September 2010 archive

Since I floated the call for a Dump Obama movement, I’ve gotten much helpful feedback.

My original draft, “Time for a Dump Obama movement,” was based on the broad strokes, which I believe are essentially correct.  But I’ve since taken a closer look based both on these responses and from Obama’s contemptuous speech at that infamous $30,000/plate fundraiser.

First, many of the comments, I believe, took my call as something that should be done INSTEAD of what others were already doing.  I was then given alternate approaches, including Vote Green, Dump the Senate, Dump the System, write-in Public Option, Don’t Vote, work the Dem primaries.  Others pointed out that 2012 (when Obama would face a primary challenge) was a long ways off, and I didn’t address what was to be done with the upcoming November elections.  Allow me to address them in no particular order.

I call for a movement.

Not, for instance, an organization or a campaign committee.  People keep saying, you have to have a candidate first.  No, the movement comes first.  Is there any movement already?  That’s a complicated question, since the concept of movement involves a lot of things that can’t be measured like frogs in a pot.  Movements have organizations, members, slogans, actions, demands — even contradictory demands — but they are not reducible to any or all of them.  A movement entails some sense of common identification.  Some sense of motion, of development.  A movement entails some sense of hope, to use a word that has turned to poison but must not be surrendered.

In Ohio, Green Party candidates are organizing to hold politicians in the Democrat and Republican Parties accountable for decades of right-wing misrule.  For the office of governor, Dennis Spisak is running on a platform to increase revenue, pushing for single-payer health care, creating jobs through green energy policies, and boosting education.

http://www.votespisak.org/gove…

Spisak for Governor

548 Poland Ave.

Struthers,Ohio 44471

Donate the full amount and receive the full tax credit. Remember to file this donation with your 2010 Ohio Income Tax to receive the 2010 credit. Act now. Don’t let these funds go unused!

Ohio law mandates that your check must have your full name and address on it – PO boxes are not allowed. Contributions over $100 must include your employer’s name.

On a more local level, Green Party candidate David Ellison is running for the county executive position that was ostensibly created in response to the huge corruption scandal now plaguing Democrat Party leaders.

http://www.electdavidellison.com

The above link is to the main campaign web site.  To volunteer or donate, see below.

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

Make checks payable to:

The Committee to Elect David Ellison

6403 Detroit Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44102

If you want a look at Ellison’s plans for Cuyahoga, here is the link to read them.

http://www.electdavidellison.c…

Also, Green Party candidate Alan Crossman is running for a seat on the county council in Cuyahogs.

http://alancrossman.us

For statewide office, in addition to the governor’s race, Dennis Lambert is running for the position of State Representative, District 89.

http://www.newmenu.org/dennisl…

Others have dishonestly claimed that the non-Democrat left is not organized.  But the fact of these and other candidacies from left-wing activists shows that, yes, we are indeed organized.  One can make legitimate criticisms as to the level and quality of that organization, but it does exist.  

Although pointy-headed liberals, progressives, and actual leftists constantly complain about our supposedly cold-hearted corporate masters, one of Apple Computer’s benevolent suppliers has set a new standard for worker safety by installing suicide nets around its factories, and even around the apartment blocks where many of its workers dwell, after a wave of worker-suicides last year.

So far in the last four and a half months seven workers from the plant have committed suicide, and at least 9 have attempted suicide.  According to reporter Liu Zhi Yi who infiltrated the plant, the likely reason why was that they felt taking their own life was the only option to escape the hellish working conditions of the plant.

According to Liu, the plant makes employees work around the clock, only pausing briefly to eat or sleep.  Most of the time the employees are standing, seldom able to sit down and rest their weary legs.  This is perfectly legal, as employees are required to sign a special overtime document that override Chinese workplace laws and essentially allows the employer to demand whatever hours they want from you, without additional compensation.

Foxconn pays the workers far too little for them to hope to buy one of the Apple products they assemble.  It pays them only 900 Chinese Yuan a month -about $130 USD.

But in spite of Foxconn’s anti-suicide apparatus, a few workers still manage to escape into oblivion.

A 22-year old female worker at Foxconn’s Kunshan factory committed suicide early yesterday morning. She only joined Foxconn at the end of March, where she worked packaging plastics.

Miss Liu was apparently saved by the safety nets rigged up several months ago in reaction to the spate of suicide-jumpers at Foxconn’s other factory in Shenzhen, however she later died from her injuries.

Welcome to your future! And don’t try to die on the job!

You can help California legalize pot (Proposition 19 on the November ballot) and get a groovy T-shirt or other cool stuff in the process.  I told you this was blatant.

California’s “Just Say Now” campaign:

We just launched the new Just Say Now online store – and Facebook already banned it.

One of the best ways to show your support for legalizing marijuana is with our Just Say Now gear. All proceeds from our store go to support our efforts to pass marijuana initiatives in 2010.

You’ll spread the word about our campaign, and support our organizing at the same time. It’s a win-win for legalizing marijuana – even if Facebook won’t let us show you our store.

Pick up your gear now at the Just Say Now store – and stick it to Facebook’s censorship.

…snip…

[To see] what we have in our brand new store, go to firedoglake.

Hey!  This is cool!

Update 9/23/10: Latest poll results on Cal Prop 19 to legalize marijuana:

California is ready to control and tax cannabis rather than prohibit it.

Public Policy Polling (PPP) has Prop 19 up 9 points, 47-38. Survey USA has us up 5 points, 47-42.

Of particular note, voters under the age of 45 are expected to turn out in higher numbers in California than other states. This is likely because of the excitement throughout the state over Prop 19. According to PPP, among these younger voters, we’re up 20 points, 54-34.

Way Cool!

Wednesday, Sept 22, 2010  Headlines, we have headlines….

1. Rahm Emanuel Could Leave White House In October.

I’ve always wanted to type this, and now I can:

Anonymous White House Aide says Anonymous White House Aide might be leaving the White House.

If he chooses to go forward with the mayoral race, Emanuel intends to be sensitive to the fact that his dual role could create the appearance of using his government office to his personal advantage, say two people familiar with internal deliberations.

__

The aide says Emanuel will not make a decision about whether or not to run this week, but was otherwise vague about when the decision would be made – or exactly when he might step down.

2.  Larry Summers, Director of National Economic Council, to Leave White House After Election

Again, the 3 anonymous Horsemen of the Impending Electionypse were quoted:

…. according to three people familiar with the matter.

His departure would leave Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the only member of President Barack Obama’s original top-tier economic team. Summers, 55, and the president have discussed his future plans, according to one person.

Administration officials are weighing whether to put a prominent corporate executive in the NEC director’s job to counter criticism that the administration is anti-business, one person familiar with White House discussions said. White House aides are also eager to name a woman to serve in a high-level position, two people said. They also are concerned about finding someone with Summers’ experience and stature, one person said.

Dear White House.  

About that token genderism thing.

We are not fooled by how the present is wrapped if we’re still finding it still doesn’t fit.  

So that’s Peter Orszag, Christina Romer, Larry Summers, and perhaps Rrrrahmbo Anonymous gone.  That leaves Timmy Geithner.  Who now has to look at Elizabeth Warren.