http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/videos/UWvmo0m6gqNZ/info/

By James Thompson

As the capitalist mockery of democracy heats up, the Republican Party takes center stage in a parade of clowns never seen before. Many people are waking up to the fact that the so-called elections in the U.S. do not represent the will of the people, but only the will of the wealthy.

The majority of people in the U.S. are fed up with the wars that are draining our national resources even though many of these people don’t realize that the military takes up 58% of our Federal discretionary spending. This is compared to 4% spent for health care, 5% for education and 5% for health care. Of course, these facts are not covered by the national mass media.

Currently, there is a movement emerging that challenges the idiocy of the right wing dominating the talking heads on TV. The movement has seized on the fact that 1% of the population controls over 40% of the wealth and power in this country. They brazenly refer to themselves as the 99%ers who should control the wealth and power. They stop short and don’t call for the 99%ers to become the ruling class, but this may change over time. It does appear clear to the Occupy Wall Street movement that the 1% is responsible for the destruction of our infrastructure, including education, health care, and all public services.

The right wingers have been whining about class warfare and there are some voices who point out that the ruling class has been waging non-stop class warfare against middle and lower income people as long as capitalism has existed. Indeed, there has been no let up, but only periodic intensifications. We are in a period of intensification that stretches back to at least the 1970s, although some may argue that it reaches back to 1917, the birth of the Soviet Union.

Although most people in the U.S. deny it, the Soviet Union was established as the first experiment in socialism. It was largely successful in raising the standard of living of the Soviet people, but faced many external threats and attacks. One need only note the brutal invasion of the USSR by Nazi Germany, and the economic attacks by capitalism before, during and after World War II. Simultaneously with the attacks on socialism in the USSR, there have been attacks on trade unions and other progressive movements in this country and around the world. Witness the brutal attacks on Cuba and other Central and South American countries as well as countries in the Caribbean and around the world. As socialism has been beat down, so have labor movements. It is important to remember that the same people who attacked socialism have attacked other progressive movements including the civil rights movement, anti-war movement, and women’s rights movement to name just a few.

So back to the U.S. and our current distractions which serve as a mask of democracy hiding a legacy of greed, corruption, and theft of the wealth created by the working class in this country and around the world.

With the global economic crisis, the entertainment which the Republican candidates provide is comic relief for a dire situation terrorizing working people everywhere.

We have Mitt Romney, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, who promoted a health care plan for Massachusetts which was promoted by the President and passed by the Congress. Would you think that the former governor turned Presidential candidate would back his own plan and claim credit? Wrong! He has now denounced his own plan in a display of incredible hypocrisy.

Michelle Bachman is a woman who is a candidate for nomination for President on the Republican ticket. Her wild religiosity has discredited her for the most part.

Ron Paul from Texas is a Libertarian/Anarchist who advocates the destruction of the Federal system and all government services. This whiney Texan is a laughable absurdity shadowed only by the other Texan, Governor Rick Perry. Perry is well known in Texas to be responsible for dismantling public services such as education, health care and law enforcement through drastic cuts in personnel while currying favor with his financial benefactors at a level that would make his predecessor, George W. Bush, blush. While claiming to be a job creator, he has destroyed the jobs and lives of countless Texans who held public service jobs.

Which leaves us with the current Republican front runner, and Presidential nominee du jour, Herman Cain. A former Godfather’s Pizza executive, many are waiting for him to announce his campaign slogan as “a pizza in every pot.” This laughable clown has proposed a so-called economic plan he has dubbed “9-9-9” which makes some of us think of the German words “Nein, nein, nein” or “No, no, no.” What a fitting name for a Republican plan which matches the Republicans in Congress who scream “No, no, no!” at the mildest reforms proposed by our President and progressive Congressional leaders, some of which are merely reworked Republican programs from the past. Analysts are showing that the 9-9-9 plan would result in the destruction of Social Security, Medicare and many other social services.

The ray of hope in all this insanity is the Occupy movement. It has the potential to lead the working class to respond to the class warfare tactics of the 1% with an all out effort to transform the working class into the ruling class. Only when the working class comes to power will the interests of the working class receive any serious attention. Since the Democrats only back minor reforms which are acceptable to the ruling class, they cannot be the vanguard party of the working class. Although reforms are important, working people need a working class party to lead them through the treacherous days ahead. It is time for the Communist Party to step forward and assume its historical role in leading the fight in the class war in this country and around the world. Unity of the people can win and establish permanent progress and make a qualitative change in our economic and political system. Working people have produced enough wealth to meet the needs of all the people in the world. However, as long as the current ruling class sucks the resources out of the various nations, many will continue to suffer. We need democracy for the 99%, not democracy for the 1%!

Here is the link for the video of Rene Gonzalez’ (one of the Cuban 5) release from prison:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozgifrP57AI&feature=share

Words; Mark Ross, Bruce Murdoch & Etan Ben-Ami
Music; Traditional

There’s a place in New York City
Where the money goes around
For the 99ers in the street
None of that will trickle down

Chorus;Which side are you on? (2X)

We came here for liberty
To change a damned disgrace
Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge
Got night sticks in our face

The politicos and the bankers
Are having too much fun
We’re out here on the street today
To put them on the run

Oh, people can you stand it,
Tell me if you can
Will we fight here on the street
Or beg with cap in hand?

Tell them up in Washington
Let them hear it ‘cross the land
We’ve been too long divided
United we’ll make our stand

It’s called the New York Stock Exchange
They all work out of sight
Money goes from their left hand
Directly to their right

We send our deepest thanks to you
We know you will not fall
They cops could take us one by one
But they sure can’t take us all

You say you love this country,
I hope to God that’s true,
But do you think those politicians,
Give a damn about you.

Come all you brave New Yorkers,
I’ve a truth that I must tell,
If you don’t fight for this country,
You’ll watch it go to hell.

Havana, Monday, July 18, 2011. Year 15 / Number 199

MANUEL E. YEPE

http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs3223.html
A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Greece, cradle of slavery democracy, seems fated to be among the countries digging the upcoming grave of capitalist democracy.

“To understand what the future has in store for the people of Greece, you need to imagine an intruder breaking into your home, pointing a gun at your head and demanding you give him your salary, your savings, your car, your TV set and your refrigerator.”

That’s how US writer and journalist Zoltan Zigedy sees the situation in his web site ZZ’s Blog where, under the title Capitalism Mugs Greece. Who is Next?, he explains that the Greek people did not benefit at all from the orgiastic profits of international banking nor did it promote its irresponsible behavior, but now it is forced to pay the price for the damage which caused the collapse of the global capitalist system.

“And if invasion, armed robbery and extortion are crimes, Greece is undoubtedly a crime victim. And the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund are the criminals with the PASOK leaders and parliamentarians who attempt to legitimize the crime”.

The recovery-from-recession prescription — presented by capitalist economists as a universal law – stemmed from the concept that deficit and debt-promoting expenses stimulated growth and inflation which, in turn, increased tax incomes and made the debt cheaper allowing the reduction of public debt vis-a-vis the economic product.

Today, according to Zigedy, two factors have changed this dynamic. Firstly, the almost total domination of the neoliberal ideology which has generated in public opinion a great fear of any degree of public debt.

Secondly, for decades, changes in the global economy led to a new dynamic that manipulates and exploits the debt to limits never seen before. With many of the rich capitalist countries moving their manufacturing industries to low-salary areas, the financial activities – administration, manipulation and expansion of capital – took on a main role in these economies.

New techniques, instruments and institutions evolved toward the accumulation of surplus value – profits – in the hands of only a few engaged in the financial game.

The combination of these two elements –one subjective and the other objective – has placed Greece in a spiral of death. With a swiftly rising unemployment rate already over 16%, with taxes that cannot be collected, reduced salaries and benefits, with a growing number of homeless families and their social services slashed, Greek workers face a future of serious decadence.

The Greek people know little of the exotic instruments created in the international financial centers to generate the massive amounts of ghost capital that stimulates the growth of the predator system; they are only indirectly familiar with the arrogant and irresponsible actions of gargantuan international banks such as Bear Stearns, Lehmann Brothers and Goldman Sachs.

Zoltan Zigedy recommends that his fellow countrymen notice the similarities between this assault on the Greek people and the situation facing the US citizenry. “We should be inspired by the popular resistance in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states, and understand that we have a very difficult struggle ahead, without being seduced in this struggle by such false political allies as the Democratic Party, the US homologue of the Greek PASOK.”

Certainly for humankind the collapse of the global capitalist system will not be an easy matter, because there is no doubt it will do everything possible to delay its own debacle and will lay upon the rest of the world, including its allies, the associated damages.

La Habana, lunes 18 de julio de 2011. Año 15 / Número 199

Grecia víctima del capitalismo

MANUEL E. YEPE

Grecia, cuna de la democracia esclavista, parece encaminada a estar entre los países llamados a excavar la ya próxima sepultura de la democracia capitalista.

La plaza Syntagma, de Atenas, fue escenario de las protestas del pueblo contra las medidas estrangulatorias impuestas por la Unión Europea y el FMI.

“Para comprender lo que el futuro depara al pueblo de Grecia, usted debe imaginar que un intruso llega a su casa, le apunta a la cabeza con un arma y le exige que le entregue su salario, sus ahorros, su auto, su televisor y su refrigerador”.

Así ve la situación el escritor y periodista estadounidense Zoltan Zigedy en su sitio web ZZ¢ s Blog donde, bajo el título Capitalism Mugs Greece. Who is Next?, explica que el pueblo griego no se benefició para nada con las orgíacas ganancias de la banca internacional, ni estimuló su irresponsable conducta y, sin embargo, ahora se le fuerza a pagar el precio de los daños causantes del colapso del sistema capitalista mundial.

“Y si la invasión, el robo armado y la extorsión son crímenes, Grecia es sin dudas la víctima de un crimen. Y la Unión Europea, el Banco Central Europeo y el Fondo Monetario Internacional son los criminales¼ con los líderes y parlamentarios del PASOK tratando legitimar el crimen”.

Alimentado por una fuerte inyección de fondos públicos, el sector financiero del mundo capitalista desarrollado, que no fue condenado ni castigado por sus acciones conducentes al desastre que se pretendía reparar, retornó con fuerza a la especulación y, ahora, ataca las deudas soberanas de países como Grecia, Irlanda, Portugal y España, los más vulnerables en Europa, forzándoles a la conversión de la deuda privada en deuda pública.

Con pocas excepciones, estos países se vieron obligados a contraer mayores deudas para estimular el crecimiento económico ante la severa caída de la inversión y la demanda general, a nivel global. Las economías capitalistas quedaron sin otra opción que no sea la de seguir hundiéndose.

La fórmula para la recuperación en casos de recesión —que los economistas capitalistas presentaban como ley universal— partía de que el déficit y los gastos generadores de deudas promovían el crecimiento y la inflación que, a su vez, incrementaban los ingresos impositivos y abarataban la deuda permitiendo que la deuda pública se redujera con respecto al producto económico.

Hoy, según Zigedy, dos factores han cambiado esta dinámica. Primero, la dominación casi total de la ideología neoliberal ha ido conformando en la opinión un gran temor a cualquier grado de deuda pública.

En segundo lugar, por décadas, los cambios en la economía global llevaron a una nueva dinámica que manipula y explota la deuda hasta límites nunca antes vistos. Con muchos de los países capitalistas ricos trasladando sus industrias manufactureras a áreas de bajos salarios, las actividades financieras —administración, manipulación y expansión del capital— asumieron un mayor papel en estas economías.

Nuevas técnicas, instrumentos e instituciones evolucionaron hacia la acumulación de valor excedente —ganancias— en manos de unos pocos comprometidos con el juego financiero.

La combinación de estos dos elementos —uno subjetivo y otro objetivo— ha situado a Grecia en una espiral de la muerte. Con un desempleo en acelerado incremento que ya sobrepasa el 16 %, los impuestos que no se cobran, salarios y beneficios recortados, un número creciente de familias sin vivienda y con sus servicios sociales cercenados, los trabajadores griegos encaran un futuro de grave decadencia.

El pueblo griego conoce poco de los exóticos instrumentos urdidos en los centros financieros internacionales para generar las masivas cantidades de capital fantasma que avivan el crecimiento del rapaz sistema y solo indirectamente están familiarizados con las arrogantes e irresponsables acciones de gigantescos bancos internacionales como Bear Stearns, Lehmann Brothers y Goldman Sachs.

Zoltan Zigedy recomienda a sus compatriotas que vean la similitud que tiene el asalto al pueblo griego con la situación que enfrenta la ciudadanía en Estados Unidos. “Debía inspirarnos la resistencia popular en Wisconsin, Ohio y otros estados y reconocer que lo que tenemos por delante es una lucha difícil, muy difícil, sin dejarnos seducir en esta lucha por falsos aliados políticos como el partido demócrata, homólogo en Estados Unidos del PASOK griego”.

Es indudable que para la humanidad toda el colapso del sistema capitalista mundial no será nada fácil, porque nadie duda que hará todo lo posible por retardar la debacle propia descargando sobre el resto del mundo, sus aliados inclusive, los perjuicios coyunturales.

http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/2011/07/18/interna/artic01.html

By James Thompson

HOUSTON – After a period of relative quiescence in the wake of the Bush anti-labor excesses, working people are waking up and smelling the coffee. They are becoming part of the mix of the Occupy Wall Street movement and will play an important role. Labor was definitely present in the Occupy Houston actions and we are poised to play a leading role in the near future.

Many pundits are opining that the Occupy Wall Street has no direction and is “leaderless.” Of course, such talking heads only are fulfilling their corporate dictated roles to disrupt, demean and disrespect any working class movement. The Occupy Wall Street movement is only in its initial stages, so no one can predict where it will go. As the song from the Grateful Dead goes, “I’m not sure where we’re going, but we’re going someplace for sure.”

As the right wing whines about “class warfare” many commentators have pointed out that the wealthy have been doing a bang up job of conducting class warfare for a long time. The wealthy are well funded, organized and have been employing sound tactics. When the working class responds, the wealthy cry foul because they know they are outnumbered.

Which leads us to one of the main points of the Occupy protests: “We are the 99%!” What do they mean by this? By 99% they are referring to the majority of the people who have no say so over decisions which affect our country as opposed to the 1% who control the vast majority of the wealth produced by working people. As long as we have vast resources under the control of the ultra-wealthy, we will have wars, and bail outs. Education, health care and all public services will be cut. Jobs will be cut to increase profits and homes will be seized and many people will be left penniless and on the street.

So what are the demands of the workers now? It is fairly clear to those who understand the condition of the working class. It is unfathomable to the wealthy owners of the corporations.

Working people are demanding an end to the greatest disparity in income ever seen in the history of this country. Working people are demanding jobs with benefits so that they can sustain their families. Working people are demanding dignity and respect on the job. Working people are demanding an end to the endless imperialistic wars in the middle East and Africa.

Working people are demanding the right to organize and collectively bargain. Working people around the world are fed up with austerity and cuts to programs which benefit the working class and their children. The working class is demanding on an international scale their fair share of the wealth they have created.

These demands are simple and direct and would result in an improvement in working conditions for U.S. workers.

Continuing to ignore these demands will only result in further alienation of the working class and none of us know where that might lead. It could lead to socialism and worker’s democracy. Wake up, Wall Street, the specter of a real working class movement is haunting the world!

By James Thompson

HOUSTON – About 600 activists helped launch the Occupy Houston event today (10/6/11)to express solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street effort. The crowd was peaceful and there were no confrontations with police. The closest thing that I witnessed to a confrontation was when a mounted police officer yelled at several of us “Stop!” in a tone of voice that commanded our attention. When I regained my composure, I realized that the people in front of me had almost walked out into ongoing traffic and the officer probably saved their lives. After it was over, I heard him say, “I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” This is quite a contrast to the treatment of the protesters in New York City by NYPD.

The crowd was diverse and consisted of men and women, Anglos, African Americans, Latinos, Asians who were young and old and represented a wide variety of progressive organizations. Organizations represented included Houston United, CRECEN, HIWJC, Harris County AFL-CIO, UAW, IBEW, AFT, Houston Peace and Justice Center, KPFT, Houston Peace Council, Houston Communist Party, Harris County Green Party and many others.

I didn’t see any Tea Party counter protesters, but the Houston Chronicle found one and devoted numerous pictures to his antics.

The event commenced at 8:30am at Market Square Park and we marched to the JP Morgan Chase Bank Tower, where a brief rally took place, and then proceeded to Hermann Square Park in front of Houston City Hall. The occupation then started at Hermann Square Park.

Iraq veterans were present and one addressed the crowd, proclaiming that he loves America and fought for America, but vigorously protested high unemployment rates, corporate bailouts and corporate greed.

The Houston Chronicle quoted one participant in this demonstration of democracy, “‘I think that money plays too big a role in our political process in this moment in history, and I believe it’s damaging the country,’ said Eugene Hayman, 57, a chemical plant worker from Deer Park. ‘I’m afraid what the future holds if the people with all the money continue to run this country in a way that profits them at the expense of everyone else.’”

The crowd was loud and spirited. We chanted, “They (banks) got bailed out, we got sold out!” “The people united will never be defeated!” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, corporate greed has got to go!” People also shouted “We are…the 99%!” referring to the fact that the top 1% control the wealth and the rest of us work for them.

Many people voiced frustration with the lack of a comprehensive health care system and that the current system serves the wealthy and is paid for by the poor.

Many people were also present to support immigrant worker rights.

Demonstrations across the country were taking place today as well including Washington, D.C., Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and many others.

President Barack Obama had this to say “I think people are frustrated and the protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works…The American people understand that not everybody has been following the rules, that Wall Street is an example of that…and that’s going to express itself politically in 2012 and beyond.”

Mr. President, this is only the beginning! The American people are fully awake and recognize that the countless wars in which the U.S. is embroiled are leeching away our vital national resources to serve the interests of the wealthy and their corporations. The 99% are demanding their fair share of the wealth that they have produced. Although the 1% are ruthless, brutal and employ the most terroristic tactics to control the working people, they are hopelessly outnumbered by those they have exploited and oppressed. From what I saw today, working people are ready to fight for their interests.