Historic Battle to Determine Who Is "We the People"
Chicago, February 5, 2025
As the U.S. oligarchs blatantly implement their coup, acting with impunity to restructure the state, dismantle departments, impose collective punishment and remove any barriers to their rule and to seizing federal funds, the people across the country are taking their stand to say, "This is not my president. This is not my America." These oligarchs include, along with Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos of Amazon; billionaire Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick, now Secretary of Commerce; and billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, now Secretary of the Treasury; and many more. The Commerce Department deals with tariffs and trade, and the Treasury Department with federal payments, printing money and collecting taxes, among other activities.
The
Treasury, along with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), plays a
key role in freezing and seizing already appropriated federal funds, a
key area where the struggle of "who is we the people" is unfolding. It
is also where anger with Congress is increasing, as these members of
the cartel
parties refuse to defend their constitutional role of power over the
purse. Funds are provided for definite purposes, and the oligarchs are
acting to seize them and use them for their own narrow interests and
benefit.
This refusal by Congress, alongside the blatant impunity, corruption and fraud of "efficiency" is further exposing and confirming for the people that the existing institutions have failed and cannot be repaired. It is no accident that there are not signs in actions across the country that say defend the constitution or elect new officials. Instead they say Defend Immigrant Rights; Unions=Rights; We Won't Back Down; and Not My President, Not My Democracy. The peoples are defining themselves from the point of view of rights and building resistance, not from the point of view of the oligarchs.
As many recent demonstrations show, the peoples are standing up together to defend the rights of all. There were two actions in the first three weeks of February that took place in cities in every state -- which requires tremendous organizing; a third action, a Day Without Immigrants, was held in many cities in every region of the country; and many more continue to be held by teachers, health care workers, federal and other public sector workers. Thousands of people from many walks of life and political persuasions have continued to march regularly in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and elsewhere to defend immigrant rights, oppose job cuts and demand funding for education and social programs. A #HumanNeed campaign has been launched demanding human rights, jobs, aid for Gaza and the closure of military bases.
Durham, NC, February 9,
2025, Day Without Immigrants
A feature of these many actions is their broad unity, bringing together organizations from many fronts of struggle and people from all walks of life, from all backgrounds, religions, nationalities, regardless of who they voted for in the recent presidential election. This last is evident in rallies of thousands of people in places where Trump got more votes, such as Omaha, Nebraska and Iowa City, Iowa. These actions have been spearheaded by Senator Bernie Sanders under the banner Fight Oligarchy. Given the widespread consciousness that what is taking place in the United States is a coup by the oligarchs and that those who occupy positions of power in the Trump administration in no way represent the people, Sanders has acknowledged: "It's not just Republican billionaires; it is Democratic billionaires. It is the corruption of the two-party system."
Attacks on federal and public sector workers are a key part of the actions by the oligarchs to eliminate the unionized workforce and those experienced in providing social services and who know their rights. Young probationary workers are also being targeted. The current raids against immigrants are in part an effort to divide and undermine the militancy of the workers. This effort is also failing, as is evident in the many actions to defend those under attack and intervene against the policing agencies.
Federal public sector
workers rally in Washington, DC, February 11, 2025.
Now these oligarchs are targeting the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) with plans to remove its independent status, eliminate its governing board, and place it under the Commerce Department, meaning directly under presidential rule. This comes after postal workers organized widely for a no vote and soundly rejected the contract proposed, with its insulting 1.3 per cent wage increase, worsening safety, and other attacks. The vote by members of the National Association of Letter Carriers was 63,680 to reject the contract versus 26,304 to accept it.
Everywhere there is rejection of the existing set-up, not only because it brought Trump to office, but more so because the constitution and Congress have not stopped the oligarchs and their impunity. They are the ugly face of U.S.-style democracy today, and not one accepted by the peoples.
The people of the U.S. are organizing to develop their own agenda and unite on their own demands as they battle to say "we the people" is not that of the constitution -- not that of men of property and slaveholders then; not that of these oligarchs today. The U.S. people, as a people, have been forged in battle, in taking up the necessity for change. And it is the people who are coming forward now as the makers of history. They are putting to rest the notions that the people are divided and indeed that a people does not exist but only groups of individuals of various identities. The resistance is showing otherwise.
Rapid Response Teams Build United Actions
An important expression of the people showing that they are deciding who and what defines "we the people," is the many dozens of Rapid Response teams across the country, including in Atlanta, Georgia; New York City and Buffalo; Chicago; Tucson, Arizona; Seattle and many more. Thousands of people are organizing to demand an end to deportations and detentions, protecting people from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and empowering communities through Know Your Rights training and organized resistance. Students, workers, retirees, people of many faiths, teachers, health and legal service providers, unions and others are meeting and mobilizing to protect immigrants and communities through collective actions. Store owners in the communities are joining in.
Know Your Rights materials are printed and widely distributed in many languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. This all reflects the internationalist spirit of the U.S. working class and people, and their recognition and respect for the many people from all over the world who have become one with the U.S. working class and people. ICE, itself, does not provide translators during their raids. Many times they come in unmarked cars and plain clothes, armed and masked to terrorize the community. Other times they come in full riot gear with a dozen agents to stop one or two people. The Rapid Response teams often intervene directly. "Border Czar" Tom Homan admitted they are "making it very difficult" to arrest people.
The Rapid Response teams in Tucson are representative of those established elsewhere. Tucson is about 100 miles from the border, in the desert and already militarized. Part of the work there is to provide water and shelter for people trying to cross the desert from the border and get to safety. Their Rapid Response teams have people from different rights, anti-war and Palestinian groups participating and coming to meetings every week. There are church people involved with some churches providing sanctuary. There are a lot of students who participate, as well as lawyers who offer their support. These teams provide a convergence point, a space for discussion and building broad unity and determination to defend rights and counter government actions to criminalize and terrorize communities. In this manner they are showing in life who and what we the people are.
Another example of who and what define "we the people" is the stand of teachers, staff and students to block ICE from entering public schools. After the U.S. branded the cartel gangs they fund and arm as "terrorists," Czar Homan claimed targeting schools was necessary saying, "How many MS-13 members are the age 14 to 17? Many of them." Trump's order said, "Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest." As the raids take place, it is clear who the criminals and threats to safety are.
The resistance is such that school and university officials are joining in to block ICE, including by providing training and distributing Know Your Rights materials and closing the doors. Teachers' unions are in the forefront. School Districts, like those in Chicago, Indianapolis, and elsewhere are publicizing that they will not allow ICE into the schools.
The Denver Public Schools, with more than 90,000 students, is suing the Department of Homeland Security and demanding ICE be blocked. Within the movement the demand is to abolish ICE outright with many now targeting all these federal policing agencies, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that have caused great harm to the people. The many statements and letters to Congress and lawsuits show the depth of opposition. Doctors for America, the National Parents Union, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a suit by 27 religious groups (including the Mennonite Church, the Episcopal Church and the Central Conference of American Rabbis), the American Civil Liberties Union, and many immigrant rights, anti-war and pro-Palestinian organizations and others are taking their stand. When the oligarchs announced that funding for lawyers would no longer be provided to unaccompanied children contending with immigration court, within 48 hours more than 15,000 letters were sent to Congress. The outrage across the country was such that the funding and lawyers were reinstated.
The various actions by the oligarchs to freeze and seize funds, and to lay off and fire workers are main ways for the Office of the President, which includes the cabinet and federal policing agencies, to control the purse strings. Control of the federal budget by Congress remains a main barrier and these actions are to put more control in the hands of the executive. Trillions of dollars are at stake. It is also to establish acceptance of the presidency determining how funds are used, with the repeated argument given that funding must reflect the priorities of the president. This is the oligarchs' way of saying that "we the people" is not Congress -- supposedly the elected representatives of the people -- but the rulers and their representative, the president. Impunity on this front will no doubt continue, with various mechanisms used. It is a main front of struggle for the people that brings to the fore the need for new institutions and constitutions to reflect the pro-social anti-war agenda of the people.
Imposing cuts to programs and mass layoffs and firings are part of the effort to use such funds for militarization, at the border and in the cities. Various executive orders are being used to both seize funds and put in place the use of the military at the border, against Mexico and possibly Canada, and inside the country, which is outlawed. The notion that there is an "invasion" by immigrants taking place is promoted by the oligarchs to justify their armed invasion of communities across the country.
The joint policing exercises that bring ICE, the DEA, ATF, and FBI together, along with military troops, are an effort to establish a single command structure and submission to the dictate of the presidency. However, the long-standing contention and competition among them remains, as does the fierce competition and civil war conditions among the oligarchs themselves. They are not a united force but rather increasingly divided as they strive for more power. This was evident when Trump called on federal workers to list five things they had done, and the FBI, State Department, and Pentagon told workers not to do so. Conflicts within the executive and between it and the military reflect those among the oligarchs with their narrow private interests.
With existing structures no longer able to mitigate and resolve conflicts and with the people no longer accepting that what is going on is a democracy they stand for, regional and state-level conflicts are increasing and getting sharper. States are among those filing lawsuits and rejecting presidential authority while the peoples are steadfastly speaking out in their own name.
Battle for a Democracy of the Peoples' Own Making
The
battle for a democracy of the people's own making is also advancing.
There is not acceptance of waiting two years for the next election and
the false promise of change. What is coming to the fore is that among
the rights that most needs to be exercised is that of being
decision-makers. The
experience from Rapid Response teams, joint meetings, webinars and mass
actions in every state is underscoring that the peoples have solutions
but lack the political power to implement them. And this is as true for
international issues like opposing genocide and defending Palestine as
it is for
self-defense in communities and education to change the world in the
schools.
Recently Trump has been putting forward that he is King, and a lot of attention is being given to that. People are rightly denouncing having a King rule, a tradition from the start of the country. They are rightly refusing to be diverted from the problem that it is the oligarchs and their plans for military rule and repression that are crucial. The "we the people" battling to rule is that of the working class and people of the country. Nothing less will be accepted.
Increasingly consciousness is such that relying on the courts or Congress and existing institutions is no solution. The broad and repeated experience with the existing set-up has eliminated illusions and brought to the fore that the peoples, relying on their own organized efforts, uniting in common for their agenda and demands, is what is needed and in fact being developed. Further building united actions, speaking in our own names for our own agenda and rights, not allowing elected officials to speak for us, defiantly resisting attacks and developing our own independent media and political actions will advance this battle to determine that it is we, the working class and people, who must govern and decide.
Existing mechanisms like Rapid Response teams and similar united organized forces can be utilized as arenas to debate and discuss strengthening the battle for political empowerment. Already they show that the people can and must safeguard their communities and unite and decide steps needed to further advance the fight for the rights of all.
The fight for political empowerment is integral to the fight for rights and one that is essential for "we the people" to become the decision-makers and govern and decide all matters of concern, developing our own anti-war, pro-social institutions and government. The time is now for defiance and building the organized resistance.
(Photos: ydr, paul_goyette, @samborgen.bsky.social, @psltrianglenc, AM Claire Delaney)
This article was published in
Volume 55 Number 2 - February 2025
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/Articles/M550028.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca