1. Shootings and killings in public spaces under the Trump administration are — when seen through a Marxist lens — a result of

a. the threat of international terrorism.

b. the need for increased security at such places.

c. the need for increased surveillance of potential suspects by Homeland Security.

d. Trump policies advocating racism and other social violence, and growing wealth inequality.

2. On Hiroshima Day, Aug. 6, Japan hosts peace memorial ceremonies that bring together people from all corners of the globe, sharing a common goal to put an end to nuclear testing and the use of such weapons. The atomic bombings by the U.S. of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, marking the end of World War II, demonstrated

a. the weak power of nuclear weapons.

b. U.S. resolve to end WWII quickly, and thereby save lives.

c. U.S. military dominance in the wake of the WWII, and especially after the Soviet Union defeated fascism.

d. Scientific curiosity about the impact of nuclear weapons on human populations.

3. This August marks the 12th anniversary of the racist police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Since then

a. there has been a sharp decrease in police brutality and violence.

b. the federal government has supported neighborhood democratic “police control boards” to protect citizens’ rights.

c. state racist violence has increased, spurred by the Trump administration’s unleashing ICE on oppressed and working class communities.

d. people of color feel safe in their communities.

4. For communists, and many worker’s and people’s organizations, the most critical issue in the coming elections is

a. the restoration of free trade.

b. the strengthening of the two-party system.

c. defeating Trump’s drive to destroy democracy and establish a fascist police state.

d. withdrawing from NATO.

5. August 13 is Fidel Castro’s birthday. The State Department has condemned Cuba as “the capital of 21st century communism” and the source of plots to subvert the U.S. What have been U.S. policies toward Cuba?

a. Economic oppression, including maintaining  the military base at Guantanamo, historically used to defend corporate control over key sectors of the Cuban economy.

b. Support for the brutal Batista dictatorship to enforce U.S. control over the agricultural economy and over organized crime managed hotels, gambling, and prostitution.

c. A blockade launched against the self-determination of the Cuban people in 1960, which continues today.

d. All of the above

Answers here.