Fred Halstead: Speaks about His Candidacy for President of the United States for the Socialist Workers Party [1968]

But. This university must be a living part of the processes of society. If we can just be a debating society you tell us we've got political rights and we can invite outside speakers. You're telling us we're debating society. Sure we can have a debating society but that's not free speech. That's just an exercise of a certain technical action like a sport. You know that's all that is I don't know if we've got free speech in political freedoms and trade union freedoms that means we have the freedom to effect a change to be a living part of the process of a society and to effect a change and. And the universe is going to be a Red Universe is going to be a part of the revolution is going on in the country. And they want class time devoted to that not to interfere with the academic disciplines and to encourage that that's important. But no more automatons. The more money grubbing businessmen that's not what the university is about the university is about making the revolution. And those that's the direction in which they structured. And in which their

demands are made. Of course I wouldn't make any proposals for it here. I know you've already got that. That's a joke though. Now. I cite those student struggles because I want to show you that. That what's going on in the radicalization here is not an isolated fact. And if people think the students have been kicking up a fuss they haven't seen anything yet. The students here will not only learn from what's going on elsewhere but feel strength from all the things that are going on elsewhere and they're all intimately connected with this whole problem that I've been describing of the fact that the United States is in this world imperialist position not because we're wanted that way but because the country is not run

by the common people. And our problem is it has to work that situation that now there are a lot of people in this country moving in a radical direction and the country in general in my opinion is moving to the left in a radical direction. A great many people quite even aside from the black people in the students and the G.I. Joes who who who are suffering most from the war even aside from them are are beginning to question a lot of things that are going on. And they are getting into a radical mood. And that's not something you can kid with. It's not something you can kid with now elect Tory. And we hear comments that there's a shift to the right because of the war the growth of the war campaign. There isn't a shift to the right in general in the country there's a shift to the left but there's a polarization within that. And the polarization on the right has a figure to polarize around while. A lot of people are looking for some change. And there's even some working men who are

damn fool enough to think that was a change and they've been racists all along is nothing new about that at all. That's a new about that at all. See but I saw it with a lack of a poll on the left which would attract them because of their class interests. No such poll. Outside of my candidacy. With a lack of such a poll. Some of them even go like damn fools. But you can't hit with that process. You can't keep that promise. There are people now who see that and say my guy. GROUP OF THE RIGHT. You can't do anything. We'll have to go for one three save ourselves from the right. But there's the problem. Every time Ruth or Minnie gets up and makes a speech in front of a group of workers asking them to vote for him for he loses more votes to was every time. Because they're getting angry they've got to go for his number. They don't want more of the same they want change they want something radical

something that lays it on the line and they're not getting it from the labor leaders. All I get from them is vote for Humphrey. Vote for Humphrey. You have to be out of your mind to vote for him. To a point you or Nixon Have you seen them on TV. I mean have you seen them. Nixon getting up and talking like a. Peacenik it's rice it's enough to turn your stomach. And I'm home free to just see I'm only supposed to laugh down the hookers and he got this is all that's laughing down ha ha. And then to think that one of those man will have his finger on the button. The but. Boy are in bad shape.

And a lot of people know that and as I say some of them think because one's lazing on. In his prism demagogy and thereby been racist for a long time it doesn't scare much from him. Now they go for that but that's a problem. That's a big problem how do you come back to the old days you counteract that by going for Nixon and you know you only build it that way. You want to build it that way. The only way to counteract that is to build your poll on the left and build it and build it solid. Of course the key thing is a Labor Party. That's that's what's going to happen. But until there's a Labor Party at all the left at least ought to begin building a poll on the left and get the hell out of this nonsense of supporting the Democratic Party and paving a way for people like us and eventually to move toward American fascism because that's what it is. When you call for humps or you pave the way. That's because the country demands and insists upon a right.

And you cannot give them more of the same. You cannot give them more of the same and. Where you lose them to the right. Unless the poll is built on the left that's that's the lesson of the journey. That's the lesson of every country where that has happened. That's the lesson. Now in this situation my campaign is extremely important. With all due modesty I know we're not the center of attention. But and I wish that everybody in the left and in the anti-war movement and so on. Understood this problem and was willing to break with the Democrats and Republican Party and to come out independently and opposed to the capitalist system. In so many words and begin to build a polo and I would insist on being the candidate of such a poll but unfortunately they're all wandering around trapped in this or that formation of that still.

I. Thought all of them a lot of people are getting wiser get a certain amount of support and that would that would affect what happens in the league. Don't get discouraged and ultra pessimistic about the American worker. It's already beginning to budge this Wallace phenomena is one example of it in a peculiar distorted way. But there are others. There are others. The high school kids. Are now wide open to anti-war activity and that's the working class you're talking to. And the G R Y the other day in San Francisco 300 you guys marched down the street. Active Duty G.I. eyes against the war in Vietnam. On on October 12. And they did it in spite of all kinds of harassment by the brass and in spite of the fact that on every base in the surrounding area a special inspection been called that day to keep as many GI eyes away as possible.

If it hadn't been for those that have been thousands there but there were 300 at that that's highly significant highly significant and the whole thing was organized by Geo. Organized by Geo and one of these g I's the guy who originated it the lieutenants lieutenant. SEAL Lieutenant Smith is one of these guys. I was talking about just an ordinary guy a person from the civil rights movement. That's right. You know kind of semi radical and so on. So I joined the reserves to stay out. You know it's an easy way to stay out and bank public crisis comes along as in. He doesn't give up. Or go to Sweden. Not that there's anything that I'm not in those guys that did that but I say there are the things one can do if one wants to stay in the direct story. He decided to organize a gee I think good against the war. We can see this mark and this is a telegram which was sent from. From his commanding officer the general in charge of the military airlift to yet named in the same Cisco

area to the chief of staff of the Air Force in. The Pentagon. Says here there is no Air Force regulations specifically proscribing this type of activity. Please send me one. He says why in the absence of a regulation order specifically prohibiting such activity I believe any primly criminal prosecution of Lieutenant Smith would be tenuous to say the least. Particularly in view of the political climate of the day. Particularly in view of the political climate of the day. Well that tells you something doesn't it. There's a little elbow room even in that moment that monster the U.S. military because of the political climate of the day. And there's a lot of a ball room. Because ask yourself this. How do I come in possession of this telegram.

I don't tell you I picked it up on the streets of San Francisco where it's being distributed by the anti-war movement. And where did they get it. Why from gee I was in the Pentagon who are against the war. So never underestimate the human race. You have been listening to a speech like read that the Socialist Workers Party candidate for president. Even at that young college October 7. The question is What's my position on Zionism. And the situation of

Israel. I'm not a Zionist never have been and never thought that that was the proper solution to the problem of the Jews that is to try to establish a nation state in somebody else's country and replace a number of people who live there. And the dissolution in my opinion would have been for the for the Jews in the world just to struggle and fight for open immigration to the United States for example. I consider Zionism to be a blind trap and it is. It is considered by the Arab masses to be Israel is considered by the Arab masses to be an agent of the United States and Western imperialism in that part of the world. And it does take the side of the Cold War of the West in the cold war and against the Arab revolution and has participated in attempts to to take away the Suez Canal from Egypt annoyance sort of thing so the Arab masses are absolutely irreconcilable to the

existence of the state of Israel but not for the presence of Jews in that area. I interviewed all Qatar which is in when I was in Cairo which is the Palestinian of the Palestinian liberation movement there and their revolutionary socialist that's why I went to see him. You know what's going on here why are you kicking up such a fuss over Israel so. I found a number of very interesting things. These are the people incidentally who are making the commando raids against Israel. They have Jewish members in all Fatah. Palestinians of Jewish religion like they have Christians and Muslims of course the great bulk of Muslims. But people who want to get rid of the government of Israel and establish a government in the area of all the Palestinian people and let the refugees back into the area. And a government which would side with the Arab revolution rather than with Western imperialism. That's their policy and they're the ones that precipitate these confrontation.

Such as the one last June because there are Palestinians constantly Rady into what they consider as their homes trying to make it uncomfortable for the state of Israel to exist there and attempting to make a confrontation between the Arab States and Israel. But I just like their policy. That is not a racist policy. There's a distinction and they make it very sharply between Zionism and Judaism. Of course the reactionary Arab governments don't make that distinction like Jordan or Saudi Arabia. But they are government supported by the United States. You will read in the Egyptian newspapers now editorials to this effect that is making this distinction. Pointing out that they have no hostility to the Jewish people who live in the area as a matter of fact the Al-Fatah has a Hebrew language broadcast which it broadcasts as to what they call the occupied territory that is Israel. In the attempt

to get Jews on the side of the Arab revolution of the Palestinian revolution. OK. Next question. Oh only an independent power and independent political movement outside of it opposed to the to the capitalist part. And making revolution. Well that's a long process. Part of it has begun already. We'll build you know electoral machinery as well as other kinds of class struggle machinery. And when we get a majority of the people on our side and will nationalize the major industries have been operated by people who buy boards of directors elected by the people who work in the industries rather than by the boards of directors presently appointed by the small number of major stockholders and under a national

plan discussed and democratically decided upon in its broad outlines. By Congress representing each industry college school consumer group and saw. That's the general outline. You want me to detail exactly when and how. Which elections and which striking which mass demonstration you know. Well as peacefully as possible yes. I'm not a pacifist and I don't I don't think that the owners of those major industries are going to stand back and let the majority do that I think they'll probably resist that illegally and will have to defend ourselves against them. I'm for self-defense and for self-defense of the black people right now for example. I'm against these gun control laws for that reason but I'm not curbing guerilla warfare or any of that nonsense I'm just for the traditional American right of defense the right to be armed in your own home to defend your own family and so on.

That's very important in the black community which is rated by a vigilante group or even by the National Guard. In a raid so quick if they know the people there exercise this tradition right. OK. Well it's not just a question of me alone getting to go with it it's a question of a lot of things had to black people have something to do with that too you know. I speak on occasion to groups of white workers who are racists of that character I'll tell you a very strange thing. They have more respect for the black people now than they used to have. Partly as a result of the fight to the right people are put in there. They still don't really see that as a pole of attraction an alliance that they can make

when in line with their own class interests. They don't see that clearly although they are beginning to see that as the struggle develops. And I'm convinced that that struggle will do. There's a Black Caucus for example growing up in the UAW now in the Detroit which is very powerful. And you will be you'll see white radical workers there begin to make alliances with it because as far as the economic situation is concerned they've got everything in common and nothing to lose from that. But that will take turns true. Yes. The question was how hard would I like to go to break the back of American imperialism in both the developed and

underdeveloped areas of the world. Well I don't think there should be any imperialism at all. I don't think it's necessary for this is for private corporations to own any large thing in this country. Small farms and things like that that's our right. I mean as family farmers and things like I don't oppose nationalism at all the major industries we would National and the investments that they have in other people's countries we would turn over to those the people in those countries that sell and we trade in a value for value basis with those countries and they wouldn't send their troops around the world trying to put other people's revolutions down. And we save ourselves by that good that 80 billion dollars a year right now which you could spend on a central cities. Of course some very wealthy people wouldn't be quite so wealthy but they'd eat Rockefeller is not going to start tomorrow. Well if we nationalize United Fruit. When we pass a law he says that United Fruit now belongs to the people of the United States.

So and then it's the owners United Fruit to say no wants to us. Well I will take that law and will say look it doesn't want to you get a bunch of workers and gee whiz and stuff like that. Well it was down to the office and say goodbye. Get into some other line of work if you want to stay here and fight for something like that well off you're going right. But there but of course we can't get to that point until we've built a political power in the country which rivals their political power. But that's not impossible because they're a tiny minority just a lot of people hoodwinked. But we have to do is is keep educating keep banging away on the point that when you're in a democratic and republican parties and stuff like that you're in big business is part of you not operating in your own interest. Oh.

The question of the question that the United States into smaller areas where participatory democracy what would happen. No I don't think you are so says Mr. Small said. You need a lot of democracy from below but you don't have to break the country up to do that any more than it would be technologically feasible for example to break up General Motors Corp. physically into a lot of little small lot of plants and give each person has as lot of point on the new gun produce I would be ridiculous and wouldn't be efficient. So there's no reason at all why the people in another plant can't elect the Board of Directors. And which can hire technicians of course who are trained but under the direction of the masses the people who have something to say about which direction is going to go or that you can elect plant plant managers you workers in a plant. And I'm going to like

somebody doesn't know anything about it. They know more about of than some within the stockholders who appoint you. You know what I think you don't have to break this thing up to do that. You just have to democratize it. Yes. That's right. Well what happened was right. What happened there was that the British Labor Party was down and by a right wing which are not really revolutionaries have not even the socialists that. Their liberal capitalists are or are people who operate in the interests of capitalism the kind of a liberal to call themselves socialist because that's a lot of demagogy on their part.

What they did was to nationalize those industries which were necessary to the operation of the economy but which were going broke under capitalism. They did the Capitals a favor by keeping him keeping them in operation rule we don't propose just to nationalize the industries that are on the rocks but the industries that are doing very nicely thank you as well. All well the big one. Say that if we look back than those that sit going. If nothing else just just quit while the attacking Cleveland as I understand I just came from Cleveland try to find out everything I could about that.

The story that is not told in the radical community in the black community is very very different from the one we got in the papers and when we got in the papers was that some some group of black really was ambushed by a very clever military device and some policeman into a position where they could kill a human being and the story were told in the community of the people who live around there is quite different. It was known of course that people in the community were arming the people in that particular house had him. And the police the way they put it converged on the house and started shooting you know. And there they didn't count on was that there were so many guns in that neighborhood. You know they got so much fire back and some of the cops got killed it was like an attack by the cops on a section of the black community and the Question of the black community itself against that and I say I'm for self-defense. I'm for self-defense. But when I'm when I talk about nonsense I'm talking about any idea that some small

group of people is going to go out and militarily challenge the police department or the army. Or something like that with some kind of terroristic raid. You know that's that's not. Going to work. It's a question of mass action mass action and developing the developing self-defense in the community on a massive scale. In that perfectly human city. That's what I'm talking about. I don't see it. I don't see the point in it in a rather wild talk about about and provocative talk incidentally along this line. I see a much better point in in the tanning business. I was in Seattle and I saw some of the Seattle Black Panthers. Then I started to.

Run and run for office is not because they have some illusion about changing the situation through the electoral process but because it's a very important and useful device in organizing a community both for self defense and otherwise. We walk down the street a knock on the door Mr. Jones. If you register to vote is no I never bother nobody to vote for or we're running for office now. So kindly register this is the way you do it and could you attend a local meeting or political club. We want to get to know. One of the other understanding another so on and so forth and Mr. Jones you know about the school around the corner were very trying to get some black history talk and so on. We're going to go work on that problem. We're going to work on the problem of defense groups. They're watching the police and so on all these problems. And Mr. Jones if you get your rifle yet.

And if you do you know where you can buy it quite legally have you got the money for it if not there's a place where you can write a very good loan to you you pay it back in time to turn it into a business U.S. tendered business not the wild talk not substituting for small groups of terrorists for the mass action which is only going to get a lot of people in trouble attending business. In the broader political organization in a sense. And the more carefully one speaks in that regard. The better in my opinion. Yes all right. How are we going to watch that as a guy to say

you know I'm talking about after we've taken power in a country course well I'm going to get one need it. We don't need any other secret police agency that goes around the corner the people's government and God knows what out. We'll publish all its records publicly let the whole world read him. We might even put some money on try i mean. Not many bloodthirsty way but just to let the world know what the devil has been going on all this time. Oh OK. Anything else. Here it is just it is just as you say it was. Your question is do I think the assassination of rightist leaders I don't know who you're talking to me like I was for her

war would be beneficial to my cause. No I don't think so and I would advise against it. One reason being because I also own a presidential candidate and I don't like to see that kind of thing become a habit. Frankly it's a personal matter but it's more than a personal matter it's a political matter also. Once again I think like that an isolated terrorist act is an attempt to substitute the actor who individual or a few individuals for a mass revolutionary movement and what it is is a is a it's an act of frustration and of lack. Concordance in the masses of the people. And just precisely what we need is to have confidence in ourselves and in those people who are becoming radical and in their ability to spread this radicalism

to the masses of the people. And with that confidence we can we can we can be successful. If we start going off in those kind of directions man that would be the end. Don't kid yourself and it would only help in a certain way. The reactionary forces because then they would just come down on you with all kinds of repressions which would be supported by large masses of people. It is difficult for them to come down on you with repressions when you're careful in that way with what you do not I don't know to whom and to the poor. But very careful also. You see what they actually are that the Genesis did was not exactly an act of lacking courage to organize that march of servicemen in uniform in time of her

on active duty against the war in the country. Scary that.