Listen to this great speech by Chris Hedges (starting at the 19-minute mark) on the propaganda supporting the rise of an “American corporate fascism”:
Continue reading Why the Democratic Party is a bankrupt institutionAbout 10,000 votes were cast in the Berkshires voted for Green-Rainbow candidates last month. Many voters cast such votes for the first time and have told us they are interested in seeing the Green-Rainbow Party continue to grow. Taking steps to grow the party, as these voters did, is important. It is also easy.
Supporters need not wait for the next election to ‘go green and vote green.’ They need not all become activists, committee members, officers, or candidates. They need not all go to any or all meetings. They do not need to make a financial or a time commitment of any sort.
Of course the party needs some activists, some candidates, and some officers. Voters can subscribe here for news and announcements of Berkshire Greens. But for those who are interested in supporting the party there is a simple first step you can make that is public and meaningful.
(updated and edited on May 24, 2011)
Continue reading 10,000 People Took A Step[This letter from prominent progressives, including many Greens, is noteworthy. In my eyes, calling for a protest movement falls short of the moment. I think we need to be putting our vision out there and engaging people in a discussion of alternative visions, in addition to full-throated critique. The Tea Party has shown the success of visible dissent, but WTF do they stand FOR?]
This letter is a call for active support of protest to Michael Moore, Norman Solomon, Katrina van den Heuvel, Michael Eric Dyson, Barbara Ehrenreich, Thomas Frank, Tom Hayden, Bill Fletcher Jr., Jesse Jackson Jr., and other high profile progressive supporters of the Obama electoral campaign.
With the Obama administration beginning its third year, it is by now painfully obvious that the predictions of even the most sober Obama supporters were overly optimistic. Rather than an ally, the administration has shown itself to be an implacable enemy of reform.
It has advanced repeated assaults on the New Deal safety net (including the previously sacrosanct Social Security trust fund), jettisoned any hope for substantive health care reform, attacked civil rights and environmental protections, and expanded a massive bailout further enriching an already bloated financial services and insurance industry. It has continued the occupation of Iraq and expanded the war in Afghanistan as well as our government’s covert and overt wars in South Asia and around the globe.
Continue reading An Open Letter to the Left Establishmentby Jason Pramas (Staff), Dec-06-10
* OMB Editorial
A few days ago, I watched Chuck Turner get thrown off of the Boston City Council by a near-unanimous vote of his peers as I took photographs of the sad scene for Open Media Boston. The fact that he got shown the door that day surprised no one. One had only to look at the stony faces of most of the councilors as Turner made his final defiant speech to them to know that he was definitely going down. The feds were handing his political head to them on a silver platter. And there was no way they were going to pass up that opportunity. They had the eight votes they needed – even if the more progressive councilors didn’t vote yes. And that was that.
Councilor Charles Yancey did a fine job trying to defend Turner on procedural grounds – convincingly demonstrating that the council had no authority to expel the democratically-elected Turner under the council rules. And pointing out that no councilor in the long and nasty history of the Boston City Council had ever been expelled in such a fashion before. Of course, virtually none of those other councilors were black – but we’ll sidle past that ugly fact for the purposes of this editorial.
Continue reading Bad Faith in the Boston City CouncilOn 12/7/10 Zhengrong Shi, the founder and CEO of Suntech, one of the largest PV manufacturers in the world spoke at MIT, which has about 45 faculty now involved in solar research. The event was a joint presentation of the MIT China Energy and Environment Research Group, MIT Energy Initiative, and MIT Energy Club.
My telegraphic notes follow.
Continue reading Suntech CEO at MITOn December 6, 2010 a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Federal Court heard arguments on a possible appeal of a lower court ruling that the Proposition 8 ban of same-sex marriage in California was unconstitutional. The hearing was televised on CSPAN. It was fascinating to watch. Although it is very captivating to listen to highly-reasoned highly-articulated courtroom discourse, I realized that the arguments being made were re-hashed from the first days that the issue arose. We’re keeping lawyers and pundits busy for many many years.
My husband and I can now travel to any part of Canada and Mexico and be recognized as a married couple because those countries’ federal governments acted quickly and proactively to instruct their respective provincial and state governments to recognize same sex marriages. The rulings were on constitutional grounds that are very similar to what is being argued here.
Continue reading Marriage Equality not so Fast TrackIn an open letter to the leaders of the Philadelphia labor movement, the young and energetic organizer for UFCW Local 152 Hugh Giordano has challenged the city’s unions to have the courage to support the Green Party. Giordano ran an exceptionally strong campaign as a Green for state legislature this year, raising almost $30,000 from unions and individuals and capturing over 18 percent of the vote in a three way race. Now he would like to spread the same movement for honest politics, workers’ rights, and a clean environment (among other things) to the rest of Philadelphia, beyond his single district.
As the members of the party, which I am aiding in every way I can, build the organization for the 2011 local elections, Giordano has seized the opportunity make the area’s union leadership reconsider the popular path of supporting corporate Democrats. In his words, “Why are we, the strong men and women of the labor movement, bowing down to the corporate bosses and politicians…Union brothers and sisters, when any one of us becomes ‘fearful’ or ‘controlled’ by a political party – it’s time to step down and pass the torch on.”
The full letter is printed, with Hugh Giordano’s permission, below the fold.
Continue reading Labor’s obligation and opportunity: Philly organizer challenges unions to rally around Greensby Dave Goodman (I.B.I.S. Radio), for Open Media Boston
Dec-01-10 BOSTON/Government Center
In a nearly unanimous vote today, Chuck Turner was ousted from his seat on the Boston City Council, effective Friday December 3rd.
Thirty two days after being convicted in federal court of taking a bribe, City Council members voted 11 to 1 to support an order to remove the District Seven Councilor from the legislative body. Turner has served his district for eleven years.
Only Councilor Charles Yancey opposed the order calling on Turner to vacate his office.
Never before in its history has the Boston City Council banished a sitting member.
In an emotional and tearful speech to his colleagues, City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo, said “we cannot escape our deeds…facts are facts. And Councilor Turner was convicted of the worst crime a politician can commit…”
Arroyo, who was one of only three Councilors to testify for or against Councilor Turner, said he was saddened that he would not be able to serve the remainder of his term alongside his “friend and colleague.”
Early in his City Hall career, Arroyo worked as Councilor Turner’s Director of Constituent Services.
Continue reading Chuck Turner Removed from Boston City CouncilThe best jobs policy for a commonwealth to adopt is to provide a quality public infrastructure that fosters private enterprise. It is a proven engine for upward mobility. Let’s reject the two familiar non-working policy frameworks in a stagnant debate that argue either:
1) that taxes and government impede enterprise (and thus should always be cut); or
2) that credits and incentives should be extended to favored companies and industries (whose officers and lobbyists make investments to exert influence on public policy-making).
I’m not arguing against all tax cuts or against all credits, but I do argue that our public infrastructure does not support enterprise, job creation, and upward economic mobility.
Continue reading Jobs Come From EnterpriseReporters keep asking me why I won’t resign since I have been convicted of the crime of extortion of $1000 and three crimes of lying to FBI officials. I appreciate the Fenway News giving me the space to explain in detail why I think it would be absurd for me to resign from the City Council.
The first reason is that my constituents elected me last year, after I was indicted, with a larger plurality in my district than the Mayor received in the City and despite my conviction they have continued to support me. While the Boston Globe and Mayor Menino have tried to coax people in my community to stand up and speak out against me, they find themselves virtually standing alone.
The second reason that I would never resign is that I was found guilty of a crime that was planned by US Attorney Sullivan and executed by his paid agent, Ron Wilburn. Even though Sullivan tried to convince the public that there was a conspiracy between the Senator and me. At the trial, it became clear that the conspiracy was between Sullivan and Wilburn as they conspired to take me down.
Some may ask “Why”. That is, what was Sullivan’s purpose in using Wilburn to create the picture that I was a corrupt elected official? He knew there has never been even the hint of me being corrupt during my 33 years of activism and 11 years on the Council. Obviously, he did it because he and others wanted to silence me in my advocacy for the working class and poor of Boston.
Continue reading Chuck Turner – Why I Won’t Resign