AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Saturday, May 04, 2019

4/27 War and Deception presentation by James Perloff (Sat)

Allan Rubin<a_rubin@comcast.net>

4/24/2019 1:09 PM

To act-ma@act-ma.org Copy Allan Rubin

*WAR AND DECEPTION*
*A PowerPoint presentation by author James Perloff*
*
*
 From the sinking of the Maine, to the Tonkin Gulf Incident, to Saddam 
Hussein’s missing“Weapons of Mass Destruction,” (to name only a few 
examples) James Perloff will walk the audience through history and ask: 
Have Americans been repeatedly deceived into war? Are our tax dollars 
and soldiers’ lives sacrificed needlessly? And if so, what is the true 
agenda? Are all wars really fought for “freedom and democracy”?

*WHEN:* Saturday, April 27th at 2PM

*WHERE:* Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Watertown, MA 02472

James Perloff, a Massachusetts native, was a contributing editor for The 
New American magazine, for whom he wrote for nearly three decades. He is 
the author of several books, including The Shadows of Power and Truth Is 
a Lonely Warrior. He wrote the script for Free Mind Films’ documentary 
ShadowRing, narrated by Hollywood’s Kevin Sorbo, and has been a featured 
guest on hundreds of different radio and TV shows and podcasts.

This event is being hosted by Boston 9/11 Truth and is free to the 
public. It will also be Livestreamed and archived at 
www.noliesradio.org/DeepTruth.
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Some chants for May Day

John<bmdc@lists.riseup.net>

4/30/2019 2:21 PM

To Boston May Day Coalition

1 attachment

Hi Folks,

Below and attached are some chants for tomorrow. Some are old and some are new.

Adelante,

John

Power to the People!

No One is Illegal!

Donald Trump you racist clown,
Build a wall, we'll tear it down!

Healthcare is a right

Let’s stand up and fight!

We say yes to education

We say no to deportation!

Say it loud, say it clear

Refugees are welcome here!

Trump, Escucha!

Estamos en la lucha!

Aquí estamos,

y No nos vamos

y Si nos echan,

Nos regresamos!

No Somos Uno

No Somos Cien

Somos Millones

Cuéntanos Bien!

Border walls are lethal

Refugees are people!

1, 2, 3, 4 - We don’t want your dirty wars

5, 6, 7, 8 - We will not cooperate!

The people united,

will never be defeated!

El pueblo unido,

jamas sera vencido!

What do we want? Licenses!

When do we want em? Now!

The rich want more

Give ‘em Class War!

From Palestine to Mexico,
border walls have got to go!

Luchando, Creando

Poder Popular!

Racist, Sexist, Anti-Gay,
Donald Trump go away!
Hey, hey, ho, ho

Deportations have to go!

No borders, No nations

No Deportations!

We say Yes to Education,

No to Walls and Deportation!

"I was part of a war that I came to see as unjust, immoral, illegal" - David Cortright podcast Courage to Resist Jeff Paterson

Courage to Resist Jeff Paterson<jeff.paterson@couragetoresist.org>

4/30/2019 8:01 PM

To alfredjohnson34@comcast.net

"I was part of a war that I came to see as unjust, immoral, illegal" - David Cortright podcast

“I’m in basic training, and I’m beginning to have questions about what the commanders are telling us. The kind of propaganda they’re giving us about Vietnam was not making sense. I went to my first duty assignment at Fort Hamilton. More and more, other soldiers in the barracks are starting to question this war. In particular, I remember they were telling us at Fort Hamilton, “Don’t go over to the coffee shop during duty hours, because the guys are coming back from ‘Nam, and we don’t want to have mixing of the new guys with the returning vets.” Listen to David Cortright's story now.

D O N A T E
to support the production of these podcasts

Former Selective Service director says it's time to end draft registration

On April 25, 2019, Courage to Resist supporter Edward Hasbrouck provided testimony before the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service (NCMNPS) at their Washington DC hearing on potential policies to “encourage or require military, national, and public service from all Americans.” Watch Edward’s testimony on C-Span here (beginning at 19:25 min.).

The day before Edward's comments, the former director of the Selective Service, Dr. Bernard Rostker, told the Federal hearing that the program he helped create and once ran is no longer working, that the database of registrants has become so hopelessly incomplete and inaccurate that it couldn’t be used for a military draft that could be enforced or would stand up to due process and fairness challenges, and that it can and should be shut down entirely rather than trying to expand it to women. Read more.

This year marks 50 years of GI resistance, in and out of uniform, for many of the courageous individuals featured in our currently weekly podcasts highlighting Vietnam-era veterans. We've raised about $2,000 of the $7,500 needed to produce this year-long series of dozens of interviews. We can't let this history be lost!

COURAGE TO RESIST ~ SUPPORT THE TROOPS WHO REFUSE TO FIGHT!
484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland, California 94610 ~ 510-488-3559
www.couragetoresist.org ~ facebook.com/couragetoresist

WARS ABROAD, WARS AT HOME ENDING THE PENTAGON'S LONG CON

WARS ABROAD, WARS AT HOME

ENDING THE PENTAGON'S LONG CON

People condemn President Trump for his incessant lying and his con games -- and rightly so. But few Americans condemn the Pentagon and the rest of the national security state, even though we’ve been the victims of their long con for decades now. As it happens, from the beginning of the Cold War to late last night, they’ve remained remarkably skilled at exaggerating the threats the U.S. faces and, believe me, that represents the longest con of all. It’s kept the military-industrial complex humming along, thanks to countless trillions of taxpayer dollars, while attempts to focus a spotlight on that scam have been largely discredited or ignored… In other words, when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, the Washington establishment of both parties has essentially been assimilated into the Pentagon collective. The national security state, that (unacknowledged) fourth branch of government, has in many ways become the most powerful of all, siphoning off more than 60% of federal discretionary spending, while failing to pass a single audit of how it uses such colossal sums. More

6-Minute Video: Tulsi Gabbard with Afghan-American

JESSE JACKSON: Voter Suppression, Not Russia, is the Gravest Threat to Elections in the US

After the Supreme Court’s right-wing gang of five gutted key sections of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby v. Holder, Republican-controlled states immediately ramped up efforts to create obstacles for voting, particularly for people of color. They mandated specific forms of state ID, made it harder for students to vote, eliminated same-day registration, reduced early voting days, closed polling booths in African American neighborhoods leading to long delays, purged voters from the rolls, perfected partisan gerrymandering and more. In some cases, as in North Carolina, their discriminatory intent was so public that the laws were overturned in federal court, but in most places, the new barriers were in place in 2016… It is even more telling that the Justice Department is absent without leave in the fight against voter suppression at home. The right to vote — the most basic right of a democracy — is still contested in too many states — and must be fought, state by state, by citizens of conscience. More

WE ARE (STILL) THE 99 PERCENT

Occupy Wall Street was seen as a failure when it ended in 2011. But it’s helped transform the American left… Occupy was the birthplace of some left-wing ideas that have gained mainstream traction: Its “99 percent” mantra, which decried the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few at the expense of the many, has endured. It animated the rise of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the resurgence of the Democratic Socialists of America, and it is in ways responsible for the some of the most prominent ideas in the Democratic Party right now: free college, a $15 minimum wage, and combating climate change. It was also a training ground for some of the most effective organizers on the left today… Eric Foner, a Pulitzer-winning historian and retired Columbia University professor, put the movement in historical context: “Occupy Wall Street did what radical groups throughout American history have tried to do, some of them have succeeded, some of them haven’t, which is to change the discourse,” he said. More

Profitable Giants Like Amazon Pay $0 in Corporate Taxes. Some Voters Are Sick of It.

It’s a topic that several presidential candidates, led by Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have hammered recently as they travel the campaign trail, spurred by a report that 60 Fortune 500 companies paid no federal taxes on $79 billion in corporate income last year. Amazon… has become the poster child for corporate tax avoidance; last year it had an effective tax rate of below zero — receiving a rebate — on income of $10.8 billion. For decades, profitable companies have been able to avoid corporate taxes. But the list of those paying zero roughly doubled last year as a result of provisions in President Trump’s 2017 tax bill that expanded corporate tax breaks and reduced the tax rate on corporate income. More

‘The Right Has a Greater Appreciation of Labor’s Role Than We Do’

Even as many Democrats appear to accept organized labor’s decline, Republicans recognize the crucial importance of unions and are determined to gut them further… Trump’s unexpected victory in 2016 did not lay the groundwork for Republican political dominance. But the March 2011 signing of ACT 10, a dramatic reform of public sector labor laws, by Wisconsin’s Scott Walker certainly did… The relentless Republican assault on unions in the industrial belt states during the first half of this decade was an unquestionable success, politically speaking. It resulted in decreased Democratic turnout, a crucial drop in the bankrolling of Democratic candidates and, more subtly but no less significantly, a debilitating sense of powerlessness among union members… The problem in building support for a resurgent labor movement is that many liberals and Democrats do not appear to recognize the crucial role that unions continue to play not only in diminishing the effects of inequality, but in voter mobilization and campaign finance. Unfortunately for labor, and for the future of the Democratic Party. More

Take Action for Venezuela! Veterans For Peace

Veterans For Peace<vfp@veteransforpeace.org>

5/3/2019 5:58 PM

To Alfred Johnson

Right now, solidarity activists are inside the Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. to prevent attempts by Guaido's opposition party to take over the building and then claim to be the "legitimate" government. Our action here can help put an end to US power plays in Venezuela, but our window will only grow smaller.

Veterans For Peace members Matt Hoh, Ken Ashe and Patrick McCann have all been at the embassy at various times and more are on their way. Click here to watch a video of Matt outside the embassy where opposition supporters have been attempting to enter the Venezuelan embassy.

The activists protecting the Venezuelan embassy are part of the Embassy Protection Collective. These activists have been hosting teach ins and educational events every evening for weeks. They are asking for any and all supporters to come and support the protection.

If you are able to travel to D.C. and are a Veterans For Peace member, travel funds are available to you. Please contact Gerry Condon for more information. Email gerrycondon@veteransforpeace.org

For those folks not in D.C., Veterans For Peace urges all members to participate in this call to action from About Face:

On Tuesday, opposition politician and self-appointed president of Venezuela Juan Guaido called for Venezeulan military leaders to stop defending President Maduro in an escalation of the attempted coup. While it is clear to us that the crisis in Venezuela continues to be devastating and in dire need of resolution, it is also clear to us that yet another coup supported by the United States will only lead to more disastrous outcomes.

That's why we have joined calls to end the sanctions on Venezuela (recently linked to 40,000 deaths in the country), and to resume diplomacy and foreclose the possibility of any military intervention by the US.

Fortunately there are options available to us to pressure our Congress members: H.R. 1004 and S.J. Res. 11, which were crafted to hold the Trump administration back from "introducing armed hostilities to Venezuela." In this moment, reminding our elected representatives that we won't let history repeat itself in Latin America is vitally important.

Please let them know TODAY that as a constituent, you want them to take action to prevent yet another war waged by the U.S. for private gain and to end the devastating sanctions on Venezuela.

Contact your elected leaders by calling the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121