Why I voted for James Harris

Well, this is only the first month of President Obama’s second four-year term in office.  Already he has shown that he has every intention of continuing his all out, unrelenting war against working people.  Understanding this, I have a sense of satisfaction for having voted for James Harris, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for President.  To understand why I feel this way, we can look at the policies of President Obama over the past few months.

The two percent tax increase

The President has welcomed working people to his new term in office with a two percent tax increase.  He justified this horrendous policy with jargon about the so-called need to pay down the debt, and how we don’t want to “fall off the cliff.”  The reality is that Obama has favored dumping trillions of dollars on banks that he feels are “too big to fail.” 

One bank that received huge amounts of government money through their relationship with the American International Group or AIG happens to be HSBC.  HSBC happens to be the bank that was found to lauder money for Mexican and Columbian drug cartels. 

James Harris has a different approach to the taxes working people pay.  He argues that workers provide services at their jobs and this is the only payment that workers should be making.  Capitalist politicians argue that capitalists, who do no useful work, should receive enormous “incentives” like the bailout money for the banks.  James Harris argues that these same capitalists, who represent no more than one percent of the population, pay all taxes.

Hurricane Sandy

When we see the horrendous effects Hurricane Sandy, this crisis did not happen because of the hurricane.  No, the cause of the crisis related to this hurricane came from either government action or a lack of action. 

First, we need to look at the fact that throughout the capitalist world working class families are effectively forced to live in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding.  Far Rockaway, Queens is one of these areas and the residents of this area were especially hit hard by the hurricane.

Today we are seeing a trend in how the United States government deals with natural disasters like hurricane Sandy and Katrina.  First, they refuse to carry out a comprehensive evacuation plan that treats citizens with the dignity we deserve.  Then, they call those people who do not evacuate “stupid.”  Then, they refuse to pay for the damage caused by the disasters.  The results of these policies have meant that hundreds or thousands of people lost their lives, and thousands more never received adequate compensation for their losses.

James Harris points to the Cuban government that responds to hurricanes by organizing comprehensive evacuations where even chickens, dogs, and cats are evacuated.  Although the Cuban government has significantly fewer resources as the United States, even the poorest Cuban residents are given assistance to rebuild after the hurricane.

War

Like the presidents before him, President Obama has made war against some of the poorest people in the world his top priority.  Literally hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent to murder civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Why would anyone who has political power support this policy that appears to be so profoundly stupid?

Today about 40% of the world’s population lives on two dollars per day or less.  These people produce commodities that allow about 250 families to have more wealth than half of the world’s population.  The United States government typically goes to war to make sure people who live in dire poverty continue to live in dire poverty.

Some people from other countries make an attempt to escape the poverty they experience by working some of the worst jobs in the United States.  President Obama has already deported over one million people, more than any other president in history.

James Harris understands that our true enemies are hunger, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, illness, ignorance, and alienation.  He argues that a workers government would view human needs as more important than profits.  With these kinds of priorities, humanity can go on an all out war against our real enemies. 

How can this be possible?

Certainly tens of millions of people voted for Barrack Obama or Willard Mitt Romney because they felt this was the most rational thing we can do.  James Harris only received a tiny percentage of the vote.  So, why do I feel that his political orientation has a chance of success? 

Today the world capitalist system is in the midst of a profound crisis that can only get worse.  Working people are not mindless automatons who will simply go along with whatever the government has to offer. 

The United States was born as a result of a political revolution.  The Civil War was another revolution that abolished chattel slavery.  Then, the labor, civil rights, and anti-war movements changed the consciousness of people in this country. 

It is just a matter of time before working people begin to understand two basic facts.  One is that there is no meaningful future to the capitalist system.  The other point is how working people all over the world have the potential to transform our lives and make profound improvements in our standard of living. 

This is why I voted for James Harris and why I believe working people have the capacity to transform the world.

More information about the politics of the Socialist Workers Party can be seen at:

themilitant.com