[Marxism-Thaxis] Trouble
Dear Reader, For many of us the summer is off to a hot start. But the summer heat is nothing compared to the meltdown our political system could suffer if the Tea Party hits the boiling point -- and succeeds in recruiting millions of angry voters to swing November's election with the promise of a national right-wing agenda. * *Right now, the "enthusiasm gap" -- the difference between the positive feelings Republicans have about voting for GOP candidates versus how the Democrats feel about voting for their own -- has a 35-point spread, according to a recent Gallup poll. It's the largest gap since the data has been counted1. And many progressives, liberals and Democrats are in denial, not tuned in to what is happening in Tea Party-land. * *AlterNet is working 24/7 to expose the Tea Party, its funders and cheerleaders. Our urgent, clarion call to progressives and Democrats: "Wake up before it's too late!" *And you can help us get our wake-up call out to the people who need to hear it* [ http://alternet.org/donate/db2a ].* Fox, Beck and the Tea Party: An Ugly Combination *This right-wing "enthusiasm" is being generated by the conservative message machine, led by Fox News and frequently echoed by corporate media. Right-wing propaganda is having a major impact, tapping into the resentment of working people across the country, and millions of unemployed Americans. Glenn Beck, man of many lies and emotional breakdowns, is the chief cheerleader for the Tea Party. Beck is willing to say just about anything, and he often does. For example, Beck recently stated that President Obama didn't want to meet with BP CEO Tony Hayward, because Hayward is "a white CEO."2 Beck has called the progressive movement a "cancer" that was "designed to eat the Constitution," and declared that Obama has "a deep-seated hatred of white people."3 We have to push back very hard against Glenn Beck -- because with Beck and the Tea Party, a dangerous brew is steaming up around the country. * Beware of Tea Party Inc. *AlterNet's editorial team has concluded that behind the kooky signs and incoherent rage of Tea Party supporters is a powerful cartel of right-wing interests with very deep pockets. Call them Tea Party Inc. -- a cabal of high-priced political operatives, lobbying groups and for-profit conservative media who fuel this furious right-wing emergence under the Tea Party brand. Tea Party Inc. is dangerous and must be investigated, exposed and fought at every turn. At AlterNet, we refuse to bury our heads in the sand, and we're not afraid to sound the alarm on this growing right-wing threat. [ http://alternet.org/donate/db2a ]*But to do it right, AlterNet needs your help* [ http://alternet.org/donate/db2a ]. * *We have a network of investigators in the field ferreting out the truth and ready to communicate it far and wide. *Help us keep our reporters digging and exposing* [ http://alternet.org/donate/db2a ]. We need you to help us reach our immediate goal of $30,000 to pay the bills and keep our people on watch in the field. This project will operate at a high-intensity pitch through the fall election. Your contribution can help save your country from the people who want to repeal health care, close the Department of Education and line the pockets of polluters. *Help us out, please* [ http://alternet.org/donate/db2a ]. * *With my good wishes,* Don Hazen *Don Hazen, Executive Editor, AlterNet P.S. AlterNet, along with the Investigative Fund of The Nation Institute, is recruiting "citizen observers" to help us keep an eye on Tea Party actives on the Web and in the field. If you want to help us gather information* please click here and sign up* [ http://alternet.org/track_the_tea_party ]. You will hear back from us soon. 1. Daily Kos http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/21/877979/-Gallup:-Enthusiasm-gap-wider-than-ever [ http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/21/877979/-Gallup:-Enthusiasm-gap-wider-than-ever ] 2. AlterNet. http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/20/decoding-glenn-becks-cpac-speech-an-egomaniac-with-an-inferiority-complex/ [ http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/20/decoding-glenn-becks-cpac-speech-an-egomaniac-with-an-inferiority-complex/ ] 3. Media Matters http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907280008 [ http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907280008 ] * * * * *<--->* * * * * * © 2010 Independent Media Institute All Rights Reserved 77 Federal St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94107 * ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] Tea Party oh , oh
http://www.alternet.org/story/147307/the_tea_party_is_dangerous%3A_dispelling_7_myths_that_help_us_avoid_reality_about_the_new_right-wing_politics ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] Tea Party
http://www.alternet.org/story/147307/ the_tea_party_is_dangerous%3A_dispelling_7_myths_that_help_us_avoid_reality_about_the_new_right-wing_politics ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] Poland's elections
Poland's Elections, A New Opening for the Left? Gavin Rae Submitted to portside Thursday, 1 July 2010 http://beyondthetransition.blogspot.com/ Grzegorz Napieralski, candidate of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), gained 13.7% in the first round of Poland’s presidential elections. It is a sign of how far the Polish left has fallen in recent years that this was met with an almost euphoric reaction in Napieralski’s camp. However, this vote was more or less the same as the left had achieved in the 2007 parliamentary elections and far below the more than 40% that had taken the SLD into power in 2001. Yet there are some very real reasons why the left should welcome Napieralski’s result. Firstly, is because it had looked as though it was going to be much worse. At the start of the campaign support for Napieralski was languishing in low single figures and he seemed unable to galvanise many within his own party and the wider left. Those standing on the edges of the SLD, and those who had previously defected, rushed to give their support for Citizen Platform’s (PO) candidate – Bronisaw Komorowski. These included representatives of the failed Social Democratic Party of Poland (SdPL) such as Marek Borowski and Tomasz Nacz alongside former Prime Minister Wodzimierz Cimoszewicz. Also, the most liberal wing of the SLD – under the influence of former President Aleksander Kwasniewski – abstained from participating in Napieralski’s campaign, with high-profile figures such as Ryszard Kalisz openly critical of Napieralski. The Komorowski camp also reached out to the liberal wing of the left by, for example, appointing another former PM, Marek Belka, as the new president of the National Bank of Poland The distancing of the left’s liberal old-guard from Napieralski perhaps turned out to be his greatest asset. Napieralski was elected SLD leader in 2007, replacing his rival Wojciech Olejniczak, after the failed attempt by the SLD to create an electoral alliance with the small liberal-centre currents that remained outside of PO. Olejniczak was promoted by Kwasniewski, who for nearly two decades has been seeking to form a political alliance between the left and the liberal centre – a strategy that has time and again ended in failure. The final logic of this approach has been to try and move the SLD towards forming an alliance with PO – a party that can only really be considered to be liberal on economic issues. This would once again drive the left into an isolated cul-de-sac and would almost inevitably signal the SLD’s fatal demise. In the run-up to the 2nd round of presidential elections, liberal voices within the left-camp have urged the left electorate to give their votes to Komorowski. These have included elements of Poland’s cultural elite, parading as representatives of the left, who have focused on the minor differences between Komorowski and Kaczyski on cultural issues, whilst entirely ignoring matters of economic policy. Despite these pressures Napieralski has announced that he will not recommend a vote for either of the two right-wing candidates in the second round of elections. This decision was the correct one if the left has any chance to rebuild itself as a strong, independent force in Polish politics. We can understand why this is so if we analyse the vote that Napieralski received in the first round (I shall be partly drawing upon a good analysis of this vote which can be found in Polish here - http://www.sld.org.pl/aktualnosci/p-r-m-a-5269/ blogosfera.htm). Firstly, Napieralski received his highest number of votes from young people and the lowest amongst the elderly. This inverts the previous perception of the SLD as being a party of the older generation who are attached to the former â€̃communist’ system. Concurrently, however, Napieralski also gained a high vote in small towns and in Poland’s provinces. In effect this means that Napieralski managed to win the votes of those that are more drawn to culturally liberal issues and those of personal freedom; alongside those who would support more economic redistribution and social equality. This in itself is a minor breakthrough for the left – because it takes them out of their shrinking ghetto and expands into new sections of the electorate. By not supporting either candidate in the second round of elections, Napieralski is potentially able to build upon this opening. This however will not be easy. Napieralski’s relative success was not built upon delivering a clear programme of political sustance that could unite and take forward the left. Rather he managed to present himself as a young, independent alternative for those who are tired of voting for candidates who represent two sides of the same conservative coin. Napieralski ran an energetic campaign - travelling extensively around the country and visiting workplaces and factories. However, this rested largely upon a PR campaign focussed upon building the image of Napier
[Marxism-Thaxis] Battling the Banksters
Battling the Banksters William Greider The Nation June 30, 2010 This article appeared in the July 19, 2010 edition of The Nation. http://www.thenation.com/article/36905/battling-banksters Hold the applause. The president would like us to celebrate his "Wall Street reform," but the legislation is misnamed. Barack Obama did not set out as president to reform Wall Street in fundamental ways but to restore it. Judging by the largest banks' booming stock prices and executive bonuses, he appears to have succeeded. The leading bankers expressed relief when they saw the reform package Congress cobbled together on June 25. Wall Street, loathed by citizens everywhere, dodged the bullet in Washington. Congress followed Obama's path and rejected the sterner measures that promised to actually change things. As with healthcare reform, the White House, joined by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve, spent much of its energy opposing more aggressive ideas or bargaining small-bore compromises. The president kept a low profile, saving himself for the victory celebration. Despite the defeat of real reform, progressives should not despair-the future looks much brighter than the headlines suggest. Yes, Congress choked on the hard questions. But assuming the Dems pull together last- minute wavering votes, it will be a stronger bill than either the White House or the bankers had intended, thanks to public anger, popular mobilization and nimble pressure from reformers. This is not the end of reform; it's the beginning of a promising struggle to cut the financial sector down to tolerable dimensions and reduced power. The forces of reform demonstrated that they have the strength and especially the ideas to win this fight-just not this year. Mainly, the legislation gives government regulators explicit authority to take tougher measures to curb Wall Street's dangerous behavior, but only if the Fed and Treasury decide it's a good idea. Don't hold your breath. These same agencies failed massively to confront the rampant recklessness that led to collapse (many of them claimed not to have seen the trouble coming). Once again, the risk-taking is assigned to unwitting citizens and the economy. Washington saved big-dog bankers from failure, but it has not saved the rest of us from the bankers. Some reformers want to make the best of mixed results. The Consumer Federation of America says the banks "won a few battles; they lost the war." I would say it is the other way around: reform won some battles but lost the war. Some valuable improvements, like the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, can lead to tougher rules, but even such worthy accomplishments were diluted in the fine print. The supposedly "independent" consumer agency is to be a "bureau" within the Federal Reserve, where hostile central bankers can find ways to smother the infant in its crib. The improved controls on dangerous derivatives were likewise weakened in last-minute deal-making that gave bankers much of what they wanted-a free hand to keep the casino open for the gamblers. Bottom line: key elements of financial abuse that contributed to the breakdown have not been eliminated. And taxpayers are still on the hook for bailing out "too big to fail" banks. Yet despite disappointing results, the losing issues revealed reasons for optimism. Think of this as Round One. We witnessed a surprisingly strong preview of Round Two in the aggressive reforms pushed by some Democratic senators. These proposals could someday-maybe sooner than we imagine-constitute the platform for authentic reordering of the banking system. In the trenches the legislative battle was Democrats against Democrats (Republican senators were united in opposing everything). These roll calls made visible the deeply conflicted purposes of the party-the awkward straddle Democrats have maintained for three decades. Is it the party of working people or the party of big money? Democrats have for some time wanted to be both, but this year's action exposed the contradiction more starkly and put the two sides into repeated collision. Senator Byron Dorgan's amendment would have outlawed the exotic "naked" credit default swaps, which let bankers and others bet on assets they do not own (like buying fire insurance on your neighbor's house, then lighting the match). Other Democrats decided to table Dorgan's measure rather than choose between Wall Street and public anger at Wall Street. Dorgan's issue lost big, thirty-eight to fifty-seven, but it won among Dems, thirty-six to eighteen. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's amendment on usury would have repealed the federal pre-emption that prevents states from enacting their own limits on consumer interest rates. Whitehouse got thirty-three Democrats for, twenty-one against. Roughly speaking, these roll calls joined old liberals and younger, newer senators against the party's center-right establishment, which is typically closer to financial patrons. Senator Sherrod Brown'
[Marxism-Thaxis] 6 Unlikely developments
6 (UNLIKELY) DEVELOPMENTS THAT COULD CONVINCE THIS ATHEIST TO BELIEVE IN GOD By Greta Christina, AlterNet Atheists often point out that religious faith is closed off to evidence that contradicts it. What evidence would persuade atheists that their atheism was mistaken? http://www.alternet.org/story/147424/6_%28unlikely%29_developments_that_could_convince_this_atheist_to_believe_in_god ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] Worst of commodity culture
HEDGES: A NEEDED ANTIDOTE TO THE WORST OF COMMODITY CULTURE By Chris Hedges, Truthdig It is in solitude, contemplation and a connection with nature that we transcend our frenzied and desperate existence. http://www.alternet.org/story/147431/hedges%3A_a_needed_antidote_to_the_worst_of_commodity_culture ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] Google
Google has a picture of a commie on it. ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
