The war in Afghanistan is an imperialistic war that will lead to human and worker's rights violations and the financial exploitation of Afghanistan, Jacky Willy said to an audience of 18 students Monday at Teacher's College during a lecture sponsored by Ball State Young Socialists.
Willy, a staff writer for The Militant newspaper, opened his pro-socialist speech with a quote from Fidel Castro explaining why capitalists fear socialism and how socialism improves humanity.
"The socialist revolution, from day one, has not been a revolution for only Cuba," Willy said. "It is for people who want to advance humanity forward. The Cuban revolution shows what socialism can offer humanity and what kind of people emerge from socialist thinking."
Willy then went on to contrast socialism and capitalism, an economic system that Willy claims causes hostility between workers and leaders. Willy also said that capitalism leads to imperialistic warfare and used the current situation in Afghanistan as an example.
According to Willy, the war can be considered imperialistic for many reasons. First of all, he said, a dominant power is exaggerating its role in society to justify war against a weaker country. Second, it is a war for wealth and resources in a region rich in oil and minerals. Finally, according to Willy, this war is one waged by a finance capital.
"This is a war so that (the United States) can cut out a bigger section of the world for their own advantage," Willy said.
To prove his point, Willy said the United States has been wanting to build a 100 mile pipeline through Afghanistan.
"This war will make that easier," he said.
According to Willy, this war has resulted in an increase in human and workers rights violations.
"These attacks and violations are occurring because the government is using the pretext of war and national security to justify violating people."
Willy then gave examples of rights violations that have occurred since the Sept. 11 attack. He noted that the FBI has been interrogating Middle Eastern students on over 220 campuses and said the government was using national security as an excuse for harassment. Willy also spoke about Miami firefighters who were fired for removing an American Flag from a fire truck and South Carolina dockworkers who were arrested for inciting a riot during an organized strike.
Willy ended his speech with a description of the two roads America can take. The first road is one of capitalism that, according to Willy, will drag America down into more wars, more epidemics, and more poverty. The alternative is to emulate the Cuban Revolution. Willy then predicted the fall of the U.S.
"Just like Rome, just like the Czar of Russia, just like Batista in Cuba, so to will the almighty American empire come down."
Ball State student Sarah Felker agreed with the message but disagreed somewhat with his delivery.
"He should've given more history," Felker said. "He assumed everyone understood communism."
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