Protest Against the NDAA and EEA Feb 4

The Revolutionary Students Union in conjunction with Occupy Provo is taking a stand against the ongoing assault on our civil liberties! This Saturday, February 4,  at noon we will be converging on the Provo Courthouse (Center and University Ave) and marching to the Federal Building (90 west 100 north) to protest the National Defense Authorization Act and the Enemy Expatriation Act.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, signed into law by president Barack Obama on December 31, 2011, is an assault on the civil liberties of all Americans and should be treated accordingly.
The most terrifying provisions are located within sub-section 1021 of Title X, Subtitle D, entitled “Counter-Terrorism." Provision 1021 affirms the president's authority to detain without trial, via the armed services, any person whether a U.S. citizen or otherwise. Section 1245 is also very worrisome as it places sanctions upon the Central Bank of Iran which effectively block Iranian oil exports to countries that do business with the United States. Pushing us one step closer to war with Iran.
The Enemy Expatriation Act (H.R. 3166) which is being sponsored by Congressmen Joe Lieberman and Charles Dent, allows the U.S. government to take away the citizenship of any American they identify as a
 threat. Unbelievably, as this act stands now, it would allow the U.S. government to expatriate citizens without even bringing them before a court of law.

The Prison Industrial Complex

The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. With just 5% of the world's population, the United States contains one quarter of the entire world's inmates. How can it be that in the "land of the free", we see fit to imprison such a large portion of our population? The short answer is that under capitalism the only freedom that really matters is the freedom to make a profit.

The Prison Industrial Complex is name given to a system in which prison ownership and management are increasingly being transferred to the private sector. In the same way that the privatization of the war industry has made the invasion of other countries an extremely profitable endeavour the privatization of prisons has had a similar effect on the penal system. The massive shift toward deregulation and privatization since the Reagan era has lead to an explosion in the United States' prison population. As per usual the federal government acted as a tool for corporate interests and enacted various legislation leading to increased convictions and longer sentences for non-violent offenses, such as drug possession.

Many of the draconian measures being taken by certain states against undocumented workers can be directly attributed to the influence of corportations with interests in the prison industrial complex. In a recent article in the Guardian, Alex Cabellero pointed out that:

[Alabam's]HB 56, a de facto criminalisation of migration, replaces any sensible immigration policy with the favorite solution these days: let’s put them behind bars– and we might as well make a profit out of it.

Not only will this law supply fresh inmates to private detention centers in the state – like the one operated in Decatur by LCS correctional corporation – but it will also feed an already bloated national private prison system controlled by two major corporations, CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) and the GEO group, which have a combined profit of more than $5bn a year. CCA, for example, runs the largest facility in the nation in neighboring Georgia and may potentially take a good portion of the detainees in Alabama. Charging $200 a night, this is an opportunity they’ll jump at.

Please join the Utah Valley University chapter of the Revolutionary Students Union this Thursday, January 26 at 8pm in room SC206a for a lecture by Victor Puertas on this topic and to learn how to fight back against the Prison Industrial Complex.
Make sure to check out the National Prison Divestment Campaign as well.

The Crisis of Capitalism: the Housing Market

Pundits and commentators on both the right and left have been quick to find culprits for the economic meltdown; from greedy banks to homeowners living beyond their means. More than a century ago, however, Karl Marx made it clear that economic crises are part of the normal functioning of the capitalist system. This Thursday January, 19th at 8pm at UVU in room LI505 Brett Barrett and Steven Broadbent will be giving a lecture on Marx's theory of economic crises and its relevance to the current recession.
See you there!

Capitalism, Socialism and Revolution

Capitalism: though almost everyone has heard the word not everyone understands what makes this system unique or how it effects our everyday lives. While the Republican Presidential candidates are busy singing the praises of "free enterprise" and the "free market" the rest of the country suffers from massive unemployment and stagnating wages. Though many would have us believe that this is a minor setback in the otherwise steady progression of capitalist society, socialists have known for centuries that this is part of the normal functioning of capitalism. Despite the myths we are told about hard work and free enterprise, the actual history of capitalism paints a very different picture, one born out of conquest and slavery and perpetuated by the impoverishment of workers at home and abroad. One of the most prominent alternatives to this system is Socialism, commonly understood as a political and economic system owned and controlled by the workers.
At this week's RSU meeting we will be having a lecture that will clarify what capitalism is, what socialism is and how to achieve it, namely through revolution. This will be a good introductory level lecture for those who are not yet familiar with these concepts. It will also be a good opportunity for those that are familiar to discuss these issues in depth.
We will be meeting at UVU in room SC213A on Thursday, January 12th, at 8:00pm.
We will also be discussing upcoming events, hearing reports from committees and discussing club business. The Revolutionary Students Union is planning on having a very active semester of organizing and educating. We are excited to kick off a brand new year. Join us in helping to continue the fight for justice and equality on campus and in the community!
See you there!

RSU Meeting 1/5/2012

At this week's RSU meeting we will be discussing and planning our strategy for the semester, including club rush as well as delegating important tasks going forward. Make sure you attend. This will be an important meeting.
The UVU Library is closing at 5pm this week so instead we will be meeting at Joshua West's house at 8pm on Thursday. His address is 145 E. 1000 S. in Orem in the basement apartment. Call Josh at 801-310-9623 if you need directions.

The Revolutionary Women of the Paris Commune 12/8/2011

At this week's meeting Steven Broadbent will be giving a lecture on women and the Paris Commune. The Paris Commune occurred in 1871 and was a watershed moment in the history of workers' liberation when workers rose up and assumed control of the city. Once in control the workers of Paris created a new system of governance based on direct democracy, gave vacant factories to workers' associations, canceled debts, and outlawed evictions due to a person's inability to pay rent. As in all genuine worker's movements women played an essential role in the creation and defense of the Commune. The video below is an excerpt from Peter Watkin's film La Commune which reenacts the events which transpired there.
Come this Thursday at 8pm in the UVU library LI502 to learn, discuss, socialize and organize!

The Internationale: The Song and its History

Very soon after it was first penned and set to music The Internationale became an anthem for the global anti-capitalist movement. It has been sung everywhere from anarchist collectives in Spain and Greece to guerrilla armies in the jungles of southeast Asia and Latin America, to Union meetings in the US and UK. Its history, from its inception in the bloody aftermath of the Paris Commune, to becoming the anthem of The International Workingmen's Association and later of the Soviet Union encompasses the broad history of the anti-capitalist movement itself.
This week at the UVURSU's weekly meeting we will be having a lecture and discussion on the song its meaning, history and significance today. The meeting will be held on Thursday, December 1st at 8pm in the UVU Library room LI502.
As usual we will also be hearing reports from committees and going over club business.