In a political era of corporate dominance it was inevitable that doublespeak would become the official language of Washington, DC. Now “cuts” to social programs are referred to as “savings,” while the destruction of these programs is “reform.” This is the essence of President Obama’s doublespeakish “Race to the Top” public education “reform,” as well as his [...]
Tag Archives: Obama
Five Easy Post-Election Predictions (No Matter Who Wins)
Shamus Cooke
It’s true that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have many political differences. But they also agree on many essential policies; enough to make the next four years easily predictable, no matter who wins. Here are five predictions based on the most important shared beliefs of the two candidates:
Job Creation and the Private Sector
Mark Vorpahl
The issue of unemployment and underemployment loomed above the hype of both the Republican and Democratic Party conventions with the cold stare of a harsh judge. Many promises and dubious claims were made from the respective party podiums, but no real solutions were put forward.
Obama’s Vision versus Economic Reality
Shamus Cooke
It took less than 24 hours for Obama’s “inspiring” convention speech to be smothered by the reality of the job crisis. The August national jobs report showed that the U.S. economy failed to create enough new jobs to keep up with population growth. More importantly, in August 368,000 Americans completely dropped out of the labor [...]
Tired Old So-Called Leftists Give Same Old Excuses For Supporting Obama in 2012
Workers Action
Bruce A. Dixon Abject and unwavering support of President Barack Obama on the part of blacks and what used to be called “the left” has made them pretty much irrelevant since Obama emerged as a viable presidential candidate back in mid-2007. After five years of the Age of Obama, four of them as president, one [...]
The Devastating Consequences of a Corporate Health Care Bill
Workers.Action
Introduction by Shamus Cooke, June 28, 2012 Workers Action is re-posting the following health care articles that were written as “Obamacare” was coming into existence. These article show that since day-one, nothing pro-worker was going to emerge out of the Democratic controlled congress. The interests of the health care corporations were placed ahead of everyone else’s interests, [...]
Money, Power, and Politics
Ann Robertson and Bill Leumer
When it is a question of the efficacy of money in politics and workers fail to put up a fight, money prevails. The moral is: money counts — but only if we let it.
Republicrats Campaign About Jobs and Do Nothing About High Unemployment
Workers Action
John Leslie Recently, Mitt Romney made a stop on his “Jobs Tour” in upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. His appearance was supposed to be, interestingly, at a local WAWA store (for those out-of-state, WAWA is a convenience store chain) Why is this interesting? Because WAWA, like so many employers these days, is [...]
The Affordable Care Act, Supreme Court, and Health Care as a Human Right
Mark Vorpahl
Mark Vorpahl Any day the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA). Most at risk is this act’s “individual mandate” which requires everyone to buy health insurance from a private insurer or face a steep fine.
Obama Trade Document Leaked, Revealing New Corporate Powers And Broken Campaign Promises
Workers Action
Workers Action Introduction Not satisfied with the passage of the Korea, Panama, and Colombian Free Trade Acts (FTA), overriding the protests of Labor and environmental activists, the Obama Administration is secretly negotiating another FTA — the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Pact (TPP). This FTA in the making involves not only the United States but Australia, Brunei Darussalam, [...]
A Change in War Policy?
Mark Vorpahl
Mark Vorpahl Two back-to-back victories, from the point of view of those in power, has left some commentators speculating that U.S. foreign policy has turned a page towards a less militaristic approach under the guidance of President Obama. These events are the killing of Colonel Qaddafi, leading Libya’s new leaders to declare liberation, followed by [...]
Can Labor Confront Obama Over Jobs?
Shamus Cooke
Shamus Cooke As the seeds of Obama’s 2012 electoral campaign begin to sprout, labor unions are being forced either to pledge their allegiance or distance themselves from the incumbent president. There has already emerged some hefty splits in the labor movement over the issue, based on the President’s complete lack of action on creating jobs [...]
Deficit Reduction Versus Democracy
Shamus Cooke
How would the vast majority of working people in this country like the deficit to be fixed? Poll after poll has indicated that cutting Social Security and Medicare is VERY unpopular, while raising taxes on the wealthy is extremely popular. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll reported that 78 percent of Americans are opposed to cuts in Medicare, while 72 percent favor taxing the rich
Why Inequality Matters
Ann Robertson and Bill Leumer
What can be done? The tension resulting from these growing inequalities is rapidly approaching an explosive climax. But organized labor officials, who are in a position to mobilize massive numbers of working people to put up a fight, are giving the impression that they are suffering from a state of complete paralysis. Of course, every two years they come to life and furiously expend huge amounts of money and energy to elect Democrats to office, only to see the Democrats fail to throw anything their way except a few crumbs. And in another two years, all the broken promises are pushed under the rug, and this self-defeating ritual repeats itself.
Obama’s Delusions: The Economy And Iraq
Shamus Cooke
Shamus Cooke If you’ve listened to recent speeches the President has given about the economy and the Iraq war, you’d think that two of the biggest social issues facing working Americans are improving. But facts are stubborn things.
It’s Official By Health Care Is Dead
Shamus Cooke
The “transparent government” that President Obama guaranteed during his electoral campaign has become yet another broken promise. On August 14, the Huffington Post revealed a memo containing details of “the deal” that Obama cut with health care mega-corporations in secret White House meetings. And although the White House denies the authenticity of the memo, the [...]
President Barack Obama: The Balance Sheet
Brad Forrest
Brad Forrest The George W. Bush years seem like a distant and very unhappy memory these days. But it should be remembered that it was the disastrous policies of the Republican Party and the same open and unabashed representatives of big business that figured prominently in bringing about the victory of Barack Obama. The ascendancy [...]
Stimulus or Austerity: The People Vs. The Banks
Shamus Cooke
This illusion of recovery is being instituted into government policy. The Obama administration has argued that federal stimulus money is only needed in small doses to put the economy back on track. With politicians agreeing that the recession is “basically over,” less stimulus money will be offered.
How Obama’s Health Care “Reform” Kills Health Care
Shamus Cooke
The ability for millions of people to see through the muddle in Washington points to a larger distrust of the two-party system. Even as “progressive Democrats” and other liberal pundits bow before the health care industry by urging passage of “an imperfect” health care bill, workers, the poor and the elderly aren’t taking the bait.
Will Obama’s Corporate Tax Break Create Jobs?
Shamus Cooke
The core of Obama’s “bold plan” to create jobs does not create a single job. Rather, it encourages corporations to hire workers by giving them a variety of tax credits or tax breaks — the same solution proposed by the previous two Bush’s and Reagan; a building block of Conservative Ideology.
The Devastating Consequences of a Corporate Health Care Bill
Workers.Action
Shamus Cooke Wading through the endless debate over health care has exhausted the patience of most Americans — the zigzags, obscure language, and long-winded discussion is inherently repulsive.
Why the U.S. Government Hates Venezuela
Shamus Cooke
Venezuela’s example has dramatically changed the political landscape in Latin America, inspiring millions. For the first time, governments and social movements alike feel empowered to oppose U.S. corporate dominance and instead are seeking to arrange their economies in ways that benefit the majority of people.
The Great Debate on Obama: Is the Obama Phenomenon Good or Bad for Black America?
Workers Action
Ever since Barack Obama became a candidate for president, many of his unquestioning supporters have labeled his critics on the Left as conscious or unconscious allies of, first, Hillary Clinton and, later, John McCain. As a result, Obama was left free to gravitate as far to the Right as he felt convenient – and he took every advantage of that freedom.
Obama’s Campaign Promises And The Laws Of Capitalism
Ann Robertson
Obama’s Campaign Promises Ann Robertson Throughout his campaign, Obama made repeated overtures to working people. He talked about job creation, a tax cut for the middle class, health care, education, the rescinding of the lavish tax cuts for the rich, clean energy, facilitating unionization, and the elimination of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for [...]
Articles of Interest
CORE slate re-elected in landslide in Chicago Teachers Union
Richard Trumka: The 'grand bargain' is a dead end
On the Impotence of the Progressive Movement
Revealed: how the FBI coordinated the crackdown on Occupy
Bradley Manning is off limits at SF Gay Pride parade, but corporate sleaze is embraced
Cutting Social Security–More than a Bad Idea
The Forgotten Radical History of the March on Washington
Freedom Rider: Obama and the Class War- Hong Kong Dockworkers Strike Attracts Huge Solidarity
Understanding the Venezuelan Presidential Election Outcome
