Victories for Progressives

PROGRESSIVES' PROGRESS
by William Floyd

On October 2nd, the One Nation Rally in Washington DC unified organized
Labor and hundreds of PROGRESSIVE, Peace and Justice groups from
around the country. There is no stronger force in the America than

organized Labor, and our Progressive grass roots community movement.

Evidence: 200,000+/- Union and Progressive Protestors achieved:

Many Permanent War Machine and Wall Street Puppets Resign:

Rahm Emanuel (Obama's Gatekeeper excluding all Progressives)
Permanent War Gen. James Jones (Obama's National Security Advisor #1)
Permanent War leader Defense hawk Robert Gates will resign April 2011
Larry Summers, author of the Wall St. Crash via derivatives and swaps
Peter Orzag, key Budget advisor to Obama administration
Treasury Sec'y Geithner's 2 fresh appointees refused to work for him
David Axelrod, Obama Team's chief 2008 Election Advisor

There were no such widespread resignations from either the Bush-Cheney

crime regime, nor the Nixon-Kissinger international criminal syndicate.

Local Progress:

The Santa Monica Peace Club and national PDWA sent 75 Letters to Progressive Caucus
members at their home state offices. These letters concerned the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer funds by the H. Clinton State Department trying to overthrow another democratic election in Venezuela.

Result:

Secretary of State Clinton did an about face and supported Equador's President Rafael Correa after the Police/Air Force coup d'etat.

Contrast this with Clinton's support for the S.O.A. murderers in the Honduran coup.

Also, Bob (Watergate) Woodward said that the White House wants to "Switch" H. Clinton with VP Joe Biden for the 2012 Election. Obama thinks he needs Clinton's supporters to win the Presidential race in 2012. And Joe Biden admits he always wanted to be an international player.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC WORKERS for AMERICA (PDWA)

www . pdwamerica . blogspot . com

EQUADOR COUP D'ETAT

EQUADOR COUP D'ETAT
by Lisa Sullivan, Presente

A School of the Americas (SOA)graduate has been charged for last Thursday's unsuccessful Coup d'Etat attempt in Ecuador. His name, Colonel Manuel E. Rivadeneira Tello.
He is a graduate of the SOA's combat arms training course. He is one of three police officials being investigated for negligence, rebellion and attempted assassination of Equador's President,
Rafael CORREA.

Rivadeneira was the Commander of the barracks where President Correa was attacked by protesting police. The injured Correa was taken to a police hospital were he held hostage by police who threatened to kill him if he tried to escape.

After 12 hours, 500 elite Army forces stormed the hospital and organized a fiery rescue.
By the end of the day 4 people lay dead, and over 200 wounded.

This is the second Coup attempt led by SOA graduates in a little over a year. The June 2009 Coup in Honduras was led by SOA graduates General Vasquez Velasquez and General Prince Suazo. That Coup was successful in overthrowing President Manuel Zelaya.

At the time, President Correa expressed concern that this opened the possibility of future Coups on the continent. He acknowledged that he might be a possible target....
The defense of Ecuador's democracy was achieved by its citizens, who poured into the streets in defense of their popular President. These Citizen voices were joined by an international chorus of support for Correa, including the OAS, UNASUR and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Ecuadorians, however, were not convinced that the U.S. was an innocent bystander. A poll indicated that over 50% of Ecuadorians felt that the U.S. had some involvement in the Coup.
This was based, perhaps, on experience in their country, where evidence has pointed to past U.S. involvement in Coups and Presidential deaths.

Both Presidents of Honduras and Ecuador had recently challenged the use of their Military bases by the U.S. Pentagon. President Correa ended a lease by the U.S. to use it's Manta base in 2009, and President Zelaya had indicated his support for turning the Palmerola, Honduras base U.S. base into a civilian airport, shortly before he was overthrown.

Likewise, both countries were members of ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas) when the Coups were attempted. A third ALBA country, Venezuela, was the target of the third Latin American Coup of the past decade, in April 2002, also led by SOA graduates.

SOA Presente!
http://www.soaw.org/presente/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=328&Itemid=74

More Euro Unions Fight Corp Cuts

A EUROPEAN UNION OF PROTESTS KICKS OFF AGAINST AUSTERITY MEASURES
Mass protests and strikes have broken out across the whole of Europe this week as the reality of already imposed and still pending austerity cuts becomes clear. Across the EU, rallies were held in thirteen capital cities, and in Spain a general strike saw millions take action. On Wednesday (29th) around 100,000 representatives of the European trade union movement, including German miners and Polish shipbuilders, brought Brussels to a standstill to protest against the forthcoming savage spending cuts.

The message “We will not pay for their crisis” is now resounding across Europe. Despite trade union claims that the event passed off entirely peacefully, the anti-capitalist bloc on the demonstration clashed with police. Their numbers swelled by visiting No Borders activists (see SchNEWS 740), local anti-capitalists joined the main demo. However they were isolated and surrounded by plain-clothes police. Over a hundred were arrested ‘preventatively’ and many others injured. There was a heavy police presence outside the No Borders campsite all day. As the day of action - called by trade union umbrella organisation ETUC - took place outside, the EU Commission announced a package of proposals to crack down on hard-pressed member states, threatening them with huge fines if they failed to run their economies “efficiently.”

There can be no doubt that the Commissions idea of ‘efficiency’ will closely mirror the IMF prescriptions for failing economies - privatise everything in sight, cut benefits and drive down public sector wages. Banks of course, will still profit healthily having receiving life support from the public sector. Meanwhile in Greece, where the financial crisis hit first and hardest in a country that was already in open revolt (see SchNEWS 711, 720, 733), new laws were introduced criminalising trade union activity.

The government has completely removed the protective mechanisms within previous anti-terror legislation which previously prevented it from applying to trade unions or political activity ‘in defence of freedom’. Simultaneously the law now punishes more severely (with 10 years imprisonment) anyone who gives “substantial” information to terrorist organizations to facilitate their work, or gives them material or “immaterial” support even if the “terrorist acts” were not finally carried out. With these changes, the prosecuting authorities are basically given a free hand. Even minor offences (such as property damage or disruption of transport, etc) carried out by an organized team of demonstrators can now be arbitrarily characterised as terrorist activity. Coupled with this is new legislation allowing state’s witnesses to be anonymous. Can the rest of Europe expect similar draconian legislation as unrest spreads?

PolandTrade unionists threw petards and blew whistles as they marched through Warsaw demanding an end to ‘abuse by economic elites’. SpainUnions claimed ten million workers stayed at home for the nationwide strike. There were 11 reported injuries and 65 arrests during clashes with police.

GreeceRail workers and doctors walked out yesterday in protest at deep cuts into workers’ allowances, which are designed to reduce the national deficit. SloveniaAbout half of public-sector workers remained on strike for the third day against a planned wage freeze. IrelandOne man blocked the entrance to the Dail, the Irish parliament, with a cement truck in a protest against the country’s enormous bank bailouts. Written across the back of the lorry was: “All politicians should be sacked.” - finally a concrete answer we can all agree with.* For more from Brussels see http://bxl.indymedia.org

EURO Unions Protest Militantly

WHEN WILL AMERICAN LABOR LEARN FROM EURO UNIONS ?

Tens of thousands of workers from around Europe have marched across Brussels in a protest against spending cuts by EU governments. Food price rises are growing concern.
Does currency intervention work? Spain has held a General Strike, with protesters
in Barcelona clashing with police and torching a police car....

Other protests against austerity measures have been held in Greece, Italy, the Irish Republic and Latvia. Trade unions say EU workers may become the biggest victims of a financial crisis set off by bankers and traders. Many governments across the 27-member bloc have imposed punishing cuts in wages, pensions and employment to deal with spiralling debts.

On Wednesday night, Portugal's minority government announced proposals to cut civil servants' pay and state spending while raising taxes in an attempt to lower the country's debt levels. In Greece and the Irish Republic, unemployment figures are at their highest level in 10 years, while Spain's unemployment has doubled in just three years.

In Britain the government is planning to slash spending by up to 25% in some areas, while France has seen angry protests against a planned increase in the minimum retirement age from 60 TO 62 years. Firecrackers: Police sealed off the EU headquarters and barricaded banks and shops ahead of the protest in Brussels. It was described by unions as a day of action under the slogan "No to austerity, priority to jobs and growth". Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many carrying large red and green balloons and banners, headed towards EU institution buildings in the Belgian capital (Brussels). "We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers” European Trade Union Confederation Day of action.

They made heard their voices, whistles, horns and anything else they could find, says the BBC's Nick Childs in the city, amid the sound and smoke of firecrackers.Speaking at the march, Jean Claude Mailly, head of the French union Force Ouvriere, said there was still time to rethink the austerity measures." It is never too late because the austerity measures are in the process of being set up now," he told the BBC." So we are in a period where social movements of a different nature will have a big value in the weeks and months to come. There is a strong social tension." Labour unions in Spain began the country's first general strike in eight years by marching through the capital, Madrid, in an effort to shut down the city. Also in the capital, there were mass protests outside bus and metro stations, and few buses were running. Many high-speed trains were cancelled and only about a quarter of commuter trains were running. Groups of strikers went into shops and banks trying to force them to close. The airline Iberia said it expected to operate only 35% of scheduled flights.

'Banks to blame' In the Irish Republic, a man drove a cement mixer covered with anti-bank slogans into the gates of the parliament in Dublin, in an apparent protest at the country's expensive bank bail-out. Strikers held a protest in central Madrid, prompting some shops to close. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said the protesters were marching to voice their anger over budget-slashing plans and cuts which "could lead Europe into a recession". The union warns that the financial crisis - which it describes as the worst in Europe since the 1930s - has already made 23 million people across the EU jobless. It fears that the austerity measures being implemented by various EU governments could "result in even more unemployment". "We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers," ETUC said. Instead, the organisation urges governments to guarantee workers stable jobs, strong social protection and better pensions. Workers in many EU countries are frustrated that they are paying for the mistakes of the banks and the financial sector, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Brussels reports.

Energy Crisis on Horizon ?

ENERGY CRISIS COMING ?
by William Floyd, Pres.

1) What would happen if Oil prices shot up due to a conflict-caused shortage?
a) Endlessly long lines at gas stations (remember the 1970's)?
b) Road rage, running-out-of-gas waiting in line, i.e. chaos?
c) Angry, unemployed Voters staying home, or taking revenge at the polls?

2) Our Navy is quietly encircling a major Oil Partner of the United States.
a) The US Navy 4th Fleet (SouthComm) is spending like drunken sailors
on spanking new bases in Costa Rica, and on the Dutch islands of
Aruba and Curacao, a mere 50 miles off the Venezuela coastline.
(Pentagon budget appears religiously exempt from the worst recession in 75 years)
b) The US Navy is building 2 expensive new bases at ports in Colombia
(part of the Pentagon's new 9 bases in Venezuela's next door neighbor).

3) 46 US Naval war ships, including aircraft carriers, and cruisers with beach
landing craft conduct exercises just 50 miles from Lake Maracaibo. The
Lake is the heart of Venezuelan Oil production. (World’s 4th largest exporter)
a) Onboard these 46 ships are between 80-90,000 fresh Marines.

4) All of this very expensive show of awesome FORCE and Naval FIREPOWER,
a) According to official Pentagon sources, is simply their "War on Drugs"
b) Or, maybe it’s the next stage in the Pentagon's Perpetual War for Oil?
(Iraq, Afghanistan ,Venezuela, then schedule “bomb-bomb Iran” next Spring?)

5) Venezuela is a vital energy partner to the United States, providing 15 + percent
of our daily gasoline consumption. She operates 7 refineries and 14,000
gas stations throughout our country. In the winter of 2005, she supplied
44.5 million gallons of heating oil to poor US communities in 10 states.

6) "Plan Balboa" was/is a Pentagon military exercise, simulating the need for US Troops
to save American citizens at risk from a revolutionary guerrilla Army in an oil
rich South American country. viz. Eva Golinger: Washington’s War on Venezuela

Three historical events may be relevant

a) USS Maine blows up accidently 1898. “Yellow-journal” Hearst fans hysteria, Sp-Am War.

a) Phony 1964 attack at Tonkin Gulf, justifies Vietnam War (58,000 US, 2 mil. Viet. dead)

b) 2-year Bush FauxNews campaign to lie about Iraq WMD to Congress + American people


PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC WORKERS for AMERICA
www.pdwamerica.blogspot.com

WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE
in Sub-Agencies of the U.S. State Department

Similar to the Minerals, Mine agency, the US AID, NED, OTI, IRI, and other sub-agencies of the old Bush-Cheney State Department are still breaking U.S. Laws. They are wasting rare recession dollars on efforts to undermine a democratically elected government of a key energy Partner.

According to F.O.I.A. documents, many tens of millions of U.S. Taxpayer funds are funneled through these subagencies. The funds are used to propagate Faux News type TV ads, and organize demonstrations, and huge rallies against the democratic government. The U.S. tax money was used as well to participate in the coup d'etat against the President, and sponsor a Recall election, These are illegal activities under U.S. Law.

Today, these exact same State Department subagencies are pouring tens of millions of recession-tight Taxpayer dollars into illegally interfering in the September 26 th 2010 Election.

This energy partner of ours is Venezuela. She provides 1.7 million barrels of Oil to the United States every day. She owns 8 refineries and operates 14,000 gas stations across America (Citgo, Inc.). One freezing Winter, she provided 44.5 million gallons of heating oil to poor communities in Boston, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Vermont, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Some of the F.O.I.A. evidence is contained in a thin but extensively researched book entitled "Washington's War on Venezuela" by American lawyer, Eva Golinger. Another book of hers, "Cracking the Chavez Code" contains more F.O.I.A. documentation. Also, another research book by Gregory Wilpert, entitled "Changing Venezuela" pages 170-174.

We advocate sending expert Investigators to Caracas, Venezuela A.S.A.P. to meet attorney Eva Golinger and see the deep extent of evidence she has collected over the past few years.

William Floyd, Pres., Former elected Delegate to Cal Democratic Party 2007-9

Notes
1. Please see the attached 1 page "Talking for Change"
2. TV ads feature racial attacks like "Monkey" "Ape Man"
or slurs on Chavez' partial Indian heritage. Other ads on the
80% Faux News TV stations are the same as used against
President Barach Obama, i.e. Marx, Stalin, Osama BL, El Diablo.

FBI Spies on You and I and Our Email

Justice Department Report Finds FBI
Spied on American Protestors

Earlier this week, we learned that yet another Department of Justice
(DOJ) Inspector General (IG) report has found malfeasance in the FBI.
This time, the IG found the bureau spying on American citizens engaged in
protests and other activities protected by the First Amendment. These \
investigations have led to several activists being inappropriately placed
on terrorist watchlists.

The IG's investigation was prompted by an ACLU Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) request, which uncovered evidence in 2006 that the FBI was chilling
political association by improperly investigating peaceful advocacy groups like
Greenpeace and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The report concludes that the FBI was not spying on groups because of
their political views. Rather, it was investigating them because they
suspected the groups might commit crimes, which was okay under the FBI rules
that existed at the time. By that logic, everyone can be subject to FBI investigation
and possibly be included on a terrorist watchlist.

The report found FBI investigations were often opened based on
"factually weak" or even "speculative" justifications, and were often
kept open even after it was clear there was no criminal activity. We
can attribute this low bar to Attorney General guidelines for opening
investigations, which were gradually weakened during the Bush
administration.

In 2002, the guidelines under then-Attorney General John Ashcroft
required only the "possibility" of a federal crime. This guideline led
activities like the FBI infiltrating a peace group that was doing
nothing more nefarious than handing out anti-war leaflets in downtown
Pittsburgh.

Just last week, a domestic spying program in Pennsylvania that
targeted gas drilling opponents was shut down after it was revealed to
be improperly investigating them as a terrorist threat. That was just
another instance of more than 33 cases of domestic spying by U.S. law
enforcement agencies.

>> Learn more about spying on First Amendment activities.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=Lrs7vtZNDh_JvkxUtn_MsA..


Your Email Isn't Protected

As you read this copy of ACLU Online, you probably think it's private.You know that your papers and effects at home are constitutionally-protected by the Fourth Amendment. You might evenrealize that items on your computer have similar protection. So, itwould be logical to assume that an email you're reading at home onyour computer is covered by the same protections. Sadly, it's not. Because your email has been shared with a thirdparty -- your internet service provider and the other companiesthat transmitted it -- its constitutional protection is uncertainat best.

That's why Congress enacted the Electronic CommunicationsPrivacy Act (ECPA) -- to safeguard electronic communications. Theonly problem is that ECPA was passed in 1986. Yes, it's true. The lawthat protects email -- and all of the other information you viewonline-was passed before there was a World Wide Web or much ofan internet at all. At the time ECPA was passed, Congress couldn't decide if an email was more like a letter or a phone call. In 1986, most users would download their emails to their home computers after opening. Buttoday, most emails are not downloaded and are instead held bythird-party companies -- leaving their content with very little protection after 180 days. And law enforcement even argues that theylose most of their protections once opened. These are the rules for the technology that existed in 1986. Imagine how hard it is to translate the law to social networking sites,location-based services or any of the myriad technologies we usetoday.

This week, both the House and Senate conducted separate hearings onECPA reform. We hope they will give the law a significant overhaul including full warrant protection for all private communications and location information (such as what is derived from cell phones). >> Take action: Tell Congress it's time to modernize our privacy law.

http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=6ISp_XPwf_kiTHFCdtjJgw.. >> Learn more about the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=AZzrwf8nxXVs9orpNE_i0w..