Disqus - Latest Comments for warrengreer

Re: Convention discussion: For an Organization Rooted in Our Traditional Values, Not Dogmas of the Past

warrengreer — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:05:20 -0000

The Bolshevik History of the CPSU recounted the myth of the unconquerable wrestler whose source of strength was his Mother, the Earth, and as long as he maintained that contact,
he could not be defeated. A mortal wrestler discovered this secret and merely lifted the champion in the air, thereby separating him from his source and rendering him powerless,
defeating him easily! This came to mind when Yeltsin and his crowd defeated the Party regulars who had occupied the centers
of the government and refused to leave. Had the CPSU maintained their connection with the USSR rank and file through the years, Yeltsin and his gang would be living in Miami today, supported by their CIA teat. It was no accident
that the Cuban people rose completely to crush the CIA-backed
Gusano invaders. As long as the CP is indistinguishable from the people, it will see clearly and will do no wrong.

Re: History for Dummies in Texas

warrengreer — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:58:29 -0000

As a Texan, the most disheartening thing is the nearly complete expunging of the long Left tradition among rank-and-file Texans which these tactics seek to accomplish. Eugene V. Debs spoke at a meeting attended by my father (a Socialist) in Corsicana before WW1. The Populists were strong there. The inter-racial movement for integration was broad and growing before 1947.
It has been a continuing struggle throughout its history, and
continues still. Venceremos.

Re: Joseph Stiglitz on our economic freefall

warrengreer — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:55:24 -0000

"...Swift action by governments – forced to abandon a hands-off approach to economic management by the scale of the crisis – has prevented a great recession from turning into a second great depression...."
I get so damned tired of people writing as though the suffering is juuust about over, when what has really happened is that the capitalist players have graciously deigned to accept a loan based on our future production which they intend to use for more production which they hope to sell to us -- or China! If
they can't get a killing of a profit from it, they will pull us back into another depression.
I'm retired on Social Security, living among Chicano, anglo, and African-American young people who are desperate for some manner in which to survive. They are amidst productive facilities which are not producing the things they need to live normal lives, and are being told the economy is recovering! It isn't. Its masters are waiting more donations from the starving and dying. Sic transit gloria Kapitalismus!
Stiglitz is an honest person, and intuits the light.

Re: A New Deal Administration or a Weimar Disaster? Recent Events in U.S. Politics

warrengreer — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:47:20 -0000

Thank you for a piercing and whoesale analysis. Stricter proof-reading would have made it even moreso.

Re: A Program That Can Work

warrengreer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:27:18 -0000

"...* Shift taxes to the wealthiest individuals and corporations;..."

Clearer: "Shift taxes ONTO the wealthiest individuals and corporations."
Not to change the meaning, but to zero the meaning in a little more accurately, so that there is no doubt that the tax funds will come FROM the wealthiest.
A realisic and practicable program, beautifuly expressed!

Re: BEYOND BELIEF?

warrengreer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:41:52 -0000

Eagleton's apologetics may be jejune, but even such hardcore
searchers and questioners as thee and me must admit that:
"Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens whom he lumps together as "Ditchkins" " is a stroke of genius as an example of humor and scornful debating tactic! Wisht I'd 'a' thought o' that in regard to his arguments, and had the skill to adapt it to his name!

Re: The Death of Conservatism? FYI

warrengreer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:57:16 -0000

Why do we never see quoted, nowadays, the traditional meaning
of a conservative as someone who would "be not the first take
up the new, nor yet the last to lay down the old"? In this sense
it is conservative to have complete discussion of new topics before adopting a conclusion binding on members of a group;
itself not an undesirable method of policy-making. Liberals are
different in that they might be willing cautiously to be "first to
take up the new". A radical is one who would change a set of
things "from the root", (the word 'radical' being derived from
the Latin for 'root'.) Of course, people could arrive at a radical
position after conservative examination of the factors of a problem!
Of course, a reactionary is one who would abandon a current
policy to return to a previous one, such as quitting a 'conservative'
Eisenhower-Nixon-Reagan position to take up one of Bush-Cheney-
Gingrich raw imperialism.

Re: Michael Moore's Open Letter to President Obama

warrengreer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:43:02 -0000

I'm copying and pasting this whole article on an e-mail to our
President Obama. My future attitude toward him will hinge on his actions with respect to this matter. It will be the link which
will drag the whole chain of the nature of his administration. He cannot turn back or turn aside from his action on this matter, regardless of what his choice may be.

Re: Holiday Thought

warrengreer — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:29:03 -0000

Remember, no humanity = no touchy, no feelie! This is why we seek to be Marxists and not Russellists. Some used to think the class struggle, after
the abolition of classes, would be replaced by the struggle against nature. It recently has become obvious that a Marxist would supplant the class struggle with the struggle to understand, maximize, and defend nature.

Re: 46 Years

warrengreer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:34:19 -0000

Who gained from all the stuff that went down back then? We
sure as hell didn't! JFK, no saint himself, was honest enough to have been the possible beginning of a gradual return to the politics of FDR. But all of this is just conjecture. We do know what happened, subsequently, and we began a slide into fascism, from which we are just barely pulling away.

Re: Theatre Review: Superior Diner – Steppenwolf Does it Again

warrengreer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:26:07 -0000

"...highly relevant...on the political mark...difficult messages...
highly charged "issues"...making a statement...."
Well written review, but: tell us what they ARE, don't tell us ABOUT them.

Re: Weekly Jobless Claims and the "Jobs Summit"

warrengreer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:03:20 -0000

The Roosevelt - Keynesians talk about various aspects of the crisis such as the 'over-production' factor, or the 'under-consumption' phase of the economy. It is very clearly outlined
in a Marxist analysis of crisis as the inability of capitalism at a
certain recurring stage, as 'the inability of the economy to produce AT A PROFIT," (production for profit.) The depression can't be passed through, even at tremendous cost of suffering on the part of the workers' unemployment and impoverishment. Fascism's economy is such an attempt, and it's use of war and slave labor is indicative of its futility. Crises of capitalism
MUST be confronted by social USE of the 'excess' goods. It can
not be confronted by further stimulus of private production for
individual PROFIT. Consumers just cannot buy and pay a profit
as well at this stage. Production must be for USE. Producion, as well as the level of employment, must be in the hands of society, in our case, the government.

Re: Breakthrough in Honduras?

warrengreer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:37:49 -0000

Como se dice,"Ojala'." But, having followed trends in Latin America for many years, I'm led to suspect the time delay just
enabled the right wing fascists to organize their anti-democratic forces to steal or discredit the election. If I'm not
correct, it will be a great victory for all American nations.

Re: Political Affairs Magazine - Book Review: The Protest Singer

warrengreer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:09:23 -0000

Pete came to Houston in the late 50's for a concert. We arranged for the Jewish Community Center, and managed to get twenty to thirty people (not all Jews!) to come out for the show. Noting the presence of some folk music fans who were interested mainly in cute lyrics, or double meaning sexy songs, before the show we suggested to Pete that he give us, as much as possible, labor and African American numbers. That he did, and to rousing applause, and the focus of folk music in Houston was much better directed from then on! He is one of the greats of the U.S. left, and is to be forever honored for standing fast!

Re: BERTRAND RUSSELL ON BOLSHEVISM (2)

warrengreer — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:50:26 -0000

"...This is, I think, especially so for the US where the Communist Party advocates a form of socialism based on the Bill of Rights...." Note that the Bill of Rights is a characteristic of a democratic POLITICAL system, while socialism is a form of an ECONOMIC system. Without getting into a game of Mix 'n' Match, a socialism likely to be successful will be likely to have an accompanying democratic political system, although that'll be determined by what the rank and file sets up and maintains. It will require some doing, as is evidenced by the history and outcome of the Jones fiasco in Guyana.

Re: Political Affairs Magazine - Cartoon: Goodbye Capitalism....

warrengreer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:43:32 -0000

Why has Mr. Talimonov portrayed a stick-figure scarecrow
carrying a hobo's bag on the road away from capitalism?
The symbolism is not at all clear to me.

Re: Political Affairs Magazine - Liner Notes to Das Kapital: Marx and Engels Comment

warrengreer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:03:39 -0000

". ..Today we have in "place of disinterested inquirers" only "hired prize-fighters; in place of genuine scientific research, the bad conscience and evil intent of apologetic." And, we must admit, our Soviet and Chinese comrades were not above apologetics since once in power they were no longer "disinterested inquirers." It will be a big challenge for Marxist leaders, in and out of power, to establish truly disinterested centers of inquiry because only by a true understanding of reality can they hope to be successful and not repeat the tragic errors of the 1930s and 1980s...." A fact is neither true nor false: it exists, if it is a fact, and if not, it does not exist, except, possibly as a superstition or an illusion. The struggle will be to see reality as the facts exist, and if we enter the search as disinterested tourists, we will just get in the way of scientific researchers, in their inquiries, (NOT disinterested) in the search for factual reality. Our Soviet comrades could not have strayed so far from reality if they had maintained their connection with the source of the revolution, the power of the educated rank and file. The Movement is like a bicycle: one wheel for steering, (the Party), and one wheel for power, (the rank and file.) Lacking either, one has a unicycle, a vehicle for clowns. We were like tearful clowns watching the Soviet Union fall to pieces, and it is a lesson which must not be forgotten.

Re: http://paeditorsblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-what-was-lost.html

warrengreer — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:20:23 -0000

PLEASE get a proof-reader! Especially for a book which the reviewer believes is as important as he says this one is. I came
away without the appreciation the reviewer seems to have had,
and would like to know why.

Re: Political Affairs Magazine - Light at the End of the Unemployment Line? (May 28th)

warrengreer — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:28:37 -0000

(John Sweeney) "...stated. "We must deal with our country’s unsustainable trade deficit...." Without putting my question forward as an opinion, let's remove the labels 'deficit' and 'surplus' as reflecting the positive or negative attitude of the speaker. (Deficit = bad; surplus = good.) If we contrast 'more goods sent to foreign users' (surplus), with 'more goods available for users in our country' (deficit), it has a very different flavor, doesn't it? The catch is the omission of the modifier, 'FOR PROFIT.'' The profit motive reverses 180 degrees the nature
of the economic fact. To the extent the New Deal removed the profit motive from the U.S. economy, it succeeded in minimizing the Depression. Shouldn't we encourage Obama and Congress to put the country to work producing goods for our USE rather than for export for the PROFIT of a few industry owners?

Re: Video: Donna Smith on Bill Moyers Journal

warrengreer — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:01:14 -0000

She's my kind of activist with my kind of issue, and I'll do all I can to back
her up!

Re: Music Review: Bob Dylan and Steve Earle

warrengreer — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:14:52 -0000

"...given Dylan's refusal to describe his music, who knows?...."
Exactly. Dylan's well-known gift for word-smithing serves him in
allowing him to write lyrics which the reader can interpret as seen fit, without Dylan having to commit himself to any principle
except hedonism, bohemianism, and egotism. He's home free, as Woody, Pete, Townes, Brownie McGee & Sonny Terry, and Hudie
Ledbetter (Leadbelly) never were.

Re: Once more Lamarck (and what about Lysenko?)

warrengreer — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:53:11 -0000

I've been sulking in the corner for years, noticeably silent when
there have been attacks on Lysenko (AND Stalin) as being unscientific and doctrinaire. Dialectic materialism strongly suggests that the results of Jablonka and Raz might be forthcoming, and the fact that Lysenko couldn't grow Arctic corn
did NOT eliminate that connection! Lysenko's (and Stalin's) mis-
application of dialectic materialism does not in the least obviate
the results of a correct approach.

Re: Urge a different course in Afghanistan

warrengreer — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:34:19 -0000

Dimitrov had an idea which is appropriate to bring up at this time:
"...It is precisely from the experience of the Russian Bolsheviks that we must learn to apply effectually, to the specific conditions of life in each country, the single international line; in the struggle against capitalism we must learn pitilessly to cast aside, pillory and hold up to general ridicule all phrase -mongering, use of hackneyed formulas, pedantry and dogmatism...."

Re: Free Ehren Watada

warrengreer — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:05:57 -0000

"... A sample letter is included below...."
No, it wasn't.

Re: Bad Money: Book Review

warrengreer — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:17:17 -0000

A beautiful review of an important work by a remarkably clear-
seeing economist! But, to get back to the Dismal-cy of the Dismal
Science of Economics: "... Debts must ultimately be paid -- everyone knows that...." is not an accurate view of the world OR of Economics! There are no longer debtors prisons. The law permits bankruptcy. A debt engendered by illegal or immoral activity is not collectible. There was a scene in tv's "Mad About You" in which Paul went late to a toy store to buy a child a rare $100 gift. It was unavailable, but a fellow-customer happened to have one which he offered for $1000. Paul accepted, then found he had only $300 cash, (a more than fair profit, BTW), which the man accepted and asked for the balance in a check.
Paul walked off with the gift, telling his brother, "Write him a check for the rest," knowing his brother had closed his bank account. The debts to the people who have bled the country and the rest of the citizens should not be paid and they should not be permitted to keep their loot. To boot.