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Commentary
Commentary, opinions, rants, debates, satire, creative expression (art, poetry...)
From the open publishing newswire:
On December 5, in Chicago, the owners of Republic Windows and Doors were set to close their doors after declaring financial ruin and abruptly laid off its 260 mostly Latino workers. Rather than passively accepting this kick in the teeth, the United Electrical Workers Union (UE) members decided to fight back, using a tactic not seen in this country since the 1930's. They occupied the factory and have continued to do so in shifts since Friday.
From the open publishing newswire:
Citing the downward-spiraling economy, OHSU president Joe Robertson informed employees last week that the annual employee appreciation Christmas party is canceled. He made this announcement less than a month after telling workers what a "priority" it was to him to acknowledge their hard work through this annual event. He now says that canceling this event is necessary because such an event would be "fiscally imprudent."
From the open publishing newswire:
It may still be the case that some people do not properly understand what a 'Great Depression' is and why it would be the case that the only correct strategy to adopt at a time like this is that of 'class warfare'.
Under the capitalist system the human condition is one of chronic anxiety because the capitalist system is based upon ruthless dog eat dog competition and people are routinely thrown to the wolves. You can even find them living in cardboard boxes under bridges. It is required that capitalism deliberately create poverty in order to maintain this constant state of chronic worry and anxiety in order for the capitalist system to function. If there was full employment, then we would have capitalists looking for workers instead having workers going cap in hand to capitalists and hoping to become the lucky chosen one our of a horde of such begging workers.
From the open publishing newswire:
President-elect Barack Obama has been busy picking out the cabinet and advisers that will staff his administration: Lots of familiar faces, including some Bush loyalists. Obama on Monday announced a foreign policy team which includes President Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates - an early supporter of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Also picked to re-up is Gen. David Petraeus, the general who heads up U.S. Central Command, in charge of running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though he believes that al Qeada has become more of a threat in Afghanistan, he still thinks they are the power causing so much unrest in Iraq. A view few Iraqis share, by the way. Also in line for a seat in the cabinet is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, as secretary of homeland security. According to John Trazvina, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, under her term: "Arizona has become one of the worst states for immigrants in this country." [...] Do you voters understand why so many of us have less-than-zero faith in the electoral process now?
From the open publishing newswire:
"Do you voters understand why so many of us have less-than-zero faith in the electoral process now?" But explain, spell it out for us. What is this better method of decision making you have in mind? How does it work? Are you under the impression that a vast number of Americans [and billions around the world] wanted some particular (different) major change and so were denied a choice of that at the polls? And that is the reason why the electoral process didn't work to bring about that change. Look, I want major change as much as you do, but we're not going to make much progress toward that goal as long as we keep deluding ourselves as to what the real problem is. The real problem is that we haven't managed to project a clear vision of those changes, convinced many other people to want them. That comes first. ORGANIZE.
From the open publishing newswire:
Nobody but Americans celebrates Thanksgiving. It is reserved by history and the intent of "the founders" as the supremely white American holiday, the most ghoulish event on the national calendar. No Halloween of the imagination can rival the exterminationist reality that was the genesis, and remains the legacy, of the American Thanksgiving. It is the most loathsome, humanity-insulting day of the year - a pure glorification of racist barbarity.
Thanksgiving is much more than a lie - if it were that simple, an historical correction of the record of events in 1600s Massachusetts would suffice to purge the "flaw" in the national mythology. But Thanksgiving is not just a twisted fable, and the mythology it nurtures is itself inherently evil. The real-life events - subsequently revised - were perfectly understood at the time as the first, definitive triumphs of the genocidal European project in New England. The near-erasure of Native Americans in Massachusetts and, soon thereafter, from most of the remainder of the northern English colonial seaboard was the true mission of the Pilgrim enterprise - Act One of the American Dream. African Slavery commenced contemporaneously - an overlapping and ultimately inseparable Act Two.
From the open publishing newswire:
Dear friends,
As of today the state has stolen the last two years of my life. On November 16th of 2006, I walked into the nearby Federal Detention Center, was stripped naked, given a jumpsuit, and thrown in a cell for advocating controversial tactics to shut down an animal lab. The first inmates I met gave me some advice— try to forget you are here. Don't think about the time. Do your best not to remember the outside world. What awful advice! Although it might make my life harder, I'm relieved that I still bristle at incarceration. I never want to be one of the fully domesticated folks who slowly stop seeing the bars and razor wire and start to consider this place home. I hate prison with a passion. That let's me know I'm still sane.
From the open publishing newswire:
There is a place near the river, where I live, that used to be a forest. I used to go walking there. The light filtered down through the trees, into the deep, green shade where I walked. Kestrels and red tailed hawks prowled above the branches near the edges of this wood. Deeper in the trees, delicate wildflowers blanketed the earth beneath the ferns in the spring. Now and then, deer would leap from the sheltering brambles as I walked. Musk rats, otters, and beaver glided through the lazy water of a clear and sparkling stream that wound its way through here. Trout darted from beneath the grasses bending out over the water from the shore. It was beautiful.
Last spring, bulldozers and loggers and heavy equipment came in and mowed it to the ground. They left muddy tracks and a flat wasteland behind them. I heard the land was being... "developed."
From the open publishing newswire:
With Obama elected President but not yet inaugurated, the question on everyone's mind is, "what's going to happen next?" Millions of people around the world are hoping that a Obama presidency will radically change the course of US politics, and with it, world politics. This is especially true for the huge numbers of mostly young volunteers working for Obama's campaign, most of whom had never been involved in politics before.
From the open publishing newswire:
Suzanne Ross of the New York City Free Mumia organization provided updates on Mumia's case. The prosecution is trying to reinstate the death penalty and appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. December 9 is the anniversary of the death of Officer Faulkner so demonstrations and rallies will take place all over the world. Saturday Dec. 6, there will be events in Philadelphia and New York City, and Monday, December 9, Portland will gather at the PSU Multicultural Center, for a rally.
Listen to the show here:  http://kboo.fm/node/10381
Also listen to a previous show on Mumia here: http://kboo.fm/node/9541
From the open publishing newswire:
This moment marks the time 90 years ago when the guns ceased firing on the Western Front. Soldiers on both sides hesitated...wondering if it were really true. After four years of trying to kill each other - leaving 40 million dead - all of a sudden, the heads of state decided they'd had enough. Slowly, cautiously, the French "poilus"...the English "tommies"...the American "doughboys"...and the German "fritzes...huns...krauts" crawled out of their trenches. They walked across no-man's-land and greeted their opponents. They shook hands. They traded tobacco. It was over.
From the open publishing newswire:
david javier diaz guillen was wrongly convicted and falsely imprisoned for 30 years by the racist oregon injustice system for alleged vigilantism against two known serial rapists.
in hillsboro racist washington county judge gayle nachtigal gave david diaz 30 months in prison for an alleged act of vigilante justice against two known serial rapists who are still free and being protected by the state even though it is known they were both undocumented immigrants from guatamala and a female testified to being raped by one of them. both so called "victims" testified in court that david diaz was not the shooter and not one person could say they seen david diaz enter the apartment or pull the trigger. holly danks a racist reporter with the oregonian who has strong ties with anti-hispanic/latino hate groups has written numerous articles on david diaz misleading the public and trying to paint david diaz as the villain in this case. for example this was obviously not a gang related incident but she continually described david diaz in her articles as a "gang-leader" which he was not. the state of oregon has a long and horrid history of protecting rapists and framing innocent people. the state does not care about the safety of our women. please spread the word and keep david diaz and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
From the open publishing newswire:
This is the moment where we will see what Obama really stands for. it is the big test before being the president. I believe if we really wish to see change we need to push this administration towards the "left" in e-mails, phone calls, letters and rallies. he claims he wants to hear our voice... then make it loud and clear that we do not support corporatism. We do not want a Georgie Bush or a Billy Clinton in power ever again. After he is sworn in I believe the biggest test as president is to push an investigation and arrest of the war criminals currently in office.
But I am a realist and believe he will be another Clinton guiding the sheeple back into a quietly accepting the Corporatist Agenda |
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