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Departments National Issues Obama vs. jobs; Hope vs. reality Imagine the denunciations of human rights abuses in Colombia if the plan for that country this week were war rather than corporate exploitation to produce impoverishment to produce drug crops to produce war. Imagine the denunciations of human rights abuses in Iran having continued as usual if U.S. cops weren't cracking skulls in New York, Boston, Denver, and San Diego. Maybe we wouldn't have needed the Tale of the Moronic Mexican Iranian Assassins at all. Also last week, President Obama pretended to try to pass a weak gesture in the way of lessening the damage of his policies with separate legislation known as a "jobs bill." But he made no serious effort to get it passed and according to many observers wanted it to fail. It was blocked by Democrats as well as Republicans in a Democratic Senate. Nonetheless, the purpose was apparently to create a campaign ad for what the same president will supposedly try to do in 2013 if reelected, and if tens of millions of us are still obediently filling out job applications. Dutiful union members and party activists last week rallied for a bill the President did not whip for. In other words, they took part in a theatrical advertisement for a reelection campaign. "The president has learned that a loss can be a win," said an unnamed source whom Politico calls a "senior Democratic strategist who supports Obama." And I can confirm that this is not only real but typical. "We've done everything to win legislatively, to scrape through," this loyal partisan said. "Now we're determined to keep the high ground on a set of issues where we have the overwhelming support of the American people." If you doubt the intention to shift all energy into a presidential reelection campaign, watch Tom Hayden's interview about Occupy Wall Street on Keith Olbermann's show. Here are the problems with this picture: First, the same president is killing off jobs on a large scale with corporate trade pacts and military spending. Military spending produces fewer jobs than tax cuts for non-billionaires, much less useful spending on infrastructure, green energy, or education. Second, the same president's jobs bill, had it passed, would have barely touched the problem of wealth inequality, joblessness, and imbalance of power. Third, Obama made no serious effort to pass the bill, despite having demonstrated in the past the ability to compel any Democrat to vote for any bill, including war-funding supplementals and godawful corporate health-insurance schemes. Fourth, the bill was blocked by Democrats who have a majority in the Senate. Fifth, the Majority Leader Harry Reid recently lowered the bar for moving bills forward from 60 to 51 votes, despite years of feigned helplessness in the face of the unreachability of the 60-vote mark. Reid is no more serious in his efforts than Obama. Sixth, campaign promises from people who have broken hundreds of campaign promises would be useless even if the pretenses of attempting decent governance were not so transparent. If Obama or Reid or the Democratic Party or MoveOn.org or anybody else thinks the people occupying the streets of our cities in protest are going to fall for this, they've got a very rude awakening coming. The Occupation movement is one that brings policy demands to the government, not partisan pretense to a pseudo-combat with the goal of bipartisanship or the election of either flavor of crypto-fascist corporate servants. The question is not whether we want to risk electing a racist buffoon to the imperial throne. The question is whether we want to join those who are making major sacrifices to occupy our city squares and move our entire culture and our entire government toward peace and justice instead of plutocracy and planetary collapse. Do we want to avoid a war on Iran before it happens or turn against it once we have a Republican president? Do we want to halt global warming or lament its advances later? Do we want to overthrow our financial oligarchy or hope it changes the appearance of the curtains behind which it works? The genius of the 99% movement is that it brings people's demands to the government. Nobody is asking a political party what to demand, whom to confront, and whose crimes to grant immunity. We're uniting as a people to insist on representation in our government. The notion that we already have it from either half of our government is so ludicrous as to reveal those who make that claim to be engaging in fraud. We now have a majority supporting the nonviolent occupations. And we have 99% of that majority sitting on its rear ends. If you object to being played for a bunch of fools, get in the streets! If you resent people stripping away jobs while pretending to create them, get in the streets! If you'd rather have a decent place to live in which your children and grandchildren will be able to live as well, instead of bailouts for bankers and new wars started every few months, get in the streets! If you'd rather see majority opinion obeyed just once on any issue than have a congressional caucus dutifully represent the interests of unmanned drones, get in the streets! The conversation is changing. The mortgage fraud non-settlement is in trouble. Wall Street is scared. There are bills in Congress to eliminate the Super Committee and to end the Federal Reserve. There is music in the cafes at night and revolution in the air. Don't just sit there nodding. ------------- David Swanson is the author of War Is A Lie. War is a Crime October 11 |
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Recent National Issues Articles Extraordinary interview: In love with tortured man -- Indefinite imprisonment, torture, terror inside California prisons through eyes of woman of courage Stop picking on the poor plutocrats Don’t mute Newt My declaration of war on Christmas Pvt. Manning and Imperative of Truth The Real Christmas Story The trial of Bradley Manning — Rule of law or rule of intimidation, retaliation & retribution Are Americans in line for Gitmo? Project Bugsplat Eliminate tax subsidies for big oil companies ? The last whistleblowers Lesson of White House Strafing: Limit Guns Now The bravest man I ever met I'm thankful for Occupy Occupy Crackdown: PCJF and NLG Demand Records of Federal Involvemen Mass day of action on 2-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street Seven arrested at demonstration at US Bank in downtown Columbus, Ohio Move to Amend gaining momentum Listen to the song: Occupy Wall Street From Occupy Wall Street to Occupy the Neighborhoods Occupy movement demands home mortgages correction Will the 1% steal Ohio's labor rights referendum? Democracy key to fixing economic and eco crises, says Van Jones during visit to Columbus Former Tea Partier reaches out to Occupy Movement Official VFP statement regarding police assaults in Oakland Numbers justify Occupy Movement Occupy our chambers of commerce Arab Spring revolutionaries meet with Occupy activists in DC The abandoned class: Will Occupy Wall Street hold together long enough to cut to the deep chase? Jim Hightower tells Occupistas : just being out here is a big part of the battle Occupy The Hood Let's protest big banks at their Columbus branches Obama vs. jobs; Hope vs. reality Be a part of history. Help Occupy Columbus. Ohio Right of Life: Informed consent v. informed consent -- it's all situational Dr. Cornel West and 14 others arrested protesting corporate power at U.S. Supreme Court Occupy Columbus continues with gatherings at Ohio Statehouse and so-called Columbus Commons Class warrior from Wisconsin says building a movement requires courage, solidarity, and long-term organization Occupied -- What now? Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern : the movement is building Hey DC--You Look So Sexy ! To build a mass movement we got to care more and be uncomfortable, says flaming fundamentalist Columbus Free Press photos : Occupation in Freedom Plaza, D.C. Mass movement appears to be getting started, says David Swanson Our overripe moment We Are The 99 Percent The Progressive Humanifesto Declaration of the Occupation of New York City A judge grants dubious probation The old integrity You've convinced me...Now go out and make me do it. Fracking (if done right) is a way to combat Global Warming, says Congressman Tim Ryan The NFL will remember 9/11 in all the wrong ways I just found 29 million jobs 9/11 and the Orwellian redefinition of "Conspiracy Theory" An upcoming Charlottesville conference highlights the importance of whistleblowers when addressing the corruption present in military contracting How do we build a movement to defeat right-wing extremism? How the budget cutting Is going to go down Did Tenet Hide Key 9/11 Info? Equal and opposite lunacy Obama on the Backs of the Poor Budget deal Is a “Huge Mistake” If you declare bankruptcy, will everything be OK in a few days, weeks? Balance the budget on the backs of billionaires Move the budget debate to one of those democracies we're bombing into place The "There's Plenty of Money Act of 2012" King George III won: Happy Fourth of July! Fight Back Radio Show with Wayne Madsen In Memoriam: Gil Scot Heron Libertarians say restore freedom, repeal Patriot Act Perfecting the art of civil protest Down the rabbit hole with democracy and three urgent pleas The cure for plutocracy: Strike! White House website lying about your taxes Did you just call me a Socialist? Local and national political leader Norman Solomon officially launches his run for Congress in the North Bay Stand Up for Women's Health Rally Manning Marable and me In a Heartbeat: Ruling Class keeps the Bush tax cuts then attacks the middle class. Michigan fascism old news in DC The Green Bay Packers and the union backers Go to Wisconsin, President Obama The Push of Conscience and Secretary Clinton Fighting the 5 fascisms in Wisconsin & Ohio Fight yields victory, points the way! Ohio Republicans would execute Medicare recipients NFL---The untold story! Decades in the making: The U.S. police state Profiles of the Targeted: FBI Raided My Home, Wanted to Know About "My Indoctrination" An extremist for love: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Then and now A Time for Action -- Not Servility Following, not just commemorating, Dr. King – in Words. Deeds. Action… Bradley Manning and the rule of law The Tuscon shooting: We must place blame where it belongs Welcome to 2011: The american dream lives -- while you're asleep Repeal, replace, ... ridiculous Read National Issues Articles by Year: |
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