Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Texas Longhorns with newborn calf in Bluebonnets

Please note I have a new phone number...

512-517-2708

Alan Maki

Alan Maki
Doing research at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

It's time to claim our Peace Dividend

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

A program for real change...

http://peaceandsocialjustice.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-progressive-program-for-real-change.html


What we need is a "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity" which would make it a mandatory requirement that the president and Congress attain and maintain full employment.


"Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens"

- Ben Franklin

Let's talk...

Let's talk...

Monday, March 13, 2017

American Health Care Act: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Health Bill Would Add 24 Million Uninsured but Save $337 Billion, Report Says

Cut 24 million people from health care in the name of reform to "save" $337 billion dollars so the Wall Street merchants of death and destruction have more money to spend on militarism and wars from which they will reap fabulous profits.

It never ceases to amaze me how the left refuses to carry out its responsibility to help the American people sort through the confusion on this health care mess intentionally sown by the Democrats and Republicans whose strings are pulled by their Wall Street puppeteers.

If you believe you will never get old, never get sick, or these worthless politicians bribed by Wall Street insurance and pharmaceutical companies and the American Medical Association have your best interests in mind, I want whatever you are smoking.

The left is missing the best opportunity it has had in decades by not taking a stand in support of a National Public Health Care System and falling for being "led" by the Democrats in supporting Obamacare claiming down the road a stand will be taken for single-payer universal health care system when we have all seen how the main proponents of single-payer have bailed out of this struggle time and time again only to bring it out as an excuse for inaction on health care reform.

Advocating for a National Public Health Care System is the working class alternative to Ryan-care and the rapidly failing Obamacare.

The left is paying a very heavy price for allowing a bunch of well-heeled, muddle-headed, upper middle class intellectuals, millionaire labor leaders and the heads of the foundation-funded outfits manipulate and control this health care debate in favor of the Democrats to the detriment of the health of working class families.

I have been attacked by these outfits for "advocating socialized health care that is too controversial to win the support of the American people" when, in fact, every single time a National Public Health Care System is patiently explained alongside Ryan-care, Obamacare and single-payer universal health care, the majority of the people will always support a National Public Health Care System based on the model of public education: publicly funded, publicly administered and publicly delivered--- nothing any more controversial than public education which works very well when properly financed and properly administered free from the profiteers trying to feed at the public trough like they do with militarism and wars.

Why this hesitancy to take up the struggle for a National Public Health Care System?

We know the Republicans are opposed. And we know the Democrats will use every single devious, dishonest and undemocratic means including the lie that they want to get to this but first we need to take "baby steps" over many years of "incremental reforms."

We have been hearing this lie from Democrats ever since Democrats forced Franklin Roosevelt to withdraw National Public Health Care from the New Deal Reforms.

Well, let us be very blunt: When working class families are sick they need health care right there and then not twenty, forty sixty years down the road... in fact, Democrats after forcing Roosevelt to take it off the table promised to deliver it "later." Well, how long must we wait? It has been almost 80 years since these Democrats took National Public Health Care off the table. How many people have gone without health care since? How many people have been driven into poverty as a result? How many people have lost their homes to pay for health care? How many working class families have gone through medical bankruptcies since? How many working class families have been driven into poverty as a result of horrendous health care bills?

Enough of the "promises" that are nothing but "lies" perpetrated to get votes. Every single election we hear from the Democrats they are going to provide health care reforms and all they have done is gone along with Republicans chipping and chopping away at Medicaid and Medicare.

All of these well-heeled, muddle-headed, upper middle class intellectuals controlling and manipulating the left into silence when it comes to a National Public Health Care System are wealthy enough to afford insurance premiums and co-pays... they don't have any empathy or understanding of what it means not to have access to health care because you can't afford it.

If any of the people who claim they are for single-payer were really going to take up this struggle they would be doing so now... instead they are out trying to drum up support for Obamacare.

And they claim a National Public Health Care System can't be won in the current political climate--- another lie; people united in struggle can win anything. The fact is, these people always find an excuse not to fight and struggle for anything and this is why these worthless Democrats have been able to work with Republicans to chip away and chop away at Medicaid and Medicare... they trust politicians like Obama and Hillary Clinton to take care of them when the fact is, it was Obama who appointed the thorough reactionary Wall Street servant, Alan Simpson, to head up the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to open the attack on Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

Now is the time for the real left to open up a struggle for a National Public Health Care System--- sitting on the sidelines or advocating for the defense of Obamacare is nothing short of working class betrayal. We can't win if we don't struggle... dare to struggle; dare to win.

Fund a National Public Health Care System not militarism and wars and over 800 U.S. military bases dotting the globe preparing for more wars when we should be learning to live in peace with the rest of the world so we can reap a Peace Dividend and beat swords into plowshares...

This is a program for real change... the Republicans will fight us, the Democrats will try to undermine our struggles; both serve the tiny greedy Wall Street minority of millionaires and billionaires not the American people...


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. Or paid for with  a tax on Wall Street transactions. Or financed with a combination of these methods. 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 the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (C.E.T.A.), Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded and repealed 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. A Basic Income for All must be guaranteed. Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end; restore the Glass-Steagall Act.

Turn Habitat for Humanity into a massive public works project to create jobs and assure everyone has a decent home.

Unemployment and lack of a National Public Health Care System is the price we pay for militarism and wars. We are entitled to a Peace Dividend……... Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood.