Listen to the Prophet's warnings, but don't expect the Prophet to hold
the answers.
I am captivated by Chris Hedges. He is direct and articulate, talents
I only dream of. But I do not expect him to have solutions. If he
did, that would be his message, rather than simply being the Prophet.
The Left is fragmented for a good reason, the Empire has the power to
keep the opposition scattered and on the run. Perhaps some of these
groups will come to understand the value in uniting, but I'm not
holding my breath.
I remember crossing the campus on my way home from class. This would
have been around Fall Quarter in 1967. I heard a loud speaker and a
mighty cheering in the distance. I wandered over and stood at the
back of a large crowd. The speaker was extolling the group to join
the Black Rights movement. I spoke up saying that the struggle was
far greater than just that of Blacks. I said it was a poor people's
struggle. The crowd turned ugly, telling me to get my White Ass out
of their meeting. Did I mention that I was blind and had no idea that
this group consisted only of Blacks? I took their advice.
Sure, I understand what these people were doing, and to a great
extent, why. But if we don't see the larger challenge, we will never
recover lost ground, much less make any gains.
So, we need the "Answer Man", to come behind the Chris Hedges,
bringing a Master Plan detailing how we'll rid ourselves of the
Master.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/5/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
True, but I, in fact, have lived with cancer for years. I've had maybe four
breast surgeries to keep it in check. I'm telling you this to point out
that there are various ways of dealing with a problem. At one point, the
surgeon insisted that I have a mastectomy. If I hadn't been living with a
man who was able to get her to consider other options, I'd have had a
mastectomy. So my point is, we live in a diseased society and yes, Trump is
the result of what happens when the opposing party, the party that is
supposed to be representing us, isn't, and the majority of residents in
swing states recognize that and rebel. But facts are facts. We have the
system we have. It is entrenched because of money and power. The Left is
fragmented, argues among its various facdtions, and its hard won gains are
being daily swept away by powerful elites. We can't just ignore all these
things that Trump is saying and that his administration and the Republicans
are doing. You fight battles, all sorts of little battles, in order to try
to make life tolerable for as many people as possible. One can talk
theoretically about cutting out the cancer or getting to the heart of the
matter. But look at the history of the past 85 years and you see progressive
programs being put in place after great effort on the part of the people
with support from some of the elites. And it wouldn't have happened if the
elites hadn't given in. But then you see all of these gains dribbling away.
And for most people of color, the progress was more symbolic than real. They
watched a few chosen folks make it into the mainstream. At least, when
Jill Stein talks, she has some very specific ideas about electoral reform. I
love to hear Chris Hedges. I see there's a new book containing dialogues
between him and David Talbot called, Unspeakable. But the fact is, as
absolutely on the mark his criticisms are, I haven't heard him describe one
concrete solution. He talks about peaceful revolution and people in the
streets. What? How?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2017 11:03 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: President Trump Pushes Yet Another
Problematic Immigration Bill
Yes. I understand that utterances from the lips of Donald Trump cause
hurtful things to occur. But if we keep our attention on Donald Trumps
words, we may not see that Donald Trump is merely the visible face on a long
time festering cancer that I call the American Oligarchy. Going after
Donald Trump is likened to cutting out a cancer spot in someones lung, when
the cancer cells are scattered throughout the entire body. Another spot
surfaces, then another.
Unless the entire body can be purified, cancer will win. The problem, the
ugliness erupting in America, is not named Donald Trump. The terrible place
we find ourselves in, that is, we the working class, is caused by our
inability to remove the entire cancer from our body.
Even if Donald Trump said, "enough", and left the Presidency, even then we
would be looking into the eyes of Mike Pence. Mike Pence.
Totally dedicated to "The Salvation of the White Race", in the name of
Jesus! Herding the working class like frightened sheep, warning us of
Terrorists infiltrating our ranks, Evil Ones wanting to destroy us in the
name of Allah, while all the time greed driven ones go about sipping the
last drops of blood from our bodies.
Our mighty God, Science, whom we have worshiped for so many years, has
delivered us from much of the drudgery and uncertainty of life, that is if
we are among the fortunate ones, even as it has provided fearsome tools that
can enslave us. We may well be looking at the New Dark Age, a long winter
that holds us captive and beholden to those who hold the products of Science
in their hands. If we stand against the Establishment in the belief that we
will win, I am sorry to say, "Not in my lifetime", and probably not in the
lifetime of our grandchildren. Today's victories will come in little bits
and pieces.
A family sheltered from deportation, a young woman taken in and protected
from abuse. Our victories will come from people caring and looking out for
people, despite the threats by the "Masters". But we should not fool
ourselves into thinking that by spreading caring and love, that we will see
some mighty enlightenment. And yet, we must somehow build a base from which
we will someday replace the century old, Rule by Violence" system that has
held us captive. We need to understand that so long as we see the world in
terms of the "have" and the "have not", we will lose regardless of who sits
on top of the heap. We must come to the place where we see each and every
human being as a, "Have". We must develop a new method of providing for one
another. The method of a few ruling the many is always doomed to failure.
Still, even if others agree, we are a very long way from our dependence upon
the rule by a dominate few.
In the remaining years I have left to live, I can only make certain that I
keep my house clean of cancer. And in spite of my many short comings, I can
see that my having been here has had an impact on my children, grandchildren
and others around me. And that is my personal victory.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/4/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The thing is that things are happening as a result of what Donald
Trump says. Immigrants from Latin America are really suffering.
Families are really being torn apart more often than before and more
viciously. Not only that, but the actions of large numbers of angry,
racist, religious bigots are being encouraged so more hate crimes are
being committed now than before. And the most vulnerable people are
terrified. They live in fear.
Their lives have been up ended That's why what he says and does,
matters.
And this very crazy man has the power to start a nuclear war right
this minute, if he chooses.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2017 5:51 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: President Trump Pushes Yet Another
Problematic Immigration Bill
I'm just not getting all of this attention being paid to Donald
Trump's every utterance. My dad, who never strayed from his roots as
a working class man, began as a laborer digging ditches at the
Bremerton Shipyard during the early years of WW II, and at the last of
his working career, was in high demand as a structural Steel
Estimator. Wearing a title, a white shirt, a tie from among those
carefully picked by mother, and only his wits to enable him to
survive, since he was now in the company of men who sneered at any
suggestion that they should Organize. These were those fellows who
yearned to live life in the manner of the boss. They were a surly,
snarly, humorless bunch of grumblers and gripers. They despised the "blue
collar"
workers, the guys who laughed and told really bad but funny jokes, and
earned a decent wage with time and a half for overtime, and annual
leave and sick leave and a good retirement. And all of that because
they had the good sense to organize and to believe that they could
live a good, fulfilling life without having to act like the boss.
Anyway, dad's work took him back and forth from his office, to the job
site, to the boss's office and to "high level" conferences. These
conferences were along the lines of a DMZ, where all guns were left at
the door, and where every company owner in the steel business gathered
to pretend that they were in the company of great genius. I had
the...good fortune to attend a couple of such high level and secret
gatherings. I swear, and I'm not making this up, but I swear that the
room was filled with Donald Trump clones. Seriously! Glad handing
everyone, including me, squinting up in one face after another, giving
toothy grins. And all the time telling every one just how special
this meeting was, and how important that we all work together.
After the conferences dad would usually have to go to the bosses home
for a "debriefing"...a comparison of information and a chance for the
boss to tell someone just what a bunch of crooks and insincere
bastards all the other bosses were. Dad, with a wife and three kids
to provide for, could always side step a bit by saying things like, "I
wouldn't turn my back". Of course dad was including his own boss, but
never said so out loud. These were hard swinging, no holds barred
businessmen, looking at the world as a Plum to be plucked. Getting
ahead meant, to these aggressive fellows, doing anything that would
give them an advantage over all the others. And that is Donald Trump.
Raised to believe that if you want it, be man enough to take
it...whatever you must do to win.
In other words, voters sent to the White House a carbon copy of the
classic Capitalist Corporate Executive Officer. Finally, out of the
closet for the first time, a composite of all the endearing qualities
that have made America's corporations so beloved by the nations of the
world.
And saddest of all is that there are people who honestly believe that
Donald Trump has a heart and a Soul, and that he is really trying to
make life better for the little folks, if only the big bad government
and those Leftists would give him a chance.
There are those who long to see this president impeached. I am not
among that number. Yes, Donald Trump is a loose cannon, yes he loves
the limelight almost as much as he loves Donald Trump, but I can live
with all of that because, in the dark shadows 'neath the dim lit
seller stairs, there lurks a Bogyman, a creature waiting for his turn
to step into the Oval Office and have his turn at sucking the nation's
treasury dry.
And Mike Pence will do it all in the Lord's name!
Carl Jarvis
On 8/4/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
One fact: Trump brings in foreign guest labor to do all construction
on his properties which certainly doesn't provide jobs for Americans.
Miriam
Truthdig
President Trump Pushes Yet Another Problematic Immigration Bill
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/trump_pushes_raise_act_20
1
70802/
Posted on Aug 2, 2017
President Trump with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., left, and Sen. David
Perdue, R-Ga., at the White House on Wednesday, unveiling proposed
legislation to place new limits on legal immigration. (Evan Vucci /
AP)
President Trump on Wednesday endorsed a new GOP Senate bill that
would slash legal immigration levels over a decade, apparently aimed
at dramatically reducing legal immigration overall. The bill is a
modified version of legislation
(https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=765)
proposed in April, which would have cut immigration in half, and
focuses on cutting back what is known as "chain migration"-ways of
immigrating to the U.S. based on family ties.
The new Republican bill, called the RAISE Act (short for Reforming
American Immigration for Strong Employment Act) is co-authored by
Republican Sens.
Tom Cotton and David Perdue. It would alter the immigration screening
process to favor English speakers with the purported ability to
support themselves financially and demonstrate skills that will
benefit the economy.
It would also, according to the president, prohibit recently arrived
green-card holders from receiving welfare. Trump problematically
referred to this as a "merit-based" system on Wednesday.
Writes The Washington Post: (
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/08/02/trump
-
gop-se
nators-to-introduce-bill-to-slash-legal-immigration-levels/?utm_term=.
a00fca
832823 )
To achieve the reductions and create what they call a "merit-based
system,"
Cotton and Perdue are taking aim at green cards for extended family
members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, limiting such
avenues for grown children and siblings. Minor children and spouses
would still be eligible to apply for green cards.
The senators also propose to end a visa diversity lottery that has
awarded
50,000 green cards a year, mostly to areas in the world that
traditionally do not have as many immigrants to the United States,
including Africa. And the bill caps refugee levels at 50,000 per year.
Trump declares the bill to be the most significant immigration reform
in half a century. He says that one of the main motivations to pass
the bill is to prevent the displacement of American workers-a claim
that's echoed by Cotton, who has said that while immigrant rights
groups might view the current system as a "symbol of American virtue
and generosity," he sees it "as a symbol we're not committed to
working-class Americans and we need to change that."
To the contrary, studies suggest (
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/us/immigrants-arent-taking-america
n s-jobs -new-study-finds.html ) this evaluation is somewhat
misleading:
The (National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine) report
assembles research from 14 leading economists, demographers and other
scholars, including some, like Marta Tienda of Princeton, who write
favorably about the impacts of immigration and others who are
skeptical of its benefits, like George J. Borjas, a Harvard economist.
Here's what the report says:
"We found little to no negative effects on overall wages and
employment of native-born workers in the longer term," said Francine
D. Blau, an economics professor at Cornell University who led the
group that produced the 550-page report.
An article posted on Politico (
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/immigration-trump-senate-cotton
-
234706
) included similar opinions:
"Economists overwhelmingly think that immigration is good for the
economy.
That's not just true at the high-skilled, but low-skilled level,"
said Jeremy Robbins, the executive director of the Partnership for a
New American Economy, the pro-reform group led by former New York
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Robbins, who regularly meets with GOP lawmakers, added: "There is
overwhelming support in Congress for the idea of immigration as an
economic driver, including in the Republican conference."
Trump's elevation of immigration to the forefront of his agenda
probably represents a bid to pull public attention away from the
recent GOP defeat on health care. This latest immigration bill's
chances are slim in the Senate, given that it would require 60 GOP
votes to thwart a Democratic filibuster.
Trump has hammered Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Twitter,
insisting that McConnell abolish the filibuster to better enable the
GOP to pass its legislative agenda.
-Posted by Emily Wells
Ethics Group Wants Steve Bannon Investigated for Public Relations
Relationship
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Scheer: 'Fake News' Label Is Used to 'Whitewash American History'
(Video)
Attorney General Sessions Threatens to Punish 'Sanctuary Cities'
Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
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