A Worker's Forum of the Americas Fifth Summit of the Americas

Please note: These questions and concerns have not been answered as of the date of this posting.


Questions and concerns about: A Worker's Forum of the Americas Fifth Summit of the Americas

Sisters and Brothers;

Could you tell me if Unions from the United States and Canada participated in drafting this Declaration?

Also, were Cuban unions involved?

A final question, then some comments and suggestions:

Why isn’t there any mention of the socialist solution to the present economic crisis? Was socialism one of the alternative economic models discussed? If not, why not? We need to replace capitalism with something; simply referring to “casino capitalism” is inadequate given the present crises. It would seem to me that capitalism doesn’t offer the working class anything along the lines of justice while socialism does. More attention and emphasis could be placed on saving jobs and industries through public ownership and nationalization--- what tax-payers finance, tax-payers should own and control. Your comments, please.

It would seem to me that your Declaration misses an important point--- possibly because you are unaware--- regarding organizing workers in the United States. I welcome the support you give for the Employee Free Choice Act; however, this Declaration does not take note that over half the states in the United States have very repressive and reactionary anti-labor “at-will hiring; at-will firing” legislation on their books which desperately need to be rescinded if workers are going to have the opportunity to organize because such legislation will remain the main and primary impediment to union organizing even with the Employee Free Choice Act which, at this time, appears to be doomed.

Your positive assessment of Barack Obama’s election seems highly over-rated and optimistic to me given his ties to the Wall Street crowd and his lack of initiative in seeking moratorium legislation preventing hundreds of thousands of working class families from losing their homes and getting those who have already been forced from their homes by parasitical bankers in the mortgage lending industry.

It would seem to me a major weakness of this Declaration is that it does not adequately address the need to end war and militarism which takes a terrible toll on humanity and the environment, first in the awful killing and destruction, but also the tremendous waste of human and natural resources and the senseless waste entailed in the sphere of production--- certainly humanity is being robbed of resources that could be of great value in solving the problems of humanity from alleviating poverty which entails hunger, homelessness and lack of medical care.

Without addressing the issue of governments squandering our resources on wars and militarism, it seems to me it will be just about impossible to begin any kind of discussion on how governments are wasting funds.

We need to always, and at all times, make people and governments aware that it is labor which creates all wealth with quite a little assistance from Mother Nature; we simply can no longer afford to allow labor to be robbed as Mother Nature is being raped by the multi-national corporations. The exploitative nature of capitalism enables both crimes to take place simultaneously as huge profits are amassed while global warming and the destruction of our living environment results.

On the question of militarism:

For instance, if all 800 U.S. foreign military bases dotting the globe were to be closed; those bases could be turned into health care centers, recreational centers, job training and research centers in these countries; plus, the people of the United States would have the resources to build 800 community public health care centers across the United States providing free access to health care for all--- from cradle to grave. Militarism and wars are taking a terrible toll on humanity; depriving people of health care with such screwed up priorities in this way is an atrocious crime.

In closing, please allow me to point out that this Declaration misses the main and primary cause of the present economic crises while hitting at the exacerbating problems all around the periphery--- as important as these problems are--- this Declaration does not even begin to broach the main and primary cause of this economic crises: workers unable to purchase back the very goods and services their labor has been producing.

There is only one way to resolve this problem, and that is for all countries to enact minimum wage legislation that is legislatively linked to all of the nation’s cost of living factors using the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Statement referenced here in this Declaration as the guide.

I would call to your attention, once again, what I have called to the attention of General Secretary Guy Ryder and the International Trade Union Confederation on numerous occasions; the fact that in the United States of America, over two-million casino workers are employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages with no rights under state or federal labor laws in the Indian Gaming Industry managed by a bunch of mobsters like the Frank Fertitta Family and those who inherited Meyer Lansky’s “family business.” For two-million workers to be employed under these Draconian conditions serves to dampen and thwart the struggles of the working class for justice everywhere.

Overall, I think this Declaration is a very powerful tool in the struggles of the working class to attain justice.

We certainly require some kind of working class bailout from this economic mess.

Your call for redistribution of wealth is right on the mark.

I will bring the Declaration to the attention of our Organizing Council and our Organizing Committees for consideration with suggestions for strengthening these weaknesses before we circulate and distribute such a statement.

I assume each and every state and provincial labor body, local labor councils and all local unions are receiving this important Declaration.

I thank you for asking me to distribute this important document for labor action.

Yours in the struggle,

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Cc: Maggie Bird
President,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council


-----Original Message-----
From: Americas Info [mailto:icemamericas@sindicatomercosul.com.br]
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 6:27 AM
To: Antonio Carlos, amaki000@centurytel.net
Subject: A Worker’s Forum of the Americas Fifth Summit of the Americas



A Worker’s Forum of the Americas Fifth Summit of the Americas

Port of Spain, 15-16 April 2009

DECLARATION

We, trade unionists of the Americas, representing over fifty million workers across the entire continent, have met in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on 15 and 16 of April 2009, on the occasion of the Fifth Summit of Heads of State of the Americas, and following the G-20 Summit held recently in London, and hereby declare:

The current crisis deepens the crisis of distributive justice In recent months, our region has sunk into a new recession worse than the great depression of the 1930´s, but it is one that is different in depth and magnitude. Because it coincides with the food, energy, social and environmental crises, this indicates a systemic crisis of global proportions. As usual, those first and most seriously affected are women, youth, informal sector and migrant workers. Another effect has been the deepening of a social crisis which is affecting primarily women, making access to employment difficult, widening the gaps in wages and reducing investments in health, education and universal public policies, replacing formal employment with sub-contracting and labour flexibility, provoking a crisis on social security systems and social protection in general.

In their analysis which predicted this crisis, international trade unions had already highlighted the “crisis of distributive justice” (or crisis of inequality), in other words, a disconnect between wage increases and increased productivity, which seriously affects fundamental human rights such as the right to live in a healthy environment, with access to education, health care, social protection and food security.

Finally, the crisis is now causing a reversal in the flow of migration from destination countries in the North to countries of origin in the South, as well as a significant reduction of remittances, affecting millions of working people and their families.

The environmental, energy and food crises We share the view of the International Trade Union Confederation which affirms that countries of the South cannot be denied the right to development, and that at the same time, the planet’s natural
resources do not allow us to spread the consumption patterns of industrialized countries to the entire world population. Added to this, are the effects of climate change, and the fact that social inequalities remain exposed to the negative impacts of climate change because, clearly, it is the poor who suffer the most.

This is why we believe that especially in the rich North, the failure of the neo liberal model calls for a change in the production/consumption pattern which will permit sustainable development respecting the values of social justice and pluralism. This also involves reformulating the energy matrix towards clean and renewable sources of energy. The current drop in the oil price (clear evidence that there was high speculation on this price before the crisis) should not be a reason to stop looking for alternative sources.

Although the drop in agricultural commodity prices tends to regulate the food crisis, there are three negative aspects which continue to have an effect on it – excessive food consumption in the North, financing of the global food market, and the unacceptable genetic control and manipulation of seeds by transnational companies. These elements, together with the concentrated agribusiness export model, in opposition to agrarian reform policies, threaten the survival of the peasant populations and improved living standards through food consumption in poor countries.

For the trade union movement in the Americas the greatest responsibility for this crisis rests with the governments of the world powers. They are the ones who shaped the world (that fell apart) by means of their political and economic power. These governments used or neutralized international institutions in the interests of multinational companies, leading to high levels of corruption and impunity.

To lay the blame solely on irresponsible bankers is to deny the responsibility of those who were supposed to regulate financial markets. To blame only the industrialists and consumers for the overflow of the planet’s capacity is to deny the responsibility of those who should have curbed this type of production and consumption a long time ago, and should have moved to another development model.
The “London Consensus” of the G-20 is not up to the circumstances Years ago, the international trade union movement sounded the alert with regard to the crisis of the capitalism of financial hegemony which neglects to give credit to productive activities and engages in unproductive speculation. Recently, the trade union world came to agreement responding to the declarations at the G-20 Summits in Washington and London. They also said “No to the casino economy” at the World Social Forum in Belem, a coherent proposal in relation to the crisis.

In spite of our expectations of the possibility of a new multilateralism emerging in response to the crisis, we see that the two G-20 Summits have fallen short in many ways. The financial regulation for which the world is clamoring did not reach the levels that even governments feel necessary, and there was agreement only for a Financial Stabilization Council, with a mainly supervisory role.

Except for measures dealing with high risk funds, tax havens, risk assessment companies and the banks themselves, the other measures are specific and limited. One example is the set of resolutions adopted concerning executive bonuses, since there are no limits set on this type of remuneration.

We have been deeply disappointed with the efforts to bail out financial institutions which are the paradigm of the neo liberal model. This is why it is a mistake to place the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a coordinating, financial and supervisory role as a way of ensuring the salvation of the system, without setting new criteria for changing its conditionalities, or with no serious criticism of its responsibility through the implementation of policies which dismantled States and governments, thus eroding their ability to exercise economic control and allowing markets to destroy their sovereign ability to set economic and fiscal policies.

We believe that it is important to defend the countries of the South in terms of the importance of expansion programs, and the emphasis given to the regulation of the financial system. But, it is a bitter surprise to us that the resources promised are especially aimed at countries of the North, with very little allocated to countries of the South (about 10%). Similarly, we have to wait and see if the promise of a change in the voting system within the IMF and the World Bank will be fulfilled.

With regards to trade, the call by the G-20 to complete the Doha Round based on the agreements reached last year, is of great concern, since it provides a new opportunity for the block of countries which proposed an unbalanced and unsatisfactory focus for the countries of the South and emerging states.

Finally, we call attention to the place assigned to labor in the London Declaration, recognizing the need to create jobs and to have the International Labor Organization (ILO) assume the role of evaluating labor related issues in the policies of the G-20.

The Fifth Summit of the Americas must approve changes

This Fifth Summit has created high expectations in public opinion in general and for the trade movement of the region in particular, not only because of the maturity of a number of progressive Latin American governments and the assumption of a new US leadership, but because it provides an opportunity for dealing with the crisis at a hemispheric level. From a trade union perspective, it is also important, as it is the first Summit since the defeat of the FTAA at the Mar del Plata Summit in 2005. However, the draft of the declaration does not reflect the political sensitivity of this situation. It is just “one more document”, with only a brief generic paragraph in which the governments state that they are determined to strengthen cooperation, work together to restore growth in the world and adopt the necessary reforms to the world financial systems.

There are no concrete policy proposals for regional coordination or actions for the effective improvement of the quality of life and employment of people. The document should start from the decisions of the G-20 and advance much further, namely to completely turn around economic, political and social orientations in the region.

Furthermore, it seems to ignore the fact that many countries are still encouraging and negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs). As we have seen in the experiences of some countries such as Mexico or Chile, these do not lead to the development of the weakest economies nor to the improvement of the quality of life of workers in the strongest economies. These attempts to maintain the system are made primarily at the expense of women’s lives, through massive dismissal of workers, cuts in public spending in social areas and by reaffirming the model of production and development that directly impacts these areas, in that it increases reproductive work and sustainability increases. FTAs arise as a constant threat and undermine the integrity and progress of regional integration processes, which undoubtedly, since they are more equitable, could lead to alternative solutions to the crisis.

We are absolutely certain that one of the ways to move towards this model of development in the Americas is through the strengthening and deepening of the processes of regional integration in a coordinated, complementary way and in solidarity, so that member states can each strengthen their economies and ensure the well-being of their societies. We have no doubt that integration must go beyond trade issues. This is why trade unionism in the Americas has opposed free-trade agreement negotiations and investments for more than 15 years and demands a review of current agreements, which, as we have warned, have brought great sorrow to our peoples.

We, the workers of the Americas, have proposals Almost four years ago, the trade union movement, together with other social movements, mobilized for the Fourth Summit of the Americas (Mar del Plata, November 2005) against the FTAA and in defense of the Labor Platform for the Americas (LPA), presenting a broad agenda on public policy to promote “sustainable development with decent work”.

The LPA proposal is highly relevant today and shows the urgency of establishing a model of sustainable development that integrates social, economic, environmental, political and cultural dimensions in a framework of intra- and inter-generational justice. This is the only suitable response to the multiple crises in the world today: in other words, development with social justice, distribution of wealth, preservation of the environment, gender equity, protection of health, participatory democracy, respect for diversity, and equity among nations and generations.

At present, and in response to the crisis, it is essential to keep in mind the following issues:

Multilateralism and the new global institutionality

The defense of multilateralism is key. Fair standards for international trade must be established and mechanisms for enforcing labor rights must be strengthened in order to contribute to the development of nations and to reduce inequalities etween nations. The new multilateralism must give priority to labour issues.

The United Nations is the natural venue for debating this crisis, and as such, it should be strengthened. We believe that the proposal to create a Global Economic Council, at the same level as the Security Council, is important to define concrete guidelines for resolving the crisis.

It is time to take up again the debate on the “Tobin tax” and mechanisms for controlling monetary and financial flows worldwide, to restrain and avoid speculation and put an end to tax heavens. The establishment of new financial services for the solidarity economy must be given priority.

It is important to correct the fatal deficiency caused by the dislocation of the public services that has lost their capacity to exercise the regulatory and control functions that prevent the financial crisis and carry out duties in accordance with the rule of law, in a fair and professional manner. It is therefore important that Governments invest in public services so that to deliver quality public services, fully equipped with the key and critical resources.

Social protection, decent jobs and sustainability of the planet
In the social arena, it is necessary to have a social bailout, based on public policies and the strengthening of the State’s role in the economy.

We must ensure that the new global architecture for development fully integrates gender equality and women’s human rights on the basis of international commitments and treaties. According to paragraph 20 of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, “The States commit to promoting equality between the sexes and the economic autonomy of women as effective means for fighting poverty, hunger and illnesses, and for stimulating truly sustainable growth”. The way this objective has been formulated implies an acknowledgement of the fact that once the different needs and realities of men and women are contemplated, only then will it be possible to improve the situation of alarming inequalities that are present in the Continent, strengthen democracy and social peace.

The ITUC proposes a plan for recovery and sustainable growth, based on a public investment policy geared towards social development and job creation. As such, the building of productive and social infrastructure, which includes improving public services for everyone, must be prioritized.

It is crucial that the income of the low and middle classes be increased and to have policies focused on the groups that are most affected: youth, women, migrants, the elderly, individuals with special needs, indigenous groups, and temporary, underemployed and part-time workers. Finally, it is necessary to insist on the right of workers to form free trade unions, elect delegates and to negotiate collectively, putting special emphasis on the redistribution of benefits.

We support the initiative of the ILO to, through the Global Employment Pact, debate the creation of a Global Employment Fund that takes into account existing asymmetries between developed and developing countries in terms of their fiscal capacities.

More than ever, it is necessary to insist that the Fundamental Labor Regulations remain in force, especially those ensuring trade union freedom and collective bargaining and to accompany the ILO in its potential actions on the crisis, including the creation of the Forum and its participation in the G-20.

We reaffirm the importance of the ratification and implementation of the “Ibero-American Multilateral Social Security Agreement”, on disability, old age and survival. There is already a similar agreement in effect (since 2005) within Mercosur, which can serve as a reference in order to move forward with its enforcement in the continent.

We also value the agreement of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as we consider that the environmental crisis must take into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

The international trade union movement calls for the fulfillment of what was agreed upon at the X Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Quito in 2007. We will not accept that the crisis lead to setbacks in advances made toward achieving gender equality in relation to the participation of women in the labour market. We call the international worker’s movement to apply the concept established by the UN of co-responsibility in the family and labour life, that applies equally to men and women, as well as the recognition of non paid work and its importance to the welfare of families and countries.

We strongly oppose and condemn all forms of violence against women. We also denounce and condemn all forms of discrimination and violence based on racial prejudice.
We demand, especially in this moment of crisis, the urgent cancellation of illegitimate external debt for developing countries.

Finally, we acknowledge the political changes that have taken place in many of our countries, through the election of progressive administrations of different levels and expressions, but, at the same time we reaffirm that governments must restart the Social Dialogue processes, making them more transparent and democratic and guarantee social and civil participation in the debates on solutions to the crisis.

A call to action

The trade union movement demands concrete policies from the governments of the region that make the proposals being debated a reality. We demand spaces for participation at the national and international level in order to present our proposals. In this sense, it is essential that more and better consultative mechanisms be established between governments and social movements.

We have expectations with regards to the political process of the United States, where the new President has made a commitment to consider trade unionism, not as a problem, but as part of the solution to the crisis. We forcefully support the adoption of the Employees Free Choice Act (EFCA), which defends the right of workers in the United States to organize freely and to negotiate collectively, and prevents employers from interfering in the organization of workers. In addition to contributing to the strengthening of the North American economy, this will have positive impacts on the international scene and in the Americas.

We support the recent decision of the Obama administration to allow people from the United States to travel and send money to Cuba, to establish fiber optic and satellite connections with the island, and to broaden the list of humanitarian products that may be exported to the island. The recent mission of US Congressmen to Cuba is also encouraging. These positive steps should result in a definitive end to the blockade against Cuba. Trade unionism in the Americas has demanded an end to the blockade against this country for decades.

As part of the international trade union movement, we demand that in the next G-20 Summit, actions and effective changes in the regulation of the world economy be approved. On the financial level, the creation of regional institutions for regulating and monitoring financial activities should be supported and we must move ahead with the process of strengthening the Bank of the South, the Central American Economic Integration Bank, and others.

We hope and we demand that the priorities of the decisions of the G-20 and other multilateral organizations will be to make changes to the policies that gave rise to the crisis, combat its effects and the consolidation of multilateralism focused on social equity, decent work with decent pay and sustainable development.

We call upon all the workers of the Americas to mobilize: on May 1st, International Day of Workers and of Mobilization to face the Crisis; and on October 7th, World Day for Decent Work in face of the Crisis, and November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

FOR THE VALIDITY OF TRADE UNION FREEDOM AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING!

FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION!

FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LABOR PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAS!

Port of Spain, April 16th, 2009



Americas Info is the newsletter from TUCA - Trade Union Condederation of the Americas – the ITUC regional organization for the Americas.

TUCA CSA
Rua Formosa, 367 - 4°andar - Centro
CEP 01049-000 São Paulo / SP - Brasil
Phone: (55) (11) 2104 0750

Response to a vicious attack on Naomi Klein by a slobbering Obama supporter

Note: Naomi Klein's article and Al Giordano's article follow my commentary.

Al Giordano, a slobbering Obama supporter, has sown disruptive seeds in the progressive movement in a desperate attempt to fend off the growing opposition from the working class and the left to Barack Obama's Wall Street agenda with his piece entitled: You and What Movement? A Response to Naomi Klein.


Al Giordano said of Klein's writings they are, "Revealing a bizarre contempt and college-educated condescension toward a vast multi-racial swathe of progressive supporters and sympathizers of Obama and his movement, Klein seeks to explain us away as dupes."

In fact, Giordano's essay is one more from a line of pathetic, slobbering Obama supporters who are trying to twist, turn and shape Barack Obama's election into something it was not while shielding and protecting him from criticism from the grassroots and the rank-and-file in the working class movements for peace, social & economic justice.

Barack Obama's election was not a mandate for a Wall Street agenda.

Quite the opposite, working people who voted, voted for "change."

Had Barack Obama run for election on the program he is now pushing for Wall Street he never would have been elected.

Giordano and his ilk are not "dupes;" they are consciously doing Wall Street's dirty work in the progressive movement... with many being handsomely paid for their dirty deeds.

There has been an endless stream of foundation whores, poverty pimps, class collaborationist labor "leaders," phony progressives and envelope stuffing environmentalists begging for money coming before Giordano. They claim Barack Obama was a "community organizer" just like them... the problem is, they are all a bunch of foundation whores, not community organizers.

Obama's entire campaign was built on lies and deceit. This is my response to Giordano and the slobbering Obama supporters who are attempting to disorient and confuse working people.

Barack Obama is nothing but a voice for Wall Street.

The proof is in everything he says and does.

Barack Obama is no friend of working people.

This guy citing "popularity polls" means absolutely nothing.

I have no doubt the polls cited are accurate; I have read the same polls and agree they are accurate based upon my many talks with working people and others.

But, something Obama's slobbering supporters might want to keep in mind:

Polls don't die in wars; real people do.

Polls don't get foreclosed on and evicted from their homes; real people do.

Polls don't go to school hungry; children do.

Polls don't have to work in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights like two-million American workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry are forced to do because Barack Obama and the Democrats enable this disgraceful situation.

Polls don't have to work for a miserly minimum wage that is far from providing workers with a standard-of-living in line with the real cost-of-living; people do.

I would take Naomi Klein's analysis any day over this kind of fact-less slobbering over Obama; and, for those using these polls to justify supporting Barack Obama under the guise that he is some kind of "friend of the people," once it sinks in what Obama has done to the working class and the body bags start rolling in from all over the world, those polls are going to change as rapidly as capitalism is collapsing.

By the way, many casino workers are people of color, many are young women of child-bearing age and many others are retired workers unable to make ends meet on the miserly Social Security checks they receive.

I have yet to hear one single Obama supporter step forward asking Barack Obama to reopen the "Compacts"--- many of which he voted for--- creating the more than 350 casinos/hotels/motels/restaurants/theme park/resorts comprising the Indian Gaming Industry even though he has shredded the contracts of auto workers and will most likely do the same with steelworkers when the steel industry comes begging for a bailout as it surely will.

Bankers and industrialists get bailout from Obama; where is the people's bailout?

Where's the change?

Barack Obama is no liberal, he certainly is no progressive or socialist... Barack Obama is nothing but a self-serving, self-promoting, flim-flam man and con-artist opportunist that Wall $treet latched on to to do its dirty work desperately trying to save capitalism.

Capitalism is on the skids to oblivion and Barack Obama is dragging the American people down the dark, bumpy, curvy and treacherous road to perdition... and working class liberals, progressives, socialists and communists should join together and formulate an alternative progressive program to shove under Obama's nose forcing a sharp left turn towards socialism.

The United States has over 800 military bases on foreign soil costing trillions of dollars and Barack Obama doesn't have the plain old common human decency to break with imperialism by insisting these bases be closed; and, instead, 800 public health care centers be built and opened across the United States to provide free health care for all.

No, instead of providing people with health care, Barack Obama talks about giving every family "affordable" access to broadband Internet!

"Affordable" in Barack Obama's Wall Street language means profitable to the Wall Street coupon clippers.

If Barack Obama's priorities aren't as screwed up as Wall Street's priorities get in putting profits before people; what is?

Barack Obama is every bit as bad as George Bush, even worse, and no poll result can change this basic truth.

One only has to ask:

Where's the change?

Perhaps in talking about "change" Barack Obama meant we will all be out on the streets selling apples asking, "Brother, can you spare a dime?"

You know, it is one thing for people to have voted for Barack Obama because we couldn't tolerate another Republican... but, the sad truth is, the Democrats--- Barack Obama included--- are every bit as racist, uncaring, incompetent, corrupt, warmongering and Wall Street centered as the Republicans. No polls, no matter how accurate, can change the facts.

Like i said, I never saw a "poll" die in a war or sit in a school classroom going hungry.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council



This is the article Naomi Klein wrote:





















In Obamafanland:
A Lexicon of Disappointment

by Naomi Klein / April 17, 2009

All is not well in Obamafanland. It's not clear exactly what accounts for the change of mood. Maybe it was the rancid smell emanating from Treasury's latest bank bailout. Or the news that the president's chief economic adviser, Larry Summers, earned millions from the very Wall Street banks and hedge funds he is protecting from reregulation now. Or perhaps it began earlier, with Obama's silence during Israel's Gaza attack.

Whatever the last straw, a growing number of Obama enthusiasts are starting to entertain the possibility that their man is not, in fact, going to save the world if we all just hope really hard.

This is a good thing. If the superfan culture that brought Obama to power is going to transform itself into an independent political movement, one fierce enough to produce programs capable of meeting the current crises, we are all going to have to stop hoping and start demanding.

The first stage, however, is to understand fully the awkward in-between space in which many US progressive movements find themselves. To do that, we need a new language, one specific to the Obama moment. Here is a start.

Hopeover. Like a hangover, a hopeover comes from having overindulged in something that felt good at the time but wasn't really all that healthy, leading to feelings of remorse, even shame. It's the political equivalent of the crash after a sugar high. Sample sentence: "When I listened to Obama's economic speech my heart soared. But then, when I tried to tell a friend about his plans for the millions of layoffs and foreclosures, I found myself saying nothing at all. I've got a serious hopeover."

Hoper coaster. Like a roller coaster, the hoper coaster describes the intense emotional peaks and valleys of the Obama era, the veering between joy at having a president who supports safe-sex education and despondency that single-payer healthcare is off the table at the very moment when it could actually become a reality. Sample sentence: "I was so psyched when Obama said he is closing Guantánamo. But now they are fighting like mad to make sure the prisoners in Bagram have no legal rights at all. Stop this hoper coaster-I want to get off!"

Hopesick. Like the homesick, hopesick individuals are intensely nostalgic. They miss the rush of optimism from the campaign trail and are forever trying to recapture that warm, hopey feeling-usually by exaggerating the significance of relatively minor acts of Obama decency. Sample sentences: "I was feeling really hopesick about the escalation in Afghanistan, but then I watched a YouTube video of Michelle in her organic garden and it felt like inauguration day all over again. A few hours later, when I heard that the Obama administration was boycotting a major UN racism conference, the hopesickness came back hard. So I watched slideshows of Michelle wearing clothes made by ethnically diverse independent fashion designers, and that sort of helped."

Hope fiend. With hope receding, the hope fiend, like the dope fiend, goes into serious withdrawal, willing to do anything to chase the buzz. (Closely related to hopesickness but more severe, usually affecting middle-aged males.) Sample sentence: "Joe told me he actually believes Obama deliberately brought in Summers so that he would blow the bailout, and then Obama would have the excuse he needs to do what he really wants: nationalize the banks and turn them into credit unions. What a hope fiend!"

Hopebreak. Like the heartbroken lover, the hopebroken Obama-ite is not mad but terribly sad. She projected messianic powers on to Obama and is now inconsolable in her disappointment. Sample sentence: "I really believed Obama would finally force us to confront the legacy of slavery in this country and start a serious national conversation about race. But now whenever he seems to mention race, he's using twisted legal arguments to keep us from even confronting the crimes of the Bush years. Every time I hear him say ‘move forward,' I'm hopebroken all over again."

Hopelash. Like a backlash, hopelash is a 180-degree reversal of everything Obama-related. Sufferers were once Obama's most passionate evangelists. Now they are his angriest critics. Sample sentence: "At least with Bush everyone knew he was an asshole. Now we've got the same wars, the same lawless prisons, the same Washington corruption, but everyone is cheering like Stepford wives. It's time for a full-on hopelash."

In trying to name these various hope-related ailments, I found myself wondering what the late Studs Terkel would have said about our collective hopeover. He surely would have urged us not to give in to despair. I reached for one of his last books, Hope Dies Last. I didn't have to read long. The book opens with the words: "Hope has never trickled down. It has always sprung up."

And that pretty much says it all. Hope was a fine slogan when rooting for a long-shot presidential candidate. But as a posture toward the president of the most powerful nation on earth, it is dangerously deferential. The task as we move forward (as Obama likes to say) is not to abandon hope but to find more appropriate homes for it-in the factories, neighborhoods and schools where tactics like sit-ins, squats and occupations are seeing a resurgence.

Political scientist Sam Gindin wrote recently that the labor movement can do more than protect the status quo. It can demand, for instance, that shuttered auto plants be converted into green-future factories, capable of producing mass-transit vehicles and technology for a renewable energy system. "Being realistic means taking hope out of speeches," he wrote, "and putting it in the hands of workers."

Which brings me to the final entry in the lexicon.

Hoperoots. Sample sentence: "It's time to stop waiting for hope to be handed down, and start pushing it up, from the hoperoots."

© 2009 The Nation

[Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist and syndicated columnist and the author of the international and New York Times bestseller The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, now out in paperback. Her earlier books include the international best-seller, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies; and the collection Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate (2002). To read all her latest writing visit www.naomiklein.org.]




This is Al Giordano's response:




Barack Obama, community organizer.

You and What Movement?

A Response to Naomi Klein



Revealing a bizarre contempt and college-educated condescension toward a vast multi-racial swathe of progressive supporters and sympathizers of Obama and his movement, Klein seeks to explain us away as dupes.
By Al Giordano

[The following opinion piece by Al Giordano, who is a community organizer now living in Mexico, was written in response to an article by Naomi Klein, originally published in The Nation and posted on April 17, 2009, by The Rag Blog under the title of "Naomi Klein : Hopebroken and Hopesick. Giordano published his response on April 18 in the Narco News Bulletin. We think he makes some very good points and suggest that progressives disillusioned with Barack Obama's presidency so far might benefit from Giordano's perspective.]

Naomi Klein is suffering, along with some other sectors of the academic North American left, an existential crisis.

In a recent column she published in The Nation and in The Huffington Post, she complained about “the awkward in-between space in which many US progressive movements find themselves” now that Barack Obama is president of the United States.

Revealing a bizarre contempt and college-educated condescension toward a vast multi-racial swathe of progressive supporters and sympathizers of Obama and his movement, Klein seeks to explain us away as dupes. We (I use the first person plural proudly and without hesitation) are, according to Klein, part of a “superfan culture,” that, she says, believes we can “save the world if we all just hope really hard,” and that suffers from the following psychological ailments: “Hopeover… hoper coaster… hope fiend… hopebreak… and hopelash.”

Her theory, that progressive Obama supporters are now inflicted by buyer’s remorse, flies contrary to all objective measurement. The pollster.com aggregate of all recent public opinion surveys finds that 61.8 percent of Americans view Obama (less than 100 days into his presidency) favorably, compared to 32.9 percent that view him unfavorably. As Gallup notes, President Obama’s first-quarter average favorability of 63 percent exceeds that of the first three months of his eight immediate predecessors: Presidents Bush II, Clinton, Bush 1, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon or Johnson.

Ah, but Klein is talking about “progressives,” so let’s take a look at the hard data that is available. Separate out the crosstabs, and those numbers are even sky higher among progressive demographic groups. Among Democrats, according to an early April Pew survey, 88 percent view the young president favorably, so it’s not really clear who Klein is talking about, imagining or inventing out of thin air when she devotes an entire column to claim a non-existent demographic trend.

Among African-Americans (without which there can be no successful “progressive movement” in the United States), a towering 94 percent approve of how the president is doing his job, according to the Quinnipiac survey. Among Hispanic Americans (just as important to any progressive future in the US), 73 percent feel the same way. Among Americans that earn less than $50,000 a year (the working class and the poor), a solid 60 percent approve. The question must be asked: What “movement” does Klein thus imagine? An exclusively white and college educated one? I fear that the truth may not be far from it if she is so quick to insult and dismiss such a large bloc of people who skew non-white, poor and working class.

There is currently no quicker way for white progressives to further divide themselves from African-American, Hispanic-American, working class and poor Americans – all sectors without which serious and successful progressive movements in the US would be impossible – than to invent derogatory psychobabble terms for us because we do not share Klein’s tendencies to feel somehow demoralized by the country’s first African-American head of state, and demonstrably its most progressive since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

That such complaint comes after less than 100 days, when the President has just eased the Cuba embargo that was foolishly embraced by Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II, is nothing less than pathetic. In the same week, Obama made the classified torture memos public (and as any working journalist or investigator knows, every department of his administration now responds quickly – usually overnight – to our Freedom of Information Act requests for information; a sea change from all previous administrations) . The passage of Obama’s economic Stimulus bill marked the single largest expenditure ever on jobs and social programs like unemployment insurance, Medicaid and public education in the history of any country. He has already made the orderly withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq official policy with a timeline that has most of it done before the 2010 midterm elections. And in three short months, Obama has restored the principle of progressive taxation to the United States.

Yesterday, at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, the US president extended a long overdue hand of friendship to his Venezuelan counterpart, a democratically elected leader that suffered an attempted military coup d’etat that was cheered, if not planned, by Washington. The President, in short time, has already defused an entire string of similar policy time bombs left by previous administrations (Republican and Democratic alike). Will there be more tensions between Chávez and the US? Very likely the answer is yes, but the gravity and context of them has shifted positively. This hemisphere is already a safer place for dissident journalists, community organizers, governments of the left and other grassroots change agents. That, alone, makes it more possible for us to organize and make bigger and better changes – of the kind for which we do not need any government’s permission – in the days and years ahead.

I quite agree with Klein’s belief that “demanding” is better than “hoping” when it comes to changing public policy. But where I get off her bus is upon her inference that we who are supportive of – and more happy than not about – Obama’s presidency somehow believe differently. Her claim only demonstrates her gross ignorance toward the important sector of the left (including parts of the Obama movement) that are community organizers. “Demanding” is necessary but without “organizing” to back it up it is merely an act of intellectual masturbation. It accomplishes nothing. It never has won a single battle. And that’s why, until 2008, the US left in particular – so busy demanding without doing the hard work of organizing – went through at least three “lost decades.”

The problem with too much of the “activist left” in North America is that so many of its adherents don’t really want to do the hard work of community organizing. I wonder: when was the last time that Klein went door-to-door, or staffed a phone bank, or otherwise reached out directly to real people demographically different from her? Any journalist or writer that hasn’t, at minimum, accompanied organizers doing that real work of change should shut the fuck up when it comes to opining about “the people.” They don’t have a clue as to who “the people” are. Activism that doesn’t involve one or more of those tasks does not rise to the level or effectiveness of organizing. And those that don’t do it really have no idea where the public is at: the masses (or “the multitude” in current jargon) are imaginary cartoon characters to these people. Their view of us is as elitist as it is condescending.

They can complain about, for example, US policy toward Israel and Palestine, seemingly oblivious to how US public opinion on the matter keeps those very bad policies in place. If they got off their duffs and knocked on doors to ask real people about it, they’d get a lesson in civics, and perhaps learn better ways to move public opinion in a better direction. They can bemoan the “bailouts” (essentially government loans to financial services industries) ignorant of the fact that when big corporations fall they land hardest on the workers and the poor, as would a 1929-level crash of the kind that nearly occurred last October. They can demand “nationalization” of the banks, without offering any detail as to what that would look like. I live in Mexico where the 1982 bank nationalization proved disastrous for the country’s workers, and helped destroy its middle class. The devil is always in the details.

I am not a member of the Democratic Party, and I did not vote for twelve years prior to 2008 until Obama’s candidacy gave me a reason to do so. While the academic North American left went jet-hopping from summit protest to social forum across the globe, I went to Latin America, lived, worked and reported alongside the authentic social movements that many of them came to visit for a weekend or maybe a month. I’m more comfortable with an anarcho-syndicalist view of the kind of society that I daily work toward than I am with electoral politics. Socialist, although it’s a moniker that seems a bit statist and conservative for me, is still a term that I’m more comfortable with than “Democrat.” And yet every day I see the President moving the United States closer to my own version of utopia, after a lifetime of watching each of his predecessors pull it farther away. More importantly, for me, as a journalist and an organizer, the Obama presidency has created much more space for people like us to get out there and do this hard work without the repression and marginalization that we have struggled under for decades.

Here’s what the academic left – hopping mad, frustrated and now, like Klein, lashing out at those of us in the working left – doesn’t get: It was Obama – not Klein’s post-Seattle ’99 milieu of “anti-globalization activists” – who opened the doors of the American left for the first time since the Civil Rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s to the building of an authentically multi-racial movement. It was Obama – not Klein and her colleagues – that got working class whites struggling alongside working class blacks and Hispanics in the United States, and who turned a new generation onto the art of community organizing that the activist left had abandoned.

When colleagues like Klein so summarily insult Obama supporters and sympathizers, they are driving yet another stake between their white college-educated ghetto and the 94 percent of African-Americans, and the 73 percent of Hispanic Americans, and the 60 percent of the entire American working class, that is pleased, as I am, that this unique historic figure is, for the next four years at least, the President of the United States.

I’m reminded of the scene from the Martin Scorcese motion picture, The Aviator, in which Kathryn Hepburn (Cate Blanchette) brings Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) home to meet her family. “We’re socialists,” the mother tells Hughes. And then, when she thinks Hughes is speaking ill of President Franklin Roosevelt, she nearly runs him out of the house. FDR, like Obama, wasn’t a socialist (and unlike Obama, he was born into privilege). But a great many socialists, communists and even anarchists of the era understood that their work was made so much more possible by his presidency. And that cultivated an intense synergy, not to mention a renaissance of labor and community organizing during that epoch. In retrospect, that synergy between the working left and the FDR presidency brought with it many of the 20th century’s most progressive advances.

The same is happening now – although Klein and others haven’t done the investigative or organizing spadework to recognize it – and that (even without the many progressive policies enacted by the Obama administration already, and those important ones like immigration reform yet to come) makes me an unabashed, eyes wide open, Obama sympathizer, guilt-free, without any of the feelings of remorse Klein seeks to assign to me and millions like me. That enthusiasm hasn’t turned us into blind followers: these pages are already filled with hard-hitting critiques when the Obama administration has been wrong; on Plan Mexico, on the drug war, and other deadly serious matters. And yet even on those fronts, our ability to push back and serve as a check and a break on the extremities of those bad policies vastly outweighs what we were able to do for many previous decades.

But I’m not going to sit back silently while some white progressives – dripping with the nastiest forms of envy because, truth be told, the Obama movement succeeded at resurrecting community organizing and multi-racial struggle whereas their tired tactics and strategies had failed again and again to do so – try to claim to me or anyone else that they’re the ones doing the demanding while we’re somehow sitting back and thinking we can “save the world if we just hope really hard.”

Memo to Ms. Klein: Go back to the only school that ever got the left – in which I take no back seat to you in either mileage or scar tissue – anywhere: that of community organizing. We’re doing it. You’re not. And when you go to give your next speech at some university or activist hall, look around at the white, privileged faces that occupy more than half those seats. Study how many of them choose to self-marginalize from workers or racial minorities with their freak-show narcissistic – and yet humorless! – antics. You know what I’m talkin’ about. And you probably wince regularly as they ask you to sign your book for them.

Ask yourself, “are these the so-called masses that are going to make a progressive movement succeed?” You know damn well, in your heart, that they’re not. They do buy hardcover books though, a lot more than the workers and the poor ever will. With all due respect I must ask: Have you become an intellectual prisoner of what you think it takes to pander to your own college-educated consumers?

No thank you, Ms. Klein: When it comes to the United States, I’ll take my chances with the multi-racial community organizers of the Obama movement, and the tens of thousands of young organizers they’ve inspired and trained, at least until the non-electoral North American left gets its shit together, which, after reading a column like yours, seems still a long and far away struggle.

Source / The Narco News Bulletin

Indian Health Summit

-----Original Message-----

From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]

Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 8:47 PM


To:

Joan Kim
Phone: 301-897-2789 x117
Fax: 301-897-9587
Email: jkim@thehillgroup.com or

Kimi De León
Phone: 301-897-2789 x132
Fax: 301-897-9587
Email: kdeleon@thehillgroup.com



Cc: 'Jim Hart'; 'John Kolstad'; 'Kip Sullivan'; 'Carl Levin'; 'Sen.Jim Carlson'; 'rep.bill.hilty@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.Rukavina@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.sertich@house.mn'; 'ddepass@startribune.com'; 'mmiron@bemidjipioneer.com'; 'bswenson@bemidjipioneer.com'; 'Chris Spotted Eagle'; 'jgoldstein@americanrightsatwork.org'; 'teresa_detrempe@klobuchar.senate.gov'; 'peter.erlinder@wmitchell.edu'; 'peter.makowski@mail.house.gov'; 'esquincle@verizon.net'; 'Walter Tillow'; 'nursenpo@gmail.com'; 'Steve Early'; 'Joshua Frank'; 'Ta, Minh'; 'Rhoda Gilman'; 'David Shove'; 'ken nash'; 'Ken Pentel'; 'WCS-A@yahoogroups.com'; 'MARKOWIT@history.rutgers.edu'; 'tdennis@gfherald.com'; 'Myers, John'; 'loneagle@paulbunyan.net'; 'Thomas Kurhajetz'; 'mhoney@u.washington.edu'; 'moderator@portside.org'; 'debssoc@sbcglobal.net'; 'Tom Meersman'; 'peterb3121@hotmail.com'; 'laurel1@dailyjournal-ifalls.com'; 'jscannel@aflcio.org'; 'rgettel@uaw.net'; 'gdubovich@usw.org'; 'info@jamesmayer.org'; 'mzweig@notes.cc.sunysb.edu'; 'rachleff@macalester.edu'; 'advocate@stpaulunions.org'; 'elizabeth_reed@levin.senate.gov'; 'Alan Uhl'; 'Charles Underwood'

Subject...

Re: Question on Indian Health Summit

To whom it may concern;

Could you tell me if there will be a discussion at the Indian Health Summit--- July 7-9, 2009 in Denver, Colorado--- concerning the issue of casino workers in the Indian Gaming Industry and the impact to their health of second hand smoke in their workplaces?

Link: http://conferences.thehillgroup.com/healthsummit/contact.html

Could you advise me if there have been any discussions about this with the American Cancer Society and/or the Heart and Lung Foundation?

I am very concerned since I find nothing on this important topic among any of the materials you are distributing for the Indian Health Summit.

With health care costs become an important topic for discussion it would seem that this issue would at least merit some kind of mention at an Indian Health Summit considering the large number of Native Americans employed in the Indian Gaming Industry.

Perhaps you would be interested in having me address one of the plenary sessions since this topic has not been considered previously.

I would point out that I have contacted my of the local offices and administrators of the Indian Health Services concerning this issue and no one will speak to me.

With the Indian Health Services being part of the Department of Interior and associated with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it would only seem logical that no further casino “Compacts” would be approved unless they contain provisions banning and prohibiting smoking.

I would also suggest that the Indian Health Services insist that all existing “Compacts” be re-opened so a ban and prohibition on smoking can be inserted into them.

“Compacts” are nothing more than contracts and the Obama Administration has seen fit to insist that previously negotiated contracts with labor unions be re-negotiated so there is definitely a precedent that has been established for doing this and I am sure you will agree with me that there could not be a better argument made for renegotiating these “Compacts” than to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of workers employed in these casinos who, in addition to working in these smoke-filled working environments are not protected under any state or federal labor laws, which makes this problem of being employed in a work environment detrimental to human health even a more serious concern.

Perhaps the Indian Health Services could make a recommendation to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Department of Interior that the Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, becomes involved so that the protection of casino workers’ rights under all state and federal labor laws protecting all other workers in the United States be included at the time the Compacts are re-opened to protect the health of casino workers.

If you have any doubts second-hand smoke contributes to an unhealthy work environment and that second-hand smoke is recognized as a leading contributor to a variety of cancers and heart and lung diseases please do not hesitate to request additional information. I will be more than happy to attend your Indian Health Care Summit with the necessary resource materials.

With some two-million workers now employed in the Indian Gaming Industry we want to make sure everything possible is being done to protect the health and well-being of these workers.

If I have addressed this letter to the wrong persons, would you please provide me with the name of the proper person/s and department/s this letter should be sent to.

If you think this issue concerning the impact of second-hand smoke on the health of casino workers is not significant enough to be discussed at the Indian Health Summit would you be so kind as to advise me of your decision and how it was reached?

Thanking you in advance for your timely consideration;

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

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Cc: Maggie Bird
President,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

The Truth About Tea Parties and Teabaggers

This post by right-wing bigot Nancy L. LaRoche to the "e-democracy forum" pretty much tells us the truth behind all the statements coming from the two-bit, half-assed fascist right-wing talk radio big-mouths who host these programs that somehow these teabaggers are putting on some kind of "non-partisan" events open to all who decry wasteful government spending.

Check out this response to me very closely because the truth is in what Nancy L. LaRoche posted in opposition to what I posted.

Here is what I posted which she is responding to:

Alan wrote: "Yes, you want people to attend your "Tea Party" rallies but you exclude those with a left view from speaking... wow! Real democratic.

Invite me to speak; I'll be there."

Now, notice what she says:

Alan: Do you leftist protesters pass their bullhorns and allow the other side to speak at their rallies?

This is a very frank admission that only those from the right side of the political spectrum are welcome at these "Tea Parties."

This statement here makes Mitch Berg, Chris Baker, Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the chicken shit patriot crowd so eager to send others off to kill and die in these dirty imperialist wars being waged for control of the oil fields and gas pipeline routes along with regional domination and control of the poppy and heroin trade nothing but outright liars afraid to defend their fascist, racist, warmongering, pro-capitalist, pro-imperialist ideas. They lie when they say these "Tea Parties" were organized by "concerned citizens" from grassroots, when, in fact, these right-wing bigots and blowhards of talk radio have organized these "Tea Parties" for two reasons: 1.) As promotional publicity stunts to promote the now largely discredited right-wing talk radio; and, 2.) To try to move the country firther to the right THAN WHAT BARACK OBAMA, THE DEMOCRATS AND THE WALL STREET CROWD are already trying to take us. Make no mistake, Barack Obama is not liberal, progressive or left in any sense of the meaning of these words... Obama is definitely not a "socialist" as these racist, bigots of right-wing talk radio of are charging.

In other words, the teabaggers are not going to allow me (or any known "leftist" to address their Tax Day Rallies with the message that military spending is wasteful government spending.

The organizers of these "Tea Parties" do not want people hearing the truth that the most excessive, wasteful government spending is for wars and militarism.

These right-wing blow-hards like Mitch Berg are afraid to have me addressing their crowds saying things like:

The United States government, dominated by Wall Street bankers and coupon clippers, is wasting trillions upon trillions of dollars of tax-payer monies borrowed from Wall Street bankers to finance a vast and far-flung network of over 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil dotting all parts of the globe instead of building 800 public health care centers right here in the United States providing free health care from cradle to grave for everyone.

Now, this self-avowed, Bircher--- this two-bit, half-assed fascist--- Nancy L. LaRoche declares that I have denied people with differing viewpoints from my own the right to speak at anti-war rallies.

This is another outright and brazen two-faced lie and she is well aware she is a liar in making this statement.

I have never in my life prevented anyone--- from any political perspective or persuasion--- with an anti-war view to speak at any anti-war rally.

To the extent it has been within my power (as one vote on a committee), I have never allowed anyone with a pro-war view to speak at an anti-war rally.

Why would I give consideration to anyone with a pro-war view to speak at an "anti-war rally?" Only a complete idiot and fool like this Birchite, Nancy L. LaRoche, would make such a statement... it is up to her and her warmongering friends who support these wars but never go off to fight them to organize their own "pro-war rallies."

However, I have organized (and participated as a debater in debates I had no part in organizing) dozens of debates all over Minnesota--- some ninety debates, in fact--- prior to the start of the war in Iraq, around the question and issue:

Should the United States Government Go To War in Iraq?

Participants in these debates, generally consisted of two or three pro and con views. As the main organizer of these debates across Minnesota I did not seek out and select participants according to my personal left-wing views. In fact, these debates included retired military people--- both pro and con--- on the question and the issue. In fact, there were even some right-wing talk show hosts who participated in these debates--- several times as the moderators. Not once was I ever accused of stacking these debates. And not once was the discourse anything but cordial. I would note, the bigots and the Birchites did condemn these debates because they included the anti-war view! You see, these two-bit, half-assed fascists do not believe in democracy or any concept of democracy. To them, democracy is only them getting out their views. These is an obviously perverted view of democracy; the same perverted view of democracy that almost thoroughly permeates right-wing talk radio--- with a very few notable exceptions of those who hold genuinely conservative views but welcome all other views into the "battle of ideas in our modern world."

Nancy L. LaRoche intentionally tries to blend "debate" with demonstrations and rallies. She does this intentionally as do all of her bigoted friends because they know that people get their ideas together when they hear the many sides to these complex and complicated questions in the process of public and democratic debate--- and, then, after formulating opinions based upon what they believe to be the best information they can gather; from this informed position they go out a try to convince others to rally and demonstrate with them to try to move government, corporations or whatever in the direction they think society should be moving.

But, where has the debate been on the Obama/Wall Street agenda?

In fact, there has been no debate.

In fact, the "left" which our bigoted, Birchite friend Nancy L. LaRoche so bemoans, has had no voice what-so-ever in a debate, which I would remind the reader, has largely been an attack on socialism.

Denying a voice to the adherents of the socialist viewpoint and perspective under these circumstances can hardly pass for democracy.

By Nancy L. LaRoche's own words here, these "Tea Party" and tax-protests are nothing more than right-wing rallies; her own words give lie to the words of those like Mitch Berg, Chris Baker, Shawn Hannity and Rush Limbaugh along with the "fair and unbiased" FOX news crew that these rallies are anything but anti-communist, pro-war and pro-corporate bash the working class and attack the rest of the world rallies.

That two-bit, half-assed fascists from both the Republican and Democratic Parties participate in these rallies does not mean these rallies are open to all who oppose wasteful government spending; it means that those on the right from both political parties support and sponsor--- and exclude--- anyone not right-wing from participation.

After all, when you openly state as Nancy L. LaRoche has done that "leftists for peace" are excluded; here in the state of Minnesota you are excluding a good 40% of the population.

And, if you are "not going to pass the bullhorn" to leftists to speak about their concerns about inappropriate government spending no one, not Mitch Berg or Chris Baker or Shawn Hannity or Rush Limbaugh, can make the claim they are speaking for all Americans... they are speaking for a very, very narrow slice of America... perhaps 3% to 4% of the population... no more than this.

But, here we are supposedly talking about bringing people of "all political persuasions together" in these Tea Parties who are opposed to "government waste."

Are these "Tea Parties" also "pro-war parties and rallies?" If we listen to Nancy L. LaRoche they really are.

Not only do the American people have to ask:

Where is the change?

We also have to ask:

Where are the debates on these issues?

Nancy L. LaRoche knew better than to demand the microphone at an anti-war rally because she was pro-war.

In her small little demented and perverted mind, patriotism is equated with being pro-war. Waving a flag is equated with being pro-war. That she convinced someone to put down a peace sign and hold the American flag tells us absolutely nothing... did she convince that person to become pro-war? No. And she knows it. That person waved the American flag to demonstrate that peace is patriotic, and war is unpatriotic.

I'm not a "flag-waver" but I will stand my patriotism for this country up against the chicken shit patriotism of these right-wing bigots hosting these Fox radio programs any day... and it they who run from the challenge of debating these issues.

That they can convince a few stupid fools like Nancy L. LaRoche to join them tells us everything we need to know about this perverted crowd of "teabaggers."

Nancy L. LaRoche tells us that she and her friends "don't bite." However, they sure want to give the working class a good "teabagging."

Teabaggers have more in common with the "steal the land from the Indians," pro-slavery, pro-Hitler crowd than with the sons and daughters of the American Revolution and Tom Paine and Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson.

Again, I reiterate my suggestion for real--- face-to-face--- debates in every city where the teabaggers are planning their events... come on Nancy L. LaRoche, your idols Mitch Berg and Chris Baker refuse to debate me... let's me and you tour these sixteen cities debating the issues involved... let's me and you debate what constitutes wasteful government spending...

bak, bak, bak, baaakkk, bak, bak, baakk, baaakkkkk, bak, bak.

No doubt Hitler was a "teabagger," just like Mitch Berg and Chris Baker in every sense of the word.

Something to think about around the dinner table--- if you can keep from gagging.

Yours in the struggle,

Alan L. Maki





From a posting to "e-democracy" to which the "moderator," Rick Mons, would not allow me the above response.

The posting was from: Nancy L LaRoche Date: 07:23 CDT Short link

Alan Maki wrote:

"Yes, you want people to attend your "Tea Party" rallies but you
exclude those with a left view from speaking... wow! Real democratic.

Invite me to speak; I'll be there."

Alan: Do you leftist protesters pass their bullhorns and allow the other side
to speak at their rallies? I've attended some anti-war protests and had great
conversations with those opposed to my views. I didn't demand the microphone.
In fact, at one three years ago I made friends with a homeless Native American
who was given an anti-war sign to carry. After we talked for a while, he put
his sign down and picked up a flag. That's what democracy is - the right to
have differing opinions and discuss openly with others. You seem to want to
dismiss and shut up those who disagree.

Come out and talk with us May 2. Try to understand our side face to face.
Again, we don't bite.

Worker rights, human rights, working class issues and the Minnesota Tea Parties

From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]

Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 6:04 PM

To: Mitch Berg, the self-avowed king of right-wing talk radio

Cc: 'stpaulteaparty@gmail.com'; 'pata@mnfreemarketinstitute.org'; 'dgjohannes@comcast.net'; 'margaretlee@amblerLLC.com'; 'toni@movingmn.com'

Subject: Worker rights, human rights, working class issues and the Minnesota Tea Parties

Mr. Mitch Berg, the king of sling on right-wing talk radio,

I am forwarding you this to remind you about my initial concerns surrounding your “Tea Parties.”

You seem bent on trying to evade real debate on the real issues.

As for how I did on the Chris Baker Show I feel just fine about it considering the massive number of calls and e-mails I have received.

Thousands of people who never really considered the consequences of having over 800 U.S. foreign military bases dotting the globe now understand they are paying for these bases instead of getting a world-class public health care system with health care free for everyone (including you).

These same thousands of people tell me they never thought of the consequences to the health of over forty-thousand of their fellow Minnesotans suffering as the result of working in these smoke-filled casinos.

You may not particularly like the Chris Baker show; however, from the responses I am still getting, lots of people listen and for them, they say, this is the first time Mr. Baker has ever met his match.

I ask people who call me if my voice is like the voice they heard on the air and they all say no. They wonder why this is. And, I explain to them that you folks in right-wing talk radio use all kinds of gimmicks to suck people in; including using digital methods to try to make callers sound illiterate. Well, anyone speaking to me on the telephone soon learns the meanness of your business and how unethical those of you in right-wing talk radio really are.

People are not as stupid as you and Mr. Baker seem to think they are.

People who have heard me speak and know my voice know that during the time I was on the air with Mr. Baker my voice was digitally altered through electronics… sheer deceit… a few right-wing nut-cases might truly appreciate your antics; most people are highly offended and resent your undemocratic methods.

As for how Mr. Baker did in relation to how I did; I got out much of what I intended to, knowing full well the tactics you right-wing talk hosts use and the limitations.

Let us not confuse what took place on Mr. Baker’s program with what constitutes real debate where the same sound system--- unaltered between participants--- is used and there are time limits agreed to before hand for opening statements, rebuttals, etc.

Mr. Baker did not debate me… he succumbed to his own racist, anti-communist, anti-working class arrogance and took my bait.

I assume you are fully in agreement with the “issues” as has been reported by yourself and the news media as to what the issues are which are fairly well defined surrounding the “Tea Party” movement which you tea baggers are trying to entice people into believing you provide some alternatives when in fact you provide no alternatives.

It is those issues which I issued a challenge to the organizers of the Tea Party to debate at real debates.

I am aware you use your own dictionary; but most of humanity accepts my definition of what constitutes a “debate” since I haven’t seen any challenge to the definition provided in the Oxford Dictionary where I get the meaning of the word: debate.

Now, I have been more than willing to continue exchanging meaningless barbs with you as long as it was part of a more purposeful effort… it is “fun” isn’t it?

Especially when I am winning at playing the game you invented the rules to and you change the rules as you go along... it takes quite a dummy to lose a game playing by their own rigged rules… suffice it to say you have managed to accomplish this feat with quite a little effort on your part and dozens of right-wing talk radio hosts from across the country who tried to pitch in to help you out.

However, I do take great offense at you suggesting that it is appropriate to use people for the sake of pleasuring yourself at the problems so many people are experiencing in this country at this time… and, it is those problems consisting of the issues which I made the challenge to the organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party to have a debate on. Those cowardly and gutless bigots are listed in the “Cc” line of this e-mail. More chicken shit patriots like you.

Since Mr. Chris Baker refused to discuss any of the issues I said I would be happy to debate him, or anyone else on; I won. He lacked any ability or competence to address these issues.

Perhaps too many issues have been brought forward by the organizers of the Minnesota Tea Parties, and those of you bigots with pea-sized bird-brains are not able to “chew gum and walk or talk at the same time.”

I note that you have yet to respond to me with one single issue with which you disagree with me. I am left thinking that it would be unfair to take advantage of you by debating you… but, my offer stands.

Obviously you fear a real debate or if time was really the problem you would have suggested one debate where the debate would be hosted by a disinterested third party where rules for the debate are established and agreed to by each side. You could even bring your children to the debate so they could watch their daddy get pummeled.

From the e-mails and phone calls I have received from people who have been reading our communications most people agree with me that you and Chris Baker really are “chicken shit patriots” who have fun--- for pay--- promoting wars that neither of you are willing--- nor have the courage--- to fight… let alone sit down side by side at a table to debate these issues with those who disagree with you.

I don’t know your background; but, I would venture to guess you come from a fairly well-heeled family living in an upscale neighborhood--- perhaps in one of St. Paul’s “better neighborhoods,” or one of a few similar wealthier neighborhoods someplace else in this country. Usually when I come across very arrogant people like you who lack empathy for working people experiencing problems, I find they often had some kind of education in private or parochial schools where they were taught that they are better than everyone else and they ended up believing this bigotry they were taught… if this isn’t true, why would you make fun of me or any other working class person attempting to express our views about our problems?

Anyone can see that you and Mr. Baker have met your match in me.

You seek out the well-heeled crowd for whom politics is just a game--- be these people leftists, liberals or conservatives; for all of you it is as you describe it yourself: “fun.” How sad, sick and pathetic that you are able to have “fun” at the expense of fostering the kind of bigotry that keeps the problems of working people from being resolved.

I don’t see anything “fun” about people getting foreclosed on and evicted nor having to work in smoke-filled casinos only to have some cowardly bully sitting in control manipulating the sound from an “On Air” room at some radio station--- talking over someone after asking for an explanation and then ridiculing a person they claim is less adept at expressing themselves as you are even when the issues are what is important.

The fact that you and Mr. Baker have been dragged into this “confrontation” with me on my terms constitutes a victory for me putting forward some important issues in most everyone’s eyes.

Everyone, including those small business people who Fox and the other right-wing media brought into the “Tea Parties” to make a few bucks is being exposed slowly but surely… this “Tea Party” movement is going nowhere.

Once people figure out they have been had by those of you seeking to turn these “Tea Parties” into one more racket to profit from the stupidity of bigotry, the “Tea Party” movement will go the way of the religious right-wing movement… although, I seriously doubt it pans out as far as the religious right was able to go simply because it has been organized by a bunch of rinky-dinky shysters like you, Mr. Baker, Shawn Hannity and Rush Limbaugh..

I knew from the beginning of your initiating communication with me, that you never intended to engage in a real debate because you are just a hot-air wind-bag making a buck having “fun.” I did know and understand your slimy business well enough that I would be able to entice a sucker from another of your colleagues to jump to the bait in order to beat you to it… Mr. Baker was the first sucker in prime-time to come along... now I caught two suckers on one worm.

It is not everyday that someone from the left gets an entire letter read on prime-time right-wing talk radio and now the focus is on what is in that letter that you and the other organizers of the “Tea Parties” of the right-wing talk radio circuit are having to respond to since my letter, thanks to you, has been picked up far and wide--- and it was the contents of that “Open Letter to the Organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party” that I wanted circulated widely.

I think you have figured out by now you have been had.

I now have no more use for you so I would appreciate it if you will now end all communication with me unless you decide to sit down at a table with me for a real debate--- the time and place of your own choosing, as long as there is an impartial moderator prepared to enforce the rules of the debate on each participant in a fair manner.

Please note for the record: I have never, neither ever contacted, nor sought out, participation in your program or the program of any other right-wing radio talk show host… you and Mr. Baker came to me when I dangled the bait; the problem is, for some reason you got the bait when it was meant for the “Organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party” and I dangled this bait in front of them--- is there a reason you were in the same school of suckers?

Now, it is you and Mr. Baker along with the rest of the idiots hosting right-wing talk radio who are caught on a very sharp and barbed hook… I wish you the best of luck in getting free. Of course to get set free, you will have to explain how it is you took bait sent to, and intended for, the Organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party. You and Mr. Baker are in fact, along with the other hosts of right-wing talk radio, the only organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party.

I find your complaint about my “spamming” to be hilarious coming from someone pretending to be part of a movement dating back to the days of the American Revolution and its traditions of leaflets and broadsides… perhaps the British would have lodged the same complaint against Tom Paine and Benjamin Franklin.

You seem to be working (if I can call your form of having “fun” working) under the illusion that all speech has to be filtered through you, and with your consent and permission, for it to be legitimate. You are more like some arrogant British colonel sipping tea with the King than a revolutionary participant in the Boston Tea Party.

By the way, talking about a waste of tax-payers’ money--- an issue you like to talk so much about… you might want to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the United States Department of Justice to find out why they spent so much of your tax-dollars creating a massive dossier now consisting of over 15,000 pages on me after J. Edgar Hoover testified that I was one of “the most dangerous persons in America” because he claimed I was “one of the most articulate and knowledgeable people in the international Communist movement.” Now, if your conclusion that I am just a dunce of some kind is correct, you might want to find out just how much of your tax dollars have been wasted by the National Security Agency, military intelligence (now there is an oxymoron if I ever heard one) and the FBI and various local and state police agencies and even the gendarmes of several Caribbean Nations and Canada’s RCMP and CSIS.

If you want to find out how tax-dollars are really being wasted, maybe you should invite FBI Director Mr. Mueller and me to appear on your program to discuss whether watching me for over 40 years has paid off for American tax-payers; and, if so, how?

Now, in case you forgot; here are my original two letters to the “Organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party (also, further below I have included information about the plight of casino workers). Also, please take note, the “Organizers of the Minnesota Tea Party” are clearly against socialism--- I doubt that you will find anyone to dispute that I am the most open and articulate advocate of socialism in Minnesota, so if they can’t debate me for fear of losing this argument their entire case is very weak, I would think:

What I see in your Tea Party “movement” is:

1. racism
2. vicious anti-communism
3. warmongers
4. people sucked in by Wall Street
5. a gross distortion of “patriotism.”

I would encourage all of you to read “Citizen Tom Paine” by Howard Fast and his other historical novels on the American Revolution to get some kind of basic grounding and understanding as to what constitutes fighting for freedom, justice and liberty.

You really have a very shallow understanding of the issues.

For instance—

Why no mention of this “little” fact:

Our government is wasting trillions of dollars maintaining over 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil dotting the globe in countries where we have no business when, instead, we should be establishing 800 public health care centers spread out across the United States providing free health care for everyone.

It is easy for you all to say things like you do using assumed names and monikers… I am wondering if you would dare to say such pathetically stupid, harmful and hurtful things if you had to sign your real names and provide contact information?

I would challenge any of you to debate these issues: anytime, anyplace anywhere.

Any takers?

Bak, bak, bak, bak, baaakkk, bak, bak, bak, baaaaakkkkkkkk.

Just a bunch of chicken shit patriots.

Give me a call if you can converse intelligently.

Alan L. Maki
218-386-2432




I have also sent this e-mail to the "Tea Baggers:"

At their e-mail addresses:

'stpaulteaparty@gmail.com'; 'pata@mnfreemarketinstitute.org'; 'dgjohannes@comcast.net'; 'margaretlee@amblerLLC.com'; 'toni@movingmn.com'; 'stpaulteaparty@gmail.com'
An open letter to:

The organizers of the “Minnesota Tea Parties.”

What kind of ideas do you people have if you are afraid to debate and fear the ideas of others?

You are no better than, certainly no alternative to, Barack Obama and the pathetic Democrats and the even more corrupt and disgraced Republicans.

Come on, put your ideas up against a real socialist.

I challenge you to hold debates in every one of the Minnesota communities where you had your big-business/Wall Street financed “Tea Parties.”

Just give me the dates and times and I will be there to debate any of you on the issues you claim to be so concerned about.

It is easy for you to rant and rave against the perverted caricature of socialism you have created without having to sit side by side with a socialist and debate the issues.

Here I am… let’s have at it… or are you afraid to put your ideas out where they can be challenged in the “public square.”

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council




Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:03 AM
To: 'peterb3121@hotmail.com'
Cc: 'WCS-A@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Re: National Lawyers Guild human rights forums in Minneapolis

(Please feel free to circulate and distribute widely)

Mr. Peter Brown--- National Lawyers Guild;

I saw your notice in Shove’s “Progressive Calendar” for your upcoming discussions on human rights in the Twin Cities.

I just wanted to let you know one of the most massive denial of human rights in the United States involves the two-million casino workers employed at over 350 casinos where workers are employed in a smoke-filled workplace at poverty wages with NO rights under state or federal labor laws protecting all other workers under terms of “Compacts” creating the Indian Gaming Industry.

I have noticed the National Lawyers Guild and your speaker has not addressed this issue in the past or present… thought you might want to consider changing this here in Minnesota where over 40,000 Minnesotans are now employed in these unjust and deplorable conditions--- many of whom are undocumented workers, people of color and young women of child-bearing age for whom this smoke-filled work environment is especially pernicious. I addition, many pensioners are increasingly forced to work in these smoke-filled environments as they are forced to supplement their meager Social Security checks which is another human rights abuse in its own right.

I would note that it has been the Democratic Party that developed these “Compacts” in order to keep huge amounts of campaign contributions flowing their way from the mobsters who manage these casino operations which many Native American communities have been sucked into fronting for under the guise that everyone is going to become extremely wealthy. To be sure, some have become extremely wealthy beyond the imaginations of most Native Americans… but, for most Native American communities these casinos have resulted in tremendous debt which exacerbates poverty and despair--- bringing everything from loan-sharking and prostitution to drug dealing and the family violence which accompanies this kind of government authorized working and living environment.

Rather than alleviating the deplorable racist and genocidal conditions including all kinds of abuse imaginable spun by years of U.S. governmental repression and oppression intentionally carried out by the government of the United States, this Indian Gaming Industry operating under the Draconian terms of these “Compacts” has added a vicious anti-labor element and dimension as most Native Americans are working class and require the protections of state and federal labor laws more than any other segment of our society.

I would hope that you would consider the fact that workers who are employed under the conditions of having NO rights or voice at their places of employment have NO rights in the communities where they reside.

The Mystic Lake Casino empire with over 5,000 employees is a case in point. Workers are forced to sign a statement which is part Minnesota’s legislated “at-will hiring and firing policy” taken to the extreme. As a condition of employment, workers are forced to sign statements acknowledging that they will not engage in union organizing activities in any way. This casino management has fired workers for the act of maintaining blogs--- even when those blogs have nothing to do with their employment. And these are typical of the human rights abuses centered around democratic rights and human rights.

In fact, one can take the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our own Constitution and Bill of Rights and find every single abuse of the very rights on a mass scale that these documents are intended to protect while going through any of these more than 350 casinos spread out across the United States employing some two-million people.

I hope the National Lawyers Guild will finally consider speaking out boldly in defense of the rights of casino workers and the government mandated and legislated abuses they are being subjected to day-in-and-day out; twenty-four hours a day, every single day of the year.

I would further point out that these deplorable conditions have created an industry where a huge turn-over of the workforce is the result of these Draconian and unjust conditions meaning many more than two-million workers employed daily are ultimately at risk; and for many young workers just setting out in the working lives, these casino jobs are their first jobs which sets the stage for a very docile workforce willing to “adjust,” and accept, injustices in other industries.

As the economy heads south, these employers in the Indian Gaming Industry use this as an opportunity to “tighten the screws” in controlling their workers.

Again, in writing, it is my hope that the National Lawyers Guild will end its over twenty years of silence on this question by letting public officials know that these injustices must be set right by renegotiating the individual “Compacts” under which each of these casinos are given authority by state governments and the federal governments to operate. I would further note, the FBI and state agencies like the Minnesota Department of Public Safety are responsible for “policing” these casino operations as far as drug dealing and assuring that slot and table games are operated on the “up-and-up;” so, the issue of “sovereignty” is not the issue here when it comes to the rights of labor… rather, it is a matter of public officials providing these casino managements with labor force of workers who are completely at the mercy of management in terms of employment.

I would also note, also, that these “Compacts” are in fact “contracts.”

As we have seen with the auto industry, public officials right on up to the president of the United States think nothing of using their power and influence to force workers to re-open and renegotiate their contracts.

These same public officials are fully aware that their actions in creating these “Compacts” resulted in the wholesale denial of the most basic and elemental human rights to working people; this wrong and injustice must be set right.

In closing, I would call to your attention that the very same political forces and politicians who have intentionally and systematically denied free access to health care to all people is a double whammy to casino workers for whom second-hand smoke creates all kinds of adverse and catastrophic health problems as has been articulated so well by the American Cancer Society and the Heart and Lung Foundations.

Finally, I would point out that the Canadian Province of Manitoba has put an end to smoking in its Provincially owned and Native owned casinos; if this can be accomplished in Manitoba, it certainly can be accomplished here in Minnesota and across the United States where the government continues to fund more than 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil dotting the globe in countries where human rights are systematically abused instead of creating 800 public health care centers spread out across the United States… it truly is a dirty shame that our own government can’t even match the number of service centers of the auto industry to maintain their “lemons” by a similar number of public health care centers to maintain human health and get people well when sick… something not lost on the two-million coughing casino workers many of whom are contracting employment related cancers, heart and lung diseases.

Casino workers need the independent voice of the National Lawyers Guild to be heard boldly, loudly and clearly in their defense for rights at work and a voice in the workplace so they can fully participate in their communities… we are talking about the intentional and systematic abuse of very basic democratic and human rights by government working hand-in-hand with some of the most violent mobsters like the Fertitta family and the Kansas City Mob who dominate and control the Indian Gaming Industry who have at their disposal huge lawfirms/lobbyists like Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Schreck.

I would request that the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild address this issue at your earliest convenience, request action from the National organization--- perhaps in the form of a letter to all state and federal public officials; and I further request that you pass on my concerns to your guest, noted human rights activist Ajamu Baraka.

Notice I received from David Shove’s “Progressive Calendar:”

--------14 of 19--------

From: Peter Brown
Subject: Ajamu Baraka 4.17 1:30/3/4:30pm

Dear Colleagues for Justice:
We are pleased to confirm three community conversations with Ajamu Baraka, nationally and internationally recognized human rights scholar, advocate, and organizer on Friday afternoon, April 17, 2009, in advance of his keynote address at the National Lawyers Guild-Minnesota Chapter's annual Social Justice Dinner - Saturday April 18, 6PM at William Mitchell College of Law Auditorium ---

1. 1:30PM at Minneapolis Urban League, 2000 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN

2. 3:00 PM at Sabathani Community Center, 310 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, MN

3. 4:30PM at MLK, Jr. Community Center, 270 Kent Street, St. Paul, MN

To give you a more complete view of Ajamu Baraka's activity here in the Twin Cities during these days, I am attaching his full itinerary for these days.

Ajamu is very enthusiastic about this opportunity to meet and speak with you and the other justice activists you gather for this conversation and I'm sure with your help we will make the most of our time together.

I am also attaching the poster previously sent since it contains additional background information about Ajamu Baraka which you may choose to incorporate into outreach you do for this conversation. Peter 612-824-6533


--------15 of 19--------

From: Hamline University Law School in the Twin Cities of St. Paul, and Minneapolis Minnesota (http://law.hamline.edu)
Subject: Natl Lawyers Guild 4.17-19 5:30pm

EVENT: Weekend Program of Events at Hamline Law School
National Lawyers Guild - Hamline Chapter

The National Lawyers Guild Midwest Regional Conference will be held April 17, 18 and 19 at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

WE DISSENT: Taking Back our Civil Liberties

Friday April 17th 2009
Sundin Music Hall
5:30 - 7:30 Set Up and Registration
7:00 - 7:30 Meet and Greet ;
7:30 Keynote Speaker ; Ken Tilsen introduced by Bruce Nestor

10:00 - close Rebellious Bar Review ; Bedlam Theatre 1501 S. 6th St. on the West Bank, Minneapolis


Saturday April 18th 2009
9:00 - 10:00
Session 1: Solomon Amendment ; discussion by Phil Duran, staff attorney for OutFront Minnesota
Room: Sorin Hall A

9:45 - 11:15
Session 2: Twin Cities Culture Panel ; with Abigail Cerra, Abdirizk Bihi and Roman Gonzalez.
Room: Sorin Hall B

10:00 - 11:00
Session 3: International Human Rights Applied Domestically ; presented by Peter Brown with Ajamu Baraka, Execitive Director of the US Human Rights Network
Room: Sorin Hall A

11:30 - 1:00
Session 4: Ramona Africa ; Move9
Room: LAW 105

1:45 - 3:15
Session 5: Securing the Human Rights of Arrestees and Detainees: the Right to Medical Attention ; Peter Brown, former MN NLG President and Jordan Kushner, sole practitioner
Room: Sorin Hall B

Session 6: Legal Workers of the World, Unite(d)! (As faculty for lawyers after law school.) ; facilitated by Michael Friedman, Executive Director of Legal Rights Center with Abigail Cerra, Jude Ortiz, Michelle Gross
Room: Sorin Hall A

3:15 - 4:15
Session 8: Inexpensive Legal Research ; Professor Grace Mills, Law Library Dir. and Assoc. Prof. of Law Hamline University
Room: Sorin Hall B

Session 9: Living with Debt While Being an Effective Advocate ; with Heather Rastorver Vlieger and Sharon Fischlowitz of LRAP
Room: Sorin Hall A

6:30
Minnesota NLG Social Justice Dinner
William Mitchell School of Law


Sunday April 19th 2009
9:30 - 10:30
Session 10: TBD
Room: LAW 101

Session 11: Legal Observer Training ; presented by Jennifer McEwen, Rachel Bengston and Carla Magnuson
Room: LAW 04

10:30 - 12:00
Session 12: The Movement For Reproductive Justice: New Strategies For Organizing And Coalition Building ; with Kate Hannaher, founder and chair of Hamline Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and Sara Thome, Legal Aid attorney, founder and former chair of Hamline Law Students for Reproductive Justice.
Room: LAW 101

Session 13: Student Chapter Forum ; facilitated by Micah Ludeke, co-chair of NLG Hamline Chapter
Room: LAW 04

12:00 - 1:00
Session 14: Know Your Rights (and how to explain them) ; presented by Jude Ortiz of Coldsnap Legal Collective
Room: LAW 04

Session 15: TBD
Room: LAW 101

Additional Information
Visitor parking at the Saint Paul campus
Visitor parking is located in the White House lot on Hewitt
Avenue at Pascal Street. Parking is enforced Monday-Friday, 8
a.m.-4 p.m. Visitor parking is enforced as signage indicates.
All parking lots, with exception of the staff/faculty parking
Lot H, are open to visitors without permits after 4:30 p.m.
weekdays and all weekends
Driving Directions
You may also call 651-523-2441 for directions.

Hamline University School of Law | 1536 Hewitt Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104-1237 | U.S.A. | 651-523-2941


The anti-labor, racist and fascist edge to the “Tea Parties” being held across our country makes it all the more imperative that our concerns be addressed at this time without procrastination.

We wish you well and hope for your success in endeavoring to educate Minnesotans concerning human rights.

Yours in struggle for justice and human dignity;

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

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/




-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Maki [mailto:amaki000@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 7:57 PM
To: 'WCS-A@yahoogroups.com'
Cc: 'jan.alswager@educationminnesota.org'
Subject: Tea Parties: Obama has created fertile soil for the development of fascism...

We are requesting that you circulate our concerns as widely as possible so working people have the opportunity to have a full discussion on these issues.

Thank you,

Maggie “Patty” Bird
President,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council



Contrary to the thinking of the muddle-headed middle class intellectuals posing as progressives, Barack Obama’s campaign and his time in office to date has been nothing but a right-wing, pro-war, pro-corporate agenda which anyone could see was going to result in the right-wing having a field day under the guise of “populism.”

These muddle-headed middle class intellectuals for whom politics is a high-priced game that they play instead of Scrabble, Cribbage, Chess or Checkers have knowingly aided and abetted Wall Street bankers and coupon clippers living like parasites off the wealth created by labor as they used the election of Barack Obama to set the stage to push this country further to the right than anyone could ever have imagined.

Five-hundred of these muddle-headed middle class intellectuals banded together in “Progressives for Obama;” other thousands through outfits like Progressive Democrats of America and Moveon.org who used progressive to make millions of dollars as they, like Obama, engaged in a very selfish, self-serving and self-promoting form of politics to sell their books and magazines… the Nation Magazine has been one of the worst abusers of the progressive label in this regard along with the Campaign for America’s Future which is the “think-tank” for the high-paid, class collaborationist, sell-out leadership of the AFL-CIO.

Anyone can see from reading this article below that these people are hitting at very legitimate issues that the left should have been on top of addressing long ago by becoming the most vocal critics and protesters of Barack Obama’s Wall Street policies and agenda.

What was needed, and is still needed, is for working class liberals, progressives and leftists to come together through some kind of “people’s lobby” to explain what is the real nature and source of the problems the right is bringing forward here.

We cannot wait for these “leaders” from the labor movement, the peace or environmental movements to step forward into this fight of the people versus Wall Street because they have no clue to what is happening in this country… many of them make just as much as the corporate CEO’s and have not an inkling or a clue as to the problems being experienced by working people. Our problems are nothing more than footnotes in some government or think-tank reports that they use to sound good when making speeches, writing books and magazine articles--- which most working people can’t even afford to purchase.

We can see from what has been transpiring on the Internet that many of the participants in these “tea parties” are honest working people just plain fed up; many of whom pay dues to unions that have leaders they don’t trust largely because these union leaders have been complicit in supporting Barack Obama when they should have been opposing Obama on most issues--- and why should working people trust these “leaders” who backed Barack Obama to the hilt while failing to put forward the resources to mobilize the working class in defense of their own interests and to improve their own standard of living.

Working people have no interests in supporting the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Working people have no interests in bailing out the Wall Street bankers and insurance companies.

Working people have no interests in bailing out the auto or steel industries.

Working people have no interests in supporting tax-increases.

Wars are robbing the working class of their sons and daughters along with squandering the wealth workers have created.

Working people had no part in creating this mess; Wall Street bankers and coupon clippers did this all on their own--- now, let them clean up the mess they created.

Wall Street bankers and insurance companies have all the wealth required to bail themselves out of the problems of their own making; they don’t need tax-payer bailouts.

Instead of bailing out Wall Street, tax revenues should be going into socially useful and necessary programs like public health care, public education, public mass transit, public recreation programs for youth, public child care centers and public libraries.

For what Obama has spent bailing out the auto industry--- and what he intends to spend bailing out the steel industry--- the government could purchase the entire industries, lock, stock and barrel; nationalize these industries and bring them under public ownership. Why the government would want to purchase these industries rather than just take them over in the public’s best interest we don’t understand.

All tax-increases should be in the form of capital gains taxes on the super wealthy Wall Street crowd with a tax placed on every single stock and bond transaction.

The one issue that has the very best potential to unite the people of this country and create a real change in direction is the health care issue… there isn’t a single person who doesn’t require access to health care. Yet, those muddle-headed middle class intellectuals, some of the most well-known and preeminent writers in this country, have failed to articulate a clear alternative to the health care mess.

The solution is simple: Close down the more than 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil dotting the globe, and build 800 public health care centers spread out across the United States providing everyone with access to health care.

If anyone doubts that such a call for this kind of initiative would not be overwhelmingly supported by the American people, we suggest that 800 forums on this issue be organized in the very communities where these public health care centers would be located to best serve the health care needs of the American people, and ask the people to come out and provide their opinion on this issue.

Every public school and public library could be turned into voting centers with people using their Social Security card numbers to vote electronically on the question:

Should the United States government close down more than 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil and use the resources saved to build 800 public health care centers stretching out across this country strategically located to provide the American people with free access to all basic health care needs required by human beings?

Barack Obama and these muddle-headed middle class intellectuals posing as liberals, progressives and leftists talk about creating a country linked with state of the art broad-band communication network and people don’t even have access to health care--- where is the logic to this, where is the common sense, where is the basic human decency… first they insinuated this broad-band communications network would be free; now, they say, like health care, it will be “affordable.” Well, we have the technology available right now to see how popular and efficient the Internet can be by holding a nationwide referendum on putting an end to war and militarism and using the wealth and the resources of this country to serve the very best interests of the people by providing free health care for all.

If the “Progressives for Obama,” “Moveon.org,” Progressive Democrats of America and all the labor unions, peace organizations, civil and human rights organizations and environmental organizations were to come together in a massive “people’s lobby” we could force Barack Obama and the politicians to hold a nationwide referendum on this health care issue.

And, as far as economic stimulus and job creation, not a better and more effective way can be found to create jobs faster and pump more money into the economy so working people can purchase those things they need to live decent lives.

Such a vast network of 800 public health care centers serving all of the American people would employ some four-million people while it would require some 3.5 million construction workers to build these public health care centers… talk about your “shovel ready” projects!

Not even considering the jobs that this kind of massive undertaking for the good of the human race would spin off, which would be well over eight-million jobs, we create over 15,000,000 (fifteen-million jobs) which would create a full-employment economy with workers receiving decent pay for decent jobs.

The working class youth now living in the ghettos, barrios and on Indian Reservations would have real futures to look forward to serving the health care needs of their communities and families.

The United States would finally reap the dividends of peace by learning to live in harmony with the rest of the world, too.

With the money saved not being siphoned off by the health insurance and health care industries, we would have billions to spend on clean, green, mass transit systems.

The spin-offs of funding real public health care would be enormous; including a healthier, longer-living, happier population.

There is something terribly wrong when the politicians of this country cannot understand that the primary task is to put people before Wall Street’s profits; this is what is creating such disharmony in our society and is fueling this ultra-rightwing, fascist upsurge of “tea baggers.”

The liberal, progressive and left opinion-makers are doing us a great disservice by failing to add their voices for a real progressive agenda that brings the working class into opposition to the Wall Street policies of Barack Obama.

This country is going to move much further to the right; or, it will move to the left.

The rightwing has a very well-funded organizational structure; apparently abandoned by liberal, progressive and left intellectuals, it is now up to rank-and-file workers to initiate the kind of grassroots effort through education and organization if we are going to move this country left onto the high-road of a politics and economics of livelihood, and we should begin by addressing the primary issues of concern to working people: health care, peace and jobs--- real justice for the working women and men who create the wealth of this country with a great deal of help from Mother Nature.

Ending the obsessive militaristic binge this country has been on since the end of World War II as Wall Street has sought to dominate the entire world in quest of ever greater profits will be a major factor--- the single largest factor--- in bringing global warming under control… something those who are pushing for “greening the economy,” also, completely ignore.

To give this some perspective; scientists estimate that over one-third of all the ore mined on Minnesota’s Iron Range has gone for war and militarization; it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how much fuel the transport and processing of this ore into steel consumes--- the coal, the coke, the electricity and gas.

Our society is paying a terrible price in so many ways for its addiction to militarism which stems from Wall Street’s drive for corporate profits.

William Z. Foster--- the great trade union leader, working class intellectual and activist, and Marxist thinker and writer--- pointed out that the very best education the American people could ever get would be an anti-imperialist education; he was so right.

Minnesota’s two most popular ever governors, Floyd B. Olson and Elmer Benson--- both socialists--- said the very same thing as William Z. Foster.

And, Albert Einstein in his essay “Why socialism?” written in 1949 for the socialist magazine “Monthly Review” clearly articulated why war and militarism sapped our country of its wealth in explaining the nature of capitalism and its most barbaric, parasitic and cannibalistic stage: imperialism.

Instead of a “tea party;” workers need a socialist party to advance an alternative agenda. A “people’s lobby” can get us headed in this direction.

Capitalism is on the skids to oblivion; do we want to be dragged down this dark, scary, bumpy road to perdition?

Let’s talk about health care.

Let’s talk about peace.

Let’s talk about a “people’s bailout.”

Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood--- for real change.

The time has come to make a “left turn.”

Education. Organization. Unity. Action.

With two-million casino workers employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws, we know a little something about why this country needs a quality, public health care system providing free health care for all… we know that many illnesses and health care problems working people suffer from are directly related to their places of employment--- once again, the bosses get rich; working people suffer and get stuck with the bill.

It is not our intent to speak ill of anyone; but, at some point a line needs to be drawn in the sand. On one side of this line stands the working class; on the other side stand the Wall Street bankers and industrialists. It really is as simple as that.

As workers, we have no interest in saving capitalism; our concern is getting working people through this mess with the required reforms as we struggle to put an end to capitalism while building the socialist alternative.

Together, the working class--- united--- has the power to create real change.

We ask you to read and digest what is in this article below. The dangers ahead cannot be exaggerated; the dangers are very real.

We are firmly convinced that the struggle for real health care reform when combined with the fight for peace can defeat the forces pushing our country precariously to the right, while advancing a progressive working class agenda. We invite your comments and concerns.

Our Organizing Council has allocated some of our limited resources in an attempt to initiate a struggle for 800 public health care centers spread out across the United States instead of continuing to fund 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil.

We hope you will add your voices to this campaign and join our efforts.

Maggie “Patty” Bird
President,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council



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Tax deadline brings out thousands of protesters


http://apnews.myway.com//article/20090415/D97J44280.html

Apr 15, 4:22 PM (ET)

By JOE BIESK


(AP) Several hundred protesters participate in a tax day protest on the Boston Common in Boston,...
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Thousands of protesters, some dressed like Revolutionary War soldiers and most waving signs with anti-tax slogans, gathered around the nation Wednesday for a series of rallies modeled after the original Boston Tea Party. They chose the income tax filing deadline to express their displeasure with government spending since President Barack Obama took office.
The protests were held everywhere from Kentucky, which just passed tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol, to South Carolina, where the governor has repeatedly criticized the $787 billion economic stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year.
"Frankly, I'm mad as hell," said Des Moines, Iowa, businessman Doug Burnett, one of about 1,000 people, many in red shirts declaring "revolution is brewing," at a rally at the Iowa Capitol. "This country has been on a spending spree for decades, a spending spree we can't afford."
Large rallies were expected later in California and New York.


(AP) Protestors take part in a tea party demonstration, Wednesday, April 15, 2009, in Lafayette Park,...
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In Atlanta, thousands of people were to gather on the steps of the Georgia Capitol, where Fox News Channel conservative pundit Sean Hannity was set to broadcast his show Wednesday night.
In Boston, a few hundred protesters gathered on the Boston Common - a short distance from the original Tea Party - some dressed in Revolutionary garb and carrying signs that said "Barney Frank, Bernie Madoff: And the Difference Is?" and "D.C.: District of Communism."
The tea parties were promoted by FreedomWorks, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington and led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, a lobbyist whose corporate clients including Verizon, Raytheon, liquor maker Diageo, CarMax and drug company Sanofi Pasteur.
The group's federal tax returns show its educational and charitable arms received more than $6 million in donations in 2007, the most recent year for which returns are available.
Organizers said the movement developed organically through online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and through exposure on Fox News.


(AP) Five-year-old Elianna Dickens participates in a rally sponsored by West Virginia Concerned Citizens...
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And while they insisted it was a nonpartisan effort, it has been seized on by many prominent Republicans who view it as a promising way for the party to reclaim its momentum.
"It is a nonpartisan mass organizing effort comprised of people unhappy with the size of government. All you have to be is a mildly awake Republican candidate for office to get in front of that parade," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
The movement has also attracted some Republicans considering a 2012 presidential bid.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich planned to address a tea party in a New York City park Wednesday night. His advocacy group, americansolutions.com, has partnered with tea party organizers to get word to the group's members.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, another likely 2012 GOP presidential hopeful, planned to attend tea parties in Columbia and Charleston. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal sent an e-mail to his supporters, letting them know about tea parties taking place throughout the state.


(AP) Protesters carry signs at a rally sponsored by West Virginia Concerned Citizens to protest...
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There were several small counter-protests, including one in at Fountain Square in Cincinnati, where about a dozen people protested the protesters, one carrying a sign that read, "Where were you when Bush was spending billions a month 'liberating' Iraq?" The anti-tax demonstration, meanwhile, drew about 4,000 people.
In Lansing, Mich., outside the state Capitol, another 4,000 people waved signs exclaiming "Stop the Fiscal Madness,""Read My Lipstick! No More Bailouts" and "The Pirates Are in D.C." Children held makeshift signs complaining about the rising debt.
"I'm really opposed to spending the way out of our problem," said Deborah Mourray, 56, a business administrator from the Detroit suburb of Troy. "How I run my home is I don't spend more money so my situation improves. Save and conserve."
In Connecticut, police estimated 3,000 people showed up at the state Capitol in Hartford and another 1,000 at a rally in New Haven. Many carried makeshift pitchforks and signs with messages aimed at the Democrats who control Congress and the White House.
In Montgomery, Ala., Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" blared from loud speakers as more than 1,000 people gathered at the Alabama Statehouse.


(AP) Russell Wirtalla, dressed as a Colonial soldier, joins tax protesters rallying on the north steps...
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Greg Budell, a radio talk show host, said the tea parties could have the same impact as when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a Montgomery bus during segregation in 1955.
"If one woman could change the world by refusing to move to the back of the bus, we ought to be able to change it by saying we are not going to let our government throw us under the bus and our children and our grandchildren," he said.
In Frankfort, about 250 people gathered at the Capitol, where just a few months earlier Kentucky bourbon producers emptied whiskey bottles on the steps to protest alcohol taxes.
David Ransdell, a 66-year-old retired Baptist missionary from Lawrenceburg, donned an empty tea box as a hat and dangled tea bags around the sides.
"The future does not look real good for our country," Ransdell said. "People are afraid that they're going to be out on the street."
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Associated Press Writers Mike Glover in Des Moines, Iowa, Stephanie Reitz in Hartford, Conn., Beth Fouhy in New York, Kelsey Abbruzzese in Boston, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta, Terry Kinney in Cincinatti, David Eggert in Lansing, Mich., and Phillip Rawls in Montgomery, Ala. contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
http://taxdayteaparty.com/


Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

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