.: The ghost of Joe McCarthy is alive and well in the MNDFL

Sunday, October 9, 2011

The ghost of Joe McCarthy is alive and well in the MNDFL

Dale Bradford Sarff
Was in downtown Minneapolis yesterday on Nicollet Mall. Saw a handful of protesters on the corner of 8th Street. Apparently there are going to be more as time goes on.

- Dale Bradford Sarff I believe they were part of "Occupy Wall Street". Police are on alert for the group becoming larger.
  Friday at 4:30am ·
- Alan Maki How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for everyone?
  Friday at 8:54am ·
- Sandy Tracy Leaving in a few minutes for Occupy Minnesota at Hennepin County Government Center. God's love and peace to all who lift their voices and move their feet for economic and social injustice.
  Friday at 9:27am ·
- Alan Maki
  Let's get together around a real specific program for change that begins to solve our problems. Here is my suggestion for the way the Democratic Party and the MNDFL should be moving:
  
  * 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.
  Friday at 9:29am · · 1 person
- Sandy Tracy become part of the discussion for change. Speak your peace, listen respectfully to others.
  Friday at 9:54am ·
- Dale Bradford Sarff Alan, while some of your suggestions are sound and relevant, I'm having some confusion as to your political ideology. You, on the most part, support the DFL but on your info page your political views say Marxism. So as a Marxist, how do you expect the rest of us to take your suggestions seriously, and with merit?
  Yesterday at 5:44am ·
- Dale Bradford Sarff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism With following this form of political ideology, how does that relate to the Democratic Party? I'm trying to understand the correlation.
  Yesterday at 5:54am ·
- Alan Maki
  Dale; is it your understanding that Marxists are excluded from participating in the Democratic Party/Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party? In recent years I have been elected to a variety of positions in the MN DFL and I have served in various elected positions in the Democratic Party in Michigan and Virginia and you are the very first to suggest that my Marxist views are somehow at odds with a political party claiming to be "one big tent" that welcomes all. Rather than checking with Wikpedia, you might want to read the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights along with considering where anti-communism has taken this country. Since I am very outspoken and open with my views--- by the way you don't tell us your own world outlook while taking issue with mine (is there a reason for your silence on your own views?)--- I assume that people vote for me for things like electing me to the MNDFL State Central Committee, County and State convention delegate and other MNDFL positions because of my positions on the issues.
  
  With you being a red-baiter goose-stepping backwards in the footsteps of Joe McCarthy, Dale; how do you expect me or anyone with a disposition supporting democracy, our Constitution and Bill of Rights to take you seriously?
  
  As you have noted, my Marxist views are there for all to see; I wish you would let us know what kind of views you adhere to.
  
  You might want to check out the plaques placed by the Minnesota Historical Society next to the portraits of our state's two socialist Governors, Floyd Olson and Elmer Benson; these plaques explain why both Olson and Benson sought out, and chose, to work with Marxists like myself--- in fact, Benson and I were very close friends as John Bernard and I were. Remember John Bernard? The Communist Congressman elected from the Iron Range where my Red Finn grandparents are buried.
  
  Hey, Dale; what are you? Some kind of pack-sacker who never heard of the contributions made to politics and the labor movement on the Iron Range and in building the unions among the industrial workers of the Twin Cities in garment, milling, transportation and auto?
  
  I am a proud "red" Finn and no two-bit, half-assed fascistsis going to get away with red-baiting me.
  45 minutes ago ·
- Sandy Tracy You sound very angry.
  16 minutes ago ·
- Alan Maki I'm not angry at all. I just take this as par for the course as to what is going on in the MN DFL trying to restrict the rights of people to voice their concerns and views.
  
  Don't be angry when people don't turn out to vote DFL or refuse to make financial contributions. I have copied this and the next time someone asks me to vote DFL I will ask them their response to this.
  10 minutes ago ·
- Alan Maki So much for, "Open minds, open hearts, open doors." What a hypocrite.
  8 minutes ago ·

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“Letter to the Editor” submitted for publication in Labor World

Dear Labor World Editor, Larry Sillanpa;

I am submitting this “Letter to the Editor” for publication in Labor World; I hope you will consider its publication along with the title I have given it; I am also attaching a photo you might want to include.

Alan L. Maki

How is the WAR ECONOMY working for YOU?

With Labor Day just around the corner, I would like to share a left-wing working class perspective with readers of Labor World in the interest of dialog, discussion and debate.

I attended the Stewart Acuff “book signing” at the Duluth Labor Temple. This letter is largely based on the notes I made listening to Brother Acuff’s presentation, listening to questions and his responses and reading his excellent book: Getting America Back to Work which set me to thinking that it will only be through solving the problems working people are experiencing that most new jobs will be created.

The United States is the wealthiest country in the world.

This wealth created by working people is being squandered on fighting two wars, financing the Israeli killing machine and funding over 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil protecting Wall Street's greedy interests--- instead, what we need is a public health care system of 800 primary care facilities serving as bases of support for over 30,000 neighborhood public health care centers spread out across the United States providing free health care for all Americans which would create around ten-million new, good-paying jobs with affirmative action enforced.

We wouldn't trust a private-for-profit free enterprise system to teach our children to read and write so why would we continue to rely on this failed private-for-profit health care system? Public education provides quality education for our children and a public health care system will provide us with a world-class health care system.
As for anyone concerned about the high cost of health care; VA, the Indian Health Service and the National Public Health Service have all proven we get the best health care at the best price through public health care.

Elected public officials should be able to comprehend the benefits from peace and a public health care system. Look at unemployment; our country and our state need jobs, not war.

By ending these dirty wars and implementing Mark Dayton’s call to “Tax the Rich” we can get America back to work.

In order to turn this country around, we are going to have to rebuild the historic coalition of liberals, progressives and the left; the only coalition which has ever won real progress for working people. To accomplish this we need to consider Brother Acuff’s suggestion (Getting America Back to Work- Page 83) that each and every worker needs to become “a warrior for peace and social justice.”

How is the WAR ECONOMY working for YOU? Does it make you sick?

Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for real change on this Labor Day.

Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Bullshit Bingo

Game: Bullshit Bingo

Creator: Dudley DoRight

Rules for Bullshit Bingo

1. Before Barrack Obama's next televised speech, prepare your "Bullshit Bingo" card by drawing a square.

I find that 5" x 5" is a good size -- and dividing it into columns--- five across and five down. That will give you 25 one-inch blocks.

2. Write one of the following words/phrases in each block:

. Restored our reputation
. Strategic fit
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. Make no mistake
. Back from the brink
. Signs of recovery
. Out of the loop
. Benchmark
. Job creation
. Fiscal restraint
. Win-win
. Affordable health care
. Previous Administration
. Greed on Wall Street
. At the end of the day
. Empower (or empowerment)
. Touch base
. Mindset
. Corporate greed
. Ballpark
. Game plan
. Leverage
. Inherited as in "I inherited this mess"
. Relief for working families (alternate - "unprecedented" )

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4. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout

"BULLSHIT!"

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"The atmosphere was tense in the last speech as 14 of us waited for the fifth box." -
Mary Griswold, Warroad, Minnesota

"The speaker was stunned as eight of us screamed "BULLSHIT!" for the third time in two hours." -
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Holiday Gas Stations and Convenience Stores

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We need to beat swords into plowshares.

A program for real change...

Sunday, October 9, 2011