Monday, March 28, 2011

Losing Our Way

I would encourage everyone to photocopy this article and pass it it out at every demonstration across the country along with the unity program on the top of my blog. Post it on every union bulletin board and every break-room and lunch-room. Post it on every church bulletin board and in every school. This op-ed column should form the basis for discussion groups. It is unfortunate that this column is Bob Herbert's last column for the New York Times.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/opinion/26herbert.html?_r=1
Op-Ed Columnist New York Times

Losing Our Way



So here we are pouring shiploads of cash into yet another war, this time in Libya, while simultaneously demolishing school budgets, closing libraries, laying off teachers and police officers, and generally letting the bottom fall out of the quality of life here at home.

Damon Winter/The New York Times
Bob Herbert
Welcome to America in the second decade of the 21st century. An army of long-term unemployed workers is spread across the land, the human fallout from the Great Recession and long years of misguided economic policies. Optimism is in short supply. The few jobs now being created too often pay a pittance, not nearly enough to pry open the doors to a middle-class standard of living.
Arthur Miller, echoing the poet Archibald MacLeish, liked to say that the essence of America was its promises. That was a long time ago. Limitless greed, unrestrained corporate power and a ferocious addiction to foreign oil have led us to an era of perpetual war and economic decline. Young people today are staring at a future in which they will be less well off than their elders, a reversal of fortune that should send a shudder through everyone.

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.

Nearly 14 million Americans are jobless and the outlook for many of them is grim. Since there is just one job available for every five individuals looking for work, four of the five are out of luck. Instead of a land of opportunity, the U.S. is increasingly becoming a place of limited expectations. A college professor in Washington told me this week that graduates from his program were finding jobs, but they were not making very much money, certainly not enough to think about raising a family.

There is plenty of economic activity in the U.S., and plenty of wealth. But like greedy children, the folks at the top are seizing virtually all the marbles. Income and wealth inequality in the U.S. have reached stages that would make the third world blush. As the Economic Policy Institute has reported, the richest 10 percent of Americans received an unconscionable 100 percent of the average income growth in the years 2000 to 2007, the most recent extended period of economic expansion.

Americans behave as if this is somehow normal or acceptable. It shouldn’t be, and didn’t used to be. Through much of the post-World War II era, income distribution was far more equitable, with the top 10 percent of families accounting for just a third of average income growth, and the bottom 90 percent receiving two-thirds. That seems like ancient history now.

The current maldistribution of wealth is also scandalous. In 2009, the richest 5 percent claimed 63.5 percent of the nation’s wealth. The overwhelming majority, the bottom 80 percent, collectively held just 12.8 percent.
This inequality, in which an enormous segment of the population struggles while the fortunate few ride the gravy train, is a world-class recipe for social unrest. Downward mobility is an ever-shortening fuse leading to profound consequences.

A stark example of the fundamental unfairness that is now so widespread was in The New York Times on Friday under the headline: “G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether.” Despite profits of $14.2 billion — $5.1 billion from its operations in the United States — General Electric did not have to pay any U.S. taxes last year.

As The Times’s David Kocieniewski reported, “Its extraordinary success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore.”

G.E. is the nation’s largest corporation. Its chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt, is the leader of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. You can understand how ordinary workers might look at this cozy corporate-government arrangement and conclude that it is not fully committed to the best interests of working people.

Overwhelming imbalances in wealth and income inevitably result in enormous imbalances of political power. So the corporations and the very wealthy continue to do well. The employment crisis never gets addressed. The wars never end. And nation-building never gets a foothold here at home.

New ideas and new leadership have seldom been more urgently needed.



This is my last column for The New York Times after an exhilarating, nearly 18-year run. I’m off to write a book and expand my efforts on behalf of working people, the poor and others who are struggling in our society. My thanks to all the readers who have been so kind to me over the years. I can be reached going forward at bobherbert88@gmail.com

Friday, March 25, 2011

On the road...

On the road...

These past few days I have been on the road traveling through Minnesota, Wisconsin and now I'm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan meeting with rank-and-file labor activists and progressive-minded labor leaders along with grassroots activists.

There is one thing everyone is talking about: working people are getting screwed and people are fed up with these Republicans--- the Republicans who now control the legislatures in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and the two vicious thoroughly reactionary governors--- Walker in Wisconsin and Snyder in Michigan... two cowards who didn't have the courage to run on the anti-labor agenda they are now implementing.

The one bight spot is liberal Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton who is standing alone in trying to stand up for what is right and just for working people but is being pummeled by even most members of the Democratic Party who have more in common with Republicans and big-business interests than with working people.

The AFL-CIO leadership has refused to flex its muscle in Minnesota to back up Dayton--- of course these labor "leaders" were slow to endorse him, too; and after they endorsed him they did little to help elect him. Why? Because Dayton is too liberal for them? Labor leaders should be more liberal than anyone and they should be leading the fight against the Republicans.

Obviously Walker, Snyder and the Republican crowd had a "hidden agenda" as they piously and dishonestly campaigned on a platform of "fiscal responsibility." Their only agenda is about corporate profits.

Unions made a big mistake in backing Obama. Unions should have backed Hillary Clinton because with the massive upsurge from labor's rank-and-file now sweeping the midwest she would have "bent towards justice." Obama has proven to be nothing but a Wall Street stooge who is not going to "bend towards justice" in the way required to improve the lives of working people.

Obama has to go.

Labor needs to dump Obama in 2012.

Whether we Primary Obama with Hillary Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Russ Feingold makes no difference--- what we need is a president who when pushed by labor will "bend towards justice" the way President Franklin D. Roosevelt did with the New Deal reforms.

Wall Street has made a mess of things in this country and we need working people in the streets and voting for candidates that are going to stand up to the corporations; not buckle and give in. We need labor leaders that are going to fight to improve the conditions of working people not negotiate more concessions because corporate profits are soaring and Wall Street coupon clippers are making out like the bandits they are.

The problems we as working people are experiencing are not going to be solved without one hell of a fight.

Working people are fed up and ready to fight for what they are entitled to. It's time for labor's leaders to free up the resources for the battle.

We can beat back the attacks on labor coming from Walker and Snyder and give Mark Dayton the support he needs. But, simply waiting for election day isn't going to get the job done. We need to stop these Republicans in their tracks right now. This means more and more people in the streets leading up to an election day where workers are running their own candidates.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Dump Obama; Obama has to go

Even Bush gave congress the right to oppose his going to war against Iraq; the Democrats gave Bush their stamp of approval. 

Going to war in Iraq was debated for months even though Bush's war against Iraq was opposed by the majority of the American people. 

Apparently Obama learned something from Bush about the American public's disdain for imperialist wars and he knew that if going to war with Libya was discussed it would be the end of his political career; so, without any public discussion or debate he just evaded the War Powers Act and the United States Constitution and went to war without even pretending to respect the laws of the land or the American people and shoots off over 150 Tomahawk Cruise missiles at $1.8 million dollars a pop like a kid playing with firecrackers on the Fourth of July as he talks about "fiscal responsibility."

Guest Blog: Japan, some facts and how you can help

Brian McAfee

2838 Mason Blvd.

Muskegon Heights, MI 49444

USA

(231) 737-8726

brimac6@hotmail.com





                       Japan's Tragedy Provides Us All an Opportunity to Show We Have a Heart


                                                            by Brian McAfee


The severe blow from nature that the Japanese people were struck with on Friday, March 11 took the lives of over ten  thousand  people and forever altered the lives and emotional well being of hundreds of thousands more.  The need to address the multifaceted nature and ongoing complexity of Japan's disaster is evident with each day's news updates.

Within minutes after the 9.0 earthquake north east Japan was engulfed by a tsunami that has done more damage then the initial earthquake. This is then quickly followed by news of possible meltdowns from at least one damaged nuclear power plant.

Today's reports speak of over half a million now homeless, shortages (and need for) water, food and blankets in the still harsh winter conditions. Emotional needs will be an important issue for many as new discoveries of deceased are being made.

Along with the needs for food, shelter and emotional support another area of concern are the breakdown of the cooling systems in  three of Japan's  nuclear reactors.  Aside from aftershocks, the threat of more tsunamis the threat and effects of more meltdowns remain an ongoing threat.

The questionable placing of nuclear power plants over fault lines is reiterated in the U.S. with the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power plant located directly on a fault line on the shores of the Pacific in central California.

As the tragic discoveries of bodies along the beaches of Japan continue and ongoing searches by survivors for their loved ones continue the Japanese people will continue to need our love and support.

Several aid organizations are already there and active in the relief effort .  Here is a list of several of these organizations -

International Medical Corps www.imc-la.com, Red Cross redcross.org, Oxfam oxfam.org, Americares americares.org, Doctors Without Borders doctorswithoutbordrs.org

Japan has 127 million in contrast to the U.S.'s 310 million.

I strongly encourage you to assist the Japanese during this time. I welcome any comments or suggestions. I can be reached at Brimac6@hotmail.com -Brian McAfee

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dare to struggle! Dare to win!

They said it in the1930's and again in the 1960's--- Dare to struggle; dare to win!

 

by Alan L. Maki on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 9:01am

At the district, state, regional and national level most of the high-paid union leaders are completely worthless as this working class upsurge and struggle has proven them to be little more than loyal Democratic Party hacks willingly controlled by the AFL-CIO's national executive board interested in trying to make sure working people are pushed out of the streets demanding real change as they are defending their rights and livelihoods.

Shamefully, Richard Trumka has refused to clearly articulate how these dirty imperialist wars--- yes, Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars--- are robbing us of the means to fund our social programs: from public education to health care to fire protection and anti-poverty programs like the Community Action program. 

Why is it so goddamn hard for Richard Trumka to ask the working people he addresses: How is Obama's war economy working for you?

In fact, Obama's war economy is making us all poor.

Even the most simple minded amongst us understand that a nation cannot spend on wars and militarism to the tune of billions upon billions of dollars year after year all financed on money borrowed at exorbitant interest rates from Wall Street bankers and expect to have money left over to finance the social programs required by a civilized society where people are entitled to the human rights of jobs, housing, education, health care, child care, adequate food and access to transportation. 

We might just as well take the wealth of our Nation and toss it out into the ocean if we are going to use it to fight these dirty wars that no one wants and no one supports except for the Wall Street merchants of death and destruction who profit.

How can any nation fight war after war and maintain over 800 military bases on foreign soil with a huge naval fleet patrolling all the oceans of the world protecting Wall Street's interests abroad and expect to have resources to finance universal social programs at home? It can't be done. Every two-bit half-assed fascist dictator from Mussolini to Hitler, Franco and Tojo have tried it along with every single U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt; it doesn't work. It can't work. And even if it did work it shouldn't be done.

The American people are fed up. We have had it with Wall Street and its wars abroad and its war on us here at home.

Now is no time to back out of this fight.

Richard Trumka and these worthless union leaders are trying tell people, "Okay, we have had our say. We don't want to rock the boat and upset our Democratic Party partners and allies we can work with them and negotiate concessions in wages and benefits. We don't need to get into all this left wing talk about taking money from the military budget to finance human needs. We can't be talking about "defense" spending, a national issue, when the issue is state budgets."

Why the hell can't we talk about military spending during discussions of state budgets? Whose pockets is all of this money coming out of? It sure the hell isn't coming from taxes on the rich and corporate profits.

Working people fight these goddamn wars. Working people die in these goddamn dirty wars. And it is working people who pay for these goddamn filthy imperialist wars. Wall Street profits; working people suffer all the way around.

And now along comes Richard Trumka telling us we can't have a say in whether or not our tax dollars go to finance public education and to create public health care and public child care systems instead of paying for wars.

Let Richard Trumka go with the generals and hold bake good sales and sell candy bars and flower seeds from door-to-door to finance this military madness while we take the billions of dollars now being wasted on these dirty rotten wars and use this money to build a socially just and decent society.

What kind of labor "leaders" who live in the wealthiest country in the world where every single bit of this wealth has been created by workers, far too few of whom are members of unions because Trumka and his kind are afraid of a fight, and agree to concession contract after concession contract and now these cowards are trying to tell working people to clear the streets and don't talk about turning our country on the path to peace as they try to trick people into voting for this worthless piece of crap, Barack Obama--- again, as if once wasn't more than enough?  

Stay in the streets; create a new political party that will reflect and fight for what is ethically, morally, socially and economically just--- dare to struggle; dare to win! 

Now is the time to finish what was begun in the 1960's.

Now is the time for the American people to build an anti-monopoly people's front to take on and defeat Wall Street.

Since 1948 Wall Street has dictated how we must live and work and go to war; it is time for this way of doing things to come to an end. If for no other reason than we cannot afford the heavy price we the people  pay.

Defend democracy.

Defend workers' rights to collective bargaining--- not to bargain away what has been won over the years; but, to improve the lives and livelihoods of ALL working people.

Roll-back and freeze prices, not wages.

Spend our money on human needs, don't finance Wall Street's wars and greed.

For a real change, let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Has Obama "morphed" or "changed?"

I haven't read the book, but it seems to me the insinuation that Obama has "morphed" into something as if he is not the same person with the same politics and ideology he himself defines as "pragmatism" which is the ideology of imperialism that he was when he ran for president and what he is now is misleading and only confuses things more.

The fact is, Obama wrote an essay in Foreign Affairs Magazine which is the voice of U.S. imperialism if ever there was one (published by the Council on Foreign Relations) in which he elaborates a very clear neo-liberal agenda. You can read that essay, Renewing American Leadership, by Barack Obama - July 2007,  here (please note the July 2007 date long before the Primaries):

http://wallstreetsfriend.blogspot.com/

Obama was intentionally packaged and sold as something he never was: liberal, progressive, left. In fact, no Democrat can win the presidency (nor almost any other elected position in this country) without liberal, progressive and left support.

There are the little issues of: ethics, morality and honesty in government and politics at play here, also--- or, more appropriately when it comes to Obama: lack of ethics, immorality and complete and total dishonesty. How else can one describe "packaging" oneself as something one is not for the purpose of getting elected by tricking people into thinking they will get one thing when the intent is to deliver just the opposite?

At the core of those involved in packaging Obama to appear to be something he was not and never had been was The Century Foundation which handed out tens of millions of dollars to organizations like the Progressives for Obama, Campaign for America's Future, American Prospect and even the Communist Party USA along with all kinds of Democratic Party "front groups."

Obama and his entourage brought in none other than Tom "poster boy for the Israeli killing machine" Hayden, Carl "I support Pol Pot" Davidson and Barbara "anyway I can make a nickel or dime off the movement" Ehrenreich and Robert "support the AFL-CIA" Borosage to do the dirty work providing Obama with a left cover.

To use the word "morphed" suggests that Obama started out with good intentions and in one way or another has been either coerced by, or sold out to, Wall Street which is far from the truth that Obama is one and the same person with the same ideology he had back in 2007; and if one bothers to look he has not deviated from this imperialist ideology of "pragmatism" since he became an adult.

To suggest that Obama has "morphed" is to suggest that he has changed from good to bad which is important to note because it conveys the idea that quite possibly he can "morph" back or change to something better.

For those of us concerned about peace, social and economic justice issues this becomes very important because we need to know if there is any possibility based upon any facts where we might expect Obama to at least "bend towards justice."

After all, do we really expect that a liberal, progressive or leftist can be elected to the presidency of the United States on the Democratic Party ticket?

I don't want to insult anyone, but it is sheer stupidity to think this is possible. We saw what happened with George McGovern--- big money Wall Street neo-liberals just withdrew their support in the middle of the campaign--- completely unlike with Obama where they just kept pouring money in--- even the Republicans!

So, the one and only thing I look for in Democrats is who might be inclined or pushed to the point of "bending towards justice"--- not because they want to but because they have to if for no other reason they want to try to salvage what they can (their profits) and save their rotten-to-the core system.

Make no mistake; Obama was, is and will always be, Wall Streets loyal servant and he was chosen by these Wall Street coupon clippers because they know Obama is completely loyal and will never, ever "bend towards justice."

I could offer an example of a current ruling class politician who would very likely "bend towards justice" but naming her would confuse the issue of whether or not Obama has "morphed."

I think it is sufficient to point out two past examples of ruling class politicians who did "bend towards justice:" Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt--- but, only once tremendous pressure from the people was applied... movements in the schools, in places of employment, in the streets being backed up in the voting booth which in turn was backed up by ever larger and growing movements in the schools, in places of employment and in the streets and so on and so forth--- slavery was ended with Lincoln and we got The New Deal with Roosevelt. We could add to this Lyndon Johnson who delivered many other far reaching reforms complimenting what both Lincoln and Roosevelt delivered... however, he chickened out in delivering peace even though the movement against the Vietnam war was the most powerful movement in U.S. history which should give us some kind of idea what it is going to take to win peace and real change against this Wall Street crowd.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Some frank talk about why the struggles for workers' rights are fizzling out---

Right-to-work is definitely a big problem but the unions have refused to address the issue of "at-will hiring; at-will firing" in 28 states that is the main impediment and obstacle to union organizing.

Plus, since we are all talking about "workers' rights;" we have in this country over 350 casinos/hotels/resorts/restaurants comprising the Indian Gaming Industry employing over two-million workers in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any voice or rights under under state or federal labor laws which the AFL-CIO has enabled through its cooperation with the Democratic Party in creating the "Compacts" bringing this industry into existence in this way for the sole purpose of trading off workers' rights for campaign contributions to the Democratic Party.

Quite frankly, we casino workers warned that what exists in the Indian Gaming Industry, when it comes to workers' rights, would become the pattern for all workers in this country.

I don't feel good looking at Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio saying, "I told you so." But, while Obama gave the momentum to these attacks on labor with his dictatorial freeze on the pay of federal government employees which has been picked up by the Republicans in further attacking all public employees and workers which will for sure hit workers in the private sectors of the economy, now might be a good time to consider the plight of two-million casino workers because you have two-million workers for whom the jobs of other workers looks pretty darn good which means employers have a huge pool of cheap labor to hire from should there be widespread strikes--- and keep in mind that many of these casino workers are unemployed teachers, miners, workers from the pulp and paper mills and the auto industry... quite a talented pool of two-million workers who would just love to improve their lot in life from going from a minimum wage job to making $14.00, $20.00 and $30.00 an hour and they don't care if they have any union--- or rights--- because these are the conditions they have been forced to work under for over 25 years as the teacher and teamster pension funds bankrolled the creation of this hideous Indian Gaming Industry as people wearing union jackets and buttons pull the levers of the one-armed bandits completely oblivious to the conditions of work for casino workers and the hundreds of thousands living in the resulting poverty on Indian Reservations as the owners of the one-armed bandits abscond to Florida, Las Vegas and the Caribbean Islands with their tax-free loot.

All the while our Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council has been speaking out for:

1. An end to these dirty wars so we can finance human needs;
2. A National Public Health Care System;
3. A National Public Child Care System;
4. An end to "at-will hiring; at-will firing;"
5. A real living minimum wage based upon the actual cost-of-living factors;
6. The enforcement of Affirmative Action and an end to racism;
7. End the wars and tax-the-rich to pay for everything; after all, all this wealth was created by working people in the first place.

Where have the "leaders" of the AFL-CIO been as we have been raising our voices in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan? Not only shamefully silent; but, standing with the Democrats supporting a Wall Street charlatan like Barack Obama and reaping windfall profits for pension funds directly off the poverty of workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry and off the poverty of Native American Indians.

We call on working people to get rid of these phony labor "leaders" like Richard Trumka and Leo Gerard and those labor"leaders" who are now trying desperately to undermine the struggles of the very workers whose dues pay their big fat salaries and now want to lead workers into the dead-end alley of supporting a bunch of Democrats every bit as worthless as Barack Obama looking after Wall Street's interests as well as any Republican, and every bit as spineless as Minnesota's liberal Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton.

It is time to consider a general strike as a means to turn this country around but the well-being and welfare of all workers and all working people will have to be considered for a real change.

Don't expect workers who have been handed the dirty end of the stick to support selfish demands that will only benefit the few. And don't expect that as long as these dirty wars are being waged and financed with our tax-dollars that we will consider anything less than a demand to end these dirty wars to fund human needs coupled with taxing the hell out of the rich.

Also, among the reasons this struggle is fizzling out is the role of the Trotskyites who are trying to once again shove themselves into leadership positions by proclamation and the stupid leaflets they are passing out... anyone seen the crap from Socialist Alternatives--- their recent leaflet distributed in Wisconsin disgracefully doesn't even mention the need to end these dirty wars as a means to pay for the social programs--- what kind of socialists are they? These Trotskyites pulled the exact same kind of crap during the Minneapolis Teamsters' Strike of 1934. 

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

Friday, March 4, 2011

Why are the Democrats and some labor "leaders" trying to confuse what is at issue in Wisconsin and other states?

The real issue in Wisconsin along with defending the rights of teachers and public employees to collective bargaining is: How is Obama's war economy working for you? It's about survival, lives and livelihoods... End the wars; tax the rich; cut and freeze prices- not wages; defend workers' rights. Why are Obama, Democratic Party politicians and the labor leaders backing them, skirting these real issues which cannot be separated from defending workers' rights in this situation because this issue of workers' rights being denied would not even be on the table if the budget problems weren't providing the excuse for this attack on collective bargaining in the first place? Join the struggles in the streets and in the state capitols. Bring your own leaflets and signs to meetings and demonstrations.

What is with this crap that some Democrats and labor leaders have concocted that is some way this Attack on workers' rights has been initiated by Republicans in order to break the partnership between labor and the Democratic Party?

In fact, for these Democrats and the labor leaders pushing this line, if workers take up this line they can kiss any chance of victory good-bye because protecting this partnership between labor and the Democratic Party is not going to win many supporters simply because it was Obama and the Democrats who unleashed the attacks on the working class in the first place so why would anyone want to defend the continuation of such a "partnership?"

Workers' rights and livelihoods being protected require working people fight all those attacking labor, which includes Democrats and Republicans. When Obama froze the wages of federal public employees he gave the green light to further attacks on working people, their rights and livelihoods.

Does it make any difference if a Republican takes away your rights and livelihoods or a Democrat does this?

In fact, Democrats want a "compromise" to this fight that will leave workers with a reduced standard of living as prices for basic necessities are shooting upwards--- everything from food to gas and electricity.

If anything, workers should be demanding "roll-back and freeze prices; not wages and benefits; leave our rights alone."


There is no way to wage this fight other than taking on both Obama and the Republicans because they are all attacking workers rights as part of an attempt to force concessions from workers because we can't afford to pay for wars and  social programs and in its very essence, when public employees are being attacked it is our social programs under attack because it is the public employees without whom our social programs can't exist.


Obama is increasing funding for wars as he cuts the programs working people require to live through this economic crisis.


We can't address part of the problem and pretend the rest of the problem isn't connected and doesn't exist.

Why are the Democrats and some labor "leaders" trying to confuse what is at issue in Wisconsin and other states? Because they are more interested that Obama wins in 2012 than in defending the rights and livelihoods of working people. The rights and livelihoods of working people are in no way tied in with Obama winning in 2012 simply because Barack Obama is Wall Street's man in charge.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

CCDS issues a good statement on the working class upsurge

We need more statements coming from the left similar to this: http://www.cc-ds.org/statements/2011/Events-in-Wisconsin.html

"Our answer is: cut wars, not people, revitalize the progressive income tax structure that has been gutted by 30 years of neo-liberalism, enact a financial transaction tax on Wall Street..." Too bad they don't call for dumping Obama and it would be complete.