One of those things that is hard to believe.

This is one of those things that is almost impossible to believe. When I first heard about this a few days ago I thought it was something from "The Onion" or a hoax. So I called the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and they refused to comment except for providing me with this link to their website:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2013/13-039.iii.pdf

This is one of those things that you just have to read over and over again and you are still left wondering if it is really real.

But, it is for real. Anyone who doesn't believe me can call the NRC themselves.

Apparently the Obamacare folks aren't the only ones having problems with their website links because I couldn't get the links at the end of this press release to work.

When I called the NRC back asking why the links weren't working they said they were very busy people and when they had the time they would get around to it.

I then asked if they could direct me to any links on their website about Fukushima. I was told that they were not a research facility for the general public and in effect told me to bone up on my Internet skills.

Obama supporters Carl Davidson and Jay Jurie have come out attacking me like a couple right-wing bigots... this is my response to them.

The argument isn't over an "inside/outside" strategy. The problem arises because these people pushing this strategy aren't even doing what they say others should be doing. They promote this so-called "strategy" in order to undermine the struggles of the working class. Carl Davidson says he doesn't go to Democratic Party meetings, caucuses, conventions--- does Jay? Apparently neither of them have ever been to a re-districting meeting. Members of PDA and CCDS were no place to be found as we conducted a state-wide struggle--- for six years--- to win passage of the best resolution in the Democratic Party in support of single-payer universal health care; they never spoke up at precinct caucus meetings, they never supported our precinct caucus resolutions 9hundreds of them)... but, after our resolution passed... out come the members of PDA and CCDS to do what? Make a motion recommending that the State Central Committee of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party be given authority to modify the resolution with the insertion of the word "affordable." In order to make sure the resolution was not brought forward into the Democratic Party National Convention as a counter to the for-profit Obamacare. And PDA along with John Conyers, claiming to represent the single-payer movement "negotiated" a health care resolution with the Obama group for passage at the National Convention.

I have been an elected member of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party's State Central Committee, an elected delegate to NUMEROUS state conventions and I believe in working with honest grassroots activists who make their political homes inside the Democratic Party while advocating for the re-establishment of a new political party along the lines of the old socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party--- the most successful ever--- third party movement here in the United States which neither Davidson, Jurie nor PDA and CCDS will acknowledge and encourage people to learn from; a party which, quite literally, elected thousands of workers, farmers, small business people and professionals to all kinds of public offices including: two socialist governors, a majority in the state house and almost captured a majority in the state senate, sent people like John Bernard to Congress and elected United States Senators not to mention majorities to dozens of city councils, county commissions, hundreds to school boards and park commissions. For close to thirty years, the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party was the dominant player in Minnesota politics.

What kind of people push an "inside-outside" strategy without themselves being involved "inside?"

I would like to see the resolutions Carl Davidson and Jay Jurie have drafted for use INSIDE the Democratic Party for county and state conventions and precinct caucuses condemning Obama's wars, for keeping mines, mills and factories open under public ownership/nationalization, for single-payer/public health care, child care, on the minimum wage being a real living wage, for a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity" (the Full Employment Act of 1945 modified for the present conditions).

Anyone who is going to advocate for an "inside-outside" strategy had better be involved "inside" themselves.

In addition, this "inside-outside" strategy is misleading because it does not call for building a new working class based progressive people's party similar to Canada's socialist New Democratic Party.

Carl Davidson has the nerve to play the most disgusting speech by Richard Trumka in support of Obama which is nothing but the most pathetic form of racist patronization and he doesn't play for us the leaders of the AFL-CIO's speeches in Canada praising labor's controlling role in the New Democratic Party.

Obama was never a friend of labor. Obama was never an advocate of civil and human rights. Obama has never been anything other than an opportunist, self-serving politician looking out for his own interests by working on behalf of corporate America to undermine the movements of the people for peace, social and economic progress because that is the role of the foundation-funded outfits that Obama has worked for and served so well.

Who are the great "philanthropists" who fund these foundations? They are the very Wall Street parasites who profit from creating all these problems now causing working people so much misery. These great "philanthropists" are the Fortune 400-plus multi-billionaires--- these parasites are not going to fund anything that will lead to the demise of their control over society.

Have Carl Davidson or Jay Jurie ever proposed real progressives and leftists to be in Obama's cabinet? No. If so, let's see where they have done so.

We are being fed a line of bullshit by these two--- it is as plain and simple as that.

Wall Street can not be challenged for political and economic power without building a political party and movement to accomplish this most basic and essential task.

Carl Davidson and Jay Jurie along with their organizations propose nothing but support for worthless Democrats looking out for Wall Street's interests.

What is causing the havoc and division in the left, today?

It is those pushing for support for Democratic Party warmongers who wage and finance these wars, subsidize the billionaires at the expense of those they cut from Food Stamps and heating assistance while hiring an outfit like Xerox to collect delinquent student loans while working from huge call centers in the Bahamas where workers are paid FIFTEEN CENTS an hour.

Come on, Davidson and Jurie, let's here your solutions to the problems working people are experiencing.

Hyatt Hotel heiress Penny Pritzker became U.S. Commerce Secretary in June, with near-unanimous confirmation by the Senate, 97-1. She revealed in filings that she made $160 million in 2012, part of the reason her fortune has risen $400 million since last year. Most of that was from a onetime payout, FORBES learned, from family members for overseeing the decadelong unwinding of the shared Pritzker family fortune, which included industrial conglomerate Marmon, credit-reporting firm Transunion and other investments.

This is the real face of the Obama Administration...



What we don't hear from Davidson and Jurie is that the candidate they backed appointed this poor-bashing, union-busting Wall Street parasite while Democrats join Republicans in cutting Food Stamps as Penny Pritzker reaps $1.6 million in farm subsidies--- Her Chicago Mill & Lumber Co. received $1,604,288 in cotton, soybean, corn, sorghum, wheat, rice, oat and other farm subsidies from 1996 to 2006--- remember United States Senator Eastland--- he was a piker when it came to receiving farm subsidies compared to Obama's appointment who is worth well over two-billion dollars, and counting.

And working people can't even get a real living Minimum Wage out of these Democrats--- in fact, no state unit of the Democratic Party nor National Convention has ever passed a resolution calling for the Minimum Wage to be a real living wage--- but, over 300 DFL precinct caucuses here in Minnesota did pass the Minimum Wage resolution I wrote calling for the Minimum Wage to be tied to all cost of living factors--- but, like our peace resolution calling for an end to aid to Israel, it failed to pass through the state convention.

I don't know what people riding around with shotguns in Pennsylvania has to do with anything when it comes to politics since lots of people in Minnesota are hunters and ride around with shotguns, too, but this doesn't influence how they think or act.

Any vitriol Davidson and Jurie have experienced they brought on to themselves with their lies in support of a bunch of worthless Wall Street warmongers like Obama.
I have even mentioned these barbaric drone wars or how every single one of the politicians they have endorsed and supported back the Israeli killing machine to the hilt.

Working people without jobs are going to be poor.

Editor Ellen Paquin;

Permission to edit as seen fit is granted. The letter is 212 words.

I would appreciate you considering publishing this Letter to the Editor in The St. Ignace News.

Alan L. Maki

While traveling through Michigan's Upper Peninsula in October, I met with many people.

One of the main concerns I heard from people was about the deplorable poverty; yet, when was the last time you heard a politician talk about ending poverty?

But, more to the point; why don't we have a massive movement in this country determined to put an end to poverty?

Working people without jobs are going to be poor.

Working people paid poverty wages are going to be poor.

Seems to me a real living Minimum Wage tied to real cost of living factors is a basic and minimal requirement towards ending poverty with government assuming full responsibility for attaining and maintaining full employment which is so basic to ending poverty that it would seem that any politician talking about "jobs, jobs, jobs" when campaigning for election would be the very first, upon being elected, to introduce legislation requiring that the President and members of Congress mandate the responsibility for full employment to themselves lest they be viewed as hypocrites.

Instead of voting to fund militarism and wars which kill jobs the same way they kill people, we need to elect people to public office who will enact a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity."

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell phone: 651-587-5541

e-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Postal Union Calls For a ‘Grand Alliance’ to Save the Public Post Office

This is a good initiative; but will they also conclude there is a need to break free from the two-party trap:

Postal Union Calls For a ‘Grand Alliance’
to Save the Public Post Office
APWU News Bulletin 21-2013, Nov. 7, 2013
http://www.apwu.org/news/nsb/2013/nsb21-dimonstein-grand_alliance.htm

In an impassioned speech before more than 1,000 union members, the newly-elected national president of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimondstein, issued a call for a “grand alliance” to save the USPS as a public postal service and to protect postal jobs. 

“Writing to Congress is important,” he declared, “but it is not enough. Lobbying for legislation is important, but it is not enough.” To succeed, postal workers must build a movement, he said.



“When the Flint sit-down strikers occupied a General Motors plant in the 1930s, labor law reform was won. When women took to the streets to demand the right to vote, they won. When courageous civil rights workers fought segregation with sit-ins and boycotts, the 1964 Civil Rights Act followed,” Dimondstein said.



“History shows that movements move Congress. Movements create legislative victories, not the other way around,” he said.

“We must build a grand alliance between the people of this country and postal workers,” he proclaimed. “We must mobilize our allies and their organizations, including seniors, retirees, civil rights organizations, veterans groups, the labor movement, community and faith-based organizations, the Occupy movement, and business groups in defense of America’s right to vibrant public postal services,” he said.



The labor movement is in dire straits, Dimondstein acknowledged. “Anything that stands for the public good — public libraries, public education, public utilities, public transportation and public postal services — is under severe attack, as are public workers and our unions.”



“A revitalized labor movement is indeed possible,” he declared, as he urged union members to join together to defend a public Postal Service and good union jobs.



Eighty APWU national officers were sworn in on Nov. 7. Their three-year terms begin Nov. 12.

At Swearing-In Ceremony: Dimondstein Issues Call For a ‘Grand Alliance’

www.apwu.org

In an impassioned speech before more than 1,000 union members, the newly-elected president of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimondstein, issued a call for a “grand alliance” to save the

Guest blog: Philippine Loss From Typhoon Haiyan Colossal

Brian McAfee
2838 Mason Blvd.
Muskegon Hts.,  MI 49444
USA
(231) 737-8726
brimac6@hotmail.com 




                                            Philippine  Loss From Typhoon  Haiyan Colossal

                                                                           by Brian McAfee

   On Friday, November 8, Typhoon Haiyan smashed into the island of Samar, on the eastern central part of the archipelago, completely destroying many towns and villages on the sea shore. so far reports estimate over 1,200 deaths but that number is expected to rise.  Many were evacuated to higher ground prior to Haiyan's arrival as meteorologists had been tracking it and put out warnings. The Philippines is along the Ring of Fire and is prone to earth quakes and typhoons. 

Many of the Philippines poorest live on the sea shore. I believe The Philippines,with a population of 98 million, consisting of 7,107 islands,of which only 2,000 are inhabited, should have a public works program to assist the newly homeless poor with housing and with aid organization and/or other funding rebuilding homes  etc. on higher ground poor to higher ground, particularly after this. 

The Philippines had not yet fully recovered from typhoons and earthquakes that had occurred earlier in the year.  This tragedy is more evidence of a changing earth, the frequency and intensity of typhoons such as this and perhaps a bit harder to nail down,  with any certainty, earthquakes.


The need is great for the people of the Philippines. Large numbers of people are in very desperate situations. I encourage people to help, here are a few aid organizations that are now helping people in the areas (in the Philippines ) where help is most needed.  Please specify that it is for Philippine typhoon relief.

                              UNICEF  secure@unicef.org

                              OXFAM   info@oxfam.com

                                Red Cross 


Note: There are now over 10,000 people dead.

 

What we learned from Tuesday's Election.

So, one thing that was learned in Tuesday's election is that when given the opportunity, people will vote for socialist candidates. But, we knew this all along; that is why the Democrats and Republicans try so hard to prevent other parties from gaining ballot access by placing all kinds of undemocratic barriers and restrictions in their path.

Here in Minnesota, activists like Michael Cavlan with his Open Progressive Party and the late Greg Paquin and Nicole Buckanaga opened the door with the Warriors for Justice Party.

There is no better time than now for activists to get engaged in electoral politics.

The unifying issues are clear:

Peace.

Full Employment/Living wages.

Real Health Care reform.

Protection of our living environment.

Build electoral coalitions to run candidates for Congress and we will have developed long-term political viability reaching into local and state races which compliment action in the streets and places of employment.

Much can be learned about winning and viability from studying the history of the old socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party of Floyd Olson, Elmer Benson and John Bernard.

Now is the time to challenge Wall Street for political and economic power--- the American people are just plain--- fed up.

And anti-Wall Street alternatives are looking better and better to many people.

Bill Fletcher, Jr. distorts history to fit in with his support for Obama and the Democrats.

At a meeting in Milwaukee hosted by a group of rank-and-file workers who are members of AFSCME where I was asked to make a presentation on the need for a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity," one of the participants informed me that the Harvard educated Bill Fletcher, Jr. spoke at a conference about labor history in Wisconsin.

While in Wisconsin I met with several other people who attended this conference, too.

I understand Fletcher made the erroneous claim that the Taft-Hartley Act was the beginning of the big business attack on labor.

Why does Bill Fletcher, Jr. knowingly falsify history in this way?

Fletcher is well aware that it was the fight between labor and Wall Street's organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, etc. that marked the beginning of Wall Street's attack on labor which one of the results was the Taft-Hartley Act.

But, why does Fletcher intentionally omit any mention of this ferocious and bitter hard fought struggle over the "Full Employment Act of 1945" which labor lost?

Because, if Fletcher mentioned this struggle over the "Full Employment Act of 1945" he would then have to explain that this Act would have required the president and Congress to attain and maintain full employment; and, then, Fletcher and his left-wing Obama supporters would have to explain why they are pushing the Democrat's agenda of continuing to make full employment a voluntary "goal" instead of pushing forward a labor agenda making full employment a mandatory requirement.

Fletcher and his Obama supporting pals are afraid of a huge battle that would be a rematch of the fight over the "Full Employment Act of 1945" because then Democrats would be held accountable every time they mouthed the words, "jobs, jobs, jobs."

I give Kevin Zeese a lesson about full employment.

Kevin,

I have kind of set for myself the task of getting politicians to understand the difference between full employment being a "goal" and a mandated "requirement." This is a dirty job; but someone has to do it.

Do you understand the difference between a "Full Employment Act" which makes full employment a "goal" and one that makes full employment a "requirement?"

As the Attorney General of the Green Shadow Cabinet, I think we have a right to expect you to:

1. Acknowledge you understand the difference; and,

2. Tell us which you support.

It would be helpful to all concerned that the Green Party provide its position on these two points, too.

I am assuming you agree with me that we all have a right to have these two points answered?

Have you read the "Full Employment Act of 1945" and the Congressional testimony? Here is a link. Click on the very top "botton/tab" in the upper right-hand corner.

You may consult "Black's Law Dictionary" or any common dictionary for the definition of a "goal" and a "requirement."

Let me make it easy for you. Here are the definitions.

Perhaps you are like those Canadians and figure a "goal" is a point scored in hockey? My grandkids think a "goal" is a point scored in soccer. Well, there is another definition of "goal," too:

goal

noun \ˈgōl, chiefly Northern especially in 1b & 3a also ˈgül\

: something that you are trying to do or achieve
: an area or object into which a ball or puck must be hit, kicked, etc., to score points in various games (such as soccer and hockey)

: the act of hitting, kicking, etc., a ball or puck into a goal or the score that results from doing this

​Here is the definition of "requirement:"

re·quire·ment

noun \-ˈkwī(-ə)r-mənt\

: something that is needed or that must be done

: something that is necessary for something else to happen or be done

:  something required:a :  something wanted or needed :  necessity  requirements>

b :  something essential to the existence or occurrence of something else :  condition  requirements for graduation>

Definitions of the words "goal" and "requirement" don't change because we are talking about jobs and full employment.

Here is the definition of "job:"

job

noun \ˈjäb\

: the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money
: a duty, task, or function that someone or something has

: something that requires very great effort

 JOB

1

a :  a piece of work; especially :  a small miscellaneous piece of work undertaken on order at a stated rateb :  the object or material on which work is being donec :  something produced by or as if by work  job>

d :  an example of a usually specified type :  item  job>

2

a :  something done for private advantage  job>

b :  a criminal enterprise; specifically :  robberyc :  a damaging or destructive bit of work  job on him>

3

a (1) :  something that has to be done :  task (2) :  an undertaking requiring unusual exertion  job to talk over that noise>

b :  a specific duty, role, or functionc :  a regular remunerative positiond chiefly British :  state of affairs —usually used with bad or good  job you didn't hit the old man — E. L. Thomas>

4

:  plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes  job>

— on the job

Examples of JOB

1. He took a job as a waiter.
2. She has a high-paying job on Wall Street.
3. She's trying to get a job in New York.
4. The new factory will create thousands of jobs.
5. They offered him the job but he turned it down.
6. The blood's job is to carry oxygen to the different parts of the body.
7. Construction of the bridge turned out to be a bigger job than they had expected.
8. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

​

Here is the definition of "full employment:"

full em·ploy·ment

noun

noun: full employment

1. 1.

   the condition in which virtually all who are able and willing to work are employed.

   
   

   
   

I hate to think what my job will be like when I have to start explaining to all of you what a real living Minimum Wage is or what causes poverty. Then if we get into the complex world of "cost of living" and "standard of living"... oy vey.

Alan L. Maki

 

For more information on "full employment," check out:

http://fullemploymentnow.blogspot.com/

Guest blog by Brian McAfee of Muskegon Hts., Michigan

Brian McAfee
2838 Mason Blvd.
Muskegon Hts.,  MI 49444
USA
(231) 737-8726
brimac6@hotmail.com  



6.6 Million Children Under the Age of Five Died Last Year Mostly from Easily Treatable Diseases.

                                                            
        by Brian McAfee

  Most of the deaths have been from pneumonia, malaria, or diarrhea.  Over 70% of these deaths have occurred in Africa and South-East Asia.  Nearly half of all under five deaths occur in five countries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, China, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

  The women and children of the Congo have had to endure two decades of warfare, hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees and systematic rape and other atrocities committed against the women and girls by both government soldiers and rebels.  This system is propped up by foreign mining of rare earth minerals for cell phones and other electronics.  Western governments and capitalism props up this system of abuse and violence.

  Nigeria accounts for more than 30% of early childhood deaths for malaria and 20% for HIV/AIDS.  According to the UN Nigeria accounts for one in every eight child death, this is a trend that must be combated.

  Other regions where the situation has been dire for tens of thousands of children are Cambodia, Guinea, Mozambique and Nepal.

  In Nepal 26,000+ children die before age 5 according to a Save the Children report.

  Angola and  Namibia are experiencing their worst drought in 30 years leaving more than 100,000 children without food according to UNICEF.

  There has been some progress, a two thirds reduction in child mortality in Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi and Tanzania.  Much of it from the work done by UNICEF, OXFAM, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.

  Another factor that can have a direct effect on people's well being is climate change.  The size and severity of floods in West Africa and droughts in East Africa.

  In President Obama's first inaugural address he said "To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work along side you to make your farms flourish and let clean water flow."

  Leading proponents of an ongoing concern and care for the poor and the needy of the world have included Mahatma Gandhi,  Gandhi said "I believe implicitly that all men are born equal.  All whether in India or in England or America or in any circumstance or in any circumstances whatever have the same soul as any other... I consider that it is unmanly for any person to claim superiority over a fellow being, he who claims superiority at once forfeits his claim to be called a man."

  Along with Gandhi the other twentieth century figure (though unlike Gandhi he is still with us) is Nelson Mandela who I admire for his decency, courage and his humanistic principles.  Nelson Mandela's ethics are based on the South African philosophy of Ubuntu, basically active human kindness and empathy.  Ubuntu ethics should be expanded globally.

   Time will tell on the full impact of a new Avatar in the pursuit of decency.  Malala Yousafzat, the 16 year old girl who was shot by the Taliban for going to school in Pakistan.  She has had surgeries, recuperated from her injuries and written a book.  Malala now follows/studies Badshah Khan non violent Islamist and protege of Gandhi.  While Malala's campaign for universal education for girls and women is a righteous one and deserves our support we should continue to bear in mind the thousands of girls in Swat Valley and other parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, whose names we do not know.

   Suggested reading

    All Men Are Brothers, Autobiographical Reflections - Gandhi
    A Man To Match His Mountains, Bashah Khan, Non Violent Soldiers of Islam by Eknath Easwaran

Eugene V. Debs

Today is the birthday of Eugene V. Debs, one of the most prominent Americans to be excluded (or at least greatly minimized) in our nation's history textbooks. Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana (where his home is now a museum operated by the http://www.debsfoundation.org/ ). He was a lifelong champion of labor, independent politics, socialism, peace, and civil liberties:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_V._Debs

http://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/

In honor of his birthday, Haymarket Books is offering (today only) a 50% discount on Ray Ginger's The Bending Cross, perhaps the best of the many biographies of Debs. See:

http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/The-Bending-Cross-A-Biography-of-Eugene-V-Debs Enter the coupon code EDEBS at checkout to purchase the book for only $9.

I highly recommend this book. If you already have a copy it would make a great holiday gift for someone.

Eugene Debs paved the way for breaking free from Wall Street's two-party trap. Debs received almost one-million votes for president while sitting in prison for his outspoken opposition to World War I.

Open Letter to Governor McCrory by North Carolinians of Good Will

This should be shared widely...

http://naacpnc.nationbuilder.com/open_letter_to_governor_mccrory

Open Letter to Governor McCrory

The letter was first crafted by four clergy who were arrested during Moral Mondays last Spring. They are the Initiators of this letter. They brought the letter to the NC NAACP 70^th Annual State Convention, where it was unanimously endorsed by over 600 delegates and friends. We warmly invite all North Carolinians who agree with its two requests to sign below. We also invite you to participate in our Moral Monday Service of Redemption at the State Capitol in Raleigh on Monday, December 23, 2013.

After collecting signatures, the NC NAACP will deliver this letter to Gov. McCrory on November 27th, 2013 during the Hanukkah and Thanksgiving season.

Open Letter to Governor McCrory by North Carolinians of Good Will

Dear Governor McCrory:

We, the undersigned concerned clergy and people of good will in North Carolina, have seen the devastating impacts of the immoral policies of our state legislature, supported and approved by you. We write to remind you that the measure of a society is its treatment of the least among us -- the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the incarcerated.

Our state's policies and practices are being weighed on the scales of justice. They, and all of us who stand on the sidelines and watch them go into effect without raising our voices, are judged on the criteria established in our faith traditions and the principles in our documents which first constituted our nation and state. No matter which measure of human decency is used, our moral profile is a scandal. We ask you to focus on two of the most arrogant and hurtful policies you supported and approved.

Your denial of Medicaid insurance to some 500,000 of our neighbors will cause many to be without health care. The denial of health care is not because of their inability to pay or their lack of concern for their health. Rather it is caused by their own government! When this ideological policy goes into effect, it will result, according to some estimates, in 2,000 of our North Carolina neighbors each year dying untimely, otherwise preventable, deaths. We therefore implore you to accept the federal funds available for medical insurance for our half million neighbors which you rejected for ideological reasons at the beginning of your term.

Meaningful employment and a living wage are necessary for human dignity. We believe everyone able to work, should work. We must acknowledge we are in financially difficult circumstances. Thousands of our neighbors are still struggling to find work. North Carolina has the fifth highest unemployment rate in the nation. We therefore implore you to accept the federal funds available for unemployment insurance for our 170,000 neighbors which you rejected for ideological reasons earlier this year.

You have the power to address these two inhumane policies. In less than 70 days their full fury will be felt by our neighbors, as they both go into effect on January 1, 2014. We respectfully request that you call a Special Redemption Session of the Legislature, and use your powers to guide them out of the ideological and moral dead-ends of these dumb inhumane policies. We would be pleased to celebrate with you, on the Moral Monday that falls on December 23, 2013, when you lead the state away from these acts of moral irresponsibility.

We shall hold a Moral Monday Service of Redemption. The many faith and ethical traditions our Moral Monday movement represent all have special days we celebrate during this season.

You have said that as you govern you are "not afraid to step on toes." As you step on toes, we pray you will not step on God's toes. We pray you have the grace and wisdom to accept the federal funds for the medicaid and unemployment insurance for those who are eligible. We pray you will heed God's call. We pray you will listen to all faiths and ethical commands. We pray you will uphold our constitution.
In the spirit of our Holy Scriptures and the Constitution,

Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler,	Rev. Dr. William Turner
Elder Carrie Bolton,	Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II

The Initiators of this Letter

850 signatures

Will you sign?

First Name

Last Name

Email

Conference/Workshop being organized

Note: The New Progressive Alliance and Uniting People are looking for free space to hold a conference/workshop in Duluth, Minnesota on January 11 to initiate struggles for real health care reform, a living Minimum Wage and full employment legislation. Does anyone have suggestions? This will be free and open to the public. We will be taking this conference/workshop to other Minnesota cities, too; so any suggestions for free meeting places will be appreciated.

An excellent an informative read from Immanuel Wallerstein: "Consequences of U.S. Decline"

Commentary No. 364, November 1, 2013

"Consequences of U.S. Decline"

I have long argued that U.S. decline as a hegemonic power began circa 1970 and that a slow decline became a precipitate one during the presidency of George W. Bush. I first started writing about this in 1980 or so. At that time the reaction to this argument, from all political camps, was to reject it as absurd. In the 1990s, quite to the contrary, it was widely believed, again on all sides of the political spectrum, that the United States had reached the height of unipolar dominance. 

However, after the burst bubble of 2008, opinion of politicians, pundits, and the general public began to change. Today, a large percentage of people (albeit not everyone) accepts the reality of at least some relative decline of U.S. power, prestige, and influence. In the United States this is accepted quite reluctantly. Politicians and pundits rival each other in recommending how this decline can still be reversed. I believe it is irreversible.

 

The real question is what the consequences of this decline are. The first is the manifest reduction of U.S. ability to control the world situation, and in particular the loss of trust by the erstwhile closest allies of the United States in its behavior. In the last month, because of the evidence released by Edward Snowden, it has become public knowledge that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has been directly spying on the top political leadership of Germany, France, Mexico, and Brazil among others (as well, of course, on countless citizens of these countries).

I am sure the United States engaged in similar activities in 1950. But in 1950, none of these countries would have dared to make a public scandal of their anger, and demand that the United States stop doing this. If they do it today, it is because today the United States needs them more than they need the United States. These present leaders know that the United States has no choice but to promise, as President Obama just did, to cease these practices (even if the United States doesn't mean it). And the leaders of these four countries all know that their internal position will be strengthened, not weakened, by publically tweaking the nose of the United States.

Insofar as the media discuss U.S. decline, most attention is placed on China as a potential successor hegemon. This too misses the point. China is undoubtedly a country growing in geopolitical strength. But accession to the role of the hegemonic power is a long, arduous process. It would normally take at least another half-century for any country to reach the position where it could exercise hegemonic power. And this is a long time, during which much may happen.

Initially, there is no immediate successor to the role. Rather, what happens when the much lessened power of the erstwhile hegemonic power seems clear to other countries is that relative order in the world-system is replaced by a chaotic struggle among multiple poles of power, none of which can control the situation. The United States does remain a giant, but a giant with clay feet. It continues for the moment to have the strongest military force, but it finds itself unable to make much good use of it. The United States has tried to minimize its risks by concentrating on drone warfare. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has just denounced this view as totally unrealistic militarily. He reminds us that one wins wars only by ground warfare, and the U.S. president is presently under enormous pressure by both politicians and popular sentiment not to use ground forces.

The problem for everyone in a situation of geopolitical chaos is the high level of anxiety it breeds and the opportunities it offers for destructive folly to prevail. The United States, for example, may no longer be able to win wars, but it can unleash enormous damage to itself and others by imprudent actions. Whatever the United States tries to do in the Middle East today, it loses. At present none of the strong actors in the Middle East (and I do mean none) take their cues from the United States any longer. This includes Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan (not to mention Russia and China). The policy dilemmas this poses for the United States has been recorded in great detail in The New York Times. The conclusion of the internal debate in the Obama administration has been a super-ambiguous compromise, in which President Obama seems vacillating rather than forceful.

Finally, there are two real consequences of which we can be fairly sure in the decade to come. The first is the end of the U.S. dollar as the currency of last resort. When this happens, the United States will have lost a major protection for its national budget and for the cost of its economic operations. The second is the decline, probably a serious decline, in the relative standard of living of U.S. citizens and residents. The political consequences of this latter development are hard to predict in detail but will not be insubstantial.

by Immanuel Wallerstein