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Students for a Democratic Society, 1965-1972
Chicago Attacks Are Not SDS
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CHICAGO ATTACKS ARE NOT SDS In the last few days (Oct. 8-11) there have been a series of demonstrations in Chicago supposodly aimed at "Bringing the Was Home" sponsored by a group that calls itself Students for a Democratic Society. Theses demonstrations rampaged through working people's neighborhoods slashing tires, breaking windows and generally attacking and insulting the people. This group is called Revolutionary Youth Movement I (RYM I) and is led by Mark Rudd. These people are not SDS. There is also a RYM II group whose leader (Mike Klonsky, past sds National Secretary) originally formulated this "wild in the streets" tactic, but which now tries to disassociate itself somewhat from RYM I. The RYM together is the 30% that walked out of the SDS NAtional Convention in Chicago in June and declared themselves sds. A walkout of 30% is not an organization -- RYM is not sds! These demonstrations are obviously an attack on the people, and the press has played them up to the fullest. The media's story is that you have to be crazy to be in SDS or to join in struggles against the war. The press also tried to make RYM II look good by comparison and greatly exaggerated the numbers in their action, which was never over 500, while completely ignoring a 400 person Regional SDS March on October 4 under the slogan, US get out of Vietnam now -- No deals. The press is not dumb or deluded -- they know RYM is not sds, and that these attacks on the people are not sds programs. However, the media pushes RYM to tell students and working people that sds is their enemy. The leaders of RYM have manipulated honest students into attacking the people because these leaders think that most people benefit from the war and its defense contracts. This leads them to see themselves as "purer" than most people; and also to see working people ans most students as their enemies. The action of these leaders (Rudd, Klonsky, etc.) is a logical conclusion to their politics. We in sds, here at U of I, and all over the country, look to the students and working people of America as our allies, and condemn the RYM attacks on the people. But condemnation is not enough. The war goes on, and we see the need to fight against it by attacking its cause, which lies with the bosses and corporate elite that own the factories and run America for their own profit. Working people and most students are hurt by the imperialist war that only protects the right of big corporations to exploit cheap labor and resources in South Vietnam. Workers' sons die in the war, and workers' constantly rising taxes pay for it. Factories move outside the country for this cheap labor, American workers lose jobs, and more Vietnamese workers are exploited at $1.40 a day wages. Because of these, sds here is trying to build a fight against ROTC (Reserve Offecers Training Corps) on campus. ROTC gets 80% of the officers for the Vietnam war, and is essential to the continuation of this and other wars like it. The abolition of ROTC on campus would not end the war quicly, but would be the most concrete thing most students could do against it. Most ROTC cadets are sucked in to avoid the draft, but end up having to order their men to the dirty work of the bosses' war. These cadets are not the enemy -- the enemy is the university administration that perpetuates this, and the government and corporate elite that the administration serves. We need an alliance of students and working people to win this goal. ABOLISH ROTC! U.S. GET OUT OF VIETNAM NOW --- NO DEALS!! University of Iowa SDS
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CHICAGO ATTACKS ARE NOT SDS In the last few days (Oct. 8-11) there have been a series of demonstrations in Chicago supposodly aimed at "Bringing the Was Home" sponsored by a group that calls itself Students for a Democratic Society. Theses demonstrations rampaged through working people's neighborhoods slashing tires, breaking windows and generally attacking and insulting the people. This group is called Revolutionary Youth Movement I (RYM I) and is led by Mark Rudd. These people are not SDS. There is also a RYM II group whose leader (Mike Klonsky, past sds National Secretary) originally formulated this "wild in the streets" tactic, but which now tries to disassociate itself somewhat from RYM I. The RYM together is the 30% that walked out of the SDS NAtional Convention in Chicago in June and declared themselves sds. A walkout of 30% is not an organization -- RYM is not sds! These demonstrations are obviously an attack on the people, and the press has played them up to the fullest. The media's story is that you have to be crazy to be in SDS or to join in struggles against the war. The press also tried to make RYM II look good by comparison and greatly exaggerated the numbers in their action, which was never over 500, while completely ignoring a 400 person Regional SDS March on October 4 under the slogan, US get out of Vietnam now -- No deals. The press is not dumb or deluded -- they know RYM is not sds, and that these attacks on the people are not sds programs. However, the media pushes RYM to tell students and working people that sds is their enemy. The leaders of RYM have manipulated honest students into attacking the people because these leaders think that most people benefit from the war and its defense contracts. This leads them to see themselves as "purer" than most people; and also to see working people ans most students as their enemies. The action of these leaders (Rudd, Klonsky, etc.) is a logical conclusion to their politics. We in sds, here at U of I, and all over the country, look to the students and working people of America as our allies, and condemn the RYM attacks on the people. But condemnation is not enough. The war goes on, and we see the need to fight against it by attacking its cause, which lies with the bosses and corporate elite that own the factories and run America for their own profit. Working people and most students are hurt by the imperialist war that only protects the right of big corporations to exploit cheap labor and resources in South Vietnam. Workers' sons die in the war, and workers' constantly rising taxes pay for it. Factories move outside the country for this cheap labor, American workers lose jobs, and more Vietnamese workers are exploited at $1.40 a day wages. Because of these, sds here is trying to build a fight against ROTC (Reserve Offecers Training Corps) on campus. ROTC gets 80% of the officers for the Vietnam war, and is essential to the continuation of this and other wars like it. The abolition of ROTC on campus would not end the war quicly, but would be the most concrete thing most students could do against it. Most ROTC cadets are sucked in to avoid the draft, but end up having to order their men to the dirty work of the bosses' war. These cadets are not the enemy -- the enemy is the university administration that perpetuates this, and the government and corporate elite that the administration serves. We need an alliance of students and working people to win this goal. ABOLISH ROTC! U.S. GET OUT OF VIETNAM NOW --- NO DEALS!! University of Iowa SDS
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