AND FURTHERMORE....

 “WOKE” IS A DESTRUCTIVE FORCE

in the political, intellectual, artistic and ethical life of society

May 22, 2023

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Bizarre and capricious rules enforced by cancel culture threats. Puffed-up unscientific claims to “represent the marginalized.” Insisting that people “stay in their lanes” in fighting oppression. “Woke” lunacy manifests much that is harmful with the capitalist-imperialist system and its dominant culture, furthering the nightmare of humanity!

“Woke” once meant righteous awareness of racial oppression but has long since morphed into fanatical lunacy and vicious mob mentality. A bloodlust to target and tear into individuals, while cowardly ducking, and often, actively obstructing the real and needed fight against the system, especially its overthrow through an actual revolution!

See Bob Avakian's writings on:
Opposing “Woke” Distractions and Obstructions

Woke Lunacy and the fascist steamroller moving through society are in a deadly dance, mutually opposing, while fueling and feeding off the other. Fascism is by far the greater danger, but in this dynamic, brazen white supremacy and misogyny feast on and defeat the brittle bravado of “woke.”

At a time of unprecedented change—as the “powers that be” clash and as cohering norms of the U.S. are ripping—there is a much greater chance to bring this whole oppressive edifice down. We have a chance to aim for something radically different; we have a responsibility to fight for something actually liberating. We must seize this chance and rise to this responsibility.

Out of love for humanity and the planet, out of a profound respect for truth and science, and out of a necessary revolutionary determination for the emancipation of all of humanity, we will defend and debate the following, in the public square and in public discourse:

***

1 Woke Lunacy: Insisting there is no objective reality; each person “owns” their “truth”

ANSWERING IGNORANT AND IDIOTIC IDEAS

Part 1

By Bob Avakian

May 18, 2026

Woke Lunacy denies an objective reality, while at the same time brutishly dictating which parts of reality people of different “identities” are allowed to discuss or act upon. If objective reality is just a “white European” or “masculinist” construct, try crossing the interstate at rush hour without getting hit by the reality of speeding cars.

Truth is not a composite of “narratives.” Truth is what corresponds to objective reality. This can be determined through scientific, evidence-based methods. Direct lived experiences can contribute to this process, but science, and the scientific method, is decisive for determining what is true—and acting on that basis to radically change the world.

2  Woke Lunacy: An obliterating obsession with changing words—and an ugly erasure of women

Woke Lunacy does not differentiate between malicious, neutral, or benign intent. The ritual humiliations of well-meaning people for using “wrong” words are the petty power plays of schoolyard bullies. Word changing is no substitute for WORLD changing.

Nowhere is this more destructive than the erasure of women. Increasingly relentless and vicious attacks on trans people must be vigorously fought! But the substitution of dehumanizing non-synonyms like “people with uteruses” and “chest-feeders” for the word “woman,” ostensibly for “trans-inclusivity,” does harm. In the face of the greatest assault on women’s lives in generations—the overturning of the right to abortion—the woke establishment’s refusal to even use the word “woman” muddied the heart of this attack, blunted its danger and demobilized resistance. This strengthens the Christian fascist crusade to cement forced motherhood and traditional gender roles.

3  Woke Lunacy: “Me, Me, Me”—cocooned in an American Empire that savages the world

The one privilege wokesters rarely call out is American privilege. Indeed, many want all they can get of that privilege.

The woke mob tweets their accusations of “privilege” and “colonization” from cell phones brought to them by the blood and tears of children in Congo, mining for the cobalt those phones require. To those whose horizons don’t extend beyond mere “inclusion” and “equality” within the most blood-soaked empire ever known, we dedicate these lyrics from Bob Dylan: “We looted and we plundered on distant shores. Why is my share not equal to yours?”

4  Woke Lunacy: Hiding from reality with “trigger warnings,” “safe spaces,” and “trauma culture”

Terrible things happen to people under this system. Exposing this is not “trauma porn.” Everyone needs to learn about and confront the barbaric history of slavery and white supremacy and the continuing reality of racial oppression.

Acting as if oppressed people are fragile beings who will fall apart at a “triggering” phenomenon is the hallmark of condescending saviors. Trauma from this system is real and harrowing, but needs to, and can, be directed towards fighting the source of oppression and injustice.

The best things to happen in college are intellectual challenges, debate and critical thinking, learning about the world… standing up for a great cause even at the risk of one’s safety, and radically changing the world with revolutionary joy.

5  Woke Lunacy: Firestorms of woke-mob “cancel culture” to tear down individuals

Instead of righteous struggle to expose and transform oppressive institutions, woke culture unleashes cruel witch hunts to destroy the reputations, careers, and lives of people. This is revenge, not justice. Woke Lunacy judges people by a single mistake, or even a mere accusation, rather than by the arc of their lives. Imagine if this criterion were applied to all of you!

The world of woke invokes the Red Queen of Alice in Wonderland, “Sentence first—verdict afterwards.” Rule of law, presumption of innocence, and evidence out the window. With regard to centuries of horrific sexual assault, what is sorely needed is an atmosphere where women can come forward, be taken seriously, and where there is due process, all as part of getting to a radically different world.

6  Woke Lunacy: Accusations of “appropriation” to censor artistic expression

Identity hustlers have turned censoring art into an art form of its own. Cancelling authors, blacklisting fiction, covering murals, censoring art because the creator is of the “wrong” identity—or because it's not “their” story to tell. Woke Lunacy treats the diverse fluorescence of cultures and struggles of our planet as property to be owned and commodified, miserly guarded against “appropriation.” If art and fiction were restricted to direct experience alone, would there be any left?

7  Woke Lunacy: Insisting all follow “BIPOC leadership”—when there is no such thing!

Who is “BIPOC leadership,” pray tell? AOC? Kamala Harris? Candace Owens? Clarence Thomas? When children in Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan were afraid to look at a clear blue sky because of Obama’s drones raining down bombs and terror, do you think they gave a fuck that he was the first Black president?

Leaders should be evaluated not based on “identity,” but on whether they are correctly identifying the source of the problem, pointing the pathways to getting humanity free, and bringing forward others who can do the same.

EMPATHY

 There are a lot of people who believe that adopting the "woke" philosophy is being on the right side of history , when in reality it is a self-centred petty bourgeois way of living and looking at society .

Here's a different view :

FASCIST CRUELTY AND ATTACK ON EMPATHY VS. THE NEW COMMUNIST VIEW OF EMPATHY 

by Bob Avakian

June 29, 2026

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Donald Trump holds a cage-fighting spectacle on the grounds of the White House (where, not coincidentally, one of the main participants attacks Michelle Obama in crudely racist, sexist and homophobic terms). This is the same Donald Trump who called on police to treat people more roughly when arresting them. The same Donald Trump who, during his first run for president, called on his supporters to physically attack protesters at his rallies—and who boasted that if he murdered someone in plain sight in New York City, his supporters would continue to support him.

On a larger level, this is Donald Trump who, in his role as head of state, has ordered immigrants to be rounded up and, without any pretense of due process, shipped off to a torture chamber prison in El Salvador (and Trump threatened to do the same to U.S. citizens). This is the same Donald Trump who has wielded ICE to repress and literally murder people, has federalized the National Guard in a number of states and deployed it against people who were overwhelmingly protesting peacefully. The same Donald Trump who utilizes the military to murder people at sea...who orders an illegal attack on Venezuela which kidnaps its head of state...who commits a blatant war crime in launching a war against Iran in clear violation of international law. The same Donald Trump who appoints, as “Secretary of War,” Pete Hegseth who openly proclaims that the U.S. military will no longer even pretend to be constrained by international law and rules of engagement which, he insists, prevent the U.S. military from fully being the ruthless killing machine it is meant to be.

Cruelty Is an Essential Component of Fascists Like Trump and His MAGA Supporters

Cruelty is not accidental, or incidental, for these fascists—as a number of people have observed, cruelty is the point. Trump supporters and the MAGA ranks are encouraged to revel in and celebrate acts of blatant cruelty, especially against those these fascists regard as less than human. As I pointed out in HUMANITY ON THE BRINK:

The brute fascism of Trump and his backers has become so undisguised and unapologetic that the billionaire co-founder of the tech company Palantir has openly called for the return of public hangings in the U.S., as an important means of re-establishing “masculine leadership”! (Palantir is already negatively notorious for its surveillance technology in coordination with ICE and the overall repressive moves of the Trump regime.) 1

And, as seen in this statement by this Palantir executive, cruelty—and ritualized exhibitions of cruelty—is closely linked to the fascist notion of “masculinity.” In her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Kristin Kobes Du Mez makes this important, succinct summation regarding the white “evangelical” Christian fundamentalists who are the backbone of present-day American fascism:

White evangelicals have pieced together this patchwork of issues, and a nostalgic commitment to rugged, aggressive, militant white masculinity that serves as the thread binding them together into a coherent whole.

The Fascist Attack on Empathy

As a significant “philosophical rationalization” for this cruelty, a number of fascist Trump supporters, including Elon Musk as well as Charlie Kirk, have directly attacked the whole concept of empathy: the character (or ability) to understand and identify with the feelings of another. Such empathy, they insist, will lead to a situation where people who (according to these fascists) have no legitimate place in this country—people who represent “alien” cultures and ways of life—will be sympathized with and allowed to remain in this country and destroy the white, masculine, Christian way of life and “superior Western civilization” on which this country must be based. This includes:

• People like immigrants from “shithole countries,” as Trump has described non-European nations. (Recall how, during the 2024 election, Trump and Vance repeatedly made the outrageous claim that Haitian immigrants were eating the pets of “regular” people in Ohio.)
• People with different religious beliefs, and in particular Muslims. (Think of the irrational claims by fascist lunatics about how the prospect of Muslims imposing “Sharia Law” poses an immediate and grave danger.)

Empathy for people like this—for those who are “alien” to “the superiority of Western civilization and tradition,” and in any case people whom they regard as inferior to white, masculine Christian fundamentalists—empathy for such people will, according to the warped and depraved view of the fascists, lead to the destruction of everything that this country must be about and everything that makes it “god’s chosen nation,” which must rightly dominate the world.

As for people who have historically been systematically discriminated against and brutally oppressed in this country—Black people, Native Americans, Latinos and other people of color, women and LGBT people—empathy for them, on the part of the larger society, will, according to these fascists, lead to a situation where they will be given rights and “privileges” that they do not deserve. (This is why, for example, Charlie Kirk insisted that Civil Rights legislation passed in the 1960s was a very bad thing, a terrible mistake. It is why a number of influential fascists have insisted that giving women the right to vote was also a terrible act, and something that should be reversed. It explains the crude and vicious attacks on Trans people by Trump and the fascists generally.)

Fascist Cruelty and Unrestrained, Rapacious Capitalism

There is a definite “philosophical” connection between the fascist attack on empathy and the denunciation of altruism by right-wing writer Ayn Rand, who (even after her death) continues to have significant influence particularly among a number of tech titans and other billionaire executives. According to Ayn Rand, altruism—regard for others...unselfish concern for the well-being of others—is a poisonous corrosive force that corrupts society and undermines the necessary operation of capitalism, as the best possible system. In fact, Ayn Rand was an advocate of unrestrained, rapacious capitalism. This is something that strongly resonates with many tech bro billionaires and others who think of themselves as brilliant innovators, far superior to the rest of society, but whose fortunes in reality are dependent on capitalism-imperialism as a system of vicious exploitation and super-exploitation of masses of people throughout the world, including 150 million children, especially in the Third World of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. 2

While Ayn Rand was herself an outspoken atheist, there is now a kind of “unholy alliance” between “Ayn Randist” billionaires and the fundamentalist “Christian nationalists” who are the backbone and driving force of MAGA fascism—Christian fascists who invoke the Old Testament god of the Bible to justify their vengeful hatred for all those they regard as inferior and “alien” to white, masculine Christian fundamentalism. This “unholy alliance” is, in a meaningful sense, concentrated in the person of Donald Trump, who is a shameless and aggressive advocate and practitioner of rapacious capitalism, and who, at the same time, has recognized that, in order to achieve and maintain his position of power, he has to rely on and cater to the Christian fundamentalist fascists (even as his own personal beliefs have historically not been in line with Christian fundamentalism, to greatly understate things).

In all this, it can be seen why the attack on empathy, as well as altruism, is a powerful compulsion and important component of the Trump regime and the whole MAGA fascist phenomenon.

The New Communist View of Empathy

The ability to empathize—to understand and identify with the feelings of another—is a capability that human beings develop at a relatively early age, and is one of the defining qualities of human beings as a species. In an overall sense, empathy is a quality, a positive moral good, that should be encouraged in any decent society—and in any society where empathy is not encouraged, but is vilified and attacked, this will lead to a situation where people’s basic humanity will be suppressed where it is not fully corrupted.

At the same time, empathy cannot be separated from, and posed in opposition to, fundamental social relations. In a system based on slavery, for example, one cannot empathize with both the slave-owners and the slaves, for the basic reason that the conditions and the basic interests of the two are in fundamental and antagonistic conflict. It is possible, even important, to understand scientifically the outlook and interests of the slave-owners, in order to most effectively struggle to eliminate the system of slavery; but it is not possible to identify and sympathize with slave-owners without failing, in reality, to empathize with—without actually betraying—those who are enslaved.

The same is true with regard to the relations between the exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, in all systems based on exploitation and oppression, including capitalism. Only when the historic objective of the communist revolution has been achieved—the abolition and uprooting of all relations of exploitation and oppression, everywhere—can empathy be applied with regard to people generally.

Emancipation, Not Revenge

At the same time, a fundamental principle of the new communism I have developed is that the purpose and goal of the communist revolution is not revenge against exploiters and oppressors (or others with a “more privileged” position), but emancipation from all relations of exploitation and oppression, moving beyond all social inequality. And the means and methods of the communist revolution must be in line with and an expression of that basic orientation.

As I have strongly emphasized:

The new communism thoroughly repudiates and is determined to root out of the communist movement the poisonous notion, and practice, that “the ends justifies the means.” It is a bedrock principle of the new communism that the “means” of this movement must flow from and be consistent with the fundamental “ends” of abolishing all exploitation and oppression through revolution led on a scientific basis.3

This basic orientation is given expression in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, which I have authored. For example: in the provision for due process, and a real emphasis on the presumption of innocence, and protection of the rights of the accused, in criminal legal proceedings, including with regard to people accused of actual criminal acts in opposition to the new socialist society...in the provision that, while prisons will remain necessary in this socialist society, the conditions in those prisons must be humane, and not degrading, as they are under the present capitalist dictatorship...in the prohibition against torture...in the abolition of the death penalty4...and in many other dimensions of this new, emancipating society.

It is a fact that, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of abolishing and uprooting all exploitation and oppression, everywhere, it is necessary to overthrow the state power—the dictatorship—of the capitalist-imperialist system that enforces this exploitation and oppression. And, in its place, as a transition to a society, a world, without any need or basis for dictatorship, of any kind, it is crucial that there be socialist state power (the dictatorship of the proletariat, the exploited class under capitalism, whose emancipation requires the ending of all exploitation and oppression throughout the world).

As I have written before:

All this speaks to why it is crucial that socialist state power be established and maintained, in order not only to prevent the destruction of the new, emancipating socialist society, but also and most fundamentally, to carry forward the advance toward the establishment of the conditions (economically, socially, politically, culturally—and internationally) which will mark, and make possible, the achievement of communism, worldwide.

Only with the achievement of communism, worldwide—with the ending of all economic relations of exploitation, all social and political relations of oppression, and the transformation of culture, including the prevailing morality, in line with these fundamental transformations, throughout the world—only then will there no longer be a need, or a basis, for a state, as the expression of antagonistic class and other social divisions among human beings and the exercise of dictatorship by the class which occupies the superior position fundamentally as a result of its domination of the economy.

The establishment and the ongoing exercise of socialist state power is a crucial and indispensable means for bringing into being the conditions that will make it possible for that state power, and a state (a dictatorship) in any form, to be finally abolished.5

And, once again, all this is an expression of the fact that the purpose and goal of the revolution envisioned, and actively striven for, with the new communism, is not revenge but emancipation—the emancipation of humanity as a whole from thousands of years of vicious exploitation and literally murderous oppression—emancipation from, and moving historically beyond, the long night in which human society has been divided into masters and slaves, and the masses of humanity have been lashed, beaten, raped, slaughtered, shackled and shrouded in ignorance and misery.

THEY KEEP COMING BACK

 Last night I went to Influence Board Shop to see The Ripcordz . They have been coming to Victoria for decades now , all the way from Montreal, and are one of the most sincere DIY bands out there. every show I've seen them play is 100% enthusiasm and energy . I missed Bug and Mean Bikini , but I'm not getting anywhere by 6pm . I did, however , catch The Gnar Gnars , and they were so tight and electrifying . They just get better and better . It was good to see old friends . Go to the next show. It will be wonderful.

 

AWAY FOR A WHILE

 I just got back from a road trip with my son , so there was very little computer activity and it was awesome . Try it sometime . Unplug and be a human . I know it's rare these days , but it's worth it.

I'll start my incessant blathering with some positivity .

Trump’s Iran War Is Heading Toward ‘Strategic Defeat’ – NYT Analysis

August 2, 2026 Articles, Features

According to a New York Times analysis, US President Donald Trump's war on Iran is heading toward a strategic defeat. (Design: PC)

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By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

A New York Times analysis argues that six months of war have left the United States strategically weaker, with Iran retaining leverage over the Strait of Hormuz while America’s allies increasingly question Washington’s credibility and global leadership.

Key Takeaways

• The New York Times says the US has failed to achieve its principal objectives despite months of war.
• Analysts interviewed by the newspaper argue Iran has preserved its most important strategic leverage through the Strait of Hormuz.
• European and Middle Eastern allies are increasingly questioning US reliability as a security guarantor.
• The report concludes the conflict risks becoming another prolonged American war without a clear path to victory.

A New York Times analysis published on Friday argues that President Donald Trump’s war against Iran is increasingly ending in what Western analysts describe as a strategic defeat for the United States, with Washington failing to secure its political objectives despite months of military operations.

Citing former diplomats, security analysts and regional experts, the newspaper contends that the conflict has exposed the limits of American military power while eroding US credibility among allies and strengthening Tehran’s negotiating position.

Rather than forcing Iran into submission, the report argues, the war has left Washington confronting a more resilient adversary that continues to wield considerable influence over the Strait of Hormuz and remains capable of threatening US military assets across the region.

Military Campaign Falls Short

According to the New York Times, the United States has been unable to translate military superiority into strategic success.

Although American and Israeli strikes have degraded elements of Iran’s military capabilities, the newspaper notes that Tehran’s political leadership remains intact, while its nuclear and ballistic missile programs have been weakened but not eliminated.

At the same time, Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks capable of threatening American bases and regional energy infrastructure, while maintaining effective leverage over one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

The report argues that Washington now finds itself in a familiar position experienced in previous conflicts, possessing overwhelming military strength but lacking a clear political path toward victory.

Robin Niblett, former director of the London-based Chatham House think tank, described the outcome as “a strategic loss and an embarrassment,” telling the newspaper that the conflict has undermined confidence among countries that depend on the United States for their security.

Hormuz Emerges as Tehran’s Main Lever

The analysis identifies the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s greatest strategic advantage.

Despite months of fighting, shipping through the waterway remains severely disrupted, while Tehran continues to use its missile and drone capabilities to pressure American interests and allied energy infrastructure.

The newspaper reports that negotiations between Iran and Oman over future arrangements governing the Strait have become one of the conflict’s most significant diplomatic tracks.

Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, told the newspaper that Tehran now views Hormuz as its principal source of leverage in future negotiations with Washington, seeking guarantees against renewed military action before considering broader diplomatic agreements.

According to analysts cited by the report, any arrangement granting Iran lasting influence over navigation through the Strait would represent a major strategic setback for the United States.

Allies Losing Faith in Washington

Beyond developments on the battlefield, the New York Times argues that the conflict is reshaping how America’s partners view US leadership.

European governments, the newspaper says, increasingly question Washington’s consistency after a series of abrupt policy shifts under the Trump administration, while Gulf states are pursuing broader diplomatic relationships with Iran, China, Russia and Europe to reduce their dependence on the United States.

Vaez argues that Washington’s changing positions have produced what he describes as a “crisis of credibility,” leaving allies uncertain whether American military commitments or diplomatic agreements can be relied upon.

Niblett similarly told the newspaper that many governments now increasingly see the United States as a source of global instability rather than strategic order.

Growing Friction with Israel

The report also points to increasing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv.

According to French security analyst François Heisbourg, senior US officials have become frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after expectations of a swift military campaign failed to materialize.

The prolonged conflict, the analysis argues, has weakened both governments while exposing disagreements over strategy and the costs of continuing the war.

A New ‘Forever War’?

The New York Times concludes that neither Washington nor Tehran currently appears capable of securing a decisive outcome.

While Trump continues to insist that sustained military pressure will eventually compel Iran to negotiate on American terms, Iranian officials increasingly doubt that any future agreement with Washington would be honored, citing previous US withdrawals from negotiated agreements and repeated military escalation during diplomatic efforts.

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation told the newspaper that Iranian leaders have grown deeply pessimistic about diplomacy with the current US administration, believing Washington’s shifting positions make any long-term agreement difficult to sustain.

The analysis ultimately argues that the conflict is settling into a cycle of intermittent truces and renewed escalation, raising the prospect of another prolonged American war without a clear exit strategy.

For the New York Times, the broader consequence extends beyond the battlefield itself: rather than reshaping Iran, the conflict is increasingly reshaping perceptions of American power, leaving allies questioning Washington’s reliability while its adversaries conclude that the United States has entered a costly war without a credible path to victory.

SHOULDA BEEN THERE

 

What can I say about this show other than you shoulda been there? Knife Manual were fucking great , Isolated Earthlings as well, Neurospazm killed it , The Fakies were amazing, getting the entire crowd to sing along with "Country Roads", I am so happy Ten Days Late are back and better than ever, and it was my first time seeing Dr.Know, which was basically Brandon Cruz on vocals, back with a Jak's Team supergroup starring Dustin, Mark Mor, and Willy . Fuck yes. It was excellent to see the old faces and meet some new ones too . I doubt I'll hit tonight's show, as that's enough for me for now . And good day to you.

GOOD TIMES AND GOOD PEOPLE

 I went to the first Jak's Team Reunion show last night , and it was an excellent time .

The sound was great , and the bands were awesome as well .

There was a lot of love (and alcohol) in the room , but to be fair , not everyone was drinking.

Everyone was there for the camaraderie and loud music . Fully Crazed and Hung Up killed it like they always do . See you at The Phoenix tonight !

LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE

 All over the world people flee war , hunger , and displacement in the desperate search for a better life , often caused by the rich imperialist powers .

The unleashing of the ice killers on migrants will not improve the lives of working class amerikkkans , no matter what the popular rhetoric is . So now the "legal" u.s. citizens can have all the fruit picking jobs, cleaning offices after midnight for less than minimum wage, and working in slaughterhouses? Nonsense.

Stop terrorizing migrants! Abolish ICE!

WW editorial

By Editor posted on July 14, 2026

Aurora, Colorado, June 9, 2026.

There has been no letup in the racist terror campaign by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against migrants and communities of color. The latest outrage making major headlines is the July 7 murder in Houston of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant and father of three who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years. 

Salgado Araujo was not even who the ICE thugs were looking for, but an ICE agent fired multiple shots into his car. Araujo died at the hospital several hours after the shooting. He could be heard screaming, “They are killing me,” while ICE allowed him to bleed out in the street without any medical care. Araujo, a construction business owner, was on his way to a job site with three employees when ICE agents in unmarked vehicles stopped him over an alleged traffic violation.

Now, typically, the ICE terrorists are blaming the victim, saying Araujo “weaponized” his vehicle against them. All three passengers in the car, along with members of Araujo’s family, have independently disputed this absurd claim, for which no evidence has been produced.

Not only is the Houston community holding daily protests calling for justice for Araujo, but the Mexican government is demanding that his murder be brought before the United Nations.

This is not a case of the ICE agents being  “just a few bad apples.” The killing of Araujo was entirely consistent with the real mission of the fascist ICE — which is the mission of the whole capitalist state apparatus, one of repressing the working class and oppressed people. 

The late chairperson of Workers World Party, Sam Marcy, explained the class character of the state: “Whatever its form, its essence is determined by which class is dominant economically and consequently also dominant politically. In contemporary society, this means the rule of the imperialist bourgeoisie over the proletariat and the oppressed nationalities.” (“A Marxist Defense of the LA Rebellion,” 1993)

ICE is showing its true nature, not only by its murder of Araujo but in its aggressive roundups of over 2,000 people per day — a number that could likely increase. An example is the detention of two Detroit high school students in Buffalo, New York. Twin 18-year-old sisters Alexka and Angely Jerez-Medina were in Buffalo for a summer job until they were detained by ICE on June 24 and held at a detention center in El Paso, Texas. 

Activists in Buffalo have protested the detention and at least nine Michigan elected officials have demanded the students’ release, as have their pastor and teachers at Western International High School.

The ICE terror campaign has made immigrants afraid to go to work or school or attend religious services.

ICE — like the cops, the prisons, the courts and the whole capitalist state apparatus — can’t be reformed. Nor is the solution to replace ICE with some “kinder, gentler,” maybe a little less xenophobic version of itself. ICE must go!

Workers World joins with the thousands of protesters in Houston and all over the country in saying: “Abolish ICE!”