The opinions, views, thoughts, and ramblings of editors of PoliticalAffairs.net – and other stuff worth reading or viewing.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Union families show anti-Obama rally ‘what real Americans want’
From People's World
by Paul S. Kazocha
WAKARUSA, Ind. – In just a few hours on Aug. 5 the Steelworkers Union organized a bus load and several cars from Gary, Ind., to take the two hour trip to this small sleepy town near Elkhart and in the middle of the Amish area also known for RV and trailer construction.
More than 1,200 people from around the area gathered to support President Barack Obama and health care reform amongst other issues.
In contrast, The Young Republicans organized a smaller effort to protest Obama and health care reform efforts.
Earlier in the week many of these same protesters tried to disrupt a forum on health care with Congressman Pete Visclosky, sponsored by the Democratic Alliance group in Chesterton, Ind. The protesters are mounting “recess rallies” nationwide targeting Democrats and the president.
Read more...
by Paul S. Kazocha
WAKARUSA, Ind. – In just a few hours on Aug. 5 the Steelworkers Union organized a bus load and several cars from Gary, Ind., to take the two hour trip to this small sleepy town near Elkhart and in the middle of the Amish area also known for RV and trailer construction.
More than 1,200 people from around the area gathered to support President Barack Obama and health care reform amongst other issues.
In contrast, The Young Republicans organized a smaller effort to protest Obama and health care reform efforts.
Earlier in the week many of these same protesters tried to disrupt a forum on health care with Congressman Pete Visclosky, sponsored by the Democratic Alliance group in Chesterton, Ind. The protesters are mounting “recess rallies” nationwide targeting Democrats and the president.
Read more...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A good Honduran Bishop speaks out
From National Catholic Reporter:
Catholic News Service reports that a Catholic bishop in western Honduras said members of the country's wealthy elite were behind the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya.
Bishop Luis Santos Villeda of Santa Rosa de Copan also said the country needs a dialogue between the elite and Honduras' poor and working-class citizens. "Some say Manuel Zelaya threatened democracy by proposing a constitutional assembly. But the poor of Honduras know that Zelaya raised the minimum salary. That's what they understand. They know he defended the poor by sharing money with mayors and small towns. That's why they are out in the streets closing highways and protesting (to demand Zelaya's return)," the bishop told Catholic News Service.
In a July 30 telephone interview, he said it is misleading to consider Honduras a democracy, either before or after the June 28 coup. "There has never been a real democracy in Honduras. All we have is an electoral system where the people get to choose candidates imposed from above. The people don't really have representation, whether in the Congress or the Supreme Court, which are all chosen by the rich. We're the most corrupt country in Central America, and we can't talk about real democracy because the people don't participate in the decisions," he said.
Catholic News Service reports that a Catholic bishop in western Honduras said members of the country's wealthy elite were behind the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya.
Bishop Luis Santos Villeda of Santa Rosa de Copan also said the country needs a dialogue between the elite and Honduras' poor and working-class citizens. "Some say Manuel Zelaya threatened democracy by proposing a constitutional assembly. But the poor of Honduras know that Zelaya raised the minimum salary. That's what they understand. They know he defended the poor by sharing money with mayors and small towns. That's why they are out in the streets closing highways and protesting (to demand Zelaya's return)," the bishop told Catholic News Service.
In a July 30 telephone interview, he said it is misleading to consider Honduras a democracy, either before or after the June 28 coup. "There has never been a real democracy in Honduras. All we have is an electoral system where the people get to choose candidates imposed from above. The people don't really have representation, whether in the Congress or the Supreme Court, which are all chosen by the rich. We're the most corrupt country in Central America, and we can't talk about real democracy because the people don't participate in the decisions," he said.
Insightful Interview in L'Humanite on the media and coups, etc.
An interview with Roberto Hernandez Montoya, president of the Romulo Gallegos Foundation Center for Latin American Studies (CELARG) in Venezuela.
Cathy Ceïbe for Humanité: Last April, you made a presentation at the Organization of American States (OAS) of your work on media totalitarianism. What does that concept cover?
Roberto Hernandez Montoya. That concept covers a change in civilization. Yesterday, there was an engaged press, on the right as on the left, and even religious. But it was not organized the way the big corporations are. That press had ideological and political tendencies, but it was not a global monolith in the sense that today, several media outlets - The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN - set the rhythm for the news and its contents. These are epicenters of the news that spread it. Moreover, if one pays attention, one will find that a news item is sometimes repeated with the same spelling errors. The media respond to events in extremely similar ways. It's a matter of dominance that is as much ideological as corporate. Media totalitarianism produces capitalist ideology, but also dangerous, even criminal, phenomena. The United States lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Media totalitarianism took up those lies to justify the invasion of the country, becoming in its turn a weapon of mass destruction. That invasion cost over a million Iraqis their lives. Media totalitarianism is not shared, but dictated. The milieus surrounding the military powers, the so-called military-industrial complexes, orient and decide. They carry out the creation of enemies, as during the time of the Inquisition when whoever failed to obey the Church's general orientation was accused of being a heretic. The right to a defense was abolished. At present, we are experiencing a similar situation. Take the case of the Taliban. Yesterday, they were heroes. President Ronald Reagan called them freedom fighters because they fought the Soviet Union; they were necessarily good. Today, they incarnate evil because they act for their own account. When Saddam Hussein warred against Iran, nobody had any complaints. But when he began to act for his own account, he became the enemy to bring down. Imperialism is a rather nervous master.
Read more...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Is Sen. Jeff Sessions a Communist?
by Joel Wendland
In the debate now in motion over Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions just said something that makes me think he switched parties – and not to the Democrats.
In discussing Sotomayor's record, which he is using as a foundation for voting against her, Sessions said that he disagreed with one decision Sotomayor made in joining with others on the federal court she sits on regarding eminent domain. Eminent domain is a legal principle that gives government entities like a city or a county or the federal government the power to take over ownership of private property for various reasons and usually with compensation. Not controversial.
But Sen. Sessions stated that he disagrees with Sotomayor (despite the fact that her opinion was shared by various other members of the panel she is on) on this issue. Sessions said that he believes that "private property can only be taken over for public purposes."
Talk about an easy settlement of the property questions.
BTW, Sotomayor has more federal judicial experience than does any member of the Supreme Court since Reagan at the time of their appointment, including the right-wing extremists Roberts and Alito whom Sessions never ever considered to be less than qualified. It never occurred to him. Wise white men just don't bother him as much as wise Latinas.
In the debate now in motion over Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions just said something that makes me think he switched parties – and not to the Democrats.
In discussing Sotomayor's record, which he is using as a foundation for voting against her, Sessions said that he disagreed with one decision Sotomayor made in joining with others on the federal court she sits on regarding eminent domain. Eminent domain is a legal principle that gives government entities like a city or a county or the federal government the power to take over ownership of private property for various reasons and usually with compensation. Not controversial.
But Sen. Sessions stated that he disagrees with Sotomayor (despite the fact that her opinion was shared by various other members of the panel she is on) on this issue. Sessions said that he believes that "private property can only be taken over for public purposes."
Talk about an easy settlement of the property questions.
BTW, Sotomayor has more federal judicial experience than does any member of the Supreme Court since Reagan at the time of their appointment, including the right-wing extremists Roberts and Alito whom Sessions never ever considered to be less than qualified. It never occurred to him. Wise white men just don't bother him as much as wise Latinas.
Health reform is a communist plot
No seriously. It's all right here in black and white, and the evidence is overwhelming.
From the Daily Record:
The U.S. government's attempt to move us even further toward a nationalized, socialized health care system is just one part of a decades-old plan to turn America into a Communist country. In 1932, a man named William Z. Foster, who was the head of the Communist Party USA, wrote a book called "Toward Soviet America.'' On page 318 of that book, he plainly stated the Communist policy:
"One of the basic concerns of the workers' government will be, naturally, the conservation of the health of the masses. To this end a national Department of Health will be set up, with the necessary local and State sub-divisions. A free medical service, based upon the most scientific principles, will be established. The people will be taught how to live correctly.'
Notice that Foster says that a free medical service will be established. That's exactly what we're being offered today. We should keep in mind, however, that even though necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing are given to slaves for free by their masters, the price that they pay is their freedom.
From the Daily Record:
The U.S. government's attempt to move us even further toward a nationalized, socialized health care system is just one part of a decades-old plan to turn America into a Communist country. In 1932, a man named William Z. Foster, who was the head of the Communist Party USA, wrote a book called "Toward Soviet America.'' On page 318 of that book, he plainly stated the Communist policy:
"One of the basic concerns of the workers' government will be, naturally, the conservation of the health of the masses. To this end a national Department of Health will be set up, with the necessary local and State sub-divisions. A free medical service, based upon the most scientific principles, will be established. The people will be taught how to live correctly.'
Notice that Foster says that a free medical service will be established. That's exactly what we're being offered today. We should keep in mind, however, that even though necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing are given to slaves for free by their masters, the price that they pay is their freedom.
US open to broader talks with Cuba
Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary
Daily Press Briefing
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
August 3, 2009
QUESTION: Yeah, going back to Latin America, do you have any comment on the statements by Raul Castro this weekend this weekend about negotiating with the United States and that he’s open to negotiating with the United States, but not much change? Have you anything on this?
MR. CROWLEY: Obviously, we have had some limited dialogue with Cuba in recent weeks on more technical subjects, obviously, restarting the migration talks. We have been willing to discuss other issues such as mail service. I think we’re taking this in a step-by-step. I think we are willing to have a broader dialogue with Cuba. Clearly, Cuba has to take certain actions before we think that would be viable.
Video: Keith Olbermann nails GOP, insurance lobbyists and blue dogs
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)