by Jason Pramas (Open Media Boston Staff), Oct-22-10 OMB Editorial

Whatever the outcome of Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner’s trial in federal court over the next several days, I can say as sure as poor DJ Henry was executed in upstate New York by the Mount Pleasant 5-0 a few days ago for DWB (Driving While Black) that Turner was targeted for political elimination for being – first and foremost – an outspoken progressive black politician by former US Attorney (and Republican) Michael Sullivan. These kinds of events are the “exceptions” that prove the rule that we are not living in a “post-racial” society yet. Far from it.

The government’s case against Turner is light on facts and heavy on weirdness. They had to pay their “star witness” Ron Wilburn $30,000 to attempt to entrap Turner – and also former State Senator Diane Wilkerson, who looks to really have done the deeds she’s accused of doing … having pleaded guilty to eight counts of attempted extortion in June. Both Turner and Wilkerson stood accused of malfeasance that still remains totally small potatoes next to the major league corruption that higher level (and significantly paler) politicians commit in here in the Commonwealth on a regular basis.

This video features Robert Reich discussing his new book “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future”, likening what we’re facing today with the Great Depression and holding out hope that we can reform our political economy before a more reactionary politics takes over.

In a new article called The Perfect Storm, he lays out the historic threat we are currently facing and warns that we are losing our democracy and slipping into plutocracy, or rule by the wealthy.

It’s a perfect storm. And I’m not talking about the impending dangers facing Democrats. I’m talking about the dangers facing our democracy.

First, income in America is now more concentrated in fewer hands than it’s been in 80 years. Almost a quarter of total income generated in the United States is going to the top 1 percent of Americans.

The top one-tenth of one percent of Americans now earn as much as the bottom 120 million of us.

From: United to Stop Slots in Ma.

USSMASS is outraged that the Governor has accepted over $17,000 in campaign contributions from predatory gambling interests, as reported by the Boston Herald, October 18, 2010.

We expect the Governor to return those donations and stick to his earlier commitment to conduct an independent cost-benefit analysis of proposals to expand gambling.

USSMASS demands the other candidates for Governor disclose and return all contributions from Gambling Industry lobbyists, CEO’s and special interest contributers who will benefit from bringing slot machines to Ma.

It is common knowledge the Gambling Industry has spent over 5 million dollars in 2009/10 on advertisements, political contributions, labor unions and lobbyists to tout the one sided benefits of expanding gambling.

 

To the extent that I am part of the anti-war movement, I must admit that we are getting our asses kicked in a futile, futile effort to stop the gears of the machine. The killing, the advance of empire, the crass profiteering, and the worthlessness of our supposedly representative form of government in representing the people’s will to end the nonsense continue as though no anti-war movement existed at all.

To the extent that I am part of the environmental movement or climate movement, I must admit that we are getting our asses kicked in a futile, futile effort to stop the gears of the machine. The greenhouse gas emissions by humans, the advance of earth-destroying industries and fossil-fuel insanity, the crass profiteering, and the worthlessness of our supposedly representative form of government in representing the people’s desire for a cleaner, greener way continue as though no environmental or climate movement existed at all.

To the extent that I am part of an ecological electoral movement, I must admit that we are getting our asses kicked in a futile, futile effort to stop the gears of the duopoly. The private takeover of our government at every level and the advance of special interest money and for-profit ideology into nearly every inch of our politics continue as though no electoral alternative existed at all.

On all 3 fronts, I will happily and thankfully concede that there are some exceptions. And I consider myself part of other movements for social change. But across the board, each small step forwards is met by more and bigger steps backwards. We are losing. And I am tired of losing. I am ready to win.