Mr. Abu-Jamal, a renowned black journalist and author, has been on Pennsylvania’s death row for nearly three decades. Mr. Abu-Jamal has become a global symbol, the “Voice of the Voiceless”, in the struggle against capital punishment and human-rights abuses. There are over 20,000 awaiting execution around the globe, with over 3,000 on death rows in the United States.
The 1982 trial of Mr. Abu-Jamal was tainted by racism, and occurred in Philadelphia which has a history of police corruption and discrimination. Amnesty International, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, “determined that numerous aspects of this case clearly failed to meet international standards safeguarding the fairness of legal proceedings. [T]he interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal. The trial should fully comply with international standards of justice and should not allow for the reimposition of the death penalty.”
http://mumialegal.org/node/72
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
US Economic Troubles Increase
The Labor Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported on Thursday that jobless claims in the United States are skyrocketing and manufacturing activity is down in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country. The bad news "sent stocks tumbling," according to USA Today newspaper.
The number of people filing for first-time claims of unemployment benefits rose by 12,000 last week, making the number of first-time claims reach 500,000. This is the highest since mid-November. Economists incorrectly guessed that the number of claims would be only 480,000. The number of people filing for first-time unemployment claims has been rising for the past three weeks.
The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's most broad index for manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA also had grim things to report. Manufacturing activity in the area plummeted from +5.1 in July to -7.7 in August, despite predictions that it would reach +7.0. It was the first negative showing since July 2009, which shocked many economists due to the fact that manufacturing was one of the economy's few good areas.
Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial has put the odds of a double-dip recession at 15% to 20%.
"Germany's hiring, Hong Kong is hiring, New Zealand is hiring," said LPL Financial economist John Canally. "The rest of the world is growing quite nicely."
The USA, however, is not hiring.
As all this continues, the number of work discrimination claims by disabled people is increasing. The number of Americans with Disabilities Act related charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rose to 21,500 in 2009. This is because disabled people are more likely to be targets for layoffs.
While thousands upon thousands more Americans are losing their jobs, the banks and companies are hoarding money. They are unwilling to spend this money despite the fact that, if used properly, jobs and homes could be guaranteed for all ordinary people, including those in other countries that have been victimized by the US corporate and government elite.
The rich have robbed us, the workers, of our jobs. They have raped us of our dignity, plundered our bank accounts, and burned the homes of our friends and family worldwide. Sometimes they do it with guns, other times they use their special commandos who are so handsomely uniformed in designer suites. There is, undoubtedly, a war being waged against us. We cannot afford to lose it, for it surely means serfdom.
The number of people filing for first-time claims of unemployment benefits rose by 12,000 last week, making the number of first-time claims reach 500,000. This is the highest since mid-November. Economists incorrectly guessed that the number of claims would be only 480,000. The number of people filing for first-time unemployment claims has been rising for the past three weeks.
The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's most broad index for manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA also had grim things to report. Manufacturing activity in the area plummeted from +5.1 in July to -7.7 in August, despite predictions that it would reach +7.0. It was the first negative showing since July 2009, which shocked many economists due to the fact that manufacturing was one of the economy's few good areas.
Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial has put the odds of a double-dip recession at 15% to 20%.
"Germany's hiring, Hong Kong is hiring, New Zealand is hiring," said LPL Financial economist John Canally. "The rest of the world is growing quite nicely."
The USA, however, is not hiring.
As all this continues, the number of work discrimination claims by disabled people is increasing. The number of Americans with Disabilities Act related charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rose to 21,500 in 2009. This is because disabled people are more likely to be targets for layoffs.
While thousands upon thousands more Americans are losing their jobs, the banks and companies are hoarding money. They are unwilling to spend this money despite the fact that, if used properly, jobs and homes could be guaranteed for all ordinary people, including those in other countries that have been victimized by the US corporate and government elite.
The rich have robbed us, the workers, of our jobs. They have raped us of our dignity, plundered our bank accounts, and burned the homes of our friends and family worldwide. Sometimes they do it with guns, other times they use their special commandos who are so handsomely uniformed in designer suites. There is, undoubtedly, a war being waged against us. We cannot afford to lose it, for it surely means serfdom.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
US Military Supporting Christian Extremist Events
Fort Eustis and Fort Lee, US Army forts in the state of Virginia, have been putting on a series of "Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts" for the past several years. These concerts have an evangelical Christian message and promote religion in the military of a supposedly secular state.
On May 13 of this year, around 80 soldiers at Fort Eustis were punished for refusing to attend one of these fanatical Christian concerts. This one in particular featured the all-girl rock group BarlowGirl as the headliner. The band describes itself as having, "an aggressive, almost warrior-like stance when it comes to spreading the gospel and serving God."
The father of the girls in the band, the Barlow sisters, was quite happy that his daughters could perform for the military. "We really believe that to be a Christian in today's world, you have to be a warrior, and we feel very blessed and privileged that God has given us the tool to deliver His message and arm His army," he said.
Some of the soldiers who were punished for refusing to attend the event filed a complaint with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Here is an excerpt from the MRFF account:
According to Chambers, his idea was to have a religiously diverse selection of performers, but clearly he was telling lies because only radical, fundamentalist Christians have performed in his events. Another problem is that only the chaplains' offices are allowed to hold religious events, the command officers are not.
These religious fundamentalist bands are very expensive, causing taxpayers of all religions to shell out anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 per band. The MRFF looked into other military "spiritual fitness" events, and it was found that $3.5 million went down the drain for one Christian extremist event.
Instances of Christian bigotry happen in the American military on a regular basis. What is happening in Virginia is just another example of this. With all of this in mind, as well as the recently exposed war crimes (thanks to Wikileaks), one must wonder if the American military is really any better than the Mujaheddin they are fighting. Perhaps the US Christian crusaders should climb back into the caves with their Taliban brothers.
On May 13 of this year, around 80 soldiers at Fort Eustis were punished for refusing to attend one of these fanatical Christian concerts. This one in particular featured the all-girl rock group BarlowGirl as the headliner. The band describes itself as having, "an aggressive, almost warrior-like stance when it comes to spreading the gospel and serving God."
The father of the girls in the band, the Barlow sisters, was quite happy that his daughters could perform for the military. "We really believe that to be a Christian in today's world, you have to be a warrior, and we feel very blessed and privileged that God has given us the tool to deliver His message and arm His army," he said.
Some of the soldiers who were punished for refusing to attend the event filed a complaint with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Here is an excerpt from the MRFF account:
The Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concert series was Maj. Gen. James E. Chambers' idea. Chambers held the first concert at Fort Lee within a month of becoming the commanding general of the Combined Arms Support Command in 2008. He had been doing this at Fort Eustis for sometime before this, and his work is being continued by its new commanding general. The concerts are also promoted to those on Langley Air Force Base.The week prior to the event the [unit name and NCO's name withheld] informed us of a Christian rock event that was about to take place on Thursday the 13th.
"On Thursday 13th at 1730 we were informed that instead of being dismissed for the day, the entire company (about 250 soldiers) would march as a whole to the event. Not only that, but to make sure that everyone is present we were prohibited from going back to the barracks (to eliminate the off chance that some might "hide" in their rooms and not come back down).
We were marched as a whole to chow and were instructed to reform outside the dining facility. A number of soldiers were disappointed and restless. Several of us were of different faith or belief. A couple were particularly offended (being of Muslim faith) and started considering to disobey the order.
From the dining facility we were marched back to the company area. There was a rumor circulating that we may be given a choice later on to fall out or attend. Though it was only a rumor it was also a small hope enough to allow us to follow along a little longer before choosing to become disobedient. We were marched back to the company area. To our dismay there was still no sign of us having a choice.
We started marching to the theater. At that point two Muslim soldiers fell out of formation on their own. Student leadership tried to convince them to fall back in and that a choice will be presented to us once we reach the theater.
At the theater we were instructed to split in two groups; those that want to attend versus those that don't. At that point what crossed my mind is the fact that being given an option so late in the game implies that the leadership is attempting to make a point about its intention. The "body language" was suggesting that "we marched you here as a group to give you a clue that we really want you to attend (we tilt the table and expect you to roll in our direction), now we give you the choice to either satisfy us or disappoint us." A number of soldiers seemed to notice these clues and sullenly volunteered for the concert in fear of possible consequences.
Those of us that chose not to attend (about 80, or a little less that half) were marched back to the company area. At that point the NCO issued us a punishment. We were to be on lock-down in the company (not released from duty), could not go anywhere on post (no PX, no library, etc). We were to go to strictly to the barracks and contact maintenance. If we were caught sitting in our rooms, in our beds, or having/handling electronics (cell phones, laptops, games) and doing anything other than maintenance, we would further have our weekend passes revoked and continue barracks maintenance for the entirety of the weekend. At that point the implied message was clear in my mind "we gave you a choice to either satisfy us or disappoint us. Since you chose to disappoint us you will now have your freedoms suspended and contact chores while the rest of your buddies are enjoying a concert."
At that evening, nine of us chose to pursue an EO complaint. I was surprised to find out that a couple of the most offended soldiers were actually Christian themselves (Catholic).
According to Chambers, his idea was to have a religiously diverse selection of performers, but clearly he was telling lies because only radical, fundamentalist Christians have performed in his events. Another problem is that only the chaplains' offices are allowed to hold religious events, the command officers are not.
These religious fundamentalist bands are very expensive, causing taxpayers of all religions to shell out anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 per band. The MRFF looked into other military "spiritual fitness" events, and it was found that $3.5 million went down the drain for one Christian extremist event.
Instances of Christian bigotry happen in the American military on a regular basis. What is happening in Virginia is just another example of this. With all of this in mind, as well as the recently exposed war crimes (thanks to Wikileaks), one must wonder if the American military is really any better than the Mujaheddin they are fighting. Perhaps the US Christian crusaders should climb back into the caves with their Taliban brothers.
Victory at WTJU
The following was written by Brandon Collins and taken from The Socialist WebZine (click here).
Those who don't listen to WTJU 91.1 fm should tune in more often. So should I. I say "should" the same way I say "I should practice Yoga more often", or "I should read more Tolstoy". For 53 years, WTJU has been bringing Charlottesville eclectic Classical, Jazz, Folk, Rock, Kid's, and Current Events programming in a way that is healthy for our minds. It is healthy because the all volunteer staff has complete freedom to select their programming, and have very specific individual shows to broadcast educational and artistic music.
All of this came under assault recently. Under the banner of increasing revenue, listenership, and student involvement, the new station director, Burr Beard, sold UVA's Office of Public Affairs on the idea that WTJU should make a complete overhaul on how the station is programmed in order to become "more competitive in a commercial market". These changes, we found out rather hastily, would include switching to a mostly "Americana" format, would include playlists, eliminate classical music programming, and eliminate individual shows in favor of generic "block" programming.
The changes originally were slated to take place in a matter of days. News leaked out, and some announcers hit the press. The sudden attention granted the station a "temporary stay of execution", with management claiming they would open up the process to the announcers and the public. Through a series of more leaked information, it became clear that management was not listening to input, and was planning to implement programming changes with the appearance of inclusion to quell dissent.
Simultaneously, some announcers looked for help. One announcer, a former Wobbly, contacted the IWW in Richmond, which then contacted the Socialist Party of Central Virginia, and that's how we got involved. We quickly set to work trying to get the announcers to organize in some fashion. There was no time for a formal organization to be formed, so simply getting an organizing committee together would have to suffice. That took some doing. The announcers were emotionally frazzled, overworked and freaked out, and they had a lot to discuss.
An organizing committee finally formed, and began having all announcer discussions and meetings outside of the ears of management. They decided to stand in solidarity to protect the different genres and unique nature of the station rather than defend their individual turf. Points of unity were discussed, and a plan of action formed. The announcers came up with their own proposal to make changes to increase revenue, listenership, and student involvement without destroying what is best about WTJU- that it is eclectic, diverse, and that the announcers have the freedom to thoughtfully decide what to play. They added to the list of goals protecting the station's mission statement, which specifically states that the station is to be run free from the restraints of commercial competition.
It was determined early on that a highly visible and vocal pressure campaign from the community needed to happen as well. The idea was to make the issue visible everywhere, and to put pressure not only on management, but on their bosses at UVA. It was thought that creating any kind of hassle for UVA administrators could be very effective. Bringing any negative attention to UVA's assault on the arts and academic freedom would also gain us some ground. A solid show of unity could convince the bosses that we were prepared to continue the campaign at all costs.
We did this through e-mail "bombs" and rallying any community members we could find. We had musicians address their audiences at every turn. One recently resigned DJ addressed the large crowd gathered at Fridays after Five. Handbills and fliers went out everywhere. We got around 250 people to attend a community input session with management. It was an inspiring meeting. The community was unanimous in it's support of the announcers. Community speakers were not organizers in this effort, just regular folks who see the importance of retaining one of the last bastions of true art dissemination in the country. After hearing from very prolific and moving speakers, management has not only succumbed to the announcers' demands but are now prepared to be genuine advocates for the unique nature of the station and strong supporters of art for the benefit of all, rather than to compete in a commercial market. WTJU will remain freaky and in the hands of a capable volunteer staff!
The whole campaign came at us fast and furious. As is all too often the case, problems arose that needed a workers (volunteers) union to confront. No such organization existed, though at some point in the past the idea had been raised. From the standpoint of a socialist, being able to assist workers organizing on their own behalf is a victory by itself. The volunteers have managed to remain organized and are actively engaging in promoting their station as is. Even more interesting is that the community understood the need for solidarity, and that the concept of market driven art and education is completely abhorrent to the majority of the people! This too is a victory. I truly believe that if the Socialist Party of Central Virginia had not been known and available, the station I love would have been destroyed.
We have made many contacts since our founding, some of those are IWW folks in Richmond, and we greatly appreciate the advice we were given. We look forward to working with them in the future. Again, another victory, but none of this tastes as sweet, or sounds as beautiful as an activist win for something meaningful and vital to our community- that is weird, educational, and inspiring art from WTJU 91.1 fm.
Those who don't listen to WTJU 91.1 fm should tune in more often. So should I. I say "should" the same way I say "I should practice Yoga more often", or "I should read more Tolstoy". For 53 years, WTJU has been bringing Charlottesville eclectic Classical, Jazz, Folk, Rock, Kid's, and Current Events programming in a way that is healthy for our minds. It is healthy because the all volunteer staff has complete freedom to select their programming, and have very specific individual shows to broadcast educational and artistic music.
All of this came under assault recently. Under the banner of increasing revenue, listenership, and student involvement, the new station director, Burr Beard, sold UVA's Office of Public Affairs on the idea that WTJU should make a complete overhaul on how the station is programmed in order to become "more competitive in a commercial market". These changes, we found out rather hastily, would include switching to a mostly "Americana" format, would include playlists, eliminate classical music programming, and eliminate individual shows in favor of generic "block" programming.
The changes originally were slated to take place in a matter of days. News leaked out, and some announcers hit the press. The sudden attention granted the station a "temporary stay of execution", with management claiming they would open up the process to the announcers and the public. Through a series of more leaked information, it became clear that management was not listening to input, and was planning to implement programming changes with the appearance of inclusion to quell dissent.
Simultaneously, some announcers looked for help. One announcer, a former Wobbly, contacted the IWW in Richmond, which then contacted the Socialist Party of Central Virginia, and that's how we got involved. We quickly set to work trying to get the announcers to organize in some fashion. There was no time for a formal organization to be formed, so simply getting an organizing committee together would have to suffice. That took some doing. The announcers were emotionally frazzled, overworked and freaked out, and they had a lot to discuss.
An organizing committee finally formed, and began having all announcer discussions and meetings outside of the ears of management. They decided to stand in solidarity to protect the different genres and unique nature of the station rather than defend their individual turf. Points of unity were discussed, and a plan of action formed. The announcers came up with their own proposal to make changes to increase revenue, listenership, and student involvement without destroying what is best about WTJU- that it is eclectic, diverse, and that the announcers have the freedom to thoughtfully decide what to play. They added to the list of goals protecting the station's mission statement, which specifically states that the station is to be run free from the restraints of commercial competition.
It was determined early on that a highly visible and vocal pressure campaign from the community needed to happen as well. The idea was to make the issue visible everywhere, and to put pressure not only on management, but on their bosses at UVA. It was thought that creating any kind of hassle for UVA administrators could be very effective. Bringing any negative attention to UVA's assault on the arts and academic freedom would also gain us some ground. A solid show of unity could convince the bosses that we were prepared to continue the campaign at all costs.
We did this through e-mail "bombs" and rallying any community members we could find. We had musicians address their audiences at every turn. One recently resigned DJ addressed the large crowd gathered at Fridays after Five. Handbills and fliers went out everywhere. We got around 250 people to attend a community input session with management. It was an inspiring meeting. The community was unanimous in it's support of the announcers. Community speakers were not organizers in this effort, just regular folks who see the importance of retaining one of the last bastions of true art dissemination in the country. After hearing from very prolific and moving speakers, management has not only succumbed to the announcers' demands but are now prepared to be genuine advocates for the unique nature of the station and strong supporters of art for the benefit of all, rather than to compete in a commercial market. WTJU will remain freaky and in the hands of a capable volunteer staff!
The whole campaign came at us fast and furious. As is all too often the case, problems arose that needed a workers (volunteers) union to confront. No such organization existed, though at some point in the past the idea had been raised. From the standpoint of a socialist, being able to assist workers organizing on their own behalf is a victory by itself. The volunteers have managed to remain organized and are actively engaging in promoting their station as is. Even more interesting is that the community understood the need for solidarity, and that the concept of market driven art and education is completely abhorrent to the majority of the people! This too is a victory. I truly believe that if the Socialist Party of Central Virginia had not been known and available, the station I love would have been destroyed.
We have made many contacts since our founding, some of those are IWW folks in Richmond, and we greatly appreciate the advice we were given. We look forward to working with them in the future. Again, another victory, but none of this tastes as sweet, or sounds as beautiful as an activist win for something meaningful and vital to our community- that is weird, educational, and inspiring art from WTJU 91.1 fm.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The education reform money grab
The following article was taken from PSLweb.org (click here).
As part of its “Race to the Top” initiative, the Obama administration is making close to $3.5 billion available for school districts to “overhaul” failing schools. This is a sharp increase from 2007 when the federal government only made around $125 million available for the same purpose. However, what on the surface may appear as a positive development is actually a ploy to further privatize public education.
As part of its “Race to the Top” initiative, the Obama administration is making close to $3.5 billion available for school districts to “overhaul” failing schools. This is a sharp increase from 2007 when the federal government only made around $125 million available for the same purpose. However, what on the surface may appear as a positive development is actually a ploy to further privatize public education.
Rather than asking school communities what would be needed in order to make their institutions successful, the government is contracting out this important task to private companies, often with little experience or track record in improving schools. Some of the companies seeking federal money include the giant British textbook corporation Pearson, a life coaching company called the Center for Evocative Coaching (with a recently changed, strategically titled Web site, schooltransformation.com), and a charter school management group, Mosaica Education, which currently has 50 percent of the schools under its management in “academic emergency.” (New York Times, Aug. 9)
Why is the task of overhauling so-called failing schools being contracted out to private companies with little experience in accomplishing that task? Why aren’t teachers being asked, “What would you need to make your classroom effective?” Why aren’t parents being asked, “What do you think your child’s school needs most?” The federal government is not attempting to pose these questions to school communities, because the answers would expose the fundamental flaw in school reform initiatives under capitalism.
If public-school parents, teachers and even administrators were asked these questions, they would probably list a series of proven, effective education methods, which are often already in practice in the nation’s top private schools and wealthiest public-school districts. Among these requests would be consistent access to technology, arts and enrichment programming, constructive discipline programs that teach children positive behavior rather than penalizing them, and giving teachers more time to plan and develop to be as effective as possible when they are in the classroom, not to mention limiting class sizes to 20 students or less. All these programs require an increase in funding.
In contrast, school reform as it stands right now involves shifting around the use of a shrinking pool of resources, leveraging these funds to promote the privatization of public education. The bottom line is that a capitalist government will not make public education a financial priority. It is unlikely that the federal government will shift its funding priority from war and foreign occupation to the education of the people. It is much easier to provide a small dose of hope to working-class families with children in the public-school system that things will improve by contracting out the responsibility to private entities, allowing these groups to make a profit.
While any increase in funding public education is welcomed, funneling that money to for-profit entities is not. Unproven initiatives spearheaded by entrepreneurs can make no fundamental change to the root of the problem. We demand the full funding of public education from pre-K through college, and the empowerment of communities to decide for themselves what their children need most.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Corey Ansel - Candidate for Ohio State Representative
Corey Ansel, socialist candidate for Ohio State Representative (District 22)
Corey Ansel, 18, is the Green Party nominee for state representative in Ohio, district 22. He is a student from Columbus, Ohio and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Corey Ansel, 18, is the Green Party nominee for state representative in Ohio, district 22. He is a student from Columbus, Ohio and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Ansel is a volunteer organizer with the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition. He has organized many events and demonstrations in his area to oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and in support of a free Palestine. Ansel is working build a Midwest Regional antiwar march in Chicago on Saturday, October 16 as well.
His socialist campaign will demand universal healthcare for all and will defend the right to free, quality education for all people. Ansel's campaign will demand an immediate end to education cuts and unemployment and will stand resolutely with all workers who demand the right to unionize and a living wage.
Ansel's Campaign Stands For ...
** Full employment—no layoffs. Job training for youth & unemployed.
** Fight Racism! Stop Police Brutality!
** Housing is a right for all—Immediate moratorium on all foreclosures & evictions.
** Free, high quality education from pre-school through college for everyone.
** Free, quality healthcare for all Ohio residents.
** No to U.S. Imperialism: U.S. Out of Iraq & Afghanistan; End the Occupation of Palestine; U.S. Hands Off Iran!
** Raise Ohio's minimum wage to $15/hour.
** Full federal equality for all immigrants and all LGBT people now!
** We need an economy based on people’s needs, not making the rich richer!
Please visit the website where this was originally posted in order to contact a campaign representative and get involved with the Ansel campaign.
http://www.pslweb.org/site/PageServer?pagename=voteansel
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Text to the video: Human Nature
The following is the text to the YouTube video called "Human Nature."
What is human nature? Does it even exist? Undoubtedly there are many people out there who think that humans are naturally evil, and that equality for everyone, communism, anarchism, and so forth could never work. They make the factor of human nature bigger than it really is. Although a transformation to total altruism would be nice, socialists of all sorts have absolutely no plans to force it on anyone as hardcore libertarians would have you believe. Altruism is barely relevant to the formation of new societal and organizational structures and the development of new technologies which are required for communism to be achieved on a global scale. Such economics have more to do with producing an abundance of things, to generalize the plan, than they do with people’s attitudes.The people who automatically throw out the human nature argument have no knowledge of Marxist theory, but still want to feel as if they are contributing something intelligent to the debate. Unfortunately, it isn’t a sign of intelligence to robotically repeat an argument we are all familiar with due to the fact that it has been brought up billions of times. So now, in this video, I will bring it up again in order to neutralize it.
What is human nature? Does it even exist? Undoubtedly there are many people out there who think that humans are naturally evil, and that equality for everyone, communism, anarchism, and so forth could never work. They make the factor of human nature bigger than it really is. Although a transformation to total altruism would be nice, socialists of all sorts have absolutely no plans to force it on anyone as hardcore libertarians would have you believe. Altruism is barely relevant to the formation of new societal and organizational structures and the development of new technologies which are required for communism to be achieved on a global scale. Such economics have more to do with producing an abundance of things, to generalize the plan, than they do with people’s attitudes.The people who automatically throw out the human nature argument have no knowledge of Marxist theory, but still want to feel as if they are contributing something intelligent to the debate. Unfortunately, it isn’t a sign of intelligence to robotically repeat an argument we are all familiar with due to the fact that it has been brought up billions of times. So now, in this video, I will bring it up again in order to neutralize it.
“…all history is nothing but a continuous transformation of human nature.” – Karl Marx
The famous philosopher John Locke once argued that humans are a blank slate and their so-called “nature,” their beliefs and desires, are instilled in them through their experiences in life. Basically, he said that people aren’t naturally anything. It’s simply monkey see, monkey do.
The way human beings view others is not the same in different societies. When humans were still tribal and living in the woods, we certainly didn’t have the same desires and outlooks which we have now. For example, John C. Cremony spent time with the Pima indigenous tribe in 1850. Because they were still living in tribes, obviously, these people lived in a different kind of society and were at a different stage of development than the white societies of today. Cremony noted that jealousy in relationships didn’t exist among tribe members. Jealousy, which is arguably an extension of competitive greed, is quite common in our modern, competitive, market society.
In the book Mutual Aid, by zoologist and evolutionary theorist Peter Kropotkin, it is also stated that the way people act towards each other depends on the economic structures in which they live. For example, when the traditional guild structures still existed people would look after the sick people who were poor. In modern times you are told to go to the nearest, cheapest medical establishment. In the South African tribal society of the Hottentots, people who had food would, of their own free will, see if others wanted to share it before they began eating. In modern capitalist society, you eat without sharing and shed no tears for those who are starving. Kropotkin also states that communal lands existed for thousands of years, and were a major part of human society, until the feudal rulers confiscated them. He continued by saying that the communal lands were always well taken care of when they weren’t under attack by the rich lords.
So Kropotkin was basically trying to argue that humans have an inclination to give each other mutual aid, that this is what helps the human race survive, and the given examples are reflections of that natural inclination. Based off of his research, one can safely conclude that human beings would naturally become more friendly and nice in a society with an organizational structure that promotes cooperation and mutual aid instead of competition and money-grubbing.
Another reason people might act a certain way which could fall under the category of man’s so-called “evil nature” is culture. Going back to the example of the Pima, the reason the jealousy situation was different for them is because their culture was very different from modern culture. However, it is important to note that culture changes with the economic structure of society, which is why, for example, a modern American would feel like a foreigner in his own country if he were transported back to the 1770’s. Pause here for a moment and seriously think about the differences between life in modern times and life over 200 years ago.
Here is an excerpt from an essay called Why Socialism by Albert Einstein, a man who needs no introduction and was far more intelligent than any capitalist who might disagree with him. The excerpt is entirely related to what I have been saying and what Locke and Marx said.
“Modern anthropology has taught us, through comparative investigation of so-called primitive cultures, that the social behavior of human beings may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing cultural patterns and the types of organization which predominate in society. It is on this that those who are striving to improve the lot of man may ground their hopes: human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate.”
He went on to say that: “Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.
This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career.
I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.”
In the pamphlet called The Soul of Man Under Socialism, the famous writer Oscar Wilde states that capitalism has destroyed individualism by causing people to confuse the individual with his property. He argued that man is simply living to collect more fancy things and not enjoying life.
“Indeed, so completely has man’s personality been absorbed by his possessions that the English law has always treated offences against a man’s property with far more severity than offences against his person,” said Wilde.
Wilde is certainly correct. Fake individualists, also known as capitalists, respect property rights more than human and civil rights, and care very little that their system would reduce workers to nothing more than consumers and objects controlled by their bosses. They seem to think freedom is somehow spawned solely from money and the amount of breathing room corporations have.
To finish, I would like to say that Taoism, an ancient Asian religion with over 200 million followers, believes that human beings are naturally good.
Sources:
“The Soul of Man Under Socialism” by Oscar Wilde.
“An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” by John Locke
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/poverty-philosophy/ch02c.htm
http://www.hermitary.com/solitude/taoism.html
http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/Pimas.html
http://monthlyreview.org/598einstein.php
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/mutaidch7.html
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Police torture Syracuse man to death
The following was taken from Liberation News (linked to on left in News section).
On Friday, Aug. 6, Raul Pinet Jr. died while in the custody of the Onondaga County Justice Center in Syracuse, N.Y. Pinet was arrested on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest
Family members of Pinet who were present at the time of arrest said that officers were beating him severely. Video footage from a cell phone shows Pinet being pinned to the ground by a crowd of officers, being punched and moaning in agony. His sister, Luz Pinet, said that he was bleeding, had a bump under his eye, was bleeding from his mouth and was screaming for help because he could not breathe.
When Pinet was taken to the Justice Center, a nurse examined him and noticed “a few abrasions” but failed to treat him. His restraints and clothes were removed and he was left naked and face-down on the floor. Fifteen minutes later, Pinet became unconscious and died.
This death comes as Chundra Smith is preparing to sue Onondaga County for the death of her daughter, Chuniece Patterson. Patterson was an inmate who died in custody at the Justice Center last year after being denied medical care while having an ectopic pregnancy. A report recently released this year documents the deliberate negligence of nurses and deputies involved.
Sheriff Kevin Walsh, who last year called Patterson’s death “natural,” recently commented in the case of Pinet that “everything seemed to be very much by the book.” Walsh is right: police brutality and the murder of inmates is “by the book” at the Syracuse Justice Center.
Richmond, Virginia 9/11 Protest
There will be a protest in front of the Richmond, VA Federal Reserve building on September 11, 2010. We encourage everyone who feels that 9/11 was an inside job, or at least that the US government used 9/11 as an excuse to crack down on our rights and launch wars of aggression, to attend.
There will be a planning meeting for this protest on August 22, 2010. Show up at 2400 W. Main Street at 3:00 PM. The place is a store called The Happy Corner.
On September 10, there will be a pre-protest banner and sign making night at The Black Hand house. Show up at 7:00 PM at 3112 Woodcliff Avenue.
For more information, visit the Facebook events:
Planning meeting: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142919212406461&ref=ts
9/11 Protest: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147344038625899
9/10 pre-protest banner and sign making: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151514294859252
There will be a planning meeting for this protest on August 22, 2010. Show up at 2400 W. Main Street at 3:00 PM. The place is a store called The Happy Corner.
On September 10, there will be a pre-protest banner and sign making night at The Black Hand house. Show up at 7:00 PM at 3112 Woodcliff Avenue.
For more information, visit the Facebook events:
Planning meeting: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142919212406461&ref=ts
9/11 Protest: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147344038625899
9/10 pre-protest banner and sign making: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151514294859252
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Public Opinion Turns on Afghan War
A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll shows that opposition to the War in Afghanistan is surging. US General Petraeus is reportedly planning to launch a pro-war propaganda campaign in the coming weeks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 68% of Americans don't feel that the Afghan War will come to a successful conclusion despite the fact that Afghanistan has been President Obama's strong point since he took office and tuned up his strategy. Only 44% of Americans approve of Obama's job with the war. This is a decrease from March when the majority of people approved.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said that the initial troop withdrawals next summer "will be of fairly limited numbers." Petraeus is expected to argue that the rest of the troops set to be deployed by Obama will not arrive until later this month, and therefore the counterinsurgency campaign needs more time.
Petraeus is setting up "Local Defense Initiatives," similar to the Community Defense Initiative of McChrystal, which would use Pentagon money to militarize more Afghans to fight the Taliban. This plan, which was forced on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will lead to a nasty civil war in that country. This plan is similar to the failed "Vietnamization" plan of Nixon and Kissinger.
General Petraeus' Afghanization strategy, just like its predecessor in Vietnam, will fail. The American bourgeoisie wants to keep fighting in Afghanistan so it can control the oil and minerals of that country, and they will use any excuses they can to cover up their criminal occupation. Don't be fooled by false flag operations, paid liars on television, and a rehashed strategy that was made to fail.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 68% of Americans don't feel that the Afghan War will come to a successful conclusion despite the fact that Afghanistan has been President Obama's strong point since he took office and tuned up his strategy. Only 44% of Americans approve of Obama's job with the war. This is a decrease from March when the majority of people approved.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said that the initial troop withdrawals next summer "will be of fairly limited numbers." Petraeus is expected to argue that the rest of the troops set to be deployed by Obama will not arrive until later this month, and therefore the counterinsurgency campaign needs more time.
Petraeus is setting up "Local Defense Initiatives," similar to the Community Defense Initiative of McChrystal, which would use Pentagon money to militarize more Afghans to fight the Taliban. This plan, which was forced on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will lead to a nasty civil war in that country. This plan is similar to the failed "Vietnamization" plan of Nixon and Kissinger.
General Petraeus' Afghanization strategy, just like its predecessor in Vietnam, will fail. The American bourgeoisie wants to keep fighting in Afghanistan so it can control the oil and minerals of that country, and they will use any excuses they can to cover up their criminal occupation. Don't be fooled by false flag operations, paid liars on television, and a rehashed strategy that was made to fail.
Free Bradley Manning Rally (Video)
Here is a video from Russia Today news about the recent protest to free Bradley Manning in Quantico, Virginia. Around the end of the video you can see the Nazi Quantico police trying to stifle the protesters' free speech by threatening them with arrest for chanting and walking to a park (where they were allowed to be by the mayor of the town). Free Manning, arrest all cops.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Ending the culture of impunity in the Philippines
Here is a recent news video from Al Jazeera about police brutality and torture in the Philippines. Although hopes are high that the new regime will end this, the New People's Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines feel that the new heads of the government will act like the previous ones, which is why they insist on continuing to fight.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Rally to Support Whistleblower Bradley Manning
What: Rally in Support of Whistleblower Bradley Manning
When: Sunday, August 8, 12PM
Where: Quantico Marine Corps Base where Manning is being held in pre-trial confinement; we will meet at the Amtrak station in Quantico
Who: Veterans, former CIA analyst, peace activists
Private First Class Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, stands accused of disclosing a classified video depicting American troops in Iraq shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter in 2007. Eleven people were killed, including two Reuters employees, and two children were critically injured. No charges have been filed against the soldiers who did the killing.
News sources have also speculated about Manning's involvement in the leak of over 90,000 secret documents (collectively known as the Afghanistan "war logs") made public by WikiLeaks on July 25.
“No top-level officials in the Bush and Obama administrations have been held accountable for their roles in dragging us into the Iraq war on the basis of lies or for potential war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. But whistleblower Bradley Manning sits in jail in Quantico, facing up to 52 years in prison,” says Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK: Women for Peace. “It’s totally unjust and that’s why we’re going to Quantico to call for Manley’s release.”
The whistleblower behind the Vietnam era’s Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a hero. “I admire the courage of Bradley Manning for sacrificing himself to make the public aware of the futility of the war in Afghanistan,” says Ellsberg.
“Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime,” says former Marine Corporal Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist, a group raising funds for Manning’s legal fees.
When: Sunday, August 8, 12PM
Where: Quantico Marine Corps Base where Manning is being held in pre-trial confinement; we will meet at the Amtrak station in Quantico
Who: Veterans, former CIA analyst, peace activists
Private First Class Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, stands accused of disclosing a classified video depicting American troops in Iraq shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter in 2007. Eleven people were killed, including two Reuters employees, and two children were critically injured. No charges have been filed against the soldiers who did the killing.
News sources have also speculated about Manning's involvement in the leak of over 90,000 secret documents (collectively known as the Afghanistan "war logs") made public by WikiLeaks on July 25.
“No top-level officials in the Bush and Obama administrations have been held accountable for their roles in dragging us into the Iraq war on the basis of lies or for potential war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. But whistleblower Bradley Manning sits in jail in Quantico, facing up to 52 years in prison,” says Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK: Women for Peace. “It’s totally unjust and that’s why we’re going to Quantico to call for Manley’s release.”
The whistleblower behind the Vietnam era’s Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a hero. “I admire the courage of Bradley Manning for sacrificing himself to make the public aware of the futility of the war in Afghanistan,” says Ellsberg.
“Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime,” says former Marine Corporal Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist, a group raising funds for Manning’s legal fees.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sect of Revolutionaries: "We are at war with your democracy"
Last week the Sect of Revolutionaries, a Greek militant organization, stated that its goal is to turn Greece into a war zone. They said this in a seven page statement sent to the media last week.
"Tourists should learn that Greece is no longer a safe haven of capitalism. We intend to turn it into a war zone of revolutionary activity with arson, sabotage, violent demonstrations, bombings and assassinations, and not a country that is a destination for holidays and pleasure," said the Sect's statement.
"Our guns are full and they are ready to speak," they continued. "We are at war with your democracy."
The Sect of Revolutionaries, sometimes translated as Rebel Sect, explained their reasoning behind the assassination of investigative journalist Sokratis Giolias. According to what the media has told the public, Giolias was shot because one of his police bodyguards was also working to protect the Supreme Court president.
"He chose to live as a rodent in the kingdom of mud, his sordid circle, and we as wolves outside of the herd," the Sect said with regards to Giolias. They targeted him because of his "dominant position in the electronic form of new journalism."
The Sect of Revolutionaries detailed how they carried out surveillance of Giolias' daily activities and investigated his background. The Sect has said that it went the extra mile to make sure Giolias wasn't shot inside of his home by his wife and kid (he was shot outside of his home in the front yard).
Giolias was a known critic of militant groups and a police collaborator. He would help the police identify activists and acted as a mouthpiece for the cops and the right-wing. Despite the claims of Giolias being an investigative journalist that uncovered corruption in the government, he himself was involved in a number of scandals. With this being said, Greece is probably better off without him.
"The ultimate planning and duty of an urban guerrilla is to disorganize the interior of his country, to strike the national economy and stain the public image abroad," said the Sect.
It is now clear that they plan to strike the Greek economy by scaring away tourists.
"In other European countries, home-grown terrorism has been on the decrease for years, but in Greece the situation is not unlike pre-Bolshevik revolutionary Russia," said Athanasios Drougos, a defense and counter-terrorism analyst in Athens.
A picture of their arms cache was also contained in their most recent statement. The Sect displayed three AK-47's, several semi-automatic pistols, and brass knuckles. One of their firearms is thought to be a "Scorpion" sub-machine gun. The weapons were arranged in the same manner the November 17 militants used to display their weapons.
Regarding their year-long period of inactivity, the Sect of Revolutionaries had this to say, "During this time several of us trained in weapons, learned new techniques, read and were informed on [unknown] until then fighting situations, exchanged experiences and thoughts with other fighters and restocked in the supplies/equipment sector."
The militants have said that their next possible attack will be against, DIAS police officials, prison guards, and public prosecutors. They warned those controlling the prisons to "change their stance" on the treatment of prisoners.
They also criticized other known media figures in last week's statement.
The mainstream media, however, will avoid telling you anything too negative about Giolias. Also, the Sect of Revolutionaries must have given more details on why they killed him. It is possible the media is withholding information in order to avoid sparking support for the militants. As someone with experience in dealing with the media, I am almost positive this is the case.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Article on the Shining Path
BJ Murphy of RALA has written an essay about the Shining Path in Peru. He discusses Artemio, the accusations of drug trafficking, civilian deaths, and many other things. Click the link below to read it.
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/the-shining-path-revealed-behind-the-lies-propaganda/
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/the-shining-path-revealed-behind-the-lies-propaganda/
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