The Weekly Watch
but Science will not be Silenced
(just ask Galileo)
By Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
Science is evidence based. Perhaps that's why science is in the cross-hairs. We can't allow people to require evidence in order to make decisions. When TPTB say the Syrians poisoned their own people you are to accept, not question...and you better not be enough of a scientist to ask for evidence. Why? A MIT scientist looked at what evidence was provided and stated there is no way the gas was dropped.
http://www.organicandhealthy.org/2017/04/mit-expert-fmr-dod-science-advi...
Same story with Climate Change. Stop all government mention, get rid of the satellites providing data, stop all government funded studies, and deny deny deny. Next week is the climate and peace march and we'll look more closely at that problem next Sunday. In the meantime, here's Bill McKibben's piece on the climate march next Saturday. Trump is either the end of the fight for a working planet Earth—or the moment when that fight turns truly serious. https://www.thenation.com/article/on-april-29-we-march-for-the-future/
It is difficult to get your bearings in a world of distrust. Today is the election in France. They had a terrorist attack this week in Paris killing a law officer, and my first thought was I bet LePen set it up. Now, I'm really ignorant of European politics and I doubt my hunch, but it has become really hard to sort out the truth. The CIA made it clear this week they want no more truth from Julian Assange, and I must admit I'm scared for him....cause we (the US) are really the bad guys. Tillerson and the CIA are trying to work their coup in Venezuela too, as they set their eyes on a war with Iran. And another bit of evidence of our devolution occurred last weekend in Berkley. We had a slug fest between fascists and anti-fascist forces. Is our current history rhyming with 1930's Germany?
Let's start with the attack on Assange. That fits into our suppress the evidence theme. We must eliminate a free and open press. The people must not know how evil the CIA and government really are! Give them only corporate news. Glenn Greenwald discusses his story for The Intercept "Trump’s CIA Director Pompeo, Targeting WikiLeaks, Explicitly Threatens Speech and Press Freedoms." https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/21/glenn_greenwald_trumps_doj_prosec...
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/14/trumps-cia-director-pompeo-targeting...
Julian spoke for himself on the intercepted podcast (1 hour and transcript)
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/19/intercepted-podcast-julian-assange-s...
Lionel defends Assange (4 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh8ai8jaJWw
Officials reportedly claim the Department of Justice is ready to file arrest charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Press advocates warn that if the US goes after the pro-transparency publisher, they could go after other news outlets as well. (6 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qevB4a9T94
So in addition to trying to silence the press what else is the T-rump administration up to?
Here are the top ten things the president and Congress have done that affect (screw over) working people. http://www.epi.org/blog/how-president-trump-and-congressional-republican...
Orders signed Friday are 'nothing more than special favors for the same Wall Street banks that crashed our economy in 2008 and put millions of Americans out of work
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/21/latest-populist-betrayal-tr...
John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation, joins “News with Ed” to levy his critique of “Buy American, hire American” message (4.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkB_9Jj5x-s
Uh oh. Trump's mob connections are coming home to roost.
http://www.alternet.org/trumps-organized-crime-ties-bring-blackmail-whit...
The for-profit president shares the take with the Kushners. Vicky Ward, New York Times best-selling author, investigative journalist discusses the situation (15 min and transcript)
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/20/kleptocracy_how_ivanka_trump_jare...
Corruption across the board...RNC telling donors that in exchange for campaign contributions, they will receive invitations to special events to meet with congressional staff including chiefs of staff, leadership staffers, and committee staffers.
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/20/staff-for-sale/
More insanity from my old senator and current AG Sessions. Nina Turner and Paul Jay discuss the renewed war on drugs (11 min)
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&I...
Jeff just can't help being a racist. He was raised that way.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/war-drugs-racist-donald-trump-embracing-op...
What have we become?
Speaking of insanity. Who thought we would see fascist and anti-fascist openly fighting in the US...much less Berkeley. What does the Berkley conflict suggest for our future? Interesting interview with Shane Bauer. His most recent article is titled "I Went Behind the Front Lines with the Far-Right Agitators Who Invaded Berkeley." (10 min and 20 min plus transcripts)
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/20/shane_bauer_on_the_berkeley_clashes
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/19/white_nationalists_neo_nazis_righ...
General background of the conflict from politico
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/20/california-berkeley-coulter-pro...
Caitlin had an interesting take on the situation in Berkeley
http://www.newslogue.com/debate/459/CaitlinJohnstone
The common folk filed and paid taxes last week (or earlier). Can you believe the corporations don't want to pay their fair share?
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/17/happy-tax-day-heres-how-corporations...
Max suggest the value of currencies could fall like a house of cards (15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOF5tALA6oA
If you missed dkmich's link to this piece with Bill, Tom and Ralph, it is worth a listen (1 hr)
https://ralphnaderradiohour.com/whats-wrong-with-the-democratic-party/
I've not been covering the lame democrats of late...they are just too tied to corporate money to support. Jimmy Dore has a conversation with Mike Figueredo about the democraps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgDSZ6R3Y0 (20 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XowHoRXt00 (28 min)
Jimmy analysizes Noam Chomskys comments about the absurdity of “Russia did it!” (17 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MRQlC9wnok
Jimmy provides information about the times we've interfered with other counties elections (12 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H19dP_FO7Qs
WAR
The only thing we can agree on is more war? Former US Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island) joins “News with Ed” to discuss the future of US-Russia relations (6 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJzcoQGeByw
Tillerson eyes Iran and starts to lie in order to excuse a new war. Alexey Yaroshevsky has the story and is joined by Antiwar.com editor Jason Ditz (7 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzATjKwtPlc
Allan Nairn explains the Indonesian story with all its Trump connections
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/21/shocking_expose_reveals_trump_ass...
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/18/trumps-indonesian-allies-in-bed-with...
A former Indonesian education minister Anies Baswedan won the race for Jakarta governor on Wednesday with 58 percent. The turbulent campaign featured mass rallies led by a hardline Islamist movement in a country long dominated by a moderate form of Islam.
http://bdnewsheadlines.com/2017/04/19/indonesian-muslim-candidate-wins-j...
The US funded coup in Venezuela
Don't you love they way the US equates capitalism with democracy?
“I would urge close cooperation with our friends in the hemisphere, particularly Venezuela’s neighbors Brazil and Colombia, as well as multilateral bodies such as the OAS, to seek a negotiated transition to democratic rule in Venezuela.” said Tillerson.
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Rex-Tillerson-Already-Talking-Regi...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/16/rex-tillers...
Any wonder why Maduro thinks the US is trying to destroy his government? (30 sec)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCc-YKv8REk
While international media focused almost exclusively on the opposition protests and clashes with the police, the pro-government protests were equally as large, says Lucas Koerner (15 min)
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&I...
Turkey votes to give Erogan more power although many observers suggest it was a flawed election. We continue to see more and more authoritarians. Tariq Ali introduces a short film that shows just how oppressed the opposition party and it’s supporters were before the referendum result. (30 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvowiQ8MD_k
The irregularities in Turkey's constitutional reform referendum were numerous and well documented says Conn Hallinan of Foreign Policy in Focus (15 min)
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18887:Erdogan%27s-Deviant-Referendum-Man...
France
Dr. Mark Weisbot compares the candidates to those who ran in the US, and to blow the whistle on US interference in France's electoral process. (11 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWsRDuypxuk
I wasn't the only one to think the Paris attack would help LePen
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/21/trump-hopes-paris-attack-boosts-le-p...
Mélenchon may have a chance today in France.
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/18/frances-bernie-sanders-started-his-o...
UK
May rushes to election (before Brexit austerity hits home) and while the Labour party is weak
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/18/british-prime-minister-wants-electio...
Syria
Great conversation with Ben Norton on Lee Camp's Show (15 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gR2vdo-8w
It is indeed a conflict of betrayal...
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/20/the-syrian-people-have-been-betrayed...
Syrian President Bashar Assad warned that what he called “false flag” incidents and provocations, are likely to occur in future to give the US a pretext for an attack. (4 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkoxiNtoa6s
The environment
First a 12 min highlight of the Science march in DC and then the full 5.5 hours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4i2N42TVRo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNz8GO-d9wI
Oil giant ExxonMobil is pursuing a waiver in order to drill in the Black Sea as part of a joint venture with the Russian state oil company Rosneft. https://www.democracynow.org/2017/4/20/headlines/exxon_asks_for_treasury...
However at least for now it was denied
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2017/04/21/exxon-denied-waiver-rus...
One year later, Jasilyn Charger, one of the first people to set up camp at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, reflects on the protests and how the movement has changed the course of her life. (5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb9HHtye1Tk
Dakota Access Pipeline protester, Chase Iron Eyes is seeking financial help: "Seek the mountain as the mountain seeks you.” People ask how they can help, please go to www.lastrealindians.org (7 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NFsTVpvUVg
Bill McKibben from http://350.org Jim Hansen, Katharine Hayhoe and others give us an update on the science and solutions to climate change. (12.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc0QiP4D5IA
Arts and Entertainment..better stifle those ideas too!
Chris Hedges discusses playwright Eugene O’Neill’s shattering of the American myth in the play “ Mourning Becomes Electra”. Hedges is joined by his wife Eunice Wong, who is playing Lavinia Mannon, and director David Herskovits. (27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD7CL0kArS0
Here's the 1947 film,“ Mourning Becomes Electra” (6/10) In New England, after the American Civil War, Ezra Mannon comes home to his unhappy wife (Christine) and loving daughter (Lavinia). But Lavinia's ex-suitor, Adam Brant, has become Christine's lover, and together Adam and Christine plot to poison Ezra. When they succeed, Lavinia turns to her brother Orin to help bring the lovers to justice, but when they succeed, Orin goes mad and his suicide note may come between Lavinia and her new suitor, Peter Niles. Dudley Nichols has turned it into a film which faithfully follows the original in literary and thematic respects — with the approval of Mr. O'Neil (2.7 hours) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMcppXLIz9A
Song of the week in honor of the science march
Tom Lehrer sings “The Elements” (1.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGM-wSKFBpo
and an updated Periodic table song (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVQKCcfwnU
Movie of the week
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Unable to function in the rarefied atmosphere of Hollywood, Sullivan decides to hit the road, disguised as a tramp, and touch base with the "real" people of America. Sullivan's Travels is Sturges' masterpiece and one of the finest movies about movies ever made. This link is a series of clips that contains most of the movie. It is not available on Netflix nor Prime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7WmhkO_GWI&list=PLF0BB100AF32EA222
Some suggest art is better with pot...
And this week we had 4/20 and they handed out joints in DC...but that's not to be tolerated. Just give peace a chance (3 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUnAFKW4gHc
Colbert routine on 4/20 (3.5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnDanhcxR_o
The nature of science is to use evidence to support ideas. When new evidence emerges you're forced to change your ideas. Those changes don't come lightly. Think of Galileo who was finally exonerated by the church in the 1990's. But today science doesn't face the resistance of a theocracy, but a corporatocracy. Deny science to promote profit...tobacco isn't bad and there is no global warming.
Perhaps the reach is greater yet...to stop all form of public discourse that is evidence based, a new alternative reality. A false reality that draws us into more manufactured wars. If you missed the Ben Norton clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gR2vdo-8w (15 min) He makes a compelling argument that our foreign policy is based on destabilizing the world to provide maximum profit for the corporations that extract their resources.
Is growing food the most revolutionary thing you can do? Here's one family's take (15 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9xYPkSjpco
I'm lucky to have more elbow room, but their approach is much like mine...do what you can with what you have to decouple from the corporate system. Working with and in nature has benefits. This week we've been visited by the rose breasted grosbeaks.
I hope your spring is full of blooms and birds. Please share your stories and views below.
Comments
Many clips have transcripts...
I've started linking directly to the Democracy Now and Real News sites which transcribe their interviews. Some of you (like Big Al) prefer reading to listening so I hope you find those links more useful. I know I like the real news transcripts because they often have poor audio quality.
We had an inch of rain last night and it's still raining today. Guess the April showers are doing their thing. Hope you are all having a good Sunday!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks for the transcripts. There are many reasons
for favoring them, IMO, starting with not needing headphones when my wife is in the room trying to do her own thing. Then there's the ability to quote, to deal with interruptions without having to rewind, etc.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
When I started this weekly collection
I went primarily to youtube because that is where I tend to watch these clips. Then I started going directly to Democracy Now in order to catch the broadcast, and it dawned on me those links had transcripts and would be more useful. It seems most folks prefer having the option. I do.
Glad you dropped by.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hey there folks. Conversation about transcripts vs. video
reminded me of the conversation Nader was having about this, in the context that, RW radio and tv shows make no transcripts available. Which I thought was very interesting, and not surprising as yet another clever, sleazy tactic. It's an attempt to obscure from public scrutiny the poisonous bigotry, misinformation and lies their well-paid propagandists spew all day and night in broadcasts that cover the backroads and byways of the country.
It was in that excellent conversation between he, Thomas Frank and Bill Curry you have linked. The beginning, initiated by Nader, really spoke to the elephant in the room that's been there for decades. Which is, that RW domination over the airwaves, and hence their relentless pro-business/capitalism, anti-immigrant/gay/liberal etc propaganda, is probably the biggest problem we face.
Generations of people indoctrinated and calcified into these individualist, self-serving, war-mongering, fear-laden ideals, against the public commons, social programs, egalitarianism, universal healthcare, free higher education, etc. There out there everyday, day in and day out, doing the work of their oligarch masters, keeping the 99% divided and conquered. That is one of the very biggest problems we face.
Good day, fellow C99 truth-seekers, and thanks as always for such a thorough roundup Lookout. I'm out for the day here.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
When dk first posted that link...
I asked about taking over public broadcasting. It really wouldn't take many people. Wouldn't it be great to have that sort of reach to inform and educate.
I think there are 3 Koch appointees currently on the national board, but I think the regional production centers are less infiltrated. It would be an interesting movement...public takes over public broadcasting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
absolutely better to have transcripts
I would be lost without them. It's why I love the Real News and Democracy Now and also Truthdig. I am usually lost if there is only an audio file.
Happy Tax Freedom Day 2017!
https://caucus99percent.com/content/april-23-tax-freedom-day-2017
Good morning, Lookout. Thank you for all your work on this thread. IMO, the writers of open threads and posters like joe shikspak and johnsit make this board exceptional. I don't know how you all do it.
They're using Assange (combined with the memory of 911) to erode the First Amendment, much as they used 911 to do away with the Fourth Amendment, the rights to a speedy trial before a jury of one's peers, a defense attorney, confrontation of witnesses, presumption of innocence, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, etc. By militarizing local police, to get around the spirit of Posse Comitatus Act.
None of this, IMO, was about 911. For example, extraordinary rendition, whereby we offshored tortured to places like Syria, had begun under Reagan, and had been engaged in by ALL his successors.
911 was a sad day for America and the survivors of 911 victims, but it was also a horrific day for the Bill of Rights in that it provided the US government with an excuse to do things it had been doing or had been wanting to do for a long time. And when I say long time, I mean maybe since the Russian revolution, when Wilson passed certain laws using World War I as an excuse. I rather suspect his real target then were the sssssocialistsss who had been stirring up things on behalf of workers since the end of the Civil War and the Communists, who had just taken over Russia.
What was that some colonial preacher said about the arc of the universe being long, but always bending toward justice that both MLK, Jr and President Obama picked up on? Well, maybe. And maybe sometimes it bends toward authoritarian, plutocratic/government wet dreams.
I've been wondering about the 9/11 CT
Here's a 7 min example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRpPtuymV24
If there is any truth to these CTs then the whole thing was a hoax to promote war and limit democracy. Talk about evidence...or lack thereof.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
My post intentionally omitted mention of any 911 theories.
Any mention of 911 theories almost invariably diverts discussion to whether the theories are correct or not. IMO, that subject has been beaten to death for years with no conclusive outcome, much like the even older Kennedy assassination theories. What productive result has come of either of those never-ending battles?
Meanwhile, the battle over the theory obscures the indisputable fact that, regardless of how it came about, peoples' fears generated by 911 and courts' deference to claims of national security have given government a pass on violating the Constitution, not 60 or 16 years ago, but today and going forward.
I am not saying don't discuss 911 or Kennedy theories. I am saying that every mention of Kennedy or 911 does not need to be about theories
Also, I think the left, at least, should give the "weaponized" term "conspiracy theory" a decent burial and let it rest in peace. https://caucus99percent.com/content/theory-conspiracy-theory-or-healthy-...
evidence and discussion have been lacking
A theory has evidence, a hypothesis is conjecture. I'm not sure about the JFK (or MLK) assassination nor am I sure our own government engineered 9/11. However, I think it is worthy of exploration and honest analysis...
That's the issue to me - we don't (as a nation) have honest investigations nor discussions...we don't even have a public platform where honesty is the goal.
As Big Al wrote in his essay, Tillerson says Iran is the primary agent destabilizing the ME and all the press agencies agree...lies paraded as truth with no questioning.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lookout, respectfully, your reply
kind of proved the point made in my first reply to your post about 911 theories.
Also, I didn't suggest never discussing the theories.
no offence taken nor meant
I was trying (ineffectively?) to say we never couch our national conversations around evidence..especially when the ideas are labeled CT - that automatically makes you a nut case.
It becomes automatically dismissed as did the suggestion Saddam didn't have WMD or more recently that Assad didn't gas his people.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I give up.
@Lookout - How come this video was posted in Jan. 2016?
What is said there are very old 'shocking revelations'. I remember the discussions about them from the early days on dailykos in 2004 or 2005. There is nothing new in that video and it is rather badly made.
Why has someone an interest in regurgitating all of it in 2016?
I find it very suspicious if someone makes a "new video" about the 9/11 CTs discussions in 2016. What's the motive? All of it has been done as early as 2004/5. I remember it well, because one of the sources used to explain one of the CTs I found interesting and dared to say so and got immediately criticized and warned by Meteor Blades. I remember I was amazed about it back in the days, because I was very careful in the questions I had, when I heard of it and felt it kind of unfair to shoot me down, just because I had a question. That's a very, very loooong time ago. Today, I think differently about it. May be I got shot down for a reason.
So, why do you post this? What's the motivation?
To suggest how we ignore evidence
It is almost like we are too afraid to look and see what really happened. I was trained as a scientist. I want to have rational conversations using evidence to support and refute ideas. Don't you think we should investigate these stories?
I'm a newbie on the 9/11 CT. I didn't feature it...just asked.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
March for Science but scientific inquiry into 9/11 is off-limits
That’s an “elephant in the room” sized, big fat lack of intellectual honesty, if you ask me.
and my point exactly
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
redacted - nevermind /nt
"What's the motivation?" Coat tails
haha I just realized they have same initials, CT. Anyway, I think it's just youtubers (u2brs) taking advantage of the current zeitgeist of fake news blah blah blah, page views! World + dog uploads a video for any reason at all nowadays. Thanks.
I prefer reading to listening when it comes to interviews.
Purely subjective. Marched for Science yesterday. Worthy effort in spite of the naysayers on here. Thanks, Lookout and Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
good morning
Did you march in DC or did you find a closer venue? I'm thinking you mentioned being in FL?
Thanks for supporting science! I must admit I never thought to see an attack on science...a method of seeking understanding of the world and universe. Findings yes, but the process no. It speaks to the sad state of our devolution.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Just a drop-by to say thank you for your excellent
weekly series; good reading, all.
Thanks...
For dropping by. I enjoy your original poems too! Have a good one.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks...
Drat a double post.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hi Lookout.....
I like the transcripts better too. All the easier to fast forward and skim, my dear.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Hi
Thanks for all your work promoting the site! I hope we're getting more eyes on the insightful perspectives of c99%ers.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Morning Lookout,
Excellent Weekly Watch today. I've been seeing the term "ultra-corporatism" lately, trying to describe the ever increasing hold corporations have on our lives. Not like we weren't warned about this not only by Ike and his MIC speech but by some of the "founders". I think our country has become exactly what many feared.
I've been wondering...
if an anti-corporation movement might be the way to escape the duopoly? Mass education on the ways we are manipulated, used, and abused by the oligarchy. Seems to me like a theme most citizens could see and support.
Thanks for dropping in!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I think pressure on corporations does work.
We've seen it with boycotts where they've changed things because of it. I think the problem is the super or ultra corporations, the conglomerates, like those owning 90% of the media, the oil and gas companies, the big banks, the federal reserve itself. How to get to the real "deep state", the ones who effectively control the government. This certainly is part of the overall strategy.
Have a great day.
I don't think an anti-corporation message alone is effective
First it's the age-old problem of being against something, rather than being for something -- something specific and concrete and directly related to people's lives. Here's the kind of conversational circle it leads to in my experience.
Argument: Corporations are bad for the earth and other living things. They are designed to, and literally required by law to, put profit (increasing shareholder value) above people, including their employees, their customers, and the general well-being of human beings, other animals, and the environment. Executives are paid obscene amounts of money to achieve only one goal: increase the stock price this quarter. By any means necessary. Unrestrained capitalism is killing us all, and bleeding us dry along the way. This must be stopped.
Responses include:
I put jobs on there twice, because that is where this conversation seems to always begin and end.
Any anti-corporate movement or message has to be FOR something, and have an easily explained, clear way of saying what it wants to create, not just to take down something bad.
To get people on this path, I think it's important to be able to express goals. What does the alternative look like? How will it protect and provide jobs, adequate income, and healthcare? What kind of limits on entrepreneurship make sense? What are the specific policy goals that the movement is for -- and how will it help people live better.
Explaining and making more people more aware of the problem is important, but it's not enough by itself to organize a movement around. And the corporate powers will fight back on exactly these weak points, saying anti-corporate ideas are threatening to people's jobs and "freedom" -- and those arguments do work. I've had this discussion with enough people to know how hard this kind of thinking is to get through.
...
worker coops...
worker owned business and more public sector employees is my answer to those questions. Richard Wolff has some good evidence to support them.
However you make a good point we have to be for things instead of just against corporations...
for clean energy, for good schools, for universal health care, for a livable environment, for public spaces, for peace, for clean and accessible public transportation, and on and on...with a national jobs program to provide for those improvements in everyone's life (including the 1%). Paid for by reducing the military budget significantly, taxing fairly, and using savings from a medicare for all system.
I live in very red Alabama. Most people recognize they're being screwed, and it is easy to shift blame...its immigrants, people of color, liberals, unions, and so on. That strategy worked for T-rump. But what if we explain/teach/provide evidence that it's the big corporations causing pain and misery? I think we can agree it really is the corporations particularly the oligarchy (ie media, oil, MIC) that are screwing over people. And that is the point I'm making, it is possible to educate people about who is screwing them. They understand this more easily than the new society described in the previous paragraph.
I agree with your point...at the same time we must also push a positive vision. The real problem is the lack of an honest national platform where these issues are discussed and debated instead of just delivering the same old corporate propaganda.
Thank for your insight and additional thoughts.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
We should begin that conversation talking about worker co-ops.
Just saw your comment, CS, and wanted to at least put out there a few things, without the time to expound more on them.
Jobs right now in our economy are almost overwhelmingly corporations or franchises. Just look around at our main its - decimated by franchise chains. Hardly anything is locally made or owned. All the profits go right out the window, to the corporations headquarters, where the CEO lives off the fat of a sometime 300x more than the average worker salary and, as you mentioned, to the shareholders.
Cooperatives work on the foundation that all workers have the incentive of profit-sharing. Some, like the CEO or whoever else's position is deemed worthy of it, may make a little more, but nothing like the capitalist model. So, for instance if some of the basic necessities were made locally, like pants or underwear or light bulbs, whatever, you'd have local businesses making money in and for their own communities. All these basic necessities are now being outsourced by international conglomerates, who are shirking laws and safety, in order to have the highest production and cheapest costs, which means literally ensuring slave labor in places like SE Asia. Pretty much everyone of our household products are made similarly.
Co-ops, working on the incentive of worker-ownership, would encourage a more vested interest of the employees, a pride in what they do, much different than the cog in the corporate wheel. They'd also be more inclined to make better products that are longer lasting, and would benefit the community at large. You may pay a little more, but in the end it's a much more healthy model for an economy that works for everyone.
Personally, I try never to buy from big box chains, franchises, corpora behemoths, whenever possible. Sometimes because of their absolute dominion it's difficult. But I think a good place to start is to consider every single purchase one makes, including what are the ingredients, where are they coming from, who owns the company and what are their political and social beliefs, etc.
There are plenty of ways to push back or not interact with the strangulating monopolies and corporatization of our lives.
Gar Alperovitz has written a book about this, called "What Then Must We" Do?"
Haven't listened to this completely yet, but Laura Flanders is excellent and she interviews him here:
Also check out Richard Wolff's weekly radio program, called Economic Update, which is also excellent.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
Thank you, Lookout.
I appreciate you doing this.
I'm glad
that you find it useful. Hope you find several links of interest.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
As good as always
Another fine job this Sunday Lookout.
Always appreciated muchly. Thanks
I want a Pony!
It is no fun without readers
So thanks for dropping by.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
That is a message I wish more c99ers would take to heart.
Tips are nice, but comments are the best. You and many others here do a knockout job of writing interesting essays for us to read. A thank you or a hello in comments would be a good way to acknowledge all of the hard work.
I'm doing my best on Social Media. If they click there, they come here. Hopefully, they will sign up and stick around. I do notice new people in comments, so maybe....
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I also like the way we treat each other
that is another aspect of the site that makes it unique and worthwhile. I think JtC has done a fine job setting the tone and creating our home here at c99. If you feel the same way it might be a good time to kick into the kitty (if you can afford it).
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
that EPI article
is stunningly depressing. Wage earners can be expected to get maimed or killed at their jobs with no recourse. This goes a step beyond income inequality towards slave labor.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
seems slavery is where capitalism leads...
in order to maximize profit. It's a disease. It's not that they are losing money, but they aren't making enough profit.
This capitalistic system needs to collapse.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I am glad I am self-employed,
old, and childless. That seems to be the best spin I can put on my station in this life.
You did a great round up today, Lookout.
It isn't possible to OD on Jimmy Dore.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
My comment of late....
is I'm glad I'm in the last quarter of life. We've had some young farmers move into the area and their optimism, dreams, and hopefulness is encouraging. More power to them!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
@Lookout I am glad to hear your
I am glad to hear your new neighbors have hopes and plans.
I represent a young woman in a family law case who wants to be able to move out of state with her child. She and her husband are farmers. They have found a farm to buy in OK. Their enthusiasm is contagious.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
It was in Orlando in the east central part of FL.
I figured it was close to 1000 in attendance, but it was much more than that according to local media. A good 80% were young people. I'm in my mid 60's so do the math.
I agree with you. It's sad that the organized religious yahoos and their demagogic masters are attacking science again. 
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
More power to you
and thanks for supporting science! Glad to hear of all the young folks. The DC march seemed majority young folks too just watching from afar. They also had a rainy march. Hope you had better weather.
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
A beautiful poem
We owe it to the author to keep the same left alignment that she used.
I wonder why poems posted on blogs are always center aligned.
To thine own self be true.
Sorry
you're correct. I guess it is the visual rather than substance that is easy to get carried away. Nice poem anyway.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
thanks for your great Weekly Watch collection
I always wonder how you do all of it? Is that a profession? I can't even read them all and just think I have to archive it somewhere in case I need to look something up.
In any case, thanks. I am looking forward to it each Sunday already.
Still working my way through
Still working my way through the excellent (as always) compilation supplied in the OP, but want to get a quick grouse about once-respected/independent/left publications slanting toward the pits'
Like the curate's egg, some parts of this article were excellent, and thanks for posting it (and the others, of course).
But somehow the Clinton's aren't mentioned in this bit, although even Bernie got dragged in to indirectly imply that he would be just as bad as the rest, since 'the Barrier Reef would have died in a Bernie Sanders administration' despite his (unmentioned) working toward a green-tech changeover? Not even Hillary's global promotion of fracking and the big-dollar transfusion of dead-body fluids from the fossil fuel industry and related polluting interests joined at Hillary's hips?
The - what, advertiser threats? State propaganda? Whatever, it burns...
https://www.thenation.com/article/on-april-29-we-march-for-the-future/
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.