the same commitments that brought millions to the radical streets of 2020. Their example could not have been more dramatically pre-figurative of the world that could be ours, where “an injury to one is an injury to all.”

A World Where Injuries to One Matter to All

We have seen the legacy of the 2020 uprising play out in industrial action and workplace rebellion this summer. For socialists, the writers’ and actors’ strikes aren’t only about residuals, dystopian technological agendas, or even the status of art as we know it. Yes, they are about these, but they are also about another, much wider world made possible when workers stand together against injustice. Any and every locked arm against scabs and cops calls into question the false common sense of an undemocratic society built on profit over need, where ordinary people take orders from above rather than run society collectively from below. 

Bernie Sanders gestured toward these kinds of prefigurative commitments when he posed the question to his supporters, “Are you willing to fight for someone you don’t know?”

The transformation of ordinary people through struggle into some of the best leaders, organizers and tacticians also takes place on the streets against the cops and the courts. The same radical needs as well as capacities for collectivity and solidarity that emerge during fights with employers also arise independently among the oppressed, including in struggles against systemic racism and state violence. A socialism truly democratic can only thrive where these needs and capacities are developed on a mass scale through the passionate cultivation and care of activists. It is perhaps another way of describing the molecular infrastructures of abolition.

Seth Uzman is Co-Chair of the Houston DSA’s Abolition Working Group. For more information or to become involved with DSA’s abolition work, visit the site of the National DSA Abolition Working Group.

Tiffany Bouyette Rachal, flanked by Warren Randle and Martin Rachal, leads with an opening statement at a solidarity press conference on July 26th, 2023, outside the Harris County Criminal and Civil Courts.

HDSA Banners at the head of the family’s one year anniversary march for justice on April 22nd, 2023 at City Hall

Warren Randle shows solidarity at Houston DSA’s Teamsters BBQ Fundraiser on July 22nd, 2023 at the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation

Stenciled banner donated by  Houston DSA to the Randle family and subsequently painted and embellished by community members on display during a Pleasantville town hall on July 28th, 2022.

The post Justice and Democratic Socialism in George Floyd’s Hometown: Houston DSA Aids Coalition Work appeared first on Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Join us as we celebrate our 200th episode! We’ve been broadcasting on WBAI and online for almost five years and in that time, have featured the stories of hundreds of workers, tenants, and organizers fighting for socialism in New York City, in the United States, and around the globe. It’s a true honor and privilege to bring these stories to you, and we’re looking forward to what the future has in store!

For this week's show, we’re joined live by Honda Wang of DSA Labor. As a New York City delegate to the recent national DSA convention in Chicago, Honda will be sharing his analysis of the present and future of DSA and what’s next in the struggle for socialism. We also hear from Mac, Smitha, and Adam, three  NYC-DSA members who were inspired by their work in DSA to start organizing for tenants’ rights in their own buildings and neighborhoods.

Take the DSA Labor Strike Ready pledge to support workers at the UAW Big 3: dsausa.us/UAWPledge

Donate to the DSA Labor Solidarity Fund: donate.laborsolidarity.com.