Oh the Japanese, that was surely a racist law. And remember that his
Immigration department would not allow Jews into the country who were trying to
escape imprisonment by the Nazis. Remember that ship that was filled with
German Jews that the US refused entry to and that returned to Europe? And it
was FDR who made the first alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia. But to our
parents, we was like God, and given how they benefited from his social
legislation, that's certainly understandable. By the way, so did we, as blind
people. I think he's responsible for NLS and the talking book service.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 6:56 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Re:
[blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE:
[blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t join the liberals’ impeachment
crusade
One thing for certain, we won't find all the answers in the history books.
Being a pragmatist, I'm guessing that it would be difficult for even the most
broad minded man raised as Roosevelt was raised, to relate to Blacks as equals.
I could understand that FDR needed the Dixiecrat's vote to push his reforms
through congress, but I don't see where he then supported legislation to set
conditions that would make Blacks more equal. In fact, the case could be made
that FDR was racist when he approved the government rounding up Japanese
Americans on the West Coast.
It's very hard for me to believe that he approved out of concern for their
safety, as some believed, when a large majority of them, upon being released,
had no home or property to return to. To this day there are Japanese Americans
here in Western Washington with whom the government has never settled. Nearly
75 years!
Carl Jarvis
On 11/13/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
About FDR, it's interesting. It's certainly possible that he was a
political realist and he short changed the Negro in order to get the
rest of his program passed. It's also possible that he just didn't
care. I read that really long, 3 volume book about Eleanor. When you
read books about her, you get the impression that if it weren't for
her prodding and pushing, FDR might have been a very different kind of
president. Who knows? Look at the families they came from and at the
influence of his mother. The big influence in Eleanor's young life was
education in a European girls' school and the influence of its female
director. Also, Eleanor was a lesbian, or at least, bisexual. I
imagine that feeling different from other girls, as she must have, might have
made her more empathetic to people who didn't fit in.
Again, who knows?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 4:30 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Re:
[blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t
join the liberals’ impeachment crusade
Miriam,
No problem with what you say. And I agree that some presidents like
LBJ were people I would never invite to Thanksgiving dinner. But in
LBJ's case, as well as with FDR, they exhibited a level of social
awareness that other presidents did not have, in spite of their
facades. Speaking of FDR, whom I remind you was our family Saint,
when I was a boy, it was years before I realized that he dealt with
the Dixicrats. turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the problems of the
Negroes, and his racist behavior toward the Japanese Americans.
I become impatient with people who say, "It might not be perfect, but
our form of government is better than any others".
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
I differentiate between the fact that all of the presidents are part
of, and represent a flawed system that doesn't serve all of its
citizens, and a President who openly flouts the law and the moral
values that he is supposed to be upholding. There's a difference
between someone who harbors racist feelings and a president who
exhibits them openly and encourages them in others, from a man who is
a typical male chauvinist, and one who openly sexually abuses large
numbers of women and brags about it. I'm sure that every wealthy
person has found ways of skirting the law, but Trump does it brazenly
and openly. It is a terrible mistake, both ethically and
pragmatically, not to have attempted to publicly stop him from
continuing, regardless of whether or not the people who are doing the
impeaching are free of sin. And by the way, LBJ, one of the two
presidents who got social legislation passed, was a real bastard of a
human being, just in case you forgot. He was a bully and he treated
people horribly. But he passed important legislation that helped
people and he hid or suppressed his racism. We don't expect our
presidents to be saints. There were FDR's extra marital
relationships, as well as the many that JFK had. But both those men,
and the press, kept their frolicks under wraps because we expect a
certain demeanor and dignity from our presidents.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 6:36 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE:
[blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t join the liberals’
impeachment crusade
gree. "the reason given for impeachment is inadequate."
Why? Because regardless of the reason, impeachment will solve
nothing at all. Yes, I do believe that Donald Trump has "earned" the
right to face impeachment. Yes, I believe that Donald Trump is
unstable. Yes, I believe that he is corrupt, self serving, a
womanizer, a narcissistic bully and more. But some of those who sit
in judgement of Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth, and serve the same
Master.
.
Even if Donald Trump goes to excesses, at the core he is just another
of the "good old boys". Although I do not oppose impeachment,
nothing will change, fundamentally. In my entire 84 years there has
never been a president who was not under the spell of the Ruling
Class. Nor a Congress. The Establishment never gave up control.
Even under duress in the 30's and 40's, FDR made changes on behalf of
the Establishment by convincing the Ruling Class that in order to
survive they must give back some of their gains. Since 1932 only two
presidents have taken measures that provided relief to the Lower and
Working Classes: FDR and LBJ.
Today all indications are that the Great American Empire is falling
in on itself, and there is little we, the Working Class can do to
prevent it. If we try, and many have, we are attacked by the bully
boys of the Establishment, and jailed for all the reasons that should
be calling us Heroes.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
So I see impeachment differently and I have mixed feelings about it.
I accept that we are living in an unfair, degraded corporate system,
but here it is. Given the history and culture of the US and the
financial and military power of the ruling elite, I sincerely doubt
that this system will be overthrown by a peaceful or not so
peaceful, socialist revolution. It's more likely to be taken over by
the Fascist Right. However, impeachment is a recognized means for
bringing to justice, a public official who has completely
disregarded the norms and rules of government. From the day he took
office, Trump did that in terms of his implementation of racist
policies, his public statements which incited people to violence,
his clear disrespect for recognized norms and rules, his blatant use
of his office to enrich himself and his family, his installation of
family members in government positions for which they weren't
qualified, and his demonstrated disrespect for a free press. There
were his manipulation of funds to pay off women who might damage his
reputation, his use of a private security force in addition to the
secret service, all kinds of stuff. I just don't think that those
things should have been allowed to proceed without immediate moves
to stop him, and that would either be impeachment or removal from
office because of mental incompetence. Neither Republicans nor
Democrats would do what obviously had to be done, because of political
reasons.
The Democrats chose, what they thought would be, a more acceptable
path, but which was obviously stupid. Now, it's just too late and
politically dumb, and again, the reason given for impeachment is
inadequate.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Roger Loran
Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 1:23 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t join the
liberals’
impeachment crusade
Commenting on the below article. I am so glad that the Militant
published this article making it clear that they do not support
Donald Trump in any way. These articles expressing disdain for the
impeachment drive have been making me very uncomfortable. I could
see that they were not expressing support for Trump, but I was
afraid that it was not clear to everyone and I can't blame Virginia
Wilkinson for thinking that the Militant did support Trump. It
really seemed to be coming close to that.
I am not a supporter of impeachment myself. The reasons given here
for not giving impeachment our support are legitimate enough, but in
my case I just don't see it as our fight. It is a question of
squabbling among the bourgeoisie and if Trump is impeached or if
Trump is removed from office it really doesn't effect the rest of us
all that much. I don't see that Mike Pence would be any better than
Trump. But having disdain for the impeachment drive is a far cry
from supporting Trump.
I can only say that I would really like the Militant to make that as
clear?? in every article about that subject as it does in this article.
https://themilitant.com/2019/11/09/why-working-people-shouldnt-join-
t
h
e-liberals-impeachment-crusade/
Reply to a reader
Why working people shouldn???t join the liberals??? impeachment
crusade
??By Terry Evans
Vol. 83/No. 42
November 18, 2019
In a letter to the Militant?? reader Virginia Wilkinson says she
started reading the paper for its good labor coverage, but cannot
???sympathize with your support for Donald Trump, who has shown no
signs of genuine support for working people.???
But the Militant?? has never offered one ounce of support to the
president.
For 90 years since it first came out, the Militant?? has never
backed any Democrat, Republican or other capitalist politician. And
there is no question Donald Trump ??? a real estate mogul ??? rules
for the propertied class.
The Militant?? campaigned in every 2016 issue for Alyson Kennedy,
the Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. president, and urged
workers to break from the two parties of capitalist rule, the
Democrats and Republicans, no matter who they nominated.
The paper???s headline that Wilkinson cites ??? ???Liberals Drive to
Oust Trump Built on Fear of Working Class??? ??? accompanies an
article that explains, ???All wings of the Democratic Party, like
Trump and all the Republicans, defend the interests of the
country???s capitalist rulers at home and stand ready to wield
Washington???s military might to advance their interests abroad.???
And the Militant?? champions battles by labor and all those
oppressed and exploited against the bosses, their politicians and
the government in power that serves them, including Trump???s.
But there are crucial questions for working people in opposing the
campaign of the liberals and their craven media that seek to
overturn the 2016 election. Their real target is the working people
who voted for Trump, or who couldn???t bring themselves to vote for
any of the bosses???
candidates.
This includes millions of workers Hillary Clinton called
???deplorable,???
who were looking for a change from what successive Democratic and
Republican administrations have done to aid the bosses in their
assaults on workers.
These attacks have not let up during the so-called economic recovery
that followed the 2007 financial crisis. Millions were drawn to vote
for someone like Trump, who stood outside the factions of both
bourgeois parties, and who demagogically claimed he would halt the
carnage facing working people and ???drain the swamp??? in Washington.
The liberals ??? who have backed the capitalist rulers??? drive to
boost profits whenever they???ve been in office ??? think they???re
entitled to ???regulate??? and control the lives of the rest of us,
especially those who don???t vote the way they think we should.
Democratic Congressman Al Green says the reason Trump must be
impeached is to prevent people from reelecting him.
Rising fear of working people
Liberals along with the ruling rich have a rising fear of working
people.
They fear us because growing numbers of working people recognize
that the bosses and their parties have no solution to the crisis of
their system that doesn???t involve making workers pay. This has
made more workers open to fighting declining living and working
conditions and to discussing an independent working-class political road
forward.
The capitalist rulers fear coming working-class struggles ???
battles in which our confidence in our own capacities will grow, as
we acquire consciousness of ourselves as a fighting class with
interests in common with other workers worldwide.
The Militant?? tells the truth about the methods used by the
liberals in their witch hunt of the president that are dangerous for
the working class.
These include using and praising Washington???s political police,
the FBI and CIA; grand juries and secret star chamber
???hearings???; and hearsay claims from secret witnesses you have no
chance to confront or refute.
All these are features of the capitalist ???justice??? system
that???s regularly used against workers. But in this case it
involves an effort to impeach and indict a capitalist politician who
was elected to the presidency. They???re taking steps to limit the
franchise to prevent us ???voting the wrong way.???
They trample on constitutional protections working people have
fought for???
from the Bill of Rights to the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the
U.S.
Constitution conquered in the second American Revolution. These are
crucial to protect our ability to discuss and act in our own class
interests without government disruption. The anti-Trump ???resistance???
sets precedents to be used against fighting workers and opponents of
Washington???s wars as the crisis of capitalism deepens, as the
rulers have done time and time again.
Opposing the liberals??? drive to oust the president can???t be
equated with giving him one iota of political support. Working
people have nothing to gain from relying on the bosses, their
parties or their government, and everything to win by organizing
ourselves independently of them to fight for our own class
interests. Jealously guarding our hard-won rights is a cornerstone
of working people???s line of march forward.
In This Issue
Front Page Articles ???Asarco strike deserves support of all workers
???US-Chinese rulers??? rivalry grows despite new trade deal
??????Break from bosses 2-party system, build a labor party???
???New book ???The Turn to Industry??? boosts fall ???Militant,???
book drive ???Why working people shouldn???t join the liberals???
impeachment crusade ???California blackout, fire show need for
workers control of power companies
Feature Articles ???Iraqi protests grow, demand halt to Tehran???s
interference ???Socialist Workers Party 2020 campaign program
Also In This Issue ???As competition heats up, retail bosses tell
workers, ???Speed up???
???DC meeting: ???US hands off Cuba and Venezuela???
???UK election: ???Workers need our own political party???
???Fight continues to keep last abortion clinic in Missouri
???Israel
protest: ???Don???t deport Filipino classmates???
???Courts back two capitalist parties??? ballot monopoly ???After GM
workers settle, workers at Ford debate, vote on new contract ???Fall
Campaign to sell Militant subscriptions and books (week 4)
???Socialist Workers Party Fund Drive (week 4)
Books of the Month ??????Communism is not a doctrine, but a movement???
25, 50 and 75 years ago
Letters
?? Copyright 2019 The Militant?? -?? 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor
-?? New
York, NY 10018?? -?? themilitant@xxxxxxx
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Okay, thank
--
---
David Hume
??? In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all
imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the
lowest species of moral evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions
his belief to the evidence. ???
??? David Hume,
