Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] 34 billionaires pledge half of their fortunes
On 8/5/10, CeJ jann...@gmail.com wrote: The most interesting thing about this is people fall for the line that they are 'giving it away'. Not the case at all. What they seem to seek is some way to keep their fortunes intact after their death and still have some say over how the money is invested and used, even as they lie mouldering in the cold cold ground. Pity the poor Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. They lost 150 million dollars because they owned too much BP stock! If I were worth a billion dollar now, greedy person that I am, I would keep 10 million and retire and give the rest to people who could actually use it and whether I was alive or dead I wouldn't try to assert say over how they use it. NOW THAT WOULD BE CHARITY. F- Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and T. Boone Pickens and their crappy charitable foundations. CJ Hope , faith and charity. The greatest of these is charity. ___ 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 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] Michigan Republican candidate least rightwing of group
The effect of Tea Party in Michigan may have been to give us the least rightwing of the Republican primary candidates. Charles Right to Life unlikely to back Snyder Group won't accept his support of embryonic stem cell research Karen Bouffard / Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing -- Right to Life of Michigan -- which helped boost Republican John Engler into the governor's seat three times in the 1990s -- will likely not endorse GOP nominee Rick Snyder in his November bid, officials said Thursday. Right to Life, which opposes abortion and embryonic stem cell research, is traditionally a much-sought after endorsement for GOP candidates. Its backing can give a boost through mailings, advertising and pressing its more than half a million supporters to vote for one candidate over another. If he maintains his position on embryonic research, I doubt (he will be endorsed), said Larry Galmish, Political Action Committee chairman for Michigan Right to Life. Snyder was the only one of the five GOP gubernatorial candidates in the primary to support embryonic stem cell research. He opposes abortion but would allow it in cases of rape or incest. Galmish said the organization will try to convince Snyder to reverse his position before the Right to Life board of directors decides the issue in September. Snyder campaign spokesman Jake Suski said the Ann Arbor businessman won't change his position. Rick Snyder supports stem cell research -- he's made that clear, Suski said. (Snyder) will not take any PAC or special interest money and isn't seeking endorsement. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, supports abortion rights and favors stem cell research. Right to Life backed Attorney General Mike Cox for governor in the primary. Impact on voter turnout With voters more focused on jobs and the economy, some strategists say anti-abortion supporters may sit out the November election because they don't have a candidate they agree with in the governor's race. It seems that Snyder's strategy was to camp out in the middle, and now that he's won the nomination he will have to consolidate the Republican base, said Democratic strategist Jill Alper, with the Dewey Square Group. It's a bedrock issue for hardcore Republicans, and it's a quandary for him potentially. They could not vote, or skip the race. This could impact overall turnout, and in that regard it might be helpful to Democratic candidates. It could impact Republican candidates across the board if hard-right voters weren't turning out. Republican voter Edmund Crawford of Kalkaska said he's against abortion but wouldn't rule out a candidate who agrees with stem cell research. Stem cell research has its good points and its bad points, said Crawford, 78. I don't look at it in the same way as I look at abortion. Bringing visibility Right to Life rarely makes direct contributions to candidate campaigns, but can bring significant visibility to candidates it endorses, Galmish said. The group has about 620,000 supporters, including 150,000 member-donors, he added. Our approach is to allow them to do mailings with our lists, and we include our endorsed candidates in our newsletters and fliers right before the elections, Galmish said, adding Right to Life also sometimes does radio ads and telephone calls on behalf of endorsed candidates. Doug Koopman, a political science professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, doesn't believe Right to Life can significantly affect the race. West Michigan anti-abortion voters were solidly behind U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Holland in the primary and were unhappy Right to Life endorsed Cox, who in the past admitted he'd been unfaithful to his wife. Anti-abortion forces will vote for who they want come November, Koopman said. Snyder can solidify his base by picking a lieutenant governor from West Michigan who is against abortion, he added. He said if any impact is felt, it will be on legislative and congressional races. If Right to Life got in heavily for the governor nominee you might get more straight ticket voting, Koopman said, adding that a number of anti-abortion Democrats on the West Michigan ballots could look attractive to anti-abortion Republicans who don't vote straight ticket. Galmish said Right to Life will divert its resources into other races, focusing on supporting 7th Congressional District candidate Tim Walberg, and 9th Congressional District candidate Andrew Rocky Raczkowski. A number of legislative races are also on the group's radar. We have an opportunity to win a number of other ones and we'll be looking at those, too, Galmish said. We'll look more closely at the state House and Senate races, very definitely. kbouff...@detnews.com (517) 371-3660 From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100806/POLITICS02/8060387/Right-to-Life-unlikely-to-back-Snyder#ixzz0vpRYW7qo ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] HOW DEMOCRATS HELPED FIRE UP THE CRAZY RIGHT WHILE DEMORALIZING THE LEFT
HOW DEMOCRATS HELPED FIRE UP THE CRAZY RIGHT WHILE DEMORALIZING THE LEFT By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog Many of the President's successes have been large enough to fuel opposition, but not big enough to strengthen his support. http://www.alternet.org/story/147735/how_democrats_helped_fire_up_the_crazy_right_while_demoralizing_the_left ___ 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] Jobs, Justice,and Peace March in Detroit
rom: mecawi-bounces+rosendo=luum@organizerweb.com [mailto:mecawi-bounces+rosendo=luum@organizerweb.com] On Behalf Of MECAWI Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 10:46 PM To: MECAWI Subject: [MECAWI] Outreach for Aug. 28 Jobs, Justice,and Peace March in Detroit An important development has taken place that deserves the attention of all progressive forces. The UAW International Union has joined with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH to spearhead a regional demonstration in Detroit on August 28, 2010 calling for Jobs, Justice and Peace. The program includes demands to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and use the money to restore and expand social services. The demand for a federal moratorium on foreclosures is also being raised. In Detroit the Moratorium NOW! Coalition and MECAWI are working to get the word out into the community. This Saturday, August 7 we will be doing a mass leafleting at Eastern Market starting at 10 AM until around 1 PM. We will be gathering at 9:30 am at 5920 Second Ave. to pick up leaflets. Please join us. We also ask your help on August 21-22 at the Hart Plaza African World Festival. We will have an outreach station set up at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (Spirit of Detroit Statue - Woodward at E. Jefferson) on Saturday, Aug. 21 from 5 to 8 PM and again on Sunday, Aug. 22 from 4 to 7 PM. Help distribute leaflets to the tens of thousands of people attending this festival. Please see the note below for more info. August 4, 2010 Sisters Brothers, Greetings. We are writing to invite you to join us in building the Jobs, Justice, Peace, rally and march in Detroit August 28, 2010. This event will commemorate the historic Walk to Freedom march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit June 23, 1963. This exciting mobilization is sponsored by the Rainbow Push Coalition and the UAW. A diverse, growing list of endorsers from labor, community and youth/student organizations throughout Metro Detroit and beyond are joining in. In the spirit of Dr. King, those organizing for August 28 are demanding relief for poor and working people who are being devastated by the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Demands for August 28 include: - A federal moratorium on foreclosures and evictions; - An immediate end to U.S. wars in the Middle East with funds being redirected to human needs; - A national jobs program; - Bail Out the people, not the banks; - Full rights for immigrants; - Enforcement of workers' rights, civil rights, industrial regulation and creation of fair and just educational, economic, environmental and health policies Only by working together, can we turn around the grim situations facing poor and working people today. We are looking forward to you and your organization joining us in building for August 28. We only have a few days left and we need everyone's help. What you can do: - Please fill out and email the attached Organization Commitment Form and email it to: uptf...@gmail.com; - Distribute August 28 fliers; - Send emails, texts, make phone calls, post Aug. 28 info online To confirm participation for Aug. 28, contact: Bryan G. Pfeifer: 313-559-7074 / uptf...@gmail.com For more information about Aug. 28, contact: Theresa Bullock at 313-926-5361 / tbull...@uaw.net. For information on obtaining Aug. 28 fliers, contact: Miguel Foster at: 313-926-5361 / mfos...@uaw.net. ___ 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] Cooling It! No Hair Shirt Solutions to Global Warming
Cooling It! No Hair Shirt Solutions to Global Warming http://www.nohairshirts.com/ by Gar W. Lipow Read this post on the economics of solving the climate crisis. In general, you can follow my posts on Grist. ... a carefully documented compendium of cost-effective ways to cut fossil fuels. ... the most comprehensive case to date that the obstacles to solving global warming are political not technological.” Dr. Joseph Romm, Executive Director of The Center for Energy Climate Solutions ... a compelling and readable business case for how energy efficiency and renewable energy can grow the economy and dramatically reduce [global warming] pollution from energy use. ... I recommend it to anyone concerned about a sustainable energy future for their children and grandchildren.” Eric Heitz, President of The Energy Foundation “...exhaustively researched work.. optimistic and realistic at the same time...” Patrick Mazza, Research Director at Climate Solutions ... Another energy future is possible!” Patrick Bond – Director of the “Centre for Civil Society” at the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Development Studies ...Methodical research ... clear lively writing ... Wonkery with attitude!” Michael Perelman, author of The Perverse Economy: The Impacts of Markets on People and the Environment ___ 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] Dialectic of Reform: reform defined under the industrial epoch
Marxism contains a language, a set of terms accepted as short cuts in describing society and movement. Problems arise with words and terms that mean different things to different folks and groups using this language. Reform and concession is a case in point. When reform - as a logic or society motion, is reduced to subjective dimensions detached from the object being reformed or reform of society structures confusion ensue. Reform - rather than reformism, is a material relation. Reformism is political and ideological. The dictionary states that reform is an improvement or amendment of what is wrong. Reform means to restructure. Restructuring changes something material; the social relations between and within in classes. Social relations express and correspond to material relations of the economy. Reform and concession is not the same. Wrestling greater shares of the social product and expanded political liberties from the state or employer is the content of most social struggle. Concessions do not change the material relations within and between classes. Concessions can be taken based on political will. Reforms are more than less permanent and cannot be taken away based on political will alone. Something must change within the structure of society for a reform of the system to become unraveled. Reforms do not change the property relations. Reform can be defined as change in relations between and within classes, without changing the property relations. The structure of society and the contradiction that is the unity of primary classes as the process of production is the environment - context. Society is the totality of the relations between classes and groups in a community. The creation of wealth depends on the state of development of the productive forces. The form of this wealth and mode of accumulation is the meaning of property relations. The means of production are always developing as incremental quantitative inputs until a qualitative leap is underway. As involuntary promoter of industry, the privileged ruling classes, economic and political layers in society have a stake in keeping the system the same because that is how their wealth, power, privilege and life experiences are realized. As the means of production evolve, a corresponding deepening change and contradictions widens with the static immobile property relations expressed as corporations, organizations and civic structures. As favorable condition emerges the social struggle ends with a quantitative leap in the social relations, which brings a reformed society more into correspondence with improved or new means of production. Our generations have witnessed, lived and recorded the epochal movement of a mode of production and how it reformed itself until all the space in the industrial system was exhausted. At each juncture - quantitative boundary of our developing production relations, the subjective question of revolution emerged as the cutting edge of reform. The impulse for reform arises from the spontaneous development of means of production. Henry Ford's factory system accelerated restructuring of production relations and changes the in the form of the working class destroying the structural basis of craft/skilled labor of the historic artisan. Assembly line production restructured the industrial work process driving transition from craft to industrial trade unionism. This motion logic was genuine reform of the system. Assembly line auto production nail the coffin shut on the company town and laid the basis for suburbia; expanded the cement and housing industry and fifty years later resulted in our nationwide Interstate system. There are thousands of incremental changes to society brought about by the Henry ford system. The growth of the industrial union movement was a subjective/political reform of the system, expressing a material reform as the system passed from one quantitative boundary of growth to another. Reform of the system is a big thing and in all cases gushes forth as based on continuous quantitative growth of a distinct quality defined as state of development of the means of production. As the proletarian masses and labor movement in its totality spontaneously fought to reform the system in their favor, communists fought the revolutionary struggle for reform during every leap between quantitative boundaries of the industrial system. The most recent memory of the reform movement is that of the African American freedom struggles. African Americans have always fought and struggled for freedom and equality. This critical subjective factor of fighting gives shape to the outcome of reform. Yet, we are confronted with a living dynamic screaming for unraveling. No matter how heroic their struggle and sacrifice, they could not gain any freedom as a mass so long as a certain part of the
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] US to Attend Hiroshima Memorial for First Time
CeJ jann...@gmail.com wrote: CB: What would the US have done if Japan had not allowed same ? Most likely the US would have said it valued the US-Japan alliance more than an issue like that, and then lie and say it didn't have any nukes in Japan while bringing them here anyway. CB: Ok. I thought they might say We conquered you. We do what we want here. especially in the period just after WWII when anti-Japanese sentiment in the US would still be very strong. But your scenario seems more clever , saving face for their compradors. At least more Japanese would be aware that the US military was and still is armed with thousands of nukes, which they deploy all over the world. BTW, officailly the Japanese government didn't allow anything. They don't have the constitutional right to allow nuclear weapons in the country. Wait, you mean the leadership of Japan, US puppets that they are, are also a bunch of lying, unconstitutional criminals? CJ CB: Not to disagree, but this compliments this bourgeois constitution. ___ 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] Right tries to block NAACP criticism of Tea Party racism
Right tries to block NAACP criticism of Tea Party racism By Ron Walters NNPA Columnist http://www.michigancitizen.com/default.asp?sourceid=smenu=76twindow=Defaultmad=Nosdetail=8850wpage=1skeyword=sidate=ccat=ccatm=restate=restatus=reoption=retype=repmin=repmax=rebed=rebath=subname=pform=sc=1070hn=michigancitizenhe=.com (NNPA) — It was another right-on-time moment that Ben Jealous exercised at the NAACP Convention in calling out the Tea Party for coddling elements of racism within their midst. The Convention went on to passed a resolution to this effect, calling on the leadership of the party to repudiate these elements, but it will not become official until approved by the Executive Committee in October. Right away, Mark Williams, the head of a group called the Tea Party Express and a California radio host, posted a letter to his website that was aimed at Jealous and dripping with racism. It said in part: “We Coloreds have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop.” With this racist letter, he made Jealous’ case and he did it so strong that, flush with sensitivity to the NAACP charges, the Tea Party Federation kicked Williams out. This was a positive act by the Federation because the leading lights of the Republican Party still, either said nothing, or defended the movement. For instance, Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, said that he was not “interested in getting into that debate” on CNN. When asked whether he had seen the signs depicting the president as Hitler and etc. he defended it by saying that such extremism exist at the fringe of both parties. But the usual suspects, Fox people like Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and others jumped into the fray to defend the movement. Palin, regarded as the mother of the Tea Party movement, said that the charge of racism was unfair and Glenn Beck, FOX TV show host, said he would repudiate the elements of racism if he knew where they were. What surprised me was the opposition of Cynthia Tucker, African American editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who wrote that the NAACP had no business condemning the Tea Party. Her view was: 1) she did not know what “elements” of racism were; 2) this would confirm that the NAACP was an arm of the Democratic Party; 3) the NAACP did not purge its own ranks; and 4) the resolution just draws attention to the Tea Partiers. This is very weak stuff for the editor of a major American newspaper, especially coming from an African American. With enough space, I — or any one else — could easily prove all of them wrong. The big push-back from the Right however (more of a political strategy) has been to raise the New Black Panther Party case from the grave. On November 4, 2008, some members of the New Black Panther party went to a polling station in downtown Philly because they had heard that white people would be trying to stop Blacks from voting for Obama. It was absolutely stupid for one of the young men to go down there with a club in his hand and a McCain staffer photographed him in front of the polling station. The Bush administration Justice Department did not bring suit because although the law (intimidating voters) was potentially broken, no one had been prevented from going to the polls; in other words, there was no injured party. Now the case is in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and Conservatives have charged that Eric Holder is covering it up and a former conservative staffer who resigned said the case was not being pursued because they only want to bring discrimination charges against whites. So, Fox news and other Right wingers have succeeded in pushing this issue up into the spotlight by arguing that the liberal fringe also has racist groups. Most important, they have charged that the left wing media wasn’t carrying the story and The Washington Post, CNN and others have slavishly fallen in line. So, if some people want to compare the actions of the New Black Panther party to those of the Tea Party which, although it is overblown, still has thousands of adherents, it calls into question their motives. Most likely they want to cover up the racism in the Tea Party. The Panthers have no influence in B lack or Democratic Party leadership circles but the Tea Party is the main influence in the Republican Party at this time. Still, I am amazed that major news organizations, so intimidated by the Right, will give credibility to this made-up story on the Panthers on equal terms to the NAACP’s criticism of Tea Party racism. Dr. Ron Walters is a political analyst and Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland College Park. One of his books is: White Nationalism, Black Interests (Wayne State University Press)
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] 34 billionaires pledge half of their fortunes
Hope , faith and charity. The greatest of these is charity. More like PR, tax shelters and untaxed investment/finance capitalism, and the greatest of all these Bill and Melinda know more about than 100 Michael Hudsons. CJ --- ELT in Japan http://www.eltinjapan.com/ Japan Higher Education Outlook http://japanheo.blogspot.com/ We are Feral Cats http://wearechikineko.blogspot.com/ ___ 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] Castro autobiographical essay
Disponía ya desde que me gradué de bachiller, y a pesar de mi origen, de una concepción marxista-leninista de nuestra sociedad y una convicción profunda de la justicia http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2010/08/06/nacional/artic02.html Publicamos el ensayo autobiográfico que inicia el libro La victoria Estratégica, escrito por el Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro y que presentó el pasado lunes en presencia de varios de sus compañeros guerrilleros. Dudé sobre el nombre que le pondría a esta narración, no sabía si llamarla La última ofensiva de Batista o ¿Cómo 300 derrotaron a 10 000?, que parece un cuento de Las mil y una noches. Me veo obligado, por ello, a incluir una pequeña autobiografía de la primera etapa de mi vida, sin la cual no se comprendería su sentido. No deseaba esperar que se publicaran un día las respuestas a incontables preguntas que me hicieran sobre la niñez, la adolescencia y la juventud, etapas que me convirtieron en revolucionario y combatiente armado. Fidel y el comandante Juan Almeida Bosque. Nací el 13 de agosto de 1926. El asalto al cuartel Moncada de Santiago de Cuba, el 26 de julio de 1953, se produjo tres años después que me gradué en la Universidad de La Habana. Fue nuestro primer enfrentamiento militar con el Ejército de Cuba, al servicio de la tiranía del general Fulgencio Batista. La institución armada en Cuba, creada por los Estados Unidos después de su intervención en la isla durante la segunda Guerra de Independencia, iniciada por José Martí en 1895, era un instrumento de las empresas norteamericanas, y la alta burguesía cubana. La gran crisis económica desatada en los Estados Unidos, durante los primeros años de la década de 1930, implicó altos niveles de sacrificio para nuestro país, al que los acuerdos comerciales impuestos por aquella potencia hicieron totalmente dependiente de los productos de su industria y de su agricultura desarrolladas. La capacidad adquisitiva del azúcar se había reducido casi a cero. No éramos independientes ni teníamos derecho al desarrollo. Difícilmente podían darse peores condiciones en un país de América Latina. A medida que el poder del imperio crecía hasta convertirse en la más poderosa potencia mundial, hacer una Revolución en Cuba se tornaba una tarea bien difícil. Unos pocos hombres fuimos capaces de soñarla, pero nadie podría atribuirse méritos individuales en una proeza que fue mezcla de ideas, hechos y sacrificios de muchas personas, a lo largo de muchos años, en muchas partes del mundo. Con esos ingredientes se pudo conquistar la independencia plena de Cuba, y una revolución social que ha resistido con honor más de 50 años de agresiones y el bloqueo de los Estados Unidos. Celia, Fidel y Haydée, sentados en un secadero de café, abril de 1958. En mi caso concreto, sin duda por puro azar, a esta altura de la vida puedo ofrecer testimonio de hechos que, si tiene algún valor para las nuevas generaciones, se debe al esfuerzo de investigadores rigurosos y serios, cuyo trabajo durante decenas de años, reunió datos que me ayudaron a reconstruir gran parte del contenido de este libro, al que decidí poner el título La Victoria Estratégica. Las circunstancias que me llevaron a tales acciones bélicas las guardo imborrablemente en mi mente. No deja de ser satisfactorio para mí recordarlas, porque de otra forma no me explicaría por qué llegué a las convicciones que al fin y al cabo determinaron el curso de mi existencia. No nací político, aunque desde muy niño observé hechos que, grabados en mi mente, me ayudaron a comprender las realidades del mundo. En mi Birán natal, solo había dos instalaciones que no pertenecían a mi familia: el telégrafo y la escuelita pública. Allí me sentaban en la primera fila porque no había, ni podía haber, algo parecido a un círculo infantil. Forzosamente aprendí a leer y a escribir. En el año 1933, cuando no había cumplido todavía siete años, la maestra, que no recibía siquiera el sueldo que le debía el gobierno, pretextando la hipotética inteligencia del niño, me llevó para Santiago de Cuba, donde residía su familia, en una vivienda pobre y casi sin muebles, que se filtraba por todas partes cuando llovía. En aquella ciudad, no me enviaron siquiera a una escuela pública como la de Birán. Después de muchos meses sin recibir clases, ni hacer algo como no fuera escuchar en un viejo piano la práctica de solfeo de la hermana de la maestra, profesora de música sin empleo; aprendí a sumar, restar, multiplicar y dividir, gracias a las tablas impresas en el forro rojo de una libreta que me entregaron para practicar la caligrafía, y que nadie dictó ni revisó nunca. En un alto de la guerra, el Comandante Fidel Castro recibe a niñas campesinas que fueron a saludarlo. En la vieja casa donde inicialmente me albergaron, de una cantina que llevaban una vez al día, nos alimentábamos siete personas, entre ellas, la hermana y el padre de la maestra. Conocí el hambre creyendo que era apetito, con la punta de uno de los
