Fake News

I can't remember the Wall Street owned Main Stream Media ever having dealt with the problems of working people.

There is an old saying...

When dealing with politicians always bring a crowd.

Can we talk about the problems with single-payer universal health care?

I believe PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program) has been dishonest about health care reform because they haven't included a National Public Health Care System as an option. I have broached this with numerous leaders and members of the organization and it boils down to this:

Doctors would desert PNHP because they want to continue to profit from health care and they are thinking that if the insurance companies are cut out and the pharmaceutical industry is held at bay they will have a bigger pool from which to further enrich themselves.

I don't know why this health care debate should CENTER on "saving."

What we should be concerned about is what health care system best delivers health care for everyone.

And, it just so happens, a National Public Health Care System provides us with the best health care at the cheapest price but also creates the most jobs.

Why would an organization like PNHP argue against a National Public Health Care System based on the same model as public education?

In fact, most of the leaders of the PNHP will tell you in private a National Public Health Care System--- socialized health care--- is the best of all options. Unfortunately, they will also tell you their members would disappear.

We know from looking at countries having single-payer, like in Canada, that at best single-payer universal health care is only a short-term band aid type "fix."

The great socialist leader, Tommy Douglas, told Canadians they needed to keep pushing for nothing less than socialized health care.

For many years, I pushed for single-payer universal health care as a step towards a National Public Health Care System. I testified at Congressional and State hearings, wrote letters, circulated leaflets and petitions, etc.

But, for me, the final straw was when leaders of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) joined with members of PNHP and joined the corporate Democrats in inserting the word "affordable" in the best resolution of any political party voted for by grassroots members of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party to make it fit in with support for Obamacare.

I won't spend my time working for anything other than a National Public Health Care System from now on.

I won't work against those like PNHP and PDA and others pushing single-payer universal health care or gimmicks like HR 676 intended to get get votes at election time knowing Democrats will never enact it after Election Day. But, I will state my concern and opinions from a working class point of view.

We will never get the Democrats (and certainly not the Republicans) to give us real health care reform... but, with a powerful movement we can wrest health care reform, including a National Public Health Care System, from these politicians... but, like everything beneficial to the working class, it will take one heck of a struggle to win. We will win because once people have a chance to weigh all the options they will choose a National Public Health Care System:

Publicly funded.

Publicly administered.

Publicly delivered.

Just like public education.

There is a reason the overwhelming majority of the American people joined the struggle for public education instead of all the private for-profit schemes advanced at the time over 150 years ago... and, the struggle for real education reform was a huge battle not many politicians will talk about today.

The private, for-profit health care industry is dominated by Wall Street and supported by the American Medical Association... doctors are thrilled with both Romney-care and Obama-care, just like the Democrats, these doctors pretend that what they support is good for the American people when they are only protecting their off-shore bank accounts.

It isn't coincidental that most doctors come from affluent families; a National Public Health Care System will require we educate doctors from the ranks of the working class while strictly and stridently enforcing Affirmative Action so working class people of color and women have a chance to advance while providing health care to people who have had no, or very limited access, to health care.

Martin Luther King declared health care to be a human right... and it is.

Obama-care and Romney-care are both very reactionary neo-liberal approaches to health care "reform" which leave parasitical doctors and Wall Street feeding at the public trough and enriching themselves at our expense.

In fact, these neo-liberals see single-payer universal health care as a release valve which will release public pressure if they are forced to in order to work their way back towards complete privatization of health care--- this has been underway in Canada for the last twenty years as can be seen by the way the free dental program in Manitoba elementary schools instituted by the New Democratic Party was taken away and by the way the Canadian Liberals have joined with the Conservatives to chip away at the Canada Health Act under the guise of "reform."

Here in this country, HR 676 is nothing but a scheme to keep people trapped in the Democratic Party and even the Greens buy into this scheme instead of supporting a National Public Health Care System thereby slitting their own throats. Let us be very clear and up front about single-payer. Single-payer is:


Publicly financed in as much as the government taxes workers.


A combination of private and public administration... the public part mostly makes sure the for-profit interests get paid.


And it is exclusively privately delivered health care which means the American Medical Association and its members will dictate how health care is delivered and to whom.


If anyone disagrees with me let them come forward and state their views. I invite the leaders of PNHP who read my posts and often respond through private messages to state their views right here.


And I invite all of those in the Green Party still pushing single-payer to explain their reasoning here. Let’s have a real discussion about health care reform.

Truth

I agree with Trump... the media hasn't done a good job with him.

Had the media been telling us the truth about Trump and his connections to organized crime he wouldn't be president today.

In fact, we can't rely on the corporate owned Main Stream Media to tell us the truth about anything.

If anyone is getting a raw deal from the Wall Street owned media it is us, the American people.

Team Perez and Ellison

Tom Perez and Keith Ellison are our new "resistance leaders."

If you are going to rely on them to stop Trump from wrecking what remains of the New Deal reforms, the destruction of public education and our planet and prevent nuclear war---

I suggest you take this action right now...

Bend over...

Put your head between your legs...

And kiss your ass "good-bye."

Can “Letters to the Editor” be catalysts for movement building?

In my opinion, this is the way to build movements provided we are also sharing these letters and our ideas with family, friends, neighbors and fellow workers.

If you are only writing the letters to politicians and not sharing them publicly they do no good at all... they end up in the "circular file."

But even the most reactionary politicians can be convinced to support progressive, pro-worker legislation.

Let me give you an example.

A long time ago I met with Gerald Ford to discuss extending unemployment benefits when he was still a Congressman and House Minority Leader.

We agreed to meet a second time with a larger group of people.

Gerald Ford had never supported any pro-worker legislation of any kind.

During our second meeting I showed him the petition we had begun circulating. He asked how many signatures we had. I told him a couple hundred and he laughed. But, he said, come back with ten thousand signatures on your petition in a month and I will support this legislation to extend unemployment benefits. Obviously he thought we couldn't get the signatures.

I met with the president of the local labor council and told him what Ford said. He didn't believe Ford would go along.

So, I called a press conference at the unemployment office and said what Ford told us. The media went back to Ford and asked him. He acknowledged he told us that.

So, we started a massive letter writing campaign, turned the published letters into leaflets and tabled using these leaflets at the unemployment office, supper markets, public parks, at plant gates and on college campuses.

We held small street corner demonstrations at busy pedestrian crossings.

We collected over 25,000 signatures in less than a month... Ford kept his promise and got a slew of Republicans to support the legislation that even many Democrats had opposed until Ford announced he was voting for it.

Because of our "little" campaign supporting extending unemployment benefits workers today get extended benefits when unemployment goes above a certain level.

By the way... Gerald Ford later told me he would never again make such an agreement with me.

It is possible to build movements capable of winning using methods like this even when dealing with the most reactionary politicians if we work in the right way.

We have prevented foreclosures using such methods and won welfare benefits for people, too.

I was very involved working with U.S. Senators Phil Hart and Gaylord Nelson and we forced Nixon to agree to very progressive environmental legislation.

I was also very involved in the national movement that won free school lunches for children from poor families... we used very similar methods. This movement started with about a dozen people sitting around in a living room talking about the problem.

Just ask the Liberal Party in Canada what kind of movement they came up against when they tried to deport me and my family using similar methods.

When the movement against the Vietnam War first started we worked in the same way.

And the movement to free Angela Davis began in the same way.

I don't buy the non-struggle position that it does no good to write letters and circulate petitions, sign onto statements, and have personal meetings with even the most reactionary politicians...

But, if people are not going to work together in an agreed upon way towards a common objective...


You are right, writing letters, etc. will do no good.

So, if I am the only one writing such letters, the politicians will just laugh at me. What I have found is that once a few people start initiating a struggle in this way it starts to spread. People like to see everyone working together and it encourages them to get involved.

The idea is to think of letter writing as part of movement building.

We all need health care, don't we? What better reform to build a movement around?

And one of the most important things is for these politicians to see movements growing. They can't stand it when they can't stop a movement with phony promises.

You know, when it comes to health care reform it really can't hurt to write a letter to the editor similar to the one I wrote... try it; and try using the letter after it gets published and meet with your members of the U.S. Senate and member of Congress--- show them your published letter and let them know you are talking to everyone you can.

Politicians understand a very simple rule of advertising... when people are happy they don't say much; but, when people aren't happy and they start talking to everyone there is a problem that could end up destroying what it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to create goodwill with buyers.

Maybe your letter won't do any good; but, can it do any harm?

I called U.S. Senator Ted Cruz after my letter was published and told him to check out my letter to the editor. I told Cruz I want to meet with him. I doubt he wants to meet with me but I am willing to bet before I am done he is going to meet with me to discuss health care reform.

I am sure I am going to hear from a bunch of people who will say I'm full of shit. That we can't ever hope to get anything from these politicians.

But, here is the thing... if we want to win this kind of reform right now we are going to have to force these politicians to sit down and talk. They are, unfortunately, what we have for the moment.

We need a movement for a National Public Health Care System

The Republican members of Congress, who were thrilled with the vicious Tea Party attacks organized by the John Birch Society and paid for by the likes of the Koch brothers, are now bemoaning the raucous "paid attendees" at their own "town hall" meetings.

The problem as I see it, is these politicians holding these "town hall" meetings are probably the only paid attendees there--- they are paid, bribed, by Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce and the American Medical Association.

How are "We the People" going to get a voice in the decision-making process if we don't organize and raise hell?

Out of sight, is out of mind.

No wonder the politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, would rather working people keep their mouths shut.

The Democrats are really no better than the Republicans because they are trying to contain us by using these town hall meetings to build support for Obamacare which is really nothing but the Romneycare developed by the reactionary Heritage Foundation and it should be rejected and called what it is:

"The Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010."

What don't need the private, free enterprise, for-profit health care schemes the Democrats or Republicans are selling are selling on behalf of the AMA, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry...

What we need is very simple and straight forward but we are not going to get it without an organized movement demanding it:

A National Public Health Care System.

Publicly funded.

Publicly administered.

Publicly delivered.

This is nothing controversial... it is just like public education.

Free health care dispensed through a national network of community and neighborhood health care centers.

Pay for it all with the Peace Dividend that would be derived by putting an end to this insane military spending and financing these dirty wars.

Now is the time to speak up and speak out.

Wall Street has its high paid lobbyists trying to sell us their schemes.

What we need is a powerful and well organized "People's Lobby"--- of you and me and our friends and neighbors and fellow workers (We the People)--- to insist on a National Public Health Care System paid for with a Peace Dividend.

Tell these politicians you want peace and real health care reform.

Write a "Letter to the Editor" and make sure these politicians see it. Print it as a leaflet with a petition on the other side...

Here is my Letter to the Editor published in the Austin American-Statesman which every single politician in Texas reads:

Re: Feb. 9 article, “Trump looks to stabilize health insurance market”

So, the “health” — read: profits — of the health insurance industry supersedes the human right of access to health care?

Left out of the discussion is the real solution to this health care mess, which would eliminate the health insurance industry: national public health care based on the public education model. Publicly financed. Publicly administered. Publicly delivered.

It makes more sense to finance a network of publicly funded neighborhood and community health care centers across the country dispensing free health care for everyone instead of squandering the precious wealth of our nation maintaining over 800 military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street’s interests and wasting trillions of dollars on these dirty wars from which only the Wall Street merchants profit.

ALAN MAKI, LAKEWAY

Something like this... Distribute this at a town hall meeting... just add your name and a contact number or e-mail address at the bottom:

Campaign for a “21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity”

We are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and then failing to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.

We are fed up with our tax dollars being squandered on militarism and wars instead of being used to create jobs by solving the problems of the people and defending our living environment… its time to beat swords into plowshares. Put people to work solving the problems of the people.

A National Public Health Care System would create over twelve-million new jobs paying real living wages providing people with free health care--- general medical, eyes, ears, dental, family planning and mental health--- through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers; this is a better use of our tax-dollars than wasting our human and financial resources on a far flung empire of over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. Or, it could be financed the same way Social Security is financed. Public funding. Public administration. Public delivery… nothing controversial; just like public education.

A National Public Child Care System would create over three-million new jobs providing working class families with free child care.

We need to restore C.E.T.A., WPA and CCC.

“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded to expand democracy in the workplace and provide workers with the right to freely participate in the communities where they live.

All attacks on immigrant workers, documented and undocumented, need to end.

Planned Parenthood needs to be defended and programs expanded.

We insist Congress and the president enact full employment legislation which makes them legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment; assure everyone who wants a job employment at real living wages in line with the actual cost-of-living.

Full employment would provide stability for Social Security; everyone paying in; everyone getting something out. Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end. Restore the Glass-Steagall Act.

We are entitled to a Peace Dividend.

The struggle continues... more organization and unity is required.

With a cheap computer, very cheap printer and some ink and paper we have the resources to have an office for the revolution in every home. We just aren't organizing effectively yet. If we came together around a few common concerns this rotten government could be brought down and the whole capitalist system replaced with socialism and a real people's democracy.

Gather a few friends together and get going.

Each of us is like a little raindrop... alone confronting the system we don't amount to much--- but, let it pour!

If we each had a little project like this going we would have a real movement across the country in no time.

Think in terms of organizing this kind of project in every single voting precinct across the country.

If you don't want to write your own leaflet just print off copies of my letter to the Editor and pass it out as a leaflet:

Re: Feb. 9 article, “Trump looks to stabilize health insurance market”


So, the “health” — read: profits — of the health insurance industry supersedes the human right of access to health care?


Left out of the discussion is the real solution to this health care mess, which would eliminate the health insurance industry: national public health care based on the public education model. Publicly financed. Publicly administered. Publicly delivered.


It makes more sense to finance a network of publicly funded neighborhood and community health care centers across the country dispensing free health care for everyone instead of squandering the precious wealth of our nation maintaining over 800 military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street’s interests and wasting trillions of dollars on these dirty wars from which only the Wall Street merchants profit.

ALAN MAKI, LAKEWAY, TEXAS



This is the way my Letter looked in the newspaper:

And this is a little petition I have been circulating:

Campaign for a “21^st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity”

We are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and then failing to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.

We are fed up with our tax dollars being squandered on militarism and wars instead of being used to create jobs by solving the problems of the people and defending our living environment… its time to beat swords into plowshares. Put people to work solving the problems of the people.

A National Public Health Care System would create over twelve-million new jobs paying real living wages providing people with free health care---  general medical, eyes, ears, dental, family planning and mental health--- through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers; this is a better use of our tax-dollars than wasting our human and financial resources on a far flung empire of over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. Or, it could be financed the same way Social Security is financed. Public funding. Public administration. Public delivery… nothing controversial; just like public education.

A National Public Child Care System would create over three-million new jobs providing working class families with free child care.

We need to restore C.E.T.A., WPA and CCC.

“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded to expand democracy in the workplace and provide workers with the right to freely participate in the communities where they live.

All attacks on immigrant workers, documented and undocumented, need to end.

Planned Parenthood needs to be defended and programs expanded.

We insist Congress and the president enact full employment legislation which makes them legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment; assure everyone who wants a job employment at real living wages in line with the actual cost-of-living.

Full employment would provide stability for Social Security; everyone paying in; everyone getting something out.  Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end. Restore the Glass-Steagall Act.

We are entitled to a Peace Dividend.

Name                                 Address                               City              State              E-mail

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Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood.

Return to: Alan L. Maki;   phone: 651-587-5541   or e-mail: red_finn@live.com 

The Austin American-Statesman publishes my "Letter to the Editor."

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/opinion/letters-the-editor-february-2017/V5dVviS94TkwvZwtyMpqTK/

Re: Feb. 9 article, “Trump looks to stabilize health insurance market”


So, the “health” — read: profits — of the health insurance industry supersedes the human right of access to health care?


Left out of the discussion is the real solution to this health care mess, which would eliminate the health insurance industry: national public health care based on the public education model. Publicly financed. Publicly administered. Publicly delivered.


It makes more sense to finance a network of publicly funded neighborhood and community health care centers across the country dispensing free health care for everyone instead of squandering the precious wealth of our nation maintaining over 800 military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street’s interests and wasting trillions of dollars on these dirty wars from which only the Wall Street merchants profit.


ALAN MAKI, LAKEWAY

Bill McKibben and Rolling Stone

Great article with a few things missing.


I am glad to hear Bill McKibben tell people not to be patient with Pruitt and Trump.


We were through Oklahoma a couple months back and stopped in Picher, Oklahoma.

If anyone wants to find out where our future lies with leaving the decision-making process in the hands of the Pruitts of this world I would suggest you become acquainted with Picher, Oklahoma...


Oklahoma is Scott Pruitt's home state:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picher,_Oklahoma


Quite frankly, I don't understand why Bill McKibben overlooked Picher, Oklahoma in this article he wrote in Rolling Stone.


In communications I had with Bill McKibben he said he was going to start pointing out the relationship between environmentalism and peace. For some reason he still hasn't made the connection.


Perhaps if everyone who shares his article in Rolling Stone would encourage people to read about Picher, Oklahoma they would understand the connection better between the destruction of our environment, global warming and climate change and the military industrial complex seeing as how the bullets made from lead mined in Picher were used for wars... the lead that killed others in far off places ended up killing Picher, Oklahoma... there is a lesson to be learned here.


I wish I would have known about Picher, Oklahoma and Scott Pruitt when I wrote this article for Canadian Dimension magazine:

https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/climate-change-and-the-military-industrial-complex1

Bill McKibben's New Battle Plan for the Planet's Climate Crisis

One of the country's leading activists on Trump's Cabinet of climate deniers, and what we can do to resist their fossil-fuel-loving agenda.

rollingstone.com

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood

Are you fed up?

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood from a working class point of view

Published by: Alan L. Maki... a rank-and-file working class activist

Retired member of Unite-H.E.R.E. Local 17

Contact info: Phone: 651-587-5541    E-mail: red_finn@live.com

Check out my blog on the Internet: The Podunk Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

There is a crisis Wall Street's bribed politicians and and over-paid pundits and “economists” refuse to talk about:

The “cost-of-living crisis” which every single working class family has to grapple with in trying to make ends meet on constantly dwindling pay-checks.

As prices rise our pay-checks dwindle because we can't purchase as much.

As workers we create the wealth from which Wall Street profits but we get less and less in return for our labor and the Wall Street parasites exploiting us get more and more.

We, as workers, have a right to have a say in the decision-making process. In spite of all the talk about democracy, workers have been systematically excluded from the political and economic decision-making processes which affects our lives.

No one wants to talk about the relationship between wages and cost-of-living; what goods and services we can purchase with our wages... or, what we can't purchase with our wages--- things like health care.

When we can't purchase the basic necessities of life with our wages we are poor.

Why is it so hard for the over-paid pundits and party hacks to figure out what poverty is?

Politicians bribed by employers use the levers of government like Minimum Wage legislation to hold wages down but do nothing to keep prices from rising.

Prices rise for several reasons.

The two main reasons for rapid price increases are bloated military spending and monopoly price-fixing.

When the government will pay any price for anything from oil and gas to food, medicine and clothing to keep the military machine going this pushes up the prices of everything we need to live, too.

Monopoly price-fixing. The huge monopolies set their prices based on what they think the market will bear. It makes no difference to them whether people can afford to eat or access health care or drive to work at their poverty wage paying jobs. Maximum profits is their only concern.

In spite of all the talk about “free markets” there is very little free market when the huge monopolies dominate the economy and life of the country.

We need a government of, by and for the people--- We The People; isn't this supposed to be what our country is about?

We need a government which will use its power to bring the Minimum Wage in line with actual “cost-of-living” factors.

Working people without jobs are going to be poor.

Politicians talk about “jobs, jobs, jobs” but once elected refuse to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.

The hypocrisy is endless and never-ending just like the wars, poverty and unemployment.

We need a government which will work for peace, people and the environment first.

Wall Street is running this country; this is the main problem.

As working people, we need to challenge Wall Street for political and economic power. Power should not be in the hands of the greedy few who find wars more profitable than peace. Poverty amidst such tremendous wealth is morally unacceptable.

This is the richest country in the world. If we can't put an end to poverty what other country can?

These wars are making us all poor as the wealth of the Nation created by workers is squandered on militarism and wars.

The large pool of unemployed, under-employed and workers employed at poverty wages drives all wages down.

These Wall Street employers profit from low wages in the same way they profit from these never-ending dirty wars.

Wages going down; prices going up. This is what has created the “cost-of-living crisis” no one wants to talk about.

Working class families caught up in this “cost-of-living crisis” are cautioned to “be patient” and more “frugal.” We are preached to by the politicians that we must be satisfied with “inching our way to economic justice;” that reforms must be carried out “incrementally” in “baby steps” so as not to offend the Wall Street overlords.

Democrats are pushing a form of “populist economics” using progressive sounding rhetoric but free from real solutions to our problems which doesn't consider the link between lack of healthcare, crumbling infrastructure, underfunded public schools, poverty, unemployment, racism and militarism and wars.

As a society, we need these Wall Street parasites about as much as dogs need ticks and fleas.

The “cost-of-living” crisis is about poverty.

Politicians can put on a huge “bi-partisan” blitz to drum up support for their dirty wars.

Politicians can put on a blitz to finance stadiums for the billionaire owners of professional sports teams.

So, why can't these same politicians put on a blitz to end this “cost-of-living crisis” and poverty?

Politics in this country is like buying a package of pork chops at the super-market... the bad ones are always hidden on the bottom... and we sure got a bad one with Donald Trump but Hillary Clinton was just as bad leaving us with little choice... just like buying the family pack of pork chops--- the bad ones are hidden and covered with a couple good ones. Everything becomes a racket under capitalism... and workers are forced to pay the price... be the price war or the “cost-of-living crisis” neither of which Wall Street's bribed politicians from the Democratic or Republican parties are ever going to do anything about.

Working people need a new political party.

Our agenda would be very straightforward and simple:
Campaign for a “21^st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity”

We are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and then failing to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.

We are fed up with our tax dollars being squandered on militarism and wars instead of being used to create jobs by solving the problems of the people and defending our living environment… its time to beat swords into plowshares. Put people to work solving the problems of the people.

A National Public Health Care System would create over twelve-million new jobs paying real living wages providing people with free health care---  general medical, eyes, ears, dental, family planning and mental health--- through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers; this is a better use of our tax-dollars than wasting our human and financial resources on a far flung empire of over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. Or, it could be financed the same way Social Security is financed. Public funding. Public administration. Public delivery… nothing controversial; just like public education.

A National Public Child Care System would create over three-million new jobs providing working class families with free child care.

We need to restore C.E.T.A., WPA and CCC.

“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded to expand democracy in the workplace and provide workers with the right to freely participate in the communities where they live.

All attacks on immigrant workers, documented and undocumented, need to end.

Planned Parenthood needs to be defended and programs expanded.

We insist Congress and the president enact full employment legislation which makes them legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment; assure everyone who wants a job employment at real living wages in line with the actual cost-of-living.

Full employment would provide stability for Social Security; everyone paying in; everyone getting something out.  Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end. Restore the Glass-Steagall Act.

We are entitled to a Peace Dividend.

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

What's all this talk about "deep state?"

There is a very bizarre line of thought making the rounds... that both Obama and Trump have been had by those inside the intelligence community working for the Wall Street merchants of death and destruction, the masters of war, who want to whip up animosities with Russia in order to keep the very profitable arms industry humming along.

The thinking goes that Trump wants peace with Russia and he is being undermined by this insidious intelligence community that is some kind of unelected government within the elected government.

This is being called a "deep state" government.

In fact, both Obama, Trump and Clinton--- just like all the presidents going back to, and including, Harry Truman--- have been part of Wall Street's state monopoly capitalist government in the era of imperialism.

There are no "good guys" and "bad guys" in these governments--- they are all bad guys to the extent they have carried out Wall Street's thoroughly reactionary agenda of wars abroad paid for by shoving austerity measures down the throats of working people.

We pay for these wars through the nose with higher taxes for which we get nothing in return except a crumbling public school system, no child care, going without decent housing and without health care and an entire infrastructure, from roads, bridges and highways to dams and public buildings, collapsing.

Obama's supporters would like us to believe there were hidden sinister forces at work who prevented him from doing what is right and now we are hearing the same thing about Trump--- not only from his supporters, but from those even claiming to be leftists who are willing to sit out the struggles against Trump because they claim he is for peace with Russia even though they make no mention of his drive to war with China.

We are supposed to trust Trump to work for peace with Russia. Trump was not brought to power by Wall Street to work for peace... Hillary Clinton would have faithfully carried out Wall Street's agenda, too.

Obama and Trump are part and parcel of this Wall Street government; they are enablers of these warmongers in the intelligence community.

There is no "hidden" government or "deep state" government that is not known.

What we know if presidents (and even former presidents like Lyndon Johnson) do go against Wall Street's interests, they get marginalized. Those like Franklin D. Roosevelt get ganged up on and replaced with morons like Harry Truman. Others like John F. Kennedy who thought he could challenge the merchants of death and destruction get assassinated... but none of this dirty work is carried out by some kind of secret cabal--- these dirty deeds are carried out by those committed to defending and protecting this Wall Street government which has ruled this country for over one-hundred years.

We heard the same kind of stuff from some Bernie Sanders supporters; they said he couldn't go against the military industrial complex because he would be killed.

Well, we know violence is a big part of how those in power maintain their power; no different from the union-busting thugs hired by Trump and other corporate executives to stop union organizing drives and put an end to strikes.

Of course we, the people, are not privy to how or why decisions are made because we are not part of Wall Street.

The thing is, for years phony liberals, phony progressives and even phony leftists have tried to sidestep the reality of capitalism in its most advanced decadent, barbaric, savage, cannibalistic stage of imperialism.

Make no mistake about this... we are all living atop what can only be considered a powder keg with a fuse ready to be lit.

We are dealing with huge and very powerful imperialist countries like our own country, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and weaker imperialist countries like Canada and Italy.

These capitalist countries can not be "democratized" to serve the interests of the people. These can be no "people's capitalism" or as some, like Robert Reich, who make pretenses to being liberal calling for a "return" to "stake-holder capitalism" or some kind of "conscious capitalism" or a "compassionate capitalism."

If we want to prevent the fuse from being lit we need to forge very powerful broad fronts of the people that are anti-monopoly and anti-imperialist with international bonds with the peoples of the world--- especially with people in these other imperialist countries and other people oppressed by these imperialist countries.

We have had many intellectual try to beat around the bush talking about anything and everything except imperialism and to try to escape this by inventing terms like "empire" or "deep state" only hinder the development of building a massive anti-monopoly/anti-imperialist people's front. The longer we put off building this kind of coalition the more dangerous the world becomes and the more likely it becomes that some of these powerful imperialist countries will come to blows causing World War Three and an all out nuclear war only those who can afford ten year bunkers will "survive."

Don't expect any capitalist politicians to work for peace because Wall Street has brought them forward to wage wars... there is nothing secret about this.

End capitalism by building socialism and we will have a world at peace. This is the only way out of the mess we are in.

Who would even think a stupid, lying, anti-worker, anti-woman, racist, goose-stepping fascist bastard like Trump who appoints a pathetic excuse for a human being like Steve Bannon and then boasts he is going to increase military spending to build the most ghastly armaments is capable of pursuing policies of peace?

Trump is not being undermined by any kind of "deep state" intelligence community--- he is part of this Wall Street imperialist cabal of merchants of death and destruction.

If we want to beat swords into plowshares to reap a Peace Dividend this is going to take united action by the people to challenge Wall Street for political and economic power--- there is no ferreting out some kind of secret hidden "deep state" government that will bring peace.

Robert McNamara told us how this rotten government works when it comes to war before he died... and in his own way, by endorsing George McGovern, Lyndon Johnson told us what was needed, too.