Alternative to Albq Occupy Sunday GA discussion. A REAL VOTE!

An alternative to the Sunday GA discussion. A REAL VOTE!
The GA is not a “governing body”. If there is no leader then there is no governing body. The GA is a forum for discussion and consensus (sort of) but no consensus has been possible.It cannot make laws regarding individual actions or individual intellectual or digital property. (FB/web sites). I suggest we arrange for a large indoor space (maybe a union or a UNM space or a an empty building ) and announce a meeting of anyone interested in Occupy Wall Street to show up. Announce it in Craigslist, Alibi, on the FB sites and web sites. Put up posters on campus and around the university area. Hold the meeting on Saturday from 12 to 4pm. NO GA. No blocking. No minority control. Pick a person who is not in either camp to manage the vote and have a vote on the name. Just the name. The GA idea is great if it is played fairly but it has been dominated by a small clique of people. This is supposed to be an inclusive, informal group in solidarity with OWS. The only way to get this back to it’s roots is to have an open, transparent elelction. The vote would be the only major issue. Occupy or Un Occupy. No debate. This has been debated ad nauseum for almost a month.No decisions will be made about the current web and FB sites. If the turn out is large my guess is the group will pick the Occupy name and then maybe we can move on. If a small group wants to stay with the “UN” after the vote the only request would be to refrain from posting “un” info on Occupy sites or posting further debate on the name on Occupy sites. I will be glad to kick in some bucks if the issues is food or rent costs (max. $50.00). If this seems at all reasonable the Sunday GA is to be avoided in favor of a the larger meeting. There is no rush. Say two weeks of advertising should do the job.If this is of interest to anyone let me know. I am obviously biased toward one name but will gladly accept the vote. I will also work with any others who are interested in finding a space.—Contact: drguy0@gmail.com

Occupy Albuquerque and Civil Disobedience

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Civil Disobedience and the Nations Soul

Setting: Albuquerque, October 11, Noon, 3rd and Roma in front of Bank of America ---
"Get back on the curb" and everybody quickly passes the word "get off the street, sidewalk only, don't block it". Cars drive by, the 50 to 75 people wave their signs at passing Albuquerque cars politely displaying the message that they are unhappy with Bank of America's policies, with their increased unethical fees and their control, through lobbyists, of our elected representatives votes. The signs show anger at the manipulation of mortgages. Hand written pleas demand accountability for the financial devastation and return of our tax money. "Don't block the sidewalk" the security guard says. At Wells Fargo, around the corner, a similar small group politely protests a rip off of their jobs, their security, their 401(k)s and the democracy they believed in. Police, security guards and bankers watch the demonstrations secure in the knowledge that this polite and courteous safety valve will not disrupt their day, will not disrupt their policies and will not change the control of our democracy by big money.

2000 years or so ago an angry Jew turned over the money changers tables for turning the Temple into a "den of thieves through their commercial activities". He was civilly disobedient. Without civil disobedience that eventually led to a revolution we would still be a colony of Great Britain. Without civil disobedience women would not have the vote. Without civil disobedience the unions would never have come to be. Without civil disobedience the civil rights movement would have failed. Imagine 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina outside Woolworth's "Whites Only" lunch counter. Now imagine that students David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, and Joseph McNeil had been told "don't come in, be polite and don't block the sidewalk. If you need to use the restroom go around to the one in the back". If these young people had not walked in and sat down at a counter, refused to leave and suffered the arrests and violence brought to bear on them by the establishment a key spark of the civil rights movement would have never existed. Without civil disobedience the Vietnam "War" could have continued indefinitely. Civil disobedience for Gandhi was the only way to convince the English that their occupation was illegal and immoral. "Don’t ask don't tell" would still stand if not for civil disobedience. No serious social movement has succeeded without civil disobedience.

Occupy Wall Street, the movement, started in New York City and now spread to 200 cities across America. This movement of ordinary Americans is demanding that our system act fairly, that our system provides justice for all incomes and all people. The movement demands that that Wall Street be accountable for bringing the country to its knees and stealing the people's tax money to cover their gambling. Occupy Wall Street demands that corporations be denied control of our Congress, We, the people, demand that banks contribute to the healing of our nation, We, the 99%, demand that our votes truly represent us and are not co-opted by money from corporations and wealthy individuals interested only in profit. The 200 supporting organizations across America who are in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street have used freedom of speech to express their views and their strong and angry feelings. They have also used historically important civil disobedience to occupy land near centers of financial power and non-violently resisted demands to stop their protests.

If you are happy with the financial situation in America, if you believe that our votes are not co-opted by big money you are part of the problem. If you believe that the rich should continue to increase their wealth at the expense of the 99% of America then you are part of the problem. If you believe that Occupy Wall Street and the 200 other solidarity organizations in cities throughout the United States including in Albuquerque, are performing un-American dangerous acts then you are part of the problem this country is facing. A serious challenge exists, not to capitalism but to the soul of our country. Democracy is the nation’s soul! When a corporation can donate millions of dollars to politicians to make sure it's profits continue despite the desires of their shareholders and the employees of the institution then we have a serious problem. If you believe corporations walk, talk, put on their clothes each morning before breakfast and are individuals with all the rights of an American citizen, they you are part of the problem. This corporate "citizen" can has influence far beyond your or my vote. This corporate "citizen is in the process of stealing your nations soul.

America faces a challenge. Capitalism is running amuck fighting regulation and raking in profits. This is not the America I want my children and grandchildren to grow up in. If you are unhappy if you are angry at the government and how it is treating you and what it is doing with your money then join "Occupy" movement. Speak out, rally and if necessary be civility disobedient. Be nonviolently civility disobedience but don't be afraid to say no to unjust power. Let this country know that we, the 99%, have had enough. This is a country created by people for people .In 1787 there were no corporations struggling with the ideas that went into our Constitution. No Corporation died in any war for your safety. It is really imperative that we all rally together to put people before profit. Vote out those politicians who have been bought by big business. Vote them out and make damn sure the people you vote in will represent you and not the profiteers. That is what being a citizen in the United States is all about. The only patriot in America is a person who stands up for one man one vote. It is the only process that guarantees you have a voice in how our county runs. It is the only path to dignity. Power does not hand over control without a fight. If you want jobs, justice and a voice then you have to fight for it and you have to believe it will be a hard fight. Civil disobedience is the only way to make power listen. It is the only way to get the justice we deserve. It would be better if the vote could do this but the vote has been stolen. You can bring it back. If you participate in the fight to bring democracy back to the people you are part of the solution. If you stand on the sidelines and hope for the best you are part of the problem. If you help regain our democracy in any way you are a true patriot. --- and you will feel fantastic!

With a friend like Israel who needs enemies

The American support of Israeli occupation of Arab land and the consequent murder of innocent civilians is the single most disruptive event in the Middle East since the Crusades. The financing and arming of Israel by American administrations is a major contributor to the fanatical anger directed toward America by Muslin extremists around the world.
Possibly equal to our ill considered, one-sided support for the Jewish State is our internal censorship of anyone in America who questions our relationship with Israel. John Mearsheimer and Steven Walt, both distinguished scholars, discussed the negative effects of the relationship between the US and Israel in “ The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy”. Jimmy Carter in his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" pointed to Israel’s inhumane treatment of the people living in Palestine. Mearsheimer, Walt and Carter have been pilloried for their ideas. Bitter controversy has been generated by their writings. The phrase “antisemitic” is frequently attached to critics of our Israel policies. Current presidential candidates words are scrutinized to see if a possible lack of support for Israel can be teased out of their speeches. Fundamentalist ministers roar disapproval of any discussion that would consider reducing Israel’s control over US politics. Christian Zionists work to thwart a fair two state solution in the belief that Christians cannot experience the return of Jesus until Israel controls all of the ancient area once occupied by Jews. These arguments would be considered food for comedians if the effects of the pro Israel lobby was not causing devastation to the Palestinian people, hurting our relationship with our allies and decreasing our national security.
Today each political candidate swears our (America’s) commitment to the absolute support of Israel. One of the first stops on a candidates road to the elections is at the American Israeli Political Action Committee Convention (AIPAC ). American children from the earliest days of their education in public schools are told about the Holocaust, Ann Frank and of the close relationship today between the US and Israel. In religious settings our children hear about the glorious wars fought by the Jews in Israel against the Arab "terrorists". These same children do not hear the details of the Israeli occupation of the land in which Palestinians have been living for thousands of years. They do not hear that Israeli drones fly over the heads of Palestinian residents guiding missiles at the homes and cars of people suspected of fighting to expel the Israelis from their lands. They do not hear that Israeli armored vehicles can go anywhere in the Palestinian lands and destroy houses and kill civilians in the name of fighting “terrorists”. They do hear that the people of Israel have lost several hundred lives to Arabs suicide bombers and homemade rockets but the deaths are not placed in the context of Israel’s occupation. The fact that the Israeli army has killed thousands of Arab civilians in its war to maintain the occupation and expand Israeli settlements is played down. Much of the killing of Arabs has been done with weapons from America. We hear the Israeli government refer to the Arabs as "terrorists” when the Israeli are the occupiers. Israel controls access to and from all areas in Palestine. They control the importing of oil for generators and the access to medicine. The Israeli army limits access to adequate food supplies. Israel controls all aspects of Palestinian life.
Would we fight, with any means at our disposal, if Palestinian conditions existed in America? As Americans we must sever the umbilical cord between Christianity and Judaism and look at the effects of our policy toward Israel on a worldwide scale. This is not an “anti-Semitic” position but rather a position needed to improve our national security and to rebuild our relationships with the rest of the world.
If “Homeland Security” is what we want then we need to email, phone and go to the offices of our representatives in our States and in Washington and ask them reconsider our irrational support of Israel? Tell your representative that our Israel Policy is hurting America. Ask them to vote for equal financial support for the Palestinians and the Israelis. Ask them to stop supplying Israel with weapons. Ask them to stand for a fair policy in the Middle East. Ask them to make America secure by demonstrating a fairness in a land that believes we are the reason Israel does not withdraw from the lands of the Palestinians. A real two state dream is possible if America will stand up for the rights of the Arabs as well as the needs of the people

"Class War" Marx Strikes Back

The "Class War" article posted below was published and received responses Pro and Con responses. This is an answer to the "Cons":
"Class War" Marx strikes back.

To the Albuquerque Journal: the title "Cast Off Chains of Oppression” (not my title) was a Journal selected title designed to bait the naysayers and beautifully reflects the Journal's politics. The Journal political bias can also be seen in the balance of responses to any progressive article – it is so "Journal".
To Fletcher Wilson, James McClure, Jimmy Wilemon, Harry Kerns and William Laurence McKinney: Thank you for your responses. My article was based on what is, not on how you may believe it should be. Capitalism has tax breaks and subsidies and the very favorable "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision. Like it or not capital manipulates politicians and the voters using an army of lobbyists and expensive TV and radio network ads selling the fiction that capitalism is there to help you. The message behind the obvious one is that you are there to help capitalism. You are there to support the economy -- not the other way around. While our taxes go for subsidies for huge corporations, taxable corporate profits are hidden in tax loopholes, offshore banks and "exemptions". Quietly capitalism moves jobs, the lifeblood of America, overseas to increase their profits. Try to find an American made products in WalMart or Target or Sears. Those were American jobs. More importantly, those were people, neighbors, friends, relatives, Americans. The reality is that capital doesn’t have to care. To increase profit capital fights environmental regulations, safety regulations, health regulations, financial regulations and fair taxation. The ideal capitalist or "free market" economic system hasn't existed for over a century if it ever did. Despite disgustingly huge profits and deficit devastating tax cuts corporations are not creating jobs. The unions you rage against have fought to keep those jobs in America but their economic and political power runs a weak second to corporate contributions in the political arena. Thanks to the poorly regulated financial markets millions are out of work. These millions really do want to work despite the conservative view that the unemployed and those drawing unemployment are lazy and unmotivated. Millions of hard-working Americans have lost their homes while banks profit from the resale of the foreclosed houses. Thanks to ineffectively regulated financial markets millions lost their retirement money and their savings. Banks continue to make profits. Wall Street continues to make profits. The wealthy continue to make big money. Elected officials scrabling for money to run for office again look to corporations to help them win and, now beholden to the corporate money, ignore the wishes of the voters who put them in office.
I believe that each of you who responded to my article wrote about a belief or an experience that is true for you or a belief you think is true for the nation but in the Real America there is another reality. The Real America is seeing the middle class savaged by corporate greed and socially blind capitalists. The American dream that my detractors believe in is just that, a dream. Despite Mr. Wilemon's belief, I'm not a devotee of Karl Marx, however Marx did have a few excellent points regarding capitalism. One of his points relevant today is that unregulated capitalism eventually implodes. Increasing wealth for a few and decreasing wealth and living standards for the many cannot be sustained. For those of you who believe a pure unadulterated Free Market exists, where all people have equal opportunity unhampered by political and economic walls, where willing workers can always get jobs, where corporations are there to help us to a better life then dream on. While you fantasize millions of Americans will be searching for security, peace of mind, and a job to support their needs. Good luck. Oh, and don’t forget a prayer for the capitalist who had to fire you because his profit margin was slipping.

Wisconsin -- one step in the class war (Cast Off Chains Of Opression)

Capitalism is, by its nature, a class war. The only way for someone to get richer is for someone else to get poorer. In an adversarial system the adversaries are workers and capitalists. The workers struggle for adequate wages and benefits so they can buy the products of the capitalist system. Capitalists struggle to increase their profits by reducing their costs and increasing the price or quantity sold of their products. A primary cost to the capitalist is the worker’s wage and pension. No amount of dreaming will create a capitalistic system that has a primary goal of helping the worker attained better wages and satisfactory benefits.
If the people’s elected representatives went to Washington and represented the people, not the money that helped them win their elections, they would regulate the capitalist’s profit-making in a way that allowed both business and labor to flourish. But in capitalism there is no limit to the drive for increased profits. Profits must increase each day, each month, each year. To accomplish this, capitalists must control the political behavior of the people's representatives lest they regulate away potential profit. This is and has been accomplished by buying the people's representatives. The tools to accomplish this are well known: huge donations; gifts; perks and by having an army of lobbyists and advertising firms working to convince the people's representatives to support the goals of the capitalist over the needs of the worker. With these same political tools the capitalists covertly support the political division of the working class through the use of “hot button” social issues. This strategy diverts the worker’s political energy away from the pocketbook and from issues that would reduce profit, thus further eroding the power of the working class. Has all this money and covert manipulation of political and social issues worked? Yes, dramatically well. Today the top 20 percent of wealthy individuals own about 85 percent of the wealth, while the bottom 40 percent own very near 0 percent. Many in that bottom 40 percent not only have no assets, they have negative net wealth.
The income gap between rich and middle class has dramatically widened since the 1970s and middle class income has stayed static. Has this increase in profit and the increase in the gap made the capitalist happy, no. Today the pressure from big money in our state and federal capitals is to further reduce workers wages, reduce workers bargaining rights, reduce or completely eliminate workers pensions and kill any health bill that might cost capital some profit. After the Supreme Court's ‘Citizens United’ decision capitalists became an even more powerful force in America for controlling the behavior of the people's elected representatives. The money funneled into campaigns can control who gets elected and how they will vote when they get in office. Is this some left wing fanaticism, no. Are unions supporting the workers? Do they offset corporate spending? Union membership dropped from 33% of the workforce in the 1940’s to an average today of 12% of the work force. Many workers jobs have been sent overseas to increase corporate profit. Unions run a poor second in supporting the worker compared to the contributions from the business sector led by the Chamber of Commerce which donated over 90% of its money to Republicans to assure continuing profits and minimum regulations.
This is a fact. Corporations, businesses and the rich in America have subverted the democratic process and corrupted the American Dream. The only effective force to combat this one sided class war is for the middle class, the workers in America, to organize and through their incredible numbers pressure their elected representatives and the nations profit hungry businesses into realizing that without a healthy, respected, adequately paid worker who can bargain with capital for the benefit of all Americans then the American Dream will become a nightmare. When one side holds all the levers of economic power the system becomes nothing more than a Fascistic system catering to profit for the few. ‘Government of the People, For the People, by the People’ is lost.

Let them eat dog bisquits

Dear President Obama,

Here is a short, sad story about our strange economy. Yesterday I went to fancy, specialist dog biscuit bakery. That is all that this bakery makes. This is the first time I have gone to this bakery. I asked the lady at the cash register "has your business been affected by the recession?". She said "I haven't seen any falloff in business. I don't believe our customers, in this part of town, have been affected very much by the recession". She added "many of them work in the medical insurance and corporate fields". Out of curiosity I asked her if this was her only job. She said "no this is a part time job, but I'm looking for a second job, so I can my rent. I lost my house. I'm living with friends now. My full-time job here was cut to part time after the recession started.” One of the two young ladies behind the counter he said, with some frustration "well, I was affected by the recession. I lost my school grant and my job." I asked her was she making a decent salary here. She said “well, minimum-wage, but I am working two jobs to pay my rent". The other young lady said "me too, I'm making minimum wage. I had to move in with my folks.” This situation almost brought tears to my eyes. Here were three people barely getting by on low salaries and no security. These three women were selling expensive specialty dog biscuits to a part of our society "not affected by the recession". This chasm between the middle class and the upper income business community suggests our capitalist economic system has damaged our democracy. If the wealthy can afford fancy, specialty dog biscuits while the people who are selling the biscuits are barely scraping by then the priorities of our society are skewed toward a small percentage of rich and powerful.

Mr. President for you it really should be "it's the economy stupid". We need a crash program with you leading, not pushing from behind, for jobs, jobs, jobs. We didn't elect you Mr. Obama to figure out a way to keep Democrats in their jobs. We elected you to help the millions of people across this country who have been savaged by the greed and lack of regulation of America's businesses, banks and corporations. It used to be we all believed that the Republicans stood for big business and the Democrats stood for the worker. What happened? Please tell me Mr. President in what election did the corporate lobbyists elect you?