Former war correspondent and unbending alternative voice speaking truth to power, Chris Hedges, spoke at a rally for the likewise staunch people’s representative Kshama Sawant: The time has come to end the forces of death and stand up for the forces of life. We must rebel, not for what we may or may not eventually achieve but for who it allows us to become. This is the fight of our lives. The last fight. If we lose this one, we lose everything:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Kshama’s Rally Chris Hedges”)
When two people who usually see past more hills and corners than most people talk, it’s always worth listening to:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Interview with Debbie ‘SaneProgressive’ at Peace Conference”)
Trumpcare 2.0 – They are trying to sneak it quietly through the Senate
FromReutersand other sources emerges: “Democratic” Senators criticize the closed-door meetings that Republicans have been holding to craft a replacement for Obamacare (as you know, even worse than Obamacare). They are calling for open committee hearings and more time to consider the bill before a Senate vote, which Republicans say could come in the next two weeks, although a draft bill has yet to emerge publicly. Continue reading →
I admit to mixed feelings abut this: some worries and some happy surprises. Worries: it sounds in some parts like a retreat into divisive identity politics (caring about certain groups/communities and forgetting about the big picture, you know what (neo-)liberals have been doing for a long time), credentialism (Ph.D.’s trumping reguar folks), and also like maybe dumping the fighting spirit (Sanders Institute only getting facts, not working on the emotional component that wins elections?). Happy surprises: Finally addressing election rigging somewhat and possibly pushing back against neoliberalism, not just Trump. Also, it’s good to get an introduction to the just launched Sanders Institute, and hearing it may help building information sources alternative to the corporate media. It’s also good to hear some stats about the People’s Summit: 4000 attendees from 49 states, 54% people of color.
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Jane Sanders Discusses The Sanders Institute With Nomiki Konst”)
Jamarl Thomas (a really bright guy who went to check it out) finally got around to make up his mind about the People’s Summit which at the start didn’t sit quite right with him. He also adds some other sharp thoughts, especially about Bernie Sanders’ role in our politics (to which I would add that Bernie might be doingwhat Richard Wolff suggested: namely prove that he has tried everything to save and reform the “Democratic” Party before turning his back on it when the attempt eventually has failed visible to all). This speech is really long, and has stretches that are rambling or recursive. But it is worth spending the time listening, maybe while you cook and do house chores or such. (1:20 hours)
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Jamarl Thomas Talks Bernie, People’s Summit and more #pplsummit | Context with Jamarl Thomas”)
Two days ago, Jamarl added another evaluation of the People’s Summit, concluding that there is a serious co-opting attempt, but that the visitors seem to have successfully resisted, so far. Also, he feels this kind of summit should be more action oriented like hammer out a political agenda (29 min):
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Discussion of People’s Summit and Push Back Against Criticism By People That Didn’t Attend“)
I might add that the slippery slope I wrote about last time is something to truly be wary of. People don’t necessarily get corrupted by it and the corporate money that sloshes around on it. They can become co-opted even with their best intentions intact, simply by being forced into compromises, restricted by the mechanics of private campaign financing, and such. To overcome these old co-opting weapons, I kind of agree with Debbie the Sane Progressive that we need to alter our mindset, consciously stop doing what hasn’t worked before, keep our sights on a bold vision for the future, and get creative about new ways of doing things (for instance create our own alternative media, run political campaigns heavily relying on grassroots volunteers (canvassing, distributing yard signs…) rather than money-sucking TV ads, etc.).
Please call to mind that independent citizen journalists like Jamarl (and me) are strapped for resources and can use your help, not some day far in the future, but now. Share, subscribe, discuss, and – if you can afford to – help us out a little financially.
This article is intended to give those among us who (like me) could or would not attend this year’s “People’s Summit” a chance to get a feel for how things went and also hear and consider both approving and critical voices across a wide range of positions.
Earlier this week, I produced a first report on the 2nd annualPeople’s Summit in Chicago. In hindsight, it may have been a little too favorable. I soon found out it was a bit controversial. Video bloggers who attended have admitted to mixed feelings and been rather late, maybe hesitant, reporting about their experience. From what I have been able to gather, many or most of the event’s visitors were largely the kinds of wonderful folks who put their energies into ousting our establishment and fighting for a better world. They created an uplifting mood. On the other hand, there have also been signs of co-opting attempts from the organizational top by our false friends in the “Democratic” Party leadership and their various cronies. At least some of the organizers may merit skepticism, and some of the panelists really do. There seemed to be a deliberate attempt to shape the conversation towards working within our party duopoly, a.k.a. the two-party tyranny, a.k.a. our two-armed corporate party which exists purely to obstruct the will of the people.
Here are some of the ominous signs: Jill Steinwasn’t allowed to participate. And Kshama Sawant, who did slip in last year and is a real fighter for working Americans, wasnot permitted participation this year. These are both bad omens. Even back in 2016, at the first summit, there apparently were signs that the summit is a “Democratic Party” establishment effort to get berners and any other kind of progressives in line behind the “Democratic” Party and theundemocratically nominatedHillary Clinton. Quote from thesource: “The claim to non-partisanship is a fraud, since most of those participating are Democrats (though, on the web site, no speakers are identified with their party affiliation).”Another quote worth posting here comes from Working Families Party’s (WFP) Joe Dinkin whocommented this year: “One of the failures of the neoliberal imagination is the instinctive belief that the more moderate proposal is always the more popular one. When people say we have to pursue the possible and not the aspirational, that’s often cover for them not having the same aspirations.”
If you wish, you can read a thorough critiquehere. Or, if you don’t have time to read, you can listen to this reading and commentary of that same article:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “People’s Summit Confirms Democrats Have Learned Nothing”)
So, while the summit was well polished to look like the real thing on the surface, even having someprogressive speakers mixed in, speakers promoting a true alternative to our establishment-run system of gross economic and political unevenness that is — and even though progressive minds like Jimmy Dore, Tim Black, and Jamarl Thomas were drawn to the event as observers — it is beginning to look more than just a little like one of those talk the talk but walk the opposite walk kind of scams with which we have been controlled from above for a long time. Buyer beware!
Now, people can go to such events to find more allies who think like themselves (say, Draft-Berners who wish tobring down and replace the “Democratic Party” with a true people’s party). It may be well worthwhile. Just be wary of establishment-picked panelists and their brainwashing attempts and the overall sheepdogging work done in co-opted and astroturfed events and institutions all over the country. Time will show if the People’s Summit will devolve into yet another co-opting mission by the power elite, or if the attending grassroots forces will prevail in it — or if they will have to create their own summit or convention to advance true change.
Here now are various notable videos from the summit which I was able to gather:
. I was hesitant to include this video for reasons which would take too much time to explain. But at least one person makes a good point, and this video helps to flesh out the diversity present at the summit (the next ones will be richer):
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Progressive Resistance to Trump Must Also Challenge Corporate Democrats”)
Jimmy Dore speaks in this one. Nuff said. 😉
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Jordan and Jimmy on Corporate Democratic Insanity”)
And another. Woohoo!
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Jimmy Dore at The People’s Summit”)
Here are two more good videos on the subject:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Aaron Bowersock Discusses People’s Summit”)
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Black Lion Roars on The People’s Summit”)
Debbie, the Sane Progressive, who I see as our most sensitive problem-and-scam detector, argues that the People’s Summit was a DemEnter event. Whether ultimately this is true or not, or whether it can still be turned around in the future or not, I definitely wanted to share her video with you, to underscore the point that fighting for change, but working with (or inside of) established institutions, places us on a slippery slope, where – time and again – throughout history good people have ended up standing with the bad people and established power they originally set out to fight:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “How Dem Establishment CooptsThrough Progressives, And Ending Trump Victimization Narrative”)
Last, but not least, a recorded, long, audio-only, call-in live show dealing with this summit and related topics:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Hard Bastard Live Call In Show W /Jamarl Thomas. Peoples Summit & Credibility In Media”)
This week’s posts on Our Revolution Continues had a post from Our Revolution that everyone should read and act on. A quote:
While most of the country wasn’t looking, House Republicans voted to claw back virtually every banking regulation implemented after Wall Street crashed and the Great Recession began. With so much scrutiny on the White House, Senate Republicans are now poised to roll back Dodd-Frank and the Affordable Care Act in the same month. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, and every other politician bought by Wall Street and corporate donors thinks that they can get away with this while we’re distracted by the daily circus in the West Wing.
I’d been suggesting and hoping for Jordan Chariton to apologize for when he blew a fuse and accused other independent journalists for being hucksters and enemies of positive change (I hope I don’t mix something in here that came from other places), and recently he did (sort of), namely to Tim Black. I wish he would have gone a little further and to everyone else and criticized himself for fueling in-fighting among people who should stick together in our necessary fight against the establishment and for a better future. Anyway, here is the video (perhaps it took the spirit shared by many visitors to the People’s Summit to prompt this):
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Tim Black and Jordan Clear The Air”)
Young Americans who won’t take it anymore… Now, while I like the prospect of a new party to crush the corrupted Dems and bounce the even longer corrupted GOP, and while I have my doubts about the long-term success of “Democratic” Party take-over and the ability of outfits like the Justice Democrats to resist the temptations from the establishment, this young new politician still represents to me the rise of Young America which wants a future that is bright, not dark:
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Progressive Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Is Primarying Corporate Democrat In New York”)
(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “This 52 Yr. Old First Time Voter Supporting Jeremy Corbyn!”)
Naturally, the fight won’t finish overnight. So, Jeremy Corbyn didn’t become Prime Minister this round any more than Bernie Sanders became president last year. Still, I find it heartening that people everywhere are beginning to wake up and stand up against their corrupt system. It will take more time to wake up those who are still slumbering with their heads in the sand believing the B.S. the manipulators at the top are raining on us.
It is telling when the tears come and the voice chokes at the moment we wake up (as in the linked video above). All the pain accumulated throughout life in our warped, twisted, rigged societal system finally break out, and the passion and hope for a fair, sustainable, and equitable world — so long repressed because we felt there was no chance that the good of our inner values could ever trounce the iron grip of money and greed in high places.
