He eliminated welfare rights for seven million children. Clinton promoted HMOs and the profit margins of insurers, thus abandoning his pledge to provide health care for all people. After eight years the number of people who can t go to the doctor has increased from 42 million to 44 million. Instead of providing universal health care, Clinton spent billions on Star Wars and National Missile Defense schemes, plus billions on prison construction and the hiring of 100,000 more police. This is the right thing to do.
Progressive change occurs only because of struggle and militant mass action.
That s the real lesson of the vast changes that came from the 1960s and 1970s. The movement must be politically independent of the capitalist parties. Without losing an ounce of its militancy, the struggle must broaden to draw in larger segments of the working class, especially the lowest-paid workers and youths.