The struggle goes on and on
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 11:44:50 -0500
From: George Salzman <george.salzman@umb.edu>

Oaxaca, October 9, 2003

Friends:

      After 4 months in the U.S. I got back to Mexico a month ago. Much of my time in the States went towards the Local Grassroots Infrastructure Trust, an effort in Cambridge, Massachusetts to divert wealth out of corporate and government control. The Trust owns the house that used to be mine and is directing much of the income from the tenants to several grassroots groups.

      In particular the Lucy Parsons Center (LPC), currently the major beneficiary, will likely receive $21,500 this year for its fund to purchase a building, an important move to get free of landlords. The LPC's non-sectarian radical bookstore, which began during the Vietnam War, is one of the best in New England, despite the fact that financially it's always been on the edge. More info about LPC at: http://www.tao.ca/~lucyparsons/

      Of course I was thrilled to see the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun in September end in disarray, with the nations of the South refusing to accept the would-be dictates of the rich northern countries seeking to force "free trade" on them.

      At the same time, I remain convinced that building our global grassroots infrastructure, which appropriates material resources as rapidly as possible, removing them from corporate and government control, is at least as essential for our ultimate success in building a new world as the stunning mass demonstrations of opposition to corporate globalization.

      We need to do everything possible to stop the ongoing savagery by powerful nations, first among them the U.S., against peoples in many parts of the world. These are the "emergency" actions we must actively support. But we also need to work on our long-term goals, so that eventually we will not have to oppose the latest brutal attacks by governments with their agendas of domination and exploitation, simply because they will be unable to carry them out without our consent.

      I posted a short note, "U.S. Income taxes for war and conquest" at http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Strate/Salz/2003-10-08.htm, which I would be glad to have distributed as widely as possible.

      Information about the Local Grassroots Infrastructure Trust is at http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Grass/Infra/index.htm and at
http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Strategy/Trust/index.htm
If you are interested in additional information, please write me.

Sincerely,
George

P.S. Friday, Oct 10. Since drafting the above note yesterday I got very bad news from Al Giordano: He’s going to discontinue publishing Narco News, which has been an invaluable, inspiring source of information on despicable U.S. and U.S.-backed efforts to control Latin America. I’ll try to think of ways to encourage Al to revive Narco News, and will write again. You can read his reasons for his decision at http://www.narconews.com/