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Jones: –Radio Moscow. Seven hundred and fifty more citizens have been arrested in Nicaragua. [Anastasio] Somoza has had to retreat to his palace, which is armed with 2000 people. He’s had to bring in mercenaries, and it is felt that they have been brought from New Mexico, United States, under the CIA program, as it is– is determined that the reactionary element of USA is going to maintain Somoza at all co– at all costs.
Ben Chavis of the Wilmington 10 appealed to [President Jimmy] Carter on human rights violations. No response is given from Carter’s office, but there seems to be building up across the entire world, even in the capitals of the social democratic world, a campaign to free the Wilmington 10. What effect it will have on Carter, little known. Whether it will balance out world opinion will be worth it to him, he is to gain world’s opinion but loses the voters, it probably is doubtful that Ben Chavis will get any relief from his 450-year sentence. And as you remember, or should, the black minister had only been accused of burning down empty garage, and later the witnesses who testified that he had burned down the garage, against this black man, they said they’d all lied, and still, they would not give him a new trial.
[Leonid] Brezhnev, Secretary of the Communist Party, told an international conference of developing nations, 140 countries will participate. Aspirations of all developing nations to wipe out the dangers of nuclear war, hunger and poverty, as the Soviet Union has been the principal nation that has staved off massive starvation in India due to the monsoon rains, and the teril– the terrible thing that the CIA has caused through their geo-physical warfare, the locustses that plague all through India, parts of Arabia, and all through northern Africa, from the west to the east.
Voice of America. President Carter, (pause) [Menachem] Begin, and [Anwar] Sadat begin talks. Little has been given of encouragement for the outcomes.
Soviet prosecutor for Crawfor– for [Francis Jay] Crawford demands five years suspended sentence. The Soviet Union do provide attorneys free for even a proven traitor or criminal. That’s the difference between USA. Crawford is a high-ranking International Harvester management boss, and he was found guilty by outside independent evidence, that he had violated one of the most important laws in a socialist country. He was selling dollars on the black– or the white market. But to show how fair the Soviet Union is, they supply him with one of their best state prosecutors for his defense. For Crawford demands– uh, uh, close scrutiny and the best attorney possible, said the Soviet news agency Ta– Tass. If you are poor in the United States, or who– whoever you were, you don’t get a guaranteed top-notch attorney. This is their– one of their best attorneys in the entire Soviet Union. Crawford’s uh, prosta– prosecutor said he was calling for a five-year suspended sentence. That doesn’t show like a police state. That shows like a very lenient and understanding people, and a very compassionate people. A five-year suspended sentence.
Camp David summit. Begin and Sadat have a warm encounter, uh, the first part of the meeting. But little can say what will come out of this meeting. But Carter has said that his entire future rest on what happens at Camp David. Powell– Jody Powell, secretary to President Carter, briefed reporters. Prayers for success for the conference went up in all the leading churches of Washington, as they had a fast and prayer meeting, because they know that if this thing isn’t settled, it’s going to be a nuclear war. President Sadat said that there’s need for a balanced formula. Autonomy for Palesti– tinians. Israel said they will not give in on an independent state for Palestine. So if Carter’s future rest on this meeting, he may have no future at all.
Foreign Secretary of the Soviet Union [Andrei] Gromyko, the summit goes behind the backs of the Arabs, said he. This summit conference is a sell-out, like Munich.
Three major concessions made by Egypt. What is Israel preparing in return? Is there anything she is willing to give up? (Pause) This was asked by Radio Netherlands.
Russians (pause) who are in a position to wipe out– Russians said we are in a position to wipe out the major capitalist enemies. High-level conspirator brought about this information to the West German government. Unfortunately, a double agent, who took enough money–
That’s why we have to watch this man that’s coming [Joe Mazor], you’re not to talk to this man, you’re to speak to him, and if he asks you if you like it here, you say, oh, I love it here, something like that, but you be careful, because the man that is giving state evidence against [Tim] Stoen and the fascist conspirators working against us, could be a double agent.
This man was a double agent in Rumania, and he is now leaked to the high– high level of the German– West German government that the Soviets are in a position to wipe out all of the capitalist world.
We need to get this thing of peace on. Only (unintelligible word)– (Pause) Stand by. We need to remember to keep a very form– firm and friendly relationship with our regional minister Comrade Durant, uh, Leonard Durant [Duvant], I think it is, he has been going all around Georgetown praising us yesterday. He’s also a friend of the Soviet Union. He is seemingly for real. He’s the older gentleman. The other man used to come, and he’s white or he– kind of a khaki-sto– style, uh, Ca– Caribbean outfit, but this man came with his shirt open, and we need to press medical to– department for any medicines we need through him, because he seems very much for real. (Pause)
Part II:
Jones: –tention. Do not mention this man who’s coming in, this high-level business person who has given evidence that Timothy Stoen, Jim Cobb and uh, Deanna Mertle, and there’s one other that I have missed, one other person that’s in the CIA. I– Tim– Jim Cobb– uh, stand by. That’s it. Uh, I think it’s (unintelligible word), the person that we were speaking about was the name of [David] Conn, connection with Treasury agents, criminal underworld, Standard Oil. (unintelligible word)– He’s the one we listen to under the house, and found that we had David Conn, that had connections with two phones in San Francisco and [John] Barbagelata and Channel 7. He had those connections. He has also been in the CIA from the beginning, according to this man that stepped forward. We’re having to bring him in here clandestinely. If anyone were to ask if the man is here, you’ll be a counter-revolutionary if you speak it, because his life is in danger. They’re trying to move him from post to post, as clandestine as possible, as secretly as possible, because he would be offed. He knows too much. All right. Now I shall go on with the news.
Three killed, 16 wounded in Bei– Beirut, by the rightwing Christian fascists called Phalangists. South Lebanon, Beirut government stripped command of two fascist Christian officers, as the popular support is going more and more to the Muslim socialists in Lebanon, which used to pride itself as being a Christian government, but the people have lost faith in the Christian government of Lebanon.
Iran banned all unau– authorized gatherings. No one can have parties in their homes. No family can have family gatherings. In an ab– outright, absolute martial law. Machine gun attack on Iran, three terro– on a– Tehran– Tehran– What is it? (Pause) (mumbles) As I was saying, uh, while I had to interrupt for a moment, machine gun attack by the peoples left wing uh, segment of the Red Liberation Army, attacked the Irain– Iranian Tehran he– capital police force building, and wounded and killed many of the worst secret police in Tehran.
Moscow. Crawford trial verdict tomorrow. State prosecutor, best prepared to defend anyone in the Soviet Union, demands only a five-year suspended sentence. I’m sure the USA would not be so sympathy– such sympathy would not be shown to a Russian who committed crimes in the USA. Strain in the Soviet-American relations, probably Crawford will be allowed to return to the United States. Many inconsistencies in his statements, said even BBC. He is absolutely guilty of a crime.
Trial of two Soviet citizens accused of spying. (Pause) Through Finland, they have had proven direct contact with the CIA. The trial’s postponed in New Jersey, and uh, the trial begins September 27. They (unintelligible word) to have had contact through a Soviet cell in Finland. Their trial begins September 27.
United Nations employees accused of trying to buy defense sen– secrets. It was estimated that perhaps as high as 500 people in the– in the U.N.– I mean, not in the UN– yes, United Nation employees, uh, there’s perhaps 500 of them who will be asked to leave the country, and some in the State Department will be tried for high crimes of treason. Whether or not the Soviet citizens will be treated as fairly as USA is trea– is treating the Crawford big-shot businessman of USA, that the Ambassador didn’t even– the U.S. Ambassador [Malcolm Toon] had him in diplomatic immunity, they could’ve thrown him right out of the embassy, but capitalists always sell out capitalists.
The State Department talks with Soviet officials, before Gromyko, Foreign Secretary of the Soviet Union comes to Washington. An American response to Gromyko’s ideas. Carter’s National Security Council on arms limitation talks are going to meet with Gromyko and Cyrus Vance, and possibly Carter will resume SALT talks, as he sees looming across the world the danger of nuclear war. There were no promises that Carter would begin Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. He has held out, and he’ll do nothing more, like a little child that’s spoiled. He will do nothing more to try to stop nuclear war. No, not a thing. Because he’s too old and mad, the Soviets won’t let him interfere uh, with their country on how they treat their CIA criminals.
Ian Smith, racist prime minister of Zimbabwe, says he’s taking a tough stance on uh, rebellion, because the United States has given him sophisticated and advanced new weapons. That oughta make us feel nice. Our taxpayer dollars going again.
Please be swatting the flies. I see some carrying them, and none are doing it. So many are do– not doing it. I gone take your names down, I’m right here where I can see.
Anyway (pause) we hope that Carter will not let his stupidity interfere with the dangers of nuclear hell that will wipe out USA and leave it like a desert uh, and a wasteland. But Ian Smith says since receiving the military assistance from the USA and in wake of the crash of the airliner, when some of his worst and evil members of his secret police were shot down in– over Zimbabwean territory, he condemns the killing of the civilians, so-called, and then, as a retaliation– and then, as retaliation for the plane coming down, advanced jets with napalm flew over three Zimbabwean villages, one in Zimbabwe, killing what is estimated 80 percent of all three of the populations. That’s a nice way to retaliate. You’re a real nice man, he is. The International Red Cross, the Council of Churches, want to meet the people’s needs, but they are not being allowed to. The Zimbabwean Patriotic Front will allow them to come in, but Ian Smith, the dread fascist dictator, will not help them. All appeals to the United States, of course, has been fruitless, because they will not assist these brave and wonderful people, the Zimbabwean people, which the white man calls Rhodesia.
U– The Soviet Union did successful parachute in several tons of food and whatever supplies that Moscow did not go into details, but s– several tons were dropped in, in Zambia which will help the beleaguered and pressured Zimba– Zimbabwean Patriotic Front.
South Africa does not like uh, United Nations secretary [Kurt] Waldheim’s plan. Major objections of the– by the South Africans is the size of US– United Nations military force. (Pause) Uh, in his tricky way, as usual, [Johannes] Vorster, who is an open ally of Adolf Hitler, said he don’t want that many United Nations military forces in Namibia. South Africa should be allowed a larger force, they say. Of course, so they can keep Namibia from having their freedom. But it doesn’t look like the Organization of African Unity is going to give in on that question.
The Organization of African Unity has had another summit closed conference, but it is rumored from BBC that the 50 nations in the Organization of African Unity are now in the planning stages of setting up a Pan-African army, and that they shall move into Namibia, guaranteeing that uh, Nambia will remain free, even if they have to wipe out the colonial regime of Union of South Africa, where apartheid is practiced, racial separation, and horrible concentration camps for Indian, black and Asian people.
Angola accuses South Africa of carrying out raids in Namibia and Angola. South African pola– police arrested several in Cape Town. Most inhabitants are illegal residents. Several police were arrested. Just because they were not in the proper residence where they should live, and it is es– it is the statement of the BBC that these police had a kinder uh, feeling, these South African police had a kindler feeling for the black people and Indian people who are struggling to be free in South Africa.
Pope John Paul asked that Camp David summit find a just peace, whatever in the hell that means.
Indian floodwaters inundating large sections of the country. It is not uncommon for a 500-mile stretch to find cities totally covered with water. You can see no buildings, as the monsoons rage across what’s wou– would been the– the most fertile season they had, the most productive sea– season, those beautiful Indian people would’ve had. I wonder if USA’s up to that trickeration, because we see what they can do with geo-phy– geo-physical warfare.
China will renounce use of force with Taiwan. This is a demand by the United States of America.
Meanwhile, Tass says, Japan will continue friendly relations with the Soviet Union, as they want to sign a new treaty to be freed from the danger that when war comes out, that Japan will become an enemy of USSR. Brezhnev says they better back it up with practice, not just words, because it– although you may think, he said, that we have lost 22 million dead in World War II, and we are somewhat apprehensive about another war, we will not take any more– risk infringement on our sovereignty and threatening of our internal security. If it means war, then we’re capable of fighting the war, and they– then Brezhnev jokingly referred to the high level communist that gave him the information that the Soviet Union had met– methods and weaponry to wipe out all of the capitalist nations, he said I would remember that agent, if I were you. I would remember what he said.
Rhodesia. Nkomo secret meeting. Mugabe not happy about this meet– meeting that took place with uh, Nkomo, who, as you know, Joshua Nkomo, is the internationalist, Robert Mugabe is the Marxist-Leninist co-partner in the Zimbabwean Patriotic Front. And you know him back history, Nkomo had a secret meeting with (Pause) Ian Smith. Mugabe’s not happy about this meeting. Ineffectiveness of the internal coalition, he said. Rhodesia is not leading to peaceful elections or majority rule, they’re going to build a fascist state, as bad as Hitler’s.
Continuing exodus of Rhodesian white settlers is disturbing Ian Smith, who will have few whites left, at the rate that they’re leaving. On the average, two percent of the white settlers of Rhodesia are lur– leaving Rhodesia a day.
British foreign officer deplored the violence that was taking place, but he also stated that much of that violence, USA had to take responsibility for, and the Western world.
[Emmanuel] Erskine, black commander of the United Nations, of NATO, uh– he’s of NATO but par– particularly he is now the head of the United Nations peace-keeping forces from Guyana– from Gha– Ghana rather. His militia in Lebanon. Lebanese ambassador, UN Erskine, said there’s no point in sending troops with no military hardware. He accuses USA of just pretense and hypocritical surface play. He said we won’t have the weapons to be able to resist these Christian fascists that Israel has set up, and he said he’s going to resign unless the UN peace-keeping force is giving the– given the kind of support militarily so they can drive Israel back into her borders.
Chancellor [Bruno Kreisky]– (pause) Stand by.
Continue with the news. The BBC admitted that in spite of all the millions of Jews and people of color that were murdered by Hitler’s Germany, that there is no left anti-Sement– Semitism, anti-Jewish feeling in Austria, than there were– than there was before the world– uh, before the World War II. In fact, they say, Jewish hate– hate towards Jewish people is at the highest level it has ever been in former German territory, but now, unfortunately, it has swept to France. It’s in Italy. It’s all throughout Europe. The Jews are not safe, said BBC. About the wo– new wave of anti-Semitism. Austria was once under the control of the Soviet Union, but to make peace, when the USA threatened nuclear war, and she didn’t then have nuclear parity or balance, she allowed Austria to go free. That’s a mistake in– as we look in retrospect, that was a mistake, because Austria has always been a fertile ground for Nazi fascist– and that’s the last stage of monopoly capitalism. Uh– Austria’s always been a fertile ground for anti-Semitism and fascist thinking. And to think that one time, the Soviet Union had them uh, in her own alliance and allowed them to go free. That’s more than USA ever did. US was threatening nuclear war. At that time, I guess, somebody over– overruled the Politburo.
Moderate stand towards Israel from Arabs, is what is being called– is what is being called for by BBC. They think that their calls may be falling on deaf ears. Ambassador to Sweden is to become the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Jesus Christ. The left PLO ambassador to Sweden, in uh, the E– Near East, w – it doesn’t say which Near East country – has openly taken the leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and, with no reper– uh, with no recriminations from his government. No complaints. Sweden is uh, one of the better, as I said, of the so– social democracies. But anyway we should know that the uh, enemy of international socialism is anarchism, Trotskyism, social uh– social democracy (pause) and revisionism. And revisionism’s main eng– in– enemy is that they believe things can be done through ch– the institutions gradually and by non-violent means, through the electoral process. So let’s always remember what those major enemies are, in case you’re asked.
North Yemen. Seven executed by death squad for trying to build an alliance with South Yemeni, the Marxist-Leninist s– state that was recently uh, had a coup, but went pro-Soviet.
Banned leading black spokesman in South Africa for one mo– for one month. There’s a bla– leading black spokesman, he’s not allowed to speak even in his own home to a group of no more than three. (Pause) That’s real democracy.
British Prime Minister [James Callaghan]. General elections will be held, he said. The two parties at best are neck-and-neck for popular support. But since [John Jeremy] Thorpe, the head of the Liberal Party, is charged with murder, and they think it may be a set-up by the reactionaries in England that will throw all the Liberal votes over to the Conservatives. And as you know, the Conservative Party, under that beastier– beastly woman named Margaret Thatcher, said that all black people, Indian people and Asian people will be removed from England, that people just don’t– don’t like their culture mixing with the English culture.
[Ferdinand] Marcos accused Libyan [Moammar] Khadafy of providing rebels to fight the government. (Pause)
[Alexei] Kosygin invited Korean leaders to Moscow. Dr. [Ptolemy] Reid will also be meeting with the K– North Korean leaders, the Peoples National Congress Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the policy. Looks like a closer relation is coming with Moscow. Dr. Reid lead– uh, lead– leads a very humble life, and that makes for beauty for us, if they draw closer to the Soviet Union.
(unintelligible word) space lab are continuing their studies. When US correspondents asked them from the space base, the telecommunications base, they said what are your geological surveys? Said we’re looking for all of your bombs that you have no more sense than to keep in this age, so we can find them quickly, so that– you– you– you wouldn’t want us to be uh, caught off guard, would you? That’s all they said.
Rhodesian territory, disappointment in the policy. New blood for Patriotic Front is necessary. N– Never refuse to settle disputes peacefully. (Stumbles) Meeting of Nkomo and Smith tied hands of Ian Smith. No good in coming of attempts to discredit the Patriotic Front. (More assured) There’s no good in coming of attempts to discredit the Patriotic Front. They will not succeed. They’re– They’re getting new blood, and other nations are volunteering. Even some blacks have volunteered from the United States to go to uh, Patriotic Front and help fight them. Some former war veterans that saw how dirty USA did the people of color in Southeast Asia. (Clears throat)
Carter, Begin and Sadat. The US arranged a meeting, the present summit, said Colonel Khadafy, and he has no faith in its success whatsoever. Key issues are all neglected. Israeli troops from all occupied territories, he said, Khadafy, is all that I will accept. Libya will enter into war if Israel does not give up the West Bank that belongs to Jordan, and the Gaza Strip that belongs to Egypt, and South Lebanon. Sadat, trying to save face, and get some concessions from Begin, because he’s under the heat, and under the fire you might say, from all his Arab– Arab League compatriots. Washington wants separate deal to extend its influence in the– in the area, to be able to establish a military base, and uh, Washi– Moscow had just one word for that: Try it, and you’ll find yourself dead. That was the only statement Moscow said. Try it, and you’ll find yourself dead. The war talk is very heavy these days. But America started it, and I guess the Soviet Union is showing they can finish it. The American air base, troops on West Bank, is what is being anticipated. And the Soviets say, Try it, and you’ll be dead. They’re not going to take any US air–ai– uh, air base. They said, you’ve constantly hounded us with bases all around our border for years, and we will not tolerate– not tolerate any way, shape or form, the establishment of a naval or an army base in the Near East.
A Mideast version of NATO – Israel, Egypt, and other rightwing dictatorships– wanting (tape edit)
Colonel Khadafy of Libya said he will not allow for any more military intervention in uh, Morocco to sustain that capitalist regime, and his forces are pledged to the liberation of the people of Chad, if the new coalition of Chad does not work out. As you know, the liberation front has temporarily brought a victory for working class people, by forming a coalition government in (pause) Chad, that’s just below– some of you better be looking at the news, you better get in there and look at the news, you better be listening, ‘cause you’re responsible for all the news till the uh– the boat time comes, which will definitely come. I can assure you, I can assure you. (Pause)
It is the opinion (Pause) of the rest of the world, the non-aligned world, that Carter and the rightwing regimes and Arab uh, ri– rightwing regime like Egypt and Israel is trying to set up their own army alliance, military alliance, uh, a kind of a Mideast NATO, but the Soviet Union will have (draws out for emphasis) no part of it.
British have made a renewed call for an all-party conference. It’s the only approach, said BBC, or Africa’s going to explode in the fires of war. Ian Smith’s re– foreign minister [P.K. van der Byl] is taking tough and murderous actions against the Zimbabwean Patriotic Front. They have said that they will torture children, if that’s what it takes, to break the morale of the Patriotic Front. Openly Ian Smith made that statement just yesterday, that we openly torture children, if it was required to uh, get done what they want done. (Pause)
In a uh, very surprise move, the Hispanics, the Chi– Chicano-Americans have backed Indian protest leaders. They were su– received with support. Also, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Puerto Rican, or the Hispanic, congressman [Baltasar Corrada del Río], in their fight against eleven bills they consider and– totally fascist that would rob the Indians of their land. Congressman Ron Dellums, Democrat California, giving details of a joint statement by black, Indian, and Hispanic members, said the bills posed a direct threat to the rights of all U.S. citizens, and would wipe out freedom for all, not only those who would be immediately affected. Dellums, who seems to be more– speaking more since he’s been indicted for income tax – he was kind of careful a few weeks ago – Dellums, a Black Caucus member, said the bills would further isolate and destroy the identity of single groups of people within his coun– within our coun– uh, USA, within their country. (Pause)
Politicians can make racial slurs on radio. Even if J. B. Stoner (clears throat), Ku Klux Klanner, uses the word “nigger” contemptuously, and “Kill niggers” contemptuously, if he said such a phrase in his paid political television ads, the Federal Communications Commission said yesterday it cannot act unless his words are shown to inflame violence. That is a sorry, sorry day, that someone can get on TV and suggest “Kill niggers,” call people “niggers,” and if they did it in their own advertisement, there can be nothing USA wants to do about it. That shows USA doesn’t want to do anything about it. Because they certainly didn’t– they fought us every step of the way, in trying to have free access to amateur radio, which is under their control, for medical purposes. Stoner, a candidate for governor of Georgia, has ads (pause) in the state’s– all the state’s major television stations that says in part, “If Governor George Busbee is re-elected, he will pass more civil rights that– that take from the whites and give to those dirty niggers.” Now it’s been upheld, he can say what he wants to. Milton Ro– Gross, Chief of the FCC Fairness and Political Broadcasting Division, said the commission cannot enter– censor a can– candidate’s remarks, unless they represent a clear and present danger. Uh– You don’t think hate, Mr. FCC, you don’t think that– that kind of hate-mongering doesn’t cause a threat, a present threat, that– to the public, and how are you going to know who incited a riot? But that’s the way they upheld it, that’s their findings. Once the station agrees to sell him time, Gross said he has no choice over the contents of the message. Julian Bond, of the Atlantic– Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, sent a telegram to the commission Wednesday, warning that if Stoner is not barred from using “nigger” and “Kill niggers” on the air, we will be forced to find a candidate to buy time on local stations to use the seven dirty words. Whatever that is. What are the seven dirty words? I– I– I– Whatever they are.
We’ll continue the news– We’ll continue the news in just a little bit. Thank you very much, and let’s all be very, very friendly. Much love.
Part III:
Jones: Attention, attention, attention. It’d be go– good news for you know all over Jonestown, that the Bay Guardian, probably the most read, liberal newspaper (clears throat) main reporter has joined Don Freed and Mark Lane, the attorney of fame, and he says he will stay on top of this until we break the conspiracy against Peoples Temple it– uh, no matter how long it takes, he will use his investigative work and will print all the dirt he finds this conspiracy has done for us. We should be really happy over that. (clears throat) Some of you don’t realize how important it is that we get on the right side, and find out who these bastards are. (Pause)
In an emotional outburst yesterday, protesting American Indians directed– protesting American Indians directed their anger with Congress and President Carter at a White House side– aide, with a White House aide, because Carter refused to see them, who sought to explain why they had been unable to see the Chief Executive. As the Longest Walk protest has come to conclusion, some young Indians, angered by a week of futile efforts to see Carter or influential congressmen, waited– wanted to occupy a House of Representatives office until Carter would agree to meet with the– with the tribal elders. But tribal elders sought to prevent any violent acts. The group sharply questioned Rick Hernandez, a White House aide, who came to the Rayburn House Office Building to talk with them about their inability to see Carter. Hernandez, a Mexican-American, said he would rely– relay their messages to Carter, but he did not predict how the president would resign– would– would– would respond, and told them right out that he would not meet with them. As tempers flared, Hernandez tried to establish rapport with the Indians by citing his own Mexican-American heritage, indicating he believes that it’s virtually impossible for those who are not members of minority groups to fully understand other traditions and lifestyles. I have to play games with the white men, Hernandez said, as he was confronted by the angry Indians. Fingering the lapels of his suit, he added, I have to wear the white man’s clothes. As for Carter, he said he doesn’t understand the Chicanos, uh, and– much less the Indians and the Negroes. So, looks like Hernandez will be gone before very, very long. He blew it, he blew it. He was a White House aide, but I’ll bet you, he’s had enough, he can’t take anymore. They’ll fire his ass certainly for that statement. Hernandez would not elaborate during the meetings and could not immediately be reached afterwards, but he caused a virtual explosion in uh, Washington, however, uh, which is noteworthy, no press – none of the major press – carried his remarks. Quite typical, quite typical. (Pause)
Dollars hit new lows in Japan and Europe. The dollar plummeted to its lowest postwar value against the Japanese yen and to record lows in Europe yesterday, causing higher prices for Americans at home and abroad, and shrinking U.S. pocketbooks. The dollar’s plunge below the psychological 200 yen, which many economists feel is necessary for economic stability to avoid a complete collapse of capitalism in a depression. In Tokyo, a (unintelligible word) a selling spree in Europe until a massive central bank intervention stemmed the tide. It was the American’s currency worst crisis since January. The dollar troubles had the immediate effect on Ameri– merican living and travelling abroad, and will lead to an eventual increase in prices on all imported goods, including oil for Americans at home. Furthermore, it has made it impossible for none but the rich to really travel outside of the United States. Americans are paying more this year for the same volume of goods they bought last year, said a spokesman for the Ja– Japan-United States Council. The standard of living is going down. This is a simple effect of the dollar’s decline. Costs are still as high, and not– if not higher, but the dollar has shrunk and their wages is almost thirty percent less, so you can imagine what kind of pain this is creating. (Pause)
Uh, another dollar’s drop comment. An example, Undersecretary of the Treasury Anthony M. Solomon said the overall US trade deficit should narrow during the remainder of this year, in part because the dollar’s decline will help boost US exports. Goods valued in US dollars can of course be bought in Japan with fewer and fewer yen day by day. Yet the fact is that US exports are generally lagging. The Com– Commerce Department says that after discounting for (unintelligible word) inflation, they have not increased at all during the past three years, and, said the commentator Herb Caen, we know what a lie that is.
Well, uh– Stand by.
Part IV
Jones: (More subdued voice) Attention, attention. Continuing with the commentary of the news. House decides rich need a tax break. Robin Hood in reverse. That’s how a lobbyist from Ralph Nabers– Nader’s Tax Reform Research Group described the 16.3 billion (Pause) tax cut passed by the House on this last August 10. The measure which now goes to the Senate and also faces the President Carter for a veto, which is doubtful that he will give, gives large income tax breaks to the wealthiest US citizens and ignore all lower income people, middle class, poor, black, white, Asian and Indian. Corporations are leading beneficiaries of the last week’s action, with an estimated four billion dollars in savings coming their way in 1979 under the House bill. Nearly two billion dollars would be saved through the House legislation by rich investors, who pay capital gains taxes, and of the 10.4– (Pause) the 10.4 percent to 10.4 billion dollars in personal income tax cuts included in the bill, 70 percent – closer to 80 percent – of these savings will go to people making more than fifteen thousand dollars a year.
Double jeopardy. Working class and poor people will actually be getting two black eyes. On top of the new tax legislation, they will have to pay a Social Security tax like next year– uh, the hike will take place next year, beginning in January. A liberal-led effort to soften the impact of the Social Security measure also fell victim to the “soak the poor” attitude that’s all over the United States, a sentiment that is at the grassroots of the US populace. Losing last week this measure to aid uh, and eliminate the Social Security hike, it lost last week in the House by 384 to 120. A 362 to 49 vote in favor of the lopsided tax reduction plan signified a defeat for the Carter Administration and for congressional liberals of all sorts. Liberalism is dead, said the Manchester Guardian.
President’s initial proposal last winter for a twenty-four and a half billion dollar tax cut, combined with a few mostly symbolic reforms, was absolute discarded and his promises turned to be nothing but bare lies. Early on the– on by the House Ways and Means Committee, which then proceeded to draft the measure endorsed by the full House last week. The whole House – now think of it – 362 to 49 has vote[d] to give only the rich the benefits to cut capital gain tax and put more hike on what you have to pay out for Social Security, cutting off Medicaid and Medi-Cal, and some of you still talk of USA as a place you’d like to go. You must have a masochistic complex. Carter has tho– vow to veto the legislation was pegged primarily to the capital gains component. As backed by the House, this provision would drastically reduce tax payments for people who realize big profits through the sale of stocks, property, or some other large investment. Persons with annual incomes between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars will enjoy about sixty percent of the capital gains savings that result from the sale of a house. Only 12.7 of– percent of these reductions will go to people earning less than twenty thousand dollars a year.
The pro-wealth biases of the bill are even more apparent when its other capital gains categories are examined. Nearly all – 98 percent – of the benefits from these changes in the tax law, will go to those who– whose income is over fifty thousand US dollars a years. Imagine now, 98 percent. That’s who gets the cap– capital gains tax, and higher income brackets uh– they have to be at least fifty thousand or over, while only forty percent of the savings will accrue to the handful of people who make more than two hundred thousand a year. No, sixty percent of the savings will accrue to the handful of people who make more than two hundred thousand a year. Out of the 96 percent, sixty percent goes to those making two hundred thousand dollars a year. Whether Carter will actually make good on his veto threat is an open question, but many people think that he’s serious, that he’ll have the same fate that Lyndon Baines Johnson did, being forced to resign, or even being a target for assassination. (Pause)
By the way, in the future when we have our display, put it right up by the table in the pavilion, so that they’ll be sure to see it that way.
The pro-wealth biases of the bill are even more apparent, as I said. The Senate is expected to pass a tax cut bill generally similar to the House version bill, although its total may be somewhat higher than the 16.3 billion approved by the– by the House. How many thousand million in a billion? So you can under– uh, you can estimate. Sixteen billion would be, what? Sixteen thousand million. It’s a lot of money to go to the rich. And your tax dollars that you worked so hard, ‘cause 90 percent of all taxes come from people who make– who make less than twenty percent– uh, than twenty thousand dollars. A face-saving deal for Carter who last year called the USA tax system a disgrace to the human race, may already be in the works. Senate Finance Committee chairman Russell Long said last week he hopes to fashion a tax bill the President can live with, by giving a House-Senate conference committed to make a few cosmetic changes in the legislation. Carter’s congressional allies may well be able to present the president with a final bill that he would reluctantly sign, but it was too tough. It has not been satisfactory, it didn’t work out.
In a related development that had more to do with the partisan Republican-Democratic policies than with liberal-conservative ideology, the House defeated the Kemp-Roth tax proposal, which is in many ways a federal version of California’s Proposition 13. The bill, sponsored by Representative Jack Kemp, uh, Congressman New York, and Senator William Roth, Re– Republican Delaware, would slash federal income taxes by 31.9 billion dollars in 1979 and 120.7 million– billion in 1981. Even though it’s been temporarily stopped, they feel by next session, there will be enough votes to bring about a universal federal Proposition 13. That will mean– that will mean forty percent of America’s work force– forty percent of America’s work force will have no employment whatsoever. The benefits of this enormous windfall will be felt mostly– this new Proposition 13 for the entire federal government– will be felt mostly in the upper income brackets. Kemp-Roth has become a rallying point for conservatives, both Republican and Democrat congressional candidates throughout the nation, and last week, two hundred and for– 240 to 177 vote against it, was seen as basically an attempt by Democrats to defuse the issue. The vote did in fact break down along party lines, with only three Republicans voting against the bill and 37 Democrats backing it. But they think the next session, the Proposition 13 federal law will indeed go through. (Pause)
Convicted murderer Antonio Pro– Provenzano, formerly the top officer of a New York– New Jersey Teamster local, has set up a defense fund to pay for the cost of his trial and appeal. Each of the 10,000 members of Local 560 are expected to contribute ten dollars or a day’s sick pay, 72 dollars, to the fund. Antonio’s done so much for all of us in his forty years of service to the trade union movement, said a letter to each Local 560 members from Robert Luisi, a Local 560 business m– agent. Provenzano has twice been convicted of embezzling union pension and benefit funds. The request was approved by the current Local 560 leadership. Provenzano’s 23-year-old daughter succeeded him in his post, and four of his relatives are on the local payroll, according to Prod, a rank-and-file organization within the union. Prod demanded a Justice Department investigation of the local. And that’s the kind of capitalistic bossism you have in such unions. There are no free trade unions in the United States. Teamster Union here on– under the leadership of a big boss, and they still vote for him, no matter what evidence there is that he’s been corrupt and taking advantage.
Ford Pinto again today profit takes 13 more lives. In a car in Pennsylvania, they were driving along the– uh, the freeway, and they run into another car. It’s due to the Ford Pinto’s unsafe conditions. Last week, to– they were to check whether they had fastened– refastened the cas– gas cap after stopping at a self-service station a few minutes earlier. The investigation proved that they had. Moments later, a van speeding along the five-lane highway, struck the Pin– the Pinto from behind. The Pinto’s gas tank exploded on impact like one previously in Indiana, the windshield blew out, and the car rocked to a halt 154 feet down the road. Not only were the people in the car, but in the truck were also caught up and consumed with flames. Thirteen– thirteen lives. While Big Business goes on and nobody will make them change the matter. The Ford Pinto has become a flaming coffin for uh, hundreds of others US motorists and passengers since 1975.
The deaths of these people that I just mentioned, these passengers from Pennsylvania, could’ve been avoided. Seven years ago, before the two-and-a-half-million Pintos were introduced in the United States market– uh, market, engineers at Ford were aware that the car gas tank was susceptible to explosion upon impact. Yet Ford managers, Big Business monopoly capitalist Ford managers, decided it would not be cost effective to install nothing more than an eight-dollar car safety modification. They’d first said it was eleven– It means only eight dollars could have saved all these hundreds of lives that’ve been killed by Ford big giant monopoly capitalist. But that’s too much. They didn’t want lose that much profit. In opting to forego the safety design changes, Ford managers estimated that eighteen hundred people would d– die as a result every year, with another 180 suffering severe burns.
The United States Department of Transportation dispatched investigators to Elkhart, Indiana and to Pennsylvania also to impound the Pintos for an investigation. Six people have died of rear-end crashes involving Pintos since the first of this month. A month earlier, under heavy consumer pressure, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ruled that the gas tanks in 1971-1976 Pintos and 1975-1976 Mercury Bobcats, excluding station wagons, were prone to gas leaks and explosions, and would cause death if they had impact with any other vehicle, they would become a flaming inferno. Ford reluctantly agreed that he would discuss the matter, but did not finalize any agreement to recall the cars, and uh, to install devices that would only cost eleven dollars per car to shield the gas tanks during colli– collision. If the US people did not realize how little regard there is for the working class or the poor, or for that matter, the middle class that buy the Ford Pinto, this should show them. But– but the giant car company still refuses to concede that there really is a safety problem. And Congress never makes laws to affect Big Business. They can kill 1800 people in one year– 1800 people one year. If you kill one, you’d go to the electric chair. It depends upon who you are. That’s the whole issue. If Big Business, you get by with murder. (Pause)
It seems like that Ronald Reagan is dusting off the running gear and according to the polls, the signs are unmistakable. Ronald Reagan is winning, and ru– and is running for President. Written off by reason of age, after he nearly took the Republican nomination away from then–uh, Gerald Ford, the ex-Californian in ‘76 governor, and he– ex-governor is today the commanding figure in a party whose internal machinery has virtually taken over– been taken over by the forces of the neo-fascist. It’s based, the platform, on racism, separation of children in schools, separation of neighborhoods, where people cannot live in the same neighborhoods if they’re uh– if they are black or Indian, with whites. President Jimmy Carter’s inability to stop the crisis in US capitalism at home and abroad has made a Rea– Reagan nomination very, very likely and acceptable to the dominant sections of finance capital, the last stage, uh, as we know, finance capital before it goes into fascism and Nazism, at home and abroad, has made a Reagan nomination up– acceptable to all elements of the working class and the middle class. At the same time Reagan has been trimming his political sails ever so deftly in order to shed his image as a rightwing neo-fascist extremist. A slight move towards the moderate center is necessary on two counts, to reassure the chieftains of monopoly capital that he would be a responsible chief executive, and to build a broad enough electoral base so that he w– so that he can win not only the Republicans nomination but the election itself. And pollsters show that he is very likely to win the Republican nomination and undoubtedly to beat Carter, according to the polls right now. (Pause)
Racist Cleveland mayor, as you know, won a recall vote. Young white racist mayor Dennis Kucinich won because they knew how we are blind to religion, so he called the recall election, the city fathers did, on Sunday, while all of our people were in on their knees or singing with their white gloves and marching up and down the– the aisles, singing the choirs, and thus, even though Cleveland had a majority of black citizens, they were not there because they were too busy in the house of the (sneers word) Lord. Typically stupid, typically stupid. (Pause)
University of Maryland. University of Maryland College Park has turned down the appointment of Marxist political scientist Bertram– Bertell Ollman to chair the die– department of government and politics. In an increasing wave of repression uh, reminiscent of McCarthy Era, John Toll, university president, withdrew the Ollman appointment on the twentieth of August with the following statement. “I make a determination on the basis of my judgment of the qualifications for a particular appointment of the candidate who has been ap– have been proposed. I wish to stress that, in my opinion, it would be improper and illegal uh, to base any decision on a candidate’s personal opinions, political beliefs, or religious convictions.” Toll then refused to explain why Ollman was unqualified. He said, ask the Board of Regents. It is now policy across many states, including the Board of Education of Maryland, and in California and in Ohio and Indiana, and I could name many more, where no Marxist can be hired. That wasn’t even true all– wh– all– all the states during the McCarthy Era.
Well, that’s pretty much the (pause) terrible news, I’d say.
Cancer-causing chemicals are abundant in all US drinking water. Carcinogens, cancer-causing agents. The rusty cans and the rotted drums have seeped to the surface, turning a chemical graveyard into a health– lethal nightmare. As a result, the New York State Health Department recently ordered (Pause) a– a– all pregnant women and young children to abandon their homes in Love Canal neighborhood, the site of the chemical dump in Niagara Falls, New York. They said that many cities of the major cities of USA also have these dangerous cancer-causing agents, proven carcinogens, have oozed into backyards of many cities and infested the water, the pipe water, right through the uh– water that they draw for their drinking purposes. Recent tests show that some 182 chempilals– chemicals dumped in accordance with existing US government regulations between 1930 and ’53 now permeate most of the waterway– waterways and canals of every big US city. That’s nice. Get cancer now from drinking water. Wasn’t bad enough to get cancer from eating the chicken with the sodium nitrate, now you’re gonna get it from drinking water.
Well, I guess that is sufficient for you to digest, and read the news closely, because there will be a test. Be to– prepared tonight. We may have a film. And I think we possibly will have a film that you need to study with some closeness. We’ll announce it a little bit later. Thank you, and much love. (Pause)
I want us to see the Volga, a beautiful picture of the Soviet Union, one of its great rivers, and how they have beautiful life on the Volga. I want that to be seen by everyone tonight. It’s very short, just an hour. And then, uh, those that would– have be courteous, I’d like you to listen and see the Russian film that’s following. All young people should’ve looked at the Cuban sports events of last night, because they show how they use sports for revolution building. They said, when one asked, why don’t you fight the USA contender. He said kit– I’d rather have the good will of eight million Cubans who doesn’t approve of brutality in boxing than a million dollars. We don’t need money, we don’t worship money like USA does. So we will have those films. I want all of you to become very firmly acquainted with Russian films, Russian history, and you know why. (Pause)
Those days of peace in USA, between the racist and even people of their own neighborhood are over in rural areas as well as in cities, said the New York Times editorial, and the– the– the doors do not stay unlocked, even for part of an evening, not even during the daytime. Suburbs and co– country areas are in many ways even more vulnerable than well-patrolled urban streets. Some recent police statistics show the crime rate has rise– risen so dramatically in this year that they can’t even calculate it. It may be, this raise, five to six times. And those already allegedly tranquil areas– that’s how much of an increase they’ve had. At any rate, the era of leaving the front door for the latch– or the latch open is over, no matter where you live in the USA. It has been replaced by deadbolt locks and security chains and a loc– electronic a– alarm system, and trip wires hooked up to the local police station or a private guard firm. Many suburban families, says the Times reporter [Bob Greene], I know have so– stiding [sliding] glass doors on their patios with steel bars, elegantly built in, so no one can pry these uh, sliding doors. In a poll taken in Buffalo, New York, there was not a person that was interviewed that had not either been attempted r– rape on them or theft or break-in of their houses. Or arson. That’s pretty bad news, when a nation deteriorates that bad. The lock, said the New York Times, is the new symbol of USA. Indeed, a recent public service advertisement by a large insurance company featured not actuarial charts, but a picture of a child’s bicycle with the now-usual padlock attached to it. The– the ad pointed out that, yes, it is the insurance companies that pay for stolen good, but– goods, but who is going to pay for what the new atmosphere of distrust and fear is doing in our US way of life? Who is going to make the psychic payment for the transformation of America, from the land of the free to the land of a fascist lock? For that is what has happened, said the Times. We had become so used to defending ourselves against the new atmosphere of American life, so used to putting up barriers, that we have not had time to think about what it may mean. For some reason, we are satisfied when we think we are well-protected. It does not occur to us to ask ourselves, why has this happened? Why are we having to barricade ourselves against our own neighbors of the same color, and fellow citizens, and when in– exactly did this start to take over? It has taken over. If you work for a medium- to large size-company, you don’t just wander in and out. You now have to carry some kind of access card, electronic or otherwise, that allows you in and out of your place of work, because security guards do not recognize your face. In the apathy and disinterest and lack of love in US society, no one recognizes anyone. You’re just a face without a personality. And this is going to increase. The fact remains that the business you work for feels threatened enough to keep outsiders away via– via these modern keys.
It wasn’t always like this. Even ten years ago, most private businesses had a policy of free access. It simply didn’t occur to managers that the proper thing to do was to distrust people. Certainly there were people out there who might have harm in mind. But they were the exception. The norm, the people it was assumed would be coming in the building, were presumed to be all right. But no longer. All this is being done in the name of security. That is what we tell ourselves. We are fearful, and we devise ways to lock the fear out. And that we decide is what security means.
That’s why this writer of the New York Times feels that we are ready for a dictator who will guarantee our security, what with troops in our streets, and the people would sell out to fascism rather than to be afraid in the night in their sleep. But with this security, we are perhaps the most insecure nation in the history of the– of civilized mankind. What better word to describe the way in which we have been forced to live? What better indictment of all that we have become in this new and puzzling time?
End of tape
Tape originally posted May 2015