Peace is the main solution to ending pollution, global warming and climate change.

Why aren't we using the same techniques to serve notice on Obama:

Mr. Obama,

Militarism, wars and this Military-Industrial Complex are the primary contributors to pollution, global warming and climate change.

End militarism!

End these dirty wars!

Shut down the Military-Industrial Complex!

It's time to cash in a Peace Dividend to pay for those things we really need.



This movement built up around this book was much further advanced than any of the environmental organizations today and both Senators Gaylord Nelson and Phil Hart not only encouraged, but actively sought out grassroots activists with diverse viewpoints to participate ranging from Socialists and Communists to Democrats and Republicans and everyone in between--- these teach-ins on the environment were very democratic in nature. I don't know of any viewpoint that was intentionally excluded if they indicated a desire to participate. This is what led to this movement being so massive and overwhelming that it scared the monopoly corporations.

Senator Hart personally called me to ask if I would speak at events in three different cities on April 22, 1970.

Today, such an event would be highly manipulated and controlled to only allow a very narrow grouping of views to be aired.

Just imagine how powerful such a grassroots environmental movement would become today if this same democratic approach was taken to grassroots activism; it would threaten the corporations, the politicians and the foundation-funded outfits like the Sierra Club and 350.org would lose total and complete control as masses of people would be demanding public ownership of the energy complex and making the connection that peace is a primary solution to global warming.

If we were to have an updated version of this kind of book available today to be used as a universal handbook knowing what we do today about ecosystems, global warming and the impact of pollution, chemicals, genetic modification, etc. we could build a very powerful movement.

To find solutions we don't need any kind of ideological unity because everything involved is science that is universally applicable to the point that massive grassroots unity around solutions is achievable.

People turned out in droves to win passage of the National Environmental Policy Act... no one asked one another if they were Democrats, Republicans, Socialists or Communists... we showed up at meetings, tabling, distributed leaflets, held huge demonstrations and pushed politicians of every persuasion to pass NEPA.

And a bastard like Nixon was forced to sign it. All because of the massive pressure created by citizen involvement leading up to the first Earth Day. Quite literally, you couldn't go to a grocery store or walk in a public park without finding citizen activists pushing for passage of NEPA.

For anyone to think that we can take on these huge multi-national conglomerates from the power generating, mining companies and other industries without creating this kind of momentum resulting from the involvement of citizen-activists is just too much to even believe and yet here we are with these foundation-funded environmental organizations who are actually trying to control involvement in a way that activism is restricted and doesn't reach such proportions capable of winning real change.

Rank-and-file AFSCME workers in Minnesota say: We don't want Eliot Seide and his toothless, management-loving paper union

Minnesota's billionaire "liberal" "pro-labor" governor, Mark Dayton, has ordered working hours for thousands of state employees reduced by up to 20% while bringing in lower-paid new hires to do the jobs of the members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees with no objections from the District Director, Eliot Seide, or his side-kick, Eric Lehto. Why no opposition from Shar Knutson, President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO or her side-kick Mark Froemke.

What is going on here? State employees are losing 20% of their pay--- their standard of living slashed--- and these union "leaders" sit in silence doing nothing?

No wonder this leaflet is being distributed by a rank-and-file organization made up of AFSCME members who are pissed off:

We don't want Eliot Seide and his toothless, management-loving paper union

Our Dues - Our Union.

OUR AFSCME

Our rights.

Our Livelihoods.

Building a rank and file caucus for a democratic, fighting, militant, united union.

Brothers and Sisters,

With every new contract we have had our rights and our livelihoods decimated. Only a paper union with leaders taking our dues while doing nothing to represent us would have allowed this to happen.

This isn't Eliot Seide's union. This is our union. Let Eliot Seide go into the business world to build his fortune instead of building his fortune on our backs, off our unresolved grievances and problems.

Eliot Seide negotiated a concession contract with a Democratic governor.

The wage increases are far off-set with the rising prices we pay for groceries, home mortgages and rents, home and car insurance, gas, electricity, home heating fuels, child care and college tuition for our children. Our co-pays for healthcare have increased. This is going backwards, not forwards.

Our pensions are at risk.

We get no support or help from union leaders as unfair and unpaid disciplinary suspensions mount. Grievances have become a hassle. Arbitration has become too costly. What do our dues pay for?

One by one we are being picked off and fired as we gain seniority with increased pay levels.

Our union has shamefully endorsed a Minimum Wage for other workers based on what the Chamber of Commerce wants instead of the living wage morality, human decency, justice and solidarity requires.

We have a union leadership covering its betrayals with glowing hypocritical statements of admiration to real leaders like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela as a cover for refusing to stand and fight the injustices of the present.

We ask you to build a caucus of OUR AFSCME in your AFSCME local and in your workplace. Together we can get our AFSCME back on course. This is OUR union. OUR dues.

We need an active and involved membership. We need to understand self-serving power in our union and the power of management concede nothing without struggle. Our union was built in struggle. Our union will survive in struggle fighting for our rights, for safe workplaces and for our livelihoods.

Forward together. Together In Struggle. Together in Solidarity. OUR AFSCME the voice of the rank-and-file

All out for Earth Day and May Day...

From Earth Day to May Day--- everyone an activist doing something to advance a real progressive agenda.

There are plenty of jobs in this country--- these jobs just have to be turned into good jobs with real living wages and decent benefits; the work week reduced with 40 hour pay; longer paid vacations; earlier retirements with real living pensions. We need a Minimum Wage that is a real living wage. We need huge government jobs programs putting people to work doing socially useful things solving the problems of the people and our country. We need a Basic Income Guarantee based on cost-of-living. We need a full employment act requiring the president and Congress to work together to attain and maintain full employment instead of waging these dirty imperialist wars--- the money saved could easily fund everything here.

In short, we need to create a government that puts the standard of living and quality of life for everyone before Wall Street's profits.

Unless we can come together and successfully challenge Wall Street for political and economic power we are doomed.

Every worker needs a job paying real living wages.

These wars are making us all poor with the exception of the few people from the Wall Street crowd who profit as this Military-Industrial Complex leaves behind horrendous death and destruction with the largest carbon footprint contributing to global warming and climate change... and if these foundation-funded environmental organization's over-paid "leaders" who have the same backwards views as these millionaire labor "leaders" with their over-staffed organizations playing footsies with politicians and their corporate donors (the "philanthropists) instead of mobilizing people for real reforms as we struggle for power, we are doomed.

We should bring together everyone for peace, those concerned about climate change and everyone who believes America's workers are entitled to a raise in united actions commencing on Earth Day without let-up through May Day.

http://canadiandimension.com/articles/5890/

Climate change and the military-industrial complex

Alan Maki | January 26th 2014 | 3

This letter was written in reply to our recently published interview with Noam Chomsky about climate change. You can read the original Chomsky interview HERE.
The one important aspect of climate change the Left keeps missing is the fact that Wall Street’s very lucrative military-industrial complex leaves the largest carbon footprint of any industry.
So, why have the peace and environmental movements, along with most of the Left, failed to make this important connection?
I’m surprised neither Chomsky nor Canadian Dimension brought this important connection forward in this interview.
How much of what is produced from the Tar Sands will be consumed by the Military-Industrial Complex?
One aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class carries three million gallons of aircraft fuel. Fuel for just 80 aircraft. The U.S. typically deploys six of these aircraft carriers during manoeuvres, conflicts and wars. This alone is one heck of a carbon footprint and we still have to figure out what kind of carbon footprint is created manufacturing these aircraft carriers and planes.
And this example is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
Consider all the mining and manufacturing which goes into producing for militarism and wars – what kind of carbon footprint is created in preparation for wars, by wars and rebuilding in the aftermath of wars?
There is a point to be made about global warming and militarism and wars which leads me to conclude that the most effective way to fight global warming and climate change is to fight for peace by “beating swords into plowshares.”
For some reason all these foundation-funded peace organizations and environmental organizations don’t want to acknowledge that the Military-Industrial Complex bears primary responsibility for global warming and climate change. Perhaps because the “great philanthropists” funding the foundations profit so handsomely from militarism and wars?
If changing out light bulbs contributes to ending global warming and climate change, can you imagine the contribution peace would make towards this effort?
It seems our environmental and peace movements could use what the great labour leader and working class revolutionary, William Z. Foster, advised “a good strong dose of anti-imperialist education,” connecting all the dots.
Alan Maki am the Director of Organizing for the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council. I am also one of the founders of Minnesotans for Peace and Social Justice.

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3 comments

• We are so indoctrinated in “support our troops ” and the culture of military domination that we don’t even discuss peace and total nuclear disarmament with China and others.
  It seems that “jobs” and the wealth of our industry and industrialist/stockholder class is more important than survival of the species.
  
  #1. Posted by Herbert A. Davis in davisherb@wisper-wireless.com on January 27th 2014 at 8:58am
• Thanks as always, Alan, for telling the truth. The graphic of the American soldier watching oil wells burn pretty much sums up what’s leading America to ruin. Here’s hoping Canadians will wake up to the damage being done in the Alberta oil patch and by the lethal material it is producing, and rise up against the corporate behemoths which are systematically buying that great nation.
  
  #2. Posted by Anthony Noel in North Carolina, United States on January 28th 2014 at 10:47am
• I was glad to see an instructor from Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, Connecticut, Leonard Yannielli, publish this on the internet as part of what he wrote on the environment:
  The single greatest global problem and threat to the environment is war and war preparations. Agent Orange use in the U.S. War in Vietnam killed an area the size of Massachusetts. Genetic damage among ensuing generations has occurred among the Vietnamese.
  The burning of the oil fields during Iraq War I is a more recent example. Both Iraqi and U.S. forces suffered the respiratory consequences. No one entity uses more nonrenewal resources than the U.S. Military. All these examples may pale in face of the dangers of spent radioactive material that spew radiation for 1,000s of years.
  The explanation of war and its extreme environmental consequences are to be found in the bowels of capitalism. The tendency of rates of profits to fall send competing capitalist elements around the globe seeking to stop this trend. Going to places whose people are not in a position to defend nature is their “solution.”
  An unfortunate example now is the so-called “pivot to Asia.” The U.S. Administration is deploying up to 60% of its military force there. Why? It is looking to exploit natural resources such as oil and gas.
  War and war preparations along with peace and peace making construct one dialectical whole. The resolution of this contradiction in favor of peace is of major importance to the many who place nature before profits. Here lies the material basis for cooperation between the labor, peace and environmental movements. The blue-green alliance is one result that needs much more attention in our work both on state and local levels.
  Socialism has the best chance to do it right vis a vis the environment. Its thrust for social solidarity and raising the cultural/educational level of all the people can only bode well for the environment. Of course, there are no guarantees. Immersion in environmental struggles would be the best determiner of a Left and peoples movement with a deep environmental consciousness.
  
  #3. Posted by Alan L. Maki in Warroad, Minnesota on February 25th 2014 at 6:55pm

Poll shows people want a raise in the Minimum Wage--- just not too much... after being fed the big-business line that high wages kill jobs.

We see, in the article below, what happens when "cost-of-living" is not introduced into this discussion about the Minimum Wage.

Each and everyone of us should be responding to every single article we come across about linking the Minimum Wage to cost-of-living.

I would love to respond to this particular article but the Star Tribune editorial board has banned my letters from being published in their newspaper even though their editors have waged vicious red-baiting campaigns against me.

So much for “democracy” and the much ballyhooed “free press” these editors and “journalists” from the Star Tribune like to boast about.

On the one hand the Star Tribune refuses to allow a discussion about the relationship between wages and cost-of-living; while on the other hand its editors and journalists drum into people's heads that an increase in the Minimum Wage will cause a loss of jobs and then poll results reflect what people have been fed day in and day out, every single day of the year and then these poll results are brought forward to “prove” people want an increase in the Minimum Wage as long as it isn't too much. How convenient that this big-business calling itself the Minneapolis Star Tribune would be able to come up with poll results that its fellow poverty-wage loving big-business partners with the advertising dollars will appreciate. 

This article, like most articles on the Minimum Wage, can be broken down into at least 4 issues relating to the Minimum Wage that need to be responded to.

One thing we might consider doing is setting up a committee to respond to all these articles--- everyone would forward every article on the Minimum Wage they come across to one person, then that person would ask each of four people or so to respond to a different section of the article with a "letter to the editor" and even a longer op-ed piece. This might be a project we propose at out Uniting People National Conference Call about the Minimum Wage on April 27?

Democratic and Republican hacks are busy writing letters from their business perspectives on the Minimum Wage and then they ask people to sign the letters and send them in. The Star Tribune then calls to “verify” that these people sending the letters actually wrote them by asking, “Is this your original writing and no one else's?” Of course, the signer of the letter always dishonestly responds, “Yes; this letter is my original letter.”

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has never entertained the idea that there is this inseparable relationship between wages and “cost-of-living.” This is a taboo topic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune--- as anyone can see from this article written by one very reactionary Rachele E. Stassen-Berger who the editorial board of the Minneapolis Star Tribune don't like to mention that she is the granddaughter of the racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Communist, anti-labor, Nazi-loving and thoroughly corrupt lying former Minnesota Republican Governor Harold Stassen.

One thing I am wondering about is why some people seem to want to evade the Minimum Wage by saying things like "we need a living wage not a Minimum Wage."

There doesn't seem to be an understanding that the Minimum Wage is meant to protect workers not give employers a large body of cheap labor.

In my opinion, we should be united in calling for the Minimum Wage to be a real living wage. Doing otherwise lets these politicians off the hook. After all, this is an issue specifically about the Minimum Wage so why would we want to try to turn it into an issue about a “Living Wage Act” or anything else someone might choose to call it?

This issue about the Minimum Wage is the most important “kitchen table issue” and we, as leftists, should be concerned we are a catalyst for united action on this issue.

Anyone else have thoughts about this?

Alan L. Maki

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/246078891.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Minnesota Poll: Minimum wage hike is popular, but $9.50 target isn’t

• Article by: RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER , Star Tribune 
• Updated: February 19, 2014 - 5:39 AM

Nearly 80 percent in poll say increase minimum wage.

Minnesotans overwhelmingly believe it is time to lift the state’s minimum wage, but fewer than half are ready to raise it to the level proposed by some DFLers, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.

The poll found that 42 percent of Minnesotans say it’s time to increase the state’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour — a figure proposed by House leaders and supported by Gov. Mark Dayton. Another 37 percent say it should go above the current minimum of $6.15 but stay below $9.50.

Only 16 percent of Minnesotans say the minimum wage should stay where it is. At $6.15 an hour, the state minimum is below the federal standard and one of the lowest in the nation.

The poll found support for raising the wage floor across all groups: Whether men or women, Democrats or Republicans, young or old, urban or rural, Minnesotans say $6.15 is not enough.

“I think it should be more. It should be minimum of $10. Minimum,” said Jeff Richard, 51, a temporary worker in Lakeville. “I don’t know how someone working for less would possibly live.”

The poll results will give advocates of raising pay a boost as they try to change the wage floor again this year.

Last year, amid division among Democrats over how high to go, the DFL-controlled Capitol left the minimum wage unchanged.

Backers have vowed not to let that happen again. Dayton and House DFL leaders, along with many advocates, have settled on $9.50 by 2015. Supporters have spent months pushing legislators to support the increase.

They also plan a massive rally to welcome the Legislature back to the Capitol when it reconvenes next Tuesday.

“This clearly indicates that a broad swath of Minnesotans believe that this is the way to go,” said Brian Rusche, co-chair of a group campaigning for a $9.50-an-hour minimum wage.

The poll surveyed 800 Minnesota adults between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Three-fourths of respondents were reached through a land line, one-fourth by cellphone.

The sample included 39 percent Democrats, 30 percent Republicans and 26 percent of Minnesotans who said they were independent or identify with another party.

Effect on job growth debated

Some Minnesotans — including those who support an increase — say they harbor concerns that a higher wage could come at the price of lower job growth.

According to the poll, 31 percent of Minnesotans believe there will be a significant loss of jobs if the minimum wage is raised to $9.50. Meanwhile, 39 percent said a jump to $9.50 would cause “few or no minimum wage jobs” to be lost.

“I think $9.50 would be awfully hard on a lot of small-business owners,” said Cindy Manthei, a 55-year-old who works in a meat market. The Republican from Loretto said she wants the wage floor to go up, but only a little.

Roger Golby, a DFL activist from Annandale, said he too fears the effect of a sudden jump in wages.

“I think it should be a gradual increase and not immediate … to allow companies to slide into it,” said Golby, 64. Otherwise, he said, “There may be some layoffs.”

Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, said if the minimum wage jumped suddenly, his members would be forced to reduce jobs.

He said the fact that 37 percent of those polled support increasing the wage to something below $9.50 an hour is “somewhat encouraging.”

“I think we all know that level is going to go up,” Nustad said. He would like legislators to ask: “What’s the reasonable level that’s not overly dramatic?”

No matter what final dollar amount they land on, lawmakers will have to settle on a phase-in time for the new wage, determine which businesses would have to pay it and whether any will be exempt.

In Minnesota, about 114,000 workers were paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 or less in 2013. According to the state Department of Employment and Economic Development, more than 460,000 Minnesotans, or about 16 percent of all workers, were paid less than $9.50 an hour in 2012.

Income is a big divide

The poll found that higher-income Minnesotans were least likely to support a minimum-wage increase.

Nearly half of those earning more than $75,000 annually said the minimum wage should remain $6.15 an hour, where it has been since 2005. Most employers pay the federal minimum, although some employers are allowed to pay the lower state minimum.

According to the poll, Democrats were most comfortable with a significant increase — 64 percent said the rate should be increased to $9.50 and another 27 percent said it should be increased, but by less. Nearly all independents — 85 percent — favored an increase. So did Republicans, but by a smaller share. About 58 percent said boost wages, though only 14 percent said as high as $9.50. Another 36 percent of Republicans said keep the minimum unchanged.

“I don’t see that government has any business telling private business how much to pay their people,” said Richard Larcher, 72, of Dora Lake. “That’s just silly, and it will cost jobs.”

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Twitter: @RachelSB

What would we get from Obama and the Democrats if voters purged every single Republican from the House and Senate?

If there wasn't one single Republican in the House or Senate Obama and the Democrats wouldn't do any different then they are doing now.

Anyone who doesn't believe this needs only to look at what is going on in Minnesota where the Democrats have a super-majority with each and everyone of these Democrats claiming to be "progressive."

And what are we, as working people, getting out of the Democratic super-majority here in Minnesota?

Let me tell you what we are getting:

Shit.

Worse yet; we are getting shit on.

Hillary Clinton's supporters are distancing themselves from Obama so Obama must not be as good as they wanted us to believe.

Hillary Clinton's supporters are on a massive campaign to distance themselves from Obama; they have to in order to win... although it is my personal opinion that we are probably looking at the next president being a Republican like Scott Walker, Rick Snyder or Pat McCrory--- all of whom have policies almost identical to Barack Obama; after all, the Democrats and Republicans are different teams but they both have the same owner: Wall Street.

It's like watching Don King promoting a boxing match where he is also the bookie who owns both fighters

If an Elmer Gantry like Barack Obama could be packaged and sold by Madison Avenue anyone else can be packaged and sold to the American people, too.

We who are fed up with this debacle and fiasco after fiasco and war upon war with expanding, instead of shrinking, poverty need to make ourselves understood that:

1. We aren't buying into this "lesser evil" crap any longer;

2. That running a candidate who has the ability to deprive the Democrats of votes they need to win is power, too.

We need to run candidates supporting real solutions to our problems no matter if they take votes away from the Democrats.

What gives these Democrats the right to expect our votes when we get absolutely nothing in return for our votes?

We should each and everyone of us be personally insulted when anyone tells us we need to join them in voting for the "lesser evil." This is an insult to our intelligence not to mention it makes a mockery of democracy.

Do you notice that not one of these people trying to convince us that everything will change if we just give the Democrats a super-majority at the national level that not one of these people will explain what is taking place here in Minnesota where Democrats are "known" to be the most "progressive" in the United States?

The only comfort they can give us about having a Democratic super-majority here in Minnesota is "that at least we don't have Republicans."

If this makes up for poverty wages, not having a job, having mining companies polluting the air, water and land along with having 44,000 Minnesotans forced to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages and without any rights under state or federal labor laws all brought to us courtesy of the Democrats without any help from the Republicans; if this is acceptable to those still trying to shove these Democrats down our throats then they should stick with their dirty, corrupt Democratic Party--- but, they should at least have the political courage to defend what these Democrats are doing.

But; it is just like the way they have glamorized Hubert H. Humphrey--- they like to quote his illustrious words from speeches but they don't want to own his authorship of the most reactionary piece of legislation in U.S. history: the anti-democratic, fascist Communist Control Act.

Why don't these "progressives" and "liberals" want to own Hubert H. Humphrey's Communist Control Act?

Because they needed the Communist Control Act to eradicate and destroy the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and its Farmer-Labor Association which had become, under the leadership of Socialists and Communists, the most powerful anti-monopoly coalition in this country.

By the way--- during the time when the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party was the most powerful political party in Minnesota, both the Republicans and Democrats were relegated to minor party status.

And what did these Democrats who don't want us to consider building a new political party do during this period? Why, they joined with the Republicans to try to thwart the reforms brought forward by the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party.

Yes; these Democrats who tell us how bad and rotten the Republicans are actually joined these Republicans in their dirty, filthy racist and anti-Semitic campaign to elect that two-bit half-assed fascist--- Republican--- Harold Stassen in order to defeat our socialist Governor Elmer Benson who was--- unarguably--- the most honest politician ever in Minnesota history.

These Democrats now lecturing us about how we need to vote for the "lesser evil" joined with the most evil of evil to defeat the best of the best.

And when they couldn't put an end to the left-wing voices of labor, for peace and against racism and anti-Semitism, these dirty bastards cheered on Hubert H. Humphrey bringing forward his fascist Communist Control Act.

It is almost funny, if not so sad; that in spite of over six decades of anti-Communism these shit asses couldn't prevent the most outspoken Communist in Minnesota from being elected to its State Central Committee--- they had to revert to engaging in the most dirty deeds to remove me from the State Central Committee. Dirty deeds that included announcing the time and place of the Roseau County Convention and then changing the time and location without telling anyone except for a small group of their friends about the change leaving less than 20 people to choose a new member of the State Central Committee while leaving over 90 of us shivering in a cold rain waiting for the doors to open at the designated place.

This is how these purveyors of the "lesser evil" work and operate; completely outside of the parameters any thinking person would conceive democracy to be.

But, we are just supposed to forget history--- past and most recent present--- and vote for the Dumb Donkeys these people bring forward.

Did I mention that our billionaire governor who was married to a Rockefeller who campaigned on the promise of enacting a living Minimum Wage and then once elected has pushed another poverty Minimum Wage of $9.50 an hour and has now met in secret with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Business Caucus of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party promising the Minimum Wage will be no more than $8.00 an hour?

Never mind "Goddamn Mississippi;" Goddamn Democrats. Just substitute Democrats for Mississippi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQjGGJVSXc

Oh!

Wait!

Goddamn!

It was Democrats Nina Simone was singing about!

Ever seen a better example of hypocrisy?

Have you ever seen anything more hypocritical than this? Leech Lake tribal politicians erect these signs than continue to allow smoking in their three casinos employing hundreds of workers?

One has to wonder what kind of "sacred circle" the corrupt Leech Lake Tribal Chair, Carri Jones, believes in.

What's the Greatest Economic Fraud of Our Time?

Richard Trumka should try living on $9.00 or $10.00 an hour working part-time like most GAP employees are forced to do; then let's see if he considers this a "fair wage."

(See article: http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Economy/What-s-the-Greatest-Economic-Fraud-of-Our-Time

And, will GAP squeeze its workers in Bangladesh and other sweatshops to make up its "loss in profits" for "increasing" wages of its retail store employees here in the United States? Trumka doesn't mention that GAP in Manitoba, Canada has been paying its employees $10.45. Plus GAP employees in Manitoba get free health care, cheaper college tuition, one year off for maternity leave to care for a newborn child and many other benefits and protections GAP employees in the United States are lacking... Richard Trumka doesn't want to talk about any of this because then he would be forced to recognize labor in Canada has its own political party with the socialist New Democratic Party... not to mention a very influential and active Communist Party.

Richard Trumka has rejected the longstanding clarion call of "workers of the world unite;" too radical for this millionaire who takes his marching orders from Democratic Party hacks and considers holding press conferences with "tough talk" that never amounts to anything the equivalent of class struggle trade unionism.

How is it that America's top labor leader, a millionaire many times over, has no concept of the relationship between wages and "cost-of-living" and what constitutes a decent "standard-of-living?"

How is it that Richard Trumka, the President of the AFL-CIO, ignores the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 23 when discussing this issue?

Between Richard Trumka and his buddy, Barack Obama, it's hard to discern which is the greatest fraud of all time.

Like an Elmer Gantry, Richard Trumka piously proclaims with no substance and no action to back it up:

"The AFL-CIO, and all American workers, are ready to meet the challenge of falling wages and rising inequality that has been growing painfully for decades."

Wages are "falling" because exploitation and prices are rising.

Workers, including those employed under the "protection" of union contracts, are facing increased speed-up, longer hours, less vacation time, unwarranted "disciplinary suspensions" without pay, later retirement along with concessions in other benefits and wages "negotiated" by Richard Trumka and his fellow millionaires sitting on the AFL-CIO's Executive Council.

Here is something for Richard Trumka to consider:

The large impoverished Leech Lake Indian Nation just approved an increase in the Minimum Wage to $10.25 an hour for all tribal employees--- Native and non-Native, including workers employed at its three casinos.

The Leech Lake Indian Nation, poorer than any state, now has the highest legislated Minimum Wage in the Nation--- as a direct result of citizen activism. And people are justifiably still not satisfied as they push to increase this poverty wage, that is better than Minnesota's miserly $6.15--- and better than the Nation's $7.25, to a real living wage.

I am wondering why Richard Trumka, all these Democratic Party politicians and the political hacks are ignoring the Leech Lake Indian Nation's increase in the Minimum Wage?

Why is it that citizen activism on the Leech Lake Indian Nation can win an increase in the Minimum Wage from $9.00 an hour (which they just recently won) to $10.25 an hour against massive opposition from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and the National Indian Gaming Association and the mobsters who own all the slot machines?

Native American trade unionists Greg Paquin, working together with citizen activists like Nicole Beaulieu and Curtis Buckanaga and the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council and our Leech Lake Casino Workers Organizing Committee helped to raise the consciousness of the people to understand the relationship between wages and "cost-of-living;" between poverty and profits.

Paquin was constantly explaining to workers that the reason they work and still remain in poverty is because, "workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor."


A very simple yet truthful insight about what is the main cause of poverty.


Paquin also pointed out that "workers without jobs are going to be poor." The Leech Lake Indian Reservation suffers from massive poverty directly related to massive unemployment and poverty wages compounded with racist discrimination in employment, education and housing.


Full employment with living wage jobs eliminates poverty.


What prevents Richard Trumka from pointing this out?


Why is it so difficult for Richard Trumka and his fellow millionaires on the AFL-CIO Executive Council to understand this, and get this point across to workers all over this country?

Why hasn't Shar Knutson, the President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO pointed out to Minnesota Democrats with their super-majority that the Leech Lake Indian Nation now has a $10.25 Minimum Wage when many of these Democrats like State Senator Tom Bakk who has been bank-rolled by the labor movement are still pushing for a Minimum Wage of under $8.00 an hour?

Not one single newspaper, television or radio station has reported that the Leech Lake Indian Nation now has the highest legislated Minimum Wage in the United States.

Former AFL-CIO organizer Stewart Acuff has called for every worker to become a "warrior for justice;" Acuff is certainly on to something... and the Leech Lake Indian Nation's new Minimum Wage proves this approach to working class activism works.

The Leech Lake Tribal Council also passed a strong resolution in support of enforcing Affirmative Action which Minnesota's Democratic Governor has ignored in spite of the promises he made to enforce Affirmative Action when he was out seeking votes.
 
http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Economy/What-s-the-Greatest-Economic-Fraud-of-Our-Time


I was advised by the past President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Ray Waldron, to "stop bad-mouthing the Democrats and put your casino workers out on the picket-line already" even though Waldron wasn't willing to fund a strike by poverty wage workers.

And here we see one lone picket with a sign outside of Wal-mart with business as usual going on:







I wonder why Ray Waldron hasn't provided Richard Trumka with the same advice he provided me with for Wal-mart workers?


Richard Trumka, Ray Waldron and the rest of the millionaires who have turned our unions into paper unions whose only purpose has become to collect dues while "negotiating" concessions and touting poverty wages as something to be held up as an example instead of class struggle labor unions might want to take note of the $10.25 Minimum Wage that has been won by rank-and-file grassroots citizen activists who have become "warriors for justice" in struggle for real living wages.


By becoming "warriors for justice" fighting and struggling for real living wages, workers employed by the Leech Lake Tribal Government now have "better" wages.


Can Richard Trumka and the other millionaires on the AFL-CIO's Executive Council learn a lesson here?


The lesson? Struggle wins. The more united in struggle, the more we win. United militant struggle wins even more.

The struggle for a living wage.

The answer is to make the Minimum Wage a real living wage. There is only one way to do this. Legislatively tie the Minimum Wage to the real and actual "cost-of-living" calculated from the Consumer Price Index; then index this living wage to inflation; and, in addition, provide everyone getting the Minimum Wage with periodic increases in the Minimum Wage so everyone's "standard-of-living" continually improves.

The whole idea behind having a Minimum Wage in the first place is not to provide employers with a huge pool of cheap labor but to improve the lives and "standard-of-living" of working people. Some people, including many of those pushing for a "Living Wage" are confusing the purpose of the Minimum Wage and this is not helping our struggle.

Federal "Minimum Wage" legislation was passed in 1938 as part of the "Fair Labor Standards Act."

Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor, had been working with liberals, progressives and leftists for many years pushing for this most progressive legislation.

Wall Street business interests have perverted the Minimum Wage for just the opposite purpose--- using it to keep wages down for all workers by having this huge pool of millions of poverty waged workers; thereby undermining the progressive intent of the federal Minimum Wage Act.

$15.00 is only a minor reform which has about as much chance of being enacted as single-payer universal health care.

I believe very faulty logic has gone into this "$15.00 or Fight" movement because we, as leftists, should be demanding what is the real solution.

This "$15.00 or Fight" is based on the false poverty level established by the U.S. Census Bureau, Democratic Party front groups and the foundation-funded anti-poverty organizations.

It is just like single-payer universal health care; we couldn't sustain a movement for real health care reform because we didn't organize around the specific required solution: a National Public Health Care System.

It is the same thing with the Minimum Wage; we should be organizing around the real solution... if we end up getting a lesser real reform like $15.00 for the Minimum Wage because we feel we can't get any more in the way of justice which is what the advocates of the Minimum Wage felt in 1938 then so be it--- but, because we win a reform does not mean we stop advocating for the complete required reform; which, in this situation is legislatively tying the Minimum Wage to the real and actual "cost-of-living" calculated from the Consumer Price Index; then index this living wage to inflation; and, in addition, provide everyone getting the Minimum Wage with periodic increases in the Minimum Wage so everyone's "standard-of-living" continually improves.

The same thing goes for full employment. We can't start out advocating for some kind of half-ass reform calling for the voluntary intent to achieve full employment. We need legislation that will require the president and Congress to work together to attain and maintain full employment. None of this bullshit where there is a target of 5% unemployment being the same as full employment. Everyone who wants to work is entitled to a real living wage job--- if private enterprise can't, or won't, provide jobs then the government is going to have to come up with universal social programs putting people to work solving the problems people and society are experiencing.

It is mind-boggling that these politicians, political hacks and pundits who can't figure out that workers paid poverty wages and workers without jobs are going to be poor are the very same ones who can't figure out that the way to create jobs is putting people to work solving our problems.

Just as mind-boggling is the fact that these politicians, political hacks and pundits who talk about "jobs, jobs, jobs" and tell us they are for single-payer universal health care and affordable health care someplace down the line when they are looking for votes can't figure out that we can put 12 million to 15 million people to work in a National Public Health Care System providing the American people with free health care for much less than these costly, stupid, dirty, barbaric, savage and never-ending imperialist wars are costing us while this madness and insanity of the Military-Industrial Complex leaves in its wake the most damaging carbon footprint at the very time when everyone except the most dense people incapable of thinking logically and using common sense know we are on course for complete environmental catastrophe.


A National Public Child Care System would create another 3 to 5 million new jobs.


What about WPA, CCC and C.E.T.A.--- millions of more jobs through government programs proven to work.

If leftists aren't willing to come forward with this kind of analysis becoming the catalyst for action we will never see any meaningful reforms let alone socialist revolution.

This kind of thinking needs to be brought into the proverbial public square where we can enter into a dialog with the American people.

Anyone who thinks that these Wall Street bribed politicians can be convinced and reasoned with about anything unless they are being challenged for power is living in some kind of la-la land.

We need to state right up front our intent is to challenge Wall Street for political and economic power.

We need an anti-monopoly political movement and party to accomplish this so people in the streets, fighting for their rights and livelihoods in the workplace have a political party on their side.

There are far too many small leftists parties and organizations doing their own thing without talking to those outside their parties and organizations.

We need some kind of organized national round-table discussions which include all leftists (and any liberals and progressives who want to join us) to hash these things out.

Uniting People is organizing a national conference call to discuss the Minimum Wage on the evening of April 27. This will include a panel discussion with completely interactive communication between panelists and callers. Everyone is welcome to join in.

Horror of horrors... President Scott Walker.

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush...

Now President Scott Walker?

Could it be?

How much worse could it possibly get?

There is no light at the end of the tunnel. We are on the road straight to hell.

Wall Street will keep on dishing out this crap as long as we are willing to take it.

Hillary Clinton versus Scott Walker.

Do you suppose we will be hearing: "You have to vote the lesser evil."

Oh, ya; I know... now is not the time to be talking about a working class based progressive people's party--- the consequences of a Walker presidency are just too much to bear... or is it bare.

We are told we can't get along without the Democrats.

The phony "liberals," "progressives" and "leftists" will be telling us Hillary Clinton is a liberal with a progressive agenda as they tell us how much they would like single-payer, real living wages, jobs for everyone and what a great idea Tom Paine had with his Basic Income Guarantee and how drone warfare is better than dying U.S. soldiers and how we should just overlook how all these Democrats back the Israeli killing machine.

If only we have patience real reforms and peace are sure to come.

Even real liberals, progressives and leftists appear ready to accept legalization of marijuana as the only achievable victory possible as it is easier and less controversial to advance the legalization of pot than a National Public Health Care System, National Public Child Care, real living wages based on cost-of-living, Basic Income Guarantee and a full employment act. Don't talk about and advance these social programs through a new party and then sit around smoking joints complaining we don't get any of this.

Hippies without politics, hippies without struggle is what passes for liberalism, progressivism and leftism.

I think it is pathetic more "activists" will turn out for a demonstration to legalize marijuana then will turn out to demonstrate for peace.

Minnesota's Democratic Governor with a Democratic super-majority says the main controversial issue in the upcoming legislative session will be the legalization of pot.

Needless to say, Governor Dayton doesn't want his campaign promise for a real living--- non-poverty--- Minimum Wage to become the point of controversy in this legislative session when the Minimum Wage comes up--- he wants another poverty wage passed and wants to see us jumping for joy that whatever passes is better than the present $6.15 an hour.

Like suckers, activists will take Dayton's bait on marijuana.

And the claim is: Marijuana doesn't affect the thought process.

Then again, we have a Democratic Governor who admits he is an alcoholic who can't shake the bottle and who acknowledges he suffers from severe depression while using heavy-duty psychiatric drugs but says he is opposed to the legalization of marijuana.

What a circus.

Wall Street just loves the show.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/us/wisconin-political-investigation.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20140220&_r=1

Thanks for the gift...

Expect to be seeing big changes in me. Someone sent me a gift subscription to "GQ" magazine. Just what I needed. I guess the intent has to be appreciated. Must be some kind of subtle message for me. Now, if I could just afford to "look sharp" and "live smart." Maybe the anonymous gift giver will send me a check, too.

Uniting People for Progressive Power Forum in Minneapolis

Really great videos of the Minneapolis Uniting People for Progressive Power Forum held on Saturday, February 15, 2014:

Part #1:

http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/86897833

Part #2:

http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/86897834

Part #3:

http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/87011603

Part #4:

http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/87011606

Part #5:

http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/87011605

Part #6:
http://vimeo.com/album/2739033/video/87026372

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Wall Street greed.

Get ready for the same contingent of phony "liberals," "progressives" and "leftists" who sold Obama as something other than the neo-liberal Wall Street imperialist warmonger that he is to get him elected--- all of whom went on to betray us on health care and the Minimum Wage becoming a real living wage--- now going against us on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

I would suggest that you take the time to read this article from The Hill:

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/trade/198665-froman-makes-the-case-for-white-house-trade-agenda

and then Froman's speech itself:

http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2014/February/A-Values-Driven-Trade-Policy_Remarks-by-USTR-Froman-at-Center-for-American-P

If you only read the news reports about this speech and not the speech itself you will be sorry.

Obama continues to wage Wall Street's war on the working class, not only in our our country, but across the globe, by advancing the TPP.

Those who fear discussing "imperialism" and the socialist alternative to capitalism in its most decadent and barbaric stage of imperialism because doing so is some kind of "infantile leftism" are doing working people a great disservice.

Now, more than ever, we need to be providing the American people with and anti-imperialist education in building an anti-imperialist movement to fight against the TPP.

Those who "liberals," "progressives" and "leftists" who promote this idea are dividing our movements which would be capable of winning peace, real reforms, real change and most importantly challenging Wall Street for political and economic power:

"The emergence of an extreme far-right accelerated sharply in reaction to the overturning of the eight-year rule of the right wing with the 2008 election of Barack Obama, an African American and a liberal with a grassroots base and generally progressive agenda."

Obama has a right-wing agenda because he is carrying out Wall Street's agenda of wars abroad paid for through austerity measures here at home.

To suggest that Obama, the drone President carrying out Wall Street's thoroughly reactionary right-wing neo-liberal agenda, is a "liberal" with a "progressive agenda" is adding to the confusion that already exists in this country.

Such "analysis" is inconsistent with anti-imperialist education and building an anti-imperialist movement.

No matter what "spin" Ambassador Froman attaches to the TPP it is part and parcel of Obama's reactionary Wall Street imperialist agenda and this can never be "liberal," "progressive" or "left" by any stretch of anyone's imagination nor using linguistics to creatively twists and bastardize language to make Obama appear as something that he is not.

The logical conclusion one would have to draw from calling Obama a "liberal" with a "progressive agenda" is that imperialism is liberal and progressive.

Is there anyone prepared to make this assumption?

Would anyone believe this?

What "values" drive U.S. trade policy?

Isn't U.S. trade policy driven by Wall Street's insatiable greed?

Isn't this what the TPP is all about? Wall Street greed?

Uniting People; Building Progressive Power Forum

Minneapolis progressive forum.

My talk is on Part #3 at about 1:12:33

Livestreamed by OccupyMN media:


http://livestream.com/occupymn

http://twitter.com/occupymn

Creative Commons remix with attribution
youtube clips processing now -


PART 1:

http://youtu.be/f1-oyEGEM9A


PART 2:

http://youtu.be/-g_L4VxNc5g


PART 3:
http://youtu.be/pY8zVwOg3JI