I remember seeing a video of him talking up Corbyn during one of the Labour Party elections.Danny DeVito urges Brits to vote Corbyn
So there you go.
Huh. Libor, the Panama Papers and Cameron? I'm pretty sure that's the same video.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Strike, Day One: The Musical Interlude
No contract, no work!
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Today we held a Mega Public Meeting about dealing with the fallout from Brexit with two speakers - one was from the Labour Party/TUC, and the other was the CPB's International Secretary and Immense Brain, who actually knows about and understands all this stuff, so it was very informative, and enough people turned up and contributed to make it interesting and worthwhile, even though it was pissing it down with rain on the way there and I felt like death because I'd been drinking McEwan's Champion the night before, which always makes me feel grotty.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yesterday was the Boston Rally for Public Education. Four thousand attendees, according to the Boston Globe but I can't see any more articles this month.
Leftist Bingo-wise, it was nice to see our Progressive Labor Party friends from Worcester, Mr. Comrade was invited to address an ANSWER rally today by the comrades at the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the International Socialist Organization was out in force, as were we, along with the comrades from Solidarity and the Revolutionary Communist Party. Didn't see any of the Democratic Socialists of America comrades, but there were, apparently, two AT&T Mobility picket lines within walking distance of the education rally, so I assume they were there (we went to the one in Nashua before getting on the bus in Lowell).
Anyway, a beautiful's summer day, on Boston Commons, surrounded by hundreds of teachers in summer dresses, rompers, and short shorts? Yeah, that was a pretty good day.
Random Leftie Article of the Day
The only science writer that I have more than two books by, I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Professor Gould a couple of times in the nineties, usually while getting his endorsement for various anti-racist demonstrations at Harvard.
More breaking local labor news:
Westinghouse to lock out 172 union members at New Hampshire plant
I think I read about them declaring bankruptcy earlier in the year.
The plant is the infamous "Seabrook" nuclear power plant that so many leftie activists in the area that are ten to twenty years older than I got arrested trying to prevent being built.
Ironically, we're probably going to have to go protest it being closed.
File under "Idiot Identity Politics Run Amok":
Student Group Apologizes for Playing ‘Transphobic’ and ‘Problematic’ Lou Reed Song
File under "Idiot Identity Politics Run Amok":
Student Group Apologizes for Playing ‘Transphobic’ and ‘Problematic’ Lou Reed Song
Duly filed.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
More breaking local labor news:
Westinghouse to lock out 172 union members at New Hampshire plant
I think I read about them declaring bankruptcy earlier in the year.
The plant is the infamous "Seabrook" nuclear power plant that so many leftie activists in the area that are ten to twenty years older than I got arrested trying to prevent being built.
Ironically, we're probably going to have to go protest it being closed.
Califoirnia:
Noose discovery at Port of Oakland prompts longshoremen walk-out
New Hampshire:
Tell ICE: Keep Indonesian Families Together
Vigil in front of the federal building Tuesday morning.
Hee hee!
After the comrades twenty plus hour trek to summer camp, I just got a text from Mr. Comrade complaining that it isn't a camp at all, but a "Bible college."
"Praise Jesus!" I replied.
And now he's learned that he can't smoke on campus.
Glad I stayed home to take care of the pets.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Not only have charter school teachers formed a union, they're about to go out on strike
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Huzzah!
The article I posted about it in the US Education thread said this was the third time charter school teachers in Chicago have threatened to strike in eight months. Different school each time, I believe. I remember one where they were planning on going out in conjunction with the CTU; posted about it at the time. Don't remember at the moment what the third one was.
Two other labor articles:
Quebec: All-out construction workers' strike launched
Although I just saw a headline that they went back to the table.
And one about the Indian autoworkers that Comrade Longears mentioned earlier:
13 Union Militants Sentenced to Life
India: Free Maruti Suzuki Union Leaders!
Not only have charter school teachers formed a union, they're about to go out on strike
First Charter School Teacher Strike in U.S. History Narrowly Averted by Last-Minute Agreement
Which is a revision of the article reprinted in Salon, but, oddly, the tentative agreement was Thursday morning, before Salon ran the first edition.
Stayed on the internet until past midnight my time to post this:
Random Leftie Article of the Day
The revolutionary origins of Memorial Day and its political hijacking
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
William Darity Jr. A Revolution of Managers
He has an interesting perspective on postmodern capitalism and neolibralism. He posits a third class, neither capital nor labor:
The managerial class comprises the intelligentsia and intellectuals, artists and artisans, as well as state bureaucrats—a credentialed or portfolio-rich cultural aristocracy.<snip>The rise of the managerial class is the rise to dominance of unproductive labor—labor that can be socially valuable but is not a direct source of profit.
He argues: Suppose, indeed, that the age of capitalism is actually reaching its conclusion—but one that doesn’t involve the ascension of the working class.
And then concludes
To the extent that identification of the surplus population is racialized, particular groups will be targets for social warehousing and extermination. The disproportionate overincarceration of black people in the United States—a form of social warehousing—is a direct expression of the managerial class’s preferences regarding who should be deemed of low necessity.
To the extent that identification of the surplus population is racialized, particular groups will be targets for social warehousing and extermination. The disproportionate overincarceration of black people in the United States—a form of social warehousing—is a direct expression of the managerial class’s preferences regarding who should be deemed of low necessity.
My favorite webcomic does some of my favorite French philosophers in one of my favorite TV shows:
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ah, that lesson in philosophy class, after a year of reading about people who failing to prove God's existence in ever more convoluted logical knots and you get to Sartre who actually has something interesting to say.
New Hampshire:Tell ICE: Keep Indonesian Families Together
Vigil in front of the federal building Tuesday morning.
Well, I am glad I randomly re-checked their FB event page because it's next Tuesday, not tomorrow.
Which is awesome, because we're expecting a double-digit hour day tomorrow to make up for today's holiday and I wasn't looking forward to an early morning protest before work.
Ah, that lesson in philosophy class, after a year of reading about people who failing to prove God's existence in ever more convoluted logical knots and you get to Sartre who actually has something interesting to say.
'S true. I'm an interesting guy.
William Darity Jr. A Revolution of Managers
He has an interesting perspective on postmodern capitalism and neolibralism. He posits a third class, neither capital nor labor:
The managerial class comprises the intelligentsia and intellectuals, artists and artisans, as well as state bureaucrats—a credentialed or portfolio-rich cultural aristocracy.<snip>The rise of the managerial class is the rise to dominance of unproductive labor—labor that can be socially valuable but is not a direct source of profit.He argues: Suppose, indeed, that the age of capitalism is actually reaching its conclusion—but one that doesn’t involve the ascension of the working class.
And then concludes
To the extent that identification of the surplus population is racialized, particular groups will be targets for social warehousing and extermination. The disproportionate overincarceration of black people in the United States—a form of social warehousing—is a direct expression of the managerial class’s preferences regarding who should be deemed of low necessity.** spoiler omitted **...
I came across that in a book called 'Between Capital and Labour', which I think Pathfinder Press put out.
My difficulty with it is that it seems to let the people right at the top off the hook - echoes of 'If the Good Tsar knew what these officials are doing in his name, he'd put a stop to it right away!' (After all, if this is a managerial class, on whose behalf are they managing?)
However, I expect his analysis goes beyond that, and I haven't read the article yet.
Is that the Barbara Ehrenreich and hubby book? If so, I doubt it was Pathfinder (unless there's a British Pathfinder Press; Pathfinder in the US is the press of the SWP while Babs is strictly DSA).
I don't have any particular thoughts on the "managerial class" (which, speaking of the SWP, one of their renegades, James Burnham wrote The Managerial Revolution on his way from communism to co-founding The National Review with William Buckley), but I full-heartedly concur with Darity's point about a racialized reserve army of the unemployed and mass incarceration.
Although, now that I re-read it closer, I don't think I noticed the distinction he drew between how capital treats the reserve army and how the managerial class does and now that I do notice it, I'm not sure what I think of it.
Heh. I had clicked on the link before, but hadn't actually scrolled down to Darity's bit and saw both Ehrenreich and Burnham's name.
Anyway, found another article to go along with it:
Random Leftie Article of the Day
A Call on NYC Labor to Mobilize
Against June 10 Anti-Muslim Hate Rally
According to the headlines I perused after my gruelling post-Decoration Day return to work, a civic strike in Colombia has resulted in the government agreeing to invest ten million dollars in the community, Spanish taxi drivers have gone on strike to protest Uber and the Palestinian hunger strike has ended after Israel acceded to some of their demands.
Huzzah! (although I didn't read the news very closely, just skimmed the headlines)
A Principal Is Accused of Being a Communist, Rattling a Brooklyn School
From earlier last month, but posting now because La Principessa posted some pictures from a rally in Bloomberg's defense yesterday.
She's also doing a presentation on Bloomberg's case as part of her union caucus' presentation at Left Forum.
She's also told me stories about Bloomberg's Park Slope school over the past couple of years. It even was mentioned as an example of the tide of yuppie gentrifier racism in New York in one of those articles calling out Hollaback's racist anti-street harassment video that I posted however many years ago that was.
Fund started for locked-out Westinghouse workersMore breaking local labor news:
Westinghouse to lock out 172 union members at New Hampshire plant
I think I read about them declaring bankruptcy earlier in the year.
The plant is the infamous "Seabrook" nuclear power plant that so many leftie activists in the area that are ten to twenty years older than I got arrested trying to prevent being built.
Ironically, we're probably going to have to go protest it being closed.
As June is the month for area Pride events, we're going to revive my dreams of attempts re-living Pride and collect money for the locked out Boilermakers.
Mr. Comrade and Young Gay Autistic Comrade are planning on going topless (Mr. Comrade will wear a tanktop) with hardhats as part of the fundraising effort.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
On the picket line for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 651, I sidled up to a couple of brothers (I didn't notice, but Mr. Comrade later said, "Did you see their shirts?" "No." "They had a stylized Roman eagle on them, except iron") and asked if they had any leaflets. "We're thinking of taking them back to the Merrimack Valley and doing fundraising at local labor and Pride events." The brother nodded, thanked us and passed us along to his local president and then the state AFL-CIO head. Gave the same pitch, but, alas, they didn't have any leaflets.
Later, I say to Mr. Comrade, "Well, they gave us the go ahead." "And they didn't even bat an eye!" "Pfft, I don't think they knew what we meant." "Oh, aren't you judgy? That boilermaker had a tongue ring!"
Anyway, getting ready to spring our "Queer Communists for Boilermakers" campaign. Last night while I was at work, the comrades made a bunch of new signs, my favorite being: Queer Liberation Is Class Struggle. I think Young Gay Autistic Comrade's Sugar Daddy came up with that one.
$92.50, which for an event attended by about 300 people isn't too bad for three hour's haul.
If only we could do it every day, like in the movie...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
I'm picturing a bunch of guys at a bar drinking shots with beer chasers: Boilermaker.
I did try and convince the comrades that we should serve "Boilermakers for Boilermakers!" but something about bourgeois legality and liquor licensing...
Anyway, this morning there was an article announcing that they went back to work, so I hurriedly sent in the money to the fundraiser page. Can't imagine the terms were any good. Apparently, according to one of the workers, whoever acquired Westinghouse, the CEO gave himself a $17 million dollar bonus and then declared bankruptcy.
Now we don't know what to do for the rest of the month's Pride events.
:(
Huh, didn't even realize we made Democracy Now!
New Hampshire Faith Leaders Hold Vigil to Support Immigrants at Mass ICE Check-in
While awaiting word from across the pond about how the Jezzer fared,
Prominent American Cliffite in the News
DON’T EXPECT LIBERALISM TO COME TO THE DEFENSE OF KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA TAYLOR
Results should start coming in around midnight, by which time I shall be asleep, so you'll probably learn before I do whether or not we have, in the words of the 'Daily Mail', 'Britain's first Marxist government'
Which is a very funny joke indeed.
Hour and a half, Mr. Comrade just read off his smartphone.
In other news,
MIT janitor and SEIU member faces deportation
Was gonna go to sleep, but the progressive Brit part of my twitter exploded when the first exit poll was published, so I guess I'll be up until it's time to start delivering tomorrow's papers.
Oh, this has been beautiful!
Not quite the Red Tsunami I was hoping for, but still enough of a humiliation for the Tories to do me a fairly significant happy.
Random Leftie Article of the Day
A Call on NYC Labor to Mobilize
Against June 10 Anti-Muslim Hate Rally
Yesterday, the day before?, we learned that there was a similar "anti-sharia" demo in Boston. Consensus is that none of the far right watchers knew about it, so they must have just announced it.
Also turns out today is Boston Pride, which also caught us by surprise. I had looked it up and could have sworn it was the 24th, which is also when Lowell Pride and Seacoast (NH) Pride is. Anyway, apparently Pride is centered around Copley Square and the Proud Boys are rallying at Park Street. Doesn't sound great.
But regardless, I'm not going. I'm doing this work six-days-a-week thing, at least until summer is over. Also, we are having a graduation party for Ex-High School Student Comrade who will now leave our lives as she spends the summer with family in Georgia and then proceeds to start her collegiate career at American University in Washington, D.C.
Watching them grow up is so bittersweet.
Anyway, next weekend, Mr. Comrade is planning a fundraiser party in honor of Juneteenth. He plans on procuring a Confederate flag and raffling off tickets at $5 a pop for a chance to burn it.
I was a little hesitant about the ethics of such a plan, but I conferred with Ex-High School Student Comrade, Mr. Comrade's new girlfriend, and the other people of color in my immediate circle and they gave it the thumbs up.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
a similar "anti-sharia" demo in Boston. Consensus is that none of the far right watchers knew about it, so they must have just announced it.
The National Lawyers Guild has been organizing legal observer teams to attend these demonstrations.
But they've also been doing it quietly
Information about sharing this event:
This event is private because we don't want to unwittingly spread word about the anti-Muslim event. But PLEASE share widely. Invite all your friends. Just know that you will be unable to share it publicly.
ACT for America Stages Marches Against ‘Sharia Law’ Nationwide, Arrests Made
No mention of Boston, so I guess I didn't miss much.
Graduation party/send-off was a success; Ex-High School Student Comrade scored a copy of the China Miéville history of the Russian Revolution mentioned somewhere above, Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, as Narrated by Herself and A Love Supreme on vinyl which made her very happy, indeed.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Awww, thanks for the words, Citizen Terquem!
I don't know. Comrade Anklebiter's Fun-Timey Revolutionary Socialism Thread has survived all politroll bans thus far [knocks on wood] and I can't believe that a poster as good-natured as yourself could ever get a thread locked.
