Looking back, especially as far back as WW II, allows us to "shape"
history. People doing the same things we are doing today are judged
harshly if we believe that they were "wrong thinkers". And we measure
those people by our culture today. I find it interesting that we are
jumping all over Joe Biden for behavior that is very much like that of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR played footsie with the Dixicrats,
looking the other way whenever the rights of the negro were violated.
And, like Donald Trump, FDR had his own concentration camps, even
separating family members. And by the way, how do we make it up to
the few Japanese Americans we stripped of their homes, businesses and
belongings, as well as make it up to their children and grand
children? Right now we are in a waiting game, waiting for the actual
detainees to all die off, so we can tell their off-spring, "You
weren't detained, so why do you think we owe you anything?" Today
this is what we tell Blacks. There are no slaves left, so why should
we pay anything to their off-spring?
But hey, why not? This is what the banks tell those of us who lost
our homes, or lost huge percentages of our homes value. "You still
have a job. Go buy a new house." We've been cheated just as our
Black brothers and sisters were, and are being robbed. of
opportunities that might have been ours, if we had not taken a
setback. Our children and grand children are being robbed, too.
Forced to have a college education in order to compete for most decent
jobs, they are saddled with huge debts as they head out into the
world. This financial yoke will impact their futures. They will put
off marriage, postpone having children, rent instead of buying, and
even leave the country for work in more friendly places.
And how do we compensate all Americans for the destruction of our
environment? The cost will come back in cost and quality and
availability of basic foods.
And why is all right for the Working Class to be burdened by medical
costs, or the costs incurred by our never ending wars, when the Ruling
Class gets a huge tax reduction? How do we right all these wrongs?
When the dam bursts, as it will do, and the masses rise up, it will
once again be too late for those currently enjoying the good life.
Frankly, if I were a billionaire today, I'd be worried.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/24/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
And if you heard that on Democracy Now this morning, you also heard that
horrific story about the unaccompanied children in that concentration camp
run by the border control. If only enough Americans cared deeply about this.
People sneer at the "good Germans" during the Nazi era. But the average
American is no better. That, alone, should be enough to impeach Trump!
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2019 11:10 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic Bill of
Rights
Agreed, Miriam.
Bernie Sanders is way out in front of the pack, in so far as social reform
is concerned. I just heard that he introduced a bill in the Senate calling
for, among other things, the forgiveness of all student loans.
Even if Sanders only pushed a fraction of his proposals through, it would
put us in better shape than under the weak promises of the rest of the two
dozen candidates. We would still need to double down on his foreign
policies, and triple down on electing like-minded people into the house and
senate.
Now if I were King, I'd declare Donald Trump's election to be a fraud, and
I'd cancel all judicial appointments made by the Great Pretender.
...Wait!...I hear a Voice!...What? I am King? Oh thank you Father...or
Mother...or Whatever...
Carl Jarvis
On 6/23/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Richard,
Please tell us what parts of Trump's methodology you think have been
successful?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of R. E. Driscoll Sr
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2019 5:49 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
Carl: Biden in my opinion is the symbol of a system we know is a great
failure. Some parts of Trump methodology seem to be a good success. We
need another four years to see if his errors can be corrected.
Richard Driscoll
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 23, 2019, at 1:57 PM, Carl Jarvis <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:candidates, those two stand out.
At this place in time, only a bit over 15 months before the 2020
primary, I can only vote for Bernie Sanders. I just don't think the
Democratic Party will allow me to do that. Joe Biden will be the
"Man of the Hour" if they can keep his good old boy mouth shut.
At this time, I also have no intention of voting for Biden as the
"lesser of two evils". The Trump forces have damaged our judicial
system almost beyond repair, but Biden would be no match for the
White Supremacists who would greet him. He'd make Barack Obama look
like "The People's Hero".
Carl Jarvis
On 6/23/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I also think that he's better than Warren because has faulty as his
foreign policy is, it's better than hher's. And as excellent as her
program suggestions are, she is still not interested in a basic
change in our system back to a true social welfare state and
certainly not, to anything more radical than that. But given the
other
survive."
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2019 10:03 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic
Bill of Rights
While Joe Biden puts one foot after the other in his mouth, Bernie
Sanders sends a clear message. Although I feel we need to bring
pressure on Sanders regarding his foreign relations, he certainly is
the best of the male contenders. It will be interesting to watch
the Democratic Party Leaders shoot him down.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/16/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Bernie Sanders Proposes New Economic Bill of Rights
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses a rally at the
Pasadena Convention Center Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed an
economic bill of rights affirming the right to health care,
affordable housing, education, a living wage and more.
Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images
By Marjorie Cohn, TruthoutPublished June 13, 2019
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders delivered a full-throated
defense of democratic socialismin his June 12 speechat George
Washington University.
Sanders quoted FDR's 1944 State of the Unionaddress: "We have come
to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom
cannot exist without economic security and independence."
Sanders, like FDR, proposed an Economic Bill of Rights, including
the rights to health care, affordable housing, education, a living
wage and retirement.
"Economic rights are human rights," Sanders declared. "That is what
I mean by democratic socialism."
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Sanders cited figures of vast wealth disparity in the United
States, where "the top 1 percent of people own more wealth than the
bottom
92 percent."
He
said there is higher income and wealth inequality today than at any
time since the 1920s. And, Sanders stated, "despite an explosion in
technology and worker productivity, the average wage of the
American worker in real dollars is no higher than it was 46 years
ago and millions of people are forced to work two or three jobs
just to
further.
He also noted, "in America today, the very rich live on average 15
years longer than the poorest Americans."
Economic Rights Are Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rightssets forth two different
categories of human rights: (1) civil and political rights, and (2)
economic, social and cultural rights.
Civil and political rights comprise the rights to life, a fair
trial and self-determination; freedom of speech, expression,
assembly and religion; and freedom from torture, cruel treatment
and arbitrary detention.
Economic,
social and cultural rights include the rights to health care,
education and social security; the right to form and join unions
and to strike; and the right to equal pay for equal work,
unemployment insurance, paid maternity leave, and the prevention,
treatment and control of diseases.
U.S. policy since Reagan has been to define human rights only as
civil and political, excluding economic rights.
These two types of human rights are enshrined in two international
treaties
- the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR)
and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights(ICESCR).
The United States has ratified the ICCPR, but not the ICESCR. U.S.
policy since the Reagan administration has been to define human
rights only as civil and political rights, excluding economic,
social and cultural rights from the realm of human rights.
The ICESCR, which has been ratified by 169 countries, guarantees
the rights to work with favorable conditions, to the highest
attainable standards of physical and mental health, to education,
to housing, to an adequate standard of living, and to enjoy the
benefits of scientific progress and cultural freedom. It protects
the rights to form and join trade unions, social security and
social insurance, equal rights for men and women, and protection
and assistance to the family.
Cuba, whose human rights record is frequently criticizedby the U.S.
government, puts the United States to shame with its recognition of
economic rights. Cubans enjoy universal health care, universal free
education including higher education, the right to form and join
unions, and government-subsidized abortion and family planning.
Cuba has a higher life expectancy than the U.S., as well as a
relatively small ecological footprint due to low energy consumption.
Democratic Socialism vs. Corporate Socialism
Trump and his fellow oligarchs oppose democratic socialism, Sanders
said, but "they don't really oppose all forms of socialism."
Indeed, "they absolutely love corporate socialism that enriches
Trump and other billionaires."
Sanders noted that FDR and his progressive coalition were
successful, and their legacies continue to flourish.
Sanders cited the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in 2008 by
the Treasury Department "after their greed, recklessness and
illegal behavior created the worst financial disaster since the
Great Depression - with millions of Americans losing their jobs,
their homes and their life savings
- Wall Street's religious adherence to unfettered capitalism
suddenly came to an end."
He also mentioned tax breaks and loopholes for fossil fuel
companies, pharmaceutical companies, Amazon, and the Trump family
who "got $885 million worth of tax breaks and subsidies for your
family's housing empire that is built on racial discrimination."
As Dr. King observed, the United States "has socialism for the
rich, rugged individualism for the poor."
Embracing Socialism Is a Winning Strategy
Sanders noted that FDR and his progressive coalition were
successful, and their legacies continue to flourish in programs and
protections like Social Security, regulation of Wall Street and
unemployment compensation. He pointed out that Roosevelt aimed to
go
inequality."
"In 1944, FDR proposed an economic bill of rights but died a year
later and was never able to fulfill that vision. Our job, 75 years
later," Sanders said, "is to complete what Roosevelt started."
He then set forth his vision of a 21st Century Economic Bill of
Rights, which would recognize that all Americans should have:
.The right to a decent job that pays a living wage .The right to
quality health care .The right to a complete education .The right
to affordable housing .The right to a clean environment .The right
to a secure retirement
Sanders listed Democratic presidents vilified by the oligarchs of
their time for their programs of alleged "socialism." Lyndon
Johnson was attacked for Medicare, Harry Truman's proposed national
health care program was dubbed "socialized medicine," and Newt
Gingrich called Bill Clinton's health care plan "centralized
bureaucratic socialism."
55 percent of women ages of 18 to 54 would prefer to live in a
socialist country.
Although none of the other leading 2020 Democratic presidential
candidates has embraced socialism, the party's base has. Candidate
John Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado, was roundly booedat
the California Democratic convention earlier this month when he
said, "If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive
goals, socialism is not the answer."
Indeed, Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First
Century, argues, "Without a strong egalitarian-internationalist
platform, it is difficult to unite low-education, low-income voters
from all origins within the same coalition and to deliver a
reduction in
justice."
Keith A. Spencer, writing at Salon, cites Pikettyfor the
proposition that "nominating centrist Democrats who don't speak to
class issues will result in a great swathe of voters simply not
voting."
"The only way we achieve these goals is through a political
revolution."
Moreover, a 2018 Gallup poll determined that a majority of young
Americans have a positive opinion of socialism. According to a
recent Axios poll, 55 percent of women ages of 18 to 54 would
prefer to live in a socialist country.
Sanders said the U.S. and the rest of the world face two different
political paths. "On one hand," he noted, "there is a growing
movement towards oligarchy and authoritarianism in which a small
number of incredibly wealthy and powerful billionaires own and
control a significant part of the economy and exert enormous
influence over the political life of our country. On the other
hand, in opposition to oligarchy, there is a movement of working
people and young people who, in ever increasing numbers, are
fighting for
After his speech, Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper, that real
change is generated by mass movements. He cited the civil rights
movement, the women's movement, the gay movement and the labor
movement.
"It is time for the American people to stand up and fight for their
right to freedom, human dignity and security," Sanders affirmed.
"This is the core of what my politics is all about." He clarified,
"the only way we achieve these goals is through a political
revolution
