Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Winnipeg-wide boil water advisory in place
Winnipeg-wide boil water advisory in place
The city of
Winnipeg's nearly 700,000 residents are under a boil water
advisory Tuesday night after tests confirmed the presence of E. coli in
the city's water supply.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) originally said in a
press release the advisory was for an area east of the Red River. The release said the advisory was being issued "as a precautionary measure as a result of two clusters of positive results involving the presence of E. coli, received earlier today."
"There has been no source of contamination identified to date; however, public health is proceeding according to provincial and national guidelines. These guidelines specify to issue the advisory as a precautionary measure, while investigating the possible causes."
The city will be holding another press conference at 7 30 a.m. Wednesday morning to provide an update on the boil water advisory.
The WRHA said there haven't been any suspicious cases of illness to date related to the city's water.
"E coli is an 'indicator' of water contamination that we measure, and there are many other types of bacteria in water that could cause illness. However, a high amount of chlorine has been found in the same water samples measured yesterday, which is reassuring because this would suggest that any bacteria or viruses present in the water would likely be killed," according to a release from the WRHA.
At a news conference around 6 p.m. CT, the city revised those concerns and has now extended the advisory across the city.
"In an abundance of caution, the City of Winnipeg has decided to proactively issue a precautionary boil water advisory for the entire City of Winnipeg," read a statement from the city.
Engineers with the city said results for six suspect water samples arrived Tuesday from tests run on Monday. Five of the samples came from areas east of the Red River, while another came from southwest Winnipeg.
Winnipeg residents have been advised to boil all water for at least one minute before doing any of the following:
- Drinking and ice making
- Beverage preparation, such as infant formula
- Preparing food
- Brushing teeth
The St. Boniface General Hospital switched to bottled water for patients around 6:30 p.m.
As for schools, several were using social media Tuesday night to let parents and students know drinking fountains would be turned off. Parents were advised to pack either boiled or bottled water for their kids Wednesday, as all schools in Winnipeg will be open.
And in stores around Winnipeg,
bottled water sales skyrocketed into the evening to the point where many
store shelves were empty by 9 p.m.
Shoppers like Krista Surowich were grabbing water supplies before they were gone at the Main Street Co-op."Some were $7.49 a pack. I just grabbed whatever I could. I just left a couple. There's not very many on the shelves any more," said Surowich.
Surowich said she drinks five litres of water a day and it's better to be safe than sorry.
The advisory will be in place until Wednesday afternoon, when the city expects more test results to arrive.
Not one more dime for the union-busting, billionaire outfit True North
Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba387 Selkirk Ave. Winnipeg MB R2W 2M3
(204) 586-7824 - cpc-mb@changetheworldmb.ca
For immediate release(204) 586-7824 - cpc-mb@changetheworldmb.ca
January 28, 2015
Not one more dime for the union-busting, billionaire outfit True North
Public letter to Winnipeg City Council
January 28, 2015
Dear members of City Council,
The media will probably insulate the public from my comments, but I want to say this about True North's plan to build a hotel and, likely, retail space to link with the Convention Centre. More gambling machines could line the new hallways with funds going to True North.
I don't want to see another dime of City money go to a union-busting, billionaire-backed outfit like True North. This is an outfit that receives at least $12.5 million in public money every year, and fails to say even a small thank-you on its website.
We are talking about a quarter-billion dollars in public money over twenty-five years being sucked up by True North with no accountability, calculated before we landed the Jets franchise. How fair is that to other downtown hotels?
I'm not counting the recently-installed gambling machines whose revenue goes to True North and subsidies to support the Jets franchise. How many more machines will True North want in the new development?
It is a private corporation that does not have to report its profits, unlike how the government forces First Nations (who are owed resources and funds) and trade unions (who are democratic, unlike corporations) to disclose all their spending.
This privileged outfit busted the union that worked at the publicly-owned Arena.
To me, you are allowing CentreVenture to get away lightly for signing a deal with True North. You have the power to make True North give the stagehands their jobs back, show some gratitude, and disclose its finances.
If True North fails to do that right away, then it's time for you to reverse the privatization of the Arena.
I am unable to make these comments in person to you today, but I hope the discussion at council shows you will put people before billionaires.
I'd put $12.5 million a year towards building houses and child care centres, not supporting an outfit like True North.
Darrell Rankin
Leader, Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba
cc media, public
Monday, January 26, 2015
The leader of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) makes some observations about the election
This is the way it is and this is the way it is going down:
"Mr.
Koutsoumpas (head of the KKE [alm]) estimated that the electoral
result illustrates the people’s major resentment and anger towards New
Democracy and PASOK, as well as “the false hope” that the new
SYRIZA-led government can follow a pro-people policy. He further
estimated that the government will reduce its demands and compromise,
with the working classes paying the cost."
I
would suggest that everyone print this statement off and post it on
their refrigerator and on union bulletin boards and publish it in union
newsletters... let's see if he ends up being correct in assessing what
has taken place.
Agree
or disagree or have no opinion at all, honesty requires his viewpoint
to be shared so workers in our own country can have this information
available to help formulate their own opinions.
Keep in mind, the KKE won 15 seats in parliament but hundreds of other elected positions across the country, too.
Keep in mind, the KKE won 15 seats in parliament but hundreds of other elected positions across the country, too.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Greeks go to the polls and reject Wall Street imposed austerity measures
The
Greeks are speaking out at the polls very strongly; they are fed up
with Wall Street's dictated austerity measures being shoved down their
throats.
But, there is a hitch--- How will Syriza approach the Greek Communist Party and its huge working class coalition?
Here in this country there has been a lot of support for Syriza when there was virtually none for the KKE and its coalition partners prior to there ever having been a Syriza.
The KKE is quite capable of speaking for itself:
http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Appeal-of-the-Central-Committee-of-the-KKE-concerning-the-parliamentary-elections-on-the-25th-of-January-2015/
A big part of the problem is that anti-Communism has been responsible for not including the positions of the KKE in the debate... especially here in this country and now you pretend the KKE position needs some kind of explanation; aren't they very clear where they stand?
Also a very big problem is the intervention on the part of the CIA infiltrated and directed, International Trade Union Confederation, with its ax to grind with the KKE, P.A.M.E. and the World Federation of Trade Unions. All of this is a matter of record.
This CIA infiltrated, led and bankrolled group only became involved in Greece--- including supporting and funding Syriza--- after the KKE, P.A.M.E. and WFTU affiliates brought masses of workers out into the streets and led actions in the workplaces.
Now Syriza needs the KKE... the better question to ask is: Why has Syriza been so anti-Communist?
Another question you might want to ask is: Will Syriza as a social democratic organization and party cave to the demands of the big monopolies (domestic and foreign).
Another question: Just what are Syriza's connections to the Democratic Party and these phony liberals, progressives and leftists here in this country who supported Obama--- the Wall Street imperialist war monger who has led the G-7/G-8 in tightening the noose around the neck of the Greek working class?
My hunch is that the KKE has good reason to be leery and suspicious of Syriza... of course, we will find out very quickly just how honest Syriza is when it has to approach the KKE for support--- or, will Syriza turn towards big-capital representing coalition partner?
Quite frankly, the question I would like to see answered is why Syriza took funding from all of these ITUC affiliations and used the offices established by the ITUC for its campaign when the leaders of the ITUC openly stated they were moving their organizers into Greece in order to counter the influence of the KKE, P.A.M.E. and the WFTU?
If you want to know what the KKE is thinking and doing, just go to their web site:
http://inter.kke.gr/en/
We should all hope that what comes out of all of this is a Greek left working together in coalition to bring down capitalism in Greece with socialism being established.
Will Syriza allow itself to be used as a safety breaker to diffuse the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and movement for socialism that the KKE, P.A.M.E. and WFTU initiated long before there was a Syriza--- a very legitimate MASSIVE mass movement that those who initiated a split AFTER by initiating Syriza they were invited to join the existing mass movement.
It really befuddles me to try to understand why those who never gave any support to the Communist led working class movement in Greece that was struggling pre-Syriza who now want to get explanations of why the KKE does what it does when they could have taken the time to learn who was leading the Greek working class and why.
My other hunch is that if Syriza initiates the kind of dialog necessary to bring the KKE into an electoral coalition, it won't be long before the anti-Communists from the ITUC--- withdraws support--- and stops backing them and withdraws from the coalition.
The Greek Communist Party (KKE) has a rich, deep and very proud and distinguished history of working class unity, militancy, activity, international solidarity and involvement including fighting against Hitlers takeover, together with its fascist partners--- Italy and Bulgaria; and then fighting for years against another fascist government put in place by U.S. imperialism.
Quite frankly, the long-established social democrats in Greece couldn't get elected to dog-catcher positions because of their slavish adherence to Wall Street's and the EU's domination so Syriza was created to replace these social democrats as a safety valve to prevent Greece turning to socialism.
I would encourage my leftist friends, and everyone, to study closely what is taking place in Greece.
Richard Trumka should explain why the AFL-CIO has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into building Syriza and he won't invest one single penny building a working class based progressive anti-imperialist people's party for peace, social and economic justice intent on challenging Wall Street for political and economic power right here in our own country. Anyone care to explain this?
The only reason Syriza came into existence in the first place was to undermine and thwart the massive movement the KKE was leading against austerity measures.
But, there is a hitch--- How will Syriza approach the Greek Communist Party and its huge working class coalition?
Here in this country there has been a lot of support for Syriza when there was virtually none for the KKE and its coalition partners prior to there ever having been a Syriza.
The KKE is quite capable of speaking for itself:
http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Appeal-of-the-Central-Committee-of-the-KKE-concerning-the-parliamentary-elections-on-the-25th-of-January-2015/
A big part of the problem is that anti-Communism has been responsible for not including the positions of the KKE in the debate... especially here in this country and now you pretend the KKE position needs some kind of explanation; aren't they very clear where they stand?
Also a very big problem is the intervention on the part of the CIA infiltrated and directed, International Trade Union Confederation, with its ax to grind with the KKE, P.A.M.E. and the World Federation of Trade Unions. All of this is a matter of record.
This CIA infiltrated, led and bankrolled group only became involved in Greece--- including supporting and funding Syriza--- after the KKE, P.A.M.E. and WFTU affiliates brought masses of workers out into the streets and led actions in the workplaces.
Now Syriza needs the KKE... the better question to ask is: Why has Syriza been so anti-Communist?
Another question you might want to ask is: Will Syriza as a social democratic organization and party cave to the demands of the big monopolies (domestic and foreign).
Another question: Just what are Syriza's connections to the Democratic Party and these phony liberals, progressives and leftists here in this country who supported Obama--- the Wall Street imperialist war monger who has led the G-7/G-8 in tightening the noose around the neck of the Greek working class?
My hunch is that the KKE has good reason to be leery and suspicious of Syriza... of course, we will find out very quickly just how honest Syriza is when it has to approach the KKE for support--- or, will Syriza turn towards big-capital representing coalition partner?
Quite frankly, the question I would like to see answered is why Syriza took funding from all of these ITUC affiliations and used the offices established by the ITUC for its campaign when the leaders of the ITUC openly stated they were moving their organizers into Greece in order to counter the influence of the KKE, P.A.M.E. and the WFTU?
If you want to know what the KKE is thinking and doing, just go to their web site:
http://inter.kke.gr/en/
We should all hope that what comes out of all of this is a Greek left working together in coalition to bring down capitalism in Greece with socialism being established.
Will Syriza allow itself to be used as a safety breaker to diffuse the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and movement for socialism that the KKE, P.A.M.E. and WFTU initiated long before there was a Syriza--- a very legitimate MASSIVE mass movement that those who initiated a split AFTER by initiating Syriza they were invited to join the existing mass movement.
It really befuddles me to try to understand why those who never gave any support to the Communist led working class movement in Greece that was struggling pre-Syriza who now want to get explanations of why the KKE does what it does when they could have taken the time to learn who was leading the Greek working class and why.
My other hunch is that if Syriza initiates the kind of dialog necessary to bring the KKE into an electoral coalition, it won't be long before the anti-Communists from the ITUC--- withdraws support--- and stops backing them and withdraws from the coalition.
The Greek Communist Party (KKE) has a rich, deep and very proud and distinguished history of working class unity, militancy, activity, international solidarity and involvement including fighting against Hitlers takeover, together with its fascist partners--- Italy and Bulgaria; and then fighting for years against another fascist government put in place by U.S. imperialism.
Quite frankly, the long-established social democrats in Greece couldn't get elected to dog-catcher positions because of their slavish adherence to Wall Street's and the EU's domination so Syriza was created to replace these social democrats as a safety valve to prevent Greece turning to socialism.
I would encourage my leftist friends, and everyone, to study closely what is taking place in Greece.
Richard Trumka should explain why the AFL-CIO has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into building Syriza and he won't invest one single penny building a working class based progressive anti-imperialist people's party for peace, social and economic justice intent on challenging Wall Street for political and economic power right here in our own country. Anyone care to explain this?
The only reason Syriza came into existence in the first place was to undermine and thwart the massive movement the KKE was leading against austerity measures.
Communist Party of Greece
inter.kke.gr
This is the:
This is the:
Appeal of the Central Committee of the KKE concerning the parliamentary elections on the 25th of January 2015
THERE NEEDS TO BE A STRONG KKE THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTIONS!
A STRONG PEOPLE’S OPPOSITION ALLIANCE AND STRUGGLE FOR THE OVERTHROW OF THE SYSTEM!
Workers, employees, self-employed, unemployed people, farmers, pensioners, young people and women from the popular families,
We call on you to support and decisively strengthen the KKE in the parliamentary elections.
You should think about the fact
that the day after the elections, whoever is in government, the EU and
the “permanent memoranda”, old and new measures that are demanded by
capital in order to make it more competitive in the global capitalist
market, will still be here and will continue to bleed the people.
The anti-people laws in their
entirety will still be in place. Laws which were voted for by all the
governments and which they are not going to abolish.
The unbearable debt will still
be here, which is recognized by ND-PASOK, SYRIZA and the other parties
that support the EU. They call on the people to pay for it. The people
who did not create it and do not owe anything.
The contradictions and squabbles
inside the Eurozone will be here. The squabbles that take place are
over the management of the deficits and debts which are created by the
capitalists and are repaid with the aim of increasing the capitalist
profits, the power of the strongest, always at the expense of the
people’s interests.
Above all, capital, the
monopolies, both domestic and foreign will be here. It is they that hold
the keys of the economy, the real power and will demand even more
privileges in any recovery phase, always at the expense of the people.
They will demand an even cheaper and more subjugated work force in order
to invest. Unemployment will be here, even if there are some
investments.
The power of capital will be
here, the state that consistently serves the interests of the monopolies
at the expense of the people and demarcates the role of each
government.
Irrespective of the course of
the negotiations with the Troika and the transition to the new phase of
supervision, the monopolies are demanding new anti-people measures, such
as the complete dismantlement of the social security system, new
reductions in salaries and the people’s income, privatizations, the
restriction of trade union activity. For this reason, there can be no
relief for the workers in the crisis or recovery phase without struggle,
without conflict with capital’s interests.
For this reason, the working
people need a powerful KKE the day after the elections in parliament,
everywhere, a force for the workers’ –people’s resistance and
counterattack.
It is the certain guarantee amid the uncertainty and insecurity that the working class and the people can rely on.
A powerful KKE, to pave
the way for the only solution in favour of the people, the unilateral
and complete cancellation of the debt, the disengagement from the EU and
NATO, the socialization of the monopolies, for the people’s prosperity,
with the working class and people at the helm of power, the socialist
perspective. The people need their own government, the government of
workers’-people’s power and the KKE will play a leading role in it. So
that the ideals and values of the people can become a reality, for a
society without the exploitation of man by man.
A powerful KKE, so that
the people are not tricked again by blackmail and illusions. Because
they will have to face governments of the one or other version of
bourgeois management, which not only do not guarantee the recovery of
the people’s enormous losses, but serve the same path that leads to
greater hazards and will try to deceive them with crumbs. The KKE will
play a leading role, inside and outside of parliament, so that there can
be a militant people’s opposition which can exert real pressure. This
is something that has not existed up until now, either due to hesitation
or illusions.
A powerful KKE, because
it is force that, without retreats and recantations, plays the leading
role in organizing the people’s struggle for the abolition of all the
memorandum-related legislation and the recovery of the people’s losses.
It consistently and selflessly struggles for the just cause of the
workers, employees, the rights of the youth, women, unemployed,
self-employed, poor farmers in order to organize the people’s
solidarity.
A powerful KKE, because
it fights against Greece’s participation in imperialist alliances and
wars that are taking place or being prepared in order to serve the
interests of the big business groups. It defends the country’s sovereign
rights, against NATO and the EU, against those that try to trick the
people by saying that these imperialist organizations will protect the
people’s sovereign rights, peace and security. It struggles for Greece’s
departure from NATO. It struggles so that Greece stops supporting and
participating in military interventions at the expense of the peoples.
A powerful KKE, so that
the labour-people’s movement can be revived, so that the people’s
social alliance against the monopolies and capitalism can be established
and strengthened. It struggles to isolate and defeat the fascist
ideology and activity of Nazi Golden Dawn.
Working men and women, young people, unemployed, pensioners,
In the face of the electoral battle, the ND-PASOK coalition government
and EU figures are again investing in alarmist talk and extortion in
order to trap the people and extract their consent for the continuation
of the anti-people political line. They invoke stability and the alleged
need not to once again endanger the sacrifices of the Greek people. The
intimidating dilemmas are not mainly aimed at its party-political
squabbles with SYRIZA. The government knows very well that SYRIZA does
not dispute the EU and the capitalist system. The extortions and
dilemmas are addressed, above all, to the people and they aim to ensure
the people’s submission to the same anti-people path and the new
torments that it will bring.
The government is lying when it claims
that the new anti-people measures can be prevented, if there is
political stability and the creditors are placated. This is because the
old and new anti-people measures are not just demands of the creditors.
These have been for many years directions of the EU, integral to the
strategy of big capital in Greece and Europe so that the labour force
becomes even cheaper. Such anti-people reforms are being carried out in
all the countries of the EU-eurozone by rightwing (e.g. Germany) or
social-democratic (e.g. France, Italy) governments.
For this reason as well, the government
and other centres of the establishment (Mass Media, Federation of Greek
Industrialists etc.) are constantly talking about “the need to continue
the reforms even if they do not demand it of us”. SYRIZA conceals this
reality from the people. The reforms that it proposes follow the
rationale of the EU and the businessmen.
SYRIZA is not an alternative solution
for the people. In its quest to win the elections, it has rapidly
completed its transformation into a party of bourgeois anti-people
management. It conceals the causes of the capitalist economic crisis and
exonerates the exploitative face of capitalism, the power of capital.
The leadership of SYRIZA not only
provides assurances to the creditors, the EU, the “markets” that it will
not act unilaterally, but it calls on them to trust and support a
SYRIZA government because it can better serve their interests (e.g. the
meetings with investment funds in the City of London). It has, even at
the level of slogans, abandoned the declarations about “annulling” and
“abolishing” the memorandum and the related legislation, about the
recovery of the people’s losses, the return of the 13th and 14th salaries, the 13th and 14th
pensions, the abolition of the heavy taxes. It does not call into
question the supervision mechanisms of the EU or the balanced budgets,
the European semesters, i.e. the “permanent memoranda” at the expense of
the people. In this framework, it is engaging in alliances with former
cadres, ministers and MPs of PASOK, the Democratic Left (Dimar) etc who
have supported the memoranda and anti-people measures.
At the same time, utilizing fake
“radical” rhetoric of opportunist forces inside it, especially of the
so-called “Left Platform”, SYRIZA is trying to trap leftwing people,
young workers who are concerned and have a militant political stance.
This is a repeat of the well-known tactics of social-democracy, of PASOK
in the past, which presents a “left tendency” that allegedly is
pressing the leadership but in reality provides it with a leftwing
alibi. In the same vein, the electoral alliances formed by Antarsya are
misleading. They point to certain struggle goals, like “the departure
from the euro”, without rupture with the economic framework that is
controlled by the power of capital today.
SYRIZA, particularly after the last two
years, has been demonstrated to be useful for capital in order to
undermine the labour-people’s movement. It is not just that it did not
utilize its high percentage to strengthen the people’s mobilizations,
but on the contrary it fostered the rationale of wait and see, of the
people consigning their fate to others, restricting the people’s
intervention to participating in elections and choosing which
government will implement the anti-people policies. This demonstrates
that it has no appetite for coming into conflict with the capitalist
interests in Greece and Europe. Life has demonstrated that the higher
the electoral percentage of SYRIZA is, the more this acts against the
workers’-people’s struggle.
Working men and women, young people, unemployed, pensioners,
It has become even more obvious in the
recent period that the argument between the government and SYRIZA is
focused on the “markets”, i.e. capital, in particular over which of the
two will gain its “favour”. They are seeking to undertake the role of
the more capable negotiator for the interests of capital and not for the
interests of the people. Both talk about a “national consensus”, which
means class-social peace, the subjugation of the people to the interests
of capital.
Their differences are related to the
management formula for capitalist development. They both prettify its
anti-people and class content. SYRIZA is demanding the relaxation of the
strict fiscal discipline, joining forces with France and Italy, which
are continuously taking measures against their peoples, in order to
exert greater pressure on Germany.
At the same time, however, both the
government and SYRIZA are concealing that any adjustment of the debt and
relaxation of fiscal discipline will not lead to the relief of the
people, but to the increase of the state support for local business
groups and investments. The lightening of the debt, either by the
proposal of ND or the proposal of SYRIZA will occur through an agreement
with the partners, and therefore will be accompanied by new anti-people
commitments, as happened in relation to the “haircut” of the PSI in
2012, and in other countries as well.
However, no change in the management
formula can cancel out the outbreak of the crisis or lead to capitalist
development in favour of the people. The examples of the USA and Japan
prove this.
Both the coalition government of
ND-PASOK and SYRIZA, despite their differences, deceive the people,
promising the same thing: that if the capitalist economy is
strengthened, the people will benefit. They are lying. Any form of
capitalist recovery will be based on the ruins of the workers’-people’s
rights, it will not provide decent work for the millions of unemployed.
The so-called “comparative” advantages for the reconstruction of the
country’s economy that are invoked by SYRIZA are related to the
potential for big business to achieve even greater profitability.
The recovery, even if it is achieved,
will be weak and will occur in a period of recession for the strong
capitalist countries and the indebtedness of states which presage a new
deeper crisis cycle. For this reason, capital is also insisting on
“national consensus”, which is not rejected by ND-PASOK or SYRIZA,
trapping the people inside the framework of capital’s interests. Their
quarrel is over who will have the upper hand.
Only crumbs from the new feast of
capital will reach the people. The government and SYRIZA are competing
and promising only crumbs for “extreme poverty’, which will arise from
the bleeding of the rest of the workers and will evaporate the following
day due to the anti-people measures as a whole. And both promote the
political line of the EU and capital, with measures of the kind that
“take from the poor in order to help the destitute” and which cost
capital nothing. They serve capital’s goal, which is that the basis for
salaries and pensions should be the minimum guaranteed income of
destitution.
One hands out “social dividends”, the other promises soup kitchens and the return of the 13th
pension only for the most destitute pensioners. Even SYRIZA’s proposal
for the minimum wage is an empty phrase, as it does not affect the
thousands of workers, particularly young workers, that work with
flexible labour relations and do not even receive the reduced minimum
wage. It is fostering, in essence, the well-known reactionary propaganda
about “privileged” and “non-privileged” workers that paves the way for
the majority of workers with better salaries to be attacked. In
addition, the increase of the minimum wage in many EU countries in a
detached way, without a return of the collective labour agreements, was
used to reduce the average wages.
We must not compromise with
crumbs. The contemporary needs of the people and their children must be a
criterion for their stance and struggle. A criterion must also be the
enormous possibilities that are provided by technology, science, the
development potential of the country in order to satisfy the people’s
needs, if all these things are placed at the service of the people.
Working men and women, young people, unemployed, pensioners,
We address ourselves to you,
understanding your desire to be free of the memoranda, the unjust
policies and anti-people governments. We feel your anxiety about the
future, your children, so that you can experience better days.
We trust the people and their strength.
The people have the strength and responsibility not to be passive or
deceived spectators of the anti-people attacks carried out by the
governments of the EU and capital. They can draw conclusions and prevent
a repeat of the anti-people two-party system of the past.
We must have a powerful KKE
everywhere, because it is the only real opponent of the monopolies,
their power, the EU of permanent memoranda, the anti-people governments.
There will be a government after the elections. In any case, there are
several that are willing- parties and formations of a limited shelf
life- to contribute to this. What is important for the people is that
there is a strong KKE so that the people themselves can be strong.
You know the KKE as a consistent,
unwavering force against every anti-worker-anti-people offensive. You
know what the KKE has done for 96 years and which was the only force of
the workers-people’s opposition, inside and outside of parliament over
the last three years since the 2012 elections.
Wherever you look, you will see the contribution and impact of the communists’ struggle. However, you know that the electoral reduction of the KKE had a negative impact on the dynamism and mass character of the labour-people’s movement. You know that despite all that, the KKE did not give up. It supported employees, farmers, self-employed, pensioners, students, school students for the right to health, social security, pensions, education, the protection of income, and housing, the professional premises of the self-employed and farmers from the usurious loans and unbearable taxes. The KKE never told the people lies.
Wherever you look, you will see the contribution and impact of the communists’ struggle. However, you know that the electoral reduction of the KKE had a negative impact on the dynamism and mass character of the labour-people’s movement. You know that despite all that, the KKE did not give up. It supported employees, farmers, self-employed, pensioners, students, school students for the right to health, social security, pensions, education, the protection of income, and housing, the professional premises of the self-employed and farmers from the usurious loans and unbearable taxes. The KKE never told the people lies.
We address ourselves in particular to
those of you who justifiably think that the situation can not continue
like this, that “they must go”. We must reject today’s government by
rejecting the strategy of the EU and capital and not by choosing some
other government that will implement the same strategy, with some
differences that do not affect the people in a positive way. Everyone
should consider the following: in previous years one-party and coalition
governments came and went, extorting the popular vote sometimes through
fear of the “worst” or through illusions about the “lesser” evil. What
changed for the people? As long as a government manages the fortunes of
the people and the country, trapped inside the shackles of the EU and
the capitalist development path, which is obsolete and rotting, this
trap of the lesser evil will continuously lead to new anti-people
governments. The people must be freed from all the anti-people
governments and their political line, they themselves must take power.
The situation today-both in Greece and internationally- does not allow
for any time to be wasted.
We address ourselves to those of you who
feel radical, leftwing, progressive, who have experience and memory and
have taken part in struggles and today are looking to vote for SYRIZA,
with a heavy heart and little hope, on the basis of the rationale of the
“lesser evil”. Today, you can see more clearly that the leadership of
SYRIZA, with the credentials it provides to capital and the imperialist
organizations, is cutting every tie with the history of the people’s
movement. It is providing the opportunity for the most reactionary
forces to slander the militant traditions of our people. It is very
rapidly taking the place of social-democracy, and an even worse version
than before because capitalism’s situation is worse, and the situation
in the labour movement is also worse.
We address ourselves to you who do not
agree with the KKE on everything or have reservations about some of its
positions, but who understand that the KKE is the people’s consistent
support. Whatever has been won by the people was won through struggles,
with the KKE in the frontline. When the movement and the KKE were
weakened, the people were the losers.
Think about which force tomorrow will be next to the people in the frontline of the struggle for salaries, jobs, their rights.
The KKE calls on every concerned
young person, worker, pensioner everyone who has not compromised with
misery and defeatism to join forces with it.
It calls on them to vote for
the KKE and strengthen it everywhere. So that the people themselves
become stronger and so that the people’s resistance and struggle are
reinforced. So that the People’s Alliance against the monopolies and
capitalism is strengthened, so that we can pave the way for the prospect
of workers’-people’s power.
Friday, January 23, 2015
When sleaze raises its ugly name-calling head under the guise of being "liberal" and "progressive" and then turn to thwarting and blocking discussion, dialog and debate
- Alan L. Maki
After listening to Obama's "State of the Union Address," I am so glad I didn't get hooked into voting for this creep Obama--- this imperialist Wall Street warmonger; I didn't vote for him either time either time--- nor did I support him as a delegate to the the State Convention of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.
Obama is neither liberal nor progressive; he is definitely not left.
Like the fascist Mussolini, Obama is nothing but a demagog who knows how to talk in a populist properly "framed" language making all kinds of implications he intends to do what is right by the people without providing or presenting any specific solutions--- and when he does present highly popular specifics like his touting a free community college education he knows damn well it has no chance of passing; just like Obama and all these Democrats with their hypocritical campaign rhetoric saying they don't think anyone working should have to live in poverty knowing that when they get elected they are going to legislate one more Minimum Wage that is nothing but a poverty wage when compared to soaring prices of goods and services which constitute the actual "cost-of-living" which when we combine wages and "cost-of-living" we are able to determine the actual "standard-of-living."
Wages plus government programs plus the real "cost-of-living" determines one's "standard-of-living."
When we use this equation we discover that wages have not only been "flat" for many years but that most working class families are caught in a "cost-of-living trap" with more working class families than ever being pushed further and further into poverty making Obama's talk about "I work for you" when addressing his hand-picked audiences of working people a complete and total farce and fiasco--- worse than this, he is arrogantly mocking us and playing us for chumps and fools; and, then, his supporters have the unmitigated gall to blame the voters because fewer and fewer people are turning out to vote for these Dumb Donkeys with millionaire labor leaders still holding up the tails of these Dumb Donkeys and peddling what the sparrows leave behind as some kind of "prize" we should be thankful for.
When is enough really enough?
It is time for a working class based progressive people's party which will stand firm and fight for peace, social and economic justice; all of which requires putting an end to these goddamn dirty imperialist wars Wall Street merchants of death and destruction profit from murdering people all over the world financed with austerity measures (poverty) shoved down the throats of working people and their families.
Some so-called liberals, progressives and most disgustingly shameful leftists shoved Obama down our throats using lies and deceit while intentionally failing to disclose Obama's Wall Street agenda... don't get suckered again by these worthless charlatans many of whom have enormous incomes based on how well they can snooker people into voting for their Wall Street enemies under the guise of being our "friends."
The time has come--- long overdue, actually--- to tell these Dumb Donkeys to "go to hell."
Republicans and Democrats working in cahoots with pundits from "think-tanks" financed by the Wall Street "philanthropists," together, combined, form the components of Wall Street's "two-party trap" intentionally set in a way to trap workers leaving the working class powerless.
Democrats have the nerve to suggest that we should accept another poverty wage as the Minimum Wage because someplace down the road they claim they will get the Minimum Wage to a real living wage as they piously and hypocritically pretend to emphasize with us as their very actions of using the levers of government enables Wall Street to get bigger and fatter as a direct result of its control and manipulation of these politicians--- it is a vicious circle and even a dog wouldn't chase its tail for so long of a time.
These Wall Street bribed politicians then proceed to try to pass off their reactionary and regressive legislation as "reforms" when the very definition of the word "reform" is to make something better. For doing so much in the way of "reforms" it is amazing how bad things are for the working class and how life just keeps getting worse.
We need to launch grassroots and rank-and-file struggles for real reforms but our struggles must all lead towards the same end--- removing Wall Street from political and economic power which requires not just the important movements for specif reforms intended to alleviate and solve our many problems but these struggles must be part of forming a massive anti-monopoly coalition with its own political party.
Our struggles need to be fought united and militant in the workplace, in the streets and at the ballot box--- education, organization and united action.
Do you have a rank-and-file organization in your place of employment?
Do you have a grassroots organization in your neighborhood?
If not, Organize!
Quite frankly, unless we organize by educating people about the link between wages and "cost-of-living" which determine our "standard-of-living" I doubt our struggles will be winning struggles... the politicians, pundits and their "think tanks" along with the millionaire labor leaders will say and do just about anything to obscure this link between wages and "cost-of-living"... because as far as they are concerned they got theirs'--- at our expense--- and the rest of us can go to hell.
And the wealthier the Wall Street crowd becomes the more all powerful they become in determining how we will live and work and the kind of world we will be forced to live in--- not just their wars, racism and poverty but polluted air and water along with contaminated land not to mention how, for profits, they are killing us with the food they are feeding us.
- Merle Dudley-Nelson After listening to the President.....I wonder.....I heard the middle-class over and over....and 7 paid sick days for millions of Americans....and 2 years free college just like high school....I heard that over 13,000 troops bought back to America....st...See More
- Sheila Puryear The President is considerably to the left of Kennedy, who doubted the legality of Social Security expansions and was a resolute Cold Warrior.
Your reaction speaks more to a disgust with the President and displays no understanding of either recent political history or the American public. But rail on: we do need a more progressive nation. I'm just not certain that hatred will get us there. 
- Crystal Powell Alan L. Maki why are you here. I would suggest that there are better pages for you that can offer you the political panacea that you believe exists. I was wholly offended by your rant for 3 separate reasons. 1. You clearly didnt listen to the Presidents speech because your assessment isn't rooted in reality. 2. Your suggesting a change in parties that you have no earthly clue how to get and in fact is impossible based on your immature rant. 3 Finally This is a Progressive page for actual REAL Progressive People who are EDUCATED about not just politics but the US political system.. ... Most of us have run for office or ran campaigns for a good number of years, clearly you have not. Progressives are people that want to see the needs of the nation advanced and the Tax dollars collected used for that advancement. To paint the President .. the most Liberal and Progressive since Kennedy with policy as Progressive as FDR clearly means that you do not know the meaning of ism's that you have called him. Im gonna leave this post for 8 hours so that you have time to see what I have said to you before I delete it and you. I encourage you to seek out the libertarian cesspool that Koch industries would be happy to provide for you. Good riddance.6 hrs · Like · 5
- Gretchen E. Peterson Alan, you are not a progressive and do not belong here. And you know it. You need to be kicked out and blocked.
- Mary Aleba Alan L Maki, I think you were looking for Fox News page....please re-google that address...and take your rant into the echo chamber that keeps you happy
- Marylou Eliot if it writes like a troll, looks like a troll then it is a troll...someone please block this asshat from this page...I look here to get news that I want to see and here not gibberish from this troll
- Carrie Charles Stone I just joined and this is the first post I read? Based on the comments I'm giving the group a little more time but whoever this Alan L. Maki is, he wasn't watching the SOTU speech I saw or witnessing the same Obama I've been observing these last 6 years.
- Charlie Diggs He is a TROLL that comes in, throws out some crap, and then splits without any discussion. His FB page is critical only of Democrats. Any reasonable person could find very much to criticize the haters about if they wanted to. He calls President Obama a war monger without even mentioning members of the previous administration,
- Sheila Puryear Repeating your charges does not make them true. Come back to reality please, or head to Fox. (You make them look sane.). And while they will agree with your demonization of the President, your critique will be rejected.
42 mins · Like · 1
Gretchen E. Peterson Alan L. Maki is well known in Minnesota political circles. He does NOT belong here!
Admins, DELETE AND BLOCK, PLEASE!
Admins, DELETE AND BLOCK, PLEASE!
Alan L. Maki
Thanks for your kind words, Gretchen E. Peterson. I am glad to know that your circle of dirty birds and Dumb Donkeys takes note of what I say and do.
Thanks for your kind words, Gretchen E. Peterson. I am glad to know that your circle of dirty birds and Dumb Donkeys takes note of what I say and do.