By Caleb T. Maupin
Published Jun 29, 2008 5:48 PM
Left-leaning pundits, such as those on Air America Radio and MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, call for support of the Democrats on the basis of “defending our civil liberties.” Olbermann, Democratic senators John Kerry and Barack Obama, and Air America commentators have all ridiculed the Bush administration for expanding the police state through wiretaps, illegal detentions, torture and extraordinary rendition.
However, a bill was recently passed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives which made the wiretapping of all private phones legal. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended the bill, saying it was needed to protect U.S. citizens from terrorism, her rhetoric not unlike that of President Bush himself.
Not only the rightist Republicans, but many Democrats, the so-called opposition, voted in favor of this bill, which gives the Bush administration permission to listen in on the phone conversations of individuals without a warrant.
This is nothing new for the Democratic Party. COINTELPRO started under Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, then continued under the Democratic administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. The FBI illegally tapped thousands of phones, organized break-ins and even set up leaders of the Black Panther Party to be killed as well as harassing socialist and communist groups and leaders.
The Democrats wrap their rhetoric in the blanket of the U.S. Constitution, but they have done nothing to stop the raids and harassment of the immigrant community by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, even though the Constitution makes it clear that all persons are subject to due process of law.
The definition of “persons,” according to the ruling class politicians of the Democratic and Republican parties, has never been very inclusive. The very document which these Democrats wrap themselves in defined Black people as three-fifths of a human being when it was written.
It seems that if the U.S. populace wants to protect itself from the force of state repression, the Democratic Party is not where they should be placing their hopes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
On his 80th Birthday, Che's Legacy Lives
By Caleb T. Maupin
Published Jun 11, 2008 8:52 PM
In his death, Ernesto “Che” Guevara—whose 80th birthday would have been June 14—has become even more powerful than he was in his truly revolutionary life. In modern times, images of Guevara are found across the globe wherever oppressed people are fighting back.
As Lebanon was being rebuilt following the ruthless Israeli bombing campaigns, Che’s defiant glare found its way onto the walls of newly rebuilt homes. The oppressed communities of the part of Ireland still occupied by British imperialism are filled with murals of Guevara’s face, next to other heroes like Nelson Mandela and James Connolly. In China, plays depicting Che’s life are performed in theatres.
Across Eastern Europe, youth defying the “new Europe” of economic suppression bear Che’s face upon their chests. In Vietnam, Belarus, North Korea, Venezuela and Bolivia, Che persists in the memory of millions who hope to build a socialist future.
In Cuba, the home of the revolution Che built successfully, school children pledge not allegiance to an imperialist flag, but that they will “live like Che.”
Guevara—the doctor, warrior-poet, and revolutionary—stands as a symbol of victory against the bosses, capitalists and bankers who sit behind the ruthless forces of the Pentagon and the CIA.
Guevara personally left his revolutionary footprints in Cuba, Guatemala, Bolivia and throughout Africa. Guevara visited Vietnam, advising the revolutionaries while the national liberation struggle to free the nation from imperialism raged. He issued a statement calling for “many Vietnams” to be created—for every corner of the world to be thrust into a state of revolt, so that the forces which put profit above human life could be removed from the halls of power and replaced by the people in their millions.
Che wrote a handbook on guerilla warfare and developed the style and methods of political, ideological and physical warfare against the capitalist ruling class.
Che lives on, not just in images, but in the improvement of human conditions. In Cuba, the peoples’ life expectancy is the highest in South America; every citizen is guaranteed health care and education; infant mortality rates are lower than in the United States; and countless aid is spread throughout the world.
In Vietnam, the infant mortality rate has been cut in half since the revolution succeeded. In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which Che showed great solidarity with, nuclear technology has been developed, sending a message to the U.S. and all imperialists that the peoples there will not give up their freedom from imperialism without a fight. In South Africa, apartheid was smashed into the history books. In Zimbabwe, land is being redistributed to the peasants.
In Bolivia, the land where Che lost his life, a revolutionary government calling for a “movement toward socialism” holds power. The government of nearby Venezuela invokes Che constantly as they construct a socialist society.
Yes, Che’s legacy is everywhere. The world will never forget this great revolutionary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Published Jun 11, 2008 8:52 PM
In his death, Ernesto “Che” Guevara—whose 80th birthday would have been June 14—has become even more powerful than he was in his truly revolutionary life. In modern times, images of Guevara are found across the globe wherever oppressed people are fighting back.
As Lebanon was being rebuilt following the ruthless Israeli bombing campaigns, Che’s defiant glare found its way onto the walls of newly rebuilt homes. The oppressed communities of the part of Ireland still occupied by British imperialism are filled with murals of Guevara’s face, next to other heroes like Nelson Mandela and James Connolly. In China, plays depicting Che’s life are performed in theatres.
Across Eastern Europe, youth defying the “new Europe” of economic suppression bear Che’s face upon their chests. In Vietnam, Belarus, North Korea, Venezuela and Bolivia, Che persists in the memory of millions who hope to build a socialist future.
In Cuba, the home of the revolution Che built successfully, school children pledge not allegiance to an imperialist flag, but that they will “live like Che.”
Guevara—the doctor, warrior-poet, and revolutionary—stands as a symbol of victory against the bosses, capitalists and bankers who sit behind the ruthless forces of the Pentagon and the CIA.
Guevara personally left his revolutionary footprints in Cuba, Guatemala, Bolivia and throughout Africa. Guevara visited Vietnam, advising the revolutionaries while the national liberation struggle to free the nation from imperialism raged. He issued a statement calling for “many Vietnams” to be created—for every corner of the world to be thrust into a state of revolt, so that the forces which put profit above human life could be removed from the halls of power and replaced by the people in their millions.
Che wrote a handbook on guerilla warfare and developed the style and methods of political, ideological and physical warfare against the capitalist ruling class.
Che lives on, not just in images, but in the improvement of human conditions. In Cuba, the peoples’ life expectancy is the highest in South America; every citizen is guaranteed health care and education; infant mortality rates are lower than in the United States; and countless aid is spread throughout the world.
In Vietnam, the infant mortality rate has been cut in half since the revolution succeeded. In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which Che showed great solidarity with, nuclear technology has been developed, sending a message to the U.S. and all imperialists that the peoples there will not give up their freedom from imperialism without a fight. In South Africa, apartheid was smashed into the history books. In Zimbabwe, land is being redistributed to the peasants.
In Bolivia, the land where Che lost his life, a revolutionary government calling for a “movement toward socialism” holds power. The government of nearby Venezuela invokes Che constantly as they construct a socialist society.
Yes, Che’s legacy is everywhere. The world will never forget this great revolutionary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Campaign to stop foreclosures reaches out!
By Caleb T. Maupin
Detroit
Published Jun 7, 2008 12:18 AM
The Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions has been undertaking a growing campaign over the past few weeks to win passage of SB1306. This bill, which would put a two-year moratorium on mortgage foreclosures, was introduced in the Michigan Legislature by state Sen. Hansen Clarke.
Activists have been doing phone banking, outreach and leaflet distributions from the coalition’s office located at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Detroit. They are holding almost daily street meetings and distributions at the nearby 36th District Court, the scene of many eviction and foreclosure proceedings.
At these street meetings, two organizers hold a banner as another member of the team agitates and gets the attention of those going into the court. Meanwhile the remaining activists distribute leaflets and engage people in a dialogue about the campaign and its goals. So far, they have distributed thousands of leaflets and many people have signed up for more information. Police harassment of the street meetings has gradually increased as the courts and bankers see that the campaign to challenge the free reign of the predatory lenders is picking up steam.
A job fair in downtown Detroit this week was also the site of the Moratorium Now! Campaign’s mass leafleting. As rows of unemployed workers dressed in their best clothes awaited a chance to get inside and try to get a job, moratorium activists distributed fliers and talked with some of the hundreds of people waiting in line.
The campaign is currently publicizing and preparing for a march through the banking district of Detroit on June 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. to highlight the crimes of predatory lenders. A statewide organizers’ meeting to discuss strategy for building a movement to pass SB1306 is scheduled on June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the UAW Local 7 hall on Detroit’s east side.
Sen. Clarke will then chair an official town hall meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Clarke will take testimony from community members about foreclosures, evictions, neighborhood blight, lowered property values, increased homelessness and other problems facing the community because of the mortgage foreclosure crisis. During the meeting, a simultaneous free legal clinic, hosted by the Coalition’s legal committee, will provide practical advice to those facing foreclosures and evictions.
Coalition organizers hope to rally support in cities and towns throughout Michigan in order to build the necessary movement that will force the politicians to put a halt to the foreclosure epidemic. Community activists in Benton Harbor and Battle Creek have already expressed interest in holding meetings on the moratorium in western Michigan. The campaign has been contacted by people as far away as Traverse City and Cheboygan in northern Michigan.
Direct action stops eviction
On every front, Coalition activists are committed to stopping foreclosures and evictions. These organizers rapidly switched gears one morning last week when the office received a call that an illegal eviction was about to take place. A woman who had paid her rent and done everything expected of her, awoke that morning to find a sheriff knocking on her door informing her that she had two hours before bailiffs would rip her belongings to shreds and dispose of them in a large dumpster, already waiting outside of her home that morning.
Several Coalition activists, including members of Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), Michigan Welfare Rights and the Green Party, made their way across town to the property. Alan Pollock of MECAWI photographed the bailiffs assertively, much to their chagrin. As a woman from Michigan Welfare Rights stalled the bailiffs, several activists arranged themselves on the porch so that they blocked the entrance to the woman’s home.
Activists were able to stall the bailiffs long enough to contact a judge and get a stay placed on the eviction by the court. According to Coalition attorneys, landlords whose homes are foreclosed must still follow the law by giving tenants proper notice when preparing to evict them.
Readers wanting more information or to get involved can contact the Moratorium NOW! Coalition at 313-964-5813, e-mail moratorium@moratorium-mi.org, or visit the group’s Web site at www.moratorium-mi.org. Donations can be sent to the Moratorium NOW! at 23 E. Adams, 4th Floor, Detroit, MI 48226.
Detroit
Published Jun 7, 2008 12:18 AM
The Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions has been undertaking a growing campaign over the past few weeks to win passage of SB1306. This bill, which would put a two-year moratorium on mortgage foreclosures, was introduced in the Michigan Legislature by state Sen. Hansen Clarke.
Activists have been doing phone banking, outreach and leaflet distributions from the coalition’s office located at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Detroit. They are holding almost daily street meetings and distributions at the nearby 36th District Court, the scene of many eviction and foreclosure proceedings.
At these street meetings, two organizers hold a banner as another member of the team agitates and gets the attention of those going into the court. Meanwhile the remaining activists distribute leaflets and engage people in a dialogue about the campaign and its goals. So far, they have distributed thousands of leaflets and many people have signed up for more information. Police harassment of the street meetings has gradually increased as the courts and bankers see that the campaign to challenge the free reign of the predatory lenders is picking up steam.
A job fair in downtown Detroit this week was also the site of the Moratorium Now! Campaign’s mass leafleting. As rows of unemployed workers dressed in their best clothes awaited a chance to get inside and try to get a job, moratorium activists distributed fliers and talked with some of the hundreds of people waiting in line.
The campaign is currently publicizing and preparing for a march through the banking district of Detroit on June 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. to highlight the crimes of predatory lenders. A statewide organizers’ meeting to discuss strategy for building a movement to pass SB1306 is scheduled on June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the UAW Local 7 hall on Detroit’s east side.
Sen. Clarke will then chair an official town hall meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Clarke will take testimony from community members about foreclosures, evictions, neighborhood blight, lowered property values, increased homelessness and other problems facing the community because of the mortgage foreclosure crisis. During the meeting, a simultaneous free legal clinic, hosted by the Coalition’s legal committee, will provide practical advice to those facing foreclosures and evictions.
Coalition organizers hope to rally support in cities and towns throughout Michigan in order to build the necessary movement that will force the politicians to put a halt to the foreclosure epidemic. Community activists in Benton Harbor and Battle Creek have already expressed interest in holding meetings on the moratorium in western Michigan. The campaign has been contacted by people as far away as Traverse City and Cheboygan in northern Michigan.
Direct action stops eviction
On every front, Coalition activists are committed to stopping foreclosures and evictions. These organizers rapidly switched gears one morning last week when the office received a call that an illegal eviction was about to take place. A woman who had paid her rent and done everything expected of her, awoke that morning to find a sheriff knocking on her door informing her that she had two hours before bailiffs would rip her belongings to shreds and dispose of them in a large dumpster, already waiting outside of her home that morning.
Several Coalition activists, including members of Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), Michigan Welfare Rights and the Green Party, made their way across town to the property. Alan Pollock of MECAWI photographed the bailiffs assertively, much to their chagrin. As a woman from Michigan Welfare Rights stalled the bailiffs, several activists arranged themselves on the porch so that they blocked the entrance to the woman’s home.
Activists were able to stall the bailiffs long enough to contact a judge and get a stay placed on the eviction by the court. According to Coalition attorneys, landlords whose homes are foreclosed must still follow the law by giving tenants proper notice when preparing to evict them.
Readers wanting more information or to get involved can contact the Moratorium NOW! Coalition at 313-964-5813, e-mail moratorium@moratorium-mi.org, or visit the group’s Web site at www.moratorium-mi.org. Donations can be sent to the Moratorium NOW! at 23 E. Adams, 4th Floor, Detroit, MI 48226.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Detroit Residents Reject Trash Incinerator
By Caleb T. Maupin
Detroit
Published Jun 5, 2008 10:45 PM
The City of Detroit announced May 31 that it had taken the first step in shutting down the trash disposal system known as the “incinerator” by notifying the company that operates it that Detroit would not renew its contract. This device, which currently burns 2,800 tons of household waste a day, dispersing the smoke to Detroit’s skyline, has been the subject of a community-based grassroots campaign, whose goal is ending its use.
Those involved in the campaign, including clergy, environmentalists and other community members, are quick to point out the following fact: The city of Detroit pays $120 per ton to destroy its trash in the incinerator, whereas the national average cost for trash disposal is $57 per ton, or less than half what Detroit spends.
The private companies that have owned the incinerator in the past, as this device was and still is a corporate, nongovernment-operated facility, include Phillip Morris, the tobacco giant. Currently the incinerator is the property of an “investment group.”
It took a fight to win the battle against renewing the incinerator contract. For years, beginning even before the incinerator was constructed, community members have voiced their outrage at the notion of burning the city’s trash for the profit of big business.
Environmental concerns are some of the major grievances against the incinerator. Community members in the area of the incinerator’s location say that cancer and asthma rates in their areas are much higher than average. Almost all people living near the incinerator and poor and working people, most people of color. An elementary school is only two blocks away.
A May 13 meeting nearly boiled over as Detroiters, meeting at the Unitarian Universalist church, were furious that they were refused permission to publicly question a representative of the mayor about any corruption and environmental destruction associated with the incinerator.
Whether the incinerator is to continue its operations is still not fully decided. The city administration states that the city now has the option of buying the incinerator—a decision that reportedly must be made by July 1—and making it the property of the city of Detroit, or using other methods of disposal.
Among the crowds that demonstrated outside City Hall on May 30, the solution was clear. “Burning trash has got to go!” they chanted in unison, sending the city leaders an unmistakable message.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Detroit
Published Jun 5, 2008 10:45 PM
The City of Detroit announced May 31 that it had taken the first step in shutting down the trash disposal system known as the “incinerator” by notifying the company that operates it that Detroit would not renew its contract. This device, which currently burns 2,800 tons of household waste a day, dispersing the smoke to Detroit’s skyline, has been the subject of a community-based grassroots campaign, whose goal is ending its use.
Those involved in the campaign, including clergy, environmentalists and other community members, are quick to point out the following fact: The city of Detroit pays $120 per ton to destroy its trash in the incinerator, whereas the national average cost for trash disposal is $57 per ton, or less than half what Detroit spends.
The private companies that have owned the incinerator in the past, as this device was and still is a corporate, nongovernment-operated facility, include Phillip Morris, the tobacco giant. Currently the incinerator is the property of an “investment group.”
It took a fight to win the battle against renewing the incinerator contract. For years, beginning even before the incinerator was constructed, community members have voiced their outrage at the notion of burning the city’s trash for the profit of big business.
Environmental concerns are some of the major grievances against the incinerator. Community members in the area of the incinerator’s location say that cancer and asthma rates in their areas are much higher than average. Almost all people living near the incinerator and poor and working people, most people of color. An elementary school is only two blocks away.
A May 13 meeting nearly boiled over as Detroiters, meeting at the Unitarian Universalist church, were furious that they were refused permission to publicly question a representative of the mayor about any corruption and environmental destruction associated with the incinerator.
Whether the incinerator is to continue its operations is still not fully decided. The city administration states that the city now has the option of buying the incinerator—a decision that reportedly must be made by July 1—and making it the property of the city of Detroit, or using other methods of disposal.
Among the crowds that demonstrated outside City Hall on May 30, the solution was clear. “Burning trash has got to go!” they chanted in unison, sending the city leaders an unmistakable message.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
