Press Release                                   Feb. 18, 2010

For more information: Billy Wharton (718) 869-2279 or Nicholas Nix (903)
207-4299

Statement on the Terrorist Act in Austin

As democratic socialists, we condemn the act of terrorism carried out by Joseph
Andrew Stack today in Austin, Texas.   Terrorism will do nothing to solve the
mounting social and economic problems faced by working people in the United
States.  Instead, such acts will likely create public sympathy for government
agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security, who
wish to further erode our civil liberties.  As an old anarchist pamphlet
correctly states, “Terrorism destroys politics.”

While condemning this act, we also recognize that some of the grievances raised
in Stack’s suicide letter speak to real problems faced by millions of working
people every day.  In the more coherent sections of the letter, he mentions the
failure of the US government to provide healthcare, the gross inequity of the
bank bailout and the inadequacy of support for elderly Americans.  He details
the plight of the elderly widow of a steel worker who is reduced to eating cat
food because of the elimination of pension payments.  It is difficult not to be
moved to anger by this story.

Similar stories of abuse and neglect exist throughout the US today.  This is not
a surprise considering we live in a society where 5% of the population controls
85% of the wealth.  Consequently, one child out of every six faces issues of
food insecurity and almost 50 million people have been left outside the
healthcare system.  All of these conditions are direct results of capitalism.

Democratic socialism, and not individual terrorism, is the humane alternative to
the madness of capitalism.  Socialist economics propose worker self-management,
participatory budgeting and guaranteed rights to healthcare and housing.  Such
changes are built upon socialist values of solidarity, compassion and justice.

Acts of terrorism will not move us closer to solving our problems – a grassroots
political response to injustice will. What we need most in this country is a
political movement that gives a voice to working people. Such a re-awakening
will allow us to become active creators of a more progressive future. 
Organizations, such as the one we are members of, the Socialist Party USA, are
working to build such movements and are open to all those seeking to struggle
for justice.

***
Billy Wharton, co-chair of the Socialist Party USA
Nicholas Nix, Independent for Congress, District 4 of Texas