Cindy Sheehan posted this on her FaceBook wall today:
"It occurs to me after another "end" to the "war" in Iraq; my son and hundreds of thousands of other people are dead for absolutely nothing good. Dead for lies for profit."
I think this is "occurring" now to many people especially as we see the Iraqi people celebrating U.S. troops leaving their country by burning U.S. flags as the same corporate owned U.S. MainStreamMedia that force-fed us all the lies about why this dirty imperialist war was needed is trying to feed us another lie that "the U.S. flag is being brought home."
Now tax-payer funded mercenaries provided the name of "contractors" have been charged with the effort to "maintain law-and-order" as the Iraqi people complete their civil war over whether multi-national corporations will rob them of their oil using them as sources of cheap labor.
As the great anti-imperialist Mark Twain explained, "I wasn't an anti-imperialist until our government got involved in the Spanish-American War."
Now that it is "occurring" to many people here at home and around the world that this war (an imperialist war) has been fought for the exact same reasons as the Spanish American War--- to secure cheap natural resources and regional domination for "policing" these areas of the world to maintain Wall Street's ability to reap maximum profits, the American people are now getting the bill to pay for it all via the most draconian austerity measures being imposed by Obama, we will no doubt find many people saying, "I wasn't an anti-imperialist until the war in Iraq."
Something to think about: After over one-hundred years we are still paying for this country's very first imperialist war--- the Spanish American War--- and we still have the U.S. military "policing" both the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
The United States government honors Mark Twain with a "Forever" postage stamp without so much as a mention that he was a great anti-imperialist who tried to warn the American people about the need to resist imperialist wars while encouraging us to join the struggles in solidarity with the victims of these imperialist wars lest we become the victims of these dirty imperialist wars ourselves.
We have had many great anti-imperialists amongst us--- from Mark Twain to General Smedley Butler to W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson and Albert Einstein who the despicable pervert J. Edgar Hoover viciously smeared and attacked for his anti-imperialist activities as "having more Communist friends than Joseph Stalin."
A dirty, corrupt, profit-driven Wall Street government can only continue to get us involved in imperialist war after imperialist war. Wall Street is our enemy and the enemy of peoples everywhere.
The time has come for the 99% to challenge Wall Street for power.
A good, solid, united anti-imperialist movement in this country would go a long way towards driving these Wall Street shills like Obama from power.
Anti-imperialist education, organization, struggle and solidarity... Forever.
Mark Twain should be honored with more than his picture on a postage stamp if we are ever going to live in peace and cooperation with the rest of the world.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
What is this country coming to?
We sure have a bunch of lazy bastards in this country.
I just read about this guy named Herne who has college degrees up the wazoo who is complaining he can't find a job.
I'm telling you; the guy doesn't want to work. He wants to begin his working career as an Administrative Assistant to the governor or something.
I asked Herne: Have you tried applying for a poverty wage paying job at Wal-mart or looked into working at one of the smoke-filled casinos dotting Minnesota?
Probably not; you are just another lazy bastard looking for a real living wage job in a healthy working environment. If you can't find a job with all your degrees in the private sector, I suggest you check out the jobs available in the public sector--- Uncle Sam would love to have you.
If all this fails, come on up and apply for one of these "middle class" jobs offered so kindly by the Marvin Family working in their big yellow building adorned with pretty roses.
What a bunch of lazy bastards we have in this country. They can't find a job for what they spent on a college education and then they start complaining.
Where's the cops when you need them to shut these people up?
I just read about this guy named Herne who has college degrees up the wazoo who is complaining he can't find a job.
I'm telling you; the guy doesn't want to work. He wants to begin his working career as an Administrative Assistant to the governor or something.
I asked Herne: Have you tried applying for a poverty wage paying job at Wal-mart or looked into working at one of the smoke-filled casinos dotting Minnesota?
Probably not; you are just another lazy bastard looking for a real living wage job in a healthy working environment. If you can't find a job with all your degrees in the private sector, I suggest you check out the jobs available in the public sector--- Uncle Sam would love to have you.
If all this fails, come on up and apply for one of these "middle class" jobs offered so kindly by the Marvin Family working in their big yellow building adorned with pretty roses.
What a bunch of lazy bastards we have in this country. They can't find a job for what they spent on a college education and then they start complaining.
Where's the cops when you need them to shut these people up?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Let's strive to make 2012 the year we come together in anti-imperialist solidarity
International anti-imperialist solidarity--- Forever!
... in our communities, where we work and go to school; in the streets and at the ballot box.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Why OWS needs specific concrete demands and leadership
Why OWS needs specific concrete demands and leadership
by Alan L. Maki on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 9:12am
Why OWS needs specific concrete demands and leadership
By: Alan Maki Saturday November 5, 2011 7:03 am
Originally published in two posts on Firedoglake and then on FaceBook as this Note...
Links:
http://my.firedoglake.com/alanmaki/2011/11/05/why-ows-needs-specific-concrete-demands-and-leadership/
http://my.firedoglake.com/alanmaki/2011/11/04/we-need-to-talk-about-the-politics-of-economics-of-livelihood/
It is not logical to think people will continue to occupy anything indefinitely— not a park or a factory or a school or a Wall Street office or a politician’s office.
Movements for social and economic justice need clear demands aimed at solving specific problems intended to improve the lives and living conditions of people.
This is what unites and brings people into struggle.
All successful movements for social change have used this simple formula; it is the only one that achieves results:
Education + Organization + Unity in action = Victory for the people
In other words, you start out helping people to connect all the dots relating to their problems.
We have many people saying the strength of the OWS movement is that it is “leaderless” and “without specific demands.”
This creates confusion which is good for who? Obama, the Black Box?
So far what we are getting out of the OWS movement is that people are “fed up.” This is good that people vent their anger.
But, are people “fed up” with government, Wall Street or capitalism— or all three?
People are “fed up” because they are experiencing problems— very specific problems.
Unless people clearly articulate what they are “fed up” with anyone and everyone can claim they speak for OWS without having to solve the very specific problems of everyday living people are experiencing.
It is not like it is difficult to find out why people are “fed up.” Anyone can walk through a grocery store talking to people. Start up a conversation at the gas station. Engage people where they work or go to school.
In talking to people one quickly finds what the specific problems are.
It is only logical that people who are “fed up” should articulate their specific problems if they want these problems solved.
The problems can be articulated in a way that leads to people arriving at the conclusion there are specific solutions to their problems.
The specific problems and their specific solutions must be clearly articulated or people who are “fed up” are going to become more frustrated. Eventually they will come to the conclusion there is nothing they can do about their problems if struggles do not lead towards solutions to their problems.
If people become disillusioned in thinking it does no good to organize and come together, the result, if this happens, is that Wall Street remains in power and the problems just get worse.
Isn’t it our goal and objective to solve the problems people are experiencing in a way that the people have a chance to successfully challenge Wall Street for power?
That specific, concrete demands providing solutions to problems aren’t being adequately articulated by the OWS movement is not the movement’s strength it is a severe weakness. All movements need leadership. The more collective the leadership the better; but leadership none-the-less. After all, someone eventually has to sign a union contract or in some collective way agree that problems have been solved.
I question just how “leaderless” the OWS movement really is.
George Lakoff and his Rockwood Institute advising these do-nothing "progressive" Democrats have for a very long time articulated the position that only “progressive policy directives” are required and specific solutions to problems should be avoided at all costs. (See “Don’t Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives” by George Lakoff)
It appears to me that OWS has a leader— the wrong one; either by chance or by intent, it doesn’t matter how this has happened. We need to turn this situation around.
Amy Dean, the darling of the Obama loving Democrats who seeks to turn every concern of the people into her own personal profit by "advising" people on what to do, “let the cat out of the bag” in her recent essay which tries to guide people towards the “leadership” of the Rockwood Institute. See: http://my.firedoglake.com/amybdean/2011/11/04/unity-is-strength-for-progressives/
Republicans have their “fed ups” with the Tea Party— another movement that is “leaderless” and without specific demands by design.
The Democrats now want their “fed ups” as long as people don’t come articulating specific problems they want solved.
Additional Note # 1. Please note: I added this comment after reading the discussions to my initial post on Firedoglake and several phone conversations:
If you look at the Occupy Oakland protests thousands of people turned out bringing with them their problems stated on the signs they were carrying.
People aren’t interested in shaping some new kind of democracy in isolation to their problems.
People want a say in the decision-making process so their problems get solved. People are fed up with politicians who won’t respond to their problems in a way that solves their problems.
If OWS continues to ignore the specific problems people are having people will get fed up with OWS, too.
We are beginning to see some discussions about occupying homes being foreclosed on and some discussions about occupying plants slated to close in order to try to save jobs. This is the general direction OWS will have to move in order to keep the movement growing.
We also saw how OWS made a list of demands an on that list was the demand to solve the health care mess— but, what did this demand for health care reform consist of? It called for a “financial means test” to determine eligibility for access to health care.
To suggest that it may take years for OWS to articulate demands relating to solving the problems people are experiencing smacks of the same kind of thing we hear from Obama and the Democrats so why not give Obama a chance to see what he can do with another 4 years?
If the main thing people were interested in is making friends and helping people one person at a time while a new kind of democracy is being talked about then the signs people were carrying in Oakland would have reflected this.
Lots of signs said people want jobs; many others conveyed the idea that people want real health care reform.
Other signs took note of rising gas and food prices while other signs called for a moratorium on home foreclosures. Lots of signs called for defending public education from cuts. All kinds of signs called for peace, not wars.
What people are saying when they turn out in the thousands everyplace is that the majority wants peace and social justice and in a democracy this is what people should get.
I can guarantee that most of the 99% are not going to participate in long-winded discussions about “democracy” when they are without jobs, hungry and homeless.
Eradicating poverty is the most democratic demand of all.
It is the struggles of the people trying to solve their problems in the process of creating a better world to live in with improved living standards and a healthy and safe environment at work and in their communities that defends and expands democracy not the other way around.
Additional Note #2. Please note: This is the second edit including another comment to responses I have received on FireDogLake:
Leadership involves much more than some specific person. Leadership implies having an ideology that understands that bringing forward specific demands aimed at solving the specific problems of the people through universal social programs is the way to go.
In fact, “leadership” is being provided to the OWS movement or we wouldn’t be hearing this talk about how the movement should remain “leaderless” without specific demands. This is leadership through ideological saturation; a “leadership” I believe is wrong-headed intended to serve the goals and objectives of Barack Obama and the Democrats.
The criticism of Obama is that he hasn’t acted to solve the problems of the people in a timely manner. Obama and the Democrats demagogically claim they need more time.
Now we are hearing the exact same thing from the “leaderless?” OWS movement that it will take, perhaps years!, to develop specific goals and objectives which include bringing forward solutions to our common problems as we (the 99%) are all pushed into poverty.
It isn’t rocket science to determine what our common problems are and their solutions. Go into any supermarket in a working class community and most anyone can itemize the problems and provide a shopping list of the solutions.
Here it is. This isn’t something I thought up in a dream. This comes from years of discussing with people what kind of problems they have and what they think the solutions are. Anyone can print off this program and take it to church, to work, to school, shopping to ask people what they think about it. Here is an idea… maybe listen to the people for the “leadership” the OWS movement requires… what a novel idea when it comes to considering how democracy is supposed to work!
A program for real change…
* Peace— end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil.
* A National Public Health Care System – ten million new jobs.
* A National Public Child Care System – three to five million new jobs.
* Works Progress Administration – three million new jobs.
* Civilian Conservation Corps – two million new jobs.
* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment.
* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination.
* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage
* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.
* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions.
* Defend democracy by defending workers’ rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people.
* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions.
* Defend and expand Social Security.
* Wall Street is our enemy
How is Barack Obama’s Wall Street war economy working for you?
Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.
By: Alan Maki Saturday November 5, 2011 7:03 am
Originally published in two posts on Firedoglake and then on FaceBook as this Note...
Links:
http://my.firedoglake.com/alanmaki/2011/11/05/why-ows-needs-specific-concrete-demands-and-leadership/
http://my.firedoglake.com/alanmaki/2011/11/04/we-need-to-talk-about-the-politics-of-economics-of-livelihood/
It is not logical to think people will continue to occupy anything indefinitely— not a park or a factory or a school or a Wall Street office or a politician’s office.
Movements for social and economic justice need clear demands aimed at solving specific problems intended to improve the lives and living conditions of people.
This is what unites and brings people into struggle.
All successful movements for social change have used this simple formula; it is the only one that achieves results:
Education + Organization + Unity in action = Victory for the people
In other words, you start out helping people to connect all the dots relating to their problems.
We have many people saying the strength of the OWS movement is that it is “leaderless” and “without specific demands.”
This creates confusion which is good for who? Obama, the Black Box?
So far what we are getting out of the OWS movement is that people are “fed up.” This is good that people vent their anger.
But, are people “fed up” with government, Wall Street or capitalism— or all three?
People are “fed up” because they are experiencing problems— very specific problems.
Unless people clearly articulate what they are “fed up” with anyone and everyone can claim they speak for OWS without having to solve the very specific problems of everyday living people are experiencing.
It is not like it is difficult to find out why people are “fed up.” Anyone can walk through a grocery store talking to people. Start up a conversation at the gas station. Engage people where they work or go to school.
In talking to people one quickly finds what the specific problems are.
It is only logical that people who are “fed up” should articulate their specific problems if they want these problems solved.
The problems can be articulated in a way that leads to people arriving at the conclusion there are specific solutions to their problems.
The specific problems and their specific solutions must be clearly articulated or people who are “fed up” are going to become more frustrated. Eventually they will come to the conclusion there is nothing they can do about their problems if struggles do not lead towards solutions to their problems.
If people become disillusioned in thinking it does no good to organize and come together, the result, if this happens, is that Wall Street remains in power and the problems just get worse.
Isn’t it our goal and objective to solve the problems people are experiencing in a way that the people have a chance to successfully challenge Wall Street for power?
That specific, concrete demands providing solutions to problems aren’t being adequately articulated by the OWS movement is not the movement’s strength it is a severe weakness. All movements need leadership. The more collective the leadership the better; but leadership none-the-less. After all, someone eventually has to sign a union contract or in some collective way agree that problems have been solved.
I question just how “leaderless” the OWS movement really is.
George Lakoff and his Rockwood Institute advising these do-nothing "progressive" Democrats have for a very long time articulated the position that only “progressive policy directives” are required and specific solutions to problems should be avoided at all costs. (See “Don’t Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives” by George Lakoff)
It appears to me that OWS has a leader— the wrong one; either by chance or by intent, it doesn’t matter how this has happened. We need to turn this situation around.
Amy Dean, the darling of the Obama loving Democrats who seeks to turn every concern of the people into her own personal profit by "advising" people on what to do, “let the cat out of the bag” in her recent essay which tries to guide people towards the “leadership” of the Rockwood Institute. See: http://my.firedoglake.com/amybdean/2011/11/04/unity-is-strength-for-progressives/
Republicans have their “fed ups” with the Tea Party— another movement that is “leaderless” and without specific demands by design.
The Democrats now want their “fed ups” as long as people don’t come articulating specific problems they want solved.
Additional Note # 1. Please note: I added this comment after reading the discussions to my initial post on Firedoglake and several phone conversations:
If you look at the Occupy Oakland protests thousands of people turned out bringing with them their problems stated on the signs they were carrying.
People aren’t interested in shaping some new kind of democracy in isolation to their problems.
People want a say in the decision-making process so their problems get solved. People are fed up with politicians who won’t respond to their problems in a way that solves their problems.
If OWS continues to ignore the specific problems people are having people will get fed up with OWS, too.
We are beginning to see some discussions about occupying homes being foreclosed on and some discussions about occupying plants slated to close in order to try to save jobs. This is the general direction OWS will have to move in order to keep the movement growing.
We also saw how OWS made a list of demands an on that list was the demand to solve the health care mess— but, what did this demand for health care reform consist of? It called for a “financial means test” to determine eligibility for access to health care.
To suggest that it may take years for OWS to articulate demands relating to solving the problems people are experiencing smacks of the same kind of thing we hear from Obama and the Democrats so why not give Obama a chance to see what he can do with another 4 years?
If the main thing people were interested in is making friends and helping people one person at a time while a new kind of democracy is being talked about then the signs people were carrying in Oakland would have reflected this.
Lots of signs said people want jobs; many others conveyed the idea that people want real health care reform.
Other signs took note of rising gas and food prices while other signs called for a moratorium on home foreclosures. Lots of signs called for defending public education from cuts. All kinds of signs called for peace, not wars.
What people are saying when they turn out in the thousands everyplace is that the majority wants peace and social justice and in a democracy this is what people should get.
I can guarantee that most of the 99% are not going to participate in long-winded discussions about “democracy” when they are without jobs, hungry and homeless.
Eradicating poverty is the most democratic demand of all.
It is the struggles of the people trying to solve their problems in the process of creating a better world to live in with improved living standards and a healthy and safe environment at work and in their communities that defends and expands democracy not the other way around.
Additional Note #2. Please note: This is the second edit including another comment to responses I have received on FireDogLake:
Leadership involves much more than some specific person. Leadership implies having an ideology that understands that bringing forward specific demands aimed at solving the specific problems of the people through universal social programs is the way to go.
In fact, “leadership” is being provided to the OWS movement or we wouldn’t be hearing this talk about how the movement should remain “leaderless” without specific demands. This is leadership through ideological saturation; a “leadership” I believe is wrong-headed intended to serve the goals and objectives of Barack Obama and the Democrats.
The criticism of Obama is that he hasn’t acted to solve the problems of the people in a timely manner. Obama and the Democrats demagogically claim they need more time.
Now we are hearing the exact same thing from the “leaderless?” OWS movement that it will take, perhaps years!, to develop specific goals and objectives which include bringing forward solutions to our common problems as we (the 99%) are all pushed into poverty.
It isn’t rocket science to determine what our common problems are and their solutions. Go into any supermarket in a working class community and most anyone can itemize the problems and provide a shopping list of the solutions.
Here it is. This isn’t something I thought up in a dream. This comes from years of discussing with people what kind of problems they have and what they think the solutions are. Anyone can print off this program and take it to church, to work, to school, shopping to ask people what they think about it. Here is an idea… maybe listen to the people for the “leadership” the OWS movement requires… what a novel idea when it comes to considering how democracy is supposed to work!
A program for real change…
* Peace— end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil.
* A National Public Health Care System – ten million new jobs.
* A National Public Child Care System – three to five million new jobs.
* Works Progress Administration – three million new jobs.
* Civilian Conservation Corps – two million new jobs.
* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment.
* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination.
* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage
* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.
* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions.
* Defend democracy by defending workers’ rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people.
* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions.
* Defend and expand Social Security.
* Wall Street is our enemy
How is Barack Obama’s Wall Street war economy working for you?
Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tell Richard Trumka, Leo Gerard, Amy Dean, Joe Hansen and Jimmy Hoffa to get up off their asses and strike while the iron is hot
by Alan L. Maki on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 9:01am
Now is the time for working people to move into action against Wal-mart with a massive organizing campaign. In my opinion, any campaign to boycott Wal-mart at this time should be in conjunction with a full-scale international union organizing campaign with Wal-mart being taken on by workers across the globe. With Occupy Wall Street spreading across the globe like a prairie fire on a windy day, this would be a perfect time to launch an international campaign to organize Wal-mart workers. Wal-mart is now the largest employer in the world--- what better target for Occupy Wall Street than one of the largest and most profitable of Wall Street's multi-national companies? All the ingredients are now here for a victory--- Wal-mart workers want a union and there is massive anti-Wall Street sentiment sweeping the globe which would make a consumer boycott very effective. I think people like Richard Trumka, Leo Gerard and Amy Dean need to be explaining why they are not thinking along these lines and throwing all their resources into this kind of working class struggle instead of pissing away the money of union members supporting Barack Obama who is obviously Wall Street's president. Wal-mart brings its products into this country by ship in containers from the low-wage areas of the world where these commodities are being produced and the longshore union is in a mode to fight. A consumer boycott and Wal-mart not being able to get its goods off the ships would make for a huge working class organizing victory. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Have you had enough? New Party on the horizon
Rocky Anderson
418 Douglas Street
Salt Lake City, UTAH 84102
E-mail: rockyandersonrocky@yahoo.com
Press Release - October 21, 2011
Have you had enough?
New Party on the horizon
The former Mayor of Salt Lake City and Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights, Rocky Anderson, calls for the formation of a new political party and a sustained movement committed to the public interest.
Two months ago, Anderson “divorced himself” from what he referred to as “the spineless, gutless Democratic Party.” Responding to an email from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which showed as the subject, “Standing strong,” Anderson wrote: “How dare you send an email with the subject line ‘Standing strong.’ You didn’t do it on Iraq, you didn’t do it on torture, you didn’t do it on signing statements, you haven’t done it onAfghanistan, you haven’t done it on defense spending, you haven’t done it on real health care reform, you haven’t done it on the debt ceiling fiasco.”
(Rolly: Rocky Anderson says adieu to the Democratic Party,” The Salt Lake Tribune, August 12, 2011.)
Anderson continued: “I’m done with the Democratic Party… I think the answer is a new political party that actually will advocate for and promote the interests of the public rather than the narrow interests of the wealthy who bought and paid for not only Congress but the White House… The Constitution has been eviscerated while Democrats have stood by with nary a whimper. It is a gutless, unprincipled party, bought and paid for by the same interests that buy and pay for the Republican Party.”
(Romboy, “Former S.L. mayor Rocky Anderson divorces himself from ‘gutless’ Democratic Party,” Deseret News, August 13, 2011.)
This country needs a new, powerful party that can win elections, according to Anderson. “The pensions and other savings accounts of the middle class in this country have been decimated. The only way out is another party. I would call it, frankly, a second party that actually represents the interests of the American people. There isn’t a real opposition force in Washington, D.C., any more, and we the people have the capacity to change that -- and we must if our republic is going to survive. I consider myself an Independent, but I would be very pleased to work with others to form not just a political party to run another campaign, but to launch a sustained movement for major change in this country.”
(“Rocky: Not a Democrat,” (Interview with Rocky Anderson by Lexie Levitt), City Weekly,September 26, 2011.)
Anderson said that people are fed up with the Democratic and Republican parties, Congress, and the Obama administration to the point of being ready to support a new party that rejects the corporatism and militarism of the two “Wall Street lap-dog” major parties.
The polls support Anderson’s view that the people of the United States are desirous of a new party, and bold, new leadership, like never before. Patrick Caddell and Douglas Shoen have written:
“The United States is in the midst of what we would both call a pre-Revolutionary moment, and there is widespread support for fundamental change in the system. An increasing number of Americans are now searching beyond the two parties for bold and effective leadership.”
(Caddell and Schoen, “Expect a Third-Party Candidate in 2012,” The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2011.)
"Have you had enough?" asks Anderson. “Would you support the formation of a new party that will commit to:
- affordable universal health care;
- an end to the wars;
- a significant reduction in the military budget and an end to the military-industrial-
congressional complex; - investigation of illegal conduct, including war crimes, by executive officials during the current and prior administrations;
- investigation of the events on 9/11 to answer significant questions that have been raised;
- prosecution for illegal conduct leading to the economic melt-down;
- disincentives for U.S. companies to send jobs overseas;
- employee and environmental safeguards in trade agreements;
- implementation of major domestic jobs and infrastructure programs;
- an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy;
- campaign finance reform to end the corrupting influence of money in politics;
- treat substance abuse within a public health framework rather than as a criminal matter;
- repeal the PATRIOT Act;
- compassionate and rational immigration reform;
- marriage equality;
- an end to subsidies for oil and gas companies;
- a ban on a Canada-to-Mexico tar sands pipeline;
- air quality protection, including stricter ozone limits; and
- aggressive action and leadership on the climate crisis and the environment?”
Rocky Anderson has been in the process of contacting some of America’s leading social, environmental and political activists with the goal of creating a powerful, broad-based political alternative to the increasingly unpopular Republican and Democratic Parties. He intends that the new party will have candidates in local, state, and federal races throughout the nation.
Anderson plans on hosting a meeting soon between leaders in various sectors of the country in order to draft a new platform and a long-term strategy capable of attracting a majority of voters, including millions of dissatisfied Democrats and Republicans who, until now, had nowhere else to go.
Anderson has stated his intention to do what is possible to get on the ballots in all 50 states and to campaign for candidates aggressively in all states. "The Democratic and Republican Parties have acted as if voters have no other real options. The people of this country will demonstrate that we, indeed, have another option - a party that will work in the public interest, rather than for the defense contractors, the health insurance companies, and the rapacious financial institutions that have caused such economic havoc in our nation and the world."
Anderson anticipates a broad-based coalition, similar to the one built by the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP), which won impressive political gains in the Canadian federal elections last May. The NDP is the political party that brought universal health care to the Canadian people.
Press info: Mackenzie Scott - Tel. 801-520-0491
Rocky Anderson - Tel. 801-557-9007
E-mail: rockyandersonrocky@yahoo.com
Friday, October 28, 2011
Four Directions Walk to End Poverty
Four Directions Walk to End Poverty… make sure you watch the videos
There is a lot of important information here put together by the folks in Winnipeg, Manitoba struggling against poverty. Lots of good ideas for activists in cities all across Canada and the United States. Some really good work going on here… Alan
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011
From: Four Directions Walk
Subject: Four Directions Walk Cte meeting – Tues, Nov 1
Four Direction Walk to End Poverty in Manitoba
Dear Friends, Sisters and Brothers,
Thank you everyone who attended, walked and helped out with this year’s 4DW last Saturday! We’ll be having a meeting to see how things went and make plans:
Four Directions Walk Committee
Tues, Nov. 1, 4:30 pm
St. Matthews Maryland Church
641 Maryland
(Use the South door on McGee)
Everyone is welcome.
Numbers, media, etc.
This was our largest annual Walk to date; more than 100 people participated including 10 Walkers from the perimeter with another 20 joining along the way.
A larger number of groups participated, swelling the numbers including Occupy Winnipeg, Action 1:21, FemRev Winnipeg, Feed My Lambs (thank you for the food!) and The Urban, among others. We want to thank all the groups that helped out, some of which are not listed here!
For the first time, we both major newspapers in Winnipeg covered the Walk. The articles are appended, below. Cheryl-Anne Carr, a Walk Committee member, is quoted accurately:
“The problems have been studied long enough, the situations have been looked at long enough, the problem is that there are not enough jobs, and the pay is not high enough. The problem is the province wants to keep people poor so that theres a huge pool of labour that’s frightened and can be used to keep wages down, and prices high. There’s a shortage of housing, theres a shortage of education spaces.”
Paul Graham with the help of Ken Harasym has produced a 30 minute video of the Walk, which will be broadcast repeatedly on Shaw Cable’s community channel: http://paulsgraham.ca/2011/10/24/video-four-directions-walk-to-end-poverty/
Many thanks! This is a must-see!
There is another video on youtube, but I don’t know who produced it:
It looks like we’ll have to have another Walk next year, because we had zero response from the government. We invited all elected politicians to listen, not speak). Only Harvey Smith from Winnipeg City Council attended (J Gerbasi and J Browaty sent their regrets they could not attend).
Of Winnipeg’s MPs, 3 Conservatives sent regrets (Fletcher, Toet and Bateman). Of MLAs, only one Progressive Conservative sent regrets (R Eichler, chair of the caucus).
If you have qs, we are at 792-3371 or reply by email.
Yours For Ending Poverty in Manitoba,
Four Directions Walk Committee
* * * * * *
Anti-poverty rally held at Legislature
By,Winnipeg Sun, Saturday, October 22, 2011
(81 internet comments omitted)
With flags waving and protest signs in the air, people marched from four directions of the city with one message eliminate poverty.
Protesters walked for hours before joining for a rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building Saturday afternoon.
“The problems have been studied long enough, the situations have been looked at long enough, the problem is that there are not enough jobs, and the pay is not high enough,” said Cheryl-Anne Carr, Four Directions Walk committee member.
“The problem is the province wants to keep people poor so that theres a huge pool of labour that’s frightened and can be used to keep wages down, and prices high. There’s a shortage of housing, theres a shortage of education spaces.”
The event marked the fourth annual Four Directions Walk to End Poverty. Clothing and food donations were being taken at the rally for the less fortunate.
Protester Terry Weaymouth said he hopes the protest will open people’s eyes to Winnipeg’s poverty problems.
“I think everybody’s affected by poverty, especially in my life,” he said. “I grew up in poverty and my friends have been affected by poverty. Its a big issue.”
Shon Villier held up a sign that read Solidarity in different languages.
“We don’t have to live in a society where people are hungry and living in the streets,” Villier said. “We have the resources to share, we have the money and it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Politics blamed for plight of poor
Marchers rally at legislature
By: Alexandra Paul, Winnipeg Free Press, Sunday, October 23, 2011
(72 internet comments omitted)
Under grey skies, about 50 people with banners and placards that called for an end to poverty rallied on the steps of the Manitoba legislature Saturday.
The fourth annual Four Directions Walk to End Poverty saw groups of a dozen or more gather at each of the four cardinal points of the Perimeter Highway and walk through the city to meet at the government seat.
“I came all the way from the Perimeter at Headingley,” said Neil Adams, a community worker from the North End. “I told people on the way here, who were honking their horns on Portage Avenue, to honk for better housing, better water and more wages.”
The annual event draws together a coalition of anti-poverty groups that believe it is a lack of political will that keeps welfare rates low and the working poor dependent on food banks.
“The problem is the government wants to keep people poor so they’ll have a pool of cheap labour,” organizer Cheryl Ann Carr said.
“We’ve talked to hundreds of people and put together a justice charter, and we can eliminate poverty in this province and we can do it quickly,” Carr said.
The charter is a six-point plan that calls for housing, expanded health care, jobs and annual incomes to be human rights. It also calls for an end to racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. The sixth demand is for proportional government and pay cuts to match the average workers wage and benefits for all MLAs.
The Lutheran Urban Ministry collected sweaters, coats, shoes and boots to distribute at the rally.
Another group was handing out food next to a sign that read, Feed My Lambs.
Walkers began at St. Mary’s Road and the Perimeter in the south, Portage Avenue at the Perimeter in the west, Main Street at the Perimeter in the north and Pembina Highway at the Perimeter in the south.
“The major problem we face in this city and in this province is poverty… What it requires is for some level of government action to do something about it,” Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) said.
He pointed to municipal housing programs in cities like Calgary that could be adopted in Winnipeg to cut the rate of homelessness.
Longtime poverty advocate Nick Ternette said he puts the blame for a lack of political will squarely on the shoulders of the provincial government.
“The NDP has paid no attention to poverty issues in an effective way. During the election campaign, I asked one cabinet minister (if he supported) a guaranteed annual income and he said No. A single person on social assistance gets $481 a month; thats $4 a day for food. It hasn’t increased in over a decade,” Ternette said.
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