December 2009 archive

Sparks of resistance in the labor movement?

Original article, subtitled Lee Sustar reports on signs of movement among the union movement’s rank and file, via Socialist Worker (US):

AFTER A grim year for organized labor, those committed to class-struggle unionism can find a few good reasons to be cheerful this holiday season.

The Bloodless Coup

(Cross-posted from The Free Speech Zone)

AP – A huge demonstration started today with actions being held around the world in a month long campaign to bring knowledge to the world.  Internationally thousands of students and people filled the libraries of their towns and schools in order to check out the maximum allowed amount of books and media to bring them home, scan them, and upload them for free download on the internet.  

Many armed with only portable and pocket-sized HD video cameras taped their own personal tours of museums all over the world in order to allow millions to view them on YouTube and other video sites.  The demonstration was peaceful with no arrests reported.  Demonstrators explained that what they were doing was “liberating the humanities” while police and workers at the institutions targeted were powerless to stop them.

“We have no reason to arrest anyone since what they’re doing isn’t illegal at all and even if what they do with the materials afterward might be illegal, we have no proof that they’re going to commit any crimes” said one officer outside one of the libraries.  

Many of the museums targeted had online virtual tours posted on their websites, but that didn’t stop demonstrators from making their own “custom” tours of the premises.  There were some requests by security to not use flash photography with some of the exhibits which were rules that the demonstrators had no problems abiding by.  “We’re not here to start a fight, we’re here to show there’s no reason for conflict” said one demonstrator we talked to.  While the publishing companies are nearly powerless to try and prosecute so many who will be taking part in the action, the museum authorities saw no reason why this should be seen as a “demonstration” at all.  “To call something a ‘demonstration’ is to suggest that there is something that is being opposed although no one here is opposed to what these people are doing and in fact many of our staff have helped with the effort” said a curator at the premises.  In fact, many were welcomed seeing how generous they were with donations as they walked into the museums.  

Some public officials have spoken out against the group taking books and media out of the library in order to make them available to the entire world.  They believe the purpose of these groups sponsoring the event is to make publishing industries cave to the demands of those who believe all literature should be made freely available despite income.  As strong as the words were from many officials, they were powerless to stop the demonstrators from pulling off their actions.  There have been suggestions that those who orchestrated this month-long campaign could be charged with “enabling and promoting copyright infringement” by making calls for these types of actions.  However, no formal charges hav

Grilling ala Rachel Maddow

Go get’em, Rachel. She rocks in this take down of Richard Cohen and his homophobic “research” that is being used to support an death penalty law in Uganda

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

h/t Glen Greenwald

Al Gore: It’s like gravity; It exists.

Chalk One up for Science, as if Science, were subject to Popular Vote …

(If that were true, guess who would of won in 2000?)

NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews Al Gore



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21…

MITCHELL: Palin calls it “junk science.” She says, “The agenda-driven policies being pushed in Copenhagen won’t change the weather, but they would change our economy for the worst.”

What’s your response to that?

Fake Liberals: Why They Deserve Our Scorn

It’s no secret that the far right loathes anyone and everyone to the left of Adolf Hitler.  Just try to get into one of Sarah Palin’s Nuremberg-style rallies; you’ll find plenty of evidence for that statement.  But a certain branch of liberalism is hated even by unapologetic left-wingers.

In a 1996 column by Adolph Reed, reproduced this week on CommonDreams.org, the progressive writer summarized the reason for his hatred in one paragraph:

during the ’80s liberal opinion gradually accommodated to Reaganism by sliding rightward. Two rhetorical justifications emerged for this adaptation. The Democratic Leadership Council called for a new centrism, jettisoning egalitarian politics and the constituencies identified with it. Additionally, an excesses-of-the-’60s-as-fall-from-grace fable propelled this slide and justified the smug dismissal of those of us who didn’t want to go along. This new liberalism curtly demanded that we grow up and accept the realpolitik; Reaganism was all our fault for going too far anyway.

That evaluation is echoed this week by self-professed socialist and TruthDig.com writer Chris Hedges, who writes:

They talk about peace and do nothing to challenge our permanent war economy. They claim to support the working class, and vote for candidates that glibly defend the North American Free Trade Agreement. They insist they believe in welfare, the right to organize, universal health care and a host of other socially progressive causes, and will not risk stepping out of the mainstream to fight for them. The only talent they seem to possess is the ability to write abject, cloying letters to Barack Obama-as if he reads them-asking the president to come back to his “true” self. This sterile moral posturing, which is not only useless but humiliating, has made America’s liberal class an object of public derision.

Robert Scheer blasts Obama for wearing the mask of a reformer while continuing business as usual.  Glenn Greenwald reports on the creepy, cult-like devotion of Obama’s remaining supporters, exposing them for the false leftists they are.

Can one really begrudge these guys their bitterness?  John Conyers can bitch all he wants about everything from witnesses thumbing their noses at subpoenas to continual waffling by Obamacrats, but at the end of the day he still cannot be counted upon to actually follow through on his frustrated-sounding rhetoric.  The tired old man who had the power to start impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for two years and refused sure as hell isn’t going to start playing hardball with Hopey McChangerton now.

The same holds true for the rest of the so-called liberals, who have proven as dangerous to America and the rest of the world as any right-wing, fascist Republican.  These are the same people who regularly denounce anyone to their left as “purists,” as though not selling one’s principles for access to power is somehow a bad thing.  These are the same people who promote half measures as the only reasonable things to push for, proceed to accept less and less when told no by the powerful, and then lecture us on the left for calling them on it as though we’re made up of children who can’t handle the grim realities of political activism.

Small wonder they earn the scorn of genuine left-wingers.  Perhaps it is time for all of us who haven’t thrown away our principles to look upon these pseudo-liberals for what they are: shameless phonies masking their true right-wing ideology.

Overnight Caption Contest

“Democratic Party Surrenders – Minority Wins”

That should have been the headlines.

Just imagine if Democrats were in charge at various points in history…

Democratic Army of Thousands Attack 300 Spartan’s – Surrenders the Battle!

Democratic Army Surrenders to Napoleon at Waterloo!

That is exactly what has occurred.  Despite Obama winning 365 electoral votes to McCain’s 173, President Obama has caved to the Republican Party on health care reform.  Despite a clear majority of America wanting a public option, Sen. Reid has caved to the Republican Party on health care reform.

Despite having the option to force through the best part of health care reform using reconciliation, the Democratic Party, to include the President himself, has simply surrendered on the President’s key legislative agenda.

(posted at Daily Kos)

Watch This

Cantor predicts Republican future at The Economist summit

Originally featured on JTA’s Capital J blog.

Predictions for what 2010 will bring were aplenty yesterday at The Economist‘s summit in Washington, DC celebrating the release of its World in 2010 edition.  The event featured several influential speakers who gave their two cents on issues of economic, political and cultural significance.

Pony Party: Dinner Edition

Hai!  Pony Party is an open thread: pls do not wreck the party, but pls add yer own stuff in the comments.  Today I will talk about food.

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Buhdy, Ek & anyone else who tried to join WWL

I’m having soapblox issues as you know.

Apparently, new users are generated, and then disappear into the mist. Soapy isn’t being exactly forthcoming with help, he is apparently busy. I just found out it has been happening for MONTHS not weeks. I just thought it a temp glitch.

But I found a way around it in a temp way.

I took a few VERY old banned accounts, changed their name and password, and email where I could. I have 5 empty ones left from just one woman up for grabs, to tell the truth. Heh.

So sign in and change your passwords!!!

ek hornbeck?

Your temp password is 1234aa

and you’ll have to change your email.

budhydharma?

Your temp password is aa12134

Anyone else who wants an account at The Wild Wild Left & can’t sign in, just give me a user name and email, and I’ll use up the banned accounts left.

If you don’t want to publicize your email, just email me with it.

Now, the OTHER fucking problem is trying to get a new PAID version of soapblox. Soapy doesn’t want to “convert me” so I may have to buy one, rebuild it myself and pay someone to import the data. He won’t fix mine, and won’t upgrade me. I’m stuck with 145 users forever.

My head spins!!!

Iraq War Inquiry, Day 11

Today the British Military goes after the civilian government ministers sent in or making decisions after the invasion to try and apparently bring order to chaos building another government or to keep the country functioning so it wouldn’t completely fall into an Insurgency, I mean after all the U.S. expected throngs of people throwing flowers and kisses. Oh ya, even Bremer is mentioned, he apparently isn’t to great in the social circles, or war theaters, as to making friends with his counterparts.

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