star trek socialists

I found this article questioning when the Federation in Star Trek became socialist. In a lot of ways the author complains how such a system being portrayed might give people the wrong idea of where the future is headed and even goes as far as stating that if a pop culture icon had portrayed a fascist government that did not show loss of personal freedoms or oppression, it would have been ridiculed. It becomes clear that the author really has no understanding of what a socialist system is and how it operates. I'm not even clear if the Federation is a true socialist system, since of all the topics Star Trek covers, politics is one it rarely goes into.

The author is under the impression that state controlled industry constitutes a socialist system. Socialism is a bottom up political system, where production, industry, distribution and land are owned by the people. Industry is controlled by workers, and decisions are made through councils in which representatives can be instantly recalled if they are not acting in the will of the people. Systems in the Soviet Union, Cuba, and most other "socialist" countries are really systems of state capitalism, where a small group of individuals who control the government control business and industry. Both these nations started with socialist revolutions that quickly turned into state capitalist systems for reasons I won't get into here. The truth is it's difficult to criticize a capitalist system for not working because there has never been a functioning one for any lengthy period of time. Of course a functioning socialist system has the same problems as a functioning democracy in where it relies on an educated populous to keep the power so it does not get consolidated into the hands of an elite few.

In The Next Generation Jean Luc Picard states that humanity has evolved beyond money. All needs are provided for the people. No one is homeless or poor regardless of their situation. The thing that was never made clear is if industry is worker controlled. The show only focuses on Starfleet, a military organization, which is top down in its structure very much like our current military system. The show rarely goes into civilian aspects of life and to my knowledge doesn't address the political structure of the Federation. How are leaders chosen? How is industry controlled? All that is known is that resources are plentiful so everyone gets what they need. It could be a representative democracy, where similarly to our government, politicians are elected by the people, who in effect make decisions on industry and production. Or maybe Starfleet itself controls these things. All that is known is that the corporate capitalist system that is responsible for much of the worlds problems today has been eliminated.

Even before being exposed to Marx and Engels I adopted their view that society would eventually evolve into a socialist system. Through a historical view the average citizens standard of living and education has risen and their freedoms increased. If this trend continues eventually citizens will take power of their government and a socialist system will be created. I do not know when humanity as a whole will be civilized enough for this model to work, but I see it happening one day. If the author of this article really had an understanding of socialism maybe he wouldn't be complaining so much how a TV show can show such an example of this system.

don't be fooled by the CA special election: vote NO

The other day I decided to read up on the propositions for the California Special Election being held Tuesday May 19th. You can read the propositions here:

Proposition 1A
Proposition 1B
Proposition 1C
Proposition 1D
Proposition 1E
Proposition 1F

I couldn't believe what I was reading. It truly reads like a scam. I spoke to a few people who had read over the propositions and they agreed with me. The state senate and assembly have voted near unilaterally for these propositions when all they do is CUT SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION! Let's look at the propositions. Remember, this is only my interpretation and opinion of these propositions and I offer it as a recommendation. Read the propositions yourself, do some research and make up your mind.

1A: vote NO. This proposition makes the budget more complicated, extends the current temporary tax increases another two years, and gives the governor authority to make cost-of-living adjustments without the legislature.

1B: vote YES. The reason I say to vote yes on this one is that it only applies with 1A passes. If 1A passes it guarantees a certain amount of funds from 1A to be used for education. I heard this one only appeared on the ballot as a compromise with the teachers unions. Tying this to 1A is not the way to restore funding to legislature and this measure is a way to push people to vote for 1A.

1C: vote NO. Currently lottery funds must be used for education. This proposition would allow the state to borrow $5 billion from lottery funds and would allow them to borrow more in the future. In effect this is a cut to education. From the proposition text: "These changes also would affect both the funding of educational institutions and the state General Fund."

1D: vote NO. This proposition sells itself that it "[p]rovides more than $600 million to protect children's programs in difficult economic times." It's this kind of deception that is so sickening with this special election. In reality this significantly cuts money from the First 5 program that helps with school readiness and health access for children, along with giving county funds that could be used for substance abuse and mental health services, providing basic family needs, child development and child health. This is funded by tobacco taxes. The proposition would deeply cut these services and the proposal does not mention how this $600 million would protect children's programs.

1E: vote NO. Similar to 1D, this one cuts mental health programs. Due to these cuts state and local governments "could incur added costs for homeless shelters, social service programs, medical care, law enforcement, and county jail and state prison operations." That's directly from the proposition text. Some of this funding is also matched federally, so those federal funds would be lost as well.

1F: vote NO. Proposition 1F claims to prevent many state officials from receiving pay raises when the budget is in a deficit. I was unclear on this one and did some further reading and found out that this is not the way to do this. It should be fishy enough that it received unanimous agreement from the senate and assembly. It creates an illusion that the government is being responsible with their own funds.

The truth is other than 1C (that borrows $5 billion from the lottery) these propositions to little to close the budget gap. They are just a way to cut social services from those that need them most. Why not raise taxes on the rich or cut one of many programs that are actually not needed. If these proposals pass, it is just a way for the legislature to put blame on the voters when the truth of these is discovered. Don't be fooled and remember to VOTE!

Obama won't prosecute Bush officials on torture and the reason why

White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel has announced that the administration will not prosecute Bush officials that authorized torture. When the torture memos were released a few weeks ago Obama stated, "it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice that they will not be subject to prosecution." With that statement some still had a hope that those authorizing the torture would be prosecuted for breaking the law.

Now the reason for the Obama administration's hesitation comes to light. Under President Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder authorized the CIA's rendition program as Clinton's deputy attorney general. The rendition program moved suspected terrorists from one country to another that cooperated with the U.S. If the Obama administration were to pursue criminal action on the Bush administration democrats under Clinton could easily be brought into the prosecution. Another interesting detail mentioned in that article is that Obama signed an executive order on January 22 allowing rendition despite condemnation around the world.

On another note, a prison in northeastern Poland was used as a transfer note for terrorist suspects. But this isn't a surprise since the Polish government is always sucking up to the U.S.


In another scary move, the Obama legal team is asking the Supreme Court to overrule a law that gives defendants' the right to a lawyer before police questioning. Most of the troubling decisions from the Obama administration lately have come from the Department of Justice. An explanation may be that Republicans are blocking Obama's choice for his choice for the Office of Legal Council. I don't know what the relation of the OLC to the DOJ is, but this could be part of the reason for some of the administrations decisions.


On the environmental front, the current administration is still doing things to upset activists. They have decided to stick with the Bush-era decision to not allow the Endangered Species Act to be used to impose limits on greenhouse gases. Business groups had expressed concern regarding the ESA to be used to impose the limits, so business got their way.


My friend Max posted an interesting connection relating the world of Dune to the past two administrations. In Dune, first a cruel and evil nephew gets put into power, who the people hate and detest. Then the plan is to replace him with the good, fair nephew that the people will love. Interesting thing to think about.

Obama administration says two-state solution only solution

The Obama administration has announced that a two-state solution is the only solution between Israel and Palestine. White House chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel also told Jewish leaders in Washington that if Israel wants help defusing an Iranian threat they must get ready to evacuate settlements in the West Bank. Israel's new government has backed the two-state proposal although the new conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Natenyah is not supportive of the idea of a Palestinian state. In a surprise to me the AIPAC, the huge Jewish lobby in Washington, which is in a large part responsible for the $2.5 billion given to Israel in aid each year, is urging members of congress to do support the two-state solution. The AIPAC has historically been a deterrent of the peace process.

This is hopefully a welcome change, but a two-state solution can still work favorably to Israel while keeping the West Bank and especially Gaza in a state of poverty that will further fuel violence. At that point the argument will be that the Palestinians were given their own nation yet they are still fighting and inciting violence. The United States and Israel have always stood in the way of the UN peace resolutions (wish I had a source for this, but Noam Chomsky has debated and cited this fact many times). I'm skeptical of things all of a sudden getting fixed that Obama is in town, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, violence is still prevalent in the border regions. An independent photo journalist caught these shocking photographs of the Israeli Defense Force killing Basem Abu Rahmeh while peacefully protesting. He was killed by the same type of high speed gas canister that critically injured U.S. citizen Tristan Anderson in a similar situation a month ago.

the cause of swine flu

I was going to avoid discussing the swine flu since everyone has clearly gotten enough of the media frenzy. I haven't seen any of the media coverage on it, but I doubt they are investigating the cause of the phenomenon. Organic Consumers Association explains how factory farming around the world creates the perfect situation for viruses like these to mutate:

Experts have been warning for years that the rise of large-scale factory farms in North America has created the perfect breeding grounds for the emergence and spread of new highly-virulent strains of influenza. "Because concentrated animal feeding operations tend to concentrate large numbers of animals close together, they facilitate rapid transmission and mixing of viruses," said scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2006.

[...]

It's the same story with bird flu. The crowded and unsanitary conditions of the farms make it possible for the virus to recombine and take on new forms very easily. Once this happens, the centralised nature of the industry ensures that the disease gets carried far and wide, whether by feces, feed, water or even the boots of workers.

The proximity of factory pig farms to factory poultry farms increase the risk of viral mutation and recombination to deadlier strains. This recent strain is believed to have started in a subsidy of Smithfield farms, the worlds largest pork producer. These companies use their power and money to cover these things up.

A couple of years ago in Romania, Smithfield refused to let local authorities enter its pig farms after residents complained of the stench coming from hundreds of dead corpses of pigs left rotting for days at the farms. "Our doctors have not had access to the American [company's] farms to effect routine inspections," said Csaba Daroczi, assistant director at the Timisoara Hygiene and Veterinary Authority. "Every time they tried, they were pushed away by the guards. Smithfield proposed that we sign an agreement that would oblige us to warn them three days before each inspection." Eventually, it emerged that Smithfield had been concealing a major outbreak of classical swine fever on its Romanian farms.

There is also the fact that pharmaceutical companies benefit from these situations. The U.S. government has allowed antivirals such as Tamiflu and Relaxin to be used more widely on flu sufferers. The article has many citations and links for additional information.

The WHO and governments have failed to regulate factory farming and the problems they have caused. In addition to these outbreaks, the animals are never humanely treated and are injected with antibiotics and other chemicals that are bad for your health. It's up to us to make a stand. Tell President Obama and Secretary Tom Vilsack investigate Smithfield close down factory farms.


UPDATE: Scientists have traced the current swine flu to a strain that emerged on U.S. factory farms in 1998.

democrazy now interview with senator russ feingold

We need more people in Congress like this guy. Always taking the lead on doing the right thing

Bail Out Working People -- NOT the Banks!

I'll be going so let me know if you want to join me for this.

====================================================

Join us on May 9 in San Francisco for a
TEACH-IN & MASS MOBILIZATION PLANNING MEETING

Without joining together for our common interests, we don't have the strength to change our government's priorities. We must begin to build a massive movement that will have the power to impact government policy and give people genuine hope for a better future.

Help organize a mass mobilization and ongoing action campaign around the following demands:

- No layoffs. Massive job-creation program.
- Tax the rich.
- Pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
- Single-payer healthcare for all.
- Affordable housing for all. Tenants' rights. Moratorium on foreclosures & evictions.
- Funding for jobs and for social services & infrastructure -- NOT for war.
- Stop the ICE raids and deportations. Legalization for all!

Speakers:

- Art Pulaski, Secretary-Treasurer, California Federation of Labor;
- N'tanya Lee, Executive Director, Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth;
- Mark Dudzic, National Organizer, Labor for Single Payer Healthcare Campaign (Washington, D.C.);
- Rosie Martinez, SEIU Local 721 (Los Angeles);
- Steve Williams, Executive Director, POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights);
- Conny Ford, Vice President, San Francisco Labor Council;
- Clarence Thomas, ILWU Local 10;
- Jack Rasmus, Professor of economics St. Mary's College and Santa Clara Univ.;
- Alan Benjamin, Executive Committee, San Francisco Labor Council and Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign;
-Josh Nielsen, President, Student Council, City College of San Francisco

ALSO:

Extended remarks from Bay Area labor and community leaders -- and ample time for dialogue among teach-in participants.

AND:

Spoken Word performance by YOUNG PLAYAZ

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2009 - 1 to 5 p.m.
(registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Plumbers Hall,
1621 Market St. @ Franklin St.
(3 blocks from Civic Station BART stop; @ Van Ness MUNI stop)
San Francisco

Initiated by the San Francisco Labor Council, South Bay Labor Council, North Bay Labor Council, San Mateo Labor Council, and Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign

Donations will be requested at door to defray cost of renting the hall, printing leaflets and posters, and copying teach-in packets for all participants. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Endorsers: AFT Local 2121; ANSWER Coalition; Bay Area Labor Committee for Peace and Justice; Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists; Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center; Black&Brown Equitable Drug Policies Collective; California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee; Chinese Progressive Association; Code Pink: Council of Community Housing Organizations; Day Labor Program; Dolores Street Community Services; Education Not Incarceration, SF Chapter; El Organizador; Frente de Mexicanos en el Exterior; Green Party of California; Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club; Housing Justice; Idriss Stelley Action & Resource Center; International Action Center (LA and San Diego); International Socialist Organization; Labor and Community Studies, City College of San Francisco; LaborFest; LAGAI - Queer Insurrection and Gabriela Network; May 1st Alliance for Land, Work and Power; Meikeljohn Civil Liberties Institute; Movimiento por una Amnistía Incondicional; Mujeres Unidas y Activas; National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW); Oakland Education Association; Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 3; People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER); Sacramento LCLAA; Scientists without Borders; SF ACORN; SF Gray Panthers; SF LCLAA; SF Peace and Freedom Party; SF Unitarian Universalists for Peace; SF Web Pressmen & Prepress Workers Local 4N GCC-IBT; SFSU Labor Studies; Single Payer Now; Socialist Action; Socialist Organizer; Solidarity; South of Market Community Action Network; St. Peter's Housing Committee; Tenderloin Neighborhood Housing Development; United Public Workers For Action; US Federation of Scholars and Scientists; Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club; and Workers Action. (list compiled as of 4/21/09)

********************


Call for May 9 Teach-In:
Bail Out Working People, NOT the Banks!

The severity of the economic crisis we are currently facing is predicted to rival the magnitude of the Great Depression. Some say it could be even worse. Over 6 million jobs have already been eliminated since the current recession began. Millions of working people have lost their homes to foreclosures and evictions, and many more homes are in or near default, while housing remains unaffordable to millions of people. The ranks of those without health insurance continue to grow. But even these statistics fail to reflect the growing insecurity and stress of working people across the country as we wonder when we, too, might be next.

Meanwhile, the federal government has showered billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars on financial institutions in the form of bailouts. In other words, working people, who are bearing the brunt of the crisis, are being required to shoulder an additional burden. Our tax dollars are being funneled to the very financial institutions and wealthy investors whose reckless gambling in pursuit of unbridled profit was responsible for driving the economy over the cliff. They have refused to say what they've done with trillions. Worse still, to emphasize their contempt for public opinion, these priests of high finance have spent some of the bailout money on huge bonuses, office decorations and the purchase of more CEO jets.

In response to this unprecedented crisis, many organizations have emerged that are addressing specific issues. Some are fighting foreclosures. Others are fighting for a single-payer healthcare system that would guarantee health coverage for everyone. Still others are pressing for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which, if passed, will greatly facilitate the ability to form unions.

Although our problems take many forms, most of them stem from a single source. During the past three decades, the inequality in wealth has surged to historic proportions not seen since the 1920s. The hourly wage of working people has actually declined, forcing many additional family members into the workforce just to make ends meet. Aggressive campaigns by employers have created additional barriers to unionizing, resulting in a sharp decline in the percentage of unionized workers. Without unions, workers have not had the means to struggle successfully for higher wages, healthcare coverage, pensions and other benefits.

Given these conditions, can there be any wonder that we have a housing crisis and a healthcare crisis? And during this same period, the taxes on corporations and on the rich in general have dramatically declined, thereby accelerating the accumulation of unprecedented wealth, on the one hand, and the decline of tax dollars for public infrastructure and services, on the other.

In order to have any chance of altering these trends, given the magnitude of the crisis we confront and the forces we're up against, we need to come together, unite all our separate organizations and mount a collective struggle around our common concerns. Without joining together for our common interests, we don't have the strength to change our government's priorities. Only in this way can we begin to build a massive movement that will have the power to impact government policy and give people genuine hope for a better future.

We working people constitute the vast majority of the population. We need to ensure that our society operates in the interests of the majority. But we can only succeed if we stand together in solidarity with each other's demands and struggles.

The goal of the May 9 teach-in is to inspire other teach-ins. It is aimed at organizing massive Solidarity DAYS OF ACTION in support of our common demands. By bringing huge numbers of people together in common actions, people will realize through their own experience that they do not stand alone, and they will gain the confidence that by uniting we can begin to exercise real power.

- Join us and help build a movement.
- Together we can prevail.
- An Injury to One Is an Injury to All!

where i've been

California Vipassana Meditation Center

children tortured under bush administration

In a positive step the Obama administration has released four Bush administration memos sanctioning torture. Attorney General Eric Holder has stated that low-level CIA personnel will not be charged for the crimes. There was no mention of pressing charges on those that sanctioned the torture. "This is a time for reflection, not retribution," President Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "I respect the strong views and emotions that these issues evoke. We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history. But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past."

In a "Special Comment" on his show Countdown, Keith Olbermann says the president is wrong. "Mr. Obama deserves our praise and our thanks for that," Olbermann stated. "And yet he has gone but half-way. And, in this case, in far too many respects, half the distance is worse than standing still." Olbermann responds to Obama's comments, "Mr. President, you are wrong. What you describe would be not "spent energy" but catharsis."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The memos released included the tactic of placing insects in a closed box as a form of torture. A following CIA memo released claimed the method was never used, but it supports claims that insect torture was used on the children of the alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. It is not known if insect torture was used on the children, but according to Human Rights Watch, the children, then aged seven and nine, were captured and held in Pakistan while being questioned about their father's whereabouts for four months. Let me reiterate that; a seven and nine year old child were held by U.S. authorities for four months while being questions. Reports indicate they were placed in cramped cells where they did not have room to stand up or stretch their feet. I hope this is investigated and those responsible for this are heavily prosecuted because this goes beyond anything that has come out of the war on terror so far.


Here are a few more bits from the past days' news. The New York Times' James Risen stated independent oversight of the NSA's wiretapping program "doesn't really exist." Additionally there were efforts to monitor a U.S. congressman without a court approval while on an overseas trip. Congress has said they will launch an investigation under claims by the Department of Justice that the NSA broke the law.


A post-mortem examination on Ian Tomlinson, who was thought to have died of a heart attack after being shoved by London Police during the G20 protests has found that he really died from abdominal bleeding. This shows that the man, who was not a protester, but simply walking home was killed by police.


Pirate Bay operators were sentenced a year in prison by Swedish courts. They will appeal and as of last night Pirate Bay was still operational. With the ruling the Swedish Pirate Party is exploding with new membership.


A study has linked child obesity to chemicals found in plastics.


On a lighter note, snakes on a plane!

not the Obama we elected

I found a very well written article by Salon's Glenn Greenwald that addresses the things I've been covering the past few weeks with the Obama administration. It gives an all encompassing explanation of what has happened with the administration trying to invoke the "state secrets" argument regarding the NSA wiretapping cases and taking it a step further, and the prison in Bagram, Afghanistan that is becoming a worse version of Guantanamo. Please read it and pass it along. Obama was elected on the basis that he would fight these issues not embrace them. From the beginning of the article:

In the last week alone, the Obama DOJ (a) attempted to shield Bush's illegal spying programs from judicial review by (yet again) invoking the very "state secrets" argument that Democrats spent years condemning and by inventing a brand new "sovereign immunity" claim that not even the Bush administration espoused, and (b) argued that individuals abducted outside of Afghanistan by the U.S. and then "rendered" to and imprisoned in Bagram have no rights of any kind -- not even to have a hearing to contest the accusations against them -- even if they are not Afghans and were captured far away from any "battlefield." These were merely the latest -- and among the most disturbing -- in a string of episodes in which the Obama administration has explicitly claimed to possess the very presidential powers that Bush critics spent years condemning as radical, lawless and authoritarian.

The Obama administration has declined to comment on the "state secrets" legislation introduced by democrats in the Senate that would roll back the use of this argument. The administration is still embracing this argument to protect the Bush's administration illegal wiretapping program.

The administration is also considering whether to fully release details on torture methods used under the Bush administration and the ACLU fears the administration maydestroy evidence of torture under the Bush administration.

I am not aware of any campaigns that are pressing Obama to reverse the trend he's going in on these topics. If you know of one please let me know. Obama should be held accountable for holding the opposite of positions he held during the campaign.


It's not only in the the States where this shit is happening. In the UK police pre-emptively raided climate change protesters. More...