By Robert Tisdel
“To improve Nebraska, we need to fight the system that exists in the world.”
These are the words of Lisa Rottach, a 34-year-old write-in candidate running for governor of Nebraska. Rottach is running on the Socialist Workers ticket. This party believes a revolution is on the horizon, not only in the United States but also around every region of the world in an attempt to end capitalist corruption.
Rottach works at Con Agra Foods as a meat packer for the Northern States Company. Her party’s beliefs emphasize that farmers and workers should and will usurp power from the current class or capitalist rulers. Once a week, Rottach and her campaign team set up shop on campus behind the student center.
She said the Socialist Workers believe in creating a government that serves the people who are its laborers, meaning its producers and farmers. Ideas from Fidel Castro, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela run through the veins of their socialist movement. An example she points out and one her party takes a great time understanding is that of the situation of Cuba:
“Cuba is a living example of the ends of a revolution,” Rottach said. “They produce exactly what the people need, not what the American markets tell them.”
Regarding the ideas of Malcolm X, Rottach gave a direct quote taken from the leader, saying, “Read, think and see for yourselves.” She feels the ideas of Malcom X and Castro have been presented in a distorted fashion in their republications, with Malcolm X being represented as a man that hated white people and Castro as a merciless killer.
When asked about the violence involved in some of these movements and their philosophies, Rottach said, “The ruling class has used force first as seen throughout history. Lincoln was elected president, which brought about an end to the slaveocracy of the south and henceforth those in power took up arms.”
While working at Con Agra, Rottach and others won their union this past May and she was also involved in unionizing the garment and textile workers in Chicago.
Rottach said she chose the Socialist ticket because “it is a way to get my views out within the party frames and workers can begin to organize together. Also you can get a good barometer of the ideas of the people.”
The biggest emphasis Rottach feels is important is to end the current reign of capitalism.
“Capitalism as a political party has nothing to offer humanity,” she said. “Capitalism no longer brings developments or benefits, it has not increased literacy or increased life expectancy.”
Rottach believes many injustices in the world have been caused by capitalism and feels the forces behind these problems are “the billionaire families and big corporations in the country — they want to protect their interests at any cost.”
Her party believes these companies and families run our government and military all for their own interest of protecting their money and influence.
“Capitalism is a contradictory system, where workers produce goods from nature and give it value,” Rottach says. “The ruling class goes after the workers slowly, chipping away at social programs.
“These ruling classes constantly abuse their human workers, but as humans, we fight back,” she says. “This is the idea behind the Socialist Workers party, to organize and to prepare.”
