The GameStop mania reflects the general sickness of the capitalist system. A speculation frenzy has preceded every major financial disaster in history. Prior to the Wall Street crash of 1929, hundreds of thousands of small investors piled into the stock market hoping they might get out of their own precarious situations. In 2008, it was another speculation frenzy, only with houses: everyone was urged to take on bad mortgages they could not afford.
Our ongoing series where we dig through
the archives to bring you some old-school gems that are still relevant
today. This entry comes from the February 15th, 1912 issue of IW.
No slave class ever made a law and never have the instruments of
oppression been wielded in such a manner as to secure freedom for the
oppressed. All attempts to use the present government in the interests
of the workers are sure to result in failure. Politics is based upon
property and the state is simply the mailed fist of the master class.
The workers own no property as a class, and are not concerned in
capturing the government, but are anxious to capture the tools of
production and the natural resources so as to render the capitalists
powerless. The laws that are made by the workers in an industry and
enforced when they work are the only ones which really touch our lives.
All else is folly and rainbow chasing. No revolution was ever
accomplished by legal methods, and even attempts in that direction are
met by the sneers of the organ of the oppressors. The following clipping
from the Saturday Evening Post has hit the nail on the head:
“Theoretical Socialism is the most
ambitious of political programs, involving nothing short of a
whole-nation-wide—or world-wide—revolution; but, except a solitary
congressman and seventeen members of state legislatures, Socialists so
far have been elected only to local offices, and those usually of an
administrative rather than a legislative nature—elected, that is, not to
bring in a brand new, all-embracing revolutionary program, but to work
the lumbering old bourgeoise machine in a little honester, more
intelligent, kindlier manner perhaps than some Republican or Democrat
would work it.”
The German Social Democracy with its numerous members in the
Reichstag, hand in hand with militarism of an extreme type and bitter
poverty as well; and Australia, with its labor legislation, starvation,
and strikes, are further proofs of the absurdity of trying to settle
economic problems by dealing with the effects springing from those
problems. The cause of our slavery can be found in industry and in
industry must the remedy be applied. Organization into a class union
along industrial lines, for the fighting of every-day battles and the
final abolition of the wage system is the only hope of the disinherited
and dispossessed producers of wealth.
On this day, 3 February 1964, one of the biggest protests as part of the civil rights movement took place when over 450,000 students in New York City boycotted class in protest at de facto segregation in the city’s public schools.
Primarily Black and Puerto Rican schoolchildren skipped class and instead took to the streets with parents and activists, holding rallies and alternative classes across the city. The action was organised by gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, and was joined by some teachers who went on unofficial strike.
While the action was one of the biggest of the time, and involved twice as many people as the famous March on Washington, it is little-known and rarely mentioned in history books. Some historians believe this is because the narrative of segregation which is “acceptable” to be taught is about segregation in the “backwards” US South, not in the liberal major northern cities.
There was a follow-up boycott the following month, of just over 250,000 schoolchildren, but the boycott was unsuccessful in forcing changes in NYC schools.
As of 2019 they were still the most segregated schools in the US.
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You can learn more about Jim Crow and segregation in the US in these books: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/david-pilgrimhttps://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1644442172407593/?type=3
Friday the 13th Part 2 will receive a Steelbook Blu-ray edition on March 23 via Paramount Pictures. The 1981 slasher sequel is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Steve Miner (Halloween H20) directs from a script by Ron Kurz (Eyes of a Stranger). Adrienne King, John Furey, Stu Charno, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Steve Daskewisz, Warrington Gillette, and Amy Steel star.
The Blu-ray features the old high-definition transfer of the film, not the new 4K restoration featured on Scream Factory’s recent box set. Special features are listed below, where you can also see the back of the Steelbook.
