Talk at People’s March, January 18, 2025
Text of talk! Link above!
Economic Justice and Liberation!
by Peter Bohmer
at the People’s March, January 18, 2025! Olympia, Washington
Thank you for attending this well attended rally. It is a very dangerous period where our actions are necessary to stop the march towards mass deportations, a climate catastrophe and a dictatorship. It is the most dangerous period since I have been alive. We can make a difference by resisting by all means necessary!
We live in a world of gross income and wealth inequality in Washington State, U.S. and globally. In the U.S., the top 1% own 12 times more than the bottom 50% of the population. The top 1% of the world’s population own more than the bottom 95%.
Let me briefly discuss a few major problems, their causes and what is to be done.
In addition to the major issues already mentioned by our presenters– the climate crisis, attacks on immigrants and the serious threat of mass deportations, mass incarceration, and racial oppression-and by the speakers who will speak at the State Capital on resisting the campaign against trans people and against the criminalization of abortion and reproductive justice, I want to add.
Quality and affordable housing are a basic human right. The rise in rent and the price of housing have far outstripped the increases in money wages for the last 25 years. The growing homelessness is an indictment of our capitalist system, not of the unhoused. We need rent control and more social and public housing.
The broken Health Care system! Luigi Mangione, the accused shooter of United Health Care CEO, and the subsequent widespread support for Mangioni shows the anger at a system where many millions cannot afford quality health care and/or are denied health care by a for-profit insurance system. According to the Trump Administration playbook, Project 2025, they intend to further cut Medicaid, the health care system for low-income people and end subsidies for working class people and families. Let us stop cutbacks while demanding quality and free health care, including dental, vision, hearing, and alternative medicine for all including undocumented, and the incarcerated, paid for by taxes on high income households and corporations
Most U.S workers have faced stagnant wages for 40 years. Also, for the most part,
alienating jobs and increasing debt-medical, student and consumer debt to try to maintain their standard of living in the face of rising prices. Let us organize to cancel these debts, to raise wages and benefits.
Inflation, the rise in prices, will increase caused by Trump’s increasing to 25% or more tariffs on goods from Mexico, China and Canada. Mass deportations of farmworkers will decrease the supply of food and raise its price.
What is the fundamental cause of these problems?
Capitalism!
Capitalism is an oppressive system based on production for profit not need. Where the capital is owned by a small number for people, while the great majorly, the working class has to work for them and are exploited by the capitalists. Where there is super exploitation of Black and other workers of color, of immigrants and women. Capitalism expands and destroys internally and externally; it is a global capitalist system where the natural environment is a resource to make profits of. The wealth and power is increasingly controlled by finance capital and the Amazons, Metas, Apple and Musks of the world.
Let is not take capitalism as a given. An alternative is necessary and desirable.
So, what do we do, as we face the Trumpist Administration? They are a government by and for the 1%. We should combine:
- Defend what we have—in terms of civil rights and civil liberties, social security, public education, and environmental protection. Yet the status quo is insufficient. The Biden administration has been militarist and imperialist, as has been the Democratic Party. They are a supporter and participant in the genocide of Gaza.
- Reforms—Besides what I have already mentioned, let us support at the workplace and in policy and campaigns, the right to organize unions, especially social movement unions. Where these social movement unions are in solidarity with all workers and their needs on and off the job, and work in solidarity with other social movements such as immigrant justice, environmental and reproductive justice, Palestine and global solidarity and Black liberation, and organizing the unorganized.
Reforms within capitalism are always limited. If we raise the minimum to a livable wage or raise taxes on corporations, they may not invest at home, capital flight or capital strike. Capitalism is based on inequality and profits for a few where we are told always strive for more, that individualism is human nature. Revolution is necessary for humanity and nature. Tear it Down, Build it UP!
- We need to combine reforms that improve people’s lives and raise consciousness and to build social movements and organizations that organize to end capitalism, to build a participatory socialism. Where production is based on need, the end of corporations and production for profit, where individuals, communities and workplace develop participatory planning, a participatory socialism where there is an end to poverty, global solidarity, meaningful work, that in democratic planning considers seven generations in the future, where racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression are effectively challenged and no longer intrinsic. Equity on a local, national and global scale!
The Democratic party has failed the working class of the United States and threatens war with China.
I suggest we put at the center of our campaigns demands that if won, would meet some major needs and empowerment of the working class, most of the working people of the United States. This includes taxing the wealthy and other economic issues I have mentioned. We also need to develop a program which I call principled unity which means not only a campaign for economic justice, defined narrowly but also combining this with the movements and issues being raised today.
Otherwise, we fall into a neoliberal agenda and politics.
Let us do and make central, popular education, where we talk and listen respectfully to those who are not yet part of our movements. To revolutionize this society, means a majority supports our vision.
We need to build three levels of organization and two coalitions.
- 1. An underground to fight fascists, white supremacists and white nationalists, and Christian nationalists—to protect and defend immigrants, Palestinians and other activists, and others under attack. For this underground level only, security culture is necessary.
- 2. Coalition of all organizations and individuals who support all the demands of this march. We are millions nationally, we are a force, let us not underestimate ourselves. But we are insufficient to fight the growing authoritarian threat. I call this a Progressive Coalition. This is what is happening today with the 1000 of you here in Olympia. It needs to be ongoing and growing and coordinated nationally.
- This Progressive coalition also needs to actively participate in and if necessary, create what I call a United Front Against Fascism. This was the name of a 1969 Black Panther Party conference in Oakland. This large united front coalition or popular front is necessary to protect civil liberties and civil rights and further peace but may not agree with us on all the issues, e.g., self-determination for Palestine and the end of the Israeli occupation, or Trans liberation or immigrant justice but they are necessary to defeat the Project 2025 agenda. Within this broader grouping, the progressive coalition should be able to continue its full program and demands and not be suppressed, while not demanding full agreement by all members and groups in this broad united front against fascism.
Finally, we need to act now and not wait and not allow the incoming administration to gradually carry out mass deportations and end immigration, or gradually end Medicaid, where these actions becomes normalized step by step.
Join us today at the Festival of Resistance right after our People’s March to the State Capitol and short rally there and then gather at 906 Columbia St. SW for food, to further discuss these issues and next steps.
Le us march through downtown Olympia in unity and strongly behind the large Banner of the People’s March to the Capital steps. A strong presence in the streets, is one important aspect of fighting isolation and resignation and cynicism and building an inclusive community.
What better way to celebrate Martin Luther King than continuing his struggle for civil and human rights, economic and racial justice and peace!
Power to the People and the People’s March.
