Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Politics of Office
[col. writ. 5/16/09] (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal
There are many things to be learned by the nation's most recent presidential election; some new; some old.
In some ways, this election marked a new page in history, and as such, has had impacts and influences that were quite unprecedented.
In other ways, this election is an exercise in continuity, as the administration, like the 2006 congressional elections before it, strove mightily to reassure the wealthy and well-to-do that nothing essential would change, and their interests would be protected.
And while President Barack H. Obama ran on the promise of change, he has adopted some of the same policies of the Bush administration.
He will not release photos of U.S. soldiers mistreating, abusing, torturing and/or humiliating foreign prisoners and detainees.
He will continue the military commissions begun under the Bush-Cheney regime, albeit with some procedural changes.
And several of the so-called 'black sites', secret prisons placed around the world and administered by the CIA, will keep right on humming.
And, of course, he will continue to prosecute the wars begun and waged under the previous administration; though it appears Afghanistan will garner the lion's share of White House attention.
Boy, what a difference an election makes.
Or, put quite another way, running for an office is worlds away from getting it.
The fact of the matter is the previous administration comprised perhaps the greatest collection of rogues, scoundrels and corporate criminals since the time of Herbert Hoover, but it matters not.
No matter what crimes were committed, no matter how badly the Constitution was shredded, no matter how many 'black sites' or Guantanamo's, they know that they are immune.
Their impeachment argument was 'off the table' : now, any real prosecutions are. Why? Because that's politics.
There's a French saying: "Plus ca change...." "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
--(c) '-9 Mumia Abu-Jamal
There are many things to be learned by the nation's most recent presidential election; some new; some old.
In some ways, this election marked a new page in history, and as such, has had impacts and influences that were quite unprecedented.
In other ways, this election is an exercise in continuity, as the administration, like the 2006 congressional elections before it, strove mightily to reassure the wealthy and well-to-do that nothing essential would change, and their interests would be protected.
And while President Barack H. Obama ran on the promise of change, he has adopted some of the same policies of the Bush administration.
He will not release photos of U.S. soldiers mistreating, abusing, torturing and/or humiliating foreign prisoners and detainees.
He will continue the military commissions begun under the Bush-Cheney regime, albeit with some procedural changes.
And several of the so-called 'black sites', secret prisons placed around the world and administered by the CIA, will keep right on humming.
And, of course, he will continue to prosecute the wars begun and waged under the previous administration; though it appears Afghanistan will garner the lion's share of White House attention.
Boy, what a difference an election makes.
Or, put quite another way, running for an office is worlds away from getting it.
The fact of the matter is the previous administration comprised perhaps the greatest collection of rogues, scoundrels and corporate criminals since the time of Herbert Hoover, but it matters not.
No matter what crimes were committed, no matter how badly the Constitution was shredded, no matter how many 'black sites' or Guantanamo's, they know that they are immune.
Their impeachment argument was 'off the table' : now, any real prosecutions are. Why? Because that's politics.
There's a French saying: "Plus ca change...." "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
--(c) '-9 Mumia Abu-Jamal
!*Free Mumia Movement Fundraising Appeal
Fundraising is a political task, & so this is an intensely political appeal. We are literally non-profit because we have no "stuff" to sell. All we "sell" is our commitment to free Mumia Abu-Jamal and all political prisoners. But we need money to fulfill the goals we've set to free Mumia.
First, we've been relying on other organizations to lend us their sound systems for rallies & marches, and sometimes we just can't make it happen. Not every activist who has an important story to tell is a street orator, so we are too often stuck in New York or Philly with dynamic speakers but no sound system to make them heard. Convinced that everything is possible, a trio of our most dedicated organizers went forth & actually purchased a portable sound system so we can demonstrate for Mumia anywhere we can travel. This has cost us $350, and it came out of a hard-working activist's rent money. We need your donation right now to put the rent money back in his pocket. Ten donations at only $35 will keep the wolf from the door.
Our big campaign to demand that the Justice Department grant Mumia a civil rights investigation is gathering tremendous momentum, with some really high-profile names, such as Ruby Dee, Cornel West, and Charles Rangel signing on, as well as thousands of folks from the U.S. and abroad. To go forward with lobbying in D.C., we are working to raise $2,000 to charter a bus.
We also want to be sure that folks who take a day off from work and family responsibilities to travel 9 hours and lobby will feel empowered to do it. We'd really like to offer free bus fare and meals to Mumia's lobbyists, who will be educating and raising the consciousness of our elected officials. We're asking for seed money to make sure that no one who is willing to go is excluded. Please give generously to make a real change in our nation and to help free Mumia Abu-Jamal!
You may donate online at www.freemumia.com, clicking on the How to Help link or send checks and money orders (payable to Free Mumia Coalition, NYC/IFCO) to us at our fiscal sponsor, IFCO [Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization]:
IFCO
402 West 145th Street
New York, NY 10031
Call 212-926-5757 with any fiscal questions or 212-330-8029 (Mumia Hotline) with any other questions.
First, we've been relying on other organizations to lend us their sound systems for rallies & marches, and sometimes we just can't make it happen. Not every activist who has an important story to tell is a street orator, so we are too often stuck in New York or Philly with dynamic speakers but no sound system to make them heard. Convinced that everything is possible, a trio of our most dedicated organizers went forth & actually purchased a portable sound system so we can demonstrate for Mumia anywhere we can travel. This has cost us $350, and it came out of a hard-working activist's rent money. We need your donation right now to put the rent money back in his pocket. Ten donations at only $35 will keep the wolf from the door.
Our big campaign to demand that the Justice Department grant Mumia a civil rights investigation is gathering tremendous momentum, with some really high-profile names, such as Ruby Dee, Cornel West, and Charles Rangel signing on, as well as thousands of folks from the U.S. and abroad. To go forward with lobbying in D.C., we are working to raise $2,000 to charter a bus.
We also want to be sure that folks who take a day off from work and family responsibilities to travel 9 hours and lobby will feel empowered to do it. We'd really like to offer free bus fare and meals to Mumia's lobbyists, who will be educating and raising the consciousness of our elected officials. We're asking for seed money to make sure that no one who is willing to go is excluded. Please give generously to make a real change in our nation and to help free Mumia Abu-Jamal!
You may donate online at www.freemumia.com, clicking on the How to Help link or send checks and money orders (payable to Free Mumia Coalition, NYC/IFCO) to us at our fiscal sponsor, IFCO [Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization]:
IFCO
402 West 145th Street
New York, NY 10031
Call 212-926-5757 with any fiscal questions or 212-330-8029 (Mumia Hotline) with any other questions.
Government for Whom?
[col. writ. 5/2/09] (c} '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal
As the economy tumbles like weeds in an old western, companies are getting bailouts in the double digit billions, while workers are being asked to "sacrifice."
Those at the top of the corporate wheel have not only lost little, they've not been asked to give anything back. Indeed, they've not even been asked what they're done with over $300 billion bucks!
The only thing certain is they've not done what they promised to do when they first began to beg for public monies!
But when automotive industries tried to get the kind of help that their brothers in banking got, they were kicked in the pills, and the political elites demanded that they use this economic crisis to whip up on the auto unions -- to fire more workers, cut pay, and rifle the pension envelopes of retirees!
And what of Pres. Barack Obama, who received the votes of millions of labor families?
If you listened instead of looked you might've thought Bush was back, judging by the rhetoric: "It will require unions and workers who have already made extraordinarily painful concessions to make even more.*
The UAW (United Automotive, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers Union, Intl.) has given up so much in the last few years that it ain't funny. Several years ago, management pushed for, and got, a two - tiered pay system, where new workers received about 1/2 the pay of other workers -- and temporary worker status.
How is it remotely fair that those who have less are being asked to give up more?
For decades, people have believed that Democrats were more beholden to labor, given their years of voting for that party. But can one still believe this after the debacle of NAFTA?
Is this what labor voted for?
Way back in 1990, a key Republican analyst, Kevin Phillips, described the Democrats as "history's second-most enthusiastic capitalist party." *
If you look at the top pay at the boards of American companies, you'll find dudes like GM's Lyle Wagoner, who pulled down a cool $23 million dollars when he split -- not to mention a $69 thousand annual pension.
If this is what people are voting for -- more betrayal -- why bother?
--(c) '09 maj
[Source: *Zinn, Howard, A People's History of the United States: 1492 - Present
(N.Y.: Harpers Perennial [2003 ed. {orig. 1980} ], p. 579.)
As the economy tumbles like weeds in an old western, companies are getting bailouts in the double digit billions, while workers are being asked to "sacrifice."
Those at the top of the corporate wheel have not only lost little, they've not been asked to give anything back. Indeed, they've not even been asked what they're done with over $300 billion bucks!
The only thing certain is they've not done what they promised to do when they first began to beg for public monies!
But when automotive industries tried to get the kind of help that their brothers in banking got, they were kicked in the pills, and the political elites demanded that they use this economic crisis to whip up on the auto unions -- to fire more workers, cut pay, and rifle the pension envelopes of retirees!
And what of Pres. Barack Obama, who received the votes of millions of labor families?
If you listened instead of looked you might've thought Bush was back, judging by the rhetoric: "It will require unions and workers who have already made extraordinarily painful concessions to make even more.*
The UAW (United Automotive, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers Union, Intl.) has given up so much in the last few years that it ain't funny. Several years ago, management pushed for, and got, a two - tiered pay system, where new workers received about 1/2 the pay of other workers -- and temporary worker status.
How is it remotely fair that those who have less are being asked to give up more?
For decades, people have believed that Democrats were more beholden to labor, given their years of voting for that party. But can one still believe this after the debacle of NAFTA?
Is this what labor voted for?
Way back in 1990, a key Republican analyst, Kevin Phillips, described the Democrats as "history's second-most enthusiastic capitalist party." *
If you look at the top pay at the boards of American companies, you'll find dudes like GM's Lyle Wagoner, who pulled down a cool $23 million dollars when he split -- not to mention a $69 thousand annual pension.
If this is what people are voting for -- more betrayal -- why bother?
--(c) '09 maj
[Source: *Zinn, Howard, A People's History of the United States: 1492 - Present
(N.Y.: Harpers Perennial [2003 ed. {orig. 1980} ], p. 579.)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
No Cost of Living Increase for Social Security Recipients
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Sunday, May 03, 2009
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