Resistance to fascism grows in Benton Harbor

More News

Dorothy Pinkney speaks at a rally outside the Berrien County Courthouse after Rev. Pinkney’s appeals regarding his conviction and imprisonment. Photo/People’s Tribune
Dorothy Pinkney speaks at a rally outside the Berrien County Courthouse after Rev. Pinkney’s appeals regarding his conviction and imprisonment.
Photo/People’s Tribune

 
Fascism, the merger of the corporations and government, is developing further in Michigan, as is the resistance to it.
Once the robots began replacing workers in factories and poverty began to spread, the corporations began to impose fascism to contain the workers and guarantee their profits.
The rulers appointed dictatorial “Emergency Managers” to come in to Michigan cities and slash public services, cut off people’s water, take over school districts, and transfer public assets into corporate hands. Elected officials no longer had authority.
As a result, a movement arose. In Benton Harbor, one of the first cities to get Emergency Managers, the people fought to oust their Emergency Managers. They also utilized the electoral process to oust politicians that represented the big corporations such as Whirlpool. Rev. Pinkney, a leader of this movement and a spokesperson for the most destitute workers, was jailed on phony charges in an attempt to stop the movement. Much to the dismay of corporate power, the movement has not stopped. It is growing.
The same process is unfolding in other Michigan cities. Emergency Managers, who gave the green light for water cutoffs to thousands in Detroit and the poisoning of the water in Flint, now stand exposed as agents of the corporate-state.
The struggle is showing that capitalism, a system based on the private property interests of the few, is a dying system. It can’t and won’t provide for those it no longer can exploit. It offers only fascism. The question is: how are people to survive?
There is an old saying that without a vision a people will perish. Either the society is going to be run in the interests of the corporations or the people will take the corporations over and run them in the people’s interests. Imagine the world we could have! Spreading this vision can inspire millions to join this fight.
Use the People’s Tribune to educate about fascism, the attack on our leaders, the vision of the new society—and to defend Rev. Pinkney. A movement has to defend its leaders.

PT Logo collage
+ Articles by this author

The People’s Tribune opens its pages to voices of the movement for change. Our articles are written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Articles entitled “From the Editors” reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement for change. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff. The People’s Tribune is a 501C4 organization.

Featured

US Terrorizes Migrants and Countries, Witnesses Tell Mexico City Tribunal

A series of International Tribunal of Conscience hearings held over the last eight months in the US and Latin America have gathered testimony on US crimes against migrants and countries. The hearing this month in Mexico City featured around 40 witnesses from more than 16 countries.

The Kids Are Alright. Maybe the Rest of Us Need To Remember What Standing up Actually Looks Like

Youth in France and other countries are asking why they should accept a system that keeps telling them there isn't enough to go around while those at the top keep getting richer?

Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley ‘Was Justified,’ Mississippi Attorney General Says

Police fired into a car in a MIssissippi Walmart parking lot in June, killing baby Kohen Wiley. Mississippi's attorney general now says the shooting was "justified."

Homeless Shelters Were Once Off-Limits to ICE. Not Anymore

Los Angeles Is seeing a surge in Latino Homelessness, and a 2025 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policy Change Means Shelters Are No Longer Safe from ICE.

ICE Has Arrested Twice As Many Children This Year

ICE arrested more than twice as many children this year through July as in the same period last year. Many of these children have been detained where lawyers and family members couldn’t find them.

More from the People's Tribune