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Letters from our readers

On “Occupy UC Davis protesters adopt resolution calling for break with Democratic Party

 

 

This is most encouraging news. The connection between the chancellor and the Democratic Party—not to mention the global system of counterintelligence—has been clarified by a previous article.

 

In time, students will realize that such people can be dealt with only by attacking the root cause that enables such people to hold positions of power.

 

When social unrest mounts after an ugly incident, focusing public anger on one person is what the establishment—backed by the media—attempts to do. However, such people like the chancellor are invaluable contributors to the rotting capitalist system and will be always taken care of. Students will likely never be safe from her, or from the likes of her—who will be called to duty by her overlords in times of need, that is, when us plebian rabble dare to stamp our signature on this historical process.

 

My best wishes to Eric Lee and the ISSE for taking the leadership on an important milestone in student forays in this struggle.

 

Thushara
1 December 2011

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To be precise, Occupy UC Davis formally rejected both Democrat and Republican parties. The Occupy movement has viewed both parties from the onset as the handmaidens of Wall Street. There has been no bond to sever between Occupy and the Democratic Party. Occupy UC Davis’ statement is an articulation of what was previously implicit.

 

Lee E
1 December 2011

On “Protesters in Philadelphia and Los Angeles resist attempts to end occupations

I find it interesting that web sites such as Truthout continually fail to mention the party affiliations of the mayors involved in these evictions of and police attacks upon these non-violent protestors. I have noticed similar omissions in various liberal print publications as well. Certainly they don’t want us to think that it is the Republican Party that is behind all of the attempts to squelch the OWS protestors?

 

Gary W
29 November 2011

On “The civil war in Syria and the fate of the Middle Eastern revolution

Dear comrades,

The perspective on the dangers of civil war in Syria by Chris is, in my opinion, excellent. A similar situation exists that our comrades in the Sri Lankan section must address regarding India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the wider region. A war between Pakistan and India—which has become a surrogate for US imperialism, even more than has Pakistan—has become a greater danger in the last year.

 

John
29 November 2011

On “For a general strike to bring down the Cameron government!

 

Hereby I pay tribute to the Socialist Equality Party in Britain for providing guidance for the country’s working class. It seems that British people have elected a government to impose devastation on their lives. Well-dressed politicians who make presentations in British parliament expressive of vulgar emotions of the 1 percent are typical of the bourgeoisie’s barbarity. By today’s general strike, a section of the British working class correctly holds their bourgeoisie to ransom. But it is utterly inadequate. They should act expeditiously to overthrow the bourgeoisie by capturing state power. This 99 percent in Britain, having the working class at their head, should get organized under the country’s Socialist Equality Party. If Great Britain succeeds in this momentous task it will open floodgates for human emancipation in the beginning of this third millennium.

 

IVE
Sri Lanka
30 November 2011

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One of the main accusations the government has thrown at the workers going on strike on 30th November has been directed at the “irresponsible” attitude of strikers in general and teachers in particular.

 

In general, by stopping work the strikers were damaging productivity and the economic situation. Pardon my ignorance, but has that not been precisely the point of going on strike since the first strike was held back in antiquity? For those who are a little puzzled by the longevity of striking as a political tool, yes, there are well established references to stoppages by workers and even slaves throughout recorded history. Damaging productivity by working to rule or by outright stoppage is the only means left for the modern wage-slave to counter attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions, as surely even Simon Walker, of the Institute of Directors, must know.[1] Or was something lacking from his history lessons back at school?

 

Which brings me on to the particular: teachers. Teachers, like parents, have been blamed for many ills in society by the right-wing media. Liberal teaching methods are supposedly not teaching children the “Three R’s” any more, and lazy parenting is held to blame for the hedonistic youth of today erupting in riots. Funny then, that one of the main accusations lambasted against teachers in the build-up to strike action on the 30th November was that because of school closures, parents had no childcare and hence had to take time off work. According to this line of argument, the main job teachers have is to be a kind of glorified child-minder, so that parents are “free” to go out and work.

What has happened to the idea of teachers as the educators of the next generation, inspiring a (sometimes lifelong) love of learning? Teachers in primary and secondary schools in Britain, and elsewhere, do so much more than just provide childcare. Devaluing the profession of teaching, by reducing teachers to nothing more than child-minders so that their parents can be economically active, is symptomatic of the cynicism of the 1 percent, who could always afford private education. And symptomatic of the de-skilling and devaluation of many other kinds of jobs, too, where by making a profession seem less valued or useful you can then squeeze the pay and conditions for people working in that sector.

[1] “Simon Walker, of the Institute of Directors, told the BBC News Channel the strike was doing ‘significant damage’ to the economy. ‘If you’re damaging the productive capacity of this country you’re really doing huge damage to the fabric of the economy and that will last a long time and impact on all of us,’ he said.” Quoted on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15953806 “Public sector strike rallies held across UK”

 

Tertulia R
Bristol, UK
30 November 2011

On “US government panel recommends an end to prostate cancer screening

 

I have reviewed several [articles] on the destruction of Medicare/Medicaid underway courtesy of the corps/Demos/Reps. Your research and linking procedures to relevant articles is wonderful.…

The vicious police behavior all over the country helped to push me over the line from admiration and wishful thinking to a desire to actually contribute.

 

The use of the “Dartmouth Atlas” of health care studies really reflects the lengths our corporatist profit fiends will go to delude and camouflage their true intentions: abandon any benefits the poor and elderly can derive from medical science.

 

Yours,

 

Stuart C
California, USA
30 November 2011

On “An exchange: More on the contemporary assault on Shakespeare

 

Dave:

 

Of course, I quite like both the review and the answer to HS’s letter. But I need to tell you this paragraph:

 

“We, on the contrary, are proud to belong to the same species that produced a Shakespeare. It is a source of optimism. It gives us considerable confidence that human beings can tackle any problem, no matter how challenging. It is profoundly reassuring to know that Shakespeare and his body of work exist.”

 

... actually brought tears to my eyes. One of the ways I respond to great art, is that it fills me with a sense of awe, and a sense of pride in being part of species capable of producing that. You’ve expressed that beautifully.

 

Steven B
Minnesota, USA
30 November 2011

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Excellent rebuttal to a nonsensical argument. I just wanted to add that HS loses all credibility (not that he ever had any) when he says that in Shakespeare “The principal characters are almost all aristocrats with the exception perhaps of Shylock and Falstaff.” Sir John Falstaff, friend of the future king Henry V, was of course an aristocrat.

 

Matthew Y
Ohio, USA
30 November 2011

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