> If you think the racist angle is more important, fine. I'm telling you
> I think the class struggle angle is more important. That is why argue
> things like that here - to get things right.
Did the Pataki, Bloomberg, and the MTA played the race and the xenophobia cards against the workers? Absolutely yes. Was that viciousness amplified by the media? Again, absolutely yes.
It wasn't very subtle by NYC standards. Frankly, characterizing the actions of the TWU Local 100 as "thuggish" has a definite racist ring to the ears of most regular people. But it goes further back: constant petty mistreatment of workers, ongoing media coverage of MTA problems as related to workers' indiscipline or neglect (yes, to evoke those racist stereotypes) rather than mismanagement, and hard line in the initial contract negotiations were deliberate tricks to exhaust the workers' patience. The bosses wanted to exhibit the workers as irrational, "thuggish" for standing up and choosing to strike. How dare they!
It was a nasty anti-workers campaign. The attacks on Roger Toussaint's background (of African-Caribbean descent, originally from Trinidad) appealed to people's basest instincts -- wink, wink. And, even though Local 100 was very tactful about it (Toussaint declared that International was "forced" to take public distance from the strike), International's public "disagreement" with the strike was nothing short of treacherous. They called workers to resume work and there was the implicit threat of taking over the affairs of Local 100.
And, yes, International tends to be white, while Local 100 is disproportionally, if not predominantly, black and brown. And yes, "father knows best" -- Godwin's echo of TUW International's betrayal -- is disgustingly paternalistic and *racist* in its undertone. I don't know what kind of evidence would satisfy you?
You assert that the main issue (angle) is class. I agree with you 100%. That is *precisely* why we need to beware and highlight the tactics used by the rulers. They are divisive and that's why they're powerful. Number and unity is the main, if not the only, resource working people have to advance their *class* interests. That's why denouncing racism and xenophobia in this context is the right way to emphasize class.
Julio