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

Alan L. Maki

"Unless WE stop them"...

We can't do it without fighting for power... the entire political and economic system in this country from top to bottom is so corrupt and rotten that to attempt to even discuss any of these things with "public officials" its like sticking your head down into a stinking maggot filled garbage can. We are going to have to build a grassroots and rank and file movement of working people taking to the streets while fighting for power at the ballot box because all these so-called "leaders" getting paid with our dues are just making excuse after excuse for Obama and these dumb donkeys.

Here is what I think should be done--- Cindy Sheehan, Cynthia McKinney and Margaret Flowers should go someplace for a weekend and figure out how they are going to campaign for President as they build up a new kind of "people's party" for peace and social justice. Tour the entire country holding mini-people's summits and encourage working people with liberal, progressive and left views to come together to turn this country around.

The American people want three things:

Peace
Real healthcare reform
Jobs

There is the program to take to the American people:

Stop these dirty wars and use the money saved to pay for a national public healthcare system based upon the very best socialized healthcare systems in the world that no one--- not even Tea Baggers--- want to see ended... the underfunded VA, Indian Heath Service and the National Public Health Service...
Such a nation-wide public health service would create almost ten-million new jobs with affirmative action being enforced protecting the rights of people of color, women and the disabled while providing:

A No-fee/no-premium, comprehensive, all-inclusive, pre-natal to grave, universal public healthcare system that is publicly funded, publicly administered and publicly delivered.

Powerful coalitions bringing together liberals and the left have created massive progressive coalitions in the past winning Social Security and forcing Lyndon Johnson to sign Executive Order #11246 (affirmative action).

The time has come to table a real people's program to turn this country around giving the American people a clear choice at the ballot box.

We need to get back out into the streets, take this kind of campaign into our neighborhoods, where we work and go to school.

We need to keep the pressure on these dumb donkeys as we work to replace them.

No peace; no votes.
No real healthcare reform; no votes.
No jobs with enforcement of affirmative action; no votes.

In a democracy, this is called accountability--- especially when you have candidates offering clear alternatives.