Tidbits - September 30, 2010 * Re: Join the Socialist Contingent on October 2 - Socialists Don't Necessarily Agree (Carl Davidson and Daniel Berger) * Re: The Great Divergence and the Death of Organized Labor (Cyril Robinson) * Emergency in Ecuador (Alfredo Lopez) * It's Time We Drop the I-Word! (Rinku Sen) * Pacifica National Board Members Demand Purge of Dissenting KPFA Staff (Jon Fromer) * International Law & the United States- Principles & Practice: The Evidence that US Elected Officials, Employees & Contractors Have Broken & Continue to Break International Law. )Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY) * Turning Park51 Into a Teachable Moment: Curriculum Guide and Fact Sheets for Middle Schools and, High Schools ========== * Re: Join the Socialist Contingent on October 2 - Socialists Don't Necessarily Agree What most interesting about this socialist contingent is the subtext. It's not really interested in uniting socialists at this march, but dividing them, not only from each other but from their closer allies, such as the labor unions and civil rights groups. In this case, to join their contingent, you have to agree with the notion that it doesn't matter to us whether the GOP and the far right sweeps the 2010 elections. Not only that, but if you do think it matters, then there's something wrong with you. So thanks, but no thanks. Even though I'm socialist to the core, I'll find another contingent--jobs not war, windmill not weapons, out now! Something along those lines. But I am a critic of the 'One Nation' theme. I'd say we have two Americas--the America of Empire vs. the America of popular democracy. But it's not something I'll get into a tizzy over. It's the American of popular democracy that's being assembled here, regardless of the packaging, and I'm quite pleased with it. Carl Davidson === You are theoretically correct but you are reducing the Democratic vote. The Socialists and Communists couldn't unite against the Nazis and look what happened. Daniel Berger ========== * Re: The Great Divergence and the Death of Organized Labor What you say about Taft-Hartley is correct but T-H could not have passed if it had not been preceded by an anti-communist drive 1930-1950s. Communists were the best organizers and the most hard-working and dedicated union members and officers. AFL-CIO cooperated in the outing of CP members. Once these people were out of unions, much of the militancy disappeared and unions organizers became business agents. See my forthcoming book, to be published by Prager Press later this year, Marching with Dr.King, the biography of Ralph Helstein, a Jewish lawyer who became president of the United Packinghouse Union of America (UPWA), and led them in a struggle for the rights of blacks and women. Cyril Robinson ========== * Emergency in Ecuador There's a coup attempt underway in Ecuador. Because of its borders and the political perspective of its fairly recent government, this is a major one for us. It was a direct, physical attack on the President there and the take-over of many institutions. The mainstream media positions it as a protest over wages, etc. but that's garbage: this is am attempted coup and you just know our own government is lurking somewhere in the background. Here's the BBC link to the story and you can probably search for more. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11447519 [Moderator's Note: this post is part of a separate Portside post of tonight, "Coup Attempt in Ecuador.] We also need to respond and we'll communicate on any response campaigns upcoming but let's all keep an eye out for that. Abrazos, Alfredo Lopez Co-Director May First/People Link Growing Networks to Build a Just World http://mayfirst.org Chair -- Information Communications and Technology Working Group United State Social Forum 2010 http://ussf2010.org ========== * It's Time We Drop the I-Word! Dear colleagues, allies and friends, Today we are excited to announce the launch of Drop the I- Word, a national public education campaign focused on eradicating the racial slur "illegals" from media use and public discourse. < http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xscbA0lgQ7hcb%2FzD%2FX%2BXQxYxk%2FjmzVvi> The i-word is a damaging term that divides and dehumanizes communities and is used to discriminate against immigrants and people of color. It is shorthand for "illegal alien," "illegal immigrant" and other racially charged terms. This campaign is an extension of the work of the Applied Research Center and ColorLines.com, to popularize racial justice and give people the tools they need to make structural changes together. This is a cross-generational, multiracial initiative aimed at raising the public awareness of, and commitment to, human rights, dignity and racial justice for all people. We can stop unintentionally fueling racial profiling and violence directed toward immigrants when we Drop the I-Word as a designation for our neighbors, children and families. We can encourage others to uphold the same human values and professional journalistic standards. Take the pledge to stop using the i-word and ask media to do the same. Visit droptheiword.com today. Rinku Sen Executive Director, Applied Research Center Publisher, ColorLines Magazine ========== * Pacifica National Board Members Demand Purge of Dissenting KPFA Staff In case anyone thought I was exaggerating the danger KPFA is in from sectarian, union-busting board members who control the KPFA and Pacifica boards, please read the following. - Jon Fromer === Pacifica National Board Members Demand Purge of Dissenting KPFA Staff - List Includes Staff of the Morning Show, Against the Grain, and the News Department (BERKELEY, CA - September 29, 2010) Three members of KPFA's Local Station Board who sit on the Pacifica National Board-- Tracy Rosenberg, Joe Wanzala, and Shahram Aghamir--have drawn up a list of their staff enemies who they are demanding be laid off, according to a misdirected email. The three are affiliated with a slate that has a majority on the KPFA board. Their targets appear to be their political opponents on the board and in the station. The purge list includes the staff of some of the most successful programs at KPFA - both in terms of popularity and fundraising - including Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards- Tiekert, and Laura Prives of the Morning Show; Sasha Lilley of Against the Grain; News Anchor John Hamilton, the only two paid reporters, Christopher Martinez and Max Pringle, and News Engineer Rose Ketabchi. All of these staff members have signed statements in opposition to the actions of the board majority. Rosenberg, Wanzala, and Aghamir are also insisting that the Morning Show, which raises three times what it costs, be cut to one hour and that the Evening News, which is one of the few remaining sources of local and regional news, be cut to half an hour. Such a purge would decimate KPFA's ability to fundraise, eviscerating some of the largest income-generating programs at a time of financial crisis. The move by the three national board members contravenes the Pacifica bylaws and disregards KPFA's local autonomy, by taking the power over the station's budget out of the hands of the KPFA Local Station Board and decisions on layoffs out of the hands of the station's General Manager. The purge would also violate KPFA's contract with Communications Workers of America Local 9415, which represents the paid staff of KPFA. The members of the Pacifica National Board are demanding KPFA make deep cuts to it staffing, claiming that the station owes Pacifica $300,000 and must pay that money back. However, during the crisis of 1999, KPFA lent Pacifica almost $1.5 million dollars, which it has still has not repaid. Pacifica is also holding $150,000 of KPFA's money as collateral for a line of credit. And KPFA has been paying a disproportionate share of listener income to Pacifica, compared to the four other stations in the Pacifica network. KPFA staff are asking listeners and subscribers to email the Pacifica National Board to demand that these cuts not take place and that Pacifica honor KPFA's union contract. Emails can be sent to the Pacifica National Board through a contact form on the website <kpfaworker.org> . ========== * International Law & the United States- Principles & Practice: The Evidence that US Elected Officials, Employees & Contractors Have Broken & Continue to Break International Law. When: October 19 -- 7.00 - 9.00 pm Where: Brooklyn Law School - Brooklyn 250 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY The second of a three-part series co-sponsored by War Criminals Watch, Brooklyn for Peace, the Brooklyn Law School and New York City chapters of the National Lawyers Guild and the Brooklyn Law School International Law Society: The Evidence that US Elected Officials, Employees & Contractors Have Broken & Continue to Break International Law. Presenters are: Shahid Buttar, Executive Director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee Tina Monshipour Foster, Founder and Executive Director of the International Justice Network Katherine Gallagher, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights RSVP IS REQUIRED for non-BLS students at least 5 days before PLEASE RSVP TO [log in to unmask] AND INDICATE SESSION II For further information, contact [log in to unmask] Directions by subway: ##2, 3 and 4 to Borough Hall; M and R to Court Street; and A, C and F to Jay Street/Borough Hall. The event will be in the Subotnick Center, on the 10th floor. Food and beverages provided from 6:30 on. The program begins at 7:00. ========== * Turning Park51 Into a Teachable Moment: Curriculum Guide and Fact Sheets for Middle Schools and, High Schools The controversy surrounding the Park51 Cultural Center in lower Manhattan has been at the forefront of the media and the nation's consciousness recently. Tanenbaum, an interfaith organization that promotes tolerance and dialogue has created a free curriculum < https://www.tanenbaum.org/programs/education/turning-park51-teachable-moment-curriculum-guide-and-fact-sheets> for middle and high schools which includes goal setting, webbing and charting tools; instructor notes; student worksheets; activities and handouts to be used as an introductory tool to exploring controversy over the proposed Islamic Cultural Center and a general discussion about personal perceptions of conflict. https://www.tanenbaum.org/programs/education/turning-park51-teachable-moment-curriculum-guide-and-fact-sheets ========== _____________________________________________ Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it. Submit via email: [log in to unmask] Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe Account assistance: portside.org/contact Search the archives: portside.org/archive