An Open Letter to the Left Establishment by Chris Hedges, Cornell West, Noam Chomsky, et. al.

[Truth2Tell]

http://www.truth-out.org/an-open-letter-left-establishment65848

An Open Letter to the Left Establishment
Friday 10 December 2010
by: By Chris Hedges, Cornell West, Noam Chomsky, et. al., t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

www.ProtestObama.org

A Call for Active Support of Protest to Michael Moore, Norman Solomon, Katrina van den Heuvel, Michael Eric Dyson, Barbara Ehrenreich, Thomas Frank, Tom Hayden, Bill Fletcher Jr., Jesse Jackson Jr., and other high profile progressive supporters of the Obama electoral campaign.

With the Obama administration beginning its third year, it is by now painfully obvious that the predictions of even the most sober Obama supporters were overly optimistic. Rather than an ally, the administration has shown itself to be an implacable enemy of reform.

It has advanced repeated assaults on the New Deal safety net (including the previously sacrosanct Social Security trust fund), jettisoned any hope for substantive health care reform, attacked civil rights and environmental protections, and expanded a massive bailout further enriching an already bloated financial services and insurance industry. It has continued the occupation of Iraq and and expanded the war in Afghanistan as well as our government's covert and overt wars in South Asia and across the globe.

-snip

We are writing to you because, as well-known writers, bloggers and filmmakers with access to a range of old and new media, you have in your power the capacity to help reignite the movement which brought millions onto the streets in February of 2003 but which has withered ever since. There are many thousands of progressives who follow your work closely and are waiting for a cue from you and others to act. We are asking you to commit yourself to actively supporting the protests of Obama administration policies which are now beginning to materialize....

We hope that we can count on you to exercise the leadership that is required of all of us in these desperate times.

Best Regards,

Sen. James Abourezk
Michael Albert
Rocky Anderson
Jared Ball
Russell Banks
Thomas Bias
Noam Chomsky
Bruce Dixon
Frank Dorrel
Gidon Eshel
Jamilla El-Shafei
Okla Elliott
Norman Finkelstein
Glen Ford
Joshua Frank
Margaret Flowers M.D.
John Gerassi
Henry Giroux
Matt Gonzalez
Kevin Alexander Gray
Judd Greenstein
DeeDee Halleck
John Halle
Chris Hedges
Doug Henwood
Edward S. Herman
Dahr Jamail
Louis Kampf
Allison Kilkenny
Jamie Kilstein
Joel Kovel
Mark Kurlansky
Peter Linebaugh
Scott McLarty
Cynthia McKinney
Dede Miller
Russell Mokhiber
Bobby Muller
Christian Parenti
Michael Perelman
Peter Phillips
Louis Proyect
Ted Rall
Michael Ratner
Cindy Sheehan
Chris Spannos
Paul Street
Sunil Sharma
Jeffrey St. Clair
Len Weinglass
Cornel West
Sherry Wolf
Michael Yates
Mickey Z
Kevin Zeese

Please sign the Open Letter to the Left Establishment:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/12/an-open-letter-to-the-left-establishment/

-----------------

Looks like it's about time to hit the streets. Make that about friggin' time.

[Faryn Balyncd]

1. K&R

[Warren Stupidity]

2. .

[Individualist]

3. Signed. K&R

[Catherina]

4. No need to ask me twice. Done and there. Rec'd n/t

[Catherina]

5. Wait, You mean it's not just DU? Why just this morning that meme was repeated. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Nope, why we had that twilight zone moment

in DC this afternoon.

[BuelahWitch]

25. People would like us to think it's just DU, but it's not

kickety kick!

[FredStembottom]

60. Kuklafrananollie!

Yay!

[Capn Sunshine]

77. No, it's not just DU

It's a whole bunch of places. In those places, all online, often there is an undercurrent of political theater. Of an unspoken agenda, just out of the stark light illuminating the post of the day or whatever.

It's significant. It must be, there's a lot of people involved.

Why, I'll bet it might be as much as 10-15% of active folks. That's a LOT of people. Online. Where they can remain safe and anonymous. (says the guy posting as Capn Sunhine)

But I have two concerns with this groundswell.

1)there's a lot of agendas floating around out there not all of them healthy and happy

2)A very organized dedicated group of righties have infiltrated this little soiree, and remind me very much of the cointelpro radicals of days gone by. Just like the anarchists have undercover cops who are the loudest and most destructive, so here you will see many with the agenda to destroy the President are the most vocal and radicalized.

So, all I ask, opponents of the President, is take all you hear with a grain of salt. Now back to your regularly scheduled Obama bashing.

PS now, we're the "Left Establishment". Damn. That is freaking hilarious in its irony.

[Poboy]

6. Recommend!

[DCKit]

7. "Pass it fast, before there's any push-back" didn't work. n/t

[Poboy]

8. kick

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Done

[unkachuck]

11. K&R....n/t

[Starry Messenger]

12. k&r

[ChumbawambaFan]

13. Why'd we elect a moderate to begin with? Wasted opportunity. I sign now. nt

[ncteechur]

17. Because Dennis Kucinich would have lost.

[NorthCarolina]

42. Would have lost? He wasn't even permitted to fairly compete. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

79. That's why he would have lost.

But in any case, he would have lost.

That's the only reason I didn't go with him.

In retrospect, at least it would have been a Republican pushing intolerable, outrageous, unconscionable and destructive policies down out throat. And probably less effectively than a …I don't want to get tombstoned.

[TheKentuckian]

14. Done

[xocet]

15. Signed. K&R n/t

[ncteechur]

16. Welcome President Romney!

Idealism is absolutely wonderful when you have nothing to worry about. How many of the signers are struggling like so many Americans are?

Cornell West? I bet that Princeton salary barely keeps him fed. How about Noam? Michael Moore?


Maybe these folks should run for President instead of bitching about the current one. Put their money and they phony idealism where their mouths are.

[saorsa]

19. You think you got righteous anger? Maybe you should

read some stuff by the other people on the list of signers. Glen Ford will eat you for lunch. I am a struggling American, know lots of struggling Americans, am related to struggling Americans. We vote for people who pledge to fight for struggling Americans. It is then our job, and our sacred freaking duty, to bitch and agitate when we don't see any effort at fighting.

[myrna minx]

37. What about the 99ers? They're completely left out. Taxes for people making less than

$20,000 a year and for couples making less than $40,000 a year will go up. What about them? What's great about this plan for them or aren't they struggling too?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/tax-cut-compromise-whose-taxes-rise_n_793572.html

[Caretha]

38. Idealism

Is not a dirty word....

I believe I'll echo my ancestor "Damn the consequences, give me the pen"

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. Boo!

It's much shorter.

[abelenkpe]

80. + 1000 nt

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

50. I am a struggling American

Small biz owner. older, 58, worrying about the changes in SS.

At this time will give up anything, anything, to see this country righted.

I fought, I lost friends, in wars that were suspect to say the least.

My american dream has been shattered.

Change, collapse, revolution, whatever you want to call it, is happening. Wake up, Wake up.

Again, in words, in action, in beliefs, I am there.

I have nothing to lose and all to gain.

I signed, ESAD

[walldude]

61. So these guys are all rich bastards that have no clue

but the people in Washington stealing from the poor and giving to the rich are all for the struggling people? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl :rofl: Yeah. Right.

[pezDispenser]

62. you think there would be any difference

Between Romney and a 2nd term Obama? I don't.

[Martin Eden]

71. Are you going to vote for Romney ...

... and against the progressive Democratic candidate who will be nominated instead of Obama in 2012?

Yeah, I know, displacing a sitting president who wants a 2nd-term nomination would defy the odds.

But I'm beginning to think that if Obama continues to capitulate to Republicans and betray Democratic principles, his re-election would do more harm to the Democratic Party than a loss to the likes of Romney -- because a 2nd term for Obama would validate his capitulations & betrayals and shift the Democratic Party even further to the right.

Two years ago I knew the expectations were a little too high, but I've stuck with Obama until now.

Two years ago we were told to Hope for Change, but it turned out the Repukes could not have hoped for the kind of change that has actually taken place, with a Democratic President helping to weaken Social Security while extending tax cuts to the rich.

IT MAKES ME SICK :puke:

[liberation]

85. Funny, "idealism" was awesome when Obama needed our votes.

Now that we need him to do the damned job we elected him to do, apparently "idealism" is really bad.

BTW, I take you had nothing critical to say about Bush, since obviously you did not run for high office and thus did not earn the right to express your opinion.

The more and more desperate uses of fallacy some supporter of Mr. Obama use, the closer and closer they are to negate some of the basic principles of a democracy... one of the most basic being the right of any citizen to speak truth to power. Which ironically, puts you guys closer and closer to the same behavior and position as the Bush die hards did in their long and painful divorce process from reality.

The more things "change"...

[KoKo]

18. Wow...that's quite something... K&R

[avaistheone1]

20. Signed.

Will pass this on to my email list.

Thanks.

:kick:

[upi402]

21. k/r for the Verboten and the Taboo, shhhhh

ibtl too

notsuppostasaybadthingsaboutobamahere

[upi402]

22. self-delet dupe

[BuelahWitch]

23. Signed, kicked and rec'd!

:hi:

[leftstreet]

24. K&R

[bluedigger]

26. I'm in.

It's time.

[DearAbby]

27. Done

[Desertrose]

28. Done

[jimlup]

29. Kick and Rec!

And will cross post on a "mainstream" (which has been leaning further and further right with each passing day) forum.

[AzDar]

30. K &R

[Le Taz Hot]

31. K & R

Done and done.

[tomp]

32. this is the way, folks....the only way. nt

[mix]

33. K&R nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

34. Something is Rotten and its not in the State of Denmark

Call me a traitor... but something is very wrong here Mr. Jones and
you don't know what it is

JOIN US!

[maryf]

35. K&R Hope people check out the hyperlinks...

and beyond...

Also this letter from VFP:

Letter to Obama: ‘We Demand Our Bonus–Peace’

December 3, 2010

Dear President Obama,

A week ago, I wrote you on this same subject but since I’ve not yet received a reply either personal or automated, I felt I should try again. As president of Veterans For Peace (VFP), a national organization of military veterans, I want to convey to you our serious opposition to your administration’s policy of ongoing wars, proxy wars, occupations and drone strikes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine and Yemen. Your policies are taking innocent lives, causing untold, lifelong suffering, rapidly destroying our economy, our environment and ultimately making all of us considerably less safe.

Since there are no logical reasons rooted in human or planetary betterment for these policies, we are left to conclude what is logical and obvious: that their purpose is to maintain and advance what has sadly become the global U.S. Empire.
VFP has voiced our opposition to these wars at every national demonstration and with countless local actions, letters, faxes, emails and phone calls. We requested a meeting with you shortly after your inauguration, to no avail. We are now requesting another meeting. And since we have tried all the above many times over, this is what we now propose.

If, within 10 days from now, we do not hear a positive response to our request for a meeting, we are prepared to bring a large delegation of our members to Washington before the end of this month. We will come in person to the White House to meet with you or until we are dragged away in full view of our nation and the world–military veterans, carrying their nation’s flag, seeking a meeting with their president in the season of Peace.

Like the bonus marchers of the 1930′s, we demand our bonus be paid. The bonus for our service and the many sacrifices of our comrades is peace. In this season of Peace I remain,

Most sincerely yours,

Mike Ferner, National President
Veterans For Peace
USN Hospital Corps 1969-73




http://www.stopthesewars.org/?page_id=293

also here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9751819&mesg_id=9751819

[malaise]

36. K & R n/t

[Cherchez la Femme]

39. Happy to be 100 rec

and a :kick: to boot!

[tavalon]

40. 102

And I signed.

[sirthomas66]

43. Signed and ready for service. I will not see my daughter living in

a trash box because Barack Obama commenced the raiding of Social Security.

[NorthCarolina]

44. Signed. K&R. 118. nt

[sasha031]

45. K&R

[Goldstein1984]

46. Signed and forwarded to friends outside of DU

A good opportunity to introduce some of them to Truthout.org

[AllyCat]

47. Done

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

48. K & R ++++

DONE !!!

[hfojvt]

49. Jim Abourezk? I thought he was dead.

Is he a Democrat? Maybe he was defeated by Pressler. I am gonna have to look that up now, since he is from my home state.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

59. Never defeated...

...former Senator Jim Abourezk is a fascinating person. He decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 1978 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Abourezk .

[democracy1st]

51. K & R

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

52. Signed, kicked and recommended

[Luminous Animal]

53. Signed.

[Gin]

56. Signed

[MissDeeds]

54. K&R &Signed

[Hell Hath No Fury]

55. A WHOLE lotta names on there I respect --

I will certainly add mine.

[hulka38]

57. K&R

[1badjedi]

58. #2,795

Done!

[ibegurpard]

63. awesome!

[Swampguana]

64. Signed

[Celtic Raven]

65. Done

K&R!

[shirlden]

66. Signed

and kicked

[laughingliberal]

67. Done. K & R n/t

[onestepforward]

68. Done. n/t

[salib]

69. Yes, it is well past time.

Time to brush aside the nay sayers and get to work on a Liberal agenda.

[pam4water]

70. I've always hated spelling and grammar Nazis, but that letter needs a major re-write. It makes no

sense as it stand. The phrase "protest to" has not meaning as it's used. It would be "protests of" or "protests by". The starting sentence "A Call for Active Support of Protest to Michael Moore, Norman Solomon, Katrina van den Heuvel", interpreted literally would call people to protest Michael Moore etc. Michael Moore is already appealing to Obama to change and definitely doesn't need people to protest against him after the grief he went through following the release "Sicko". Is the letter calling for "Michael Moore, Norman Solomon, Katrina van den Heuvel,.." to organize protest against Obama or for a rational progressive agenda? It's so poorly written I have a hard time believing Noam Chomsky has anything to do with the letter, even if he forgot his ginkgo and his glasses.

Is the letter calling for the former supports of Obama to re-organize and re-energy protest movements, in light of Obama's abysmal failures? Is it saying these people are partly responsible for putting Obama in office so it's incumbent on them to push Obama in the right direction? Don't know about the rest of those people. Or is the letter calling for people to push "Michael Moore, Norman Solomon,..." to push Obama by protesting "Michael Moore, Norman Solomon,...". The way the letter opening is written there is not way to tell. You don't protests a movements old leader to get a movement going again. You get new leaders.

[Jefferson23]

72. This list is comprised of Obama's fringe left, never grateful

nor reasonable pain in the asses. Count me in.

[Capn Sunshine]

78. While all that is true

I do hold a special place in my heart for you sonsabitches. :loveya:

[Jefferson23]

81. LOL, thank you! n/t

[Martin Eden]

73. Signed, with comment added:

Obama's Deficit Commission is recommending cuts to Social Security benefits while Obama extends tax cuts to the rich -- and here I thought our national nightmare was over when GW Bush left office!

[tomg]

74. It was emotionally hard to do

and I did it with no joy.

[TriMera]

75. Done & Kick. n/t

[patrice]

76. If you can't DELIVER an end to ALL Bush Tax Cuts this will end Medicare/any chance of Public Option

Health Care.

[marylanddem]

82. Signed, sealed, delivered...;-)

[me b zola]

91. LOL

The campaign song went through my mind, too, as I hit the "sign" button.

[snappyturtle]

83. K&R Thanks! & done. nt

[t0dd]

84. About time is right. Huge K&R. Thanks for this!

[AndrewP]

86. kick

[orbitalman]

87. K & R x 1000

[matt819]

88. I am troubled

If not Obama, then who?

There are no statesmen. There are no street-fighting pols ready to fight on our behalf. Those who largely share and reflect our views are generally regarded as outcasts and nutcakes (cf. Kucinich).

On the right, as well, there are no statesmen. They have what might be called street fighters, but, really, all they are are bought and sold pols who are fighting to earn their keep at the behest of their corporate masters. And the Palins, Bachmanns, et al are just plain batshit crazy, and there's really no historical precedent for fighting batshit crazy.

Is there someone in the wings I'm overlooking?

[Truth2Tell]

93. it is inevitable that someone will emerge IMO

but they haven't yet. Be ready. :)

[chill_wind]

89. K & R. Done. Thank you T2T.

:hi:

[Truth2Tell]

92. Yo Chill...

good 2 see ya! I haven't been posting here at the zoo much lately... keep up the fight,

peace

:hi:

[prairierose]

90. Done....k&r....n/t

[lunatica]

94. A couple of days ago I was wondering about Cynthia McKinney

I imagined she would be one of those who would be speaking out strongly. I guess I was right. I'm glad to see her name on the list.

signed.