***** The Eugene V. Debs Foundation
The Speech That Sent Debs to Jail ... Thanx to Bernie Sanders- Topic
This posting will be for 2 series of this journal/ blog, "The Awakening" and "Public Patriots" series, an intro video above. The posting will be to highlight and honour Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs, for his contributions to standing up for American's rights, labour, and unionization as a union leader, also founder of the "Socialist Party of America", inspiring many, including great leaders of today, such as Senator Bernie Sanders. This is also a man who was ready to take whatever he was dealt by the courts/ government when it came to this, and his opposition to our war at the time, and served his time convicted and imprisoned for going against the grain, he was also a U.S. presidential candidate several times ... received 100's of 1000's of votes, and had a large following, making him a big threat to the establishment. So much of what he had to say a century ago, applies well to the times we are in currently, because it's the same old song and dance, as history repeats itself once again ... same shit, with new packaging is all. If we had stronger support and input in Congress from folks like Debs, or other socialists of that time, like Congressman Victor L. Berger, we would even probably be in better shape today than we are now. Socialism through controlled thought and propaganda is demonized, or looked at as an extreme, like old school Soviet communism. I'm not with any socialist party for instance, and seen much progress in capitalism, but realize that socialist ideas, have some positive points for a wider population. I have alwayz felt like some socialism can be a benefit to capitalism (as in 2nd paragraph here) ... I mean, there are several european countries that have socialism, and it did not shut down business and capitalism at all, nor did any of the social public programmes in America shut us down. We been programmed in a way through our political culture, to think if you're a capitalist, that all socialism is evil ... and if you're socialist, to think that all capitalism is evil.
I was at a private event here in Texas, not long back, that was alot of libertarian folks, and very politically outspoken/ opinionated, real pro- freedom with little government types. We had some different ideas as far as government, but soon found we agreed on so much ... we both loved the freedoms we do have, we both loved our 40 hour work weeks, overtime, benefits, and fair livable wages, we liked our social security plan, libraries, freeways, public parks, we all agreed that the corporatism is on steroids, and free market has been contaminated with too much monopoly in this age of "too big to fail", less options, with acquisitions and mergers galore, did not like pensions being replaced with these cleverly drafted plans to make you pay more and expect less, making peanuts for your investment, while paying folks you dont know, too much for managing it. Many things they, or even conservatives regard as part of what we expect and depend on, they didnt look at as "socialism", because it's such a frowned upon word, but as I explained to them, it actually is ... they just seen that as part of what we are entitled to, since we pay for it with our taxes and money, part of what our country should be about, simply. After some lengthy discussion we had, some came away with a different view of how they should label or view socialism, agreeing on much more than they thought they would. The ruling classes want to keep us at odds with each other, thinking and embracing left or right only, competing only for their benefit, they create much of the mess we have, not us ... they sure as Hell hate too much independence or freedom of speech and thought on our part, or finding common ground. China and Russia have also been on their list to conquer through neoliberalism, to have total control over them as they would here. The ruling classes of the west, created all our business dealings/ relations with them, as well as tensions with them countries, as they see fit, and wars with others.
Most folks have much more in common as far as goals and what our lives should consist of than we realize, regardless of what political party we embrace. The ruling classes alwayz do what they have alwayz done historically ... to keep ruling. Any progress or rights that people have got, has only been because the people alwayz had a counterpunch, and tossed a wrench into their machine gears, when most folks know they are getting stepped on too much by those at the top, so the ruling class are not your friend, or going to save you, they work more as an enemy if anything against you, unless you fight back. The resistance and awareness today is really doing great! ... and the response is global even. You can hardly go a month these dayz, without public resistance and disobedience from the people. Just 10 years ago, you hardly heard nothing about the corporatism, or what some of us see as corporate communism, the social and independent media is growing, and outraged more than a decade ago on our politics, the money in them, the 2 party duopoly establishment, the trade deals, the unfair markets, etc. Awareness is exploding these dayz, and gaining alot of ground, so much that those at the top are in fear, and have spent even more, just trying to control legislation, control more of the mainstream media, even building luxurious bunkers to hide in, if they need, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh {:-) To be constitutionally friendly, instead of attempting to use military force on American citizens by our own, they simple drafted some legislation through their flunkies in Washington, to militarize our police forces, and pay for it with our money and property seizure laws, they got more security now than ever ... they know damn well what to expect {:-)
The "ruling class machine", or what many folks label as "the elite", alwayz plan our societies, and are alwayz years ahead of the people, been like that for millennia. Opposition, disobedience, resistance in many forms have alwayz challenged them ... and that's the way it should be, if we didnt in this democracy of the U.S. for instance, we wouldnt even have a fraction of what we have now. As far as what our demands are, that is what's importante, not theirs ... look at it like a lawsuit ... you go in asking for $10 million, because you know, in the bargaining process, you will end up with $5 million, understand, these folks are alwayz open to negotiation and compromise, alwayz looking to make a deal. These ruling classes, do not have some special blood, or are chosen by some higher power, or needed by most people, and in my view, looking at them as some sort of special breed is dumb, or looking at them as elite is an injustice to the word, most couldnt even survive as well as working classes for that matter, if they were in the same situation. We know what they know for the most part where our future is going, we know that there is no longer going to be the need for jobs or labour as we had in the past, population growth as the past, or even a need for capitalism of the past. This is why we are milked now of everything, and these ruling classes are building their empires for a very different future. In the meantime, between now and then, we have to look at what worx for "us" and what dont ... idolizing, submitting, and kissing up to these folks wont gain you a damn thing. Eugene Debs proved that there is nothing to be afraid of by challenging them, and that challenge requires various methods, not just holding a sign up in protest ... unless you pound their asses good, they wont hear a damn thing you say. Enough from me ... a nice selection of reading archives below on Eugene Debs.
Word Out ....
***** MARXISTS.ORG/ DEBS/ ARCHIVES: Eugene V. Debs Internet Archives ... (read/ archives)
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***** "PUBLIC PATRIOTS" PART'S 47 THRU 1
***** PD/ RCJ: "THE AWAKENING" PART'S 46 THRU 1
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Green Day- Know Your Enemy (Lollapalooza) Uncensored ... Thanx to Where Are We? ... Live from Lollapalooza 2010 Grant Park, Downtown Chicago Loop. I wanted to close out with a little music, released in 2009, with lyrics that are to the point of question, action, and reaction, from San Francisco's "Green Day" ... this will also be included in the "RCJ Music/ Arts Honour Roll Society"
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
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