Here is an AI-generated podcast based on the article
The American Public Health Association (APHA) states that its mission is to “champion optimal, equitable health and well-being for all.” That apparently does not include opposition to genocide or any policies of US imperialism. In fact, at this year’s meeting, the leadership broke all its own rules to assure that genocide could not be discussed, even as many members loudly protested.
Last October, 2023, soon after the Hamas attack and as Israel began its massively disproportionate killing of Gazan civilians, the Governing Council of APHA passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire with near 90% support. It became one of the first and few professional organizations to do so, although the APHA itself never publicized it. Since this late-breaker proposal was only official policy for one year, several members submitted a new permanent resolution for consideration in 2024 and later a late-breaker referencing the recent acceleration of death and destruction. Neither was allowed to be presented on the floor, even though all resolutions have always been allowed to be debated even if the policy bodies do not recommend them. Since a large number of members standing and holding signs in back of the hall in support of the 2023 resolution had proved powerful, this year no standing or signage was allowed. In fact, APHA has instituted a new Code of Conduct forbidding “interruptions” and “harassment.”1
Fighting Back Against Genocide
As the opening convention session got underway this October 25, protestors walked out and joined with local activists for a demonstration of about 120 outside the hall. Speakers talked about police violence in Minneapolis, such as the murder of George Floyd, and training of local police in Israel. Others spoke about the fight in APHA and on their campuses against the horrors occurring in Gaza, mask bans that are aimed at protesters but endanger the disabled susceptible to Covid, the long history of health workers fighting back and US interests in Israel. Talks at quite a few sessions raised the issue of Palestine, as did speakers from the floor. A meeting of the Palestine Justice Working Group attracted about 50 people. One graduate student, scheduled to talk about environmental research, said he was changing his topic and began to speak about Gaza. When the moderator cut him off after several minutes, many in the room gave him a standing ovation and followed him out to continue the discussion.
During the Governing Council meeting, as all debate was shut down, about 30 onlookers came dressed in T shirts saying Health Workers for Health Justice in Palestine and red gloves. When the final no vote was announced we rose chanting “Shame, shame” as we raised our red hands and then marched through the convention center with signs and chants and into the exhibit hall. There we passed hundreds of attendees either browsing the hall or eating lunch. Many joined us and listened as a Palestinian delegate gave an impassioned speech. Some activists gave papers in sessions relating to genocide and racism and others raised questions from the floor throughout the meeting. All in all, we reached hundreds of sympathizers and organized ourselves to continue the movement.
Thought Repression Adopted by APHA Leadership
After both their anti-genocide resolutions had been repressed, activist members of the Governing Council proposed a new resolution about Gaza that required a vote of 2/3 to suspend the rules, a number which was not reached. A new resolution to support Armenians who have been killed by the thousands in Azerbaijan also failed, although it passed by 90% as an emergency measure last year. Many Councilors simply follow the executive leadership or lack the organization to oppose them. Those leaders have now initiated a new process for policy resolutions that ensures that all timely and progressive ideas will be squelched. Only 12 policies a year can be considered, and they must be presented at least 16 months before a meeting! The executive board can also decide that it will simply decline to consider any submitted proposal. They can respond to urgent events by setting up discussion groups appointed by them. This is what they did this year, groups on war and hate, but they appointed members with such firm opposing views that no useful policies can be forthcoming.
Liberals Support US Imperialism
The attitude of the APHA officialdom is not unlike that of the “liberals” who hold office in the US Government or the leaders of the most distinguished universities like Harvard and Columbia. In fact, all of these institutions are part and parcel of US imperialist foreign policy and corporate interests. If we look at who sponsors
the APHA, the list is telling. It includes the US Army, Maximus (an American government services company with global operations), Amazon Web, and private insurers such as Kaiser, United Health and Blue Shield. Universities received over $54 billion for research and development (56% of their total) from the Federal Government in 2022, and it goes up every year.2 Thus it is no surprise that these institutions are loyal supporters of US foreign policy.
US policy is tied to Israel with an unbreakable bond based on resources, trade routes and currency considerations. Eighty percent of the world’s energy use is still based on fossil fuels and eighty percent of oil and gas deposits are in the Middle East. The Suez Canal, Red Sea and Persian Gulf account for 30% of all containership commerce, 40% of all Asia-Europe trade, and 20% of all petroleum trade. And although much of the oil and gas resources in the region have been nationalized, the US and its allies still control much of its refining and sale, carried on in dollars.
Israel is today the only reliable ally the US has in this region. Iran was lost when the Shah was overthrown and Saudi Arabia is selling oil to China and receiving weapons and technology in return. Although the Saudis signed a pact with Iran at China’s behest, they have not signed the Abraham Accords with Israel promoted by the US. If the US were without Israel, the China/Russia/Iran axis would have the ascendant control of this critical area of the world, and US imperialism’s relative decline would be greatly accelerated. The US is even willing to risk World War 3, which may occur by accident or design, as it sends more ships and weapons to support conflict with Iran.
Document from the OSS (CIA predecessor) in 1944 re opposing opposition.3
Methods of Struggle
Within our ranks there is an important debate about how to carry our struggle forward. Some wish to try and take over the organization by running for executive or policy positions until they are the dominant force. Those of us who are communists see this as futile. The APHA, as discussed above, is supported by corporate and government money and is important to the ruling class as a means to appear to support public health while limiting what that actually is. Perhaps a good analogy is to the New York Chapter of American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), whose Retiree Association had voted to fund a challenge to the new health plan that would force all members in managed Medicare. The Union leaders simply replaced all the Retiree leaders and seized all their assets. The National Education Association cancelled its own convention in July in response to unionization efforts and anti-war activism.4
We leftists promote an alternative strategy for winning as many members as possible to expose the pro-ruling class loyalties of the APHA and build a movement that can aim towards the ultimate destruction of capitalism. We can fight within APHA and many other organizations to win reforms and expose their nature, but we must not build the illusion that we can become a part of the ruling apparatus and change its nature.
Ultimately, the rulers of the US hold power by armed might through the police and the military. As their power weakens and their rule is threatened, they take ever more repressive means to suppress dissent. Thus we have seen peaceful college protestors arrested and beaten and teachers and professors fired and harassed. It is quite possible that APHA protestors will be physically attacked or expelled as the struggle continues.
Fascist repression is necessitated by wider rebellion against increasingly untenable government actions and policies as the ruling class’s options decrease. The growing contest with China and its allies for world control assures not only the onset of world war but more rebellion and repression of workers, students and soldiers. Fascism grows from this duality, not the personality of a single leader. This will become clearer even if a Democrat wins the election, even as repression has grown under Biden. In any case, we shall continue the struggle in the APHA. Join us. Contact us to participate in our discussion group.
1. https://apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/governance/2023_code_of_conduct.pd
2. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf24307
3. https://www.hsdl.org/c/abstract/?docid=750070
4. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/07/11/ksvk-j11.html
Ellen Isaacs is a physician, anti-racist and anti-capitalist organizer and co-editor of multiracialunity.org. She can be reached at [email protected].
