<div class="gmail_quote"><div class="gmail_quote"><div style="text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large"><div style="text-align:left"><u><b>In This Email from Socialist Alternative:</b></u></div>
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</b></u></div></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large">1. Revolution in Egypt Meeting: Tuesday, February 22nd</span></div><div style="text-align:left">
<span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large">2. Readings on Egypt: Eyewitness Reports, Strikes, Socialist Theory</span></div><div style="text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large">3. Our Appeal: Support the Egyptian Revolution</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large">4. Wisconsin: Report and Analysis</span></div><div style="text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:large">5. Steve Early's Book Release on Tuesday, March 1st</span></div>
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</span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0)"><font size="6"><b><u>1. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Revolution in Egypt</span>: Meeting on Tuesday, February 22nd at UMass-Boston</u></b></font></span></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b>We are opening up Socialist Alternative's branch meeting to the general public because so many people want to talk about the revolt shaking North Africa and the Arab world.</b></font></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b>The meeting will be held beginning at <u><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#FF9900" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">7pm in UMass-Boston's Wheatley Building in the 4th Floor Lounge</font></u> on Tuesday, February 22nd. Bryan Koulouris, editor of <i>Justice </i>newspaper, will be speaking, and we will welcome your comments and questions. This meeting will be free and open to the public. The political discussion will be followed by an agenda discussing upcoming activities.</b></font></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><font size="6"><i>2. SocialistWorld.net: </i>Eyewitness Reports and Analysis of the Revolutionary Events in Egypt and Beyond</font></b></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><b><i><font size="6"><br></font></i></b></div><div style="text-align:left"><font color="#990000" size="4">Socialist Alternative is part of the Committee for a Workers' International (SocialistWorld.net). This worldwide website has contained eyewitness reports, almost daily, from socialist and labor movement activists in both Tunisia and Egypt.</font></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font color="#990000" size="4"><br></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font color="#990000" size="4">These events also give activists a chance to test our ideas and sharpen our theory. A particularly thought-provoking article in this realm has been produced by Peter Taaffe and can be found here: </font><font size="4"><a href="http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4851" target="_blank">http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4851</a><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0)"> </span></font></div>
<div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0)"><br></span></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><span style="color:rgb(153, 0, 0)">An interesting interview with a socialist textile worker in Tunisia can be found here: </span></font><font size="4"><a href="http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4846" target="_blank">http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4846</a> . The entire breadth of Committee for a Workers' International reports, analysis and program for the region in revolt can be found here: </font><font size="4"><a href="http://www.socialistworld.net/?m=15&sk=100" target="_blank">http://www.socialistworld.net/?m=15&sk=100</a> . <font color="#990000">Also, check SocialistWorld.net for analysis from February 25th's exciting Irish election to see the results of the newly-formed United Left Alliance.</font></font></div>
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<tbody><tr><td width="447"><div style="text-align:center"><strong><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="6">3. Support the Egyptian Revolution!</font><font size="4" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> — Towards a Brighter Future and a Socialist World</font></strong></div>
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<font face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By SocialistAlternative.org</font></font></font></td><td width="100"> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><img src="http://socialistalternative.org/graphics/spacer.gif" width="10" height="10"></td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="3"><div align="left"><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The power of the Egyptian people has been felt around the world. In only 18 days they have forced the brutal and hated president, Hosni Mubarak, to resign. The dormant masses awoke, rose to their feet, and brought the strongest dictatorship in the Middle East to its knees, transforming Egypt into a beacon of hope for ordinary people everywhere. <br>
<p>They have heroically stood up to 30 years of oppression, 30 years of exploitation, torture, censorship and injustice. All of their fear and hopelessness, frustration and quite desperation simply washed away. It is a tremendous victory not only for the Egyptian workers and poor masses, but for all the exploited and oppressed peoples across the globe. <br>
</p><p>The Egyptian people's voice is clear. They want a free and democratic society where basic human needs and rights are guaranteed. The revolution should bring shame to all those who demonized the Arab people as incapable of democratic aspirations. The democratic revolution has begun and we must give our full support to ensure that their gains can be consolidated and advanced. <br>
</p><p>The Egyptian people are an inspiration to all of us who want to see a world free of exploitation, discrimination, poverty, oppression and war. They have shown it is possible. They give us new hope to begin the struggle to overthrow the whole rotten system of global capitalism. It is a bold first step. But this is only the beginning. <br>
</p><p>Now it is time for all of us in the U.S. to get organized too. We in Socialist Alternative would like to enthusiastically invite our friends and supporters to join our movement today. Socialist Alternative politically supports the Committee for a Worker's International (CWI), an international organization which has groups in nearly 40 countries around the world actively building the struggles of workers and youth while advocating for mass action and a fundamental transformation of society. <br>
</p><p>You can also make a tremendous contribution by giving a donation today. The best form of solidarity with revolutionary movements in the Middle East is to build movements for fundamental change here in the “belly of the beast”. If ever there was a time to get active and fight for a better future that time is now! So join us, join Socialist Alternative and the movement for a socialist world. <br>
</p><p>Please visit <a href="http://www.socialistalternative.org/" target="_blank">SocialistAlternative.org</a> for more information, to donate and to join. <br></p><p><a href="http://socialistalternative.org/join/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT A <b>MEMBERSHIP FORM</b> ONLINE</a> <br>
</p><p><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MP7YH749GZ4D6" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO <b>DONATE</b> TO SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE</a> <br></p></font><p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can also mail a check payable to Socialist Alternative to PO Box 150457, Brooklyn, NY 11215 </font></p>
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</font></strong></span></div><div style="text-align:center;border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman'"><strong><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="6">4. </font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="6">Wisconsi</font></strong></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman'"><strong><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="6">n: Build for a One-Day Public Sector General Strike!</font></strong></span></div>
<div style="font-size:16px;border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><strong><font size="4" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:x-small;font-weight:normal">Feb 19, 2011 </span></font></strong></span></div>
<div style="font-size:16px;border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><a href="http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article14.php?id=1527" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 204)" target="_blank">http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article14.php?id=1527</a></span></span></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i style="font-size:small">The following is text from a leaflet members of Socialist Alternative members are handing out at the mass demonstrations in Madison this weekend, urging a serious discussion on strategy and the need for an one-day public sector general strike. As similar struggles spread across the country, the burning question of what it will take to defeat the corporate agenda will come to the forefront. Drawing lessons from historical and recent international experience, and in dialogue with workers and youth in Wisconsin in recent days, this is our contribution to the discussion and proposals for urgent action.</i><font size="2"> </font><br>
<p style="font-size:small"><strong>Build for a One-Day Public Sector General Strike!</strong> <br>Public Forum [in Madison] to Discuss a Strategy to Win <br>Monday, February 21st, 7:00 pm, Rainbow Books, 426 W Gilman St, Madison, WI <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small"><img src="http://www.socialistalternative.org/graphics/upload/brett%20wisconsin.jpg" align="right" border="0">The Governor thought he could walk all over the working people of Wisconsin. Instead, Scott Walker ignited a movement that clearly has the potential power and momentum to bring his corporate-sponsored administration to its knees. The key question is how can we unite around a mass action strategy capable of seeing this struggle through to victory? <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">Walker's plan to strip state workers of collective bargaining rights is nothing short of an attempt to break the union movement. Working people and our unions are not the cause of the economic crisis and fiscal woes of the state. The bankers, Wall Street speculators and corporate politicians are to blame. So we have to demand: Stop scapegoating unions! Make the super-rich pay for their own crisis! <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">The attack is not just on unionized state workers. It is an attack on all working people and youth. If they can beat back the state workers, it’s open season on all workers’ jobs, wages, benefits, future pensions and on public services. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">This last week of action has made one thing clear: The working people and youth of this state are prepared for an all-out mobilization which stops at nothing. We have taken enormous inspiration from the heroic and determined struggle of the Egyptian people who would not give up until their voices were heard. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">But if a week of mass demonstrations, sick-outs and walkouts won’t stop Walker, the Republican legislature, and their big-business backers, what will? Preparations must begin for a mobilization which will stop business as usual across the state. A decisive first step is organizing a one-day public sector general strike, combined with mass student walkouts to shut down the schools. The teachers have already shown what is possible – now the entire public sector must be brought to a standstill! <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">But time is short. If we don’t keep moving forward, we will fall back. And we can’t rely on the Democratic Party to maintain a principled stand unless they feel the fire of the movement spreading underneath them. After all, would the Senate Democrats have even taken their stand if the working people of Wisconsin hadn’t risen up in the first place? <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">The unions should urgently issue a call for a one-day public sector general strike, and initiate a serious, all-out mobilization. <br></p><p style="font-size:small">Even if strike action is not legal for all state workers we must remember that the unions were built in the first place by struggles which defied anti-union laws. The right to strike must be defended and extended. If we're not prepared to take a stand now, when will we, especially once the power of unions has been stripped away? <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">The stakes are extremely high. If this anti-union legislation passes it will embolden those seeking to attack unions elsewhere, but if it is defeated it will give confidence to workers across country to stand up. That is why a national call to mobilize the labor movement must be made to pour as much union resources as possible into this central battleground and to spread the struggle nationally by organizing major solidarity rallies and actions across the country. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">Wisconsin has become center stage in a sweeping attack on the public sector all across the country. Other state governments are also targeting wages, benefits, and collective bargaining rights. This is the naked agenda of big business and their corporate servants in office. The capitalist system is in deep crisis, and they want to solve it on our backs by steamrolling over all obstacles including unions. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">It is up to us to stop these attacks. Unfortunately, while some Democratic politicians say they support some of our demands, the Party remains a fickle ally. Why did they make the bipartisan agreement for tax cuts for super-wealthy? Why are teachers unions in the cross-hairs of Obama's Secretary of Education Arne Duncan? What happened to EFCA? Why haven't they stood up to the lies of the Tea Party and Right-wing Republicans? Despite their pro-worker rhetoric, the Democratic Party is largely funded by big business and has consistently sold out working people. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">It's time that we build a political alternative to the two parties of corporate America. Campaigns should be launched across the country to stop the budget cuts and defend jobs, services and workers’ rights. Out of these campaigns we could run our own independent candidates as the first step towards forming a new party that gives a real voice to workers and youth and fights for our interests. <br>
</p><p style="font-size:small">The time is now to begin the fight-back. The Egyptian workers have shown is it possible to stand up to injustice everywhere. If you agree with the ideas in this leaflet please contacts us to discuss joining Socialist Alternative and how to organize a united struggle to fight for our rights and our future. <br>
</p><ul style="font-size:small"><li style="margin-left:15px">Kill the bill! Bring down Walkers’ anti-union legislation</li><br><li style="margin-left:15px">Stop ALL budget cuts, layoffs, and attacks on workers</li>
<br><li style="margin-left:15px">Reverse Walker’s tax cuts for business to plug the deficit</li><br><li style="margin-left:15px">Tax the rich and corporations to fund a massive public sector jobs program at union wages and conditions</li>
</ul><div style="font-size:small"><br></div><div><font size="6">5. Steve Early's New Book Release</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#6600CC" size="4"><b><u><br>
</u></b></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#6600CC" size="4"><b><u>The Civil Wars in U.S. Labor: </u></b></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#6600CC" size="4"><b><u>Birth of a New Workers' Movement or Death Throes of the Old?</u></b></font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font color="#6600CC" size="4"><b><u><br></u></b></font></div><div style="text-align:left"><font size="4"><b>Steve Early will be present at Porter Square Books on the evening of Tuesday, March 1st to release his newest work about the labor movement.</b></font></div>
<div style="font-size:small"><br></div></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><font color="#888888">-- <br>-Boston Socialist Alternative <br><a href="http://www.socialistalternative.org" target="_blank">www.socialistalternative.org</a><br>
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