18 October, 2007

Corporate free Music! and Manny Ramirez?

What is Socialism?
Workers and their Unions are the only force in society in which in order for any person's lot in life to get better, all of their co-workers have to profit together. In most of capitalist society we are mostly told to be greedy at the expense of our co-workers. But the bosses do everything they can to discourage our Union activism.

Music:
Today we're playing a lot of music that is free of corporate domination. Woody Guthrie refused to bow to the interests of corporate music. He prefered to roam the country, playing at working class bars and surviving on basically the same wages that the people he played for did. Radiohead's latest album, "In Rainbows" is being offered online for whatever donation is decided by the listener. Immortal Technique has continually refused to sign with a major label and has built is career around his own promotion and the strength of his lyrics and his music.

Manny Ramirez - Baseball isn't war...


Solidarity Announcements:

Anti-War demonstrations the weekend of Oct 26 & 27

Sickout/Walkout Oct 26th 12noon - Walkout of school and call in sick to work on Friday, Oct 26th. Gather for a rally followed by a march on the Boston Common at 1pm. See www.sowoco.org for more information.

National Day of Action against the war - Saturday Oct 27th, 12noon, Boston Common.
www.October27.org or www.newenglandunited.org

On November 6th,
Vote Matt Geary for Boston City Council At-Large. Matt Geary is the candidate of Socialist Alternative. See www.votegeary.com for his full program. Look for Matt on BNN tonight!

Nigerian Students charged with trumped up charges. Heres who you can protest to: The DSM asks for protest letters be sent to:
• Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) at registra@oauife.edu.ng
• OAU Vice-Chancellor – mfaborode@yahoo.co.uk & mfaborod@oauife.edu.ng
• Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education at enquiries@fme.gov.ng and te@fme.gov.ng
International supporters are asked to contact their local Nigerian Embassy or High Commission
(This is especially important, as some of these Nigerian email addresses may not accept protests).
Copies of all protest letters sent should be also sent to:
• the DSM (CWI, Nigeria) at dsmcentre@hotmail.com
Clearly legal and other defence activities will cost money and the DSM asks for donations to be sent via its website


Reading the Papers:

MBTA debt will cause MORE fare hikes in the next five years.
MassPIRG's report is here. It says that the MBTA has 3 choices: Fare increase, service cuts or more borrowing (ie, more debt). The Boston Globe article on it is here.
Where does the debt come from? Forward funding legislation passed in 2000 put the funds in the hands of the stock market and out of the hands of the Mass Legislature. MBTA debt service is over $250 million a year!

Nurses rally in Boston to push for Card Check union recognition in the Longwood Medical area. Ben Affleck supports them!

24 hour transportation strike in France. Sarkozy is trying to cut back on the pensions that transporation workers have won in the past.

Clear Channel is trying to break the union and pay their billboard workers nothing. Their workers are on strike but their tactics are largely symbolic and are not preventing billboards from being updated.

History of post-WWII healthcare on ZMag
.

Wealth gap increasing and increasing. Largest its been since the 1920s.

Abortion rates stay the same, legal or illegal (international herald tribune).

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