Election 2012; the six-billion dollar presidential election… a perversion of democracy: Where do we go from here?                          By: Alan L. Maki

I'm not as disheartened by the election results as many people are.

Jill Stein- Green Party, Rocky Anderson- Justice Party and Stewart Alexander- Socialist Party didn't get as many votes as we hoped they would but they have set something in motion--- political independence from the two Wall Street parties--- for which all liberals, progressives and leftists should be appreciative.

Never before, since 1948 and the onslaught of McCarthyism, have progressive alternatives had their voices heard as in this election. This has been an important victory we can build on--- if we seize the initiative in a united way. We have a base to work from.

The American people were faced with two "choices," Obama and Romney, both with the same Wall Street agenda wrapped in different words by Madison Avenue.

I think these alternative campaigns will have impact far beyond the votes these candidates (Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander) received.

What would be disheartening is if Stein, Anderson and Alexander were to withdraw from their next responsibility--- helping to build movements to fight Obama and the Democrats and Republicans explaining that Wall Street is our enemy. I don't think Stein, Anderson and Alexander intend to shirk their responsibility; others appear ready to join with us.

New Progressive Alliance (NPA) should ask Stein, Anderson and Alexander to announce they are coming together to put people to work through pressuring Obama to re-establish the WPA and CCC to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

This could have the potential of forging the kind of people's unity capable of bringing together a grassroots response and alternative to Wall Street's agenda. Finance it all through a special temporary emergency "tax on the rich."

As part of this letter supporting this initiative we could ask the backers of these three parties to sign on to the letter, too. The candidates and their backers working together supporting and organizing around a short concise statement which should conclude the appeal explaining why this special temporary tax on the rich is needed because the Democrats and Republicans continue to squander the wealth of our Nation on wars in the same destructive way to our country as Hurricane Sandy.

Poor people are the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Sandy; people without jobs are going to be poor. Doesn't it make sense to employ the poorest victims of Hurricane Sandy in the rebuilding of their lives and their working class communities?

I still think we can't afford the luxury of multiple progressive/left parties until we break free from the two-party trap. Would the vote have been much better for these alternative parties had they joined efforts and put forward one progressive alternative? Yes.

If we built committees in every congressional district to back an initiative to bring back the WPA and CCC we would have a good base to work from in future elections, too.

Press conferences, petitions, letters, demonstrations... kick it off with a letter jointly signed by Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, Stewart Alexander and their running mates.

A big part of the problem we face is all the confusion being spun through the mainstream media by the over-paid political hacks and Obama apologists.

Keep it simple: re-establish WPA/CCC to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy financed with a special temporary tax on the rich.

Ask everyone who signs the letter to host meetings of a few people in their homes using a conference call with Rocky, Jill and Stewart as the catalyst to discuss how we move forward.

All this crap about how liberals, progressives and the left are weak and feeble is not true. It is just as bad to put forward the view that we are weak and feeble as those who used their liberal, progressive and left views to promote Obama.

                                                                                                                                 ( Over )

Barack Obama should be pushed to use his Executive Order privilege to re-establish the WPA and CCC--- then daring Congress to refuse the funding.

Now is no time to withdraw from struggle... now is the time to kick our struggles up a notch.

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

A progressive program for real change...

* Peace--- end the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan & Libya; shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil. No new Wall Street imperialist wars. End drone attacks.

* A National Public Health Care System - ten million new jobs.

* A National Public Child Care System - three to five million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Works Progress Administration (WPA) - three million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) - two million new jobs.

* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment.

* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination.

* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage based on all cost of living factors & indexed to inflation.

* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.

* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions.

* Defend democracy by defending workers' rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people. Rescind “At-will” employment the main impediment to union organizing.

* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions; no more concessions.

*Defend and expand Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; repeal Obamacare which is nothing more than the “Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010.”

Wall Street is our common enemy.

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you?

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.

Will you cast or burn your ballot?

Many people are so repulsed--- and justifiably repulsed--- by the domination of Wall Street over the political process that they are calling for boycotts and burning presidential ballots.

Most people in this country are repulsed by Obama who can't defend his record and Romney's arrogance and lies with both being nothing but mouthpieces for Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars and austerity measures here at home to pay for these barbaric wars.

This is my response to those who would withdraw from electoral participation which is an important part of the struggles for peace, social and economic justice:

While I join you in your disgust over Obama who deserves to be defeated and Romney who should not be elected, in my opinion burning your ballots or boycotting the election instead of casting your ballots for one of our fellow activists for peace, social and economic justice--- Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein or Stewart Alexander--- is counter-productive.

There is time to re-think your decision and I hope you do.

How would you feel if Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein or Stewart Alexander were to shit on a struggle you initiated?

Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander are trying their hardest to raise our concerns and we should support them, not abandon them; because their voices bring unity to our causes.

I would be interested in hearing a response to my concerns.

I offer my opposition and opinion to "burning ballots" and "boycott" on the friendliest of terms.

I would note that because some liberals, progressives and leftists have betrayed us (examples: Progressives for Obama/Progressive America Rising, Campaign for America's Future, Progressive Democrats of America, etc.) in supporting Obama there is no reason we should jump without thinking to the opposite extreme; thereby adding more confusion to the mix when we--- as liberals, progressives and leftists--- should be contributing leadership and clear thinking to the issues, problems, movements and struggles for peace, social and economic justice; constructive participation in the electoral process in defense of democracy as part of our struggles is part of our responsibility.

Between Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander, certainly there is an alternative any liberal, progressive or leftist can support.

My preference, voiced a number of times, would have been that these three candidates should have united with one voice in a single united ticket but this did not come to be. BUT, these three candidates have agreed to sign on to the "Unified Platform" < http://newprogs.org/unified-progressive-platform-ratified > which all of us should be able to unite around.

Again, I welcome discussion.

I don't voice my concerns as an attack but rather to stimulate discussion, dialog and debate with the understanding that in the short and long terms we are going to have to find a way to work together if we are going to defeat our common Wall Street enemy in achieving peace and justice.

When all is said and done, we are going to have to wrest political and economic power from Wall Street if we are going to get real change so let's seek ways to struggle which bring us closer together.