Monday, June 24, 2019

Facebook censorship

So, Facebook has denied me the right to create a new page entitled, “Let’s Talk About the Politics and Economics of Livelihood.”


I set up the page and made a post and they shut the page down about half an hour later.
This is what I had posted as the first post:


Any legitimate electoral struggle mobilizes people for action at the polls and mass action in the streets and at work and in the schools and neighborhoods.


This is where I think Bernie Sanders and other Democrats claiming to be liberal, progressive or left show us they are not actually interested in building real people’s movements.


Bernie Sanders claims a circle of one-million supporters but makes no attempt to mobilize these supporters to do anything except go to the voting booth.


Every one of those people have a circle of family, friends, neighbors, fellow students or workers... so the influence goes way beyond the one-million.


Any legitimate people’s electoral movement must bring people into the streets to back up its demands.


This is the only way struggles are ever won.


In fact, the Democrats don’t want people in the streets because those people will take on Democrats as well as Republicans over issues of peace, social and economic justice... we saw this with LBJ.


If one examines history we see this during the 1930’s, the movement against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, too.


It takes persistent and sustained struggles to win.


Now, consider if Bernie Sanders was to help organize a new party which viewed things in this way.


We would have a huge movement of well over twenty-million people which would grow even larger the more we pushed our demands.


Notice: I never said “pressing the flesh was without merit” in the electoral arena... but, it must be combined with mass action.


And the reason for using social media like Facebook, blogging and blogtalk is to mobilize people for mass action... mass action, something Democrats want to contain to electoral struggle.


Because, again, these Democrats are afraid that a fully mobilized people will act against their own neo-liberal imperialist Wall Street agenda.


We need to build socialist political education and action committees to initiate these kinds of struggles based around the politics and economics of peace and in defense of our rights and livelihoods.


We need real health care reform. Medicare for All is a concept conceived for well-heeled upper middle class people... what we working people really need is a National Public Health Care System:


Publicly financed.


Publicly administered.


Publicly delivered.


Not for profit.


Free for all.


Any government with such a bloated military budget that can afford war after war and over 800 military bases dotting the globe certainly can afford to place a public health care center in every single neighborhood and community providing free health care for all.


The model of public education works for health care, too. But, instead of funding it through regressive taxes fund it with a huge peace dividend.


Then look at Social Security. No one should receive less than $2,700.00 a month and the age of retirement should be lowered to 58.


As far as this $1.4 trillion student loan debt there should be no garnishments of wages on anyone with an income under $40,000.00 a year.


No more wars, tariffs or sanctions.


People and our living environment before profits.


Think about this... we can’t continue to allow a bunch of greedy Wall Street millionaires and billionaires along with their over-paid pundits and muddle-headed upper-middle class management stooges to do our thinking for us.

Friday, January 4, 2019

And the search continues for a philosophy and ideology capable of refuting Marxism.

The Wall Street backed “scholars” and “intellectuals” are searching for a philosophy beyond “pragmatism” to support wars while trying to feed us the idea that we must be content with reforms promised incrementally in baby steps never intended to materialize but keep us ensnared in this two-party trap.


Anything but Marxism will suffice provided the ideology keeps us away from the working class struggle.


Leave it to publications like the New Yorker to promote this worthless itsy-pitsy crap of confusion that there is a philosophy which brings together the left and the right... claiming they have studied Marx for us and we need not bother picking up a copy of the Communist Manifesto to read for ourselves and share the thoughts with family, friends and fellow workers.


I remember when these well-heeled muddle-headed upper middle class intellectuals on the college campuses tried pushing Herbert Marcuse down our throats in order to disorient us from the class struggle... and so the Wall Street ruling class frantically continues its search for those “philosophers” and “ideologists” who have the ability to distract and disorient us as capitalism collapses all around us and on top of us... anything but the real socialist alternative:


https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/the-philosopher-redefining-equality?mbid=nl_Daily+010219&CNDID=51976680&utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily+010219&utm_content&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=Daily+010219&hasha=f7ff02049de2bb08d3e1bbc9f5ce7707&hashb=66afe8fd2a1e7fbb4e0e5518140f55ae456436f7&spMailingID=14888875&spUserID=MjM4NDQzNDM0NDA5S0&spJobID=1560125925&spReportId=MTU2MDEyNTkyNQS2&fbclid=IwAR1UkrAnAbWP05YVqCiWazb1rNBgT1tGxYrWDOO6QUO7SON0xdmrgrqZzuE

Everyone knew Trump was lying, again.

Trump is now backing out of withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria... and it is the Democrats providing Trump the cover to back away from his claim that he was going to withdraw the troops.

About parameters and democratic debate

The Democrats and Republicans establish the parameters for “debating” all issues from war and peace to health care reform, the Minimum Wage and Social Security... and no one is allowed to voice an opinion outside of these parameters... and this is what is passed off to the rest of the world as democracy.


But, go outside of these Wall Street dictated parameters and you get placed on a shit list.

Free Meng Wanzhou

The United States has just four days to fabricate a reason why Canada should extradite Meng Wanzhou to the United States where she can be framed on trumped up charges.


Every decent minded person should be demanding Meng be set free so she can be on her way to doing business with the rest of the world, in over 170 countries, seeking Huawei’s world class products manufactured in an employee owned enterprise.


Trump and Justin Trudeau are engaged in a most heinous hostage-taking situation as a means to stifle mutually beneficial free and fair trade as a means to maintain Wall Street monopoly in the marketplace.

About the Democrats

The Democrats like to take credit for the New Deal reforms only when they are accused of not doing anything for working people. But, if they aren’t put on the spot they won’t bring up the New Deal reforms. Why is this?


Because people would want to know why these Democrats have not defended these reforms but why they have not advocated improving these reforms.


For instance, take Social Security.


The Democrats haven’t lifted a finger since 1935 to defend the integrity of Social Security. No one polices employers to make sure these employers are paying into the system what they are withholding in wages.


Nor does any government agency make sure employers are paying the full amount withheld and accurately reporting the hours being worked.


On top of all of this, Democrats have refused to legislate lowering the age of retirement... since 1935 one would think the age for receiving full Social Security benefits would be around 55 years old with a real living income of at least a minimum of $2,500.00 a month being provided for everyone in Social Security.


We could go through and assess what Democrats have done with the Minimum Wage and with the rights of workers to organize and protecting the rights of workers in the workplace.


We could assess Medicare and analyze what happened to the rest of LBJ’s “Great Society.”
If we honestly look at reforming health care, we would consider that most people don’t want any kind of private for-profit health care.


Most people in this country, if asked- and they aren’t asked, would tell you they want a health care system based on the model of public education:


Publicly funded. Publicly administered. Publicly delivered.


Even single-payer and Medicare for All remain for-profit driven health care systems; but, when the truth be told, the Democrats pushing even these mild reforms are only pushing them as campaign gimmicks with no intent to deliver when elected... while the majority of the Democrats are satisfied to maintain the present “free enterprise” profit gouging system of health care with all their greedy campaign donors sticking their fingers in the public trough.


Democrats view health care as a for-profit venture to enrich the greedy few, not at all unlike the Republicans.


Democrats don’t want to get into the specifics of any of this because they have been schooled to bring forward “properly framed progressive sounding policy directives” rather than being engaged in bringing forward specific solutions to the very real problems being experienced by living breathing human beings... the solutions which would require directing resources to solving these problems instead of squandering the tremendous wealth the working class has created on war after war and imperialist interventions intended to protect Wall Street’s profits derived from cheap labor extracting natural resources and using cheap labor manufacturing goods and providing services... the cheaper the labor the greater Wall Street’s profits.


Democrats detest being reminded about the Peace Dividend they promised.


And Democrats just hate being challenged about their bellicose foreign policy which they share with the Republicans.

The future of J.C. Penny

This is from the financial news:


“The buzzards are circling the wounded carcass of JCPenney.”


I wonder how many more companies will be going out the same way before this economic mess comes to an end?


I wonder if J.C. Penny will be giving its employees the shaft like Sears Canada has done?

Government shutdown

Those unions which endorsed Trump for president are now crying because they aren’t getting paid during this government shutdown.


And they haven’t even learned their lesson; they are still supporting him!


In fact, these unions were so stupid they signed contracts saying they would stay on the job and forego their pay should there be a government shutdown.


I don’t feel sorry for them; they didn’t care about the rest of the working class when they endorsed Trump.

Jimmy Carter on relations with China

Jimmy Carter wrote a fairly thoughtful piece here about U.S.-China relations.


However, Carter fails to call for the release of Meng Wanzhou.


Carter also says the United States should continue bringing shortcomings in China to light.


Apparently Carter doesn’t consider that China could bring numerous problems here in the United States before world public opinion...


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jimmy-carter-how-to-repair-the-us-china-relationship--and-prevent-a-modern-cold-war/2018/12/31/cc1d6b94-0927-11e9-85b6-41c0fe0c5b8f_story.html?fbclid=IwAR3oEAbJtiN2uMspsnGzipb1YQNg9XJO4hVtc3Kyo_5Nf4GVljk96mJfmMk&noredirect=on&utm_term=.62d9aefa4f7d

Are we in for a full-fledged banking crisis?

Finally a little honesty from the Wall Street bankers...


They have acknowledged they, and the government consisting of the politicians they bribe, are not prepared for a full-fledged banking crisis.


You might want to ponder this little unusual sliver of truth that has slipped through.


Why are they even contemplating they might have to deal with such a crisis when we are having it pounded into our heads day in and day out that the economy is doing great?

Here we go again...

So, here we are again; another election upon us and people are being sucked in to supporting a bunch of Democrats, most of whom are only running to suck money from people and to keep people trapped in the Democratic Party, knowing they have no chance of winning and the candidate chosen by hook and by crook irrespective of what most people want will be beholden to wealthy Wall Street oligarchs whose money comes from exploiting workers and profiteering from wars.


And those of us looking for alternatives will again be badgered, bullied and called names in an attempt to intimidate us into supporting these worthless Dumb Donkeys.


These Bernie Sanders supporters are really gluttons for punishment... you would think after being burned before they would have learned what is going on and how they are being manipulated.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Minimum Wage

One of Obama's "left-wing" muddle-headed well-heeled upper-middle class supporters made this statement as part of an analysis of the 2014 Elections:

"President Obama's State of the Union address is expected to focus on income inequality. It will set the tone for this election year and coming up onto 2016."

First of all, Obama will offer no solutions, programs or legislation intended to put an end to "income inequality" as part of his "State of the Union" address.

There is a huge difference between pretending to be concerned about income inequality and doing something to end it--- and the poverty that is the main concern when it comes to "income inequality."

Second, the so-called "leftist" making this statement also supports Obama's stated objective of a $10.10 Minimum Wage indexed to inflation and she went on to say that she supports the call for a $15.00 an hour Minimum Wage.

But, in the struggle for health care reform, this same leftist supported Obamacare saying she preferred single-payer.

This has become the shrewd and deceptive strategy of those on the "left" supporting what the Democrats are doing. They say they support what Obama wants done while wishing--- not fighting and struggling--- for something else. This sounds real good. They often claim as this woman has in the past, that by supporting Obama this will open up the chances for more reforms in the future.

However, $10.10 is a poverty wage. It is being advocated only for the Democrat's self-serving political expediency knowing it will never pass and the blame for failure will be attached to the Republicans.

A mass movement of grassroots working class supporters could put an end to Republican opposition but the Democrats 1.) Do not want the Minimum Wage raised to $10.10 in the first place, 2.) the talk is sheer demagoguery, 3.) the Democrats work for Wall Street and Wall Street is unwilling to tolerate "raising" the Minimum Wage to even the pathetic miserly sum of $10.10 because huge super-profits derived from these poverty wages would be the result.

$10.10 is not a "living wage." $15.00 is not a "living wage." Both are poverty wages.

A valid argument can be made that a $10.10 or $15.00 an hour Minimum Wage is "better than" being paid $7.25. Only a complete idiot would refuse to take an additional $3.00 or $8.00 increase in their wage.

But, that these proposals are "better than" the present $7.25 is not the issue.

These Democrats campaigned on a platform of being for a "living wage." There is only ONE thing a "living wage" can be compared to and that is "cost-of-living."

The present "cost-of-living" requires a Minimum Wage of between $22.00 and $26.00 an hour at a bare minimum.

Even Minnesota State legislators and Minnesota's governor admit that for the Minimum Wage to be in line with "cost-of-living," it would take two adults in a four person house-hold working full-time 40 hour work-weeks being paid $14.00 an hour each to meet the actual borderline, non-poverty "cost-of-living" thresh-hold.

So, why has Minnesota's Governor Mark Dayton met in secrecy with the leaders of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's so-called "business caucus" and agreed to "raising" the Minimum Wage to $8.00 an hour with a "training wage" of under $7.00 an hour?

Because these blowhards know that Obama isn't sincerely seeking a Minimum Wage of $10.10 an hour.

What these Minnesota Democrats do know is that Obama is aiming for an "increase" in the Federal Minimum Wage of no more than $7.75 and hour and he will probably complainingly agree to something more like $7.35 to $7.50 an hour.

No matter how this all goes down working people get screwed even though they will get "more" than before which the Democrats will argue going into the 2014 elections is "better than what it was"--- the best the Republicans would let them do.

Which brings us back to Minnesota Democrats with a super-majority over which the Republicans have no say what-so-ever--- so, why have Minnesota Democrats made this dirty backroom deal in secrecy with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce instead of bringing a real living Minimum Wage forward based on what they, their allies in organized labor and their partners from all these church and foundation-funded outfits agree what a real living Minimum Wage would be: $28.00 an hour--- their own figure, not mine.

To think that these Democrats, after acknowledging what a real living wage actually is would bring forward legislation that is $20.00 an hour less than what is required to lift a working class family out of poverty--- hundreds of thousands of working class Minnesotans can only be described as shameful.

But, merely declaring these Democrat's act of betrayal as "shameful" is not enough. This is no solution.

The person who stated the stupid opinion I opened this with also said we should only run candidates against the most reactionary Republicans because we need these Democrats as part of some kind of bulwark against the most extreme right.

But, shouldn't we seek to punish these Democrats at the polls who have betrayed their grassroots working class base on issue after issue and once again now on this most important "kitchen table" issue of the Minimum Wage?

It is against these very Democrats who take the bribes from the employers to keep working people in poverty as these Democrats appeal for our votes with demagoguery which means corporate profits will climb at the expense of our wages and an improved livelihood which we should be running our own progressive and left working class candidates.

I can only guess that Obama's "left" supporters will bristle and get riled at my suggestion, but these are the same people who sit in silence as Obama engages in these hideous and barbaric drone attacks murdering so many innocent people.

At some point we have to see the pattern to their thinking and behavior lest we remain too timid out of fear of offending our former "left wing" friends who seem to have made a career out of defending Obama for doing the very things the Republicans say they will do.

The fact is, there isn't one single Democrat these "leftist" supporters of Obama want to see defeated.

Here in Minnesota these Democrats are getting so much flack over their betrayal on this Minimum Wage issue, that in their meetings they won't even tolerate a free exchange of opinions--- they are now forcing people to write down any questions or comments they have and then they select what they think should be asked.

None of this, from the secret meetings with the Chamber of Commerce to campaigning on the promise to bring the Minimum Wage up to a living wage to the way meetings are being manipulated and controlled to the bribes from the employers' lobbyists have anything to do with democracy--- too the contrary.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The best way to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is to use this occasion to launch a struggle for jobs, and freedom from Wall Street's agenda.

From "The Root:"

"...To be sure, we are in a period of great challenge to the very essence of democracy in this country, to which there must be a powerful civil rights response. The march 50 years ago, and the period known as the civil rights movement, has ended. But there is a difference between the historically bound "civil rights movement" and the movement for civil rights. The former was an extraordinary period in our nation's history. The latter is an ongoing effort born of the recognition that no win is permanent, that democracy must be consistently refreshed, maintained and prodded. As we prepare to commemorate the historic March on Washington, we must also reflect on new challenges we face in the post-civil rights era..."

In my opinion the greatest challenge of all is being ignored:

The fact that Obama's Wall Street agenda of wars abroad paid for with austerity measures here at home being shoved down our throats is being ignored to the point where this makes a mockery of commemorating the historic "1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" with Affirmative Action not being enforced and no way to create tens of millions of jobs without a gigantic peace dividend while the very democracy required in public dialog, discussion and debate focused on a people's agenda versus Wall Street's agenda is being snuffed out--- including being snuffed out by the "leaders" organizing this present March on Washington as they attempt to stymie and thwart the role of peace in the struggle for jobs and freedom.

This attempt to use the commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to drum up support for the Democrats who never had a political or legislative agenda for jobs and freedom further mocks the occasion as no attempt is being made to use this march as a catalyst to organizing for the kind of change required in order to win jobs and freedom.

Activists should insert these missing links in this March on Washington on August 24 and the events on August 28 with leaflets, signs, statements declaring what we seek and conversations about the need for a working class based progressive people's party as an alternative to Wall Street's two-party trap which is a dead-end alley for working people.

Anyone who thinks that without leadership a march of this nature will automatically lead to the kind of mass action required to turn this country around is living in la-la land divorced from the reality that the Democrats seek hegemony over our movements in order to manipulate and maneuver us using their partners at the helm of organized labor and the foundation-funded outfits all working in cahoots with our Wall Street enemies.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Working class fightback conference.

This is a letter I sent to the initiators of the "Labor Fight-Back Conference:"


Attention:



Ken Riley

President

South Carolina AFL-CIO


Donna Dewitt

Retired President

South Carolina AFL-CIO


Charity Schmidt

Co-President

University of Wisconsin-Madison Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA)

Executive Board, South Central Federation of Labor, Wisconsin


Kevin Gundlach

President

Wisconsin South Central Federation of Labor


Re: Labor Fight-Back Conference http://www.laborfightback.org/

We need a working class based progressive people's party in this country similar to the socialist New Democratic Party in Canada. We can build on the successes of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party which elected two socialist governors, Floyd B. Olson and Elmer Benson along with Communist Congressman John Bernard. The Progressive Party of Henry Wallace also provides a place to pick up from.

We need to examine what workers get out of Democratic super majorities like here in Minnesota where this Democratic super majority will not even consider:

* Rescinding "At-will Employment" legislation which is the main obstacle to union organizing.

* Anti-scab legislation.

* Anti-lockout legislation.

* A living wage which is a real living wage based on all cost of living factors as monitored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics indexed for inflation and re-calculated quarterly.

We need a plank in any program for full employment which requires the president and Congress to be responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment along the lines of the defeated "Full Employment Act of 1945;" the entire act along with the complete 1,000 plus page transcript of Congressional testimony can be found here:

http://fullemploymentnow.blogspot.com/


A working class based program for real change should include:

* 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?

Climate change is like war, poverty and unemployment... without peace we aren't going to solve this problem either.

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.

Hundreds of thousands of casino workers are employed in the loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos of the hideous Indian Gaming Industry at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws in an industry where a bunch of wealthy white mobsters own all the slot machines and table games and have divided among the "families" the various associated businesses including hotels/motels, restaurants/bars, gas station/convenience stores, clothing boutiques/gift shops, golf courses/theme parks. These rich white mobsters run off with all the profits leaving Native Americans in greater poverty as they exploit all casino workers. This is an industry intentionally spun by politicians under terms of "Compacts" operating in violation of all standards established by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights in return for lucrative campaign contributions.

An alternative to lockouts needs to be considered; one such alternative would be plant/workplace occupations.

Some form of general strikes needs to be considered as a response to reactionary anti-labor government measures.

I would like to share with you a "Letter to the Editor" I wrote that has been published in a number of Minnesota newspapers:

Once again with President Barack Obama's State of the Union Speech we got another politician hypocritically talking about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs."

If just one job was created every time some politician opened their mouth and started talking about "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" we wouldn't have any unemployment in this country and everyone who wanted to work would have a decent, living wage job.

So, what is the main obstacle to full employment? Accountability from the very politicians who mouth the words "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" whenever they want to get elected, re-elected or want thunderous applause then go about their business forgetting about jobs as they go looking for their next bribe from a Wall Street lobbyist who views unemployment as the way to keep all wages down which pushes profits up.

What we need in this country is a real "Full Employment Act" which mandates--- by legislation and law--- that the President and the United States Congress must maintain full employment as part of their responsibility to the American people.

What good is a government that gets us into war after war but can't even assure full employment for the very people it taxes to pay for these dirty imperialist wars?

Wars cause government debt and deficits; peace and full employment eliminate debts and deficits.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

I would note that the New York Times refused to publish a "Letter to the Editor" I wrote along similar lines in response to this editorial:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/opinion/more-jobs-higher-pay-in-obamas-second-term.html?ref=opinion&amp%3B_r=0


Any talk about jobs with living wages is meaningless unless the government is forced to become legislatively responsible for full employment; this is the only way to assure accountability.

Also, see my "Letter" in "Labor World" (September 1, 2010; page 7); in this same issue on page 1 is reference to anti-scab legislation.

http://www.laborworld.org/documents/Sept-1-2010Av5.pdf


I would also like to call to your attention the work of the New Progressive Alliance which is in league with much of what you are advocating:

http://newprogs.org/


I also call to your attention the excellent article, "Losing Our Way" by then New York Times columnist Bob Herbert:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/opinion/26herbert.html


On a final note, but most important of all, I would like to suggest that this important Conference should concern itself with the struggle to enforce Affirmative Action since people of color, women and the handicapped are being denied jobs to which they are entitled.

Here in Minnesota, where affirmative action has never been enforced since President Lyndon Johnson signed into law Federal Executive Order #11246, the Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, who made an election promise to enforce Affirmative Action and then made a mockery of his campaign promise by appointing the vile racist, Mark Philipps, whose job it is at Krause-Anderson to assist clients in evading Affirmative Action, only to be forced into removing Philipps, has now brought forward another racist mockery of his campaign promise to enforce Affirmative Action by bringing forward unenforceable "voluntary goals."

The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party with its super majority--- Democratic Governor, Democratic House and Democratic Senate--- cannot even be relied on to enforce Affirmative Action when it comes to spending billions of dollars in public funds.

Democrat Mark Dayton as a candidate campaigning for governor on affirmative action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBuBDqQx0xI

Even Republican President Richard Nixon declared:

"A good job is as basic and important a civil right as a good education . . . which would require such [affirmative] action by law, was both necessary and right... would require federal contractors to show affirmative action' to meet the goals of increasing minority employment...

"Neither the President nor the Congress nor the conscience of the nation can permit money which comes from all the people to be used in a way which discriminates against some of the people."

It is pathetic and disgusting we can't even expect Obama or Minnesota Democrats with a super majority to take a stand at least as vigorous in defense of Affirmative Action as Republican President Richard Nixon. If this doesn't tell us why we need an alternative working class based progressive people's party I don't know what it would take.

Thanks for considering my concerns.

Yours in the struggle,

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council



58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

What is "sequestration?" What is the alternative?

What is "sequestration?"

More lies from Obama being used to scare people into accepting austerity measures and supporting the military-industrial complex which should be shut down:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/us/politics/obama-takes-budget-warnings-to-shipbuilder.html?ref=us&_r=0

From, "Losing Our Way"

"The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities. When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horror of warfare but almost impossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/opinion/26herbert.html?_r=0

Bob Herbert, Columnist
(former) New York Times

Now is the time we should propose a people's alternative to the "sequester" and Wall Street's very profitable military-industrial complex and imperialist wars:

Here is where I would begin:

A progressive 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?

Climate change is like war, poverty and unemployment... without peace we aren't going to solve this problem either.

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.

What we need is a government that is responsible for full employment:

http://fullemploymentnow.blogspot.com/

Don't let Obama scare you with his lies--- sequestration--- into accepting austerity measures to pay for Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars and militarization.


Peace and full-employment is the alternative to the "sequester."

Friday, December 28, 2012

Movement building key to change

Majority of Canadians support protests, demonstrations and movement building in order to achieve real change:

http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Canadians+support+grassroots+protests+like+Idle+More+poll/7750523/story.html

The "Idle No More" movement is picking up support and growing.

We should all learn the simple fact that politicians don't care about phone calls, letters or petitions UNLESS they are part of movement building initiatives.

It is growing movements politicians take note of.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Funding the Israeli killing machine is helping push us off the "fiscal cliff."

Barack Obama can continue funding the murderous and barbaric Israeli killing machine engaged in genocidal pogroms against the Palestinian people forced to live in what amounts to a concentration camp every bit as evil and pernicious as the Warsaw Ghetto was yet there isn't enough money to fund a national public health care program, quality public schools or adequate child care nor create the kind
of huge job creating programs required like WPA and CCC.

While squandering our tax dollars on this barbarity in Gaza Strip these same politicians hypocritically talk about preventing our Nation from taking a dive off this "fiscal cliff" when their immoral policies are shoving our Nation crashing onto the sharp, jagged rocks below the "cliff."

How much more of this senseless, cruel, insanity paid for with our tax-dollars are the American people going to take from these Wall Street bribed politicians like Obama and their puppets in Israel before saying "ENOUGH!"

Does anyone really believe Obama and the Democrats were not aware Israel was going to go on this rampage and murderous killing spree in Gaza Strip? How goddamn stupid do these barbaric and demonic monsters in power think we are?

Militarism and wars are what is shoving our Nation off the "fiscal cliff."

And then we get this from Obama--- at press conference in Thailand; this from the man who is engaged in killing sprees and drone attacks across the globe:

"Let's understand what the precipitating event here that's causing the current crisis and that was an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing not just in Israeli territory but in areas that are populated, and there's no country on Earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders,”  at the start of a three-nation tour in Asia.

With Obama just weeks after the election we got:

* A sleazy sex scandal involving the head of the CIA and a four-star general.

* Notice we are about to fall off the "fiscal cliff."

* And now this genocidal carnage in Gaza.

We are off to a fine post-election beginning; one can only surmise and wonder what the next four years of Obama holds in store--- another scandal and war every week as foreclosures and unemployment continue with more working class families being shoved off the "fiscal cliff" crashing onto the rocks of poverty?

Alan L. Maki

Sunday, November 11, 2012



Election 2012; the six-billion dollar presidential election… a perversion of democracy: Where do we go from here?                          By: Alan L. Maki

I'm not as disheartened by the election results as many people are.

Jill Stein- Green Party, Rocky Anderson- Justice Party and Stewart Alexander- Socialist Party didn't get as many votes as we hoped they would but they have set something in motion--- political independence from the two Wall Street parties--- for which all liberals, progressives and leftists should be appreciative.

Never before, since 1948 and the onslaught of McCarthyism, have progressive alternatives had their voices heard as in this election. This has been an important victory we can build on--- if we seize the initiative in a united way. We have a base to work from.

The American people were faced with two "choices," Obama and Romney, both with the same Wall Street agenda wrapped in different words by Madison Avenue.

I think these alternative campaigns will have impact far beyond the votes these candidates (Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander) received.

What would be disheartening is if Stein, Anderson and Alexander were to withdraw from their next responsibility--- helping to build movements to fight Obama and the Democrats and Republicans explaining that Wall Street is our enemy. I don't think Stein, Anderson and Alexander intend to shirk their responsibility; others appear ready to join with us.

New Progressive Alliance (NPA) should ask Stein, Anderson and Alexander to announce they are coming together to put people to work through pressuring Obama to re-establish the WPA and CCC to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

This could have the potential of forging the kind of people's unity capable of bringing together a grassroots response and alternative to Wall Street's agenda. Finance it all through a special temporary emergency "tax on the rich."

As part of this letter supporting this initiative we could ask the backers of these three parties to sign on to the letter, too. The candidates and their backers working together supporting and organizing around a short concise statement which should conclude the appeal explaining why this special temporary tax on the rich is needed because the Democrats and Republicans continue to squander the wealth of our Nation on wars in the same destructive way to our country as Hurricane Sandy.

Poor people are the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Sandy; people without jobs are going to be poor. Doesn't it make sense to employ the poorest victims of Hurricane Sandy in the rebuilding of their lives and their working class communities?

I still think we can't afford the luxury of multiple progressive/left parties until we break free from the two-party trap. Would the vote have been much better for these alternative parties had they joined efforts and put forward one progressive alternative? Yes.

If we built committees in every congressional district to back an initiative to bring back the WPA and CCC we would have a good base to work from in future elections, too.

Press conferences, petitions, letters, demonstrations... kick it off with a letter jointly signed by Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, Stewart Alexander and their running mates.

A big part of the problem we face is all the confusion being spun through the mainstream media by the over-paid political hacks and Obama apologists.

Keep it simple: re-establish WPA/CCC to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy financed with a special temporary tax on the rich.

Ask everyone who signs the letter to host meetings of a few people in their homes using a conference call with Rocky, Jill and Stewart as the catalyst to discuss how we move forward.

All this crap about how liberals, progressives and the left are weak and feeble is not true. It is just as bad to put forward the view that we are weak and feeble as those who used their liberal, progressive and left views to promote Obama.
                                                                                                                                 ( Over )
Barack Obama should be pushed to use his Executive Order privilege to re-establish the WPA and CCC--- then daring Congress to refuse the funding.

Now is no time to withdraw from struggle... now is the time to kick our struggles up a notch.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net



A progressive program for real change...


* Peace--- end the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan & Libya; shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil. No new Wall Street imperialist wars. End drone attacks.

* A National Public Health Care System - ten million new jobs.

* A National Public Child Care System - three to five million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Works Progress Administration (WPA) - three million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) - 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 based on all cost of living factors & indexed to inflation.

* 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. Rescind “At-will” employment the main impediment to union organizing.

* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions; no more concessions.
*Defend and expand Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; repeal Obamacare which is nothing more than the “Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010.”
Wall Street is our common 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.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Newaygo County, Michigan: Burial ground for democracy



I appreciate all the responses from people concerning my recent arrest on warrants that are over 21 years old.

In Michigan, the statute of limitations--- according to the law is:

The statute of limitations for a misdemeanor, as expressed in the Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure section 767.24, is six years.

But, this didn't deter the Grand Rapids Police Department from arresting me on twenty-one year old bogus misdemeanor warrants carrying a maximum fine of $500.00/6 months in jail and turning me over to Newaygo County authorities who then established an outrageous TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR bond who then went so far as to place restrictions on this bond that I couldn't enter anyplace serving alcoholic beverages--- meaning I can't meet with casino workers in their places of employment--- and prohibits me from participating in demonstrations.

This is obviously unconstitutional and criminal harassment on the part of the Grand Rapids Police Department and the Newaygo County Sheriff, Newaygo County Prosecutor and Newaygo County District Court Judge.

It is assumed that any police officer should have the basic knowledge of the laws when it comes to such warrants and the common sense and human decency to question the validity of a twenty-one year old warrant for which he was so well informed he advised me of what the charges consisted of.

The arresting Grand Rapids Police officer "joked" that "we finally got our man after over twenty years."

He directed his "jokes" to me and those he was communicating with via his radio.

We have now learned that no less than 17 people, including the judge and prosecutor and the Chief of Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan were all aware of my arrest, the charges involved, and when the warrant was issued over twenty-one years ago while I was still sitting handcuffed in the back of the Grand Rapids police cruiser on the corner of Alpine and Leonard Streets--- they all made the “complex” and “complicated” decision to carry out this arrest.

This is an outright abuse by public officials and police who engaged in harassment for political persecution in carrying out this dirty deed under "color of law."

The irony in all of this is that these very same public officials and police who knowingly arrested me knowing the warrants were bogus from the time they were issued and then executed these warrants knowing full well they well past the statute of limitations will now go marching into federal court with expensive, high-powered attorneys who will be charging tax-payers an arm-and-a-leg claiming their positions make provide them with immunity from civil actions.

And then they pass this entire repressive, rotten and corrupt system off to the rest of the world as the United States being “the world’s greatest bastion of democracy.”

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell is even aware of these dirty deeds and has remained shamefully silent.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

About my arrest on Thuirsday evening November 1



By now many of you have heard about my arrest on Thursday evening November 1 and the outrageous, unconstitutional $10,000.00 bond that was placed on me by corrupt Newaygo County officials in Michigan who executed a TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD warrant to arrest me for “using the telephone to threaten” a right-wing, racist bigot who punched and shoved my ten-year old son Jeremy because Jeremy was “fishing from his dock.”  This vicious attack by an adult on my son, a child at the time, left his lip bleeding and swollen with a black eye and scraped bleeding knees and a badly bruised chest--- all of which was photographed by the police I called.

The Newaygo County Sheriff and Michigan State Police refused to arrest Scott Plants for this vicious and brutal attack on my ten year old son which he carried out against my son in retaliation for my political views. As Scott Plants viciously attacked my ten-year old son as he kicked our beagle dog who had tagged along on Jeremy’s fishing adventure, Scott Plants shouted for all neighbors within hearing distance--- “go fish in Russia.”

This was one of several vicious attacks on my children in which right-wing bigots attacked my children in retaliation for my political views expressed through speeches and writings with my two children having been targeted by shot-gun toting members of the right-wing hate group Michigan Militia whose members shot at them as they waited for their school bus--- with the Michigan State Police capturing these vile culprits only to let them go with the explanation that “they were only dick hunting.” Duck hunting in the off-season hunting of spring.

The State Police of the Newaygo Post who laughed this vile attack on my children off as “right-wing versus left-wing violence” even thought there was no violence at all from the “left.” A few years later one of the Michigan State co[ps who thought it was so funny my kids were shot at ended up getting killed in a shoot-out with one of the very same men they apprehended for shooting at my kids… this wasn’t so funny anymore as these bigoted cops mourned the death of one of their own ilk.

Grand Rapids, Michigan police arrested me on this bogus twenty-one year old warrant and I was immediately transferred to the hands and jail of the Newaygo County Sheriff in White Cloud, Michigan.

Newaygo County is home to some of the worst poverty in the United States while being a “wilderness” playground for the extremely wealthy many of whom own poverty wage-paying sweatshops in Newaygo County and around the Midwest.

At the present time a national defense committee is being established to try to prevent my imprisonment on these bogus charges.

This kind of political repression is on the increase all across the United States and is sure to intensify no matter if Obama is re-elected or Romney is elected.

We have no national committee against political repression which is directed against those of us fighting for peace, social and economic injustice.

We have agreed to establish a “National Committee to defend Alan Maki and All Victims of Political Repression.”

We will mount not only a legal but educational campaign intended to expose how political repression is carried out by the police, the courts, the political establishment and employers seeking to maintain poverty wages while driving down the standard of living of all working people.

For many years, every since its creation, the FBI has been used to spin a web of political repression--- attacking those who dare to struggle against racist and for the rights of working people.

Politicians created the legislation and “special committees” to enable the FBI working through its “Red Squads”--- special units led by FBI “Special Agents” consisting of city, county and state police and now including private “detective agencies” like Altegrity/USIS and all kinds of union-busting outfits--- to carry out this political repression.

I, along with tens of thousands of other activists have been targeted by the FBI and their “Red Squads,” so called because the FBI continues to use the Communist Control Act to carry out these dirty deeds.

As my 50,000 plus page FBI dossier clearly shows, the perverted  Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover personally assigned the FBI to attack me--- an attack that has been dutifully carried out by the police and the courts with the permission of both the Democrats and Republicans with the malicious attack from Minnesota State Representative Tony Cornish--- who admits to amassing his own personal file on me--- being the latest and most recent where he designated me in an e-mail he sent to thousands of politicians across the Midwest, including each and every state legislator in  Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan which obviously emboldened the FBI, Grand Rapids Police Department, Newaygo County Sheriff, a corrupt prosecutor and judge to execute this twenty-one year old warrant which was bogus from its very creation with no other intent than to use the “color of law” to carry out this political repression which is the government’s response to my outspoken views and activities for peace, against racism and for social and economic justice.

The terms of this outrageous ten-thousand dollar bond being used to enforce these fabricated bogus charges against me, restrict me to having to remain in the State of Michigan--- an obvious attempt to thwart our union organizing campaign in the Indian Gaming Industry--- which seeks to empower workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry at poverty wages forced to work in unhealthy smoke-filled casinos--- and very conveniently under the terms of the racist “Compacts”--- intended to use racism to maintain the poverty on Indian Reservations creating huge pools of cheap labor.

The Indian Gaming Industry created by these “Compacts” arranged by corrupt tribal politicians, local, state and federal politicians and the mobsters who own the slot machines and table games and every other profitable venture associated with the Indian Gaming Industry, is every bosses dream come true: legislatively created poverty wages imposed on workers who have NO RIGHTS under state or federal labor laws.

These racist and anti-labor “Compacts” created by the Democrats with Republicans looking on smiling with bi-partisan approval are now being enforced by the private and quasi-governmental detective agency which hires a bunch of thugs which include former FBI and CIA agents as well as state, county and local police with the FBI and other police agencies sharing their “information and files” with Altegrity/USIS.

Why did these corrupt Newaygo County officials acting in collusion with the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department decide to execute this twenty-one year old fabricated bogus warrant based on outright lies after twenty-one years?

Because the complainant whose story two Newaygo County Sheriff Deputies and the Newaygo County Prosecutor prompted by the FBI testimony could not have been held up in court. Only weeks after the death of the complainant are these law-enforcement officials fully backed by the prosecutor and judge now executing these warrant claiming I used the telephone to intimidate these violent bigots.

How convenient, the police will now have free reign to further fabricate more lies without there being a complainant or “witness” to these bogus charges--- another dream come true; this time for the FBI led “Red Squads”, and quite conveniently for the managements of the Indian Gaming Industry.

The terms and conditions of this outrageous ten-thousand dollar bond include prohibiting me from participating in demonstrations or entering any establishment serving alcoholic beverages which means I am prohibited from entering any casino.  

I hope all of you will consider participating in getting involved in our efforts defending me from these fabricated bogus charges based on lies in twenty-one year old warrants.

Think about this:

Why would any Judge establish a ten-thousand dollar bond for charges which carry a maximum penalty of six-months in prison and a $500.00 fine?

Why would any Judge even consider enforcing such twenty-one year old warrants which could have been served at any time on me?  

Something to think about:

Newaygo County Judge Drake was the very the very prosecutor who authorized these bogus warrants faced on charges he helped to fabricate twenty-one years.

Does anyone think the execution of these warrants with a ten-thousand dollar bond being imposed with the undemocratic restrictions imposed by the terms of the bond has anything to do with “justice?”

Plain and simple: This is harassment and political repression taken to the extreme. But this is what political repression in this country has spun. Like a snowball rolling down a steep long hill on a warm spring day the campaign of hate and harassment just keeps getting bigger and bigger--- the intent being to destroy the lives of living, breathing human beings as was demonstrated by the violent death of my good friend and fellow activist, Native American trade unionist and human rights activist, Greg Paquin, last spring. Greg’s death was the direct result of where these campaigns of hate generated by the FBI’s “Red Squads” ultimately lead. The FBI and local law enforcement working together with the judiciary and reactionary politicians collaborated to make Greg Paquin’s life a living hell as they fabricated charges based on outright lies against him, too.

There is no legitimate reason why human beings should be subjected to these kinds of vicious hate campaigns instigated by the FBI and we are going to see what we can do to put an end to these kinds of politically motivated campaigns of hate.

I would also note that right-wing bigot Richard Mellon-Scaife has put his billions of dollars to work in creating several public front groups--- including KeyWiki staffed by a known pedophile working out of a cave in New Zealand and Accuracy In Media staffed by a pervert in an expensive suit--- being used to “expose” “Communists” and it is not coincidental that I have been singled out along with Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie whose “crime” is participating in meetings with Communists--- for outrageous and vicious attacks by both of these right-wing outfits funded by the nefarious right-wing bigot Richard Mellon-Scaife. Attacks that just happen to coincide with these recent attacks by politicians like Minnesota State Representative Tony Cornish who (retired from law enforcement), instead of apologizing to me for calling me “a very dangerous person” because I use my constitutionally protected rights to speak out, write and act in defense of worker’s rights which are human rights; Cornish has now proceeded to calling me “one of the most dangerous men in the world.” 

Please consider joining with us to put an end to this officially promoted bigotry where corrupt politicians working in league with law enforcement, prosecutors and the judiciary are trying to stifle and smother our struggles for peace, social and economic justice.  

Today, Newaygo County is a burial ground for democracy but as we have seen, this could be, and is, anyplace U.S.A.--- a country these reactionary sleaze-balls hiding their wicked reactionary agenda under the “color of law” proclaim to people everywhere to be “the world’s greatest bastion of democracy.”

A law suit against, and to halt, these ghastly charges and undemocratic, unconstitutional behavior is being prepared for the federal courts.

My next court appearance has been scheduled for November 12, 2012 at 8:30 A.M. in Newaygo County District Court with Judge Drake presiding.

At the arraignment on November 12 I will be asking these charges be dropped based on the facts:

1.) The complaining witness is now dead;

2.) These warrants should have been dismissed long ago under statute of limitations;

3.) These warrants were knowingly bogus at the time based on lies fabricated by Drake, the police and Karen Plants, Scott Plants husband at the time, from the very time they were issued twenty-one years ago;

4.) The bond is reduced to personal recognizance with no draconian stipulations;

5.) Judge Drake removes himself from this case for obvious conflict of interest;

6.) All charges are dropped;

7.) I am fully and completely compensated for this injustice I am being subjected to.

The Michigan Supreme Court will be asked to intervene by investigating the judicial misconduct, malfeasance and misfeasance in this case of Judge Drake with the request that Judge Drake be permanently removed from “the bench” for participating in this wholly egregious, outrageous judicial misconduct intentionally carried out to deprive me of my most fundamental and basic constitutionally protected democratic and human rights.

Anyone who has ever read the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights along with the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then considering these bogus warrants can recognize the injustice in progress in this case.

My Defense Committee will make this case a focus of the upcoming December 10 Anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

The foundation-funded outfits whose finances are derived from the donations of the very “philanthropists” who profit from the injustices of working people refuse to take on these cases so grassroots efforts like ours are required.

Many people have called to ask me what they can do. As a first step, please circulate and distribute this as widely as possible since education and informing a wide circle of friends is the first step.

Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome.

We realize everyone is very busy on a variety of issues but we request you find a way to fit this into your busy schedule.

Thanking you in advance for you involvement and participation.

I appreciate the concern from everyone--- the calls, visits and e-mails.

Yours in the struggle,

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council       

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Thomas Paine, "What a huge debt this country owes its trouble makers".

While I think it is very important we participate in the electoral process by supporting and voting for real progressive candidates like Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party or Stewart Alexander of the Socialist Party for president who courageously stand up and vigorously speak out for the kind of country we want as alternatives to the rapacious, greedy Wall Street warmongers who profit from racism, exploitation and wars--- and we need to come together to support and vote for our fellow activists like Michael Cavlan running for the United States Senate here in Minnesota against Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar....


Let's cut through the crap and be honest with ourselves:

We are going to have to combine our electoral activism with nothing short of educating, agitating and organizing a massive grassroots uprising and upheaval if we are ever going to turn this country around enabling us, WE THE PEOPLE, to take power from these Wall Street coupon clippers who have grown fat and rich from our labor and wars.

As Obama or Romney prepare to take us into more of these " dirty imperialist wars" as Mark Twain called them, we need to become more vigorous in our activities remembering the words of Thomas
Paine:

" What a huge debt this country owes its trouble makers".

There is only one way we are going to end these dirty wars and stop this criminal cabal of Democrats and Republicans from carrying out Wall Street's agenda taking us into war after war paid for through austerity measures they shove down our throats... we need to raise a whole lot of hell.

Make no mistake, Wall Street is our enemy.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Will you cast or burn your ballot?

Many people are so repulsed--- and justifiably repulsed--- by the domination of Wall Street over the political process that they are calling for boycotts and burning presidential ballots.

Most people in this country are repulsed by Obama who can't defend his record and Romney's arrogance and lies with both being nothing but mouthpieces for Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars and austerity measures here at home to pay for these barbaric wars.

This is my response to those who would withdraw from electoral participation which is an important part of the struggles for peace, social and economic justice:

While I join you in your disgust over Obama who deserves to be defeated and Romney who should not be elected, in my opinion burning your ballots or boycotting the election instead of casting your ballots for one of our fellow activists for peace, social and economic justice--- Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein or Stewart Alexander--- is counter-productive.

There is time to re-think your decision and I hope you do.

How would you feel if Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein or Stewart Alexander were to shit on a struggle you initiated?

Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander are trying their hardest to raise our concerns and we should support them, not abandon them; because their voices bring unity to our causes.

I would be interested in hearing a response to my concerns.

I offer my opposition and opinion to "burning ballots" and "boycott" on the friendliest of terms.

I would note that because some liberals, progressives and leftists have betrayed us (examples: Progressives for Obama/Progressive America Rising, Campaign for America's Future, Progressive Democrats of America, etc.) in supporting Obama there is no reason we should jump without thinking to the opposite extreme; thereby adding more confusion to the mix when we--- as liberals, progressives and leftists--- should be contributing leadership and clear thinking to the issues, problems, movements and struggles for peace, social and economic justice; constructive participation in the electoral process in defense of democracy as part of our struggles is part of our responsibility.

Between Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander, certainly there is an alternative any liberal, progressive or leftist can support.

My preference, voiced a number of times, would have been that these three candidates should have united with one voice in a single united ticket but this did not come to be. BUT, these three candidates have agreed to sign on to the "Unified Platform" < http://newprogs.org/unified-progressive-platform-ratified > which all of us should be able to unite around.

Again, I welcome discussion.

I don't voice my concerns as an attack but rather to stimulate discussion, dialog and debate with the understanding that in the short and long terms we are going to have to find a way to work together if we are going to defeat our common Wall Street enemy in achieving peace and justice.

When all is said and done, we are going to have to wrest political and economic power from Wall Street if we are going to get real change so let's seek ways to struggle which bring us closer together.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Here we go again into another war--- this time with Iran.



 U. S. Senate Joint Resolution 41, while its authors, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman (whose worthless political butt Obama saved to do this dirty work when a real voice for peace could have been elected) claim this resolution is "not authorization for war" but it sure as heck is part of the ever-expanding and deafening drum-beat for war with Iran.

 All these phony liberals, progressives and leftists telling us we must get Obama and these Democrats elected then after the election we should act when these warmongers don't stop their dirty deeds make me sick.

 Now is when all who believe in peace should be declaring loud and clear---

No peace, no votes.

 Why would anyone with a conscience cast a vote for any of the 90 U.S. Senators who are engaged in a campaign to drum up a war with Iran?

 This vote, like all past votes in defense of the Israeli killing machine, should cause people to see how useless this so-called "Progressive Caucus" is in Congress.

 Ironically, this resolution, U.S. Senate Joint Resolution 41,
 ( http://legiscan.com/gaits/view/429912 ) was passed along with the bill to approve government spending--- spending for more militarization and wars.

 Here is how they voted--- which was a foregone conclusion because the resolution had 83 co-sponsors:

 Akaka (D-HI), Yea
 Alexander (R-TN), Yea
 Ayotte (R-NH), Yea
 Barrasso (R-WY), Yea
 Baucus (D-MT), Yea
 Begich (D-AK), Yea
 Bennet (D-CO), Yea
 Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
 Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea
 Blunt (R-MO), Yea
 Boozman (R-AR), Not Voting
 Boxer (D-CA), Not Voting
 Brown (D-OH), Yea
 Brown (R-MA), Yea
 Burr (R-NC), Not Voting
 Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
 Cardin (D-MD), Yea
 Carper (D-DE), Yea
 Casey (D-PA), Yea
 Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
 Coats (R-IN), Yea
 Coburn (R-OK), Yea
 Cochran (R-MS), Yea
 Collins (R-ME), Yea
 Conrad (D-ND), Yea
 Coons (D-DE), Yea
 Corker (R-TN), Yea
 Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
 Crapo (R-ID), Yea
 DeMint (R-SC), Yea
 Durbin (D-IL), Yea
 Enzi (R-WY), Yea
 Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
 Franken (D-MN), Yea
 Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea
 Graham (R-SC), Yea
 Grassley (R-IA), Yea
 Hagan (D-NC), Yea
 Harkin (D-IA), Yea
 Hatch (R-UT), Yea
 Heller (R-NV), Not Voting
 Hoeven (R-ND), Yea
 Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
 Inhofe (R-OK), Not Voting
 Inouye (D-HI), Yea
 Isakson (R-GA), Yea
 Johanns (R-NE), Yea
 Johnson (D-SD), Yea
 Johnson (R-WI), Yea
 Kerry (D-MA), Yea
 Kirk (R-IL), Not Voting
 Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
 Kohl (D-WI), Yea
 Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
 Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
 Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
 Leahy (D-VT), Yea
 Lee (R-UT), Yea
 Levin (D-MI), Yea
 Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
 Lugar (R-IN), Yea
 Manchin (D-WV), Yea
 McCain (R-AZ), Yea
 McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
 McConnell (R-KY), Yea
 Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
 Merkley (D-OR), Yea
 Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
 Moran (R-KS), Yea
 Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
 Murray (D-WA), Not Voting
 Nelson (D-FL), Yea
 Nelson (D-NE), Yea
 Paul (R-KY), Nay
 Portman (R-OH), Yea
 Pryor (D-AR), Yea
 Reed (D-RI), Yea
 Reid (D-NV), Yea
 Risch (R-ID), Yea
 Roberts (R-KS), Yea
 Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
 Rubio (R-FL), Not Voting
 Sanders (I-VT), Yea
 Schumer (D-NY), Yea
 Sessions (R-AL), Yea
 Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
 Shelby (R-AL), Yea
 Snowe (R-ME), Yea
 Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
 Tester (D-MT), Yea
 Thune (R-SD), Yea
 Toomey (R-PA), Yea
 Udall (D-CO), Yea
 Udall (D-NM), Yea
 Vitter (R-LA), Not Voting
 Warner (D-VA), Yea
 Webb (D-VA), Yea
 Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
 Wicker (R-MS), Yea
 Wyden (D-OR), Yea


NAYs ---1

 Paul (R-KY)


Not Voting - 9

 Boozman (R-AR)
 Boxer (D-CA)
 Burr (R-NC)
 Heller (R-NV)
 Inhofe (R-OK)
 Kirk (R-IL)
 Murray (D-WA)
 Rubio (R-FL)
 Vitter (R-LA)

 What does this tell us?

That we have a U.S. Senate full of Wall Street bribed warmongers... and we are supposed to be silent "until after the election?"

 Through "Letters to the Editor," demonstrations and picket-lines--- let these warmongers know right now that they are not going to get your vote; and why not.

Here in Minnesota we have the opportunity to vote for Michael Cavlan for United States Senate and Rocky Anderson for President.

 Tell the warmongering Democrats and Republicans working for Wall Street's masters of war to go to hell.

Pearl Jam... "Masters of War:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9HDljNlWYk

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you?

Monday, August 6, 2012

Enough! Tell the Democrats and Republicans to go to hell.

The Obama sock-puppets think we are afraid to tell the truth about why we are voting for alternative progressive tickets. I'm not one bit afraid nor ashamed to be speaking my mind on this.

Every vote the progressive alternatives get does t
wo things:

1. Each vote denies Obama votes--- he should have faced a primary challenge and didn't.

2. Each vote strengthens a united movement for real change; a movement that will be required whether Obama or Romney wins. A movement the Obama sock-puppets promised to build but didn't in order to protect this warmonger Obama.

Plus, here in Minnesota, each vote progressive alternatives receive for president should transfer to a vote for Michael Cavlan since he is the only progressive alternative running for United States Senate against Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar. The Republicans aren't even putting up a credible challenge to Klobuchar because they are completely satisfied that Klobuchar is representing the interests of big-business.

It would have been best had all the progressive candidates worked out a joint unity ticket acceptable to all but this did not come to pass. So now we need to take every vote we can away from Barack Obama--- especially in the "swing states."

There is power in being able to punish a candidate like Obama who didn't deserve a free pass during the primary season.

Seeing as how the Democrats have been a major obstacle to fair access to the ballot by alternative parties no one should shy away from admitting we will seek whatever ways possible to defeat Obama.

Besides, it is an outright lie that Mitt Romney is worse than Obama--- nothing could be further from the truth. They are so much alike in reflecting Wall Street's reactionary agenda they could be two peas in the same pod.

Never has there been an election in American history where it is more true that "there isn't a dime's bit of difference between the Democrats and the Republicans."

So, vote for one of the four progressive alternatives to Wall Street's agenda of wars abroad paid for by shoving austerity measures down our throats here at home.

Have you noticed the Democrats don't even dare mention the word "poverty?" Why not? Because the Democrats have increased unemployment and worked hand-in-hand with the large corporations to impose poverty wages on working people.

We see a glaring example of this here on the Iron Range in Minnesota where politics is completely dominated by Democrats who made it possible for Menard's to build one of their largest stores in Virginia, Minnesota--- the center of the Iron Range--- with almost two-hundred workers being paid poverty wages--- from $7.49 and hour to $8.50 an hour with the majority of these workers employed for less than twenty hours a week.

What good does it do to create poverty wage jobs--- all that is being done is more poverty is being created. Any school child understands that when you pay workers a poverty wage they and their families are going to be poor. Of course, there are always a few who profit as a direct result of paying workers poverty wages. John Menard will add to his billions while workers at the Menard's in Virginia, Minnesota are pushed further into poverty.

Of course, the politicians, in this case the Democrats, will be handsomely rewarded for their betrayal of working people.

The Democrats on the Iron Range are upset at my views on this issue. They say, "These jobs are needed; we can organize unions later." Well, when one looks at the Iron Range today what is seen is a carbon-copy of Appalachia.

We heard the same pathetic excuse from the Democrats and their AFL-CIO partners when Wal-mart moved into Hibbing, Minnesota. The unions put on a little "picket" and then retreated into oblivion--- with the opening of Menard's in Virginia, Minnesota there wasn't even the feeble "picketing" of this scab employer.

It was Democrats like Hubert "Skip" Humphrey, Jr. and Walter Mondale who sentenced over 44,000 Minnesotans to work in the loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos of the Indian Gaming Industry without any rights under state or federal labor laws with the approval and consent from the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

If all of this isn't enough to encourage working people to seek justice through alternative political parties I don't know what it is going to take--- perhaps all workers in the same boat as casino workers?

With Labor Day approaching rank-and-file workers and grassroots activists should be insisting that Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson, Stewart Alexander, Roseanne Barr and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Cavlan be given time to present their views at Labor Day events around Minnesota... after all, the Operating Engineers union on the Iron Range here in Minnesota endorsed the most despicable, dirty, crooked, corrupt, racist, anti-woman, anti-labor Republican for United States Congress on the Iron Range; and Richard Trumka and Shar Knudson--- the head of the Minnesota Fed--- remain silent.

Of course, how do we begin to struggle for alternative voices on Labor Day if the candidates themselves don't insist on being heard?

And make no mistake: Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson, Stewart Alexander and Roseanne Barr and Michael Cavlan have earned the right to speak from the same podiums on Labor Day as Barack Obama or the Republican endorsed by the Operating Engineers on the Iron Range.

Come on, really; if the Operating Engineers are supporting an evil creep like Republican Chip Cravaak for Congress how can any Obama supporter complain about how "evil" Mitt Romney is?

The corruption and the hypocrisy has just gone way too far to the point where democracy is threatened if we don't challenge Wall Street and its two parties for power.

Tell the Democrats and Republicans to go to hell!

Vote for progressive alternatives to war, racism, unemployment and poverty.

Support those candidates who are standing up for your rights and defending your livelihoods.


****************************************


A dialog with Obama supporter Barbara Ehrenreich who is considering an offer to write about the presidential "contest:"

• •
Barbara Ehrenreich

How about I just write a short story about a dystopian future in which a robot competes for the presidency with an android?




Alan L. Maki

One named Mitt and one named Barack? You would be writing about two villains. What about those struggling for justice in the "dystopian future?" Don't they exist any longer? Or would everyone just have been chained to their jobs surviving on a diet of flower mixed with pulverized wood chips from the forest floor?